FIRST CATCH
Hey. Number 10 here. Thanks for all the support from you who read this story. I really appreciate it. Thanks to my patrons as well! It's all warmly welcomed.
LuanOTP advises you to wash your hands frequently, and drink warm water.
In the bathroom, the ace pilot twisted the knob of the tap, and placed his hands under the warm running water before it could spiral down the tap. Tenderly, Falco had washed his face to wake himself up a little before the mission had begun. He shook his head to get rid of the excess water droplets, and gave a good stare in the mirror ahead of him. There stood a tattered bird, peering back at him with half-lidded eyes.
"Crud, Falco. What changed..?"
The avian folded the collar of his jacket, contrary to his usual fashion, before calling himself ready. Down the hallway, and right to the left. Standing in the decompression chamber, Falco rubbed his eyes of any phosphenes and other unwanted bits and bobs. The doors opened to the hangar, and the azure feathered fighter pilot eyed his Arwing. The cockpit had opened after a few inputs, allowing the space ace to jump and land in his leather seat effortlessly. Looking ahead, the bird traced a couple of blemishes in the cockpits central window. Every flight in this fighter held a chance of not returning in one piece. Yet, the thrill always had it's ways of roping Falco back to whish past the planets, stars, miscellaneous celestial bodies and beyond.
Whirring into life, the engine of the Arwing switched on. All entrances back to the Great Fox from the docking bay were securely closed shut, and the only way out would be through the colorful assortment on the forever-expanding black canvas.
"Bzzt… Good luck."
Falco heeded the heads-up from ROB via his comms device, and lit up the exhaust pipe to propel the Arwing forward. Bounding into the expanse of space, the Arwing twisted and turned, performing rocking about and aileron rolling on the journey to his destination. Destination… The avian pouted, punching a couple buttons on the dashboard of the transceiver.
"Slippy? Fox? This is Falco. Do ya copy?"
"Yeah, we hear you, Falco. What's up?"
That was Fox's voice. Suddenly, the avian felt much more at ease.
"On my way. Could'ya send me your coordinates or sumthin'?"
"R-Right, gotcha. Slippy, send him our location."
"O-On it!"
"Thanks. I'll be there in a few." ordered the flightless bird. "Sit tight."
The screen in the centre of Falco's dashboard lit up. The coordinates and general whereabouts blipped on the heads-up display. Now knowing exactly where he was going, the pilot upped the gas, boosting even further away from the Great Fox, and in the direction of the outskirts of Zoness' atmosphere.
Several planets and sectors were passed by during the time that was spent travelling. Katina, Sector Y, Corneria. All Falco could say was that in all their most dire of ordeals, he'd been there. The Lylat wars weren't a memory he'd like to remember, but certainly, it was one he'd never forget.
Falco could spot Zoness a couple hundreds of miles away. He had realised that he had barely taken a glance at his radar. When you're a seasoned pilot, you'd find yourself not needing a mapping system. Take a gander at the massive, divine bodies, and you'd know. The avian pointed his beak down at his radar, gnawing on a piece of gum that he honestly shouldn't be chewing on while this sort of aircraft. Three dots appeared. Two were close to each other, but one wayward pulse was off miles in the opposite direction, making the pilot raise his brows in suspicion.
"Don't tell me this thing is busted…"
Looking about left and right, Falco squinted his eyes just to get a visual of whatever aircraft could've been out there. Yet, there was nothing. Or rather, there seemed to be nothing. It wouldn't be safe to assume he was in the clear, though he had a job to do.
Regardless, he flew toward his two objectives until he had a visual himself. Slowing down in front of the two other Arwings towing the rather large load of the Catspaw, Falco got a glimpse of the pair of pilots in Slippy Toad and Fox McCloud. They both seemed to be chatting away from their cockpits.
"There ya are." spoke Falco into the comms. He was greeted with a curve of the lips from his captain and an over the top wave from the mechanic. "How's towing going?"
"Well…" begun Fox, scratching his head. "It's not really a job I thought I'd end up doing, let alone in the Arwing, but… Katt helped us a lot back in Sector Z. Gotta repay the favour."
"'Spose."
Reluctantly, the avian shut his eyes and nodded, turning his fighter around in the direction of the Great Fox, travelling right in front of the rest of his team a short distance away. Setting the Arwing into a calming cruise mode, Falco leaned back and did some reminiscing. No doubt those interplanetary missiles would've cost a fortune to repair. Panic set in all four of the StarFox crew once ROB had announced their presence, especially since their hands were full with the Venomian fighter pilots. if it wasn't for Katt swooping in on time, who knows what could've happened.
"Hey Falco, wanna switch or sumthin'? Slippy here could do with a break or two." jestered Slippy, trying hard to match his captain's pace.
The toad was unfortunately brushed off. "No thanks, Slippy. You look just fine where you are." remarked the beaked pilot, fidgeting in his seat to try and cross his legs. No avail though. Peering at his radar one more time, Falco noticed that the detected presence that was pretty far off was no longer observed amid his Arwing's radius. He turned to his peers.
"Hope ya don't mind me lettin' ya know, but the Arwing picked up another aircraft not too far away from here while I was on my way." he explained, checking various dials and gauges. "It's disappeared now, but…"
"Heard ya loud and clear, Falco." came Fox, tempted to go at an itch under his chin while glancing at his own radar. "I don't see anything either. You don't think the radars are malfunctioning, do you?"
Slippy started pouncing in his seat. "N-N-N-Now way! I check the radars everyday and I-I've never noticed anything out of the ordinary!"
"Hmm… I don't know, Slip. Could've just been a lousy job if you ask me."
"Leave him alone, Falco." interjected Fox, shaking his head disappointedly. "Just make sure you keep your eyes peeled."
"'Aye 'aye, Cap'n!"
"Gotcha."
The Great Fox cruised safely around the orbit of Corneria, therefore Fox and his team had taken a route past Aquas and through Sector Y, as opposed to the difficulty of having to navigate through Meteo and potentially Sargasso. Halfway through the latter sector, Falco paused internally. A blip came from his radar, and he immediately shot up.
"Eyes forward - I got somethin' on the map."
"I see it too."
Falco pulled up, and fired the retros to turn up and around the duo of Arwings used as towing vehcle substitutes. Fox and Slippy cruised past at a steady pace, as the bird braked to scan his environment. Planets, stars, nebulae. Yet, the avian found no targets. The silence surrounding their Arwings for miles closed in on his fighter. Even the quiet whirr of the engine became unbearable for the pilot.
Beady turquoise eyes darted in all directions, searching for the stationary though looming target that threatened him through the rhythmic pulses from his radar. Each beep fell in time with a quickened heartbeat. The avian's trembling feathered hands gripped the control stick, wracked with anticipation of the masked menace that refused to show face.
No time to spare. Falco swivelled on a dime, not waiting to identify the target that flew on a curved path to his left. Eight blue lasers were fired from his twin-wing blasters, annihilating the quarry that dared to cross his sights in a blaze of a glorious albeit soundless explosion. The transferral of sheer momentum was enough to push the Arwing back a few metres and counting, subduing it's attacker to shut his eyes from the brightness of the blast. Once the gaseous aftermath had receded, the seasoned fighter pilot had blinked a couple times to get a better sight of the game that he hunted.
"Bogey down." announced a confident voice from the transceiver's speakers. It could only belong to the vulpine of the troupe. "Good job, Falco. You really showed that stray asteroid who's boss."
Starstruck, Falco watched in awe as debris from the large mass of rock, that finally decided to have another body's gravitational pull decide it's fate, clinked off the window of the cockpit. Glaring back down at his radar, the perplexed falcon had half a mind to translate his confusion into umbrage. There was no longer such a target located by the Arwing; the pulse had vanished.
"W-What the heck? I could've sworn I just saw a target…" mused Falco, worriedly eyeing his dials once more. His murmur was met with snickers from his peers, who couldn't quite empathise with the awestruck falcon.
"I dunno, Falco. Looked like an asteroid to me." joshed Slippy, who still tipped his crimson cap to the bird.
"Hey, I know what I saw!" defended the avian, who fought an uphill battle. "Well at least, what my radar said."
"I'll take a look at the radars when we get back to the Great Fox."
"I'd hope so."
Fox, who began to suspect slight frustration from his ace pilot, input his two cents.
"Hey, don't worry about it, Fal. Let's just head back."
The orders were complied to by the falcon, who was surprised to hear his captain refer to him in an abbreviated fashion.
"Right!"
"Heard."
Post-haste, all three of them upped their boosters, and shot off into space like darts toward a board, disregarding any perturbations that boasted potential to hinder their mission. On the other hand, for the falcon, it clung to the rest of his worries like a leech that bore fangs of delusion.
Three pilots walked back from the hangar after a job well done. In sooth, only two pilots were of good heart. The third had a pounding headache post-mission. His face was scrunched while his mind was begging to ask the question that had been answered enough times already.
Fox, who walked in front of the bird, yet next to the toad, turned back to send a thumbs up back to his wingman. "Thanks for the good job, guys. Let's grab some grub and head to bed."
Slippy showed no signs of protest when it came to meeting and greeting an old friend in food. However, Falco had halted halfway through the hallway.
"Well, I might just skip out on a meal this time." told the avian, waving his peers off. Fox didn't seem to take that as an answer, though.
"Come on, Falco. You're required to have a balanced diet while you're out in space. Don't wanna be getting too thin, y'know?"
"Just don't have the appetite. I'll check on you guys later."
"There's just no stopping you, is there, Falco?"
"Maybe not."
The avian spun and headed off in the opposite direction, so Fox and Slippy went on with their own agendas. His room thankfully wasn't far off from here. Falco felt like his back was aching and begging for him to take a seat in a chair that suited him better than the Arwing.
Opening the door, the bird was met with the expected. His chambers were as dark and quiet as he had left it. Light had came in alongside him, but left without as much as a goodbye as Falco closed the door behind him. The pink furred feline that he had farewelled was in a fetal position on the bed, snoozing away.
It was a real sight to behold. The pilot - who spent time taking off his jacket to reveal a sleeveless flight suit - hung his coat on his chair, and dragged his feet toward his bed. Stomach grumbles rumbled throughout the room. It was a miracle Katt hadn't awoke already.
Falco had removed the rest of his clothing, cladding himself in a pair of shorts and a standard issue vest that every space traveller should own. Sloppily, he had strewn it on the desk, not even bothering to fold them.
Carefully, the avian tucked himself into his bed, keeping mind of the spacing between his body and the cat next to him. Katt slept next to the wall, so Falco let her have her peace by turning his back on her, and closing his eyes.
Blackness.
More Blackness.
The blackness ensued. Falco felt himself grow drowsy. Two warm though furry snakes seemed to rope around his abdomen. Soon, a set of two plush spheres squeezed against his back, rubbing against him as if trying to charge each other.
"…"
This was when Falco's eyes split open. He wasn't sure whether to be afraid of the potential instigation or the fact that he was in Katt's subconscious grip. Either way, he'd hate to deny that he enjoyed the feeling.
Glancing over his shoulder, the feline seemed to be out cold. Eyes closed, mouth slightly ajar. Her chest rose every couple of seconds. The entire sleeping package.
Exhaling slightly, Falco moved his head back so his beak was facing outwards toward the rest of his darkened bedroom. He'd have to apprehend the feline in the morning for her unconscious acts. In the meantime…
A small, yet accountable smile appeared on his beak.
...
He could at least try to enjoy it.
Alright. Great read guys. Review if you'd like me to recognise irks and quirks that you may have noticed during the course of this chapter, or story rather. Love you all, and I'll see you next chapter!
-LuanOTP
Now, she was certain that he was asleep. Katt's left eye fluttered open, examining the bird up and down closely. Eyes shut? Tick. Breathing patterns regular? Tick. Her hold on Falco tightened gradually, taking her time to snuggle into the avian's fabric to get a feel of his defined back muscles. The moment was ethereal, dishonest, and completely out of character for someone so reliant on tone of voice and charm such as Katt Monroe, but…
She could at least try to enjoy it.