Star Fox: Digital Danger

By: Wolf E. Urameshi

Started: 2005-09-01

Finished: 2005-09-14

Disclaimer: All Star Fox characters and related trademarks are legal property of Nintendo; no infringement of the law is meant in any way. Also, all original characters present in this story are property of their owners and used with permission, when applicable.

A/N: Hello again. Well it took me long enough, but I have finally been able to update this after we moved to a new house. If my memory is still in its place, Dimitri's life was in danger, and therefore he had to be saved. However, after stabilizing the Sharpclaw, Fox and Co. was in a pinch, for a bunch of bad guys attacked the village. Fox and Slippy went in to try to stop the raid but were unsuccessful. Fox being knocked out, Falco and Krystal come to his aid, only to see things have become worse for them. Krystal checks on Fox, who is barely breathing; at that same moment, unfortunately, more of the renegade gunners showed up and tried to kill her, only to find punishment in the hands of a heroic figure: Janus himself.

I'd also like to take this chance to thank the only writers who have reviewed this: Wolfox Okamichan and Fenryr Hellfyre. Thank you.

Chapter 4: Dimitri: Ultimate In-Training Mercenary, Part 1 of 2

"What do you mean, I can't? I want to repay Fox for what he did for us!"

"No. Too dangerous." Janus's tone clearly clarified everything: He refused to let his boy become a mercenary like Fox.

"Oh, come on! Weren't you one before for the same stupid reasons?"

Janus raised an eyebrow at the question. "It was different. If I hadn't done so then neither you nor your mother would be standing here now."

"But still! You got to help people! Why can't I?"

"First, you're too young. Second, you have no reason to attack others and even kill them. Lastly, it's because I say so."

"Please, let me go! I just--"

Janus stood up from his chair and looked at him in his eyes, irritated now. "Listen kid, you don't know anything. You know nothing about this unsympathetic reality. You're starting out in life, and you already want to die?"

Dimitri was resolute to go, even if it meant giving his Dad a bad day. "You know you won't evade this. It will happen eventually."

That did it. Janus was between the sword and his son's life as his hands tried to drain air out of his lungs with the neck. "And I'll be there to stop it!"

"Stop it, you two, you're not helping!" Cecilia's voice pleaded, putting an instant stop to the conversation. Janus looked at her eyes with deceitful intent, telling her almost mentally he wanted to kill his son for asking a rather 'foolhardy' question. He let him go and walked out grumbling to himself silently. Dimitri ran to his room, shut the door and locked it. From inside, screams, grunts and sounds of things falling apart articulated just how angry he was. "Oh dear... Quite the boy he's been raising."

Meanwhile, outside, Fox didn't know where to start. This was so sudden for Janus, especially now when it was only a year. Just when everything seemed to stay there, a voice quietly spoke. "...Remember when we first met back at that temple?"

Fox was a little astounded by the question. He never heard him ask this before. "Yeah, why?"

The father sighed and tried to weep, but was unable to in the end. "Well, I just wanted to remember."

"Why did you want to? If you put it that way it'll have no connotation."

"I know... My son already wants to be like his old man. Get into fights easily without thinking, break a few bones, and leave splinters of bones around..." His voice swiftly rose. "Dammit, he's just a kid!" His fist met with a nearby wall once he finished saying that sentence. His aggravation at such an intricate affair was very evident.

Fox virtually had no breath after that. "But he already desires to set his life. And everyone does that too."

"But there's a discrepancy: He'll be a slaughterer that way."

"No, he won't. It's neither in his objectives nor his sight."

"What...?" Janus was too consternated to even talk. "Look, I know what he wants, but it's just... It's too sudden."

"Sudden?" Fox was officially humored by that. He managed to let out a slightly low chuckle before going on; after listening to Janus growl, of course. "He's already mature enough to know what he wants. It's only fair he does."

"But I... I don't want him to go."

"I understand how you feel. But this is a time that everyone faces. If you made your choice when you met me, then why can't he do his choice?" Something they didn't seem to realize with their sharp reflexes was that Dimitri was hidden in a corner, listening softly and fighting the stream from his eyes. "Now, I'll ask you two things and I'll be done. Do you love him as a father? And right now, if you do, what does your inner you want to do?"

"I... Fox, I..." He didn't know what to answer.

"Take your time, you'll need it." Fox turned and walked to the guest room to get some rest for the day. He had only just recovered, and with a headache from the earlier knockout, he seriously had to. Dimitri was quick enough to run to his room and hide.

"Did he... really think so well about me?" On the other hand, Janus was too helpless as a father. "Well this sucks. Now he doesn't even know what to do with me. What an amateur."

Later that night, Janus couldn't sleep. Flashbacks of what happened before just refused to leave him alone...

"Hey, Dad, I was just wondering..."

"What is it?"

"I wish I could repay Fox for what he did for us."

"How do you want to?"

"I'll resume it in one question. You think I can go with him?"

"What? Go with him? But why?"

"I want to learn of this stuff, so I can help out, just like you did... Can I be like him, at least...? At least until this is over?"

"What?"

He slowly got up and put on a robe, being careful not to disturb his wife. He walked out of the room and went outside to the balcony. He was surprised to see Dimitri in one of the chairs of the balcony set, reading a book about gun-building. "Can't sleep?" He asked softly, not wanting to remember about before.

"...Hey, dad." Dimitri felt the same way; besides, he couldn't oppose his father's orders. He knew it was for the best and not because Janus wanted to make his life miserable. "Guess we're in the same place now, huh?"

The scientist sat beside him and looked up at the stars, trying to forget about the past events. "Yeah, torn between 2 things at once. Nice way to end a day."

The two looked up meanwhile. The galactic bodies seemed enough to lull them into sleep, but they weren't willing to go to bed. "Dad... Can I tell you something?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's okay if you don't want me to go. I know you mean it for the good of the two of us."

Janus thought about it again. He simply loved him. He didn't want him to go. But deep inside, he wanted to do so too. He only realized it either too belatedly or too quickly. Now his mind was spellbound between 2 decisions. Two decisions he'd lament anyway if he didn't follow the other. "You know, I was thinking, and maybe you're right. I can't stop you from doing the things you want. It's just... It's just so soon..."

"But it's not, Dad!" Dimitri's tone suggested support for him, but he nearly didn't perceive it. "Just think about it. You're considered necessary again. And the worst thing about it is that you might not be able to do it this time."

Janus grinned when he heard the last sentence. And he felt insulted. "Don't offend me, kid."

"See what I mean? You're a bit overconfident. No, wait. That's an irony: You're too confident."

"Oh? Well, how about you yourself?"

"Me? Well of course I'm confident, but I can't really say anything until I see what happens for me."

"Oh. Well, how nice."

"What is?"

"You're absconding."

"Yeah. Right."

"Then, what do you want to do?"

"I really want to help out, you know. I'm tired of taking a back seat on things."

"Who said you're being ignored?"

"No one, I'm just saying I should be more considered for things."

"Then you're saying we forget you, only in a circumlocutory way."

"In a what?"

"I meant indirect, kid."

"Oh."

They were now on the floor, just looking at the nightly darkness above them. They felt pursued: Chased by some poltergeist that refused to let them handle things right. And they were so miserable about it.

"So, what do we do?" Dimitri at last asked after five minutes that seemed to be a full day.

The other sighed, not wanting to decide now. "I don't know... I feel so... Lost. I'm in a daze, can't set things straight."

"Well, what a coincidence, I felt that way too."

"You do? Well, this is fun." Janus slowly and yet loudly yawned as his hands left the back of his head. "We should get some shut-eye; we don't want to remember these past... heavenly deviations."

"I guess I don't, either... It's not important, anyway."

"Yeah... I guess." Dimitri's Dad was the first to leave for bed. The teen wasn't in the mood to leave. He just wanted to look up again. Look up and dream. Dream of the day when all things on the world could be allies again. And so his mind was set. "Oh what the Hell? Where's the danger in some good ol' fun?"

The next day...

Now it was just him and the woodblock. His eye was set on making a hole in it. He pulled the trigger, but the recoil was too much, even for his indulgent strength. Dimitri was knocked down as the shot he fired from his blaster hit a nearby tree instead. "Argh... They're quite the weapons... I should--"

"—Try holding it in a stronger grip. Otherwise, you're bound to fail again and again." The voice shocked him to the point of impression. Dimitri turned and saw a figure all too familiar to him. And beside him was another one, familiar as well.

"You... You mean it? It... Really means a lot to me."

"Sure, now here, let's sign you in for Gun Management 0101 and Basic Responsibility 0101."

Well... This was fun. I hope this was of your interest. As of right now I am trying my very best to update all of my other fanfics, but I honestly have a writer's block for all of them. I have some ideas for Digimon Revolution but I can't write anything until I get some of my life's lines in order. Oh well. See you soon. ,