Star Fox: Digital Danger

By: Wolf E. Urameshi

Started/Finished: -

Disclaimer: All Star Fox characters and related trademarks belong to Nintendo; no infringement of the law is meant in any way. Also, all original characters and likenesses are property of their creators and used with permission, when applicable.

A/N: Whew... Finally! College is over; therefore I am able to write this. Well, some things happened: Snake being in Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, me needing glasses, learning Flash... Well, lots of things. But anyways, I'm a man of word, and, although late, here is my newest entry!

Chapter 8: "The Hunt Begins," Part Two of Two

"Yeah... Apprehensive. I guess it's the right word..." Dimitri stared as Falco disappeared behind the door of the room, slowly falling onto the bed, mentally exhausted. "Did I miscalculate? What kind of fool am I?"

Falco reemerged onto the living room, where Janus was expectantly awaiting him. "...How'd it work out?" His question was followed by a sip from a cup of coffee he held in his right hand.

"Well, I guess I'm a miracle man, some sort of spirit maybe."

"Oh? You don't say? I thought you were a moron from the looks of it," Janus replied, setting the cup on the center table.

"I'll take that as a sarcastic agreement, and yeah, the beast hath been tamed."

"Really...? That's good, now... I take it he asked to talk to me?"

"You're a clever one. Yeah, he did, I bet he's repenting and surrendering his soul to prayer for forgiveness."

Janus stared at him, confused but cleverly hiding it with a normal face expression. "Okay, if you say so... Anyway, at the room, right?"

Falco nodded and started to leave the room, suddenly turning his head to the father exactly at the entrance. "Yeah, just give him a break will ya? You know how he is; therefore we wouldn't want to make him feel worse, now do we?"

"Yeah, whatever, we'll be fine," Janus boasted as Falco closed the door softly, "I hope."

Janus finished his cup of tea upon grabbing it, then went to the kitchen, washed it, and placed it conspicuously on a shelf. He took the time to think during the activity. He knew they had to do something regarding Fox, but what could he do? They had no clue as of his disappearance, no trace, nor info. Nothing, not even a speck of an idea of where to go. But then, it popped into his head. Maybe the kid in that isolated room could find him. Alas, Dimitri was only a child, even if by chronological standards he was old. The possibility struck him as terrifying, but it was still worth something. Besides, his previous words were like butter to his mind, 'I'll find him before any of you.' "He's... A mirror of me. I was like him, which takes me to conclude that..." He froze, suddenly realizing the mistake he and Cecilia were making earlier than expected. They were robbing him of his childhood. Janus enjoyed it in a way; therefore he wasn't able to let Dimitri be so carefree!

"Oh what the heck! If I enjoyed my childhood, then so can he! Stupid device of my body known as the brain." He turned and walked towards the room, set in his objective: Finishing the debate.

Meanwhile, however...

"No word on the pup, I see." Wolf stared at Peppy from a monitor in a bi-daily progress report. So far, nothing was seen or heard about Fox.

"Yeah, and things are getting worse. How're things on your end?" Peppy inquired as Wolf shook his head.

"We got some tips but they turned out to be phonies. This is getting tiresome."

"So how do we go about finding Fox? We're not doing much like this."

"There's only one thing to do: as much as I hate it, we'll have to work together."

"Sounds like a plan but--"

"Let me clarify first that we're in this only, exclusive and definitely for the money. Nothing else," Wolf added with a smirk, receiving a nod that almost said, 'I'm used to it by now,' while he added, "Besides, we're not interested in the slightest bit to join you anytime now."

"What about before? Wasn't that against your interests?" Peppy asked, clearly reminding him about past times... And a certain person he was searching for. Alma.

"Times were different, and they change always. It's not my problem whether you believe it or not. Out for now." Said and done, Wolf cut off the communication and grumbled in frustration, wondering where she'd disappear to. Where is she? Where?

Seeing the monitor show some static, Peppy just sighed and looked down. "I never thought I'd say this Wolf, but... You, my man, are a completely predictable idiot." Krystal, who stood in a nearby work station, merely chuckled at the thought and stayed silent. To her, laughing would do nothing to keep her fears at bay. In fact, it didn't matter to her.

Meanwhile, Slippy continued to work on anything he saw or thought of to keep the boredom and his self missing Fox away from him.

Where are you, Fox?

Even though he missed Fox a lot, almost no one believed it and it was all thanks to his ironic way of handling it. Ever since the incident all he did was smile and keep optimism in each and every one of his actions. However, inside, he couldn't bear to think of what happened to Fox. Only one person noticed it. And that person was at Sauria.

"Well, guess I'm ready, and I sure took my bloody time too. Time to go..." Janus turned to the door, eyeing it carefully. He was never any good at speeches and conversations, but at the very least he was decent, or so he thought. He slowly walked to the door, carefully making his way across a sea of uncertainty and confusion. He knew that this was his duty as a father, but almost any conversation he had with Dimitri just wouldn't come out right. At least everything works out well. His conscious was suddenly shaken as his son shouted at him.

"Come in, I know you already made it to the door."

Janus slowly peeked inside and stared at Dimitri's masculine figure as it sat on the bed, looking at the window. "No cameras or tricks?"

"No cameras or tricks."

"Okay," Janus entered the room almost tiptoeing and approached the bed, "I take it Falco set you straight?"

"Sort of, but I'm still on my objective."

"I know, and that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Dimitri turned and inquired excitedly, "Really!"

"Well, let's say I had some sort of otherworldly experience when I first heard that sentence..." Janus looked up at the light lighting the room as he sat beside Dimitri and stared out the window, making out skies. "Want to go out for a walk?"

"Well, okay, I suppose. Not like I don't have anything to do there, right?" They headed outside after Dimitri had finished putting on a yellow-and-white suit and black jeans with a chain and walked into the green fields of the village, where everyone knew things were back to normal, since they just smiled and waved to people. The surprises wouldn't stop coming as they arrived, after a seemingly unknown time of walking and talking about past times into a small hill which was also a very small mountaintop which loomed over the pure white sands of Cape Claw.

"Whoa, we walked quite a bit." Janus remarked as he covered his eyes from the sun and looked around.

Dimitri replied with a smirk and added, "Why am I not surprised? You wouldn't shut up."

"Oh really?"

"Well, that's how I see it. How do you see it then, Dad?"

Janus grinned with shiny teeth and looked up as he sat on the edge of the hill, legs hanging from it as Cape Claw showed him its magnificence. "You wouldn't stop playing around, especially back at the forest."

Dimitri joined him as he replied with an almost inaudible sigh, "I was just applying the same old lesson: Enjoy what you have 'cause it won't last forever."

"Got that right, I guess." Janus lowered his head in shame as angst overtook him. He felt guilty. Guilty because he was not letting Dimitri learn about the harshness of life, but also because he was taking away his only chance at happiness. Even if he wanted the best for him, it wasn't fair. Besides, Janus never had a 'nice' childhood with what he'd been through.

"So, tell me, what was this about?" Time to pray, chant and get this done, I guess, was the only sentence that Janus thought up.

"Well..." He stared out at the sea and back at Dimitri, "Let's just say I realized something."

"Huh? What?"

"Well, when I sat down to think about before, I realized that maybe I was leading you down a bad path. When I thought about it, we're very much alike."

"A... Alike?" Dimitri was a bit confused but caught on quickly. "But... I don't like science as much as you do. I'm not that strong either. Dude, I'm not even a good cook! What possibly makes you think we're alike?"

"You might not realize it, but we're a lot more alike than you think!" Janus lay down on the soft patch of grass and closed his eyes, almost blinding himself due to the raging sunlight as he spoke lightly, "I remember I was just like you in a way. Mischievous, yes, but idiotic, no. Very much like you, oh yeah those were the days..."

Dimitri stared at him, taken aback. "...Dad. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Well, let's say there're some dark stories and such that are better left forgotten."

Again, Dimitri was surprised, but curiosity took him. "...I know."

Janus immediately stood up and looked at him in the eye. "What?"

"...I didn't want to tell you this, but... Mom and Gramps kinda explained everything. And I clearly understand."

Janus looked at him, clearly aghast and about to cry. "...Since when...?"

"Last year. On my first birthday. You were out talking to some friends and then they told me everything. Grandpa Ivan and Mom let me know, but it was in secret and at night. To cover it up they told you I was asleep and they stayed with me for a while. But, truth is, if you knew... Well, you probably know by now. Sorry we hid it from you..." Dimitri lowered his head as he sat and stared at his pants' chain, which he always wore on special or critical times.

"Why didn't you tell me! Why?" Janus inquired, infuriated by the problem.

"You think it was worth it to tell you when you're mad at him over something as stupid as equality! That would have done it!"

They stared at each other for a long time before they said anything. Janus fell back again, and placed his hands on the back of his head. "Yeah... Stupid thing, actually..."

"You idiot! Of course it was stupid!" Dimitri knelt at his side and his eyes looked at his father with hope. "Please, Dad, I beg of you! Make up with him! It's not the same now that we don't hang out anymore! Please!" Janus froze when he saw what looked like tears flowing out, "Sob... Don't throw your lives to waste! Please." Dimitri continued to sob as they looked on to each other's eyes. Clearly, they were making the mistake with the boy.

"...You're right... And it's mostly my fault for it... Guess my marriage's been a joke."

"No, of course not!" Dimitri wiped off his tears and assumed the same position his father did at his side. "You just need words, not bodily figures of speech such as fists flying."

"Well, yeah..." They continued to look at the skies as they started to name some clouds after things that the clouds looked similar to, such as one Dimitri named the 'Fake Arwing' for it being shaped like one.

After a while, someone finally spoke, shattering not just ice but nerves as well. "Hey, Dad..."

"Yeah, what?"

"What was that sentence I said?"

"You said, 'I'll find him before any of you.' That."

"Oh... Right. Dad, I... Think this is my fault."

"What is?"

"Everything. Ever since Fox disappeared I secretly blamed myself for it. I mean, I started to ask for all this training thing, and next thing we know, gone."

"Don't blame yourself for it, I know that feeling. All too well..."

"Dad?" Dimitri looked on at Janus, who just closed his eyes exasperatedly, like if hiding something. "What are you trying to tell me, Dad?"

"Uh... Well... It's kind of a long story."

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To be continued, so thanks for reading and see you soon!