Alternative chapter title: Angry Bird.

Chapter 15: Parasite

Rock music blasted from the stereo, barely drowning out the clanking of weighted metal as it rose and fell. Fire burned through Falco's arms as he pressed the barbell overhead. He didn't care to keep count of his reps. He just needed to lift the thing until he burned through all the frustration pent up inside him.

When his muscles threatened to give out, Falco finally set the bar down and let his arms drop. His chest heaved. His biceps throbbed. His shoulders burned. Yet it wasn't enough to distract him from the ache deeper inside.

Vixy's last report marked all the progress they had made to rescue Fox so far. None. Zilch. Absolute zero. It's been over eight months now, and they still had nothing to show for it! That pissed him off!

Falco pried himself from the bench and grabbed the water bottle standing next to it. He squirted it over his head, fluffing his feathers to let it drip through to his skin. The cool liquid felt like a blessing. Drying himself and the equipment soon after, Falco then heard his phone ring from across the gym. Falco turned the stereo off on his way past.

'Lucy Hare' displayed onscreen. This was a surprise. Falco brought the phone to his ear. "Hey, Lucy! How's it going?"

"I'm okay. How are you?" She sounded quieter than usual, Falco thought. He couldn't tell for sure. They didn't talk all that much one-to-one.

"Just smashing it out at the gym," he said casually. "Gotta keep in peak condition, you know?"

"That's nice. Sorry if I've bothered you."

"Eh, don't worry about it. So, how's the fundraiser coming along?"

"It's fine. I've been trying to keep interest up since people aren't talking about Fox as much anymore. Fara's offered to plan something for Lylat Day in a couple of months."

"Right, that's coming up," Falco rubbed his beak. Normally, Star Fox was invited to appear at various functions to commemorate the end of the Lylat Wars. He'd been so preoccupied with trying to rescue Fox and keep the team afloat that the date slipped his mind completely. "How is Fara, by the way? I haven't seen her since she and Fox broke up."

"Fara's fine. She's been a huge help with keeping the Foundation going."

There it was again: the tapering edge in Lucy's voice. Something didn't feel right. "Is everything okay? You sound a little off."

Lucy hummed anxiously. "It's nothing… Sorry. I really shouldn't have bothered you."

"No, seriously. If something's up, you can tell me. I'm listening." Falco waited for Lucy to decide on her answer.

"Well…" she started. "Someone messaged me this morning about a fundraising page someone else made for the Foundation. I didn't recognise who made it, and something felt off about the whole thing."

Falco's expression hardened. "You think it's a scam or something?"

"I'm not sure. I mean… people have collected donations on our behalf before. But it looks like this page has raised a lot of money already. I haven't seen any of it reach the Foundation."

"Have you asked anyone else about this?"

"I tried calling Papa and Slippy, but I couldn't reach them. Fara's been in meetings all morning, so I can't get her either. So, I called you instead."

Ouch… Fourth choice. Falco swallowed his wounded pride for her sake. "Alright, Luce. Send me the link and I'll check it out for ya."

"Thanks, Falco. I really appreciate this."

He chuckled as he heard her smile through the call. "Don't worry about it."

After they hung up, Falco went to shower and change while he waited. He found a new message from Lucy when he returned to his room. A hyperlink led Falco to a popular crowdfunding website. He frowned as he read the page. It seemed innocent enough, though Falco was surprised to see it had already collected over $20,000. Surely the person running this would have sent something to Lucy by now.

Falco carried his phone all the way to the bridge. "Hey, ROB. Lucy sent me a link to this page that she thinks is sus. What do you think?"

ROB turned from the control console. His visor flashed as he processed Falco's question. "The Cornerian Cybersecurity Bureau recommends against opening hyperlinks or attachments of a suspicious nature. If you received any emails or messages containing dubious content, I suggest reporting the incident to the CCB immediately."

"She's not trying to infect my phone, tin head!"

"STAFF protocol initiated. Acknowledged. If I have misunderstood your query, please try phrasing it differently."

Falco pinched between his eyes, releasing a slow, infuriated breath through his nostrils. The 'Safeguards to Avoid Factchecking Falco' protocol was yet another part of ROB's programming that was supposed to run silently. The last thing Falco cared about was whether ROB's head was actually made of tin or not.

"Slippy, I swear to God I am going to wring your neck one of these days," he murmured softly so that ROB wouldn't take it as a response. Holding up his phone, Falco directed the dopey coffeemaker to read the text displayed on it. "Does this look like a legit crowdfunding page? It's racked up a lot of cash, but none of it has gone to the Fox McCloud Foundation."

ROB ran a quiet analysis for several seconds. "I have identified five 'red flags' associated with online scams. I have also examined several other crowdfunding platforms and found identical pages on at least six more."

"Identical?" Falco frowned. "You mean from the same person?"

"Creator usernames vary across all platforms. However, the content published on each site matches word for word. I can infer that it is highly likely that all pages identified were created by the same individual or group."

Falco glared at his phone. The live total of donations jumped another $20 before his eyes. "Son of a bitch," he snarled.

"I calculate the total amount of credits collected across all pages so far to be $231,380."

"Over 200,000?!" Falco spluttered.

"Would you like me to lodge a report with the site administrators?" ROB offered.

"Fuck that! I'm going to find whoever's behind this and break their fucking kneecaps!"

"Break whose kneecaps?" Falco turned to find Katt standing in the doorway. She took a few steps into the bridge, watching him worriedly. "What's going on?"

Falco looked away. "Nothing."

"We have identified possible scam activity using the Bring Home Fox McCloud Foundation's name to defraud members of the public," ROB spilled the beans. "The current total now sits at $232,450."

"Did that just go up by a thousand credits in one minute?!" Falco screamed. "Where is this guy, ROB! Give me his fucking name!"

"I do not have access to private user information from any of the suspect accounts," ROB answered calmly.

"Then hack into the accounts!"

"That would be in violation of multiple laws pertaining to cybercrime and personal privacy."

Falco threw up his arms. "Then I'll just find the bastard without you!" He stormed out of the bridge angrily. "Useless bucket of bolts."

"Falco, wait!" Katt called. Her footsteps hurried after him.

"Leave me alone, Katt," Falco growled.

"I'm coming with you."

"This doesn't concern you."

"Yes, it does! That money was promised to go to the Foundation, which we're supposed to be using to rescue Fox. Since he's a member of Star Fox and so am I, that makes this my concern. Now let me come with you!"

"Why should I?"

Katt glared back at him. "Because I know someone who might be able to help. You remember Isaac from our Hot Rodder days? I'm still in touch with him."

Falco softened a little. That actually might be useful. "Give me his address and I'll pay him a visit."

Katt shook her head. "Nuh-uh. I'm coming with you and you're not getting squat unless you let me."

"Katt, I do not have time to argue about this!" His temper soared back to its starting point. However, Katt refused to budge.

"Then stop arguing about it and just let me come with. You're the only one wasting time here."

"You know what? Fine!" Falco cut the air with a wing. "If you can be ready to leave in five minutes, you can come. Just don't get in my way." He left her without waiting for a response.

On his way back to his room to grab a few things, Falco bumped into Dash. The kid flinched from him. "Oh! Sorry, Falco."

Great! Now he had this to deal with. Falco pushed past Dash without answering. The little monkey followed him. "Um… Falco? Is everything okay?"

"I'm going out," Falco grumbled. "Might be a few days."

"Do you need help with something?"

"I've already got one tagalong I didn't ask for. I don't need another one."

"Oh…" Dash slowed. "Sorry… Didn't mean to bother you."

Falco exhaled sharply. He did not have time for this. "Look. Just keep an eye on things here while we're gone, okay? Katt and I will be back once we've taken care of some business."

He then stepped into his room. The door closed behind Falco.

"Sure…"

Dash hung his head and sighed. He retreated to his own room. The space was decorated with posters and personal items, anything to make it feel like home. Sadly, it didn't feel like home. The Great Fox wasn't home. Star Fox wasn't home. Even though he had been onboard for months, Dash still didn't feel like he belonged here. He simply hung off the team. Barely there. Barely included.

Dash dropped onto the bed. His palm swept across his sullen brow. Katt and Peppy always treated Dash kindly. So did Slippy on the occasions when he returned to the Great Fox. But they all seemed to share a kinship with each other that Dash didn't have. He certainly didn't have anything like that with Falco. Ever since Katt got hurt on that pirate hunt in Sector X, Dash always felt like he was walking on eggshells around him. Criticisms towards Dash were frequent. Outright dismissal of his existence was the norm.

The only person who spoke to Dash even less than Falco was Dr Reinard. Dash had no idea where he even stood with her; only that wherever that was, it was cold and distant. Dash could never meet her gaze when they exchanged rare, professional words.

Star Fox was a family that Dash wasn't a part of. Two of their members didn't want him. The rest didn't need him. So, what good was he to them?

Dash curled into a ball. He tried to be useful. He took every opportunity that he could to help. Yet it never seemed enough to feel truly accepted. That was the story of Dash's life whenever people learned about his heritage. It surprised Dash that the team tolerated him for this long, having that knowledge from the start. Why was that? He couldn't tell if it was hope or morbid curiosity that kept Dash here long enough to find out.

Whatever he was doing in Star Fox, it wasn't enough. He needed to do more. Something big. Something meaningful. Something important. Katt had once said that there were things that only he could do. Though what could he do that no one else was able to; except for being the cursed grandson of Andross?

Dash heard footfalls outside as Falco walked through the hall again. He didn't stop to knock or say goodbye. That was fine. Dash didn't want to talk to anyone right now anyway. Instead, he chose to sink deeper into his thoughts. For what reason would the pilots of Star Fox want to be around him anyway? To them, he might as well be an enemy lurking among their ranks.

Planet Zoness had once been Falco's home. It was where he grew up, met Katt in kindergarten, and founded the Hot Rodders street gang during his teen years. Late in the Lylat Wars, Andross turned Zoness's oceans into a dumping ground for his toxic waste. It mutated the marine life into supersized monsters. Fortunately for the nearby cities, Katt mustered up their old gang pals to repel the Venomian invaders long enough for help to arrive. The sad news was that the damage to the ecosystem was already done. Even with the government leading a global clean-up effort, scientists predicted that Zoness would likely never be the same again.

Falco took a bite from the goliath crab skewer he had just bought from a street vendor. The mutants were a huge problem while they were alive, but they sure did taste delicious. Their size and abundance also drove the price of seafood down to record lows. Of all the things the people of Zoness had to worry about since the war, hunger wasn't one of them.

"So, Isaac's living somewhere around this neighbourhood?" Falco asked, wiping the teriyaki sauce from his beak.

Katt munched on a squid ring as big as a dinner plate. "Yep. After we all split up, he started freelancing as a programmer. Isaac didn't like how Venom bypassed Zoness's defence systems during the war, though. So, once it was over, he started hacking government agencies to push them to get their acts together. Lucky for him, the military decided to give Isaac a job instead of prison time. He moved out here and now does penetration testing for their entire IT network."

While not one of the Hot Rodders' main group, Isaac had long since been a friend who they could count on. Between him and Slippy, Falco often wondered which of the two had more skill with a computer. "So, that's why you thought he could help us?" Katt mumbled affirmation through a mouthful of squid. "Surprised he lives in a dump like this if he's on that kind of payroll."

Katt swallowed. "He likes the feel of the place. Says it reminds him of the old days running with us."

"That, and I'm pretty sure the local law enforcement is lax over here." Falco eyed a beat cop lazing on the hood of his cruiser. There was no way that he couldn't see the group of kids drinking booze underage 10 feet away from him.

Isaac's building came up around the next corner. Falco half-expected it to be derelict and choked with garbage. He was pleased to be wrong. Katt called Isaac over the intercom. One unlocked gate and six floors up the elevator later, she and Falco knocked on the door to be greeted by a squat penguin.

"Katty!" he greeted as though she was the life of the party. Isaac shifted his gaze and laughed heartily as he stepped up to Falco. "And Falco! My man! Brother best from another nest!" After a quick exchange of slapping wings together, Isaac invited them both inside. His air conditioner was on despite it being 15 degrees Celsius outside.

"It's been way too long since I've seen you guys," Isaac exclaimed. His hallway was littered with odd computer parts, mostly empty towers, keyboards, and dusty monitors.

"It has," Katt smiled as she navigated through the junk. "Thanks for making time for us on short notice."

"Don't sweat it." In the kitchen, Isaac opened the refrigerator. "Thirsty?" He pulled a couple of cola cans from a shelf full of them. Isaac handed them to Falco and Katt, offering a silicon beak-nozzle for Falco to slip over his drink. He then snapped one open for himself.

"So, Isaac," Falco said, "Katt tells me you can help us with a little problem we're having."

She elbowed him in the ribs. "Really? You haven't seen your friend in, what, how many years?" Katt scolded. "Can you at least wait until you've finished your drink before you bring that up?"

Falco glowered. "Katt, we don't have time for catching up."

"It's all cool, Katt," Isaac said easily. "I know how Falco is. He's a man who knows what he wants and wants to get it fast. Ain't no use slowing him down." Taking a long swig of his drink, he waddled over to a desk laden with more hardware than a computer store. "So, what's the sitch?"

Falco stepped behind Isaac's red-striped gaming chair. "A friend of mine runs the Bring Home Fox McCloud Foundation. Our team's using it to cover the cost of finding Fox and getting him off Purgatory."

Isaac's eyes popped as his triple monitors came to life. "Oh, yeah! I know about that. Been mining crypto for you guys for yonks." He opened a bookmark on his web browser, taking them to the Foundation's homepage. A hole gaped in Falco's chest at seeing Fox's grinning face onscreen. "By the way, how's your buddy, Slippy, doing?"

"Huh?" Falco blinked. "I didn't realise you guys knew each other."

Isaac shrugged. "We play online a lot. He only knows me by my tag though. Kinda took a peek inside his profile a while back." He stopped midway from taking another sip of soda. "Hey! You don't think you could introduce us IRL, right? I'd reach out myself, but… you know. It'd be a bit awkward after how I got his info."

This was not a topic of conversation that Falco wanted to take another step into. "Let's see how things go with this. Then I'll think about it."

Isaac raised his flippers. "Right! Right! Sorry. Cut you off there for a second. Anyway, you were saying?"

"We've found out that someone's taking donations and claiming they'll go to the Foundation. They're doing it on several sites, but we haven't seen a single credit. We think this guy's scamming people, and they're using Fox's name to do it."

Falco appreciated Isaac's immediate look of disgust. "For real? Man…" He shook his head. "That's not just low-hanging fruit. That's poor taste to boot."

"Yeah, the guy's a dick. Now do you mind helping us find him?"

"I could give it a shot. Got a link or something for me?" Falco gave Isaac the web address that Lucy sent him. Isaac hummed as he read the scam.

"Can you work out who this is?" Falco asked.

"You said they're using multiple sites?" Falco nodded. Isaac rubbed his beak. "Yeah, I'm sure I can get into at least one of their profiles. Might take some time to get a location though. That's going to depend on how much info I can find upfront."

Falco clapped the penguin on the shoulder. "Isaac, you're a godsend."

"Are you sure you're okay with doing this, Isaac?" Katt asked from across the room. Her arms were crossed against her chest. "You're not going to risk your job, are you?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," he grinned. "I do this kind of stuff on the regular still. Helps me hone my craft. Besides, it'll be just like old times."

Katt looked unconvinced. "So long as you're sure about it."

Isaac turned back to the computer. "So, how soon do you need this?"

"As soon as possible," Falco answered.

Isaac clicked his tongue. "Was hoping we'd get more time to catch up. If you insist though." He glanced back at them. "Don't mean to kill the vibe, but you might wanna find somewhere else to entertain yourselves. I'd let you hang here, though you can obviously see the issue with that."

Falco did. The apartment was so full of junk that even the couch was buried in it. There wasn't anywhere else to stand or sit down. "No worries," he said. "We'll let you focus. Give us a call when you've got something."

"Cool, bro."

After he and Katt left the apartment, Falco glared at her. "What the hell did you think you were doing in there? It sounded like you were trying to convince Isaac not to help us."

Katt frowned back. "I was only asking Isaac that he was sure about getting involved in this. I don't want him ruining his life just to impress you."

"Then why did you suggest that we talk to him in the first place? In fact, you didn't even need to get involved in this either."

"Because I knew you would do something even more stupid if I let you go off on your own!" At the lift, Katt crossed her arms at him. "Falco, I honestly don't want you to go through with this, but I know that I can't stop you. So, I came along and reached out to Isaac so that we can at least keep you from taking things too far."

"I know what I'm doing, Katt," Falco growled. "Don't forget that you came up with this plan to begin with. If you have a problem with it, then you can head back to the Great Fox. It doesn't make a difference to me."

Katt said nothing to him. Nor did she leave when they walked out onto the street. Instead, Katt merely sulked as she followed Falco. He didn't care much for her feelings on the matter. All that he did care about was finding the scumbag who was using Fox's name for their own benefit. He'd make sure that they regretted it for the rest of their life.

The flight from Corneria to Aquas took five hours in a typical starship. This was primarily due to most ships choosing to go around the Sector Y nebula instead of through it. If not for the various space stations dotted between the two planets, the journey would have been a nightmare inside a cramped cockpit. After their latest pitstop, Vixy followed Slippy's Arwing in the old, second-hand ship that she flew in.

Jazz played from her stereo. Its vibrant tune filled Vixy's ears, providing relief from the unyielding silence of space that invited one to think too deeply about things they'd rather not. The album once belonged to James. It was one of his favourites. For Vixy, listening to her beloved's music made him feel close; like she could lay her hand to one side and feel his fingers curl around hers. What she wouldn't give for the reassurance of his touch during these past eight months.

At last, the Great Fox came into view. The ship drifted half an hour from Aquas's orbit. A mix of feelings filled Vixy's heart. It was the ship that took her mate and son far away from her. It was the closest tie that she had to either of them. And as of the past year, it was her home away from home. Her best hope of seeing Fox alive once again. If Space Dynamics hadn't kicked her and Slippy out so they could take back their lab for a few weeks, Vixy wouldn't have cared to fly out here. At the same time, she had missed the Great Fox terribly.

The two ships docked inside its hangar. Vixy climbed out of the cockpit and rubbed the stiffness from her legs. How James and Fox both fell in love with flying she'd never understand. She always preferred the mental stimulation from examining samples in a laboratory and running simulations on planet-wide weather patterns. Vixy hauled her suitcase to her stateroom. Afterwards, she accompanied Slippy to the mess hall for a long-awaited meal.

Alas, the kitchen was in use. A frozen pizza cooked in the oven. Next to it, Dash Bowman slouched against the counter with his hands in his pockets. He looked up to the sound of footsteps. His eyes widened in dull surprise. "Oh! Slippy… Doctor Reinard… Hello."

"Hey, Dash!" Slippy greeted with cheer to spare. "What's cooking?" He peered through the oven glass. "Nice! Got any more left in the freezer?"

Dash jabbed a thumb in invitation. Apparently, there was only one box left, for Slippy held it up for Vixy and asked if she wanted it instead. She shook her head. As Slippy tore open the pizza and shoved it under the one already baking, Vixy felt the unpleasant charge crackling between her and Dash. He did not meet her eye. Likewise, she could not bring herself to face him.

"How are you?" Dash finally asked in a weak voice.

"Well," Vixy answered simply. "And you?"

"I'm fine."

That was all there was to their conversation. Vixy suppressed a sigh as the conflict inside her sparked anew. Peppy spoke highly of Dash and confided in Vixy about the boy's troubles on the team. She knew that the issue neither of them dared to speak of played a large factor in that. Yet as much as Vixy wanted to treat Dash kindlier than she was, she couldn't look at him without seeing his grandfather. The sight drove a knife into the cracks around her heart.

Long ago, Andross had been a mentor during Vixy's early years in her field. He represented the kind of scientist that she aspired to be. Then the Catalyst happened. The war began. Now Andross stood as the embodiment of her most grievous pain. He was the devil who tormented her life with the gaping holes he tore from it.

Unfortunately for Dash, his likeness affected Vixy that same way. When she looked at his face, she felt the death of her darling mate fresh in her heart. When she heard his voice, she felt the wound left from Fox's disappearance open inside her chest. To escape that agony, Vixy sealed herself away from Dash. She held him at a distance. Her soul could only be cold towards him. Anything else threatened to shatter her into pieces. He deserved better than that. Yet Vixy did not know what else she could bear to do.

"Soooooooo," Slippy drawled. He tapped his fingers together as his eyes darted between Vixy and Dash. "Where's the rest of the crew?"

"That is what I would very much like to know," Peppy answered as he charged into the hall. An ill-tempered frown rankled his whiskers.

Slippy gulped. He smiled nervously. "Hey, Peppy. What's up?"

"Where are Falco and Katt?" Peppy asked, ignoring Slippy's question.

The other three shared confused looks. "Slippy and I only just arrived," Vixy replied. "Has something happened?"

Peppy's lips parted. His eyes widened at her. Vixy learned that this expression meant there was something that he did not want to distress her with. "Peppy," she said more sternly. "Has something happened?"

He released a weary sigh. "This might not be easy for you to hear, Vixy. Are you alright with that?" Whatever the matter was, Vixy felt that she needed to know. She nodded once and steeled herself. "Lucy told me that someone has been making suspicious fundraisers, claiming to be for the Foundation. I had ROB analyse the pages. He determined that they were likely scams."

"Holy cow," Slippy blanched.

"That's awful," Dash agreed.

A sickening ball of rage and disgust congealed inside Vixy's stomach. It burned so horribly that she couldn't speak. Someone out there was taking advantage of her son's accident and stealing from innocent people who wanted to help Fox. An overwhelming desire to tear their eyes out surged through her.

"I've reported the scams, so hopefully the police can do something," Peppy continued. "Unfortunately, Lucy also told Falco before she got a hold of me. ROB said that he took off with Katt after he found out. Neither of them is answering their phone or wrist comm. No doubt they've gone to deal with this themselves."

"That must have been what Falco was talking about when I ran into him earlier," Dash revealed. "He was pretty aggravated at the time."

"Did he say anything about where he and Katt went?" Peppy asked.

"No. Falco wouldn't tell me."

Peppy huffed, disgruntled beyond measure. "And he ordered ROB not to track their fighters' flight paths. Damn that fool."

"At least Katt went with him, right?" Slippy offered.

"Honestly, I can't tell if that makes it better or worse," Peppy kneaded between his eyes.

Dash hung his head. "I'm sorry, Peppy. I should have stopped them."

"None of this is your responsibility, Dash. I thought Falco had more sense than this, but clearly I expected too much from him." Peppy pulled at his ears; something he only did when he was deeply frustrated. "Argh! When I get my hands on that punk…!"

The kitchen fell into unpleasant quiet. Unable to take much more, Vixy brushed past Peppy towards the exit. He turned as she went. "Vixy? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she lied flatly. "I'm going to turn in."

"Do you want me to bring some food over for you?" Slippy asked.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry."

Vixy walked through a haze on her way back to her quarters. There, now alone, she sat atop the bed. Her face fell into her hands. The poison inside Vixy's heart seeped through and beyond it. Agony shook her frame. Hot tears soaked into her palms. A sharp sob heaved through her chest. The world around Vixy threatened to crush her.

Why were there people in the universe who wanted to hurt her family? Wasn't it enough that she had to suffer through losing the two tods she loved more than life itself? Why were there people who took them away from her? Why did people exist to pick at her wounds until nothing was left? And to what end? Power? Money? For the sick pleasure of it?!

Vixy surrendered all control as she cried. She hated this. She hated them! Why couldn't they just leave her family alone? All that Vixy wanted was to find Fox safe and sound. All that she wanted was her little boy back. Was that too much to ask for? Couldn't she have that and be left in peace?

Fennec ears were sensitive to sound. If not for them, Vixy would not have heard the soft knock at her unlocked door. It gave her time to dry her face before Peppy entered on his own. In his hands was a sandwich on a plate.

"How are you doing?" he asked softly. Peppy's ears folded over his sullen face. Vixy didn't have the heart to lie or answer at all. Peppy broke the silence and held up the plate. "I know you said you weren't hungry… but I brought this in case you changed your mind."

He placed it down atop the nightstand. Then Peppy sat beside Vixy. She sniffed deeply. "Why do people do things like this, Peppy?"

"Because it's easy for them to ignore the pain they cause," he sighed. "I don't pretend to understand their exact reasons, but it takes an empty heart to hurt and trick people and keep on doing it."

Peppy placed his hand onto her shoulder. "The police will find this person. They'll make sure they get what's coming to them. If we're lucky, they'll also be able to get the victims' money back."

"I don't care about the money!" Vixy hissed. "I just want this to stop! I just want my family to be left alone." She wiped her eyes once more. "I hope that Falco finds this monster first. I don't care what he does, just so long as it brings justice for Fox."

Vixy sensed Peppy prepare to argue; that what Falco was doing wasn't the right way of resolving this. She was too angry to care and would stand by what she'd said until the end of time. However, Peppy sighed. He said nothing. Instead, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled Vixy close. She found comfort in his gentle hold. She felt safe enough to cry freely as Peppy promised that everything would be okay.