FIVE
"I've seen desperation; this is madness." Shepherd growled as she stared at her targeting map with clenched fists.
Lucy and Amanda flew around one of the Cornerian battle ships in pursuit of three Androssians; two of them dog pilots. "Varmints won't take a hint!" Amanda stated.
"They should've retreated twenty minutes ago; they're nearing total extermination."
"And this is upsetting you, how?" Lucy asked. Aren't we winning?
"They're fighting for nothing at this point. Another word for it would be suicide."
"Good." Falco snickered, diving down towards an unsuspecting Aparoid. "I don't object to wiping every one of their sorry tails from existence." He ended his sentence right as his laser blasts burned through his target, triggering its explosion.
I'm going to enjoy putting that bird in a cage. Shepherd thought. "Why would they stay if they knew that defeat was inevitable?"
"Of all people, Admiral, I thought you would know the meaning of the phrase, 'fight till the last breath.'" Amanda said, successfully destroying two of the three fighters Lucy and she were pursuing.
Shepherd shook her head. "This attack was too coordinated. They drew us out by attacking our patrol convoy, held us back with a brigade hidden along our avenue of approach, and once we finally arrived, they had an entire division ready for us; of which they filled with the surviving traitors who would know our tactics."
"Your point being?" Lucy asked, taking out the survivor of the trio.
"This is still part of their plan." Shepherd said with apprehension. "They're holding out for time."
"To do what?" Falco asked, annoyed.
Shepherd took a tense pause. "I don't know."
"Ya know, I don't get you. Not long ago you were in a panic because you weren't sure if we could hold them off. Congratulations, you are about to sweep up the crumbs of that armada; and now you're telling us that you're scared because they ain't runnin?! And another thing that's botherin' me: Where, the fuck, IS FOX?!"
Lucy exhaled in frustration. "He's on Venom!"
Bitch, I know that! Falco screamed in his head as he descended onto another helpless hostile, lighting it up and sending it out in flames. "Why?! How?! There's more to that fucking story!"
"He went after Krystal!"
"She's down there too?! How in the fuck did all this happen?!"
Amanda furiously interrupted the conversation. "You drop that bomb one more time Falco, and I'm going to clamp your beak on your tongue!"
Falco yelled as loud as he could inside his cockpit, slammed his fists on his control panel, then came to a complete stop. "You know what?! I don't even care! He'd just better get his fu-"
"FALCO!" Amanda sternly hollered.
"FURRY TAIL, up here before I hunt it down and tear it off!"
"AT, EASE!" Shepherd barked; everyone fell silent. "I don't know the situation of the only loyal officer of the Star Wolf faction either, but presently there's nothing we can do for either of them!" Shepherd stopped herself, took a slow and prolonged breath, then began again. "I'm sorry for your loss, but right now we need to stay focused or else we're gonna wind up dead."
"What? From the minus thirty pilots we have left to handle?" Falco jabbed, locking on to a group of four Androssians and one Anglar.
Shepherd turned to ignoring the bird's wise cracks. "I'm calling in the extra battleships to remain prepared for the worst. Let's hope whatever time these suicidal survivors need is longer than what it takes for our reinforcements to arrive."
Falco commented on how he remembered when Admiral Shepherd was considered the reinforcements, which Shepherd once again ignored.
Amanda called in to Slippy to ask how the weapons recharge and internal repairs were coming, as well as make sure her husband was alright.
"R.O.B.'s a fast worker, we're coming along fine. Weapons are at fifty percent but it's still going to be a bit till we're fully mission capable." Slippy answered.
"ETA FORTY-FIVE MINUTES UNTIL URGENT REPAIRS ARE COMPLETE. BE ADVISED, ONLY TWO MISSILES ON STANDBY. SUGGEST LASER CANNON AS MAIN METHOD OF ATTACK."
"That too. And I'm still rockin', my lovely water lily." Slippy blushed.
Meanwhile, Lucy had faded from the conversation. She pulled her fighter away from the conflict and took a quick flight over planet Venom, gazing down into its misty atmosphere as she passed, searching for someone she feared may not return. Please be alright Fox. She quietly pleaded. Please… come back to us.
…..
Krystal… where… where am I? Fox slowly awoke to find himself in pitch darkness. He had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes where open. I'd better not be blind! His body's numbness steadily wore off and reminded him of everything he'd been through in the last ten-no… twenty? Lylat, how much time has gone by? His entire frame ached from all his running, climbing, and fighting; his muscles throbbed in every spot he'd been hit during his skirmish. His goggles were now missing from his face along with his mask, and his shemagh had been wound back around his neck.
Fox slowly tried to move but found his wrists and ankles to be secured to something; he focused on his body's current posture and realized he was sitting upright in some sort of chair made of a cool, solid material. Fox began to forcefully pull his arms and legs in various directions with all his strength in hopes to break or slip free of his metal binds. After about ten seconds of no results he forced himself to fall still. All right Fox, let's not panic here… You've already been put through this stuff before in the Academy; just sit and listen.
After a moment of silence, he heard the quiet, placid inhale, and the powerful, vociferous exhale of something breathing directly behind him. Fox knew what it was the instant it spoke.
"Shut your eyes." The beast said.
A couple seconds after the warning was given, Fox was blinded by a bright, white light that lit up the room he was in. He regretted his curiosity's inability to listen as he painfully clamped his eyelids shut as tight as possible. What made it worse was that the room was made of a pure white material which only intensified the light's glare. After a long, painful adjustment, Fox could finally make out the features of the room: there were none. No windows, no desks, no tables, and no chairs; other than the one Fox was bound to by built-in steel cuffs.
The hunter spoke again as it circled around into Fox's view. "You passed out from a hallucinogenic sedative that I keep freshly coated on my claws. The toxin was derived from a plant that naturally produces the sedative as a scentless vapor; a plant that can only be found on a flourishing Venom." The predator chuckled. "Since your government destroyed everything here, I am the only one in possession of this toxin. I'm glad I grabbed what I did, when I did."
Fox didn't respond, just watched him with a frustrated urgency burning from his straining eyes.
The creature stood still, then reached up and removed its own mask; revealing the face of an adult male lion with a well-groomed mane pulled tightly back in a pony-tail. Three distinct, parallel scars traced both sides of his face from his upper temple, across his eye socket, and to the end of his snout. His eyes were a sky-blue color that rivaled the blood red eyes of his mask. He leaned forward until his broad, weathered, chiseled face was a couple centimeters away from Fox's.
Fox remained unfazed; not a muscle on either competitor twitched.
"Tell me, fox," The hunter began with an amused countenance, "the fact that I'm a feline doesn't surprise you. You called me kitty when I had you up against the wall during our skirmish. How did you know?"
Fox remained silent as his eyes stayed locked on his questioner.
The lion offered a grunt of disapproval. "I only show my face to those who have pleased me during the hunt; who have satisfied my longing for a challenge. You aren't the best at weaponless combat, however your fighting spirit kept you going longer than I had expected."
The beast paused, looking for a reaction from Fox. Finding nothing, he continued. "And you outsmarted me; it was too late, but you outsmarted me nonetheless. Let's not forget your quick thinking to counteract my tranquilizing attempt. Of all I have sedated, few have showed the will to do what was necessary to survive; you are one of them."
Fox's attention bolted to his foot. He looked down to observe his boots missing from both his feet, with the center of his left foot wrapped in a white gauze band; completely covering the hole he had made. He attempted to flex it but felt nothing; his left foot was entirely numb from his toes to his ankle. Fox put as much pressure on it as he could against the floor beneath him and was met only by a slight sting originating from the wound.
"Lastly, I admire your timing and use of resources to dodge my further sniper fire. You have earned your place on my Angel."
Curiosity flashed across Fox's face as he looked back up at the lion.
The cat noted Fox's grain of interest. "Now McCloud, I have treated you with respect; it would be wise of you to do the same."
Fox stayed silent a moment longer, then released a breath of surrender through his snout. "Educated guess. The structure of your mask, your large but lean physique, your claws and their length, the power and speed with which you strike; what doesn't make sense is your missing tail."
The right portion of the feline's mouth curved into a smile. "A sacrifice one must make to rid himself of a disadvantage in combat."
Fox cringed inside. "No loss of balance?"
"One learns to adapt."
"What is the point of this?"
"The point of what, fox?"
"This information session. You've shared more than you've asked of me. What are you gaining from this?"
The beast's smile grew. "Nothing. This is merely how I show my respect to prey who are worthy." The beast circled back around till he was out of Fox's view. "You should count yourself lucky I had orders to bring you in alive." He leaned in close to Fox's left ear and spoke in a frosty whisper. "Usually my quarry are dying when I do this."
A quick shiver ran down Fox's spine as the lion slowly stepped away from him. "Then you'll answer me one more question: who or what is your Angel?"
The room instantly grew quiet. "That is something only I will ever know. Her identity belongs to me, and me alone."
Fox heard a door behind him electronically slide open, and the once blinding lights were doused; total darkness returned.
"My time is up." The burly feline spoke again. "It's their turn to speak with you."
Their?! Fox mentally asked as his heart rate began to rise.
Once the predator's voice dissipated, Fox heard something being steadily wheeled around to the front of him, as well as a pair of footsteps that leisurely followed it. The floor sounded off each eerie step of the walker as well as the set of wheels that rolled along the ground. Both the object and its driver came to a halt about two meters from the anterior side of Fox, who could hear his own heartbeat pulsing in his ears over the suspenseful, agonizing silence.
Suddenly the lights returned and Fox found himself face to face with the one he'd been searching for. "Krystal…"
The sight of her condition broke his heart. She was barely conscious in a wheelchair; her head hung over her body with her right arm strapped to the armrest and the left arm strapped straight down the side of the chair. Her hair nearly covered her face, but through its breaks he could see the minor cuts and bruises it sustained. Her once glistening white bodysuit displayed a handful of smears of varying contaminants throughout; and all her jewelry bore wear similar to her body.
Fox felt relief that she didn't appear any worse, but it was short lived once he laid eyes on the lanky, three-piece woodland green dress suited Snow Monkey who stood behind her.
Horror befell the vulpes' image as he took in their true captor. The fur around his face was long and grizzly; the skin of his image hardened into a ruff, leather texture; and his eyes sang the melody of systemized madness; Peppy Hare's haunting words rang in Fox's ears. 'Fox… that primate… it's Andross all over again…'
The primate gave a vile grin at Fox's silence. "Hello Mr. McCloud; your biggest fan has missed you."
Fox glanced back at Krystal and searched for a response. He'd entered a game, one he feared playing into would give the monkey the chance to break him mentally. Krystal and himself were completely at his mercy, taking control of the conversation was the only hope he had.
Dash tilted his head and looked at Fox in disbelief. "Nothing? Here I am in the flesh before you and I get nothing?!"
Fox kept his composure as he stared sternly at the simian; deciding on an answer he felt the primate would respect. "You know me Dash..." He swallowed dryly, "I prefer to get to the point."
Dash instantly grinned. "Oh, yes, yes, yes! Always so serious and focused on what's important!" Dash leaned down and put his mouth next to Krystal's left ear, reaching through her hair and lifting her chin with his white cotten gloved hands.
Fox's body vibrated with fury whilst fighting his instincts to lunge forward and bark for the simian to release her.
"Krystal dear, rise and shine;" Dash whispered nurturingly. "a guest has come to see you."
Krystal's eyes fluttered open behind her bangs as she struggled to fix them on what was ahead of her. "F...Fox…?"
Dash released her chin which dropped back down towards her chest. "Worry not Fox, we didn't harm her. It was actually quite the opposite; I lost a few of my soldiers because of her! She's become capable of something rather… horrific! It's why we finally had to sedate her."
Fox glanced at Krystal and smiled a little inside at the thought of her retaliation, but his mind cogitated on what she did that Dash considered horrific.
"No matter! Time is very short. Fortunately, all the cards have fallen into place; you and this lovely Officer are right where you should be." Dash said as he stroked the right side of Krystal's face with his tail.
Krystal's head shot up and snapped at it with her mouth; her hair completely clearing her face to freely display her bloodlust.
The monkey pulled it away right in the nick of time, jumping back towards the wall to Krystal's right. "Bah ha! Haha! See what I mean Mr. McCloud?! She's a feisty one!"
Krystal focused on Dash, every muscle in her face voiced nothing but a wish of death for the primate. "I watched Wolf kill you; sensed your lifeless corpse before we left."
The primate's smile slowly faded as he closed his eyes and scrunched up his brow. He brought his hand to his temple as his forehead began to sweat.
"So this time, why don't you start pounding your head on the floor; until your brains spill out the front of your skull!"
The side of the primates mouth began to quiver as if he were locked in an internal struggle. "You… you have grown… very powerful… indeed."
Fox wasn't sure of what he was witnessing. Krystal's murderous eyes remained locked onto Dash, who seemed to be headed towards a mental breakdown.
Dash's legs began to shake, then he aggressively stepped towards her, as if to assault her with his own head, and her entire upper frame was knocked over with a brief, sharp cry of pain.
"But as you're learning," A vile grin grew on his face. "So am I." He walked over to her and leaned back down, keeping just enough distance in case she decided to snap at him again. "How I have missed you… " He whispered; facing her returning, teeth grit glare without fear. "Such a pleasure to have you back as you've finally been scratching at your potential." His whispers turned malicious. "We have even further plans for you when this is all over."
"How did you survive?!" Fox demanded, trying to draw Dash's attention away from Krystal.
The monkey looked over at Fox. "Oh, that's right; you're here too!" The primate dashed over to Fox's chair and slammed his hands onto Fox's forearms, grasping them tightly with a look of wicked merriment two centimeters away from Fox's face. "There's so much I want to tell you! My survival story, the years of building and formulating, the glorious prediction of your arrival and what you're going to do!" He violently poked Fox's forehead. "But alas, time is short. 'Your' team and the two battleships that arrived to help have done a wonderful job at depleting my soldiers faster than I had expected…" He said loathingly.
Reinforcements must have showed. Fox thought cheerfully at the word of Star Fox being alright, yet he feared Dash's last statement. "Faster than expected?" Fox reiterated.
Dash's sinister smile was joined by a dark, solemn tone. "Everything that has happened, and everything that is happening, is to plan. Venom will rise." Dash backed away from Fox and stood up straight again, the gold trim of his green suit glistening in the white light. "And you're going to help us."
The demand sent memories of every painful thing that Andross, Oikonny, and Dash had ever put him through rushing through Fox's head. Every person that had been taken from him: his mother, his father, the trillions of innocent lives; they all flashed through him in an instant. Fox flexed his expression into one of pure hatred aimed at the primate. "Never."
*Dash responded with a loud clap. "I knew you'd say that!" He said cheerfully, and without giving Fox time to have as much as a second thought, he spun around and threw a right, non-withholding fist into the left side of Krystal's cheek.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Fox barked.
"Want to rethink your decision, Mr. McCloud?" Dash proudly asked.
Fox didn't even hear their captor as he looked over at Krystal.
Her entire upper body veered over the right side of her wheelchair, blood dripping from her mouth as she lay stunned by the shock and power of the blow; the skin of her cheek burning red beneath her white fur.
"Krystal?! Krystal just..." His voice suddenly caught, choking up as he felt tears welling in his eyes.
"WELL FOX?!"
Fox threw himself back at Dash. "You fucking coward. Why don't you come over here and see how much I can take!"
"Fine then." Dash's left hand pulled out a knife he had strapped to the side of his sleek black dress belt, and slashed upward along the ground ward side of Krystal's face; awakening her from her dazed state.
Blood oozed from the clean, shallow cut that stretched from her jawline to mere centimeters below her eye as she sat up and released a cry of suffering.*
Dash started to whirl himself around her wheelchair. "Whoops! Clumsy me!"
Tears pushed out Fox's eyes now as he fought his restraints in any way he could. "DASH BOWMAN; THIS IS WHAT HE IS NOW?! "
Bowman stopped spinning and placed his free hand on Krystal's right shoulder. "He only gets worse till you agree to his terms!" He raised the blade above Krystal's opposing shoulder.
Fox's heart stopped. "ALRIGHT!"
Dash ceased right as he was about to send the dagger down into her flesh, looking at Fox out of the corner of his eye.
The room hung in complete silence until Fox found his voice again. "I'll help you." Fox hung his head in surrender, staring at the drops of Krystal's blood that now stained the pure white floor. "Just don't hurt her anymore…"
The silence returned; not a word was said, not a sound was made.
Finally, Dash slowly brought the blade back to his side as a merry smile grew on his face. "How does that foot of yours feel, Mr. McCloud?"
Fox steadily lifted his head, staring at the primate confused and distraught.
"Do you have feeling in it? Can you move it?" Dash leaned towards Fox inquisitively, moving his index finger in a circular motion to further indicate he was expecting answers from Fox. "Is it still there?!"
"It's numb." Fox replied shortly.
Dash stood straight again with a pleased grin. "The exosuit on my friend behind you kept your blaster fire from piercing no further than his muscle; artificial flesh and biotherapy brought a quick fix. A fine armor Krystal and the rest of Star Wolf faction shares; thanks to me." He glanced back at Krystal with a proud smirk. "I see Corneria alone never provided you better, ay Chief?"
Krystal growled at him through parting lips, unsheathing glistening fangs as she seemed to no longer notice the dripping wound that trailed down her right cheek; nor the swelling bruise that appeared as a purple hue beneath the fur of her left cheek.
Dash uncaringly returned his attention to Fox. "Too bad you kept your team away, Fox." Dash switched his air to that of a doctor giving his diagnosis. "You burned both your center metatarsal bones that ran through your foot to dust. But, with some bonding of bioadaptive rods to what bone did survive, and the same treatment as my friend behind you received, it's as good as new." Dash's grin closed to a smirk. "Oh, that numb feeling you mentioned? Might just have to get used to that." He ended with a wink.
Fox grit his own teeth, fighting fear and fury.
"Karma's such a marvel... Now then, you will go to Katina and retrieve a case of unique, valuable equipment for me."
Fox's heart took off at the named planet.
"What the case contains is my final step in obtaining what my grandfather has fought for his entire life. In eight hours, Lylat is mine."
Fox's pulse hastened at the added time frame, yet he breathed a sigh of submission and closed his eyes. It doesn't matter… anything to keep him from beating on her. "What equipment…?" Fox asked.
"You don't need to know."
"Then how do I find it?"
"I have someone already there in waiting. He will guide you to it."
"How do I find him?!"
"He will find you."
"Why couldn't he have stolen it for you?"
"I wanted someone more… skillful."
"Then how about your bounty hunter? You couldn't trust him to take care of this for you?!"
"They know you, trust you… ish. I have a different purpose more suitable for him."
"And what makes you think that I'm going to succeed?"
"Her." Bowman glanced back at Krystal. "If we fail, and Corneria invades, they will kill everyone." Dash walked over to and brought himself eye to eye with Fox, wearing a malicious grin. "I promise you, I will make sure that she is a part of everyone."
Fox fearfully stared back at Dash. "Please… don't make her pay for my failure." He begged.
"I won't have to if you succeed."
Fox thrust forward again, causing Bowman to step back. "I can't guarantee that! Please! Don't put her life in my hands like-" Fox stopped; Krystal was laughing.
Quiet and subtle at first, but as he turned his nervously bewildered gaze to her she erupted in an elegant roar that filled the whole room. "My… my life in your hands?! You two talk as if… as if I'm just sitting here, completely dependent on you!" Her laughter died, her voice turning as cold as her expression that locked on Fox. "I choose. I chose everything up to this point." She looked over to Bowman, strands of her hair shading wetted, hardened eyes over lips void of curves; her body now trembling as she growled once more through grit teeth. "And I never, said, stop."
Bowman stood pleasantly surprised as a grin began to creep back upon his face.
"NO!" Fox screamed in desperate rage. "This is not happening! I will not watch this! I know I'm not… I never should have…."
'One more time, Fox…'
He froze; her soft, empty telepathic voice crippling him.
'We both know this is bigger than me… than us. Please... for Lylat's sake, you just have to walk away one more time,' Even telepathically, her voice was now quivering and full of agonizing terror as tears trickled from her still hardened eyes that had remained locked on Dash as he continued nonchalantly beaming at her. 'and don't look back.'
Fox's head had sunk with the choking weight of her words; his own tears still silently flowing. 'You'll have to kill me if you want me to do that to you again.' A deep growl resonated in his throat as his face tightened, but in a manner that wasn't directed at her. 'Fuck Lylat.' Here he paused, lifting his head as he gathered himself for his next plea. 'I know I should've never tried to push you away… so let me be the ally that I always should have been. I'll help you get out, one way or another, or I'll die trying.' He now returned his gaze to her, delivering his request with passionate sincerity. 'Will you allow this?'
Hesitance hung in her eyes; yet after seconds of studying the ravaged mess he was in silence, he watched her expression relax ever so slightly as she answered, 'Okay…'
Just as Fox went to close his eyes in relief, he caught Bowman turn him an earnest, sympathetic smile. Fox's torment then spiked as the primate's voice joined in.
'Funny, that brings me to my ending point.'
Fox witnessed Krystal's own shocked and enraged expression at Dash's intrusion.
Bowman blissfully ignored them both as he turned and walked behind her; tossing his knife to his tail which gently set the blade in her lap, then sensually ran itself along her leg, abdomen, and breasts as he passed.
Fox's temperature burned as he held his tongue behind his clenched jaw, though Krystal's uneasy expression seemed unphased as her eyes stayed with the knife.
"One way or another…" Dash pulled his tail from her body as he faced Fox from directly behind her.
Krystal's nerves completely broke through her expression; her troubled eyes drifting from the dagger laying on her thighs, towards where Bowman stood behind her.
"There is only one-way Krystal survives this Fox, and that is: you bring me what I want. Your failure leads to her death." Dash paused, and held his right hand out toward the lion standing behind Fox. Nothing came, and Dash appeared frustrated as he signaled again. Finally, a well-polished steel pistol landed in Bowman's gloved palm. He switched his eyes over to Fox, his face holding a devious expression. "I have faith you know what this is?" He asked, openly displaying the weapon.
Fox studied the reflective object and recognized it as a revolver. He was unsure of the exact caliber, but it didn't appear weak by any means.
Bowman used his left hand to pull a single gold shelled, round tipped bullet from inside his blazer; holding it up for Fox to see. "Forty-four magnum." Dash stated with awe as he looked down at the pistol and opened the cylinder. "Back in the days of old, when bullet wounds spewed blood instead of searing everything shut," Having loaded the round, he began caressing the weapon's steel with his white cotton laden fingers as he spoke. "and the bullet itself never dissipated; it either sat inside and continued its damage," Dash's grip clenched around the revolver, "or ripped through the entire body." His voice grew eerily cheerful as he locked in the six-shooter's cylinder; giving it a spin. "I loved the idea so much I just had to get one!" The cylinder stopped, and Bowman looked back at Fox; his grin closing to a smirk under darkening eyes. "Let me show you what happens if you try to save her another way."
Both Fox and Krystal's eyes widened as their hearts took off sprinting.
Dash aimed the revolver straight down Krystal's vertically bound arm.
A shout exploded from Fox's lungs. "NO!"
-Click-; came the echo of an empty chamber.
Both Fox and Krystal froze in their tense frames, scarcely remembering to breathe. Fox's eyes trembled as he dared to hope this was only a threat.
Bowman's ominous smirk remained.
-Click.-
Fox's heart cringed with the primates' trigger finger; resuming its raging pace as he watched fresh tears leak out Krystal's eyes and her shoulder tighten into her frame; her quivering lips sending hushed pleas for mercy.
"Dash, listen to me." Fox called, solemnly looking at Bowman. "I pledge my loyalty to you. I'm going to get you that equipment. Her life… her well-being means so much to me that there will be no other ending. You don't have to-"
-Click.-
"DAMN IT DASH! YOU DO THIS, YOU LOSE ALL CONTROL!" Fox exploded, thrashing his limbs to tear his flesh from their restraints whilst Krystal's pleading fell silent to shock; all emotion departing her expression. "I'M ONLY HELPING YOU IF-"
*The reverberating bang ended Fox's exclamation as a dense spray of blood exploded out Krystal's entire limb and flecked across his face. His mind fell to pieces as she drew her head up and released a heart shattering wail that filled the whole room. Tears poured out her eyes as she held her echoing cry until her throat gave out; yet her posture remained as if she were still wailing. After a few seconds of dead silence, she inhaled a raspy breath, then released it as she began to weep hysterically.
Fox felt dead. His breath, his voice, his feeling, and his thoughts were gone as he sat there listening to Krystal's pain filled screams and sobbing; staring blankly, mouth ajar, at her profusely bleeding, shredded arm.*
Dash waved for something behind Fox. A moment later the electronic door slid open, then two polished white uniformed dogs entered and stood in front of Dash. "Infirmary, stat; she doesn't have much time." The dogs gave a salute before they wheeled Krystal out of Fox's sight, one of them applying a tourniquet high on her shoulder above the damaged appendage as they walked.
Bowman mosied over and squatted down in front of Fox, who's empty stare didn't break from the crimson pool that Krystal left behind; her wail still ringing in his ears.
Dash spoke softly. "In case you didn't understand what I have just told you, I shot only-"
"I'm going to kill you..." Fox whispered ghostly as a tear rolled down his cheek, his eyes still locked on the pooled blood of Krystal.
Bowman paused a moment, then continued. "I shot on-"
Fox instantly threw himself at Dash as hard as he physically could, nearly breaking his own wrists that were cuffed to his chair and coming close to head butting Bowman. "I SWEAR, TO THE ALPHA, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Dash didn't budge as Fox's snout was clamped by the hand of the lion. Fox didn't fight it, nor did he show fear or surrender. He only kept his eyes on Dash's, displaying through them the amount of honest harm Fox pledged to give him.
Dash looked down and tried again. "It's usually smart to wait and hear what the other has to say before you go making threats, Mr. McCloud. However, with what you just went through, I'll give you grace." He looked back up at Fox; unlocking the revolver's cylinder and allowing the expended shell to fall from its slot. "I shot only one of her four limbs." Out of the same pocket as before, he pulled a fresh round; loading them one by one as he spoke. "Each limb has two sections;" He slotted a fourth round, then a fifth; leaving a print in Krystal's blood on each shell from his soaked, gloved fingers. "Two down, six to go." The sixth shell loaded, he locked the cylinder back into place. "Do you now understand what I am telling you?"
Horror had already stepped into Fox's eyes.
"I thought so, but I'll be nice. From now on," Bowman gently placed his thumb upon the hammer and pulled it back, releasing it with each pause. "I'll only do one, section, per, fuck up."
Every hammer fall sounded off the echoing click. The sound was nearly hypnotic; each turn rang louder than the last in Fox's ears. The final three clicks threatened to throw him into shock, but he fought it by furrowing his brow and spitefully staring back at the primate.
Dash smiled, his teeth the only part of him that remained unstained by red. "It's too easy Mr. McCloud. Get the case and return here in six hours. Succeed, Krystal lives. Fail, I fail. I fail, I die. I die, she goes with me." Dash stood up and walked out of Fox's view. "In the meantime, as long as you don't try to be a hero, Krystal gets injured no further."
Bowman suddenly leaped back in front of Fox and grabbed onto his wrists again, staring him dead in the eye with a haunting sincerity. "I will know if you, or anyone else, try to rescue her. I will KNOW!" He spat, then his expression turned immensely grief stricken, and water welled in his eyes as he leaned in even closer to Fox; croaking, "Please don't test me." As quick as it came, the expression fell as Bowman stood upright, straightened his scarlett speckled collar, and left the room; which became quiet with the closing of the electronic door behind him.
Fox felt the hand release his snout, and the weight of the entire encounter fell upon him as salty liquid drops secreted from his eyes, quivering as he bent over to sob uncontrollably.
The lion stepped back into Fox's view with his mask re-dawned. No action was taken, he just stood there with a silver dart in his hand, staring down at Fox.
Fox didn't even bother looking up. "What are you waiting for?!" He croaked through gritted teeth.
The lion took a moment before giving his doleful answer. "I'm sorry."
Every muscle in Fox's face began to furiously twitch with perplexity and vexation. Of all things he expected the hunter to say, that was the very last. Finding his voice, Fox lifted his head and burned a loathing stare into the predator. "Sorry?! SORRY FOR WHAT?! SORRY FOR BRINGING HER HERE TO BE TORTURED AND PERMANENTLY MAIMED?! SORRY FOR STANDING AND WATCHING IT ALL HAPPEN?! SORRY FOR TOSSING HIM THE FUCKING PISTOL?!
The beast listened no longer and swiftly pierced the dart into the side of Fox's neck.
Fox managed to get one last sentence out before going under. "You've… good as… killed her…"
