Rogue Fox Dark Dreams
Chapter VII
In This Moment
~SyxxFox

The airfield was busy as it usually was as Star Falco set their ships down. Each one's engines came to a slow whistle before they died entirely, shortly after landing. A medical team was quickly running to the ship with a metal stretcher. As soon as Krystal's canopy opened up, they were already there. She helped lift the kit from her lap and into the arms of the medical unit, that was ready to receive the boy. The two medics quickly took him, carrying him off before they could even say anything to her or the boy.

As soon as they took him, Krystal jumped out onto the wing of the craft where Katt was in wait for her at the bottom. The vixen looked down at the toy in her paws. The medics had taken the boy so fast that she hadn't even gotten a chance to give it to them. She took a deep breath as she looked down at the toy of Fox McCloud. She had other things on her mind though. Even though the stuffed figure gave her strange feelings of nostalgia, there were other matters afoot that were more important to attend to at this time.

The boy could wait for his toy back.

Katt had a concerned look over her face. "Hey."

Krystal shared the look. "How'd he do? Does anyone know?"

Falco stepped up behind them. "He's okay. The fox was able to take him down without killing him. Heavy lift and mechanics are working on him right now. Not too bad for a bucket of bolts. He's gonna pull through after the antiviral sets in."

"What about Fox?" Krystal said, feeling worried.

They all turned their heads, hearing a loud whistle of a plasma engine, and the sound of tires rolling across cold metal. A police SUV was racing toward them. The front end was beat up. The driver door was missing, and the windshield was cracked so much, that it was nearly impossible to see through it. There were dents with purple blood stains all over the hood. The heavy utility vehicle did a small jump as it rolled up the ramp to where Star Falco's crafts were staged. The suspension nearly bottomed out as the over-heavy vehicle hit the ground again, making a loud clunk sound. All four wheels spun on the surface, while the vehicle made a turn. The front bumper was twisted to one side, and the black paint at the bottom of it had deep rub marks that led under the frame. Of the many lights on the front grill and body of the police vehicle, every single one was smashed out.

Katt's ears drooped off to the sides. "I have a feeling we're about to find out."

Falco scoffed. "Looks like that second bucket of bolts just got here. Alright. I'll deal with this."

The vehicle came to a stop, as all the tires skidded. A tall and heavily armoured figure stepped out of the hole in the side of the vehicle where the door had once been. He left the vehicle before it came to a complete stop, stepping out while the tires skidded. He tossed his rifle onto the hood of the damaged vehicle, as he walked out, marching the short distance to rest of the team. With a smooth motion his glove went up to his chin, holding the base of the helmet and taking it off, revealing the face of the black fox as he tossed his helmet onto the ground carelessly.

Falco stepped forward, meeting the Slayer just outside of the group. "Fox, is…?"

Those were all the words that he could get out. His face was met with a cold metal knuckle. Syxx held his strength back greatly, making sure it was just enough force to drop Falco to the ground as he delivered the swift punch. Everyone gasped their soft words, but before they could do anything, Syxx simply picked the blue falcon up from off the ground. He grabbed him by the collar of his jumpsuit, and lifted him off the ground, just enough to drag Falco, as his heels skidded off the tarmac. Katt, Krystal and Slippy, were all in shock, not knowing what to do as things escalated so quickly.

Syxx lifted Falco up further, lifting his boots right up off the ground. He slammed the falcon's back up against the fuselage of his Arwing II. The hull vibrated with a loud and hollow thud of metal as Syxx pushed Falco up against the ship. He left just enough room so that Falco's boots could touch the ground, as the fox stared at his old friend, eye to eye. The black vulpine's gaze glowed fiery electric blue as the spirit of the Krazoa was completely visible through his eyes.

Slippy ran to their side. "Hey! Take it easy!"

Falco's cheek was bleeding and one of his eyes were shut as he remained half-dazed from the hit. Syxx ignored the cries of the others, and narrowed his gaze. "Let's get something straight here. When I am taking command on mission, you do as I say. You do not do anything different, or things like this happen."

Falco coughed. "We got the kid out, alive. That's what matters today, Fox."

"Fox!" Krystal blurted out as she could sense the next move the Slayer was going to make. It was the first time in a while that she could see into the head of the man, and it seemed to her to be when Syxx was under the most stress, perhaps when he lost his focus. When the Slayer was under pressure; this is when his mind was open for her to read.

Syxx growled loudly, showing his teeth, and his fang of glistening silver. He twisted his knuckle around Falco's jacket and lifted him right up again, nearly throwing Falco right over his shoulder and making him tumble to the ground as the Slayer showcased a small portion of his might. This time Falco got up to his feet, getting up and throwing a punch, only to be caught into the hand of the fox, with little give. Syxx was already one move ahead of the other, man, watching Falco reach down to his side for his Blaster. Syxx even let him take it. He let Falco get the weapon into his wing, and wrap his hand around the grip. The fox didn't let him raise it though. He put his glove over Falco's hand.

Meanwhile, Krystal watched Katt. She watched her lower a paw putting it around the handle of her own sidearm that was on her belt. Krystal caught Katt's eye just in time though, and she looked at her eye to eye. The little blue vixen shook her head, and mouthed the word: "No". Katt hesitated for just a moment before letting go of her pistol before she drew it.

Syxx stared down Falco as he held him in place with minimal effort. "You risked our lives unnecessarily today. You risked Pyro's life."

"And everyone came out alive." Falco winced. "So what's the big deal?"

"If you lose a Slayer, you lose this war. So if it wasn't already perfectly clear, Pyro's life matters to me. Yours does not."

Falco narrowed his gaze. "Good. That's makes it the both of us."

Syxx growled at the Falcon, before Krystal barked out. "That's enough!"

Syxx looked over his shoulder slightly at the vixen. He took a long pause, and waited for what she had to say.

Krystal gathered herself quickly. "We didn't go in because of Falco. It was me. I sensed a child in distress and I made the call."

Syxx glared at Krystal for a moment longer from over his shoulder. He then turned his leer back to Falco. He glared at him for a few seconds as well, before he adjusted his grip on the Blaster, just enough to place his glove in all the right places on the weapon and pull. The side arm crumbled into a dozen pieces, all landing on the ground as the fox disassembled the weapon right in Falco's hand. The falcon was left holding nothing but the grip and loose trigger, as all the other small metal pieces dropped and roll around on the tarmac.

Falco just let out a frustrated sigh, as Syxx turned his back to him, and made his way to Krystal. He stood before her, and above her. He loomed down to her as she looked up to meet his eye. They were so close together that their noses were almost touching. She could tell Syxx was holding himself back, from just the look of frustration on his face, as he was first to speak. He didn't speak in a language that they could all understand though. He spoke in a language that only he and Krystal would be able to grasp. He spoke Suarian.

Syxx spoke the dino-talk through his clenched teeth. "What do you want?"

Krystal just looked back to him, not saying a word, but not backing down either.

Syxx too held his ground. "Why do you keep chasing me? Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

Krystal spoke back a little quieter as she too spoke the language of Sauria. "Not here. Not like this." She had never gotten the chance to clear the air with Fox. And after all this time, even she didn't really know what it was exactly she wanted. She knew they needed to talk, but this is not how she envisioned it going, not out in the open in front of everyone.

Syxx went on. "What are you chasing?" Syxx motioned both arms outward a little, referencing himself. "This is because of you. This is because of all of them." He motioned his paw again, toward Falco and Slippy. "It's not new. You've known about this longer than anyone. And what now? You think you can change what I am now? Do you think you can change me back to hero? The hero Lylat needs? The hero Lylat deserves?"

Krystal's mouth hung open a little bit, trying to process everything. So many questions. And it was the way that he spoke the words, and what he asked that made her see his side a little differently. Things that she knew, but things that had not sunken in. She thought back to the time she had spent with James McCloud, and the things that Syxx spoke of now, and how they reflected on eachother. And yet another thing she hadn't told the fox. From the money she had cashed in on, to the meeting of Fox's own father, there was a lot she too was holding back from him.

Syxx continued yet. "Live the lonely life of Lylat's last hope? Of Lylat's last hero? But you know what that's all about, don't you Krystal? The last of your kind. The lonely life of searching for answers, and that maybe you'll never find out what happened to your parents. Maybe you'll never find out what happened to your planet. Well trust me, sometimes it's better, just not to know. I'm not the one who started this war. Peppy is. I'm just the one that brought the war home. And I accomplished in a few short months, what Andross could not do over decades."

Krystals looked to the fox, and maintained her stern look. James was right. Everything that Fox's father had said to her, was true. Though her expression stiff, her mind was blank with what to say next. So Syxx went on:

"If you haven't realized yet, I'm not Lylatian anymore." Syxx's expression became less firm. "I'm a monster. There's a virus in my blood. There's a Krazoa in my head. I'm a product of biological testing. And I'm half machine." He took a pause, staring down the vixen. "But being a monster is still easier than being a hero." Syxx took a couple stepped back from the vixen, continuing to speak the language that only he and her would be able to understand. "So how was that? Was that the talk that you wanted to have?"

Syxx turned his back to the blue fox, and started walking away from the team. As he approached Falco's side, he stopped, giving the avian a short leer as the language he spoke, switched back to Lyatian, and something they could all understand. "One more screw up like that and I'll kill you myself." Syxx marched off, picking up his helmet, and putting it on the rifle hanger on his hip as turned his back and started walking away.

"Fox!" Krystal blurted out at the top of her lungs.

The vulpine froze in his place. He half turned around as he watched the little blue vixen approaching him, his gaze dipping to the object in her paw. He instinctively put his paw out to catch the stuffy that the vixen pushed against him. They locked gazes, eye to eye once more with their noses just a few inches apart from each other, as each tried to stare the other down. Krystal didn't let go of the toy until she knew it was fimly in the Slayer's grip, when she would take a few steps back once again.

Syxx looked down into his open glove. He looked at the toy. The familiar smile stitched onto the face of the plushie, the red bandana, silver boots, jacket and gloves. He looked at the stuffed toy of himself, then back up to the vixen, and the other members of the team. Krystal watched him closely, she could feel the sense of remorse fill the air around the black fox, and for a short moment, it was almost as if she saw some sorrow creep across his face as he looked at the toy of Fox McCloud. The vixen looked over her shoulder at Katt and Falco. Her and Katt caught the eye of each other for just a short moment, looking hopeful toward one another.

Krystal turned back, putting her gaze back on the black fox. The look of subtle remorse remained painted across his muzzle. But that feeling that she performed an action that had gotten through to the fox quickly disappeared. She could feel the electricity between them not a moment before Syxx's paws were a blur. He tossed the toy on the ground between them, and with the same paw, he reached to his side, and quick-drew his Blaster. His finger was into the trigger guard and around the trigger before the toy could even hit the ground. At the moment the toy hit the ground, the black fox pulled the trigger of the Blaster, making it clap loudly.

Everyone jumped back a step or two are the firearm discharged, and Falco swore. Slippy had his hands over his ears and his eyes closed as the shot went off. Krystal only flinched, taking a half step backward. It was all so fast. His motions were a blur, and before she could even see it happen, the Blaster was holstered again. The vixen only caught the last moments of Syxx rolling the pistol in his paw, and slipping it back into its holster in one fast and fluid motion.

The black fox glared at the vixen as he turned his back to her, making eye contact to all but the last possible moment. He took his helmet from the hanger, and slipped it back onto his head. He snatched his rifle from off the hood of the lightly armoured SUV and simply drove off. He turned the vehicle sharply, and left the same way he came. The vehicle squeaked and churred as he drove off.

Krystal looked down at her feet. She watched what was left of the toy smolder, letting out a small sigh as she looked at the melted black spot on the ground.

The tension was released as Katt ran to Falco's side. "Hun, are you alright?"

Falco rubbed his cheek with the back of his wing, and let out little bit of a grunt. "Yeah. I'm good." He looked to Krystal. "Gahh, what a f-ck-ng sociopath."

Slippy came to their side too. "That was intense. Many of the Slayers during training and even recruitment exhibited antisocial behavior, but nothing like this."

Krystal shook her head slowly as she sighed. "That is not how I wanted that conversation to go."

"Yeah, I don't know what you two were talking about, but it seemed rather one-sided." Falco wobbled on his feet. He rubbed his sore head with his wing.

Slippy was already picking up the pieces of that Blaster that were scattered around them and putting it back together. "I haven't heard him talk that much, well, ever!"

The avian scoffed. "Be straight up with me Krystal, is it really safe for us to be working with him?"

Krystal glanced up at Falco before back down to the smouldering spot on the ground. "We work with you, don't we?"

"Yeah, but even I know when to draw the line."

"He's right, you know." Katt spoke softly. "We screwed up today."

"What?!" Slippy blurted out. "What do you mean?!"

She continued. "He gave us instructions, and we didn't follow through with them. And because of that, he almost lost his only friend in the universe. His brother."

Falco gave the feline a surprised look. "What?! You're not really defending him, are you?"

Krystal sighed softly. "His recourse in action was wrong."

"He shouldn't have responded to the situation the way he did." The was a certain sadness in Katt's voice. "But…" she swallowed hard, almost like she was trying fight back some tears. "To have nothing, no home, no life, and just be some science experiment for the Army. And now, not even a friend to call on, in the middle of the night."

They all shared gazes with each other. Each member of the team was speechless, and maybe for the first time ever, they all felt the guilt that each of them was in part to blame for the fate of the legendary Fox McCloud.

X

Two days later…

"Metal Zero-Two is incapacitated and unfit for service at this time."

Syxx stood at the head of the table in the briefing room. The lower half of his body was clad in black Vortec II armouring. His upper half was covered by a black muscle shirt, leaving his arms and shoulders completely exposed while the white tattoo of a star was embedded into his shoulder. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, as he continued:

"Recent events have made things abundantly clear. Falco and his team are not fit to serve alongside a Special Operations unit."

Falco stood at the side of the table, jumping up from his seat to confront the fox. "Are you kidding me?! We're not good enough to serve you?!"

Syxx took a step toward him and growled. "You disobeyed a direct order, and jeopardized the life of a Slayer."

Falco barked back. "To save a child!"

Syxx spoke back, speaking through a clenched jaw. "A child's life is not equivalent to life of a Slayer!"

"That's just cold, Fox!"

"That's enough!" Peppy broke the two apart, not even so much as getting up from his seat at the other end of the table. He leaned back into his chair and looked at each of the men. He sat in silence for a while. "Falco, you disregarded direct instruction from a Metal Asset. Syxx and Pyro are the brightest military strategists, and combat specialists that we have against the Aparoids. Losing one of them, may mean losing the war. However, I believe your actions were justified. Syxx, Falco's team will continue to assist you and your squad directly. I realize that all of our histories may clash with each other, but, I think everyone in this room, is the best chance at winning this war. You'll continue to work together."

Syxx's mouth hung open a little bit as he searched for something to say. If anything he was a little bit dumbfounded. He didn't expect the conversation and outcome to go the way that it went. He could see that smug look on the falcon's face, but he didn't do anything to correct it. He just shut his mouth and remained silent.

"That is a direct order, Asset Zero-One." Peppy continued. "In light of recent events, I'm allotting Syxx the command of Black Operations units to assist with the delivery of the photon-bomb to the Hive. We cannot move back our timeline and wait for Pyro or zero-three-seven to recover. This Hive needs to be destroyed. If we can cleanse this planet, we have a solid chance."

"I do not take orders from you." Syxx shook his head. "And Black Ops are a waste of my time."

Everyone in the room looked to the black-fox.

"I'm not going to babysit marines." Syxx went on. "I'll deliver the device and I'll do it alone. The plan doesn't change."

Krystal sighed softly. "There has to be… ten thousand Aparoids between the DZ and the Hive. Those odds don't seem… hopeless?"

"We proceed as planned."

They all looked to Peppy as if to find some sort of guidance. He let them hang in the silence for a long while before nodding his head. "Do as the Slayer says."