A/N: Yay, I updated! This one focuses a lot on Leon for some strange reason, so if you find anything too OOC for him, please say what it is at least :) I'm just trying to give him a little bit of history here.
Yes, I know Andrew didn't really die, but that's what they believe. I mean, he got zapped and nobody came to his rescue afterwards. No wonder why he turned a true enemy in Command, hmm?
So anyway, enjoy the chapter!
/\/\/\/\ Chapter 2: Joining /\/\/\/\
Wolf raised an eyebrow inquisitively, watching Krystal wipe her eyes with a paw. "She do this before?" he asked lazily, turning his head slightly towards Leon.
"Hell no!" was the chameleon's reply as he placed his three-fingered hands on the back of his head. "If she did, then you know what I would have done already. I hate seeing such weak emotions."
The wolf smiled as Leon jerked his head towards Panther, who was patting the vixen's shoulder consolingly and muttering under his breath, "Tell me what's wrong, my lovely." If anyone displayed weak emotions, Panther was the closest.
Wolf shook his head from silent laughter as he sat on the sofa's armrest, not taking notice of the seats which were still free. Draping an arm over the back rest, he continued watching Panther and Krystal together. Seeing such a heart warming scene made him wrinkle his nose very slightly.
"I'm sorry," Wolf heard her murmur over and over again. Her tears ran down and caught to the ends of the fur, her shoulders jerking uncontrollably as she continued to cry. If she really was sorry, she should have finished by now!
The leader rolled his eyes, leaning his head back retiringly.
"I feel the same way," commented Leon, his tail curling. After being with him for so long, he knew that meant he was irritated. He was very similar to him – both in opinions and subtle gestures like that. "Bringing a girl here, let alone Krystal, is just looking for trouble. I don't care what her sob story is, but I want her out."
His grey eyes met with Wolf's placid violet ones. Keeping his gaze on the chameleon, Wolf said softly, "What sob story?"
Leon's eyes narrowed considerably, to the point where only a fraction of the pupils could be seen. He removed his hands from his head slowly before explaining. "Fox dumped her, so she goes to us to sort out her problem." His fingers flexed menacingly as he glared in Krystal's direction.
"If we send her out of here, she'll know our whereabouts and blab. She might report us to the Cornerian military for all we know," Wolf reasoned, keeping his voice low so that only Leon could hear him.
"It doesn't take a lot to work it out anyway. That Cornerian military's just playing dumb." He kicked his legs out, crossing his legs at their heels contemptuously across the lino.
The lupine didn't bother trying to hide his smirk. Even though the Cornerian military were, effectively, the Lylat System's protector, they never did a particularly good job. They were too busy trying to keep the peace in their own capital or keeping tabs on Andross to notice the wandering mercenaries. Even when they managed to hijack the VIP ship in Sector Z, they turned a blind eye and assumed it was nothing to be concerned about.
"But a girl," Leon hissed under his breath.
The leader looked up not because of the chameleon, but because he saw Panther get to his feet in the corner of his eye. He noted the feline was slightly unsteady, the way he seemed to shift from foot to foot and how his eyes seem to avert his gaze. The black tail flicked from side to side, hanging a lot lower than the usual height of haughtiness.
"Wolf, Krystal's been through a lot. And…" Panther's ears turned outwards, his hands clenching pensively. He paused, then closed his mouth, as if it was the end of his sentence. Just before Wolf thought the feline had suddenly gone mute, he suddenly admitted, "Perhaps it's best if she joins the team."
The addressee didn't bother to answer. The chameleon next to him had laughed arrogantly, and raised a curved finger at their comrade. If it was in a different situation, Wolf would have thought Leon was imitating some drunkard. "Let her join the team? You're too soft, Panther."
The feline grinned weakly, obviously regretting what he had just suggested. "You're probably right."
Wolf remained silent, eying Krystal still on her seat with her back turned to him. There was something about the way her hair fell, the way her disheartened form moved very slightly as she wiped her tears, that made him think of her, not the team. She was totally oblivious to the tension at hand, only going through her own thoughts by herself.
It must be nice, only having to worry about your own problems.
Panther was backing down from his own proposition, he could tell without even listening. It was the way it always was: Panther was below Leon, Leon was below him. Today was going to be no different, unless he contributed.
"There's a battleship coming out of Fichina," Wolf mused, bringing the argument to a complete stop. Leon leaned his head back against the backrest lazily whilst Panther drew circles on the armrest, his uncertainty still reeking like fire. "Defences are immensely low, which can only suggest something out there's going on."
He looked past Panther's black form to Krystal, still exactly where she was. Only a few metres away, but somehow in a place no one could reach her.
Leon gave an amused sigh. "Defences are low? Perhaps we'll be able to get more information on the enemy from their security database."
"And what killed them in the first place," Wolf completed, turning his head slowly towards the chameleon. "That'll be your job once this mission's done."
As well as being the team's fanatic homicidal, Leon also proved to be one with technology once Andrew had left for revenge. It was a mystery how Leon had valued the monkey in the first place. Ever since his presumed death in Fox's hands (they didn't know the whole deal, and had no intention of asking Fox for full details) soon after, the chameleon took the occupation into his stride. That sense of honour, even in the most unexpected of people, was what Wolf liked.
The three were best friends…
"What shall I do?" Panther queried, snapping the leader out of his long-gone memories. Wolf raised an eyebrow, at a loss of what to say. Compared to Andrew, Panther had no real distinctive talent. That was still something he needed to learn.
"We'll attack head on, so I'll need as much support possible. And Krystal, I want you to use your telekinesis to help the infiltration process."
Three faces stared at him, each expression so different. Leon's eyes were once again narrow, his hands clenching into fists. Panther's lips curled slightly, but somehow only seemed to stay half way. And Krystal finally turned round, her mouth open slightly as her delicate hands made to fidget with her hair.
Wolf ignored the mixed air and continued the debriefing. "If we head out now, we'd be able to meet the battleship at Katina."
He felt rather than saw Leon smirk knowingly. "I modified all ships. This will be a good opportunity to test it out." He rounded on the vixen grudgingly, getting up from the sofa at last. "Unfortunately, I didn't have time to do yours, so you have to stick to the one you got from the Cornerian military," he sneered. It wasn't intentional, but the bitter tone did not go unnoticed.
He made his way to the door, Panther close behind him. The doors automatically opened, and the chameleon left without a backwards glance. The feline, however, remained where he was with one hand on the frame, turning round to the vixen.
"I look forward to working with you, my darling," Panther purred, triumphant about the outcome. It was amazing how two differing opinions could only be a mere few seconds away from each other. The feline beamed, then he too left the room. The doors hissed closed, sealing away all the disturbances with it.
Lost for words, Wolf got off the armchair and ambled to the filing cabinet. Krystal was still here, but she was barely noticeable. She was either very still or very silent with her movements, he didn't know which it was. He began brushing the sheets off the top calmly, before he paused abruptly.
The vixen was right by him, her fur almost touching his. Her eyes were less watery now, but her posture was still that of someone troubled. He never noticed how short her snout was or how long her lashes were. Perhaps these were things that only crop up when you're this close together.
She picked up a photo frame from the top of the filing cabinet, holding it carefully in both hands as if it was something valuable. "The original Team Star Wolf." She fingered the bumpy frame, looking at each part of the photo.
Wolf decided not to take notice, bending his knees to gather the papers on the floor. He had no idea what order they were all meant to be a long time ago, so he scooped them up randomly and moved them to the circular table in the middle, still spread out.
"Pigma's face has been shot out," Krystal observed, almost as if she was commenting on the weather. "And Andrew's got a halo etched above his head."
Wolf looked at her disinterestedly as he went to pick the rest of the papers. "I know what the picture looks like. What is it you want to know about it rather than going innocent on me?" His eyes darted to the photo still in her hands involuntarily.
Krystal swayed on her feet slightly, replacing the frame back to its rightful position. "Do you ever feel jealous of Star Fox?" She picked up the next picture, embracing it in the same way she did with the previous one. Fortunately, it was the one Panther had decided to stick a picture of himself beside one of her, so she was quick to put it back.
"Why would I feel jealous of Star Fox? It's lead by a moron." He had no idea why he spouted out the last bit. Krystal seemed unaffected by it though, her eyes misty with unreadable expressions.
"Star Fox has never truly broken up," Krystal answered, gazing down at her fingernails. Her tail swung gently, almost serenely, as she began to elaborate. "We kept making new friends, and no one was forced out the same way Star Wolf was."
Wolf sighed heavily, leaning against the cabinet so he could get a better view of her face. He seriously needed to understand women more – he was pretty certain she was the one forced out of her own team rather than anyone else. "They've as good as disbanded now."
The blue vixen couldn't hide her shock, even if she had tried. Evidently, this was news for her. "When? How do you know?"
The lupine smirked. "News gets around Corneria fast, and I happened to be there whilst gathering details on the next mission." He drummed his claws against the tin rhythmically, waiting for her reply. He didn't want to say this in front of the other two, since this was something that was strictly for Krystal's ears only.
She swallowed, as though she had found it difficult to breathe. "It must have been after I left, right?"
Wolf laughed hollowly at her response. It was not what he was expecting. At least she didn't burst out crying again, which was good. "Things would have been pretty bad if you were still out there by yourself. Sargasso sure isn't as classy as the Great Fox is, but it should be enough until you get back on your feet."
A small smile was enough to assure him she was grateful. "Thanks for taking me in. Though, is Leon always like that?" she queried, tilting her head to one side. The tresses swayed with her, as if they had a life of their own.
"Give him a bit of time, then he'll get used to you," he advised tiredly. He had said it many times. Three times over, now. "He's always been like this. The only person he immediately warmed up to was Andrew. But then Fox had to kill him," he spat, his one visible eye flashing dangerously.
Krystal shook her head. "It wasn't Fox. The Aparoid launched the final blow on him."
"Same thing. They're both an eyesore."
The pair glanced at the pleasurable shot again, the way one of Andrew's arms was draped over the chameleon's shoulder in a brotherly sort of way. That frozen moment seemed to spill a million tiny pieces, each bit a fragment of their past. How happy Leon was before, how cheerful Andrew was before he became mad with revenge.
Then there was the halo, scratched out of the paper by either a claw or a penknife. Judging by the way Wolf's eyes shimmered, she couldn't tell which. The circle didn't quite match up, the shape distinctive against the dark background.
It made Krystal think of whether there was indeed, a happily ever after for everyone. Or whether it was something that only lasted a short while.
/\/\/\/\ End /\/\/\/\
A/N: If you want to know why I made Andrew the technology guy, then tell me how he managed to make a robot a spitting image of his uncle. And why his rival's Slippy. The Leon and Falco rivalry still needs a bit of sorting out.
So, hope you enjoyed the read and please leave a review on whatever you thought. Constructive criticism is called for!