The Lylat Wars- Combat Evolved
Chapter 4
The God That Failed
"I don't believe it..."
Tears rolled down Fox's furry cheeks as he entered Katina's once mighty military installation. The brown walls and floors were decimated, blown to chunks by missiles and laser fire. With Bill's heavy body burdening Fox, he felt even worse.
He'd failed, and done so spectacularly, once again. He, Fox McCloud, the great deity of space had failed. Even in his current state, being the drug addled, drunkard he was, Fox couldn't remember the last time he'd failed in a real battle.
It wasn't like the last time, this time he knew the mission parameters he knew the enemy, and he knew how to combat them, for the most part. But somehow, someway, he'd been almost entirely outmaneuvered, out gunned, and just plain dominated. Fox fought the idea, but his subconscious screamed out.
"They're just too good for me..."
He just wanted to explode, to go out and fly into space and find where they were positioned and just kill every last one of them. But that just wasn't an option.
Fox rounded another corner, stepping lightly over piles of rubble that littered the floor. At the end of a small conclave sat a repeating plasma cannon. Its occupants were dead, as were several of the Covenant creatures. Splashes of red and blue covered the walls, ceilings, and floors. It looked like a finger painting from hell.
"We gave them Hell, didn't we Bill?" Asked Fox. His words were cold and empty, all the candor he'd had earlier had left him. Bill's body hung limply in Fox's arms, he was becoming cold and stiff.
Momentarily Fox's radio buzzed to life; the familiar voice of Peppy filtered in over the wave length, "Fox, take all the time you need. I've readied the Great Fox. We're ready for pickup whenever you are."
Fox didn't respond- instead simply opting to switch the device off. This didn't involve Peppy, and it didn't need to.
As he reached deeper into the complex Fox saw more and more of the after effects of the attack. Walls were toppled over, bodies, both alien and animal littered the floors, some bore the marks of explosions, others were shredded by laser fire, as with every hallway previous the floors were a mixture of red and blue, red being the dominant color of the mixture, a testament to the Covenant's superiority.
Down a small hallway Fox could see the crew quarters. Several dead canines lay there, obviously caught off guard. They didn't even have their uniforms on. A Covenant creature also lay there, its neck, such as it was, was snapped.
A fresh tear rolled down Fox's cheek, his arms throbbed as he continued to hoister Bill's somewhat portly frame.
Coming up on the Admiral Crew quarters, of which Bill was one Fox began to decide what he'd do.
He hadn't had any previous experience at doing such, and didn't necessarily know if Bill would prefer such a funeral, but he couldn't leave Bill's body unrested on some Godforsaken dead planet like this.
"So, a mercenary's funeral it is, Bill."
Fox walked into Bill's room, maneuvering lightly through the somewhat tight door frame.
The room itself was something Fox could be sure Bill was proud to live in. But to be laid to rest?
"It'll have to do..."
Laying Bill on his bed, the sheets of which were finely made, Fox moved to turn on a light switch.
With the room more fully illuminated it was clear to Fox that Bill enjoyed living in style. Certainly it was nothing to opulent, but everything had a certain "I can spend a little bit more than you" feel to it.
A plasma screen TV hung on one wall. Medals hung everywhere, lining several glass cases. A gold antique bookshelf set opposite Bill's bed. It was covered with several musty old texts.
On a mantle in the far side of the room sat several of Bill's most prized treasures; trophies he'd collected most of which related to his aptitude in flight, one of the few last remaining original "DVD'S"- before the universal switch to Blu-Ray Discs, as well as a box of ancient (but not unusable) Cuban cigars.
"I can't burn this place."
But Fox still wasn't sure what to do.
Thinking solemnly Fox glanced at the small bed-table, on top of several old books lay a copy of the now ancient "Gideon's Bible". Fox opened the front cover, inside a stamped in message read "Property of Best Western."
Never knowing Bill to be an extremely pious man, Fox debated on what he should do. Shifting the tome from hand to hand, he finally settled in on giving Bill his last rites.
Fox hailed Mary, as he knelt down in front of Bill's body. Holding his paw, Fox delivered a quick eulogy, talking at great expediency about how much Bill meant to him as a friend, finally as his eulogy was finished Fox gave up all pretenses of being a professional soldier and burst into an uncontrollable torrent of tears. The release, felt like an unburdening of Fox's soul. He was alone here, surrounded by the corpses of his allies and enemies. No one would ever hold him in a shame for his behavior, even if anyone were still alive. Fox had to let it all out...
"God..." Fox sobbed, another stream of tears rushing from his ducts, "why have you forsaken me?" Tears rained from the vulpine's eyes
Fox sobbed uncontrollably, face down on the royal blue carpet for what must have been hours, before finally rising to see that night had fallen. For all intents and purposes, Fox was a mess. His fur was matted with sweat, his body ached, his face was twisted into a contorted caricature of both anger and sadness. Nothing in Fox's life had ever brought him so much pain. Fox knew he had no other choice, because to him living was no longer an option.
Standing, and walking at an unsteady gait Fox stumbled towards Bill's kitchen. Tearing open his fridge, Fox saw nothing to satisfy his needs. Going almost on instinct in the dark room Fox finally found what he was looking for; the cheap liquor Bill kept around to drink away those long nights of boredom.
Popping the cap on a bottle Fox began chugging, the salted whiskey didn't look good, and it tasted even worse. But it didn't stop Fox from chugging the whole thing.
Fox knew he had to numb the pain of what he hd to do next.
Fox stumbled blindly into Bill's bathroom switching on a light- a light appearing so bright, that in Fox's state it seemed to be the lights of Heaven itself.
Fox looked around the basic bathroom, a toilet sat in the center of the room. A shower stood a few feet from it. Nothing he needed was near.
After a few minutes of rummaging Fox managed to find what he was looking for; a pack of straight razors Bill kept around.
Fox, acting quickly tore open the package, pulling out one and throwing the rest to the floor.
Next drunkenly Fox pulled off his shirt. Every one of his muscles ached as he did this.
But soon the pain would go away...
Sitting down on the toilet Fox readied himself. His arm was crooked, in an attempt to bring as much of his main arterial artery to the surface as possible.With one smooth motion Fox set about ending his life.
With a loud thud the bathroom's wooden door exploded inward.
Fox dropped to the floor, arterial fluid sprayed everywhere, the alcohol only serving to hasten the effect.
"FOX!" screamed Peppy as he sprinted towards his fallen friend.
"Peppy, let me die..." Fox stated, his voice now just barely a whisper. His hand clutched at Peppy's tan jacket.