Chapter 19
The Trap
Roka was about ready to leave when he received a call from Constantini.
Roka: Yeah?
Constantini: Hey Roka, we've got a lead on some thugs who broke into a sports memorabilia store. You gonna' join?
Roka: I can't, I have a job. Don't forget I am also a mercenary for hire.
Constantini: Leading a double life is hard, especially at your age, how do you do it?
Roka: Enough gallons espresso to cause heart failure.
Constantini: That sounds just like you, well then, have fun on your job! Farewell.
Roka: See ya'.
Roka decided to call Roxy, she must be worried sick. –ring-
Roxy: Hello?
Roka: Hey Roxy! I just wanted to let you know that I was alright; I have a job somewhere in an asteroid belt near Fichina.
Roxy: You're doing what?! You just got out of the hospital and now your going on little escapades?! I have been worried sick and all you do is try to get yourself killed! You are too much!
Roka: sorry… I will back in perhaps a week.
Roxy: Yeah, and when you do, you're gonna' get it!
Roka: Good bye. –click- Nyeehh, Tough love…
After all was said, Roka gassed up his hand-me-down arwing and blasted through the Cornerian atmosphere. He the high speed switch and took off too the asteroid belt. During his flight, someone was sending a message to his communicator, it was Wolf O'Donnell.
Wolf: Is that you Embers?
Roka: Yeah, it's me. Whaddya' want?
Wolf: I'm only going to tell you this once so listen up... Well… You have earned my respect as a man, tell anybody I said that and I'll kill you myself!
Roka: Awwww, how sweet.
Wolf: You impudent brat!
Roka: You ain't goin' soft on me are ya?
Wolf: Ahahaha, you're not like any member of Star Fox I have ever met. If you ever get bored with those losers, call me.
Roka: I got too many jobs already, I'm also a vigilante. I am team leader of the Blue Creek Mafia.
Wolf: You what?! Now I know you're nothing like any Star Fox member! You are nuts kid!
Roka: Ahahaha! See ya' round you big lug.
Wolf: You better sleep with one eye open kid. –click-
Some time had passed and Roka received the message he was waiting for:
Ralauc: Embers, this is Ralauc, can you hear me?
Roka: I hear ya.'
Ralauc: Excellent, I have set the coordinates on your map. Turn starboard thirty degrees and head straight forward.
Roka: Thanks.
He flew in that direction and read his 3D map. He eventually found a very large asteroid and could clearly see a force field surrounding. The faint blur glow indicated a weak force field that only served as an artificial atmosphere.
Roka: That's strange, for a high class outfit like this guy mentioned, you would think that there would be something a little more, I don't know… better?
He pierced through the force field and flew towards a large building system. The second strange thing he noticed was that it was run down and looked unstable. He landed about fifty meters from the complex and stepped out of his arwing. He looked at the old mine. This place hadn't been used in years.
Roka: What? Did I land on the wrong one or somethin'?
He then got an eerie feeling, something didn't feel right. All of a sudden he heard a small whistling noise and felt some needle-like thing pierce his neck, it then got dark. He woke up in some old storage room, the door was locked and the lighting was almost nonexistent. It was quite clear to him now that there was a big trap set just for him, he felt foolish and ashamed. Off into the distance, he could hear a familiar voice echoing. It sounded like the voice of Andrew Oikonny. Roka knew now that he was in real trouble. He looked around the room and found an old hacksaw. He took the blade and pried out one of his teeth, this was actually a small distress signal that he and Slippy had invented, he pushed a small button and made a message:
Roka: If anyone can hear me, I need help, I have been captured by Andrew Oikonny, please send help immediately!
The small device began to send a signal; the voice recording could only last ten seconds, but that was enough. He hid the device in the corner of the small room, about thirty seconds later, the door opened. Roka looked up and saw the malicious grin of Andrew Oikonny and next to him was a bleach white vulpine with red eyes, wearing a black coat just like the one Roka would wear.
Ralauc: Greetings Roka, I am Ralauc Ladone. I must say this coat complements my devilish good looks, wouldn't you agree?
Roka: I'm the only one that looks good in that kind of coat. You're ruining my style.
Ralauc: You little brat, yaaa!
He hit him in the face knocking him to the floor.
Andrew: I don't know how you survived our first encounter Embers, but, I always keep me promises. Farewell, my living weapon here will take good care of you. If you need me I will be in my office. Muahahaha!!
The door closed with Ralauc looking down at Roka. Roka tried to get up but Ralauc kicked him in the stomach knocking him flat on his back. From under his coat he pulled out a tire iron smashing the little vulpine's shins. Ralauc could only laugh as Roka lay on the dirty floor screaming in pain. Another blow was struck, then another and another. Soon some of his ribs were cracked and breathing itself was a painful torture.
Cornerian Atmosphere aboard the Great Fox:
Krystal: Fox? Oh good, you're home. Where is Roka?
Fox: He's gone.
Krystal: What?! He just got out of the hospital yesterday, why isn't he here?
Fox: Guess what? He has been lying to this whole time about business he needs to "take care of".
Krystal: What are you talking about? I don't understand.
Fox: Apparently, Roka has been leading a double life as a vigilante. He said he was leader of some small group called the "Blue Creek Mafia".
Krystal: So the gangs mysteriously being turned in, the criminals bound and gagged, and act heroic act at the bank… he had everything to do with that?!
Fox: Yes. His excuse for keeping it a secret was that he wanted nobody to get involved; he said "he was afraid for us". It's funny really; he told me some wild story about how the old leader died in his arms and gave him the position of team leader. I just think he was getting involved in gang activity.
Krystal: Why are you being so blind?! Roka was actually cleaning up a bad part of town, he even saved innocent live and the only thing you can see is the fact the he was keeping everything a secret? I can't believe you… I'm going to my room. I want you to find him and bring him back here.
Fox: Fine!
Fox walked to the bridge and sat in his chair, "Roka is a liar and she doesn't care" he thought. Suddenly a distress signal popped up on the communicator, Fox opened it up and heard Roka's voice: "If anyone can hear me, I need help, I have been captured by Andrew Oikonny, please send help immediately!"
Fox: Is this another little joke?
About a minute and a half later Slippy walked into the bridge.
Slippy: Geese fox didn't you notice the distress signal going off?
Fox: I guess I wasn't paying attention.
Slippy identified where the signal was coming and ran through the halls yelling "Roka is in trouble! We need to help him!"
Slippy had no problem being mad known to the rest of the team, everybody including Fox ran to the docking bay and flew out of the Great Fox flying towards the direction of the distress signal. They eventually arrived at the large old ore mine and found that Star Wolf had already arrived. They had just gotten out of their wolfens when Star Fox landed.
Falco: What's Star Wolf doing here?!
Wolf: Oh look, the Star Fox team has come to screw everything up.
Fox: Shut up O'Donnel! I don't feel like wasting time with you.
Leon: I presume you are responding to the distress signal as well, it wasn't my idea anyway; Wolf just had to come here. Pigma didn't even come because there was no money involved. Hahaha, what a little twit!
The two teams entered the old building complex and wade their way further and further into its forgotten halls. Soon they began to hear someone in the distance…
Ralauc: Well, this was a fun little time I had with you. It's strange really, you look at my master with such indignity, it's because of him I have such great power, and I must give some credit to you Embers! Your own ingenious creation gave me such insight, I think…
Roka: COUGH! COUGH! Oh, shut it with the gloat speeches… COUGH!
Ralauc: What? You don't like my speech? Hehehe…
Roka: Shut… the hell up… you fuzz-bag. Why don't you hurry up and poke me with a stick or somethin'. COUGH! Ahhhck!
Ralauc: Fine, I grant your wish…
The team followed the voice but the cringed at what they heard. "NO! NO! BUAHHHH COUGH!! " Hearing that made them all sick to their stomachs. They continued however, following the small tracker device and the sound of the voices
Andrew: Look whose back? So how was your playtime with Ralauc? Did you have fun?
Roka: P-p-please, no more.
Tears began to roll down; he had finally succumbed to the pain. It must half been a whole day or more and he couldn't take it any more.
Andrew: That's exactly what I have been waiting to hear for such a long time. I have finally done it! I have broken the iron will the "the great Roka Embers". AHAHAHAHA!! This is excellent! Oh, here Roka take this, it's the very device that made Ralauc what he is. Maybe you can save yourself, but then again, in your state you might lose your mind and end up killing all your little friends, speaking of which, I need to leave, TATA!
Oikonny ran through the building complex and entered a small ship and he flew himself to safety leaving Ralauc behind. The teams finally the strongest point of the signal, coming from behind a rusty old door Wolf was the first to enter, after about three seconds he walked out of the room, fell to his knees and vomited on the floor.
Fox: What happened?
Wolf: (tears coming out of his eye) No, this isn't fair for him!
Fox entered the dimly lit room and saw Roka; he had been pinned to the wall. Long iron spikes were driven through his two shoulders and his abdomen, there was blood all over the floor, and small bone fragments could be seen coming out of his legs. Krystal let out a blood curdling scream and everybody else was in total shock.
Roka: (wheezing) What's…the matter… do I really look that bad? AHAHAHA! Look at yourselves! You worthless lowlifes! You can even stand a little blood? I'm disappointed in you Leon! I thought you were the brutal monster! You don't look so tough now, AHAHAHAHA!! O'Donnell over there has gone so low as to vomit on the floor, you weak stomached coward, you're pathetic. And we have the Star Fox Team, the dumb mercenaries always doing what they are told like fools with blind faith. You all make me sick. AHAHAHAHA! This is absolutely hilarious! A bunch of mature adults like yourselves fretting so much, this is too much.
I-I-I'm sorry, please help me. Please don't leave me Fox; I don't know what to do.
Fox: Someone call for immediate medical attention NOW!
Roka: It's too late for that, there is only one thing you can do to save yourselves; Oikonny said this place could collapse any minute, and he place bombs in the weakest parts of the building. I was able to find out that he will try to resurrect Andross, so now you all can be ready for his next move. Fox do me one last favor.
Fox: (tears rolling down) What is it Roka?
Attach that device to me, Oikonny in his arrogance left it here as a mockery, I don't know how he stole it but he did. Go ahead and put it on.
Fox attached the P.P.E to Roka's bloody chest, it clamped on causing more blood to gush out. He turned the knob and Roka suddenly began to glow. His body was consumed with electrical power and his nervous system began to race at a phenomenal speed. His cranial capacity exceeded ninety percent. In the distance explosions could be heard and the sound of twisted metal was prevalent. Roka pulled out the iron spikes of his shoulders and then took a feeble step forward pulling the spike in his abdomen from the wall; he grabbed it and slid it out as if it was just a needle. He looked up at the shocked group standing before him.
Roka: Everybody get out of here immediately! And Fox, I want you to remember one thing, tell Rooster… I went out with my boots on.
Fox: (weeping) Y-y-yes, I-I-I will.
Roka put up his arms and with incredible telepathic power, he held up the collapsing building.
Roka: Hurry up, I ain't got all day!
Star Fox and Star Wolf ran through the complex, the sound of twisting iron consuming any other sound. They soon made it out alive. And right when the last one made it out the whole thing went to pieces. After it had collapsed Fax ran through the rubble searching frantically. Everyone stood there watching the distraught vulpine searching in vain for a fallen comrade.
"Uggghh I don't feel so good. Ah well, so this is really the end? Things look kind of dark… I hope they made it out alive."
End of Chapter 19