Disclaimer: Samus Aran and the Star Fox/ Wolf characters are not owned by me, the two mystery characters, Slice, and Sear do.

Chapter XXX(30): More dreams...

The party was over hours after it began, Wolf worn from all the congratulations of his success against Star Fox, in particularly Fox himself. He hadn't realized just how tired he was, and the way to his room through blurred eyes made it seem almost impossible. Minutes later, signs left unread, found Wolf at his room, the calm serenity of it and the holo-fireplace, his chair, everything as it had been left.

He slowly trudged to his seat, laying his head against the headrest. He was truly tired, yet couldn't find it in himself to fall asleep so fast. He reached beside himself, pulling out a paperback covered copy of an old Earth novel, one that Samus had given him but he had of yet to read. He slowly opened the book, the soft crinkling of the crisp pages distilling the silence not some odd amusement for him. He felt content at the soft crinkles of the pages, unlike the harsh beeps and boops of the various consoles that held other, less personal, files. Ones that held the background to every person on Wolf's base, and then there were others that held the mind of a person long gone.

He checked the cover of the book, squinting his good eye as he read that and then opened it. Upon first inspection it seemed a book of heroes, dragons, and swords. A small grin overcame his weary muzzle, what had Samus been thinking when she had given him this book? He merely shook his head and continued reading on, until he was soon asleep, his hand on the page marking where he had been, his finger pointing to the word he was on.

Inside of his dream, he looked slowly around. Many faces surrounded him on all sides, some with masks and others without. The masks were of some familiar faces, such as Fox, General Pepper, and others that seemed to dog him as a criminal. The ones that didn't have masks were the people he'd come to regard as friends. One figure that didn't stand out so well was a somewhat young looking figure, hair as silver as the purest element, various stripes and spots upon his body. The things he wore reminded Wolf of himself, but yet not. Then there was another figure beside the young man, another boy who had a long stripe along his back, hair as dark as the vacuum of space, his clothing seemed unceremoniously calm for one of his age, or one that would even be on his station.

As he watched the two he noted that they were playing a game, it looked to be chess. The pieces of the white seemed to be in the shapes of Fox, Krystal, Peppy, and the rest of the Star Fox team. The blacks were Wolf, the queen was almost indistinguishable, Leon, and Panther. He came closer to the two and was about to ask what they were doing when the one with a large stripe down his back looked at Wolf, as well as the spotted young man looked at him. As Wolf inspected their eyes, he noted the spotted man had more feline eyes then the other, but the others were a piercing red, almost the color of blood. They both put their fingers up in a shushing motion, and Wolf suddenly found himself falling, only to land unceremoniously on the checkered board and unable to move.

He felt himself picked up and moved to one side of the board, and as he strained to look at what he was next to, he couldn't help but feel some kind of set position. He saw something moving in the distance, and then things began moving at a pace until he found himself able to move his head alone. As he looked to his right he noted several fallen black and white 'pieces', each holding 'wounds' that had formed somehow. As he looked ahead of himself, he saw the Queen piece of the board he saw earlier, but now it moved like it was alive.

He suddenly realized something, he had been put into the position of King, and as he looked again, in front of him were two Leon's, the queen of his side was far across the board he assumed, since he heard no feminine groans of defeat. As he looked to his left, he saw what could only be called the rook of his team, Panther. He felt almost unceremoniously amused by the fact that, Panther was the Rookie of the Star Wolf team, and yet he was the rook in this game. Suddenly he looked forward to see a Leon piece laying still, tossed aside by the stronger might of the white Queen piece. He knew it was his turn next, and he was moved and cut down the Queen, standing triumphantly on the once occupied space he noted something more, he saw two bishops, each the face of Falco, and one was heading toward him. It raised up it's scimitar and the deadly weapon gleamed before it came tearing down, and Wolf felt a pain sear across his shoulders...

He awoke with a start as he fell from the comfort of his couch, then lay sprawled, panting heavily, upon the floor. He shook his head as he slowly sat up, moving unsteadily back to his seat as the door rang a kind of greeting. "Come..." Wolf said as he coughed, the door opening to reveal Leon and Panther in his doorway.

"We came to tell you that there's an announcement on the holovision concerning us right now. You'd better hurry or you'll miss it." Panther stated, Leon nodding as they both turned and walked off.

"Alright..." Wolf said as he went to his dresser, undressed and then redressed in a pair of trousers and a black, button up shirt. As he got to the living quarters he had apparently missed the announcement. Though the advertisement for some new deodorant seemed promising.

"Wolf, you missed it!" Panther sighed as he turned toward the doorway that Wolf now leaned against.

"What did I miss?"

"We've been declared untraceable, but the bounty on your head in particular has jumped up quite a ways. They still want us alive though, apparently."

"Could you explain that again?"

"In other words, Wolf, you've got the highest bounty on your head since Andross."