Hey, everyone! More final stuff time! So we all know what happened to Fox, right? If not, you should probably click on that chapter, 'cuz it shows (sorta) who the villain is. Now it's Wolf's turn to meet this foe. Let's see what happens. Review, even if ya hated it! Alright, enjoy the show...
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"Get OUT!"
"Ya gotta ask politely, 'else I'm headin' nowhere."
"Fine, I'm politely TELLING you to GET OUT BEFORE I RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!"
"Now, that ain't askin', is it?"
An aggravated Leon, shouting, attacked the bathroom door with clenched fists. The frequent thumping against the barricade echoed through the immense spacecraft. Falco chuckled from inside the washroom as he heard a glass fall and shatter against the wooden floors outside. He really wasn't doing anything inside, besides leaning against the door and taunting the frustrated chameleon. Many would consider it an act of obnoxious foolishness, but Falco preferred revenge. He hadn't gotten a full night's since God-knows-when, due to Leon's constant, surprisingly ear-splitting snoring.
"I mean it, bird. OPEN UP!"
"Not 'till you stuff somethin' up y'nose at night. How th'hell can Wolf have the energy tofly 'round and do merc crap when he never gets any sleep? Y'can't hear y'self THINK at night 'cuz'a you!"
Leon had to pause a second and interpret what Falco had just said. The avian talked in strange slang and slurs when he was tired. "Well, how does Fox put up with your obnoxious sarcasm and annoying habit of NEVER SHUTTING UP? I mean, I'm sure he has a tough time even UNDERSTANDING you!"
Leon's eyes widened with surprise as Falco pulled open the door. His eyes were full of anger. "He understood me FINE. He never had a damn problem understanding me. What I don't get is why everybody ELSE does!" With that, Falco stalked down the hallway to his room, muttering random nonsense.
Panther, who had heard the commotion, walked over to the stunned Leon. The chameleon's mouth hung open as he watched the blue bird huff down the corridor. "What's his problem?" Leon finally asked after a moment.
Panther thought a bit, "Hmm." Leon turned to him, wondering what sort of dumb answer the cat would respond with. Though an excellent pilot, Panther could sometimes be a bit slow when it comes to...well...thinking. "I got it!" Panther finally exclaimed. "Birdie PMS!" His mouth was curled into a joking grin, but it slowly faded away when he turned to Leon, who had a disgusted look on his face.
"That...was awful." And with that, Leon turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction, leaving only a confused cat standing alone.
Meanwhile, Falco trudged into his messy room. He slammed the door with so much force his eyes were squeezed shut. His eyes were still closed as his foot caught on the leg of his desk chair. Collapsing onto his unmade bed face-first, his eyes finally shot open.
"Wha?" he asked as the breath was knocked out of him. Laying there, he felt at peace for the first time in what felt like forever. He closed his eyes, feeling the events over the last few days...was it a week yet?...wash over him. Life on the Great Fox had been flip-flopped: their rivals were staying with them, and they couldn't take on any large, high-paying missions without their leaders.
Falco let out a frustrated sigh, pulling himself up to a sitting position. The leaders. Not a word, not a sign, not a trace of the two canines had been discovered and tracked down anywhere. Pepper was trying to convince the Cornerian Army to send forces out, but nobody volunteered; if the great Starfox team couldn't penetrate through enemy forces than nobody would.
Falco thought back to what he'd said to Leon. Fox never had a problem understanding the tough, distant avian. He knew all of Falco's slang language, of course, but there was more. Fox truly listened to Falco's problems, and actually seemed to care. Falco had never found anybody who he could tell his issues to, whether they were minute or massive, and afterward feel a sort of comfort being returned back to him. Sure, others listened, but only with one ear half-open. Fox, on the other hand, listened with everything he had.
"Never had a problem understanding me..." Falco trailed off as he repeated his previous words. He looked out the window, staring up at the sky. "I need ya, Fox."
Little did he know that Leon, that cold-blooded assassin, was currently lying down on his own makeshift bed, thinking the same about his missing leader. Him and Wolf were like brothers, always sticking up for each other, even when the times were rough. Sure, Wolf rubbed lots of people the wrong way, and nearly everyone though Leon was a complete psycho. Their alienation was what brought them together.
In their near-death situation, Fox and Wolf struggled to find some sort of light in the blackness which contained them. If only they knew that they would always be remembered, no matter what. Forever.
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Only about fifteen minutes had passed since Fox disappeared into the barren chamber. However, the secret tricks the darkness used against one's mind fixated Wolf into thinking it had been hours, possibly days. His frazzled brain produced frantic thoughts that echoed through his numbed skull: Was he fit to die here? Was this truly how he was leaving this life? And did his one chance for survival just get carried through that door?
Wolf's attitude was always a bit harsher towards others. Growing up, he caused trouble trying to interact with everyone around him. Whether it was biting taunts or physical violence, trouble seemed to trail the gray wolf since he was a young pup. Now matured, his normal behavior towards others was distant, but he succeeded in trying to put up with most.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. And Wolf's exception was none other than Fox McCloud. Ever since Wolf fought against James McCloud when he was barely a year older than Fox, he'd never found the foxes all too tolerable in general. He still clearly remembered when he was shot down by James' legendary piloting skills, forcing him to crash onto barren Fichina. The lasers that had dug into his ship also seemed to dig a deep hole of hatred towards James within Wolf's heart. When Wolf discovered that James' only son had it out for him too, Wolf's feelings of hate only intensified. Since their first encounter, Wolf had always considered Fox a chief rival.
Once again, certain circumstances call for exceptions to the rules. Forced together by fate's unpredictable ways, the rivals realized neither could survive alone. Grudgingly, the two temporarily joined forces to defeat the many enemies they'd faced over the past days.
Now, as his rival's time in the closed-off room stretched to twenty minutes, Wolf's mind wandered to the scene unfolding behind the sealed door separating him from Fox and his half-robotic captor. He grew frustrated from being unable to see what was happening; the steel door only had a minute window etched into it, about the size of a typical photograph. The metals that formed the door also blocked out nearly all the noise; Wolf only heard muffled dialogue and was unable to make out any of the words.
Wolf's gaze shifted to the General, still bound and lying on the ground. The hound was stretched out, back to the floor. Every minute or so, he'd inhale too much and break into a coughing frenzy. The guard that had assisted in dragging Fox into his chamber stood over him, arms crossed. The other guard, who had been assigned to watching Wolf, was peeking through the door's tiny window, watching the interaction between the tiger and fox inside.
"Hey, Bo!" The guard watching Pepper turned around, calling to the other guard. "What's goin' on?"
"Nothin' yet, Pax. The fox kid is bleedin' from this nasty cut right by his eye. Looks like the master did it. He's not sayin' anythin'." A pause, then the still silence was broken by the guard's slurred speech. "Master's just goin' on an' on, sayin' somethin' 'bout his experiments an' whatnot. Funny, you ain't supposed to hear anythin' goin' on in there, but I hear 'em clear as day. Doesn't look like the foxie's listenin'."
"Can't blame 'em," Pax muttered under his breath. Wolf hardly picked up on the muted dig from the guard.
"Now the fox is talkin'...geez, I can't hear him at all. Soft-spoken fella. Master's laughin' at 'em. Man, I don't get where this is goin'..."
Neither do I, Wolf thought. Sounds like this tiger can rival Panther when it comes to talking about nothing continuously.
"Wait...oh, god! The fox just bit Master's arm! It's bleedin' like crazy!" Just then, Wolf heard shrieks of pain echoing from the room. The General's guard must have picked up on it, too, because his eyes grew wide. Wolf couldn't help but grin a little bit at Fox's daring antics, but it quickly faded with Bo's next observation.
"Alright, the fox let go. Now the Master's got 'em in a chokehold! Holy shit, this is gettin' intense! Hmm, he let go...but he musta cut 'em when he was grabbin' his throat! Now he's bleedin' from his neck AND face! Alright, I think he's leavin'...wait, he jus' turned back, and...WHAT THE HELL?!?"
"Wha? What's he doin'?" Pax asked excitedly, his curiosity peaking.
"He's liftin' up the fox's shirt! What, he gonna frickin' rape 'em or somethin'? He's doin' somethin' to 'em...ugh, nasty. He carved a big ol' X into the fox's chest! Damn, there's so much blood! Sick!"
Wolf's breaths grew quicker. What if Fox loses too much blood? Is Wolf set to suffer the same fate? Paranoia sent his mind into a frenzy. His heartbeat raced as the tiger opened the door. Looking past him, Wolf's line of vision was met with a gruesome sight.
Fox was chained to a stone wall opposite the door. His eyes were closed; his normally copper fur was matted and stained with dry blood. Red liquid oozed all over him, slowly dripping to the floor. Wolf gaped at the pool of blood growing rapidly beneath the suspended vulpine. He also saw deep cuts on Fox's neck and the left side of his face. But it was the mark of an X on Fox's chest that sent the deepest shot of fear into Wolf. Fox's current state rocked Wolf to his core; never in a million years would he have imagined Fox anywhere near the situation he was now in.
Wolf's eyes darted to the cyborg tiger, whose teeth were gritted in pain. Several small punctures were present in the feline's right arm, and red liquid poured from the wound. It took all of Wolf's power to stop himself from grinning at the tiger's blood-coated arm.
"Are you alright, Master?" Bo approached the tiger cautiously; Wolf noticed how mature his speech had suddenly become. He silently applauded the guard's feigned look of concern.
"I'm fine. Just a...flesh wound." The tiger padded over to the General and kneeled beside him. He pulled two small pills out from a hidden section of his armor, and held them out to the hound. "I suggest you take these, if you wish to live." Fear shot into the hound's bloodshot eyes. The weak general, with a trembling paw, took the pills and popped them into his mouth. A few moments later, General Pepper had fallen into a deep, medicated slumber.
"Pax! Bo!" The tiger growled suddenly. The two guards immediately stood at attention. "Get out," the cat ordered. "Me an' O'Donnell are gonna have a little talk." His gaze followed the two guards as they walked back through the hidden panel in the wall, and remained there as the wall suddenly reappeared behind them.
The tiger's look shifted towards the bound Wolf. "Nothing to say, O'Donnell? Quite strange." Chuckling, the tiger flipped the chair Fox had occupied just moments before and spun it so that it's back faced the side of Wolf's head. Lazily, the tiger collapsed into the chair, his arms resting on its back. Wolf refused to make eye contact, boiling with rage at this carefree tiger who might have just killed his one temporary ally. Knowing his inner instincts, Wolf would probably try to rip the feline's arm off if he made eye contact.
The cyborg tiger sighed impatiently. "What is WITH you two? Neither of you uttering a word, staring off into space or something." He waved his metal-coated hand in front of Wolf's stolid face. "Anything goin' on up there?" He balled his artificial hand into a fist, then lightly knocked on Wolf's skull.
Without warning, Wolf suddenly turned in his seat, his eyes now head-on with the tiger's. One natural eye stared back at him, surprise evident in its golden coloring. Where his other eye should have been, a dulled red light stared back at him. Though it was impossible for the tiger to pick up, Wolf was silently restraining himself from lashing out at the half-robotic cat.
"Don't touch me," Wolf growled in an ominous whisper. His purple eyes narrowed at the captor. However instead of acting fearful from the wolf's harsh words, the tiger grinned.
"Finally, you talked," he said. In response, Wolf's mouth curled into a snarl.
"I was surprised, actually, that you didn't immediately try to kill me," the tiger continued, ignoring Wolf's snarl completely. "I was also surprised that you didn't tell me off. Usually you can't be in a room with someone for over five seconds without giving 'em a piece of your mind." Wolf rolled his eyes, though they were still narrowed.
"That's just one of the many, many differences between you and McCloud. He's more reserved, you have no problem with voicing your thoughts." A growl nearly escaped Wolf's throat, but he held it back at the last second.
"I've been watching you two as you walked around this planet. The way you two fight together." Wolf's eyes widened slightly; if this cat knew how they fought, he'd be a much harder foe to defeat. "Your attitudes are reflected in your combat styles. You normally charge at an enemy, staying on the offensive. Fox normally holds back, tending to be more defensive. You also can take out multiple enemies easier than Fox can, and he's slightly better at slowly taking down a bigger enemy." Wolf forced himself to look ahead, but he listening to the cat's words.
The feline chuckled a bit, then continued. "Of course, there was the time you two first met on this planet. That was probably the first time I've ever seen Fox like that, but what do I know? I'm sure you know better." In Wolf's mind, he reflected back to their paths crossing unexpectedly, Wolf attempting to attack Fox, and Fox pinning him forcefully to the ground. He recalls thinking the same thing the cat just said: Fox was definitely on the offensive that day.
"Of course, there's your physical differences as well. Naturally, you have the upper hand in strength, and you have those claws to do some damage. Fox is faster, obviously, and is more agile and flexible. Together, you two are practically unstoppable." Wolf was confused. Why was his captor practically complimenting him? It made no sense.
"However, you two have more in common than you think...or choose to think. Both of you have that leadership quality, which is very hard to come by. You never let anything get in the way of what you're sent to do. You never let your guard down. Also, you both think quickly on your feet. You never let a ton of enemies get to your heads. And of course, you're best at what you do. The reason you two are rivals, deep down, is probably because you both know there's nobody better."
The tiger's words sunk into Wolf's confused, angry mind. Was that the reason Wolf and Fox managed to get this far? The crazed feline had a point: they had a lot in common. And that may be why they were truly rivals.
Wolf looked up at the feline. The glowing red light on his face bore into him, and his non-artificial eye showed no emotion. Finally, Wolf spoke. "Whatever you're trying to pull, cat, it ain't gonna work. I don't fall for that false modesty crap. So you may as well shut up now."
The tiger's eyebrows raised. In one fluid moment, he dug his metallic claws into Wolf's shoulder. Wolf growled, feeling the pain shoot up his shoulder. He felt the sticky blood oozing down his arm, clinging to his gray fur. Soon, his arm's appearance mirrored the tiger's, the one Fox bit into. The tiger, whose claws were still embedded in Wolf's injured shoulder, leaned down so he was at eye-level with the lupine. "If I were you, I'd watch your mouth."
Wolf's experienced eyes caught the anger flashing in the golden eyes of his captor. He was angry from Wolf's comment. Anger was the one emotion most commonly used to drive someone over the edge. In his current state, Wolf had to rely on his mind to think of a way to piss the tiger off so much that his fury will take control of his common sense.
Through the pain, Wolf managed a grin. "Why...would I...do that?" Wolf's breaths were ragged as he spit out the words. "It's not like...you can do anything about it." He gritted his teeth as the tiger's claws dug deeper into his shoulder. Wolf felt as though a steel probe was being implanted into his body, or that he was getting a nail hammered into him.
"What was that?" The tiger roared, sensing Wolf's pain. "Try talking again, O'Donnell. Then you will feel true pain." The tiger let out a maniacal laugh. "Right now, you're just getting a taste," he said, putting his other paw above Wolf's right eye, claws extended. He leaned closer to Wolf's ear. "Just a taste," he whispered menacingly. Wolf felt the tiger's paw scratching deep into his forehead, and smelled the red liquid gushing from it. He closed his eye, feeling the blood trickle down his eyelid. Between the massive amounts of blood spurting from his aching shoulder and stinging eye, Wolf was having a tough time holding onto consciousness.
His blurred thoughts somehow focused on Fox, who was still chained to that wall. He remembered the last image he'd witnessed of the young vulpine. Soaking in his own blood, Fox's fur coloring was practically impossible to make out underneath all the dried, red liquid caked on top of him. Wolf thought back farther, to when they'd defeated all those thugs sent after them. When that mutilated black vulpine was attacking Fox. When Fox offered to help him fight the reincarnated form of his dead father.
Wolf's mind returned to the fox in that darkened room. He was trapped, like a butterfly caught in a display, with its wings pinned down. Wolf blinked, trying to clear up his thoughts, which were shrouded in confusion. He'd never seen Fox vulnerable. Not once had the vulpine ever seemed so small, so helpless. Even if he was one of the most famous military heroes in the Lylat System, he was still young, still had feelings. He wasn't invincible, like everyone thought. Even he could be vulnerable.
Something stirred deep inside Wolf. He heard himself speaking, his past words echoing in his head. What I do know is that thing...is still out there. Somewhere. And I can't take him down alone. The next thing he heard was Fox's voice.
Alright, Wolf. I will.
Wolf closed his eyes, suddenly free from the pain coursing through him for just a moment. Fox had kept his promise to Wolf. He'd help Wolf take down his biggest fear. And somehow, Wolf felt as though he'd made a promise to Fox. One of them had to survive. Wolf knew that if he needed a reason to survive, it would be Fox. He owed it.
"Y'know," Wolf struggled with the words, "you probably shouldn't knock me unconscious, otherwise you aren't really keeping me as a captive. You can't do anything with me if I'm unconscious." He felt the tiger rip his claws out from Wolf's shoulder, leaving a stinging burn behind. Wolf was surprised. Had the tiger actually believed the crap he'd just made up? Newbie.
The tiger looked straight into Wolf's lavender eye. His right eye was still closed, and possibly sealed shut from the dry blood caked on it. "Point taken, O'Donnell." Grinning, he forced his steel-covered fist into Wolf's gut. A cry of pain escaped from the lupine's lungs, which were suddenly losing air. The force of the blow made him involuntarily open his right eye, as he gasped for a breath. He attempted to lean forward, but was restrained by the ropes still binding him. Wolf gulped down the thinning air around him. He never got a chance to truly regain himself, however, as another blow of pain erupted from the left side of his face. The forceful collision from the tiger's hand snapped his head to the side, but Wolf didn't dare cry out again.
He'd felt something in his neck crack, and realized he'd been unable to move it since he regained consciousness. Since the blow caused something in his neck to snap back together, his joints were able to move again. Silently, he thanked the tiger for his lucky shot, then shook his head as an attempt to relieve the pain throbbing from the side of his face.
"Have any other tips?" The tiger laughed, pacing around the lupine. Suddenly, Wolf had an idea. Concentrating, he felt the familiar swish of his tail swaying behind him. As the tiger neared the back of his chair, Wolf did some quick calculations. Fully standing, the tiger towered over the seated Wolf. He silently prayed his plan would work, then listened as the clank of metallic boots echoed around the chair.
When he heard the feline's footsteps behind him, he lashed out his tail in the tiger's general direction. He grinned with satisfaction as he felt his tail smack into something. He wrapped his tail around the unknown object and pulled. His grin widened as he felt the reverberations of something heavy collapsing to the ground. He turned to his left to see a stunned tiger splayed out on the ground.
Working quickly, Wolf fidgeted his paws behind his back until he felt one of his claws make contact with the thick rope binding his wrists. Frantically, he rubbed his claw against the rope, feeling the threads fall apart one by one. As the tiger leaped to his feet, Wolf cursed under his breath. He was only halfway through the rope.
Wolf kept his gaze on the angered feline, still desperately trying to saw his way out of his binds. He felt a small bead of sweat mingle with the dried blood matting his fur as more strands fell apart behind him. His eyes widened as he cut faster, faster...
The feline roared in anger as he raised his metal paw above his head. His claws gleamed in the dim light. As he threw his arm towards Wolf's head, he roared, "This game is OVER, Wolf!"
Before his could make contact with Wolf, he noticed a small smile curl onto the lupine's face. Just inches from his head, one of Wolf's freed paws grasped the attacker's wrist. Without blinking, Wolf had blocked the tiger's murderous swipe. As his other arm cut effortlessly through the rope binding his legs, Wolf easily held the struggling tiger's trapped arm. Grinning, Wolf pulled the tiger closer, then lashed his leg towards the tiger's face, resulting in the tiger falling to the ground from Wolf's ferocious roundhouse. Wolf sliced through the ropes still taut against his body, then stood over the fallen feline. His mouth was still curled into a mocking smile, but his eyes were ablaze as he cracked his knuckles.
"You're wrong," Wolf said. The tiger heard the anger and malice in his voice. "This game has just begun."
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Oh my god, this chapter was so hard. For some reason, the last chapter took me like 20 minutes, but this took way longer. Also, I don't think it's as good as the last chapter. Maybe it's harder for me to take it from Wolf's perspective? I don't know. Leave reviews if you liked it or wanted to kill yourself, and if anyone has ANY preferences during the intense (and I mean INTENSE) next chapter, please lemme know. Oh, and if Falco's slang makes any sense. Alright, have a good one!