Chapter 9: The Plan in Action
The media, police, and hospital staff swarmed around General Pepper like bees. Only he and the Starfox group were the only other ones permitted to witness the murder scene at the hospital. The media questioned potential witnesses, although the two guards were the only ones who really witnessed anything.
The general shook his head and sighed, turning to Fox. "This is getting out of hand, Fox. What do you suggest we do about this? This situation can't possibly get any worse, can it?"
Vivien caught a glimpse of the pink feline leaning against a nearby wall. Katt sat in her hospital gown with her paws cuffed behind her. Her eyes drooped halfway shut and her head lolled to one side. No one really knew how long the tranquilizing effect would last. "Actually, general, it's going to get a lot worse and I doubt any of us can do anything to prevent that."
Pepper's jowls opened in an expression of shock. "What? We can't do anything?"
"That's right." Vivien caught sight of a nearby calendar on the wall and remembered that the current date was the same date highlighted on the calendar, which also happened to fall on a full moon. "For three full moons, someone dies, and then the transformation will be complete. The demon growing inside of your friend here will be born on the third full moon, and then all hell will break loose on this planet."
Peppy chimed in. "So, can anyone stop this once it happens?"
Vivien stole a quick glance at Falco, who had averted his gaze downward, not preferring to be acknowledged. Vivien obliged with a smirk. "Yes, but Lord only knows who that is. I suppose he'll be revealed when the time is right."
Krystal took a suspicious glance at Vivien from the corner of her eye, but wisely held her tongue. "So, what do we do about Katt?"
Fox shrugged at the general. "Well, no one else besides us knows about Katt's predicament. They only know about the monsters."
Pepper removed his cap and scratched his head. "Try asking those two right there." Everyone in the group turned to see two figures in white suits – one carrying a strait jacket – enter the room. A nearby officer picked Katt up and removed the cuffs while the other two figures quickly applied the strait jacket and led Katt out of the room.
Slippy responded in his trademark high-pitched, annoying voice. "At least we know where she's going."
Fox and company followed the truck Katt was in all the way to the prison. Inside, the group waited next to the window separating them from the white padded room. Fox and Krystal had their attention on Falco, who was standing afar in a corner and had his back to the window. Arms crossed tightly, Falco simply stared at the floor, not daring to look at Katt in her condition any further than he already had. The sick feeling that had developed deep in his gut wouldn't go away and that made him feel exponentially worse. Falco also didn't turn around when he heard the door behind the window open. The two workers brought Katt into the padded room, unbuckled the strait jacket and rushed out of the room as quickly as possible. Katt stood motionless in the middle of the room before looking around. Fox and the group observed Katt through the window overlooking the chamber. After wandering about, Katt settled into one of the corners and began rubbing and patting her pregnant belly affectionately, albeit with a blank expression.
Fox turned to the equine warden standing nearby. "Are you sure she'll be contained adequately?"
The warden didn't look at him. "The walls are reinforced steel and concrete. That window can withstand a hyper laser. She's not getting out anytime soon."
"You sure don't look all that concerned."
"We've never had a convict escape since we've been open and that's not going to change, sir."
"I strongly suggest you take some extra precautions if you value your life."
The doctor finally turned to Fox. "You've got some nerve. I have seen literally hundreds of nasties come through here and this one is no different. I am the expert here, not you; now leave this minute before I call security." With that, the warden calmly turned and walked away.
Vivien chuckled. "I wouldn't mind if someone bit his head off."
Fox turned and looked through the window at Katt. "Don't give me any ideas." Fox sighed deeply. "What can we do now?"
"We wait," Vivien replied, "and prepare."
Falco lay on the bed clutching a pillow over his head. In the last hour, he had been handed the responsibility of being the only one capable of saving Corneria from Zolao and his evil plot. He didn't know what he had to do, but even if he did, he didn't know if could actually do it. The thought of it made him groan, and he groaned loud enough that he didn't hear Vivien walk in. She sat down on the bed next to Falco.
"Why did you do this to me?" Falco asked. His voice sounded muffled from under the pillow.
"You're the one Katt cares about the most. When the time comes, neither Fox nor anyone else will be able to put an end to this disaster except for you."
Falco sat up in a hurry and slammed the pillow to the ground, eyes ablaze as he stared back at Vivien. "Then dammit, how am I supposed to stop it?"
Vivien's voice was as cool as the other side of the pillow. "Well, do you love Katt?"
Falco simply shrugged. "Yeah, of course I like her…"
"I didn't say LIKE. I said LOVE. Do you love her?"
Falco didn't answer immediately, and the longer he remained silent, the more Vivien believed the words coming out of his mouth would be a lie. "Never mind. Don't answer that." Vivien stood up and left, sighing and mumbling to herself. "I guess we're fucked, then."
Falco could hear Vivien just outside the bedroom door. He fell back onto the bed in regret. "I AM fucked."
Krystal flopped down on the bed and turned the bedside lamp on. Fox sat down next to her and pulled off his sweat-drenched shirt. "Wait and prepare" Vivien had said; Fox replayed the message in his head like a broken record. Waiting was difficult because, according to Vivien, what's been done has been done and can't be reversed until the worst happens. Krystal dreaded the preparation, for it meant having to work with Vivien, and she already didn't like her.
"So what now, Fox?" Krystal asked.
Fox sighed, he himself a bit unsure of what to do. "We can't stop what's happening to Katt, but we have to do what we can to limit the damage she causes."
"And how are we going to do that?"
Fox bent over and his face in his paws, pondering long and hard. He slowly breathed in and out as he searched his steadfast intellect for a feasible plan. At last, Fox paused – he found an idea.
"Why don't we just sneak in?"
Meanwhile…
The warden – Mr. Giger – casually strolled the halls of the prison facility, glancing around at the cells holding the city's degenerates. "Who does that McCloud character think he is? He doesn't know what he's talking about." Giger ultimately arrived at Katt's reinforced cell and took a brave look inside. Katt paid no attention to him, instead still rubbing and petting her pregnant belly affectionately. He gasped when he suddenly looked down at his patient. Katt was staring at him with clouded eyes and a curious tilt of her head. Giger's heart began throbbing faster than normal in his chest. She looked like she was about to crash through the window and rip someone apart. Instead, Katt giggled. She had a high-pitched laugh, somewhat like a child and very much unlike her normal uncorrupted voice. Her voice was innocent, yet menacing.
"My baby is talking to me." Katt said as she looked at the warden. She patted her belly softly. "Please touch him. He's warm."
Giger raised his eyebrows and Katt's seemingly innocent smile disappeared.
"Why are you scared? My baby isn't scary! TOUCH HIM!"
Giger looked around to see if anyone saw him. He turned to leave when Katt sprang up after him, but screeched in pain almost immediately as she fell to the floor, doubled over and clutching her belly. Giger stopped and looked the window one final time. Giger saw Katt screaming and rolling around on the floor. He scrunched his nose when he saw a pair of small protrusions on her forehead; blood dripping onto the snowy white padding. Her horns had appeared – she was transforming.
Fox and company spent the time they had until the next full moon preparing for their mission. They contacted General Pepper about the necessary weapons and equipment; they received permission from Bill to use his van; they each designated a place where each of them was going to be at midnight on that full moon night. However, Falco was feeling extremely troubled. He clutched his pillow in anger and gritted his teeth as his thoughts haunted him.
"Geez, Falco. You're such a pussy. What the hell's wrong with you?"
"Stop it! Just go away!"
"What's the matter? Is the almighty Falco Lombardi too yellow to show a little emotion?"
"I said go away! Leave me alone!"
"What happened to Katt is your fault. You weren't there to protect her, and now look at her. Some hero YOU are."
"I said leave me alone!"
"Too much pride can kill you. Showing love doesn't make you weak. Try showing Katt you know what that word means…"
"LEAVE ME ALONE, DAMN YOU!" Falco angry outburst could be heard throughout the house. Fox and the others rushed to him as quickly as possible.
"Falco, what's wrong?"
Falco didn't look up, but Fox could feel the anger welling up inside his friend. "I'm not strong enough, Fox. I can't do it." He brushed by Fox and slammed the front door on his way out. Fox and Krystal just stared at each other as they listened to Falco's bike speed off into the night. Fox gritted his teeth in anger. Why wouldn't his friend help them? He stomped toward the door and swung it open.
"COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!" Fox bellowed. He jumped when he felt Krystal embrace one of his arms.
"Let him go, Fox." The vixen said. She stared out into the cold, cruel night, air still smelling of motor fuel. "We'll just have to do what we can, however futile it may be." She released Fox's arm and headed toward one of the smaller doors in the hallway.
"Where are you going?" Fox asked.
"I'll be meditating" Krystal replied solemnly, opening the sliding mechanical door. "And don't bother me." The door hissed shut.
Vivien chewed on a nail. "I hope she knows what she's doing, foxy."
"Yeah, me too."
The equine warden sat in his office, thinking about his encounter with the alien Katt. He propped his feet up on his desk when one of his security guards timidly approached him. The equine sighed in exasperation.
"What now, Lensky?"
Lensky swallowed the lump in his throat. "Well, sir, what if Fox and his friends are right? That alien's been acting much worse than when they admitted her a few days ago."
"Lensky, don't question what I do here. You know just as well as I do that not one inmate has been a problem since I've been here." Giger just shook his head. "Besides, if Fox and his friends show up here again and try to run the show, I'll have them arrested."
"But…"
"I'm not going to be made a fool in my own institution, Lensky. That'll be all." Giger brushed by without another word. Lensky slumped his shoulders in defeat. Little did he know what would happen in the next couple of days…
Falco hated being cold, and sitting in the rain didn't help. He looked upon his towering apartment building, into the relentless downpour. It was his one safe haven now. All he wanted was to be alone and let someone else deal with the problem at hand. Falco was strong at heart, but not strong enough to cope with something of this magnitude. Falco removed his helmet and trudged up to his dwelling. Unfortunately for him, his simian landlord was waiting for him at his door.
"Damn it all, Falco! Clean up that mess of yours in there! We've got a serious pest problem in here thanks to you. If that room isn't clean by tomorrow…GACK!" THUD! The landlord felt a horrific pain as Falco kept a death grip on his throat. Falco's eyes burned a hole in the monkey, and they twitched ominously. At any moment, Falco could crush his victim's throat. He blinked…
"Go ahead, Falco. Kill me."
He recognized it immediately. Zolao's voice came from the monkey's mouth.
"You can't do it, can you? You've never killed anyone in cold blood before, have you?"
Falco trembled in anger. "Shut up, damn you."
"What the hell are you talking about?" The landlord squeaked. However, Falco only heard the incubus's maniacal laugh instead.
"You're weak. You're girlfriend is mine and you're too scared to stop me."
"I'm not scared of you." Falco whispered.
"Really? Then why are you trembling?"
Falco didn't notice before, but his arm was shaking tremendously. "That's because I feel like breaking your fucking neck, you bastard."
"No. You would have done so already. Face it, you are weak…"
"I…said…SHUT UP!" With a mighty heave, Falco took his victim and launched him down the hall. The irritable primate hit the ground hard. Falco shook his head, realizing what he had done.
"You're in deep shit now, Lombardi." The landlord said, massaging his throat as he stood up. "I'm having you arrested." The monkey stormed back into his office, leaving Falco alone in the old hallway.
"SHIT!" Falco drove a fist into the door, creating a small dent. He grimaced from the pain, but ignored it and entered his apartment. Now Falco had TWO problems to worry about.
"Damn!" Fox exclaimed. He furiously mashed the off button on his phone.
"What did the general want, foxy?" Vivien asked.
"He said some criminals just robbed the base of some of the equipment we need." Fox replied. "And quit calling me foxy. It's annoying."
"And just how do you plan on stopping me…foxy?" Vivien retorted, arms akimbo.
The door Krystal had just walked into reopened and the blue vixen rushed to the master bedroom. Just as quickly, she returned with her staff.
Fox scratched his head. "You've never had to meditate with your staff before. Are you okay?"
Krystal disappeared again into the basement. With a situation such as the one they faced, Krystal would take no risks, but what exactly was she planning?
Falco awoke to the noisy city buses honking outside his apartment. He blinked his bloodshot eyes out the window before dropping his head back on his pillow with a moan. His boxers hung off his waist and his feet dangled over the side of the bed. A faint scent tickled his senses, but Falco merely grumbled, rubbing the scent away as if it were nothing. He yawned audibly and held his eyes open just long enough to see the source of the odd scent. The sight woke him up immediately, and it was pink and furry.
Falco's eyes went wide with shock; the surprise of his girlfriend in bed with him rendered him speechless. He scrambled upright and nearly fell off the bed. Katt was lying next to him with a lustful look in her eyes and clad only in a long white nightshirt. She wasn't how Falco last saw her, though; now, she was as he always remembered. Surely, she was a figment of Falco's imagination…wasn't she?
"Hey, sleepyhead." Katt cooed. "Miss me?"
Falco fumbled through his sheets and tumbled off the bed. He stared at Katt as if he had seen a ghost, gasping heavily. As the feline stood up, Falco cast a wary eye on her. Something wasn't right about her…
"Falco, get up off the floor. We have a big day today! We'll go to the movies and everything! We'll have so much fun, just the two of us!"
As Katt assisted Falco to his feet, he spotted his phone within reach. "Um, yeah, sure thing, Katt. I…uh…have to make a phone call."
The caressing touch that had helped Falco off the floor now thrust him into a wall; the lamp sitting on Falco's nightstand clattered to the ground. Katt's eyes glowed a fiery red. "You're going to call one of your friends, aren't you? To hell with your friends! Why can't it ever be the two of us?" Katt's grip on Falco tightened around his neck, and her charming voice started transforming into a deeper, more demonic tone. "You are going to regret leaving me!" Katt's sadistic grin revealed three rows of lethal, bony fangs. Falco couldn't scream, and watched helplessly as the teeth descended on top of him…
"GAH!" Falco's eyes shot open and he sprouted upright, panting – another nightmare. His face damp with sweat, Falco took a half-full cup of water sitting next to him and splashed it on his face. He rubbed it into his face and head vigorously in an effort to wake up. For a moment, he simply sat in his messed-up bed and shook his head. "I just can't get away from this, can I?"
Loud, hard knocks interrupted Falco's thoughts. "Open up, Mr. Lombardi. This is the police; we know you're in there."
"Aw, shit." Falco mumbled. His landlord wasn't bluffing. Looking around quickly, Falco spotted a nearby window. Pulling his boots and jacket on, Falco grabbed his blaster and tried to open the window, but it was jammed.
"Open up in there, Falco, or we're coming in after you!"
Falco put his jacket on and with one energetic thrust of his elbow, shattered the window. Just as he did so, he heard the door break open. He broke away the remaining glass in the window and climbed down the fire escape. Footsteps following him, Falco descended two floors before looking down at his bike. He wouldn't have to jump far. Looking up at the officers in pursuit, Falco grabbed the handrail tightly and made his leap of faith. On the way down, he could hear the officers call for backup. Snatching his keys out of his pocket, he fired up the bike and sped off into the street. Unfortunately, police vehicles were outside the building waiting for him; as soon as Falco raced past them, the sirens starting blaring. Falco wove in and out of traffic, horns blaring at him incessantly. The sirens following him slowly began catching up. Falco chanced a glance in the rearview mirror, then to the small panel of switches in front of him. Grinning to himself, he flipped one of the switches. A blast of blue rocket fire shot from the bike's exhaust, propelling Falco well ahead of the police and the traffic. He still had one problem left, and it wouldn't be so easy to deal with.
"I'm sorry, Vivien. I can't get a hold of him." Fox said, storing away his special team communicator. "Geez, Falco's being a real pain in the ass."
"You want me to go beat some sense into him?" Vivien replied, smirking.
Fox sighed. "No, at least not now. We still have to get ready for tomorrow night. The second full moon's out tomorrow." Fox walked down the hallway with his head down, angry at the notion that Falco would not accept the responsibility bestowed upon him. He opened the door leading to the basement where Krystal was located, curious as to why Krystal was taking such a prolonged amount of time meditating. Fox found the Cerinian in a deep trance, but felt the need to question her before too long. "Krystal, why are you taking so long? You've never taken this long before."
Thoroughly annoyed that her session was interrupted, Krystal glared back at Fox. "And why do you think that is? Falco's not doing anything to help, so I need to do my part. I've dealt with these monsters before as I've told you, but Katt's demon powers are growing as we speak, so I need to prepare for the absolute worst. Now, get out!"
Fox immediately took a step back toward the door. Living with Krystal, Fox had learned one important thing: don't piss off your girlfriend, especially when she has a magical staff. He exited the room immediately.
Falco couldn't keep running forever; he was low both on fuel and money. He used some of the money he had left to stay at a suburban hotel. It wasn't a flashy, luxurious lodging, but it would have to do for now. "I can't stay here long. They'll soon report me and start hounding me again." Falco thought as he lay on the bed in his room. "What can I do? I'm too scared to face my responsibility. What the hell is wrong with me?" He tried turning on the television in room, hoping to catch a late-night movie marathon. If Falco's fortune wasn't bad enough, he just happened to catch a movie with nothing but demons and monsters ravaging and destroying city; one of them just happened to look like Katt.
"So now you're against me? Great." Falco clicked the television off and tossed away the remote. He fell back on the bed and waited for whatever would happen next.
The following day…
Fox felt a nervous knot form in his stomach. Tonight was the night he and his team would attack. However, he felt more nervous now than in past missions, where all he and his team had to do was thwart the plot of a common enemy; this time, he would be engaging a close friend, one whom he knew as a kind, carefree, lithe coquette, and one of the best damn pilots in the Lylat System. It pained Fox every time he thought of Katt Monroe as the monster she had now become. He unconsciously bunched up an angry fist at the notion.
"Damn you, Zolao. Just you wait. Your day is coming real soon, damn you."
"Fox, are you ready?"
Fox snapped out of his angry thought at the sound of Vivien calling his name. "Huh? What?"
"I said are you ready?"
"Well, considering the predicament this city's in, I pretty much have to be ready, now don't I?" Fox replied sardonically.
Vivien gave Fox the raspberry. "Well, Peppy and Slippy are on their way here and you're staring off into space. Hurry up and get ready! It's almost 10!"
Fox snapped his fingers. "That reminds me. Hey, Krystal! We're almost ready to go! Hurry up!" He shouted, but he never received an answer. He knocked on the door to the basement. "Krystal, let's go. We're leaving any minute now." Fox still received no answer.
"Fox, let's go. Peppy just pulled up. Your girlfriend can catch up."
Fox looked at Vivien and then at the basement door. Time was quickly wasting away, so Fox and Vivien deserted the basement and hopped in the van, leaving Krystal behind.
Approximately one hour later…
Bill's red van cautiously approached the prison around 11 p.m. Peppy parked the vehicle in a parking lot across the street so as not to draw any suspicion. The group of four huddled in the back. As Slippy browsed his laptop, he skimmed through the details of the complex with Fox and Vivien.
"You'll have to take the sewer to get in." Slippy began. The complex is heavily guarded; entry from above is near impossible."
"Wait a second." said Vivien. "Why can't we just walk in the front door?"
"Remember your little encounter with the warden the other day? He'd throw you both out if you stuck so much as a toe inside the building."
"And don't use your blasters unless absolutely necessary." Peppy added.
Fox took a deep breath with butterflies fluttering in his stomach. "Well, here goes."
"Remember," Slippy said as Fox opened the door, "don't use your blasters unless absolutely necessary."
The pair approached a sewer cover in the middle of the dark road. Fox pried the cover open and followed Vivien down the shadowy hole. The horrid stench of raw sewage pelted the duo hard; they both scrunched their noses at the offensive smell. Vivien pointed to her left.
"I'm guessing that's where we're headed. That's where this smell's coming from." Fox simply nodded in agreement. They followed the flow of sewage down a dingy concrete path, having to jump over a few drainpipes before discovering a corroded ladder within a small niche in the wall. Fox climbed the ladder and listened intently for any noise on the surface. He could hear the faint sound of what sounded like the warden Giger arguing with one of his subordinates.
"I think we're here." Fox whispered to Vivien below him. When he heard a flushing noise, that's when Fox motioned for Vivien to start climbing. "I think this is the warden's private restroom." After the door closed, Fox worked the rusty lock on the metal door until it slowly creaked open. Fox pulled himself out of the hole and assisted Vivien behind him. After closing the door, Fox cautiously opened the restroom door. Fortunately for him, Giger had left his office. Spotting an air vent in the ceiling, Fox stepped onto the warden's desk and pulled it out and hoisted Vivien into the air duct before climbing into the duct himself.
"How far down do we have to go?" Vivien asked.
"I think you go straight, and then turn left." Fox responded.
They quietly crawled through the duct, occasionally glancing down through the vents. Fox was able to see Katt's white-walled cell through one of the vents, feeling more and more nervous as he approached. They managed to make their way through most of the duct fairly quietly. However, when they both heard a creaking noise, they noticed the vent giving beneath them.
"Uh-oh." With a crash, the vent crumbled, and Fox and Vivien fell to the ground…right at the feet of the warden. Needless to say, he did not look pleased to see them.
"Just what the hell are you doing here?" Giger asked angrily.
"We're saving your scrawny little ass from the shit that's about to hit the fan." Vivien retorted as she and Fox stood upright.
"You've got no business here, so get the fuck out!" Giger breathed heavily. "I told you the other day we don't have a problem here."
Fox became exasperated. "Have you not paid the slightest bit of attention to what's been happening recently? I advise you to evacuate immediately if you know what's good for them."
Giger poked Fox's chest hard. "Don't think you can tell me what to do, boy. I know what's best for…"
"RAAAAAHHHHRRRR!" Katt's demonic screeching dropped Fox and Vivien to the ground. Giger just shrugged.
"What the hell's wrong with you two? She can't get out." Giger casually strolled over to the window and looked down at Katt writhing around on the floor of the chamber, her body slowly and grotesquely transforming. Giger smirked. "You two have nothing to worry about." He said as he glanced at Fox and Vivien crouching underneath the window. Katt's head had slightly elongated and her feet resembled three large claws. Wings sprouted from her back, shredding separate holes in the garment. When she spotted Giger staring at her, she hissed and showcased a long, forked tongue. With a screech, she leapt at the window. Giger, confident in his knowledge, did not flinch. Big mistake.
Katt crashed through the seemingly indestructible window, sending security scattering, as well as showering Fox and Vivien with broken glass and pinning Giger to the wall. The force of the impact left a sizable crater. Katt reared her head to finish the warden once and for all, but Fox and Vivien pounced on Katt, grabbing both her arms. As expected, she was too strong for both of them, and threw the pair backwards easily. Katt refocused her attention on the doctor, but Fox, from the seat of his pants, fired a shot from his blaster just to the side of Katt's head. Further angered, Katt focused her attention on Fox and leapt at him. Fox didn't have a chance to fire his blaster again, but just as Katt descended upon him, Vivien leapt from the side and tackled the feline demon. She straddled Katt and began delivering vicious punches to her face. The two wrestled, rolling over the broken glass and tripping up terrified workers trying to escape, all while punching and scratching each other all over the dirty floor. Fox stood up and brushed the broken glass off and prepared to enter the fray. As soon as Katt had Vivien pinned, Fox tackled Katt and quickly rushed behind her, applying a sleeper hold with little success. Katt easily threw Fox over her head and onto his back. Katt raised a leg, but Fox rolled out of the way before the clawed foot left a dent in the floor. Vivien jumped up and applied a full nelson to the demon; that also didn't work. Katt flattened Vivien into the wall, cracking an elbow across her face. Just how long was this battle going to last?
Peppy peeked out the driver side window. Even from outside, he could tell chaos was running amok inside the building and that Fox and Vivien were in the dead center of it. Lights flickered, windows shattered, and dozens of workers poured out of the building screaming.
"Good lord! This looks like it's gone from bad to hellacious!" Peppy exclaimed.
"It skipped worse?" Slippy asked.
"Indubitably," Peppy replied, "but I don't know what comes after hellacious."
"I'm afraid to ask." Slippy responded.
"I just think that…" Suddenly, a flash of blue sprinted in front of Peppy. "What in blue blazes was that?"
"Pun intended?" Slippy asked with a laughing snort.
"No time for jokes, Slippy. I think that was Krystal!" Slippy gazed out the window with Peppy. The vixen sprinted around the corner and hurdled bushes and employees as she raced toward the building.
Fox and Vivien were starting to garner a fair amount of bruises. Katt, however, received nary a scratch. The building was virtually empty. The lights flickered and the glass crackled with each step. The three were at a standoff; Fox and Vivien were poised to attack; Katt stood in the middle of them.
"Geez, Fox. How long do we have to do this?" Vivien gasped.
"Until sunrise, I guess." Fox wheezed.
"How much longer until then?"
Fox glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I'd say about five hours."
"Well, that's just perfect." Vivien replied sarcastically. "If we get out of this alive, I'll just have to kick your ass."
Fox began inching toward his blaster, eyes and fingers twitching nervously. Katt noticed this and hunched over, sheltering her pregnant belly with her arms. Katt's voice sounded otherworldly.
"Why do you wish to take my precious baby away from me!" Katt exclaimed. She clenched her teeth and broke in Fox's direction. Suddenly, an ethereal flash shot from behind Fox and struck Katt square in the chest, sending her spiraling backwards past a ducking Vivien and crashing into the wall. Fox looked over his shoulder and his jaw dropped.
"Krystal! What are you doing here?"
"Get down!" The vixen shouted as she fired another blast from her glowing staff. The shot once again struck Katt squarely and sent her further into the wall.
Fox stood up and raced toward his girlfriend. "Krystal, we have to get you out of here! You could get killed!"
"No, Fox. YOU get out of here. I can handle it." Krystal responded.
"But…"
"I can take care of myself! Get going!" Krystal explained. Suddenly, Vivien appeared, racing towards her and Fox.
"Um, I hate to break up this lover's quarrel, but Katt just escaped. She's flown off!"
Without hesitation, the three dashed toward the nearest exit. They sped across the yard, with Fox yelling "Start the van!" to Peppy as they approached. The door quickly shot open and the group jumped in.
"Head east, towards downtown." Vivien instructed.
"Downtown!" Peppy exclaimed. Who knows where we'll find her there!"
"It doesn't matter, Peppy." Fox replied. "We've got to try."
Somewhere in the dark corners of downtown, a group of nasty lupine thugs celebrated.
"Ha!" One of them laughed. "Those jerk-offs didn't know what hit 'em!"
One of the other thugs high-fived his friend. "Damn straight! With all this military shit, we can fuck up this whole damn city!"
"And we'll be fuckin' rich too, bitch!" Another one said.
"An' then all the hoes'll be BEGGIN' us to fuck 'em!" replied the first thug, laughing.
One of the thugs wedged a joint in his mouth. "Hey Ace, you got a light?"
Ace – the apparent leader of the group – took out his lighter. "Here y'go, dude." Ace sparked the lighter, but a quick, frigid wind blew the light out. Ace looked up, and with a look of awe and disbelief, the thugs watched Katt flap her wings as she descended to the ground.
"Hey, look! The hoes are already comin'!" shouted one of the thugs.
"Aw, bummer." Ace smirked as he gestured at Katt's pregnant belly. "Someone already beat me to her!"
One thug unsheathed a knife and twirled it around effortlessly. "Maybe she likes to play rough, eh?" He ran at Katt, but she caught his knife hand and pinned him against the wall. She forced the knife from his grip, stabbed him squarely in the chest and ripped it downward, opening a long gash in his torso and painting the brick wall a dark red. Two of the lower thugs decided to gang up on Katt, but she easily clutched both of their heads and rammed them together with a sickening crack. The bodies collapsed, but for good measure, Katt stomped on both their heads, crushing their skulls into a crimson mess. Ace looked on in horror as he was the only one left. He blindly grasped for a weapon as a blood-spattered Katt advanced on him. Unfortunately for Ace, he found nothing but the wall against his back. Katt screeched as she grabbed Ace's neck and yanked hard. Blood sprayed everywhere from where Ace's head once resided on top of his body as Katt shrieked in triumph. She flew off, leaving a quartet of bloody bodies in her wake.
Approx. 12:45 a.m.
Peppy anxiously drove through the streets of Corneria's capital city, desperately hoping a living soul had seen Katt pass through because at the moment, they had found no one. At a red light, Slippy rolled down his passenger window and flagged down a passing vixen who apparently engaged in the world's oldest profession.
"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you could help us find someone?" Slippy asked.
The blue-wigged harlot glanced around inside the van at the group of five. "Who you lookin' for?"
Peppy leaned over Slippy. "We're looking for this flying creature. She's got pink fur and looks like an alien."
"I might've seen it." The vixen said with a smirk in Fox's direction. "But if I can have twenty minutes with that hottie in the back, I'll tell you where she went."
Fox jumped out of his seat and scrambled up to Peppy. "Forget that! Floor it, Peppy!"
The hare hastily obliged as Fox sat back down. "We're getting nowhere with this search." Peppy sighed, rubbing his eyes.
Flashing red and blue sirens ahead of the van caught Vivien's attention. "Hey, what's that up there?" She pointed.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it isn't good for us." Krystal responded.
Peppy pulled the van as close as he could to the mass of police vehicles and ambulances. The group scrambled out and managed to find General Pepper in the midst of all the medical personnel; he met them with a sigh.
"This is starting to get much too serious, Fox." Pepper huffed. "Nothing of this magnitude has caused us so much chaos!"
"What the hell happened here, general?" Fox asked.
"This group of hooligans here just happened to run into Katt not too long ago. She practically tore them to shreds!"
"Damn it all!" Krystal exclaimed, stomping in anger. "I feared this would happen."
"Look out!" a civilian screamed and pointed toward the sky. Katt was descending rapidly from the dark sky and hovering over the traffic congestion. The police immediately began firing at her until she landed on top of a tanker truck. She ripped the roof open and removed the driver by his head. Screeching, she hurled the driver away, rendering his body lifeless against the unforgiving concrete.
"Stop shooting, dammit!" Pepper shouted above the ruckus, but to no avail; officers continued to fire away despite the warning. Katt easily managed to avoid the incoming fire, but one such shot managed to find the truck's tank, blowing the vehicle apart with a vociferous explosion. Everyone ducked for cover as the blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings, showering the street with sharp glass. Fox stood up just as he saw Katt perched on top of a skyscraper, admiring the destruction she had caused. Katt then soared off the building, disappearing into the night. Fox simply hung his head in anger.
Pepper approached the disgruntled fox. "I suggest you go home and rest, Fox. You look tired. We'll clean up here."
Fox, dirty and smelling of sewage, reluctantly agreed. He and the rest of the group piled into the van and retreated home.
Falco woke up with a stiff neck. An urging for some food agitated the pilot out of his hotel bed. Rubbing his eyes, he turned the television on, hoping to find ideas of where to go to eat. After some commercials, he finally decided on a sandwich shop, but he didn't like what followed. A late-night news station uttered his name in connection to his assault on his landlord. Falco moaned, knowing the hotel clerk was probably watching the same program. Forgetting food for the moment, Falco ditched his temporary lodging and sped off on his bike, hoping to find a safe haven where none existed.
AN: Finally, after 363 days, another update! Sorry for the lengthy absence; I DO intend to finish this story.