Chapter Three: The Life
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I'm gonna be a rock 'n' roll star
Gotta groove from night to day
Gotta blow my honey jar
Gotta blow my blues away
Metallica - "It's Electric"
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Zoness had gone through some very extreme changes over the past decade. Before the Lylat Wars, it was once a thriving planet that had some of the most breathtaking waters in the Lylat System. While it was not exactly a large planet land-wise, the land it had was used to it's fullest. The popular vacation spot had eleven main islands for the Cornerian army and tourists, with the most popular being the resort island of Katu.
However, with the arrival of Andross and his greedy companion-Samumarine, the world became a wasteland of toxic pollution that bubbled on the surface of the great seas of Zoness. The ape's men had seized control and began to pour hazardous chemicals into both the ocean, and into the islands soil, deteriorating it to the point of condemning the buildings that surrounded the area.
While the Star Fox team had a hard time penetrating the defenses of their stronghold on Zoness, they were eventually able to confront Samumarine and vanquish him before heading off to Sector Z. Thus bringing peace back to the planet, but it was only the beginning of a long recovery.
Fast forward twelve years, the planet was now almost completely restored to it's former glory, with the Cornerian militia's private island of Irgod becoming a defensive powerhouse, and Katu looking almost exactly the same (save the modernized look and the new airport). Zoness was once again the place to go for a good time.
On the airstrip in Katu, the Great Fox III was making it's final landing procedures, slowly hovering onto the ground before coming to a rest. When the vibrations of the engine had died off, the hatchet door slowly opened, giving off a mist from the airtight seals. When the door came down, the silhouettes of the team appeared in the mist. Fox stepped out, with a bag in hand, he packed light since this was going to be a one day rest. Further down the strip was an ape in a mechanics suit running toward them. As he approached the ship, he slowed down and caught his breath, before putting on a serious look and shaking the vulpine's hand.
"Noah Sapien, at your service sir." He said as they began to walk toward the terminal.
"Ah, I suppose you will be the one doing the inspection?" He grinned back.
"Yes sir, I will make sure that the Great Fox III is in tip-top shape and refueled for your return to Corneria." Fox put his paw around Noah's back, and patted it.
"Great! And by the way, call me Fox from now on." He let go of him as the ape chuckled nervously.
"Will do Fox," He waved at the rest of the group that was still lagging a bit behind. "Welcome to Katu!"
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A short jeep ride through the jungle later, the Star Fox team had arrived at the Katu Breeze Hotel. A wide variety of tropical plants surrounded the entrance, giving off a very welcome aura. The first jeep pulled up to the roundabout that encompassed the entrance, carrying Fox, Wolf, and Peppy. They were fairly quiet on the way, mainly because Fox had tried to get more shuteye. The latter however still engaged in a little small talk about their last mission on Fichina, joking about how often the climate control device on the planet malfunctions.
Upon arriving inside the lobby, they were greeted by the hotel staff who took their bags and led them to a small café for them to wait for the rest of the team. They were given complimentary finger foods to chow down on as they waited.
"So did you get in good with the staff here or what Fox?" Wolf asked.
Fox took another bite of some shellfish, and spoke. "Well, we're the Star Fox team. I don't need to get in good with them to get nice shit like this." He picked something between his teeth. Moments later, Falco, Slippy, and Panther had arrived at the table, and began to chat with the group.
Wolf avoided the conversation for a moment and looked around the room. He saw that everyone was looking at them. It was obvious their presence was known. He focused on one person in particular, a small wolf. The little pup was apparently sitting with his mother who had a curious look on her face. The lupine tugged on her shirt and whispered something into her ear. Wolf couldn't help but feel like the kid was talking about him. He saw the mother grab something in a bag and passed it to him before he got up and approached their table.
"Umm…" The pup mumbled. "Are you…Wolf O'Donnell?" The poor kid was extremely nervous, with the skin under his fur turning a bright red.
"Yeah, that's me." He stretched out and crossed his legs. "What can I do for ya little man?"
"Well," He put his paws in his pockets, and took out a pen and paper. "Can I get an autograph?"
Wolf froze, he never had been asked to give an autograph. It seemed weird to him since he was known as the leader of the once menacing Star Wolf for so long. But now that he was working with Fox for a year, he became a household name for all to look up to.
"Sure, do you want the rest of the team to sign?" He took the pen and paper.
"Yeah!" The pup replied with glee.
"Yo guys, can y'all sign this for him?" They looked over and saw the kid smiling back. They nodded in approval, with some of them shaking his hand, making him feel welcome.
Before he actually signed the paper, he wrote at the top: From the Star Fox Team followed by his name. He swiftly passed it over to the rest of the team, each taking their time to make it look nice. Fox took the longest, as he drew the Star Fox insignia on the paper.
After everyone was done, Wolf passed it back to the kid, who looked like a child on Christmas morning. With a quick glance at the signatures, he gave the lupine a big hug. His eye widened for a second, but went back to normal. Panther and Falco snickered at him, but he didn't mind. After the embrace, he ran back to his mother who smiled back at Wolf. It was nice to know that he could make someone happy, especially a child.
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When all was said and done, the team decided to head up to their rooms. Wolf and Panther were in theirs, unpacking all their things. Wolf decided that it would be a good time to have his daily cigarette and walked out onto the balcony. After grabbing one and lighting it, he took a long drag and allowed the smoke to exit his muzzle. He eyed the area below him, consisting of a large pool and dance floor. It looked very enticing at the moment with the slightly humid weather occurring. Across from his balcony was another building for other people to stay in. Some of the lights were becoming visible as the sun began to set in the sky.
The lupine could hear a sliding sound from behind him, Panther had come outside to get some fresh air, or at least as fresh as the air of a smoker could get. He leaned on the railing and put his paw out, as if to ask for something. Wolf took his cigarette out of his mouth and pointed at it, making Panther nod. He took another out of the box and handed his lighter to him.
"You know, when that kid asked for our autographs, I felt really important. Back in Star Wolf, we never would have gotten that kind of attention." Wolf sighed.
"The only attention we would have gotten was from the law." They laughed at the statement, which the lupine found to be one hundred percent true.
"Yeah, well it made me think of my new fame and how to deal with it…" There was a moment of silence.
"And?"
"And I was wondering how I should handle it?" They both took a simultaneous drag from their respective cigarettes and threw them over the balcony.
"Embrace it…" Panther's voice trailed off as he glued his eyes on two felines in the other building. They were on their own balcony, also eying him. They waved over in a seductive manner as to say "Come on over".
"Panther?" He stared at him for a moment until he came back to his senses.
"Speaking of which, I think it would be a good time to take advantage of this, if you know what I mean." He whispered, winking at Wolf.
"Well lucky you, go have fun while I remain faithful to Serena." He said in a half joking manner. Before Wolf knew it, Panther was out the door and heading toward their building. Now that he was alone, he took some time to sit back and admire the landscape. The cool breeze hit his fur like a feather, tickling his face. This however was cut short when he heard someone knocking on the door. He looked through the peephole and saw Fox standing on the other end. When he opened the door, the vulpine had his arms crossed and a sly smile.
"Ready for some fun?"