Chapter 1

Age is a funny thing.

Fox McCloud thought these words to himself as he reclined in his maroon armchair. He thought hard, his dulled, green eyes staring into space. Into nothing. He was sitting in his modest house, but he was entirely inside his head.

Is 32 old? Does it matter? I feel old. Numbers don't really bear much significance, do they? I've killed who knows how many criminals. I did it for the right reasons, of course; it doesn't matter exactly how many I had to kill. It was all for the greater good. I wouldn't kill if I wasn't a mercenary, after all. I killed them so that they couldn't kill the innocent. I'm no psychopath. I am old, though. I don't care what the number is; all I know is, I'm getting older...

The phone rang, bringing Fox outside of his head. Had he not been seated beside it, perhaps he would have remained. Fox cleared his throat and picked up the phone, preparing himself to speak for the first time in a couple days.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Fox!"

It was Falco. Falco Lombardi. Fox's teammate, a fellow mercenary who was quite brash and arrogant. A great pilot, but certainly too cocky. Still, Falco was a friend of Fox's, and the two had shared many adventures together.

"Hi, Falco," Fox mumbled.

"What's been going on with you, man? You're like some kind of recluse these days or something," Falco said.

"I dunno, Falco. Just relaxing, I suppose," Fox said back.

"Well, maybe you could drag yourself out and meet up for some chow," Falco said. "Katt and I haven't been so cool lately, and I didn't feel like eating by myself. How about it?"

Katt Monroe was Falco's on-and-off girlfriend. No one really knew how close they were, but Fox guessed the relationship was too volatile to ever be too serious.

"Yeah, sure," Fox complied.

"Great! It's been too long since I've seen ya; how does Jerry's sound?" Falco asked.

"Just fine," Fox replied.

"Perfect! And is, uh, 7 alright?" Falco asked.

"I'll be there," Fox said.

"Beautiful! Just make sure you make it; we gotta catch up! See ya Fox!" Falco said.

"Bye, Falco," Fox said, hanging up the phone right after.

Fox took a deep sigh, knowing he now had an appointment to show up for. He didn't mind seeing Falco again, but he didn't want to leave the house. He didn't feel like being around in public right now. He wanted more time to think alone, even if it wasn't doing much good. He just didn't want to deal with any additional drama.

Why did Falco have to pick today? I just needed today. Oh, I hope it's not too crowded. It should just be a brief get-together, right? Just a friendly conversation and some catch-up. Not too long. Then I can get back and relax.

Fox checked the clock on his wall. 5:37. He wished it was an hour or two earlier. With a grunt, Fox pulled himself off his chair and went upstairs to change out of his pajamas and get ready.

Luckily, the restaurant wasn't far from Fox's house, so he simply walked there. Corneria City was a large city, so Cornerians often used public transportation to get from place to place. It was the center and bulk of Planet Corneria, home to Fox and most of the people he knew.

Just five minutes before 7:00, Fox arrived at the destination, staying true to his word. Jerry's Bar and Grill, the restaurant's title, was lit up by a blue neon sign on the building. Fox had been here before, and he remembered enjoying the place, but it wasn't anything spectacular. This particular bar was separated from the many other buildings of the city, which gave it a unique sense of identity at least. Most of the restaurants in Corneria City were bunched together, or were at least in very close proximity.

Much to Fox's dismay, it was crowded; dogs, cats, birds, foxes, frogs, rabbits, pigs, and other creatures poured into the restaurant, making ample noise as they went along. Fox never liked crowds, but especially not lately, since he was trying to get a lot of quiet time at home. He looked around to see if he could find Falco, but could not see him. Falco was a tall, blue avian, so he would normally stand out in a crowd. Once 7:00 came, Fox decided to just go inside. He figured Falco was late, which wasn't uncommon at all.

Inside, the restaurant was hazily lit by red and blue lights, and there were several TVs mounted in different sections. It was a fairly large bar, so there was plenty of room to seat the noisy crowds. Fox waited in line to be seated, and looked over the bar as he stood. He liked the dimly lit atmosphere, but not so much all the TV screens. Too many.

When it became his turn, Fox asked the greeter, "Has a blue bird come in? His name is Falco."

The greeter, a short, brown bulldog, thought for a moment. "Oh yes; he's expecting you. He came in about fifteen minutes ago. Please follow me."

Fox did as he was told, following the greeter through the busy restaurant to find his friend. He was truly surprised Falco was so early, which was a first to Fox's knowledge. After making their way to the back of the building, the greeter seated Fox with Falco, who was already drinking something and looking impatient.

"Glad you could make it, buddy!" Falco said, eyes beaming.

"Yeah. You got here early," Fox stated.

"Eh, I had nothing better to do," Falco replied coolly. "I already ordered myself some pizza. So tell me, what've you been up to lately?"

Before Fox could answer, a waitress arrived. She was a slender, bright pink cat, and just from looking at her one could tell she had quite a bubbly personality. Her nametag displayed the name Amy.

"Thank you for coming, sir! May I get you a drink?" Amy asked Fox with a wide smile.

"Uh, just a water, please," Fox said.

"That's it?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, that's all," Fox confirmed.

"I'll be right back with that! Please look over the menu, and I'll be back to take your order on any food you might like!" Amy said, and left to get Fox's water.

Falco took a sip of his drink, which appeared to be beer, as he watched the waitress walk off.

"Whew, she is cute," he thought aloud, grinning to himself. "I wonder if she has a boyfriend…"

Fox made no reply, and began to look at the menu. He really wasn't that hungry; he rarely ever was these days. Everything he looked at seemed to be too much.

"Anything look appetizing to you, sir?"

Amy was already back, and had placed a glass of water in front of Fox. Fox thought for a moment, deciding if he wanted anything at all. He figured he had better get something in his stomach tonight.

"Could I just get the house salad?" Fox requested.

"Absolutely," Amy replied. She then turned to Falco. "Anything else for you, sir?"

"Not more food. But I would like to know, when do you get off work?" Falco asked with a devious grin.

Amy chuckled nervously, and replied, "Sorry, but I've already settled down! Please, let me go take care of your food."

She walked away again, and Falco was left to feel dejected. Fox shook his head, embarrassed by his friend's forwardness. He had probably been flirting with her as long as he had been there.

Falco sighed, and told Fox, "When I said Katt and I weren't cool lately, I meant it. I don't think we're getting back together again this time, you know?"

"I see," Fox said. "Sorry to hear it."

"Yeah," Falco said. "So, back to where we were – what have you been up to? We haven't talked in way too long!"

Fox, looking at his water rather than Falco, replied, "I've just been laying low. Haven't really been doing much of anything, except thinking. I haven't felt like getting out much."

"Yeesh, what happened to you?" Falco asked, staring at his friend with genuine concern. "I mean, I know you were always the serious type, but you seem kind of depressed! Ever since the Anglar War, you haven't been the same, man."

Two and a half years had passed since the Anglar War ended. Fox had reunited the teammates of the Star Fox squadron – Falco, Slippy Toad, and Krystal – to take down the Anglar forces that had threatened the Lylat System. The team members had gone their separate ways before the war for different reasons, and though they were technically reunited now, they hadn't seen action since the Anglar Emperor was defeated. Slippy's fiancée, Amanda, also joined the Star Fox team once the conflict was over. Not long after, Slippy and Amanda married, and they were living on the planet Aquas currently. Falco attempted various missions by himself for rewards, unable to enjoy a quieter life away from thrills. Krystal, Fox's former love, lived a quiet life on Corneria, but had not stayed in touch with Fox since the war. Having rejoined the team, the two were on good enough terms, but Fox wished they could be close again…

"You're right," Fox agreed, thinking of how the times had changed. "I guess I just wish things could be like they used to - before any of the Anglar attacks..."

"Is it about Krystal?" Falco boldly asked.

"…a lot of it, yeah," Fox admitted.

"Well, at least she's not flying with Star Wolf anymore, huh?" Falco remarked.

It was some consolation, Fox supposed. Fearing for her safety, Fox had forced Krystal off the Star Fox team, which left her heartbroken and angry. She joined with Star Wolf, the rival squadron of Star Fox, and remained with them for a little while. In the Anglar War, she had decided to return to the Star Fox team after a sincere plead from Fox. She had only joined Star Wolf to get back at Fox, but knew it was wrong. Krystal helped win the war, and though she and Fox had not regained their relationship, she was glad to be back with the team. Fox was glad she returned, but loneliness had stuck him ever since he had forced her off the team.

"Right," Fox agreed. "I never should have made her leave, you know…"

"Hey man, no one's perfect," Falco replied. "You only wanted what you thought was best at the time! Live and learn, right?"

"Yeah," Fox said sadly.

Falco decided against pursing the topic, knowing it was a sensitive spot for Fox. In a way, Falco was envious, knowing that Fox and Krystal had shared a very close bond. He never managed to get that close to Katt, or anyone else. Falco and Fox sat in silence for a few moments, thinking about the state of their relationships. As they did, one of the TVs caught Fox's eye, and he suddenly paid attention to a news broadcast.

"…due to this incredible population growth on Venom, the tensions are rising between the once barren planet and the capital of Lylat, Corneria. Dash Bowman, leader of Venom, has made big talk about how he has made Venom a better place than Corneria in such short time. Rumors have been constantly circulating as of late that Bowman has an army and weaponry that is at least equivalent to that of Corneria…"

Fox looked away from the TV reporter to Falco. "Do you remember Dash Bowman?"

"Bowman?" Falco had to think for a moment. "Yeah; didn't he stay on Venom after the war?"

"Yeah…" Fox replied. "News is saying he may have built up a lot of military force in the meantime. Doesn't sound good."

"Might just be for protection?" Falco optimistically suggested. "Remember, he used to fight for the Cornerian Army."

"True, but he is the grandson of Andross," Fox stated. "Who knows what could be going through his head. I'd keep an eye out."

"True enough," Falco agreed. "Oikonny was more than enough to deal with!"

Fox nodded his head in agreement. Dash had once helped Fox in the Anglar War on Corneria, and he seemed to hold a respect for Fox and his team. However, his grandfather, Andross, had once waged one of the bloodiest wars in Lylat's history, and was responsible for the death of Fox's father, James McCloud. Andrew Oikonny, Andross's nephew, had once been with the Star Wolf squadron, and had remained a thorn in Fox's side ever since.

Amy returned to Fox and Falco's table with their ordered food, handing Fox his salad and Falco his pizza. They thanked her before she left to take care of the next customer. Once they started eating, Fox and Falco started talking about more casual things, each wanting to get off of heavy subjects.

Fox returned home by 9:00, happy he didn't have to stay out any longer. It was nice to see Falco again, but he still didn't want to be with any crowds or loud noise. The rest of the night out had been uneventful, following the disturbing news Fox heard about Bowman. When he crawled into bed for the night, having decided to go to sleep early, he thought about it.

Who knows; maybe he's just trying to get some attention? Maybe all the army is just for defense? He seemed like a good kid. Unless he changed…

More thoughts about Bowman went through Fox's mind. More worries, more possibilities, more ideas… All of it carried on until Fox fell asleep.