Chapter 7

Two days have pasted since James and the StarFox team left for Venom. Fox knew what to expect when his dad left for a mission, he knew that they normally wouldn't be back for a few days. Even more so since they left for such a far distance. But something was troubling the young fox when he was slept. He kept having nightmares like he was strapped to a chair and was forced to watch a monitor that was showing James being tortured and eventually killed. This same nightmare kept repeating itself every time Fox closed his eyes.

"DAD!" Fox screamed out as he rousted himself out from his nightmare. He was reaching out like he was grabbing for James. His body was covered in a cold sweat and he was trembling all over. Once Fox realized that he was in his room, he placed his hands then went to the bathroom to wipe the sweat from his face. He glanced up and looked at his reflection and sighed heavily. "Whats going on with me? Why do I keep having this dream? I have never had these bad of dreams when dad left before, so why now?" He asked his reflection. His reflection just stared back at him, unable to speak let alone answer the troubled young fox. He sighed once more then he said, "It must have something to do with him being gone longer and out farther then he normally has before." Fox splashed some water on his face then took a cup he kept in the mirror medicine cabinet and got a drink of water. Once he was finished he placed the cup on the sink then went back into his room and tried to fall back asleep. Sleep scared Fox more than anything.

As soon as morning came, Fox got ready to face yet another day that was filled with the uncertainty behind his recent dreams. He went to the gym that was near his home. As he walked there, he got lost in thought then it lead him to fall into a semi-sleep phase. Before long, Fox was about three blocks too far. He shook his head violently then turned around and headed back.

Once he made it to the gym, first thing he did was head to the nearest heavy bag. He pounded his frustrations out onto the bag. After a thirty minute beating, Fox stumbled to the nearest bench. Winded, he stared forward not really looking at anything. That's when he noticed a blue falcon beating on another heavy bag on the other side of the room. Fox wasn't really watching him, the falcon just happened to be within Fox's peripheral vision. The fox waited for a few more minutes, a little longer then what was needed to catch his breath then he picked himself up off the bench and went to another piece of equipment meant to train and help develop martial arts and hand to hand techniques. He worked at it for a little then he went to the showers. Once he was clean and dressed in cleaner clothing, he left the gym and went wondering around. Lost in his thoughts, Fox didn't realize that he had spent the entire day just beating on random equipment at the gym.

Fox headed back to his house, he walked not really looking at where he was going just where his feet would step next. He was thinking on the nightmare that plagued him ever since his father left on this mission. The fox was so deep in thought that he didn't realize that he was being followed. Out of a new habit he got after James put Fox the that test, Fox glanced back every ten or fifteen steps. He seen the same blue falcon walking about twenty feet behind him, but he couldn't tell if the falcon was following him or if they just happened to be headed in the same direction.

Fox pulled himself out of thought and waited next to a tree that was near the sidewalk. Fox stood there until the falcon approached. Once the falcon was within a few feet of Fox, Fox tensed up in case the falcon was sent there for whatever reason.

"You following me?" Fox asked as the falcon got close enough.

The falcon laughed, "And who are you supposed to be, Mr. High and Mighty?" Fox sighed, he was wrong in assuming this guy was following him.

"Sorry, I thought you was following me." Fox said, felling a little silly. He then held his hand out, "My name isn't 'Mr. High and Mighty.' It's Fox McCloud." The falcon shook his hand.

"I'm Falco Lombardi. Nice to meet you. Say you wouldn't be the son of James McCloud, would you?" Falco asked. The fox nodded. They headed towards their respective destinations, which was in the same direction. As they walked, they chatted and quickly became friends. But friends was more a loose term at this point.

After a few more minutes of walking, Fox and Falco parted ways. They shook hands once more. "Well, I'm headed this way. I'll be seeing you." Falco said. Fox nodded and gestured towards the opposite way the blue falcon was going.

"And I'm that way." Fox said. "Nice to meet you, Falco."

"Likewise." Fox turned away from Falco and headed home, his uneasiness of his nightmares was gone, for the moment. Once he was home, he jumped into the shower and changed into clean cloths. Then he tried to get a little sleep.

Fox was awoken by the sounds of dripping water from a nearby rusty pipe. The stench of old blood gave him a migraine headache. Once Fox was fully awake and aware of his surroundings, he started panicking. His eyes frantically looking around to see something, anything that he could use to help aide him in escape.

"Where am I!?" He called out to whoever was in earshot. A bloodcurdling scream answered him. He recognized the voice, it was his father! "DAD!" Fox screamed. He got no answer.

Fox struggled as hard as he could to break free of the bonds that held him in place. But he was unable to get anything free. He wasn't able to move the restraints. That's when someone stepped out from a shadowy corridor that opened up to Fox's left. Fox growled at the silhouette that was still masked in darkness. "Muhaha! I see that you're finally awake. Like the music." The dark figure said in a dark evil filled voice, then once the creature stepped into the light. Fox didn't know the menacing looking ape very well but he had seen images of him.

"Andross!" Fox snarled, bearing his teeth at the ape. Now that Fox was able to get a full view of Andross, he seen that the ape was a thousand times more hideous then the images was able to capture. Fox shuddered after he got a good look. "What have you done with my father!?" Fox demanded.

"How brave, a young vulpine showing me his fangs at me. And to answer your question." Andross snapped his fingers, Fox heard another set of heavy doors open somewhere behind him. Fox could hear something being drug into the room, he couldn't make out what it was. Fox heard whatever it was be thrown to the ground hard and the object made a weak whimpering sound. "If only you could see the handy work of my new toys." Andross said sarcastically. Then Andross pressed a button that caused Fox's chair to rotate around and to Fox's horror, he seen James laying in a growing pool of his own blood. He weakly looked up to Fox and smiled.

"Hey Fox, I'm sorry that I failed you." James gasped, he was fading. The color was draining from his face with each shallow breath he took. James started to say something else but Andross took a blaster and pointed it at the back of James' head.

"I just hate these touching family moments. Let's change that, shall I?" Andross said as he pulled the trigger. James fell limp to the floor as his face exploded outward with a red mist and a green beam following. Fox's jaw dropped and the blood drained from his face. He then erupted in a blind rage.

"GODDAMN YOU! YOU MOTHERFUCKER, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Fox screamed in pure fury. He felt strength that he didn't think he had surging through his body. He pulled and twisted his body until he was able to free one leg and his right hand. But even with those free he still wasn't able to do anything. Andross gave an evil grin that caused the young vulpine to shiver. Then the fat ugly ape then turned and left Fox to his dead father.

"Ta ta." Andross' voice echoed from a distant hallway.

Fox sat there staring at his father's dead body, watching the pool of blood get bigger until it reached his feet. Then he heard a loud beeping sound, that kept going and going. Fox closed his eyes, trying to block out the noise.

He opened them again to find himself looking at his bedroom ceiling. He was trembling and covered in a cold sweat once more. He sat up quickly screaming, "DAD!" He sighed and placed his head in his hands. This one was the worst hands down, by far. The beeping snapped him out of his disorientation. It was the audio/video monitor. Fox sluggishly walked his still trembling body to the A/V monitor. There where big bold red letters going across the screen, when the young vulpine read what it said, his heart stopped.

"Fox, dammit son, pick up!" General Pepper sighed impatiently.

Fox picked up but was very hesitant to say anything. As soon as the general's image popped up he cried out, "Fox! Good you're home. I need to see you ASAP! I'm sending someone to get you, they should be there in a few seconds. Get over here now, we'll talk then." General Pepper's image went dark then the young fox heard a knocking at the door. Fox's heart surely stopped at that point, he raced back to his room and grabbed the nearest shirt. Then he raced back down to the front door.

"Sir, you are to come with me." The raccoon said as soon as Fox opened he door. Fox nodded then jumped into his car and they sped off to the base. The trip was very quick since it was still dark and not many liked to travel this late. After a short trip through the mostly empty base, Fox made his way to General Pepper's office. He pushed the door out of his way and flew inside.

"We have a huge problem." Pepper started.

Author's note: Things are going to get interesting from here on out. I hope you are enjoying this.