A/N: Sorry for the massively sporadic updates people, round and round the world goes and unfortunately this Co-vid 19 actually has me working more...not less. Which has put a huge downsurge in my writing. Along with some other issues, I'm not sure how often these updates will come. I'm currently working on chapter 23 thanks to this week off but, with all that I have to do I'm not sure. I'll keep posted though and thanks again for all the support. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

The Footsteps in the Darkness

~SkullFox

Chapter 22

Lost and Reunited

A few steady hours with Jaxon very slowly began to develop into several blistering days of constant bending of the young fox's mind in one way shape or form. The man's training, his way of speaking, everything feels like a puzzle. The first few days went by fine, he would find himself training with Jaxon, then by night back at the tavern away from the cold chill that blew through the area at night, where spent in the comforts provided by two beautiful, if not off kilter pandas whom seemed always anxious for his return. The last few days however have shown different results; it feels as though the longer he stays in meditation and long bouts of training the more and more he begins to feel … peace. It was a peculiar feeling that came upon him one day causing him to refuse to leave that little cliff for several days instead he found that he rarely cared to even wake from his meditative trances. The two ate, drank tea and conversed about things that honestly the young vulpine never really thought about in any respect; the essence of thought and existential existence, the beginning and or meaning to the universe. Often conversations would take place completely within the confines of their own mental worlds, completely cut off from the tangible distractions of the physical world. It was always the same, Jaxon would begin their day with a query to which the two would exasperate every varying opinion seemingly possible about the subject matter at hand, down to the finest and thinnest detail. It did not feel like training but, it did bring Marcus a strange sense of peace as if nothing else really mattered by the two of them and their constant conversations. It finally however became a situation when Marcus finally began to question things again. Within the course of a solid week he'd found that things, at least in his own mind had made a radical change. Things that bothered him initial no longer did, he looked at himself and rather than see only flaws he saw his strengths as well, and how he could make those flaws less prevalent … even his imprint with Skye, which he now saw as a way of seeing to it that she would remain safe no matter where she was or what she did. It was actually a moderately warm day all things considered, late morning, two cups of tea had gone down for each of the two, Marcus had brought breakfast from the tavern, but oddly there was no question. The fact that Jaxon simply lay near the gently fading fire from the night his huge head craned slightly from the rock that supported his massive hands cupped about the back of his head. For the longest time they sat without words, and when it finally had bore into Marcu that he simply could not stand the silence any longer, the stranger sighed heavily while gesturing toward Sol with one outstretched hand...

"Abashed the devil stood, and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely; and pined his loss; but chiefly to find here observed his lustre visibly impaired: Yet seemingly undaunted."

The words paled meaning, yet something about it gripped at him until he finally spoke up finding a seat near the fire, "You … gonna tell me what that means? Or is this another test?"

Jaxon sat up shaking his head lightly, "No more tests," He sighed, "it is a quote from a book titled "Paradise Lost" more an epic poem than anything else but, meaningful. It tells a story of a dark creature that humans feared called a Demon, creatures of purest hatred and deepest darkness. It tells a tale how one of them looked out and saw goodness as the form of a woman who's virtue he could reach out at but not effect and yet continue to reach out toward without fault...though I tend to interpret it differently if only slightly."

Marcus chuckled a bit, it was a silly notion to think that something Jaxon would say would not have more than one meaning, "Is this relevant to me somehow?"

"I can still feel it in your mind Marcus," Jaxon replied nodding gently, "to me it says: Though it is not necessarily bad to want what we cannot have, it is folly to go on thinking that you might and keeping that thought in obsession. If anyone understands the depths of how you feel believe me that I know this feeling all too well. Keep her there always, and let her know she is always there, and that you are as well."

Marcus nodded, "I know; between you, the twins, and all this time alone. I think I've come to an understanding of certain things. My bond with Skye's mind is a gift, no one will ever be as close to her most inner thoughts as I am, and if that is as a friend or a lover...I shouldn't care; but, I can still love her despite how she might feel about me in return." With that Marcus reached out with his hand though shakily, the teapot lifted from the stones where it rested floating over to the man, "More tea?"

Jaxon simply held up his large cup which soon steamed with hot liquid again before the pot returned to it's place. The rest of the day was spent simply enjoying each other's company. It was this day that would mark the young fox's last return to the tavern.

Days passed rather slowly, though it did not bother the two all that much. Rather than returning to the Tavern again, Marcus found all the solace he needed in the ideals of daily training, the two even pulled camp and ventured further up into the hills where Marcus would only have to reach out further and further with his mind to reach other individuals. After what felt like no time at all however, Marcus found himself capable of holding most everything in the camp off the ground with his mind alone. It was a particularly warm day all things considered, the snowfall in the high mountains was much less noticeable and the heat from their fire seemed a bit warmer. Remaining in a trance state while doing so he found distracted him from plenty of the issues he'd normally think of, however, he found that as his abilities grew and magnified in strength over a lengthy period he'd recently realized he'd lost track of. Had it been three days, five, a week, a month...he didn't know anymore, come to think of it he really didn't care. Up here there was nothing to bother him, and though it took some doing blocking out his thoughts of Skye and the others, with effort he found that his mind was completely clear until the day it wasn't. Jaxon sat about looking over the young Cerinian as a perfect system of stones orbited his being in the all too familiar formation of the Lylat System, however as he stood by preparing a rather unique dish which Marcus had found Jaxon did often, the huge man sighed heavily not bothering to look in his direction...

"Something is bothering you," He pointed out, "I've not seen your focus waver like this for quite some time; are you feeling well?"

The stones slowly toppled to the ground as Marcus sighed himself while looking out over the massive valley where the town rested, now little more than rough shapes and lamp lights, "I...I saw something the other day...well several somethings. Things I can't explain...I've had visions before but these..."

"Felt real did they?"

Marcus shook his head before looking at his hands, "No. They felt like I was there in person," He replied, "I felt the wind, smelled the air, tasted the salt from the ocean. When I woke I thought I was covered in sweat but, it wasn't sweat."

Jaxon turned and found a seat with a fairly concerned sigh, "How many times has this happened?"

"You sound concerned," Marcus replied finding a place to sit, "it's happened twice. Once back on Corneria, that was quite a while ago. The other was only just a few nights ago."

Jaxon offed Marcus a cup of tea which he took as a sign to simply pay attention, "Marcus what you experienced; at the very least one of the times in which you speak, is something we call Farcasting, and yes it gives me wide reason for concern," He sighed thinking for a moment, "think of it like this. All the planets and all the places in this known universe are connected in a way; matter and anti-matter travel too and fro from place to place throughout the cosmos. Farcasting is the act of manipulating the current of these to your own will and using them as a sort of gateway. Very much the same matter transference concept used by your Professor Beltino's gate technology..." He said seemingly vanishing into thin air before Marcus suddenly shot about only to see Jaxon now standing over the cliff side looking over the town below, "...it is incredibly dangerous. Absolute control is required and unwavering resolve even for a very short transfer. It is possible that something bothering your mind caused you to do this in your sleep...even if only for a moment. The particle matter that we used in Farcasting travels at a speed far surpassing even that of light, transference is near instantaneous."

Marcus stood amazed, awe-stricken by witnessing full teleportation in front of his own eyes, "That's incredible, why don't you use that more often? I mean you could go home in an instant."

Jaxon shook his head as he slowly walked to his seat again, "No, I am afraid it is not quite so amazing. A perfect image of your location is needed; I have all but forgotten my home. There is also the fear of displacement, and I assure you that is a fate worse than death. An errant thought or misplaced ideal and the transference would scatter your particulate matter across the cosmos you would not die you would simply …... cease being entirely. So long as it is being done subconsciously you have nothing to worry about, What of the other time?"

Marcus shook his head, "I saw...Skye; she was injured, burning, everything behind her was in flames. And she blamed me for all of it. She stood there dying in front of me and all she could tell me is that it was my fault. Mom has seen into the future before but, she said it was only twice and she had no control over it. Could that be what I saw...my fugure?"

Jaxon shook his head, "Sadly that is a difficult thing to translate. Even if so, keep in mind that any future event that you may happen to see is only a possibility, a variable, nothing for this universe will ever be set in stone spare the end of everything and no living being will ever be capable of seeing that when it arrives."

"I've been reaching out with my mind like you taught me," Marcus sighed while shaking his head, "I manage to feel things now from much further away than before. The twins down at the tavern still waiting for me to come back, their aunt. Sierra's pretty mad at me, though I'm not sure why at the moment...has no clue that I'm not coming back with Maryk. Maryk..." He chuckled a bit, "...well despite what he says in person he was looking forward to seeing Tanya. On top of all that Skye is driving herself mad waiting for dad's word. I can't find dad, mom is really concerned but blocking out her thoughts..."

Jaxon smiled softly as he looked to the concerned vulpine, "You wish to go back."

"No," Marcus responded only turning his head to glance off into the distant valley, "my mind is so much clearer up here with you. Nothing seems to bother me up here at all."

"And yet," Jaxon sighed heavily as he stood up, causing him to tower over the Cerinian boy like a mountain, "you are no longer content. As well I have looked forward and all my paths lead me away from this place of solitude and peace, alongside you. To what end I am not certain but, I am certain it will dawn on me when the time is correct."

-Hurst-

-4:08am-

The night air on Hurst was known to get fairly cold, it was both something the onyx vulpine had come to enjoy and hate all at the same time. It made him blissfully aware of his still every present mortality, while at the same time forcing him to at times heat his body up ever so slightly more. When he'd first developed his abilities he was very much like a child who'd just discovered the world's most amazing toy; scorching things at random even burning his initials into this and that, but, his time in the military had taught him that his abilities were a double edged sword; sure he was an unbridled instrument of pure destruction, yet it was so very easy to spot his body on any kind of thermal imaging, often even visible through several walls at once. It wasn't much until someone thought of all the weapons that were attuned to seeking out body heat to zone in on a target. It was a sort of weakness, though he didn't consider it such. A sudden gentle puff of steam rising from his right arm caused him to look to the sky, rain was only going to make it worse; but, at the current point in time he had little to any other choice but to sit and watch until he could formulate a plan. The Hi-def visor he held up to his face scanned the layout of the building across the way giving him ample view of three bodies inside. A well figured black Lapin, a younger fox very similar to himself, and a familiar Sapphire furred vixen. He was currently still a bit steamed up over the idea that his brother had been there and he'd been too late to do anything about it but, he'd managed to overhear some of the conversations about what he'd said before he left. Even he'd been having the nightmares, strange episodes of shadowy figures all about, some shaped in a familiar light others he'd never seen before. As the thoughts of the dreams ran through his mind, something caught his eye, just to his blind side. An unmistakable swath of long red locks of hair; it was so sudden that it had almost not even been there. A short glance around the rooftop assured him he was alone, but, as he stood by the unease of the situation caused him to tap the small device he wore on his ear, a voice activated communicator he always carried on him...

"Izzy..." He called waiting for the device to respond, "...Izzy, you there?"

An exasperated sigh came through suddenly, "I believe we'd talked about you calling me that before Dravyn."

"I believe we also made deals about you having me followed," Dravyn replied turning his scope back toward the room across the way, "but we both know that's not happening anytime soon don't we?"

"I keep a close tab on those people I consider friends Dravyn," The voice replied, "so as a friend, please, Israfel would be appreciated."

Dravyn shook his head, "Strange taste to that name, how about Fel?"

"Hmm..." Israfel's voice mused, "...the fel of winter, the fel of ignorance. Fair, I like the sound of that. I suppose I should call you Dee then?"

"Call me what you want," Dravyn replied, "but, while you're at it I need you to look something up for me. First I've had a lot of trouble contacting Toma and Maiik, so they've either gone underground or they're not answering. Second, I need you to get all the information you can about that ship that came into orbit around Titania, and third..." He paused with a heavy sigh, "...I need all the information you can find about a Cerinian named Anaya and a wolf named Dax. I ran into some strange missing Intel when I was going over the members of the Vinna Colletta."

Israfel took a moment, clearly writing everything down as he listened, "Another Cerinian huh? They've been popping up all over haven't they? Maiik may take a bit of time to find you know how that is, and I've been looking into that ship ever since it showed up, soon as I know enough to be substantial you'll be the first to know. Of course friend or no..."

"Yeah, I get it..." Dravyn replied, "...I already sent a down payment, you'll get the other half when I get my half."

The informant laughed, "Something I've always loved about you Dee, always so punctual."

Once the line was clear Dravyn sighed again, "Between him and Nex someone should find something. It may be a shot in the dark but I have a lot of bad feelings about all of this," He sighed again as he began to make his way toward the lobby of the building, "I guess this means the only thing I have left to do is get in there and...face the music huh?"

Back inside the room, the three females still considered the situation they'd all witnessed. Eric never would have entered a situation with unknown variables involved, especially not where Dravyn or his family were involved. Regardless as they continued to clean up the mess left behind, Krystal's ears stood on end before pivoting toward the door causing her to take Sierra by the wrist, "Angel. All this work has made me a bit hungry," She said, "Sierra and I will go grab something. Any requests."

Angel sighed, wiping her forehead on her arm, "Yeah, now that you mention it," She replied, "a bottle of Darsen Black, and there's a Steak Burger place about two blocks from here."

Krystal nodded pulling Sierra along as they left the room, "Why are we both leaving?" the young vixen asked.

"Your mother may need some time alone," Krystal replied, "she's got a lot to go over."

Back inside the room Angel continued to move a bit of broken glass before there came a knock at her door; she shook her head with a sarcastic smile. It was unlike Krystal to forget something as silly as to not lock herself out as she left a room but, the vixen was going through a lot. After a moment she finally turned the handle only to have her heart stop, her jaw dropped, and she felt light in the knees, almost feint in some regards. The black furred individual standing there, staring at his feet in shame was a constant in her dreams, he was not that much different than the last time she'd seen him. Long black coat, still clinging to that sword at his side, and still wearing the same patch over his left eye. Unlike most males she knew by scent, his was different; not musty and overpowering, but strangely serene and smelling of the open ocean. There was no doubt in her mind, all the bits that had been missing when Eric had impersonated him were present this time, and it all brought the familiar sting of tears to the corners of her eyes. Dravyn simply stood by looking for the words to say; he'd left her behind for so long but, it had all been according to both their plans, it didn't matter why he felt guilt about it, he just did. Once he saw the young Lapin's hand in his field of view, he closed his eyes and braced himself, she deserved to strike him, he felt he deserved to be struck; yet, all he felt was the soft caress of her one real hand pushing his chin up. Their eyes only met for a moment, but in that moment he heard everything he needed toknow; even with tears in her eyes the smile on her face was enough as a sharp tug on his collar dragged him across the small space between them. The force of the kiss was something he hadn't experienced in ages. Her pull on his collar only continued as he kicked the door shut behind them, and after a moment their mouths broke away from one another as Angel let out a yelp of surprise; she'd backed into the small coffee table near the middle of the room causing her to topple backward, and in a move very fitting to Dravyn, she felt him swing her weight up above him as she crashed down on top of him, driving his body into and through the wooden structure. Straddled across his abdomen, Angle smiled; he'd always tried to keep her out of harm's way even in such a silly way. Whatever the case, as Angle quickly pulled her shirt over her head, giving Dravyn the spectacular view of her bare chest spilling into the open air, she reminded herself to thank Krystal when she got back.

-Meanwhile-

Beltino Oribital Gate Station

2:00am

Fox stood near the center of a large, mostly empty room, it's only real appliance a large pod like structure which was bound to the ceiling and walls by a massive array of cables. The familiar yet uncomfortable hospital robe he wore constantly blew an unwanted and cold chill up his backside causing him to constantly pull the back end together. He grimaced as he choked down the contents of a small tube before tossing it to Slippy whom waited nearby. It was a salty concoction that tasted like iron and stale lemonade which caused him to cough and even gag a bit before shaking it off and looking back to the scientist who continued to file documents on a small handheld computer...

"Well your vitals are fine all things considered," He sighed, "sorry about the nanite soup, but, we need to monitor this thing as closely as possible."

Fox sighed as he looked to the floor, "What are the real odds of this working Slip, no bullshit?"

"Well," Slippy replied, "so far there haven't been any failures; but, like I said before this is a whole new ballgame. Nobody's ever tried to rewrite someone's entire Genome before...but like you said before...what more do we have to loose at this point? It either works or, the process kills you shortly before the degeneration would. I assure you though that one would be far less painful than the other. I'm not sure what will happen when you come out either but, who knows someday this could save lives."

Fox sighed again this time turning to the strange pod before dropping his robe and stepping inside. The tube lay at an angle making for a very comfortable place to lay, it's interior padding clearly meant to keep from cramps or painful points of pressure, after all he'd be laying there for some short time. A viscus liquid at the base of the tube chilled his bare toes causing him to shiver, "Hoo shit that's cold."

Slippy gently nodded, "Yeah, well in a few minutes you're not gonna mind that so much," He said as he helped his old friend into a small breathing mask, as well as several , "the mask'll keep you breathing, the will be the source for most of the work, and the liquid will keep the nanites alive as long as you're submerged. Shortly after you wake up, they'll die off and you'll pass them like normal. You know, discomfort, blood in the urine that sort of thing."

"Yeah Slip," Fox replied, "I know the routine. How long you counting on this to take again?"

Slippy shook his head, "With Dravyn and the others; it took some time but...there were precautions;" He replied, "they were taken out of the tanks every so often to keep more clear tracks of their physical and mental state. I'm sure this will accelerate the process but to what extent I don't know Dravyn's records claim he began to see significant neurological development after the first week, within the month he developed his abilities, that was where they stopped. But, once again, that was only a fraction of what we're doing here. After the testing though, I'm sure I can do this without harming you..."

The young toad stopped as he felt Fox's hand gently pat the side of his face, "Slip..." He sighed, "...if there's one person I trust to fuck with my DNA, it's you."

Slippy blinked for a moment before looking to Fox in slack jawed awe, "Fox, that was literally one of the stupidest things I've ever heard you say directly to me," He chuckled, "but, I understand the sentiment."

Fox watched on as Slippy set up an IV in his left arm before going over a few things on the tablet he held, "The nanites will keep you from basically stroking out during Suspended Animation, keeping your vitals and higher functions at a minimum for the time being. We won't be taking nearly as many breaks as was done with Black Star, but, we also don't have th ekind of time they were working with."

Fox lowered his head for a moment, "You know Slip. If not for Krystal, I wouldn't even consider this. A nice, quiet way out of it all would be a pretty decent way to end a life like mine. Up until Krystal my life has been," He sighed staring into his palm, "hypocritical really. All I've really ever done as a merc is kill and end lives the whole while looking down on those who do the same thing. It can't really be so easy as a difference of opinions can it?"

Slippy chuckled, "I know death can change a person but, since when did you become a modern day philosopher?" He asked, "last time I recalled from the Academy wasn't philosophy one of your worst subjects?"

"It's not a subject anymore," Fox replied, "I'm living it...sort of," He chuckled to himself, "I questioned it the first time after killing that bioweapon on Venom back during the war. I couldn't find my way out of that facility, I was sure I was gonna die in there but, then I saw dad. I know it sounds stupid and I've been carrying this with me all this time but, it was him. His fighter, his flying, the way he talked, the sound of his voice there was no mistaking it Slip. I know James McCloud is dead, that much is set in stone, but, there has to be something more than that out there. Call it fate, destiny..." He scoffed out loud, "...God...but, whatever it is. For some reason it decided that I deserved to live. Every single time I get in a spot, I scrape by, by the skin of my teeth and if this little trick of yours works out, it'll just be another situation turning out the exact same. Most of the time I don't think that I deserve it...but I also don't care so long as I have the opportunity to wake up and see her face again."

Fox stopped talking as Slippy slid an air mask over his face, "Well...I'll do my best to mitigate this so that you can wake up and see her again. Just relax," He smiled as the tank drew closed, "soon you'll wake up from the most relaxed sleep you've ever had and hopefully you won't feel like a corpse when you wake up."

Slippy let out a deep sigh as he watched the light of consciousness fade from his friend's usually very active and vibrant eyes as the tank filled with a thick, transparent liquid. The active beeping of a nearby machine reading the fox's vitals slowly began to deminish to the very slightest of patterns as the treatment began to take it's effects. Removing his glasses, Slippy used his thumb to wipe a stray tear from his face as he observed the now near lifeless body inside. He never saw it the way Fox did apparently; after all, throughout his entire life he'd always been little more than a simple scientist, life itself was a system of numbers and statistics everything having it's own meaning and definition within the realm of logic. It broke his heart to think that the animal he look onto now everyone simply knew as Fox McCloud without ever knowing just how broken and tattered he really was inside, and worse yet was how few people actually knew the only thing holding him together most days was the love of a young blue vixen who was sadly elsewhere at the time...a thought that only served to worry him all the more...

-Hurst-

The transpired events with Eric still fresh in their minds, Angel could only sit and wonder how long it would be before Dravyn would show up, or even if he'd show at all. It was clear to her that if Eric was involved Dravyn would follow his brother to the ends of eternity and back in order to keep his new family safe, after all his older brother had already taken one family from him and Dravyn wasn't the kind of person to let such things slide, even after a decade or two. Cleaning the room was necessary for their stay but, as they did so Angel finally came to terms with her own mind, perhaps it was time she went home; yet home was a bizzare concept at this point. She'd not been with Dravyn for just over ten years and the part of the little proper housewife never really suited her, even though they'd never really married. Even in all her daydreaming and thoughts though, Angel could scarcely picture the sight she'd see when her sudden attention was drawn to the sound of Krystal nearly falling over barely catching herself against the table of the dining area, resulting in several chairs falling over. It was a position in which she'd never seen the young vixen; she stood hunched over with one hand clutching her chest like a heart attack victim, her breathing was heavy and erratic, and despite not sobbing heavy trails of tears cut valleys into her fur...

"A-angel..." She gasped, "...I have to go."

Sierra had already rushed to Krystal's side, helping her find her legs again, "Krystal what's wrong?"

"It's … it's Fox," The sapphire vixen replied, "I-I don't feel him anymore," She suddenly turned to Angle, "I have to get back to Beltino's Lab now."

"We're all here in fighters Krystal," Angel reminded her shaking her head, "even if they can do the speed, they'd never keep up for that far."

The voice that suddenly came from the doorway was all too familiar, it was mild and carried fairly well even with the low rasp it carried. A familiar sound that caused Angel to instantly drop the glass she'd just picked up, It was a voice that would never leave her memory, She could feel the sweet tone it spoke as it traveled from her ears down through her body leaving a hot sensation and a cold chill at the same time. She couldn't count on her fingers and toes together how often she'd heard the voice only to turn and find an empty hallway, however, this time as she looked on to her daughter's face it was clear enough to make her turn and face him. She only took a single step toward him as he lowered his gaze while scratching the top of his head searching for something to say, however, all he could catch as he looked back up to the onyx furred bunny was her flying body as the two tumbled out of the doorway and into the hall...