Act 1
Chapter 7
The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend
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The two Arwings kicked up plumes of dust as they landed, their landing gears finding stability on the sandstone before their engines powered off. Fox was able to spot the Cat's Paw, Katt's own ship parked nearby, with the pink feline herself sitting on the canopy with her tail curled around her body. Her eyes were fixed on the bar, fur standing on end as she barely reacted to Fox and Fay landing beside her.
Fox and Fay quickly popped the canopies into their crafts before jumping down to the floor. Katt noticed them exit and repeated their motions, jogging up to them with a concerned grimace. "I checked the cockpits, or what's left of them. I didn't see anything in them, so I think they're still in the bar." Katt furrowed her brow as she noticed that spark in Fox's eyes light up, the one that appeared any time he was about to do something heroic or stupid. "You still wanna pull them out of there, don't you?"
Fox nodded, quickly walking to the bar as Fay remained close to his tail with a medical kit in one hand and respirators with goggles in the other. "If we can figure out who did this, there's a shot we could nab a major bounty."
"On Star Wolf or whoever decided to force them into early retirement?"
Before Fox could respond to Katt's question, Fay secured one of the respirators around her muzzle before slapping the goggles over her eyes. Fox gently took one pair from Fay's hands and did the same thing, leaving the final pair for Katt. With a huff, Katt did the same, all three ready to enter the building as Fox led the trio to the front door.
Flames licked the door to the bar, forcing Fox to kick it down. Upon the burning wood splintering and giving way after the third kick, the three were introduced to a horrid sight. The entire bar was burning, and the smell of gasoline was in the air. Whoever did this had the intent to kill. Embers smoldered and wooden beams fell under their own weight, bringing the fire they were encompassed in with them. Through the orange hue and smoke, they were able to make out three bodies. One prone in front of them, one slouched over at the base of the bar, and one on its side in between the two.
The first body was Leon, prone and unresponsive. Below him, a thick red pool had formed, with the epicenter at his stomach. Katt flipped him over to reveal two stab wounds, each one piercing his gut. Wasting no time, she hoisted the lightweight lizard with a grunt out of the bar, dodging flames and wooden beams alike, before the cool night air of Papetoon hit her. She dumped Leon down in the sand and stood over his bleeding body, with a feeling of unease coursing through her veins.
At the bar, Fay discovered that Panther was the one slouched over, with his face bashed to a pulp. Grabbing him by his armpits, she dragged the buff cat outside, away from the burning bar, and where Katt had dumped Leon in the sand. She cursed Panther for being so in shape to the point where dragging him felt like pulling a car. As she dropped him after reaching her destination with an exhausted huff, she grimaced at the sight of his face, but she refused to get complacent as she got to work stabilizing him and Leon.
Fox discovered that the last body was Wolf, bleeding from the side of his head. Laser burns indicated that he was shot in the head, but the laser grazed him. Fox put his fingers up to Wolf's neck and felt a faint pulse. He hoisted his rival up and slung his arm around his shoulder, dragging him out of the bar. As Fox made it to the door, he looked back only to notice a wooden beam crash down where Wolf was lying. With that, Fox made a hasty exit, lining Wolf up with the shanked Leon and beaten Panther. Fay quickly cut some gauze off of her roll and took some stitching as well. She closed the wound on Wolf's head before wrapping the gauze around it, absorbing any lost blood in record time.
"So, you think they're gonna make it?" Fox asked Fay as he removed the respirator and goggles, watching her wrapping Leon's abdomen before he crouched down to her level.
"Panther received a severe beating, but he has the best chance of survival," Fay diagnosed as she kept looking over his body, checking for any more injuries. "As for Wolf and Leon, I'm not so sure. Their wounds will require more intensive care," she finished with a grim look. Fox folded his ears back as he looked down at Wolf's body, his head now wrapped in gauze.
"Do the best you can, Fay. I trust you." Fox received a head nod and a grunt as a reply as she stood up and tapped her wrist comm. After a second, hydraulic hissing cut through the night sky, the converted bomb bay of Fay's ship opening to reveal a small medical bay.
With a grunt, Fay bent down to grab under Leon's arms, hissing as she pulled his body to the bay. "Help me load up the other two," she quickly spat with a grimace, prompting Fox and Katt to grab Wolf and Leon respectively as they followed the trail that Leon's body made in the sand. Wasting no time, the three were quickly secured in small medical beds with IV drips inserted into their arms. Wiping the sweat off her brow, Fay jogged out of the bay behind Fox and Katt before closing it up, her patients secured for the flight back to the Great Fox.
Without saying another word, she scurried into her cockpit before taking off, leaving her teammates in a temporary sandstorm before her ship sped towards the horizon. The silence of the desert soon filled the air, save for the flames licking the bar in tune with the splintering wood of the old structure. "So, now that Star Wolf is aboard your ship, any regrets?"
Fox narrowed his eyes at Katt's sly grin. "I'll be surprised if Wolf could lift his arms, let alone a blaster. We outnumber and outgun them. They're not stupid enough to fight us, if they survive."
"How big is the if?"
"We won't know until Fay works on them some more. For now, let's just head back to the Great Fox. I've had enough fun for one day."
~::::~
With one leg crossed over her knee, Krystal remained clothed in her uniform from the earlier mission. Despite how attractive one of Fox's t-shirts and sweatpants sounded to her at the moment, pajamas were the wrong attire for something of this magnitude. The wait for the injured in the med-bay was beginning to get on her nerves, but her telepathy quickly picked up five minds, three fainter than the other two. A few seconds later, Stretchers were wheeled into the room, with Fay, Slippy, and ROB pushing Star Wolf into the infirmary. Krystal let out a soft gasp as she noticed the extent of their injuries. Cuts, burns, blunt trauma, and laser wounds made up their medical report, the stench of soot and embers staining their clothes.
Quickly moving them onto proper medical beds and applying proper surgical gear, Fay got to work treating their wounds. Deciding it was best to let Fay work, Krystal walked over to Slippy with concern in her eyes. "What happened to them?"
Slippy shrugged, his wide eyes unable to remove themselves from Leon's crusty red abdomen. "No clue, but Fay said that Panther was the least injured, even though his face looks like... Maybe you can get a more clear picture of what went down from him?"
Krystal turned to face the black and purple feline, his elegant flight suit ripped and burned beyond recognition. His swollen and beaten visage would have been unrecognizable if not for the white scar running across the right side of his cheek. Walking up to his bedside, Krystal got on her knees and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she did so. The world around Krystal began to fade away, swallowed by a hazy void as she connected her mind to Panther's.
She found the memories dating back to a few minutes ago and dived in, hoping to figure out why they were in such a precarious position. As the world faded in around her, she noticed the wall of booze in front of her. She looked down as a black-haired hand poured a drink into the small glass on the bar. Setting the bottle down, Panther picked up the glass and swished the clear liquid for a second, before tilting his head back and letting the drink do its work, burning its way down his throat. "Hey, don't get too shit-faced, Panther," A gruff voice warned. It was Wolf, who held a small manila folder in his right paw.
"It's just one shot, boss. I'll be fine, I'm just a little thirsty," Panther defended, capping the bottle quickly and placing it back under the shelf.
"Well, instead of drinking yourself into a drunken stupor 'cause McCloud's girl rejected you again, how about you help keep the perimeter secure?" Wolf snapped, catching Panther off guard.
"First off, low blow. Second off, when were you ever one to turn down a drink?"
"Because this guy is bad news, and I want him off my ass already. The fact that he hasn't shown up yet is really putting me on edge, and I'd rather take shots after he's got this thing," Wolf stated, looking around the bar uneasily. "Leon! We still clear?" Wolf asked, shifting his attention to the lizard staring out the window.
Leon let out a sigh and flipped his knife, catching the blade on its tip. "Well, it was nothing but dust ten minutes ago, it is nothing but dust now, and it will probably be nothing but dust ten minutes from now," he replied, boredom coating his tone.
"Could've just said yes..." Wolf muttered before popping his neck. "Alright, now we wait. I hope this guy shows his face soon," Wolf growled, lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag. He began to hack and cough before tossing the cigarette on the floor and stamping it out with his boot. "Gods, I've really gotta quit these things," he said under his breath. A few minutes later, a pair of headlights shone through the windows.
"Finally," Leon said, sheathing his knife.
"Alright, smiles everyone. Remember your pleases and thank yous," Wolf reminded with a wry grin. The door creaked open to reveal two bodyguards, one a lemur and the other a komodo dragon. While the lemur dressed in what appeared to be light armor with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulders, the komodo dressed like an assassin. No weapons were visible on his strange armor, the outfit reminding Wolf of some sort of green leather-armored ninja. Panther's ears picked up a scoff from his leader as a brown-furred canine wearing a green officer's uniform appeared from behind the two guards. The hat on his head was tipped low as he kept his hands clasped behind his back. "Y'know, showing up in an officer's uniform's liable to cause trouble 'round here," Wolf greeted, extending his paw out for a handshake.
"Well, trouble is what I am here to cause. As long as you hold up your end of the bargain, I have some information that you would find most useful." Wolf flashed a grin at the prospect of high-value targets. Before he could say anything, the canine noticed the folder. "Do you have what I asked for?" He asked in a slightly nasally tone. Wolf nodded.
"Yes, I do. Don't know what these specific depots did to draw your ire, but here you go." There was a slight smile from the canine, only for it to fade as quickly as it came. He snapped his fingers as the lemur took the folder from Wolf's hand and walked outside with it.
The canine looked Wolf up and down from behind his hat as if he was sizing him up while they waited for the lemur. "I heard you ran into Star Fox earlier today," the canine said with a lack of emotion.
Wolf nodded again. "Yes, we did. We felt that engaging them would be too risky given what we had on us, so I made the call to not fire."
The canine simply grunted. After a few tense seconds, the lemur walked back in. "It's all there, General," he grunted. The canine let out a smile upon the news and faced Wolf. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Star Wolf. We shall send your payment soon enough." With a wide smile, he stuck his paw out for a shake. Wolf returned the gesture.
"Likewise," Wolf began with a smile, looking towards the folder before he raised his brow. "I don't think I got your name though?" Wolf tried to pull his hand back, only to realize that the canine had trapped his hand, and now had a blaster pointed at his head.
"You won't live long enough to get it."
With that, a shot rang out, and Wolf collapsed to the ground. Panther and Leon looked at each other in shock, before they were rushed. Leon was unable to pull his knife out before the komodo stuck two blades deep in his gut, causing a horrific wheezing noise to exit his throat. Panther tried to run into the brawl and assist his friends, only to feel something metal explode into the back of his head. He crashed to the ground as the lemur wailed on him with the butt of his rifle, striking him in the face multiple times. With one last bash to the cheek, Panther found himself unable to stand as he desperately crawled to the bar, hoping to prop himself up and put up a fight. He set his back against the bar as the sounds of gasoline splashing behind him perked his ears up. He noticed a match being thrown and a fire being lit as it quickly started to spread. He knew he was trapped as his legs gave out, his back sliding against the bar as he fell unconscious.
Krystal opened her eyes just in time to see Fox walk into the room with Katt behind him, their eyes begging for answers. With a deep breath, Krystal got to her feet. "From what I could tell, Star Wolf sold info on a few specific depots to a canine in a green Cornerian officer's uniform. I was unable to identify his guards, however."
Fox's blood ran cold, his eyes shooting wide at the description given to him. "Did anyone say his name?"
Krystal shook her head. "I am afraid not. He was only referred to as 'General.'" Krystal paused for a few seconds before she was able to read Fox's expression like a picture book. "Do you think it is Captain Shears?"
For a second, Fox's mouth almost split open, before his lips sealed themselves shut once more. "No, there's no way now that you say it out loud. I saw him crushed under that Andross clone, and even if he survived that, the whole place was burned to the ground. There's no way he's still alive…" Thoughts raced in and out of his mind, but Fox shook them off his brain as he turned to Fay. "Keep them strapped down and under constant surveillance. The last thing we need is Wolf and his crew tearing this place apart looking for answers that we don't have."
With a nod of understanding, Fay went back to patching up the outlaws, her medical expertise keeping them all stable as Fox sighed before another thought crossed his mind. "Slip," he began, turning to face his wingman. "See if you can haul the Wolfens into the hanger. Even if they're just husks, I think that'll win us some points with Wolf when he wakes up."
"Gotcha! I'll get right on it!" Before Fox could even say his thanks, Slippy darted out of the room. With Krystal assisting Fay and ROB, Fox left the med bay. His mind was racked with all kinds of thoughts as he paced down the halls of the Great Fox. The number one thought on his mind dominated his brain, refusing to leave him alone as he took a deep breath. Was this another ghost coming back to haunt him?
~::::~
Wolf awoke to a plain whiteness blanketing his vision. At first, he thought that he died before his vision faded back in and revealed that he was in a med bay. Looking to his left, he noticed Panther lying flat with his face covered by some sort of see-through mask, as if he was being prepared to enter a coffin. To his right was Leon, who had some sort of robot operating on his lower midsection. He noticed that his body was obscured by bed sheets, and tossed them off without a care. All he had on were his pants, with the rest of his clothes bundled up in a bloody pile next to his bed. Leather straps held his lower body down on the bed, making him growl as he tried to free himself. Struggling was futile, and the sudden headache attacking him caused his escape attempt to be put on hold. He felt his head, and noticed the bandaging around it, whatever was under it being the source of the migraine.
Guiding his hand over the injury, he pulled his hand back as his head began to throb and sting, increasing the pain tenfold. Despite the pulsating pain, he still had to find out where he was. The room was clearly some sort of medbay, but how did he end up here? He remembered landing with the folder, walking into the bar, berating Panther, and then...
His eye burned with vengeance as he remembered his betrayal. That dog wouldn't get away with betraying Star Wolf. As he walked towards the sliding door, it suddenly opened to reveal Fox.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were awake. You've been out for around eleven hours, but other than that you're making a good recovery," he said in a friendly tone as he set a cup of coffee down on a nearby counter, giving away that either it was now the morning, or Fox was up all night. Wolf froze in place for a second, before remembering why he was here. He was shot for not shooting Fox down. This was all Fox's fault. Rage overcame the lupine as he growled and resumed his struggling, snarling and gnashing his teeth as he tried to wiggle free.
Fox simply raised an eyebrow and picked up his coffee, taking a loud sip from it as Wolf continued to flail around like a wild animal. After a few more seconds of thrashing, Wolf finally stopped, panting as his one eye locked onto Fox. "Are you finished, Wolf?"
"Blow it out your ass, McCloud." Fox took another sip from his coffee, only drawing Wolf's ire even more. "You're enjoying this aren't you, pup?"
Fox paused mid-sip, swallowing the coffee in his mouth before shaking his head. "Not exactly. Can't exactly say I enjoyed watching Fay perform surgery on you, Panther, and Leon. It was touch and go for a while, but she managed to save your lives."
Wolf snarled, narrowing his eye at Fox. "What, you expect me to be grateful?"
"Well, yeah. You're still alive, aren't you?"
"Why did you even save me? Last I checked you couldn't give half a shit what happens to me or my crew," Wolf asked with a growl in his throat. Fox sighed as he put the coffee cup back down on the counter
"Katt found you guys in trouble, and we gave you a hand. All we wanna know is who did you sell the info to so we can take them down. Call it teamwork."
Wolf threw his head back in a frustrated groan as his gaze met Fox's once more. "No, no, no. The Aparoids were a one-time deal, pup. Don't gimme that 'team' shit," Fox groaned at the lupine's stubbornness. At this point, he didn't know what was more annoying. Dogfighting with Wolf or arguing with Wolf.
"Why not? Do you really hold that much of a grudge from the Lylat Wars, or has pride blinded you to the point where you'd let yourself get shot before you even acknowledge the fact that I'm trying to help you here?" Fox tried to reason, only to fall on the deaf ears of Lylat's most stubborn lupine.
"I don't need your help, pup. And if I wasn't tied down right now, I'd choke the life outta you!" Fox's ear only twitched slightly as he picked up his coffee cup and took another sip. "And stop gargling that damn coffee!"
Wolf's shouts awoke his feline wingman, Panther groaning to consciousness as he quickly came to the same realization Wolf had a few minutes ago. A few seconds of struggling against the straps pinning him down shed light on his current situation. "Boss… why is McCloud standing over us?"
"Because he decided to play Boy Scout and save our lives…" The look on Wolf's muzzle as well as his refusal to look away told Fox that it pained him to say those last three words.
Fox sighed, leaving his coffee cup on the counter as he stood between the two bedridden pilots, his hands balling into fists in his jacket pockets. "Listen, we can help you here. Don't you wanna go after the guy who blew up your Wolfens?"
The tension in the room could be cut with a steak knife, Wolf and Panther both staring at Fox with wide, rage-filled eyes. "Pup. You're gonna have to run that by me again. What happened to our Wolfens?" The low growl in Wolf's voice shook Fox to his core, stiffening his tail and flattening his ears as it looked like both Wolf and Panther were about to leap from their beds and tear him to shreds with their claws.
Taking a deep breath, Fox braced himself. "By the time we found you, your Wolfens had been destroyed. Lupine Fang, Black Rose, and Rainbow Delta are all out of commission."
There was a long, heavy silence that filled the room, one of rage, sorrow, and disbelief all swelling up in the air. The silence was finally broken by Wolf, the sounds of his razor-sharp teeth gnashing together in his mouth. A growl built up in his throat, before he turned to face Fox. "Guy called himself 'The General.' He wanted info that we had on some CDF depots on various planets for a nice payday."
"Did you get a look at his face?"
"Kept it hidden under his hat. All I know is that he had that old CDF captain outfit on." Wolf paused, chewing on his words before narrowing his eye. "Why, you know him?"
"I might. But he should be long dead."
A short laugh freed itself from Wolf's stomach as he shook his head. "Man, ghosts just won't leave you alone, will they? First Andross, now this guy? And that's not even mentioning your old ma-"
"Don't you dare speak ill of my father, Wolf."
The smiles were gone, Fox hovering over Wolf with dueling scowls. The tension was back again before the sounds of hydraulic doors opening entered Fox's ears. Fay walked into the med-bay, her face covered with a surgical mask and her hands concealed by latex gloves. "So, how are they holding up, Fox?" Despite Fay's voice, Fox kept his eyes locked on Wolf, the snarl growing deeper as his rival let a grin split his gray muzzle. "Fox? Are you okay?"
Fox took a deep breath as he turned around to face Fay, concern blanketing her face. "Just fine, Fay. I'm gonna head up to the bridge. You got this?"
Fay nodded, pulling out her tablet and opening the files on both Wolf and Panther. "I got it. They'll be right as rain soon enough."
With a knowing nod, Fox quickly grabbed his coffee cup and walked out of the room, leaving Fay and ROB with the outlaws. As soon as the door was shut behind Fox, a whistle from the wolf caught Fay's ears, and the doctor turned around to face the noise. "Well, hello nurse… Not often we see you flying with the pup."
"I don't mind seeing her now, Boss."
Fay shook her head and looked back down at her tablet, ignoring the comments. "Alright, let's see here. Wolfgang Finnbar O'Donnell. Aliments include but are not limited to; tar-covered lungs, poor hygiene, unhealthy diet, and of course a laser shot at point-blank range that has seared off the flesh on fur on the right side of your head."
The smile from Wolf faded as Fay turned to Panther, the feline wearing an alluring smirk as Fay pulled up his file. "And Panther Matteo Caruso. You took quite a beating from what Krystal was able to gather. The bones in your face have been shattered, so I put you in a plastic face mask to help set them while the treatment I gave you heals you up."
Panther's eyes suddenly went wide, trying to touch his face with his semi-restrained arms. "W-what?! My face! How does it look?! I'm ugly, aren't I?! Gods, why can't I feel it?!"
"That's because you're on so many painkillers that you shouldn't even be able to feel your toes," Fay stated with a smirk. "Trust me, it's best that way. If I didn't put you on the medicine, you would be in excruciating pain."
"But the mask! My face! My beautiful, handsome face!"
"You'll be fine, Panther. Your bones will heal and reset as they were before your assault. There is nothing to worry about." Fay's words seemed to calm Panther down slightly, his panicked breaths now steadying out as he quickly regained his composure.
"I'll be honest man, you look like someone ran over your face with a delivery truck, twice." Wolf's crude diagnosis made Panther let out a sudden wail as he flicked the covers over his face with his wrists like a scared child, his feet and tail tip being the only visible parts of his body.
While Panther had his vanity meltdown and Fay shot him a very displeased look, a concerned grimace passed Wolf's scarred face as he looked at his other wingman. "Is Leon okay?"
Casting her eyes to Leon's bed, Fay nodded. "Yes, he'll be fine. He was stabbed twice in the lower abdomen and torso, so ROB is cleaning, suturing, and sealing the wounds with med-gel while he is being given a blood transfusion. He's very lucky to still be alive, most people would have bled out in the time it took for us to find you guys and get you all set up in my ship."
"Leon's a tough bastard, not surprised he made it through that."
"None of you should have if I'm being honest. If Katt was not flying back from her job, the three of you would not be here right now."
Wolf huffed, his eyes transfixed on his sheets as he shook his head. "Not sure if being alive's much better."
Fay raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to Wolf's bed as she did so. "What makes you say that?"
A scoff echoed from Wolf's throat, the lupine rolling his eyes. "What, you think I'm that oblivious? You got us strapped to beds with nowhere to go. We're the easiest bounty you'll ever catch right now. You'll get whatever info you want before we're sent to Max Sec on Macbeth. Ain't much to look forward to besides three hots and a cot 'till I'm old and grey."
Fay pushed air out of her nose, a smile crossing her muzzle as she folded her arms. "Do you really think Fox wants to let you waste away there?" Before Wolf had time to come up with a response, Fay had walked over to Leon's bed, looking over his wounds. "How are you doing, ROB?"
"Leon Powalski's injuries have stabilized. Wounds have been sealed, blood is flowing without restriction. Bed rest is his primary form of care now."
"Thank you, ROB. I can handle it from here."
"Affirmative." ROB turned and left Leon's bedside, leaving Fay to apply the final touches to his treatment.
"So, why are we not in a CDF triage tent right now, doc?" Wolf's tone carried a more quizzical vibe, but it refused to pull Fay away from triple-checking Leon's injuries.
"Because the local CDF don't know you are on this base. Fox even had Slippy bring in the husks of your Wolfens through a small gap in the patrol rotation. The last thing he needs to deal with is one of the commanders trying to bring in Star Wolf."
Wolf scoffed, his face reading amusement and shock as he let his head bounce off of his pillow. "Oh pup, what are you playin' at? You'd think he has a crush on me at this point! Ha!"
"He will fill you in on the rest soon, right now he wants me to make sure that you all recover before we continue." Fay's cadence refused to shift as she covered Leon's sleeping body with a blanket, like a mother tucking her child into bed before walking to the exit. "If any of you need anything, you can press the button on the side of your beds," Fay began, a scowl crossing her face a second later. "But don't abuse it. If I find out you are pushing that button for fun, I'll send in Falco with a stapler. Got it?" Wolf nodded, while Panther barely poked his head out from under the covers. "Good. Rest up."
With that, Fay left the room, causing Wolf to sigh. A million thoughts were running through his mind, but before he could put a face to any of them, his eye noticed Panther, still cowering under the covers. "Oh, for- show your face you giant freakin' toddler! What, you a cub about to piss his pants after watching a scary movie?!"
"Do you know how hard I worked to keep my face as beautiful as it was?!"
"Yeah, I do, you diva! You're worse than a teenage girl!"
"Oh well excuse me for not finding mangy and scruffy fur attractive! The women I woo require more finesse than cheap booze and a rickety bed! And now look at me!"
"Quit whining! One more word outta you and I'll rip these straps off just to choke you with them!"
"Where… where am I?" Leon's voice broke up the arguing, Wolf turning to face his wingman with a sour expression.
"We almost died. You were this close to kickin' the bucket before Fox and his crew showed up. So now we're on their ship's med-bay."
"Have we been captured?"
Wolf paused for a second, before shrugging. "I've got no clue. Fox and his doctor lady are sendin' us mixed messages. Apparently, they don't wanna send us to Max Sec, all they want us to do is rest."
Leon paused for a second, his brain slowly turning as he felt the straps holding him down. "That is… odd."
"Yeah, you're tellin' me," Wolf huffed. The sounds of beeping machinery and medical equipment filled the air as Wolf took a deep breath, exhaling out his nose shortly after. "All we gotta do now is play the long game. See what the pup wants from us. As well as our escape route."
"Something tells me our ships are not a part of this plan?"
"They're husks, Leon. At least, that's what the pup says. For all I know, he could be lyin', but… nah, he's too much of a boy scout for that. All I know is when the time comes, we can't hesitate, we just gotta act."
~::::~
Walking up to the command deck, Fox opened the door to reveal Peppy sitting in his chair and handing a check to Katt. The pink feline eagerly took the check from Peppy's hands, turning towards Fox with a wide smirk. "Thanks for the danger bonus, Foxy-boy. You sure do know how to treat a woman right." The sultry tone trailing her voice was amplified as she lightly brushed Fox's chin with the check, causing him to roll his eyes and smile.
"You're welcome, Katt. If any more jobs like that come our way, we'll let you know."
"Yes sir, Mr. McCloud sir. Tell Falco I'll see him later tonight." Katt threw a wink Fox's way before she walked off the bridge, the door closing behind her swishing tail.
Fox chuckled as he turned back to Peppy, who locked eyes with the young vulpine. With a raised brow, he pushed his glasses up to his eyes. "How're they holdin' up?"
Fox sighed as he sat on the couch across from the hare, placing his arms behind the backrest as he craned his neck towards the ceiling. "Yeah, they're alive and mostly well. Gonna be a few days before they're able to leave that med-bay without any help though."
"Well, shouldn't worry too much then. Long as we keep that door locked tight and ROB watchin' 'em 'round the clock, we'll be right as rain."
Fox chuckled slightly before he sighed, shaking his head in the process. "Peppy, you knew Wolf before his accident. What was he like?"
Peppy lightly chuckled, putting his tablet down for the moment. "You knew him too. Had a few run-ins with the lad if I recall correctly," he reminded the vulpine, who smirked.
"Yeah, but I was like ten, and he was seventeen. Fourteen years is a lot of time. People change."
Peppy gave off another calming chuckle. "Fox, you haven't changed a bit since you were a pup," he chided, making Fox red in the face.
"Yes, I have!" He childishly exclaimed, only proving Peppy's point.
"Nope. You've got boundless energy, blush like a ripe tomato in front of your wife, and you have an undying sense of optimism. Yeah, you haven't changed, kiddo," Peppy smiled back, causing Fox to roll his eyes with a smirk as his blush faded.
"Look, the most we really talked about was a few passing comments about what was on TV, and even then I'm pretty sure he was just being polite 'cause I was his teacher's kid. You on the other hand were talking to him almost every day, and Dad told me you even considered him for Star Fox before...you know. I just want to know how he was all those years ago before he became so cold," Fox attempted to reel the conversation back in, causing Peppy to smirk.
"You really gotta remind me about my age, huh Fox?" He chuckled. Fox simply shrugged with a vulpine smirk. "Well, you are right. I was scoutin' him. Pup had a lot of talent, enough to rival Jim and I," Peppy's mood quickly soured. "That damn accident never should've happened. We should've gone back for him, and none of this would've happened. I hope Shears is paying his dues wherever he is now," Peppy lamented with a scowl.
Fox on the other hand widened his eyes in shock. "Wait, Shears? As in, Captain Shears?" He asked. Peppy nodded.
"He oversaw that operation. Once Wolf went down, Shears ordered us to fall back. Your dad was stubborn as can be, and told Shears off before the damn cur threatened to turn his guns on us. The things Jim said that day would make Vixy smack him front and back paw twice." Peppy somberly chuckled. "Hazamada said some stuff too, but you know my Eladardian's never been any good. Point bein', none of us wanted to leave." Peppy sighed, shaking his head as the memories of that day flooded back to him. "Back to Wolf, he seemed just like you if I'm bein' honest. Witty, sharp as a tack, and could fly an Arwing any way he wanted. Whatever went down in that cave changed him though, and once he showed up back on Fichina eight years later, he was an entirely different person. I feel like he's got a heart of gold somewhere in that chest of his, but you can bring it out in him. If he sees Jim in you, he'll come around right quick."
"And what about Star Wolf? Panther I could maybe trust, but Leon? Falco's had this look in his eye like he's ready to kill him in his sleep. If Leon even sleeps." Fox worried.
Peppy folded his paws behind his back before patting Fox on the shoulder. "Leon always listens to Wolf with a level of loyalty I've never seen before. As long as Wolf's calm, I'm sure Leon won't try anythin'. As for Falco, keep an eye on him. I know he's got a mean streak with that lizard, so just be ready if he tries to y'know...take matters into his own hands. Especially now." Peppy comforted the vulpine.
Fox sighed with a smile as he stood up, walking over to the hare and patting his shoulder. "Thanks for listening, Peppy. Ship's gonna feel empty without you and your sage wisdom," he said, causing the old hare to smile warmly.
"I wish I could stay, but bein' Pepper's right-hand man is a job I can not refuse. And my old bones just can't keep up with merc work no more. But if you ever need someone to talk to, don't be afraid to give me a call. I've always got time for you, kiddo," Peppy replied, tearing up at the reality of having to completely leave Star Fox for good. Without the two saying a word, they both locked each other up in a tight hug, acknowledging their sorrow before they both pulled back with tears in their eyes. "Jim is mighty proud of you, Fox. Never forget that," Peppy reminded the vulpine, who nodded before he walked out of the control room, leaving his secondary father behind.
As the vulpine walked down the hall, he felt his phone buzz in his jacket pocket. Fishing it out, he saw it was a text from Falco. "Yo, I need 2 blo off some steam, meet me in the gym 4 some fightin n talkin" Fox chuckled as he texted Falco back. "No problem. I'll be there in 5." He texted before heading off to his room to get changed into a dark green t-shirt and some black sweatpants before he walked down to the sparring room.
~::::~
The sound of a punching bag being hit filled the vulpine's ears as he opened the door to the room. The sparring room was a small, simple padded room where members could hone their hand-to-hand skills, as well as any melee weapons. Bright blue mats made up most of the room, with a small area for viewing so that the mats wouldn't be ruined. Falco was wearing a black tank top and red gym shorts. His talons were taped up with white sports tape, giving him additional protection. Fox saw Falco strike one of the punching bags with a roundhouse kick before he turned his head and nodded. "'Bout time you showed up! Was figurin' you were givin' Wolf the Good Guy 101 speech!"
"What, you mean the same one I had to give you?"
"Pretty sure I got the abridged version."
"That's because you tuned out every other word."
Falco refused to dignify that with a response, instead giving Fox a middle finger with a smirk. "Alright, let's get this goin'. Got a lot to talk about," Falco stated as he stretched his wings to their full span.
Fox sat on the ground and undid his boots before slipping them off and stuffing his socks in them. "You know, most people just talk at a table or in the hallway," he stated, grabbing the instep of his foot and pulling back until it touched his lower back.
"We're not most people, Foxie. And doin' this is the one thing that'll keep me from gettin' too pissed off," Falco replied, getting into a defensive stance as Fox stepped onto the mat.
"Let's just go at sixty percent then. Med-bay's already got a few people in it." Fox began bouncing on the balls of his feet and putting his paws up for defense as he got closer to Falco.
The two began to circle each other for a few seconds, looking for flaws in their defense before Fox opened with his first question "So, what's on your mind?" he asked, throwing a front snap kick and striking Falco lightly in the abdomen.
"Hmph. It's Star Wolf. I don't trust 'em." Falco replied, going in for a roundhouse kick before Fox jumped back.
"It's mainly Leon, right?" Fox asked, circling the bird before throwing a reverse heel hook. Falco caught the attack and tucked Fox's foot under his arm before kicking out his base and holding him in an ankle lock.
"And Wolf too. They tried to kill us durin' the Lylat Wars, Fox. Now that they're on our ship, what's stoppin' them from takin' revenge?!" He asked, before tightening his grip on Fox's ankle and dropping his weight down onto Fox's spine, causing the vulpine to tap out. Falco let go of the hold as the two got back into their stances.
"Because I know Wolf isn't a truly bad guy. He just needs to get set in the right direction." Fox commented, before he began to collar and elbow grapple with the avian.
"But what about...Leon? He's a...freakin' psycho." Falco grunted, trying to take Fox down.
"He'll listen...to Wolf...he's loyal to only him...Whoa!" Fox exclaimed as Falco suddenly swept him off his feet and into an armbar. As Falco tightened his grip, he draped his legs across the mat and planted the soles of his talons firmly on the mat as he arched his back up, giving him immense leverage. Fox grunted before he popped his hips and grabbed one of Falco's ankles, much to the avian's surprise. Fox was able to roll the avian over and lock in a rear naked choke. After a few seconds, he felt Falco tap his thigh. Fox quickly let go as he rolled back to his feet and pulled the avian up as well.
"Any other complaints about new team members?" The vulpine asked before assuming a fighting stance.
"Are ya really thinkin' about bringin' along that street racer?" Falco asked, assuming a similar stance as his friend.
"I'm surprised you haven't clicked with TJ, Falco. He seems like he'd be someone you could really be friends with. I mean, you were some kid who only wanted to ride motorcycles before I convinced you to start learning how to fly with us. Look at you now! I've got the same feeling about him that I did about you," Fox explained, throwing a series of lightning-fast kicks in between his words and managing to tag the avian with a few.
"Eh, like I said, I just get a bad feelin' from him. He seems like he always wants to start trouble for the sake of it." Falco replied before he threw a powerful roundhouse. He managed to draw back on the power just a bit so that he wouldn't knock his sparring partner out.
"Weren't you the same? Starting trouble for trouble's sake?" Fox asked before he copied Falco's roundhouse.
"But we can fight. Look at us right now," He stated, as Fox gave him a questioning glare in between his attacks. "Kid looks like he'd get snapped in half by anyone else," Falco reasoned as he tagged Fox with a punch to the gut before kicking him back a few inches.
"Slippy and Fay don't fight like this, so should they be on the team?" Fox asked, knowing the avian's answer as he grumbled before blocking a few attacks from the bird.
"That's a loaded question, Foxie. Fay's a pacifist and Slippy's more at home in the hanger. They're not front-line fighters like us or what the kid wants to be," Falco shot back.
"TJ's also mechanically inclined. You see how excited he gets over that car of his? He knows a lot more than what he wants to let on," Fox replied.
"Yeah, but about the science of an NTD-FX1 Plasma engine? He's out of his element here, Fox. All he can do is drive, and while I admit that's better than most of us, I don't see it bein' a big help in the future," Falco huffed, throwing another roundhouse that Fox dodged perfectly.
"Then I guess he'll have to prove himself in the field some more, right?" Fox asked, confusing the avian.
Fox took advantage of his confused state and whipped his leg around at light speed before striking Falco clean in the beak, using enough force to knock his friend to the ground. Fox quickly performed a knee-on-belly and unleashed a martial arts cry as he punched at Falco's carotid artery before his fist stopped just short of the impact point. Both fighters were panting heavily as Fox widened his smirk. "Fox two, Falco one." He stated as he got off his friend and held his paw out.
Falco smirked as he swept Fox off his feet before he quickly got up and unleashed a martial arts cry of his own, raising his foot for an axe kick and bringing it down at Mach speed before stopping just before caving Fox's chest in. "Fox two, Falco two," the avian replied before stepping off of Fox and holding his wing out. With a scoff, Fox took the gesture and let his friend pull him up to his feet. "Feel better now, Falco?"
"I'll feel better when I get this final point."
"Oh, you're on."
