Fox had never remembered his pool looking so clean, or so… fizzy.

To his surprise, he found the whole pool filled to the brim with bubbling, carbonated water. He balanced at the end of the diving board, but held off from jumping right away, for a choreographed show was unfolding in front of him.

Four figures below swam in a graceful, synchronized dance. He recognized Abby and Liza from the day before, but the other two swimmers were still shrouded in light. Together they formed a diamond shape, with each of the swimmers at one of the four points. They made star patterns by folding their arms and legs in and out, often clasping hands and spinning in circles, or diving into the pool to perform underwater somersaults in time with one another.

While each of the girls swam and performed elegant maneuvers, their brightly-colored bikinis seemed to dissolve into the water, dying it different shades and flavors of…

Whimsy… Cola?!

As Liza rotated beneath the diving board, she sang up at him, "Come on in, the water's fizzy! Grab yourself a can o' Whimsy!"

Likewise Abby sang when she floated by, "Your coat looks so hot and furry; drink some Whimsy in a hurry!"

The third figure rotated into view, and Fox recognized him as… Falco?! The avian wore a bright yellow two-piece that left the water an amber color in his wake.

"Wanna be as smart as Da Vinci? Just grab yourself a can a' Whimsy!"

"That better be pineapple you're leaving behind, Falco."

His teammate suddenly broke formation and swam over to the diving board. Fox bent down so Falco could whisper in his ear.

"Don't freak out, but you're the one peeing IRL."

Fox's face turned white. "Oh no…"

The fourth swimmer finally rotated into view, revealing himself to be ROB. Struggling to stay afloat, the robot's voice gurgled with bubbles when he spoke.

"WAKE UP. WAKE UP. FOX, WAKE UP—"

Mission No. 8

Lylat
Venomian Airspace

"Dread"

Σ-β

Lazily, Fox opened a blurry eye.

He had fallen asleep in the captain's chair of the Great Fox, which he'd reclined all the way back the night before. Once again he found himself dressed in an undershirt and briefs, shivering in the cold, air-filtered bridge—but to his surprise, he found someone had covered him with a blanket.

"What the…?"

He certainly cherished the warmth from the covering; someone on the ship had left it as a gesture of kindness without him knowing. But who was still around that would do such a thing for him…

Looking to his left he came face-to-face with ROB—specifically, Navigation ROB, for he was only one of several units that made up the ship's mechanical crew.

Fox flinched; his steely cold friend had no concept of personal space.

"ROB, did you put this on me?"

"Affirmative," ROB's voice synthesizer buzzed.

The todd frowned, then shrugged and patted his metallic friend on the head. "Well, thank you… ROB's programming."

The robot only responded with a whirring sound, not taking his photoreceptors off their present course.

ROB was much more than a singular robot—in fact there were several stationed around the ship. Each unit had a different role, such as navigating, managing supplies, janitorial work, and even cooking. In actuality, 'ROB' was an AI program nestled within the Great Fox's mainframe. If one section of the ship became damaged in battle, and a ROB shell was lost, his central program would still be safe to control the ship's functions and remaining units.

While certainly handy, the effect of multiple identical-looking robots often unsettled Fox. He still found himself asking from time-to-time, "How the hell did you get here so fast?" upon finding what appeared to be the same unit in another room seconds later.

James and Peppy had nicknamed this particular bridge unit "Navigation ROB", given he was responsible for charting their course and controlling the ship's autopilot function.

"I apologize for disturbing your beauty rest, but we have arrived at our destination," the robot informed him.

Fox slipped out of the captain's chair, but grimaced when his bare paws hit the icy floor. Shivering in the cold air of the bridge, he grabbed the blanket ROB gave him and draped it over his head and shoulders. He yawned, still feeling drowsy and sick at the same time, as if his nap had only made things worse. It didn't help that he'd had another one of those strange dreams again—though this time it'd been blinding white, and he distinctly felt the jab of a needle… in an arm that wasn't his.

"Ugh. Am I still feeling the side effects of that medication? Sheesh, and I even skipped my dose last night. Must work exponentially or something. Not that I got any sleep that night anyway…"

He padded across the icy metal floor to an instant coffee machine, which ROB had already primed in anticipation. Fox poured himself a styrofoam cup's worth and walked back to the captain's chair. He carefully tasted the steaming beverage while gazing out the window.

"So this is Sector V…"

The aptly-named cosmic cloud was the newest addition to Lylat's family. After Star Fox destroyed Bolse's core, the entire satellite went nuclear, leaving behind an amethyst-colored nebula in the shape of a letter V. Now that Peppy had explained its origins to Fox, that specific piece of the puzzle fell right into place. It was just like Sectors X, Y, and Z—only this time Fox had single-handedly created his own nebula, forever leaving his mark on the system. This was his own little signature: his graffiti initials forever carved into Lylat, even after he was long dead and gone.

Fox cackled to himself as he sipped his coffee.

Given the sector's proximity to Venom, the fact that it was uncharted, and that it housed dangerous clouds of radiation storms and magnetic waves, the nebula had become the ideal location for fleeing enemy troops on their way out of Venom.

Fox, however, planned to use it as a way in.

"ROB, we'll hide the Great Fox inside Sector V. I'll go down to Venom's surface alone, so I need you to protect the ship without me. Be on the lookout for anyone: scavengers picking through Bolse's wreck, escaping Venomians—even pirates searching for a new hideout; anyone who might be interested in an unmanned dreadnought. And that includes nosy Cornerians. Can I count on you?"

ROB whirred for a second, seeming to debate his response.

"Yes Fox. I will keep the ship safe from… the fuzz."

Fox patted the robot's head again. "Attaboy."

The vulpine summoned a holoscreen to mirror his current appearance. He grimaced when he saw his unkempt coat, mussed-up hair, droopy turquoise eyes, dirty underclothes, and general slouching posture.

"Ohhh boy," he murmured, shaking his head. "Fox, you've really let yourself go."

The gears in ROB's head whirred. "Do you want a second opinion?"

"Nobody asked you, ROB," Fox grumbled. Then, lifting the coffee cup to his mouth, he quietly added, "Guess the day has finally come for the 'hero of Lylat' to put on pants again…"

While ROB maneuvered the Great Fox deeper into the ionized folds of Sector V, Fox made his way back through the ship towards his cabin, and the fresh set of clothes that awaited him. Though excited to be closer to the answers he sought, his anticipation increasingly soured to unease the further he ventured into the dreadnought.

Usually the Great Fox, which had been his home for a full year prior, was bustling with activity: Peppy communicating with Cornerian military HQ, Slippy banging on ship parts and organizing supplies, Falco blaring his music obnoxiously-loud, and an automated crew of ROB units all going about their work.

But now they were all… gone.

He felt like each of his friends had abandoned him: Slippy was busy teaching himself programming and cyber security, Peppy had flat-out refused to support Fox's trip to Venom, and Falco was probably still trying to use his fame to hook up with star-struck fangirls. Even most of the ROB units had been powered down to save on energy expenses, barring the one in the bridge. Their lifeless bodies stood upright, ergonomically folded and packed against walls and awkward corners of the ship as if someone had tried to hide them away like corpses.

All-in-all, it felt like the Great Fox had become a derelict ghost ship. He couldn't shake the feeling of being a scrapper who'd found an abandoned dreadnought left drifting in the vacuum. It didn't help that most of the lights were off to conserve fuel. Except for the deep, nearly imperceptible rumble of the engines, the whole ship remained quiet. It was empty. No one else had come with him, save for the AI tethered to the ship. At least he'd never abandon him…

Fox hadn't been alone on a mission like this since the final battle against Andross. But… maybe he liked it this way. How refreshing to have no one else around who wanted things from him.

After getting dressed, Fox hid the Great Fox on the outskirts of Sector V—deep enough to avoid detection from Cornerian patrols, pirates, and scrappers, but still a safe distance from the heart of the hazardous radiation storms. It was hard to rationalize why he did it; just a growing sense of paranoia, or perhaps an overabundance of caution. He even went so far as to disable all signals emitting from the Great Fox—even the tracker that would let him find it. On the way back, he'd simply rendezvous at the set of coordinates he'd left it at.

With the mothership hidden, Fox set out alone in his Arwing. It sure felt odd only scrambling his one fighter, but ever since he'd gone in to fight Andross alone, he'd started preferring it that way. Part of him wondered, would all of Star Fox ever scramble together again?

To his own amazement, his appearance had made a miraculous recovery since that morning. He was nearly as dashing and cleanly-groomed as he had been during the Lylat Wars. His forest green jumpsuit wasn't wrinkled, his white flight jacket was crisp and clean, and his favorite red bandana was wrapped neatly around his neck. Well, it was more than just his "favorite"; it was once his father's, and the only memento Peppy had been able to bring back to Fox after…

After he never returned from the very planet Fox was headed to.

What scared him most about Venom was that sole fact. A year ago when he flew through the labyrinthine trenches and canyons, all he could think about was how his father had met his fate in the same place. At any moment, Fox was worried he might turn a corner and happen upon his wreckage, scattered among the rocks. Perhaps the next valley would result in a dead end, and he'd be trapped by hundreds of Venomian ships just like his dad; or maybe while entering Andross's stronghold he would find his father's captured fighter.

The vulpine began to feel butterflies stirring in his stomach. For the first time in a long while he felt afraid. Everything about this seemed wrong; like he was back in the Lylat Wars again. His voyage aboard the Great Fox, his same old clothes, the Arwing's familiar cockpit, the silence of space… All these factors made him feel anxious. He did his best to calm his nerves, reassuring himself he wouldn't run into any Venomians on the way down. It was no use though; every second the tension inside him built to a head, triggering his fight-or-flight response.

Fox cursed himself, setting his jaw and clutching the control stick tighter. "Get a grip, dammit," he whispered aloud. "You were here before, and everything went well. You made Venom your bitch. It can't hurt you. It… it's just an empty planet now…"

Slowly at first, the purple clouds of the nebula began to thin out, and his heart began to beat louder and quicker. Then all of a sudden, the haze disappeared completely, whisking back like a curtain to reveal his destination.

Fox swallowed.

Venom.

The sickly brown-and-yellow planet churned like a sewage drain before him, sucking his ship down into the funnel. His nausea had reached its peak, and for a few seconds he anxiously fidgeted in the cockpit, trying to distract himself to keep from vomiting: checking the Arwing's monitors, sipping a bottled water—anything besides looking at that horrible sight. Making matters worse, he felt a familiar buzzing between his temples.

"Ugh, glad I skipped breakfast today," he nervously joked. To no one.

A strong glint of light shone on the planet's western horizon, catching Fox's attention. As he flew closer, the object took shape; it was the Venomian Orbital Research Station—the same one that had notified General Pepper about Andross's early activities on Venom, though not soon enough. The emperor had captured it before the outbreak of the war, and for several years all communications from the satellite ceased. Fox shivered to think what might've happened to the occupants at Andross's hands, but of course after the war the Venomians abandoned it, and the Cornerians reclaimed the station for use as a military checkpoint.

"Attention fighter craft, you are entering Venomian airspace. This is a class-2 forbidden planet and a secure military sector. You will not be permitted atmospheric entry until you have verified your identity and security clearance level."

Fox began lazily orbiting the VORS in wide circles, keeping an unaggressive distance. He switched on his dash cam to broadcast the interior of his cockpit to the airspace controllers.

"This is Fox McCloud of Star Fox, just paying you boys a little friendly visit. I was wondering if you could get me access to a surface hangar?"

In response, the station controller connected his own video feed. The husky guard looked genuinely surprised to see him.

"Oh, Mr. McCloud! It's an honor, sir! B-but we weren't expecting you here. There's nothing on the flight schedule about your arrival. Perhaps you've come to observe the trials?"

Oh right, those were going on today, weren't they?

"…That is my secondary objective for being here, yes," Fox lied. "But I was hoping I could find some work helping you guys clear out the labs."

The air controller pursed his lips. "I'm afraid we can't let you do that without proper clearance, Mr. McCloud."

Fox's heart sank.

"I'm well-aware of your accomplishments, sir, and if I may say so, you are a personal hero of mine, but I can't make any exceptions. You'd first have to get the approval of an officer or research director with the proper rank. I'm sorry, but you'll have to turn ba—"

"Fox, Fox is that you?!" a new voice cut into the line.

The todd thought he recognized it. Cautiously he asked, "Mr. Toad?"

"It's a pleasure having your presence here, Fox!" Beltino Toad exclaimed. "What seems to be the trouble, my boy?"

Fox smiled, instantly feeling hopeful again. "Oh, you know, just feel kinda restless. Needed to verify for myself that Venom is completely subdued and quiet, so I thought I'd stop by to reassure myself. But it seems I don't have the proper clearance to—"

"Proper clearance? Nonsense! You're my guest! As Research Director of the Venomian Containment and Reclamation Program, I grant you the highest clearance I can afford! …Within reason, of course. Come on down; I'll personally give you a tour of the labs!"

Beltino ended the call, leaving just Fox and the airspace controller. The canine's face burned red beneath his visor.

"Uh, Fox McCloud you are cleared for landing. Please use hangar twelve on the north side of the compound. Enjoy your stay in…" he gulped, "Venom…"

ㅤ⨶ㅤ

Following atmospheric entry, Fox broke through the clouds and gazed down at Venom's heartland. It wasn't a pretty sight, nor one he ever wanted to see again. Most of the landscape consisted of jagged brown rocks, labyrinths of claustrophobic trenches, deserts of gritty sand and ash, and desiccated Venomian bases.

Right in the middle of the compound sprawled their once impenetrable defense headquarters: a series of shielded bunkers, military installations, and armored fortresses that housed the backbone of Venom's fierce army. After the successful Cornerian invasion, however, most of it lay in ruins.

South of the territory bubbled Venom's putrid acid ocean, completely inhospitable to life. The seething bile would burn anyone that set foot in it. On its banks sat the Empire's capital city: Venomia—an ugly, sprawling city of brutalist skyscrapers housed in a glass dome. After it fell and the allied powers began reconstructing it, they renamed the city "Ambrosia", sharing the responsibility of ruling Venom's former citizens and setting up reformed successor governments to the empire. To say tensions between the divided nations were high would be an egregious understatement.

To the east lay the smoldering ruins of Andross's lair, the earth permanently scarred and shattered after the chambers beneath it collapsed. All trace of Andross and his personal items were forever buried there, but for Fox there was no tomb too deep for the madman's remains. Just before it, however, lay an ancient temple built thousands of years prior, when the planet was still hospitable. Fox had led his team through its main hall to slip under Venom's defenses, covering their approach to Andross's lair. Oddly enough, all of the trenches in the area converged on the temple, rather than the military HQ, as if it were a star with dozens of points radiating outwards.

His main destination, however, was the oft-overlooked laboratory compound to the north. Strategically it had been of little importance during his attack, as his only concern had been dealing with Andross at the time.

Following the air controller's advice, Fox landed his Arwing inside the lab's hangar, now designated hangar '012'. He popped the canopy and hopped onto his wing before jumping to the ground.

Dusting himself off, he looked around the hangar. It had the usual grime and filth present in most Venomian facilities, stubbornly persisting no matter how hard their Cornerian occupiers scrubbed and polished. Outside the atmospheric forcefield, the muddy clouds of Venom drifted by like toxic sludge. The wind bellowed and howled, but inside he was safe from its wrath. Fox realized he'd never actually set foot on Venom's surface before this moment; this was his first time. And as soon as his boot touched down, he felt as if all the warmth in his body was sucked out through its sole into the cold floor.

Hearing footsteps, he turned and noticed a contingent of Cornerian soldiers led by a short, squat amphibian: Beltino Toad. Deceptively named, the frog stood only as tall as Fox's shoulders, much like Slippy. His skin was older, darker, and leatherier than his son's, while his upper lip bore a thin pencil mustache. He wore a white lab coat and gold, square-rimmed spectacles.

"Well-well, if it isn't Fox McCloud, Lylat's star hero!"

Fox rolled his eyes and shook hands with the scientist, who surprised him by turning it into a hug.

"I owe you a lot for keeping my son safe!"

Ah yes, the reason for the beaming face and warm welcome…

"Thanks Mr. Toad, but I owe your son for keeping our ships in working order. And of course without your cutting-edge Arwings, the course of the war would've been entirely different."

Beltino blushed when Fox turned the praise back on him. "Oh! Well, I guess you could say that."

As they chatted, the Cornerian soldiers gingerly began checking out his Arwing: scanning the hull, x-raying the interior, and searching the cockpit and storage compartments. Fox couldn't help but watch them as they worked, feeling nervous they might find something—though it was an unfounded fear.

Beltino waved a webbed hand. "Ah, don't mind them. They're just doing their duty. They have to check your ship for potential weapons and such."

Fox patted the long barrel of his Arwing's plasma cannon. "Other than the obvious?"

The scientist laughed and grasped his belly. "Oh, haha, a fair point! I know it seems silly and all, but it's a precautionary measure. You never know when someone might try to sneak in or out of the base with Venom's secrets. Or perhaps an enemy scientist might come to destroy Andross's work before, god forbid, we turn it around for good."

Beltino led Fox out of the hangar and into the research compound proper. It sure was a sight. The Venomian labs were filthy even before their capture—but add onto that a full-scale battle taking place in these cramped halls, and the whole compound turned into a real mess. Pockmarks from lasers had burned holes in the walls, while the edges of corners were chipped away by soldiers trading fire around them. But at least since then the Cornerians had tried to bring some semblance of cleanliness and order to the labs.

Beltino stopped Fox at a checkpoint before they got much further into the labs.

"Sorry about all the heightened security," the frog apologized again.

"No, I understand."

Fox obliged the security guards, handing over his drawstring backpack and removing anything that contained metal from his person. While he stepped through the detector, the soldiers picked through his possessions, carefully scrutinizing his blaster, phone, wallet, crumpled granola bar, and filtration mask he'd brought on the off-chance he wound up outside the compound. They even scanned his PDU to make sure it contained no malevolent programs that might be used against the lab's computers.

Once Fox had dressed on the other side of the metal detector, the guards entered his blaster into the registry and handed it back—along with the rest of his items.

Beltino placed a guiding hand on his shoulder (or at least tried to; he could only reach his lower back).

"Ready to begin the tour, Fox?"

He nodded. "Ready when you are, Mr. Toad."

The frog clucked his lips. "Please, just 'Beltino' will suffice."

"Haha, alright…"

Fox followed Beltino through the maze-like halls of the laboratory. He was amazed by just how expansive it was; it seemed to worm deeper and deeper into Venom's earth, the tunnels and halls never ending. There were many side rooms and cordoned-off sections that Beltino explained they had to keep secret, but that it was nothing personal against Fox (military secrets and all). Still, the amphibian excitedly explained what lay inside many of the rooms and some of the stranger projects Andross had commissioned and helped in. Fox had to resist the urge to blurt out a question about Andross working with his mother, or he risked spoiling the whole operation.

They continued passing Cornerian guards who patrolled the halls and stood at sentry posts outside certain doors. Besides military personnel, a great number of scientists and technicians scurried about with specimens and tablets.

"So, if you're here," he asked Beltino, "does that mean Space Dynamics oversees cleaning out Andross's labs?"

"Yes indeed, it does. The Cornerian government requisitioned Space Dynamics staff for the task, and my superior Yaru de Pon elected me to manage things on this end. I have to see to it that all Venomians remaining in the labs are captured; I have to make sure all the dangerous experiments are neutralized and any surviving test subjects are cared for; and I have to sort through potentially valuable Venomian projects. Andross was a madman, yes, but insanity often walks hand-in-hand with ingenuity and creativity. For every horrible experiment the Venomians dreamed up, there's another that is actually beneficial and could help Lylat recover. It's our job to sort through them all, Fox."

"I'm surprised they'd hire a private company to do the task—and that you were able to beat out Phoenix Corp for the job."

"Hmm? Phoenix Corp? Well, haha, you don't know it yet, but what you said is quite funny. We're hardly rivals anymore—but pretend I didn't say anything."

Fox cocked his head. "Huh?"

Beltino simply continued without further elaboration. "As for your former statement, don't be too surprised Corneria has to hire private companies to do its heavy lifting. After all, they hired you in their darkest hour, did they not?"

"Oh. Good point…"

"Still, I have my work cut out for me. It's been a year since the fall, and we have yet to catalog and secure many of the lower levels—this here's only the fifth floor! For all we know, there may still be Venomians holding out down there, so I'm glad you answered Dr. Makepeace's call."

Fox's ear twitched. "Makepeace? You wouldn't mean Dr. Marjorie Makepeace?"

"Oh-ho, you didn't know your therapist worked here as well? She's the best psychologist and neuroscientist Space Dynamics has! Given the strange condition Andross left you in before he died, we wouldn't let just anyone tend to you. Count yourself lucky to be her patient! I assume you accepted her job offer?"

"Uh, offer?"

"Yes-yes, the one she sent you? We knew you might be looking for a job again and thought it best to invite you. That way, you can guard the labs while staying close to your therapist. You're not her only patient, you know!"

Fox cursed himself for not reading Marjorie's message earlier. "I'm… considering it. Just want to look around a bit first."

"Oh, absolutely—but I'd sure love your company, and it makes me feel secure knowing you of all people are here. If you kept my son safe through the war, surely you'll keep me safe! Though please don't think me selfish for wanting you here with me and not in your cockpit cleaning up the remnant on the edges of the system…"

Fox paid closer attention to some of the scientists and soldiers they passed, wondering if he might spot his therapist. None of them seemed to share Beltino's chipper attitude. On the contrary, the lines in their faces creased, their eyes darted nervously about, and a few of the more anxious ones seemed to startle at any sudden sound. Some didn't seem to get any sleep at all, while others looked downright nauseous and claustrophobic. There wasn't a smile to be found among any of them, barring the half-hearted ones they gave Fox when they recognized him. It looked like many needed a few sessions with Marjorie more than he did…

"You know Beltino, I didn't expect you to be in such a good mood when I met you," Fox said.

"Really? It must be because I love my work so much. It makes me feel proud knowing my efforts here will help the rest of Lylat's people… recover…"

Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, Beltino took Fox's elbow and led him to a secluded corner out of earshot.

"To tell you the truth, Fox, it is taxing on our scientists to work in these… unpleasant labs—especially when handling Andross's more sinister creations. Someone in our taskforce suffers a new breakdown each day, even when Space Dynamics sends them here in shifts. I do my best to put on a cheery face and encourage the others, but at times even I can feel a bit… odd." He shivered. "Venom does strange things to people. It affects your psyche."

Fox nodded warily. "I understand exactly what you mean…"

Together they passed a viewing window looking out a large trench scarring Venom's surface. The lab was carved into the cliff face—and most likely descended even deeper than the valley itself.

The pair stopped for a moment to look out over the windswept wasteland. The overcast skies only permitted a dim light to enter from the sun, causing the land to endure a perpetual, muddy twilight.

From their vantage point they could see clear down the canyon to the center of Andross's complex. On the opposite side of the temple Fox flew into was a completely new building the Cornerians had constructed: courtroom of the ICC—the Interplanetary Criminal Court.

"You know your friend Bill Grey is attending the trials now?" Beltino asked, nudging Fox.

"Bill? Here? That's a nice surprise. I'll try to make it over there today after we finish our… tour…"

A sharp pain stabbed at the front of Fox's skull, and the edges of his vision went a bit fuzzy. He winced and rubbed his forehead.

Beltino noticed his discomfort. "Is everything alright, Fox?"

Fox nodded. "Yeah, just feeling a bit dizzy."

The frog laughed reassuringly. "Oh, this place seems to have that effect on people. Is there anything I can get you?"

The todd reached into his flight suit pocket but discovered his bottle of migraine pills was missing. He patted the rest of his jacket and jumpsuit down only to come up empty.

When he couldn't find the pills in his bag either, Fox began to panic. He must've forgotten the medication at home! Ugh! Looked like he'd have to weather the worst of the symptoms without it.

"Um, know anywhere I could get a quick drink? Just water or something."

"Of course. Down that hall and to the left there are some restrooms. I'll wait here by the, heh-heh, scenic view…"

Fox followed the simple directions and found a small alcove in the hall. Doors to male and female restrooms bookended the alcove, while a water fountain and a soda machine lay against the back wall. Fox took time to appreciate how much work went into the simple comforts of life. For instance, how the hell Andross managed to get clean, running water on Venom. If it was clean…

Well, the taste was a bit briny, but Fox couldn't afford to be picky. He splashed the rest of the water over his forehead and wiped his mouth off with the back of his sleeve. Taking a step back, he briefly checked the soda machine.

He blinked, dumbfounded.

A bright can of Whimsy Cola was advertised on the front, riding a wave of citrusy goodness and dripping with condensation.

That's odd. They came out on Cornerian shelves like yesterday, so how did they manage to get a machine all the way out here, to the lost corner of Lylat?

Looking closer he realized that the logo for 'Whimsy' wasn't even written in Cornerian.

It was in Venomian.

"What the…"

Suddenly red warning lights sprang to life, and wailing sirens echoed throughout the halls. The intercom crackled as a panicked voice came on the air.

"Warning, a subject has escaped on laboratory floor 5. Repeat, a subject has escaped on lab floor 5. Specimen threat level is class-A: most dangerous! All scientists and non-military personnel must immediately evacuate the area and take refuge in designated safe rooms. Lab sections 9, 17, 18, 29, and 30 must be evacuated immediately!"

Did the woman say Section 9?

Hearing the clops of quick footsteps, Fox spun around. He found Beltino barreling towards him, his lab coat flapping wildly.

"Fox, there's been an emergency!"

"Oh, I thought that's what that meant."

Grabbing hold of the vulpine's arm he began pulling him away. "We have to evacuate now!"

"What's wrong? What's Section 9? And-and the others!" he hastily added.

"Don't you understand?!" Beltino hopped up and down. "Those are several of Andross's bioweapons units! You've seen firsthand the horrible monsters he's created; it could be any number of them! And it sounds like one of the most dangerous has escaped!"

Fox clasped Beltino's shoulder. "I can help! If there are civilians down there, I have to get them out!"

"With all due respect Fox, your expertise lies in space combat. Some rogue Venomians wouldn't be a challenge, but you've never fought one of Andross's monstrosities on foot before!"

"Beltino, trust me, I can do this! I saved Lylat, didn't I?"

The lead scientist furrowed his brow. "Alright Fox, I believe in you. I should have known I could never stand between you and your selfless desire to help others, so I'll leave you to it. But be careful!"

"You can count on me!" Fox said, slapping Beltino's back. "Now, off you go! I'll meet up with you later!"

"Good luck, Fox!" Beltino called as the two sprinted in opposite directions.

But while Fox ran through the flashing red halls, he smirked.

"Selfless desire" my ass! This is my chance to grab some research files in all the chaos…

Heading down the hall, Fox patched himself into the soldiers' coordination network. He flipped down his green eyepiece, positioned his microphone, and held a finger to his ear.

"This is Fox McCloud, reporting for duty."

"McCloud?!"

"Alright!"

"No way!" came the Cornerians' responses.

"Cut the chatter," a no-nonsense voice barked. "This is Commander Clayton. It's an honor to work with you, McCloud."

Fox picked up the pace and began sprinting towards the rearmost lab sections. "Fill me in Commander. What's going on?"

The todd divided his attention between listening to the coordination network and checking his surroundings for any sign of the "monster".

"You probably heard over the intercom, but we've had a security breach on the fifth level. Seems a research specimen broke out—and a dangerous one at that. Space Dynamics scientists are urging extreme caution."

"It's that dangerous?"

"Heh-heh, yeah," Clayton laughed nervously. "Several scientists were reported missing at the time the alarm was sent, and some of the first responders already aren't answering our communications. I'm afraid it may have gotten them."

"'It'?"

"It. The eggheads aren't sure which research subject escaped yet. It could be anything, really: a sentient blob of toxic waste, a giant insectoid freak, an amalgamation of different creatures… or maybe even something deceptively Lylatian. Keep your guard up."

Fox grinned to himself. "Oh I've seen plenty of Andross's science fair projects firsthand: mutated sushi, exploding starfish, giant clams…"

Collectively the soldiers on the network murmured in wonder.

"You know, I wouldn't believe half the stories they told about you," Clayton said, "if it wasn't for the sights I've seen down here."

"Hey, I don't ask questions. I just kill whatever ugly mother-hubbard gets in my way."

An excited voice broke in: "Commander Clayton, I think I've found something!"

"Speak up soldier."

"Wait… false alarm. It's just a lab worker. They're awful hurt though. God, that's a lot of blood—they're practically covered in it, but they're still alive."

"Break off your search and get them to safety, Private."

"Yes sir. They're still able to walk—they're approaching me now. I'll see if I can… what the hell?! It's her! It's HER! AUGHCK—!"

Everyone else went dead silent on the network as the soldier abruptly screamed. Slowly his gurgled cries died out, replaced with complete silence.

"Aimes! Aimes, do you copy?" Clayton shouted. "Shit… everyone, stay on your guard down there!"

What the hell did he mean by, "it's her"?

Fox slid to a stop.

Up ahead the sirens were dead silent, and the lights were off—even the emergency ones. The red wash of light bathing the halls simply faded into complete pitch-black shadow, leaving not a single hint at what lay ahead.

The young vulpine gulped, hesitating on the edge between the red light and shadow, but ultimately he pressed on into the darkness. If he wanted to find information about his mother, he'd have to reach Section 009—monster or no monster.

Fox activated a flashlight on his wrist unit, stabbing a spotlight of fluorescent blue into the blackness ahead. The light guided his way deeper into the lab, but every which way he angled the beam created new shadows that danced across the floor and walls, tricking him into thinking something was moving along them.

The red glow of the warning lights faded behind him, and only a faint echo of the alarms reached his ears. There was no turning back. Shadow lay both before and behind him, so he might as well press on deeper.

Soon there was absolute silence, just as there was absolute darkness. Fox's sensitive ears struggled to pick up noises that might give the monster away, but the sound of his own footsteps and heavy breathing seemed amplified a hundred times, drowning out anything else. Each step felt like he was shattering glass or committing some other uproariously-loud act. He tried regulating his breathing but wasn't very good at it.

Was he really this scared? he asked himself.

Emphatically, yes.

Fox had the sudden realization he wasn't in his element anymore. Beltino was right; he was second to none in aerial combat, but on foot? He wasn't anything special. Against the usual brainless Venomian thug it was no contest, but this… creature seemed far from normal. He had bragged to the soldiers about all the monstrous-sized bioweapons he had bested in the sky, but the truth was he would rather fight something a thousand times bigger from the comfort of his Arwing than a person-sized monster in hand-to-hand.

Wrenching him from his thoughts, his flashlight's beam alighted on something on the floor.

Fox sucked in a breath and held it.

It was a Space Dynamics researcher.

At least, it had been…

Fox couldn't even make out what species it was, except that it was once mammalian. Other than that, its condition left it beyond recognition. The Lylatian was torn to shreds, their tattered white lab coat and fur clinging to their body in bloody scraps. Most of the poor soul's limbs were literally dismembered, the short stumps bleeding out until they covered the entire width of the hallway floor in deep red.

Horrified, Fox quickly danced the beam around the rest of the floor, identifying several more faceless bodies in similar conditions.

The missing scientists… But what in Lylat's name could've done this to them, without any sort of resistance?

Beyond the violent damage to the researchers, the walls and ceiling showed unnatural signs of destruction as well. The wall against which one of the scientists lay was dented into a smooth dome shape. Every red warning light protruding from the ceiling was smashed, and the audio system responsible for the sirens was literally ripped from the walls; the wires and speaker nodes hung like vines from newly torn cracks.

A chill ran up and down his spine; his hands felt clammy around his blaster, and the sweat beading on his forehead felt like it was freezing. All of the sudden, the steel hallway was beginning to feel very, very cold.

The monster had done this. It had been here just minutes before him, and for all Fox knew, it was still around.