ㅤ

Mission No. 14

Venom
Eladard Occupation Zone

"A City Divided"

ㅤ⨶ㅤ

With some difficulty they climbed out of the hole, surfacing in Ambrosia's slums. Though it was only a few hours past noon, the streetlights had already powered on, combating Venom's perpetual twilight. In the land of the Exiles, the sun rarely pricked through the smothering clouds.

While the reconstruction effort had cleaned up much of the city in only a year, significant portions remained in ruins—particularly the poor ones. Rubble still littered the streets, many sewer systems were caved in, and buildings lay toppled where they had fallen. Primates, reptiles, and an odd array of minority species populated the streets like walking corpses, gathering around trash fires to warm their hands, exchanging goods in alleys, or lying drunk on benches, gutters, and dumpsters. Half the people Fox saw he thought might just be dead, rotting away since the war ended.

Krystal kept her hood pulled low, though she couldn't hide the tip of her blue-and-white-furred muzzle. Her eyes scanned the streets and dilapidated buildings, apprehensively watching the citizens they passed.

Fox stayed close to her, eyes darting to every group, every person, and every doorway they passed. Ostensibly his closeness was to help her walk, as he let her lean on him for support, but he still felt paranoid someone might try and jump them. Krystal's clothes in particular stuck out due to their newness, though Fox couldn't tell if the Venomians were raising their eyebrows at her attire or glimpses of her strange blue fur beneath the hood and sleeves.

Luckily, they made it to the city center without incident, entering a much better-kept sector of Ambrosia. Here the extensive war damage from street-to-street fighting was harder to spot, quickly covered over in the year since the fall.

"Wow…"

The fear and apprehension in Krystal's irises faded. Instead she began swiveling her head to take in every sight, overwhelmed by the alien urban landscape. In her eyes Fox saw the sparkling wonders of Ambrosia reflecting: multitudes of different peoples, from native Venomians to the species of the allied planets; flashing neon signs; storefront windows bursting with products; modern hovercars and bikes packing the streets; and most captivating of all, the tall buildings themselves.

At one point the vixen stopped beneath a skyscraper, bending over backwards to try to take it all in. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped as its immense size towered over her.

'It… doesn't fall?!'

"Nope, no danger at all—Whoa, but you might!"

He rushed to catch her when she lost her balance, nearly tipping over backwards trying to take it all in.

Delicious scents reached their noses, telling of savory Venomian dishes and sweet confectioneries from food carts and restaurants alike. If Fox hadn't already eaten lunch, he would've gone for some more. Lizard and simian children ran past them, playing in the streets as if the war had never met its end here. Parents conversed on street corners, speaking Venomian, Eladardian, and even broken Cornerian. Businessmen and women rushed from building to building with briefcases, excitedly talking on phones. Everywhere Fox looked, the city sector under Eladard occupation had returned to normal, and life moved on. Empires might come and go, but the people in them stayed, regardless of who ruled over them.

All of the sights were too much for Krystal to take in at once. The dizzying skyscrapers, alien species, and flashing lights had a hypnotizing effect on her. There were so many sounds to parse, so many images to resolve, so many separate minds to isolate. She could only focus on one thing for so long before another caught her attention—and another, and another… It became so much she started to panic.

Noticing how agitated she looked, Fox grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

She blinked, looking around. 'It's… it's too much! I can't tell what's going on. I feel like I'm going to…'

Suddenly she clutched her stomach and leaned forward. Fox stopped in front of her, turning to face her. "Krystal?"

The vixen grimaced. 'Sick…'

Her eyes widened and her cheeks bulged, and she covered her mouth hurriedly.

"Oh geez, alright, come with me!"

Fox quickly led her down an alley, where the Cerinian doubled over behind a dumpster. Bracing her hands against the cement wall, she threw up her meager lunch.

'D-damn it,' she thought to him, even with her mouth still occupied. 'That was the first food I've had in a long time. I liked it…'

Fox stood behind her, unsure of what to do. She looked so sad hunched over like that, so he gingerly rubbed her back.

"I think your body's getting used to solid food again. You haven't had to digest something in a while." He shrugged. "Or maybe it's just the intense flavors. Venomian spices don't agree with everyone…"

Wiping her mouth, Krystal straightened back up. She frowned, the blood having vanished from her face to leave the skin pale and greenish beneath her fur.

'Ugh, it tastes awful.'

He lent his arm, helping her walk back out of the alley. "Well, perhaps another bite to eat will fix that. You need to keep something down; you're dangerously thin."

They stopped at the next food cart they found, picking out the mildest soup Fox could find to go easier on Krystal's stomach. Rather than use the plastic spoon, however, she simply drank from the foam bowl: broth, vegetables, and all. When she finished she sighed, looking happy to be full once again and have that awful aftertaste out of her mouth.

As they neared the occupation zone border, Eladard's military presence increased. They passed squads of troops on patrol, including Eladardians, their Macbethan allies, and even re-armed Venomians. Being among his former enemies made Fox tense, feeling on edge. Something about seeing lizards and primates with weapons again unnerved him, even if their Venomian uniforms had been stripped of Andross's insignia. It felt like he was sneaking through the empire's capital before it fell, having to dodge the enemy's forces like a spy. It didn't help that he had fought many of these same men only a year ago, and they very well could have been at each other's throats.

Krystal clutched Fox's hand tighter when she noticed them.

'Fox, Venomians!'

'I know,' he thought back. 'They won't harm us. Probably…'

'I thought you said they were all dead?!'

'Many of them are; the rest surrendered.'

'Then what are they doing carrying weapons?!'

'You have to understand, not every Venomian had a choice following Andross. They're not all bad—many are just people like you or me who got stuck in a shitty situation.'

'But the guns—'

'The guns, right. I know it seems like a straightforward matter to disarm them all, but it isn't. The problem is, completely dissolving the Venomian military would cause too many issues. For one, nearly a quarter of their population served in the army, meaning unemployment would skyrocket if they were forced to find new work. Military life is all they know, and if they weren't allowed to serve, some would join splinter militias and turn on the occupation forces.'

'I… I see,' Krystal thought, but it didn't make her feel any more at ease. Frankly, it didn't make Fox feel much better, either. Secretly he wished all of them would have simply disappeared along with Andross, but he felt guilty for thinking it.

Fox caught several soldiers looking his way and glaring. They had recognized him, and he began to fear for his life—or at the very least, that an altercation might ensue. At least his familiar face drew their attention off the escaped prisoner next to him. But he kept his collar pulled up and hurried Krystal along all the same.

Foot soldiers weren't all Fox had to worry about; surveillance drones hovered overhead, buzzing down the streets and surveying the crowds of pedestrians lining the sidewalk. Fox was sure one would scan his face and recognize him, but that didn't necessarily mean they would come after him; military personnel were allowed free travel among the zones, though he didn't know if that extended to mercenaries as well. Krystal's face likely wouldn't be in the database—which in itself might be a problem.

Fox also spotted a few tanks sitting in the streets, though they were mostly for show. But their two-legged counterparts—the bipedal assault walkers—saw more extensive use. Chicken walkers, they were nicknamed. They patrolled the streets and sidewalks, stepping over the crowds on stilt-like legs and enforcing order. Whenever one vaulted overhead Fox would pull Krystal beneath an awning for cover.

Eventually they reached the border between Cornerian and Eladardian Ambrosia. The two zones were separated by a tall energy fence; arcs of purple and pink plasma danced between metal pylons, forming a deadly barrier. While non-physical, the energy field had enough power to repel and potentially kill anyone trying to pass through—even via vehicle. Fox had seen what happened to a few criminals who tried to force their way across in a truck, and it did not look pretty.

Following the energy fence, they eventually came to the largest checkpoint between the two sectors. Both Eladardians and Cornerians searched all traffic entering or exiting their zones for security purposes, as the Venomian black market was still very much alive—now with an influx of military equipment and other illicit items. Additionally, many war criminals were still on the run, with both sides cooperating to apprehend them.

Fox halted Krystal on a street corner. "Wait, stop here."

'Why?'

"We need to cross into the Cornerian sector. I'm scoping out security first."

'Well, what do I do?'

"Uh, act natural."

Ignoring her raised eyebrow, Fox had Krystal face him while he pretended to talk to her—while in reality he looked over her shoulder at the checkpoint. They stepped closer together while pedestrian traffic flowed around them, often bumping into them as they swarmed across the street.

Fox pursed his lips; their chances didn't look good. The Eladardians stopped everyone entering or leaving their zone, checking their credentials and searching their hovercars if they drove them. The only ones who made it through without any trouble were diplomats and military personnel. Fox's status as a mercenary might get him a free pass, but it was Krystal he felt worried about.

'What's wrong?'

He sighed, this time speaking back through his mind. 'I don't think I can get you across here. They'll throw a fit if you don't have your identification. I suppose you wouldn't have that on hand, huh?'

Her eyebrows narrowed. 'N-no, of course not! The Venomians took it when they captured me.'

'I figured. Well, this is a bust. We'll have to find another way through. Maybe we could crawl through the sewers again, or hide in the back of a truck—'

Suddenly there was a loud buzzing noise overhead. A bright blue spotlight switched on, and when Fox and Krystal looked up they had to squint and shield their eyes from the source.

"Shit, a drone!"

The Eladard surveillance robot hovered two stories overhead, shining its beam directly onto them. When it projected its voice over a loudspeaker, it used an unsettling, digitized female voice.

"Attention Mercenary Captain James 'Fox' McCloud, you have violated the Eladardian occupation zone on two counts: one, unauthorized presence of paramilitary personnel; two, unauthorized possession of a firearm. Please remain here and await further instructions from Eladard military police. Attention, Mercenary Captain James…"

Fox craned his head back to scowl up at the unit. Spreading his arms, he shouted, "Wow, really, really?! You know I'm Fox-fuckin'-McCloud! Without me your metal ass wouldn't be here! None of you would be here! And I have a license to carry this—" He fished it out of his pocket and held it up. "See?!"

Krystal lay a hand on his shoulder. 'Fox, talking to it won't do any good. I don't sense any thought waves inside it.'

"I know, but shouting at it is therapeutic."

"Please remain calm while Eladard authorities arrive to escort you to the nearest police facility." The drone began beeping and using a flasher on its head to alert nearby officers.

"Oh geez, we're in trouble." The todd withdrew his blaster by the barrel-end for a moment, gingerly pinching the tip with two fingers as he looked for a place to toss it. Realizing ditching it wouldn't get the drone off his back, however, he thought better of it.

"Come on, let's see if we can lose it before the Eladard police force shows up."

Taking Krystal's hand, he shoved his way into the crowd again, heading away from the checkpoint.

As expected, the drone stayed right along with them, beeping more violently as they kited it through the city.

"Attention Mercenary Captain James 'Fox' McCloud, you are violating your stay-in-place orders. Please stop at once!"

No matter how far the foxes wove through the crowd, the drone stayed right on their tail, keeping its spotlight on them.

"That's it. No one uses my full name and gets away with it…"

Drawing his blaster again, he turned around and aimed up at the drone. People in the crowd around them panicked at the sight of the gun, quickly running the other way or keeping a wide space around the armed fox and his personal spotlight.

Gritting his teeth, Fox squinted through the bright beam of light and tried to line up a shot.

"Attention Mercenary Captain James 'Fox' McCloud, disarm your weapon at once—"

"Goddamn you sound like my mom!"

Still, he suddenly thought better of shooting it. Firing a weapon in Eladard territory was the quickest way to escalate the situation into an interplanetary crisis. A little monkey business, on the other hand…

Instead of firing, Fox flipped on the laser pointer function and turned it to full power, shining a powerful red beam back up at the unit. Backpedaling through the crowd, he kept it trained on the drone as it followed them. At once its navigation system began to struggle, the laser successfully blinding it.

"Warning: anti-drone laser detected. You are obstructing a security-enforcement vehicle—"

At that moment the drone collided with a giant neon sign on the side of a building. The vertically-arrayed letters flickered and blinked out, with one hanging dangerously out of place. Sparks rained down on the crowd below, and Fox covered his and Krystal's heads.

'Watch out!'

Krystal pushed Fox back into the crowd just as the Venomian letter landed where they'd been standing. The acrylic and neon tubes shattered, the light finally winking out.

Fox glanced at Krystal with wide eyes. "Whoa… nice one!"

'She tried to kill us!' the vixen exclaimed.

Fox looked back up, hoping to see the drone's wreckage soon following—but he didn't. Instead, the craft steadied itself and continued shining its light on them.

"Shit, still on us."

Beginning to retreat once more, Fox trained his laser sight on the drone again, but as soon as he did it exploded. Jaw agape, he watched as a small mushroom cloud of smoke billowed from it, while its flaming carcass landed a few yards in front of them, smashing on the street. What confused him the most was that he hadn't even fired his gun.

Surprised, he turned to Krystal. The vixen likewise stared at the wreckage in horror.

'She… she tried to kill us…' she repeated.

While the drone's alarm system went silent, the surprised murmur of the crowd became deafening—but the gruff, shouted voices of police officers rose above them all, drawing closer every second.

Fox grabbed Krystal's hand again. "Come on, let's go!"

Fleeing the wreckage of the downed drone, the foxes disappeared back into the crowd—but the policemen remained on their tail.

Growing desperate, Fox turned down an alley. The two leaped over puddles and discarded trash, sprinting to the far end. They could hear the officers' voices behind them, accompanied by their echoing footsteps. But when they turned the next corner at the end of the alley they abruptly came upon the bright, pulsating field of the energy fence. To their dismay, it stretched the entire length of the alley's exit, blocking their escape.

Fox started to back away. "Dead end—"

"Yamalt!" a voice ordered behind them. "Freeze!"

Fox swallowed, realizing it was over. Giving up, he raised his hands and slowly turned to face their captors. Standing at the corner they'd turned around were two Ambrosian police officers, their blasters raised. From this distance Fox couldn't see if they were set to stun or not—but he could at least tell their species:

An iguana and a mandrill.

The todd instinctively tensed when he realized two Venomians had the drop on him—no matter that they were technically part of the Eladard-administered security forces.

Likewise, the two officer's eyes lit up when they recognized him.

"Well lookee who we found," the iguana gasped. "If it ain't the one an' only McCloud…"

The primate grinned. "Well isn't this a switch? A pair of Venomians ordering Fox McCloud to stay in line. Looks like the tail's on the other ass now."

Fox swallowed nervously, but managed to keep his cool. "Would you mind calling your drones off me? I'd prefer to walk through this wonderful city without being stalked the entire time."

"Look, I don't care if you were General Pepper hisself," the lizard said. "You might be a big hero on Corneria, but here you ain't shit. Where do you get off thinkin' you can sling your blaster around and go wherever you please without proper papers? You don't own our fuckin' city."

The simian stepped forward, extending his hand. "I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate your blaster, pup."

Fox didn't budge. "I have a license to carry it. I work for the Cornerian military, meaning I'm part of the allies. I'm allowed to walk where I please in this city without being accosted."

"Ah, but you entered Eladard's side of the city without proper authorization. You never got a pass, or our drone wouldn't have targeted you."

Fox sighed in exasperation. "Why should I need a pass? Everyone knows who I am. I'm not here to sell weapons on the black market or anything."

The primate nodded. "True, but that doesn't change the fact that you resisted arrest and shot down our surveillance drone, which is an act of aggression we can't simply let slide."

"What do you mean? I didn't shoot your stupid drone. It blew up on its own."

Krystal anxiously clutched at his jacket hem. 'Fox, there's… there's something I should have told you—'

But the iguana snorted, cutting off her thoughts. "Drones don't just explode and fall out of the sky, kid."

"—They've been known to!" Fox blurted.

The officers merely glanced at each other, smirking.

"Look, you can check my gun and see that it hasn't been fired recently. That proves I didn't do it, and it was just a malfunction."

The simian pursed his lips, glancing between Fox and his holstered blaster.

"…Very well. It can't hurt to take a look, can it?"

Fox pulled up the internal log on his blaster and offered it to the Venomian. As soon as he approached, Krystal shrank back behind Fox.

The mandrill took his weapon and examined it for a second, but eventually nodded in agreement.

"You're right; this hasn't been fired in several hours."

The todd exhaled. "So, now do you believe me?"

"Oh, of course! I am quite satisfied."

The Venomian approached Fox again, drawing close to hand his weapon back. Fox looked down to accept the blaster from the monkey's palm, realizing too late he'd switched dominant hands.

'Fox, look out!' Krystal's thoughts screamed.

Just as his fingers closed around the grip, the monkey sucker-punched Fox in the temple with his free hand. At once the todd went reeling, fingers ripped from his blaster again. His vision went completely black for a moment while the side of his head exploded in pain.

"Foxsu!"

Dizzy, he stumbled backwards, nearly losing his balance till Krystal caught him and helped him stand.

"Aughk! Wha… what the…?"

"The hell did ya do that for, Mandrill?!"

While Krystal supported him from behind, Fox clutched his head, waves of pain crashing over him. The black fuzz cleared from his vision only to leave him staring down the barrel of his own blaster, the grinning Venomian gloating behind it.

"I'm afraid you won't be leaving this alley alive, McCloud."

Fox's blood ran cold, realizing he'd fallen for his trick.

The lizard officer's jaw dropped, equally as surprised as Fox. Timidly, he glanced around the building towards the street, making sure no one else was in view. Because of the bend in the alley, no pedestrians could see what went on around the corner.

"Shit Manny, are we really doin' this?!"

The simian's eye twinkled at Fox. "Oh yes, we are." He began pacing towards him, blaster raised to his chest. "Today we do what no other Venomian was capable of doing during the entire war—even that stupid fucking ape.

"Today, we kill Fox McCloud."

Fox raised his hands again, limping backwards with Krystal safely behind him. He had to think fast, or the two of them were done for—but it was difficult to concentrate with this skull still ringing like this.

"You… you can't be serious!" he managed to get out. "Do you even know the repercussions of killing me? You'd cause an interplanetary situation—maybe even a war between Corneria and Eladard!"

Mandrill laughed at the thought, shrugging. "Good?"

Fox wet his lips. "There's no way you won't get caught. You'll be executed for sure. They'll never let a single one of your people take up arms again!"

"If I were to kill you in cold blood, perhaps. But if I were to shoot you in self-defense after you fired on a drone and two officers…"

With no other warning, he unloaded three shots with Fox's gun: one into the air, and two into the wall behind him.

Krystal fell to her knees and covered her ears, while Fox flinched at the shots, the noise worsening his headache.

Mandrill waved his still-glowing blaster at Krystal. "Grab her."

The lizard complied, snatching her from beside Fox while the primate continued to force him towards the energy wall at the far end.

"Yamalt!" Krystal screamed, struggling to break free from the iguana's arms—but he quickly clapped a scaled hand over her mouth.

"Hey, hands off her!" Fox barked. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Interesting," Mandrill said. "The heroic Fox McCloud has fallen for a Venomian tail! We have no qualms with her, but as a witness she might pose a problem…"

The iguana looked at his partner uneasily, effortlessly restraining the struggling Krystal in his arms. "Hey, I dunno about killin' the girl, too. It don't feel right; her bein' a Venomian an' all."

"She may be an Exile, but if she's running with McCloud she's no true Venomian. Relax: we will take care of her after Corneria's precious hero…"

Fox shuffled backwards, struggling to shake off the blow. His mind raced for a possible way out, but he was having trouble thinking of any.

"You won't get away with this! Even if Eladard doesn't figure out your trick, Corneria will!"

The Venomian shrugged. "If I die, so be it. The risk is worth being the one to finally kill Fox McCloud."

The iguana shifted anxiously behind him, struggling to hold Krystal in his arms. "Look, Mandrill, just shoot him before anyone else shows up. Those gunshots are bound to attract someone."

His partner's eyes gleamed at Fox. "I'm afraid I have too much of a grudge to settle, Tokage. I'd like his death to take a good, long time."

"Well make it take a good long time quick, will ya? Backup's gonna come any minute, and this bitch is tryna—Ah, fuck!"

The lizard withdrew his hand from Krystal's mouth, wincing and shaking it to soothe the pain. "I'll teach ya to fucking bite me you—!"

The vixen tried to wrench free, but Tokage suddenly closed his fist around her neck and slammed her against the alley wall. She yipped in pain, eyes widening as his claw constricted around her windpipe. Her feet lifted off the ground, and when they couldn't reach the cement she was forced to climb backwards up the wall, finding a footing between the bricks. She dug her claws into the lizard's fist around her neck, but she couldn't get him to release his grip.

Krystal's eyes bulged, staring around the lizard's muscled torso to look at Fox.

'Fox, please, help—!'

But the Venomian silenced her thoughts with a slap across her face with his bitten hand.

"Hey!"

Fox acted on instinct, throwing himself towards the lizard in a clumsy, off-balance attack.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her you Venomian scu—OOF!"

Easily Mandrill stepped between them, kicking Fox in the chest. The primate's boot knocked all the wind from his lungs, sending him straight to the ground where he fell on his back. He landed dangerously-close to the energy field; from his prone position, he could hear it crackling right next to where the back of his head hit the street.

The Venomian pounced on him, grabbing his neck and pushing him closer to the fence. Fox grit his teeth, struggling to break the monkey's stranglehold before he choked—or before he shoved his head into the field.

Every second he lost more of the battle against the larger primate. The fur on his ears began to stand on end from the charged particles, and he could feel the searing heat mere inches away. It was so close the sound even began to mask Krystal's strangled gasps.

Grabbing the back of Fox's head, the monkey shoved his face towards the brilliant pink wall. "I wonder what fried vulpine smells like?" he cackled.

'F-Fox…' Krystal's fading thoughts barely reached him as more than a whisper; the sounds of her choking were beginning to die out.

'Don't give up!' he thought back—though he knew both of them were seconds away from death.

Suddenly a strong wind swept through the alley. Trash blew into the air in a flurry, waste bins clattered over, and dumpsters rumbled where they sat. Fox felt a shiver pass up and down his spine—and it wasn't caused by fear.

Somewhere behind the mandrill's looming torso, his partner screamed.

"What the devil is going on back there, Tokage?!"

The monkey looked back for an instant to see what was happening to his partner, and Fox seized his chance. Getting his legs between them, the todd rolled backwards and kicked up, sending the officer flying into the energy fence. Supercharged particles burst free from the confined field, and a loud crackling noise accompanied the mandrill's pained scream. When he fell twitching onto the sidewalk, clothes and fur flickering with flames, Fox sprawled over him and punched him several times across the face, eventually knocking the rest of his lights out. He reclaimed his blaster, every fiber in his being telling him to shoot his would-be-murderer, but he resisted the urge; it would only cause more trouble to Corneria and Eladard's already strained relations, and he still had to save Krystal.

Spinning around, Fox prepared for a showdown with the monkey's lizard partner… only to find the iguana already writhing on the ground. Krystal sat propped against the alley wall, rubbing her neck gingerly and coughing.

"Krystal!"

Fox rushed to the vixen's side, helping her stand again. "Are you alright?!" he demanded. He brushed her hands aside to get a better look at her neck; the skin beneath her fur was discolored where the lizard's fingers had strangled her, while her cheek burned red where his blow had landed.

Krystal shook her head slowly, ignoring his question; she was still unable to take her eyes off the writhing lizard.

'He… he shouldn't have hurt me like that,' her thoughts kept repeating in his head. 'I was going to die… you were going to die!'

Noticing the tears leaking down her eyes, Fox carefully hugged her again. "Hey, it's alright, Krystal. You did what you had to… but I'd sure like to know how you did it. It's amazing that you could break free on your own."

Krystal seemed to snap back to the present, suddenly drying her eyes. 'We aren't safe here; I hear more of their thoughts approaching. We must run if we want to escape!'

Rushing out of the alley again, they slipped back into the crowd. Fox held Krystal's hand tightly so they didn't get separated in all the chaos, swiveling his head in every direction to check for more police.

As he feared, backup came swiftly. Every new street he turned down he saw crowds parting to let helmets through, the red-and-blue flashes of squad car lights and surveillance drones closing in. He felt himself panicking, feeling trapped. The security forces had them pinned in like sardines in a can, every second closing their net tighter—yet they were still so frustratingly-close to the Cornerian sector…

Fox and Krystal turned down the last open road, only for the crowd to part for a second, revealing a pair of Eladard security officers. One pointed at Fox, shouting. The other knelt and fired his weapon, but the curtain of pedestrians closed just as quickly, and one person in the crowd went down like a sack of bricks. Still, the sound of the gunfire and the resulting screams were enough to toss the Venomian citizens into a panic.

"Shit, they've seen us!"

Fox discretely primed his blaster to stun again, concealing it in his flight jacket. He began backpedaling towards the center of the junction, bringing Krystal with him.

'Alright,' he thought to her, 'we're going to make a break for the sewers again, before they close the net. It's going to be tight—'

Suddenly the low bass-drop of a hovercar decelerating sounded in the street next to them.

"Yoo-hoo, Fox! Fox McCloud!" a woman's voice called to him. "Oh yoooo-hoooo!"

Looking at the street, Fox spotted a sleek black hoverlimo pulled over not too far from them. One of the rear windows was rolled down, and a brown-furred, jewel-encrusted paw waved desperately at him.

Fox spun left-and-right, noting the police closing in. "Alright, change of plan!"

The two foxes made a beeline for the hoverlimo, and the rear door opened. Fox shoved Krystal inside and dove in after her, the door slamming just before the police arrived on the sidewalk.