Act 1

Chapter 11

"What Is It Good For?"

~::::~

Fox slowly peeled his eyes open, his ears ringing as he began to blink. All he could see was the white marble tile of the roof before lasers flying overhead caught his eyes. His ears could not register the sounds of the shots, as his eardrums were overwhelmed with a high-pitched ringing that would not go away. The scent of sulfur and fire filled his bleeding nose, running down his chin and pooling on the floor below him. Before he could stand or reach for anything, he felt himself dragged backward, his body lurching up in a way that allowed him to see the chaos. The podium that Pepper was speaking at had been vaporized, with no sign of him, the Premiere, or Peppy nearby. Fox tried to will his body to move, his heart beginning to beat rapidly.

The ringing in his ears ceased as his savior dragged him behind a low wall, Fox looking up to notice it was Falco. The avian peeked over the wall, taking potshots before ducking back down. His eye met Fox's before a snarl crossed his beak. "You good?!"

Fox nodded.

"Then get on your feet! Shit's gone sideways fast!"

Stumbling into a crouched position behind the wall, Fox grabbed his concealed blaster hidden on his ankle and pulled it out. Shaking his head as he got his bearings, Fox looked back up to Falco. "What happened to Peppy and Pepper!?"

"No clue! As soon as I saw Pepper dive off that stage I hit the dirt!"

"What about Krystal?! And Slippy, Miyu, and Fay?!"

"No clue! They went to try and help people when the bomb went off, got split up when the lasers started flyin'!"

Peering through the smoke in the chamber, Fox could not spot the other members of the Star Fox team. Taking a deep breath, Fox closed his eyes and began to think. Krystal! Krystal, you okay?!

After a few seconds of mental silence, Fox heard a familiar voice enter his mind. Fox! Thank the Krazoa you are alright! We were drawn away from you two when gunmen stormed the room! I am with the others by the right side of the Chamber!

Okay, I'm with Falco right now close to the main podium! Have you seen Pepper or Peppy?!

No, no I have not! I can not pinpoint their thoughts either, the Chamber is too noisy!

Alright, Falco and I are gonna make our way over to you guys, cover us!

Opening his eyes, Fox was face-to-face with Falco, his eyes darting all around the chamber. "Well?!"

"Krystal's safe, she's with the others to the right of the Chamber! You able to I.D the bad guys?!"

Falco nodded. "Yeah, but it ain't gonna make sense! It's the CDF, or guys dressed as the CDF!" Popping back up over the wall, Falco continued to fire in the same direction, tagging an avian in CDF armor on the upper floor and causing him to tumble over the railing. "I've just been shooting anyone in CDF armor on sight!"

"What?! Are you insane?!"

"This whole thing is insane! All I know is as soon as I got up, guys in CDF uniforms started sprayin' the room! Eyes up, no one's friendly except our own! Ready?!"

Fox paused for a second, before nodding. "Ready!"

As soon as the words left Fox's lips, the duo began vaulting and sprinting over the various seats in the congress. Through the smoke, they could see a volley of distinctive laser fire beginning to light up the Chamber, drawing fire away from Fox and Falco as they continued their mad sprint. During the rush, Fox pulled out his concealed blaster and aimed it at what appeared to be a CDF soldier about to fire upon a group of reporters. Fox had no time to think as he put multiple shots into the canine. His personal shield fizzled out, allowing the final two shots to pierce the back of his neck and drop him like a puppet with his strings cut.

Fox was unable to tell if he made the right decision or not, instead continuing to run. Hurdling over seats, debris, and bodies, the duo finally made it to the alcove where the rest of Star Fox had taken cover. Behind a knocked-over stone pillar, Krystal and Miyu rained down suppressive fire with newly acquired blaster rifles while Slippy and Fay held their flanks. Noticing Falco and Fox, Slippy flagged the duo down, making sure their advance was covered. Falco dove over the pillar and picked up a spare rifle Miyu had grabbed while Fox slid behind it, taking inventory of the situation.

Itching for some payback, Falco popped his head over and began firing. He chose his shots carefully, even as laser fire began to tear the air around him and leave black burn marks on the makeshift cover. He would only fire when he was fired upon, doing his best to trace the shots before striking down the shooters with pinpoint accuracy. It slowly became clear which side the good guys were on as the disguised assailants were pushed to the far-left side of the Chamber.

With Krystal in cover, Fox slapped his paw on her shoulder with enough force to turn her towards him. "That had to be Shears in the lobby," Fox began with a voice as calm as a discussion about the weather. "There's no doubt. He's the one who tried to take out Star Wolf, and he's the one who's behind this."

Krystal racked her brain for a second before shaking her head in denial. "Fox, that is impossible. How did he survive being crushed to death? My telepathy failed to catch any insidious thoughts on the way in as well.

Fox remained steadfast in his belief as he popped over the cover to take down an enemy that had tried to flank the group. "There was a lot of noise and distractions on the way in, Krys. Wouldn't surprise me if he was betting on that to disguise himself from you. I mean, who else do you know that has a vendetta against Corneria while having enough sway to pull something like this?"

"But I thought he had been disavowed post-mortem after you all informed General Pepper about what he was doing on Titania."

"Yeah, he was."

"So how was he able to find enough loyal followers to commence this attack?"

"A question for later, Krys. For now, we gotta get Peppy, Pepper, and the Premiere, then get out of here." Looking around the Chamber, Fox tried to locate where the trio might have gone. Smoke and heat filled the room as laser fire continued as he peeked over the top of the barricade. What he could see through the smoke was not promising. The entire stage had been decimated by the blast, little more than a crater. Fox's stomach dropped for a second before he remembered that Peppy was tackled by Pepper just before the bomb went off.

Fox kept looking, but his attention was ripped away from the stage when he noticed two metallic orange canisters arc through the air. They bounced for two hops on the carpet before rolling to stop. Fox's eyes went wide as he ducked behind cover and yelled out "Incendiaries!"

Heading his warning, the rest of the team took cover just as the canisters exploded. Within seconds, the congressional hall became a fire trap for those still caught inside. The carpets quickly caught fire as the inferno began to spread. Krystal had begun to look for an exit, and her luck held as she found one just a few feet from their position that was not clogged with bodies or enemies. Looking back towards Fox, she nudged his shoulder and pointed in the direction of the door. "I have found an escape, Fox! We have to get out of here!"

"No," Fox shouted back. "Peppy's gotta be here, we have to find him first!"

"I am certain that Peppy made it out, but we will not if we stay here! We have to evacuate now!"

Fox was about to retort, but the sound of the crackling inferno getting closer caused him to grunt in frustration. His eyes fell on the door that Krystal had pointed out before he looked back to his team. "Door to my left, about thirty feet! We're moving out!"

Miyu needed no further instruction, sprinting past everyone to clear a path as she began to run and gun her way to the door. With her suppressing fire, the team managed to make it to the door behind her. As her feet carried her to the door in a mad sprint, it suddenly was flung open by an armed assailant in CDF armor. He wasted no time raising his rifle at the team, but Miyu was much faster. Opting for a flying kick, Miyu's sole struck the shooter right on his exposed jaw, sending him reeling to the floor with a wet crunch. To make sure he was down for the count permanently, Miyu raised her leg up high and brought her foot down on his throat as hard as she could. There was another wet crack in the air as he twitched on the floor, but the team paid him no mind as they escaped the Chamber.

~::::~

As Star Fox pushed onward through the sea of bodies that littered the halls of the Congress, they rounded a corner only to come face to face with a squad of at least ten soldiers dressed in CDF gear. Star Fox all raised their weapons while the leader of the squad lowered his rifle. "Green, green, green! Don't shoot!"

Fox took a closer look at the squad leader and sighed in relief. "Bill?! I'm glad to see you!"

"Likewise, Fox," Bill replied, jogging up to Star Fox as his squad followed behind.

"What's going on here? There's guys in CDF gear shooting the place up."

"I'm trying to piece that together, dude. No clue how these guys slipped into our ranks, but it's turning this op into a free-for-all. Main comms are compromised, so we're chasing our own tails out here. Last thing we need is-"

"Fox!"

Before Fox could react, Krystal tackled him to the ground as the sounds of laser fire ripped through the air. Bill turned to notice one of his men with a smoking barrel, now trying to turn it on the rest of the squad. Bill refused to let that happen and charged the gunman, slamming him against the wall and knocking the gun out of his hands. Quickly raising his rifle, Bill put multiple shots between his eyes, breaking through his shield and ending his life instantly.

"Krystal!" Fox's distraught voice filled the air, Bill turned to notice that Fox was down on his knees at the vixen's side. Krystal's shoulder had been pierced by a laser shot, singeing the blue fur around the wound into a powdery-black discoloration. Almost instantly, Fay ran to the vixen and placed her purse by her feet, rummaging through the accessory bag for any form of treatment.

Craning her head toward Fox, a dry chuckle escaped Krystal's lips as she locked her eyes on Fox's. "How bad is it?" She asked with a weak smile.

"It's…" Fox stammered, his eyes darting between the burnt wound and the love of his life. "It's not bad."

Turning her head in Fay's direction, Krystal still wore the grin. "I think I would like to hear a second opinion if you don't mind."

Fay took her place by Krystal's side while the two teams covered both ends of the hallway with enough firepower to overthrow an entire police station. Looking at the wound, Fay told the whole truth. "The blaster bolt burned a hole right through your shoulder, Krystal. Looks like it tore through the muscle and bones there, so try not to move it." Narrowing her eyes at the wound, Fay nodded to herself as she pulled out a small grey canister and a roll of bandages from her purse. "It's already been cauterized, but I need to seal it with some medifoam and wrap it up."

The word "medifoam" caused Krystal's blood to run cold. "How bad is it going to hurt?"

"Just look at Fox and squeeze his index and middle fingers. Oh, and bite down on this," Fay instructed as she pulled out a small black tube from her kit and placed it horizontally in Krystal's mouth.

Taking deep breaths, Krystal grabbed two of Fox's outstretched fingers and gently squeezed them at first before closing her eyes and turning her head in the opposite direction. Fox gave Fay the nod to administer the treatment, allowing the canine to stick the elongated nozzle of the canister into Krystal's gaping wound and pull the trigger.

A hiss filled the air as the injury was instantly clogged with white foam. An ear-shattering caterwaul followed as soon as the wound was filled, Krystal feeling the searing pain of the medifoam going to work. Her nerves blazed like a campfire as she gave Fox's fingers a death grip, causing the tan vulpine to wince slightly as she squeezed.

The medifoam had begun to take effect as Fay wrapped the wound in the bandages, keeping it secured from the outside world as she put her tools back in the purse before removing the tube from Krystal's mouth. "As soon as we get back to the Great Fox I'll fix your shoulder up as good as new, but for now, don't put any pressure on it."

"Can I still use a blaster?"

Fay nodded, handing the vixen a small blaster pistol. Krystal took the weapon with thanks. A small smile crossed her lips as stood up, looking down at the two vulpines. "Hey, at least it wasn't your dominant arm, Krys!"

The levity caused both Fox and Krystal to smile slightly, shaking their heads as Fox helped Krystal get back to her feet. Concern still filled his face as he looked at his mate and her new wound. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Krystal nodded. "I am alright, but I would like to leave as soon as possible."

Bill stepped up, putting one hand on her shoulder before shouldering his rifle. "I'll clear a path for you, paramedics are gonna be on the scene soon so we can get her set up there."

Fox shook his head as he readied his blaster. "No, it's too risky. If they are posing as CDF and could sneak into your squad, no doubt they're also the paramedics looking to mop up survivors. We also still need to find Peppy and Pepper as well as the Premiere."

Bill hesitated slightly, looking back at his former comrade with a hole in his helmet. "Dammit, Larson. What got into you," he mumbled, before glaring at his squad. "I won't have to expect any more surprises from the rest of you, will I?"

The squad of soldiers all traded glances, each one offering a response of "no sir" after a few seconds. Before Bill could speak, one soldier came forward. He was a lean doberman, his triangular ears standing straight through the holes in his helmet as he cleared his throat. "Permission to speak, Captain?"

"Go for it."

"I saw Larson leave the barracks a few days ago, then he came back with this blank glare. Ever since, he just wasn't right. He barely remembered our names, he practically stopped eating, it's like he was possessed."

Bill's interest was piqued as he raised a brow. "Possessed?"

The doberman nodded. "Yeah, said he was going to some special unit seminar. Guess he thought he'd get promoted, and we all thought he got rejected. Maybe he did."

Bill looked like he had just gotten a whiff of a foul stench, shaking his head as he listened to the soldier's testimony. "I never heard about this." The canine was quickly lost in thought as he tried to understand what had happened. A distant explosion ripped Bill back to the present, as the thoughts of him and his men surviving took priority. Turning to Fox, Bill began to lay out the plan. "Alright, we'll split up. I'll look for Peppy, the General, and the Premiere with half of my men and your team. The rest will get you and Krystal out and back to the Great Fox."

Fox nodded in affirmation, before looking for something on his person. "Hey, Bill," Fox began, tapping the side of his ear. "You got any spare communicators? Just so we can keep in contact?"

Bill winced, looking around his body before his eyes landed on the dead soldier. Kneeling down, he grabbed the comms unit off the corpse before handing it over to Fox. "Here you go, dude. Don't know how useful it'll be since our comms are compromised, haha." Despite the laughter, Fox could see the pain in his friend's eyes.

Adjusting the unit before sticking it in his ear, Fox pointed to the dial on the device. "Tune it to my frequency, we should be clear to communicate with it."

Bill relayed the message to his squad, waiting for everyone to check in on the new frequency before he began to bark out orders. "Peters! Jay! Sonny! Gurino! You four are with Fox, the rest are with me! Move out!"

~::::~

Watching his team leave with Bill, Fox quickly took control of the remaining soldiers. "Alright, let's see if we can get outside and come up with a game plan." With nods of approval, the troops took point, allowing the mercenaries to trail behind them.

The walk through the now battle-scarred halls gave precious time to Fox as he came up with some kind of plan. The soldiers in front of him were scanning each corridor, preventing threats from catching the team by surprise. They operated with lethal precision, zeroing in on targets and putting them down before Fox or Krystal could even raise their blasters. Although they had their private escort, Fox did not trust any of the soldiers after the incident a few minutes ago. If he had to, he was ready to put all of them down.

The soldier taking point suddenly put his fist up as he approached a red door, causing everyone to stop and take a knee with their weapons ready. "We've got no idea what's on the outside, Captain McCloud," the lead soldier said through his comm. "Outside comms are down, we could be walking into a killbox."

Fox huffed, racking his brain for a few seconds before an idea struck him. "You guys got any smoke grenades?" One of the soldiers pulled a blue cylinder off his belt and nodded. "Alright, and I'm assuming you all have thermal vision?" A wave of nods met the vulpine. "Good, pop the smoke and open the door with your thermal vision on. See if you can I.D any threats before we move out."

"Copy that. Stack up." With Fox and Krystal pulling up the rear, the soldiers stacked up by the door. The two lead troops pulled the pins on their smoke grenades and creaked open the double doors to the outside world. Two bangs filled the air as smoke began to pour out of the canisters.

As soon as one of the soldiers opened the door fully to toss the smoke grenade, he was shot square in the chest by a bolt of light. The impact sent him to the floor in a heap as a wall of laser fire began to fill the air. The air began to burn once more, comparable to spending the Summer Solstice in the Kanali Desert on Papetoon with no shade. The smoke grenade filled the room with a thick white Fox, reducing visibility to near zero.

Fox watched the downed soldier struggle to crawl through the smoke behind the wall. Through his labored breaths, Fox noticed him check his chest before giving a thumbs up. "Shield and armor took most of the blast, but I need a minute…" he heaved, before taking off his helmet and looking over to Fox. "McCloud," he shouted over the hail of light incinerating the air around them. "Take my helmet! It's got thermals!"

Fox did not need to hear any more words as he quickly ripped the offering out of the soldier's outstretched hands. Equipping the helmet, Fox lowered the visor over his eyes and activated thermal vision. His heart sank when he counted the heat signatures outside. It was reinforced by at least twenty guns, outnumbering their firepower four-to-one. He could barely poke his head out without a laser blasting through his skull.

"Bill! We're pinned down by the western exit, twenty strong! How's it on your end?!"

Fox only heard grunting for a few seconds, before Bill's strained voice came over the comms. "Same shit, different spot, Fox! Two of my men are down, Fay's trying to revive them but we're getting smoked here!"

Fox cursed under his breath before more rapid laser fire began to rip through the air. He wanted to help, but the firestorm raining in from the outside kept his feet firmly planted in place. Maybe there was a-

"You really are a pitiful sight, Pup."

Wolf's voice filled Fox's ear before the sounds of successive explosions reverberated outside. The world became deathly quiet as the smoke cleared, giving the team a clear view of the outside world. Three Wolfens hovered over newly minted flaming wreckage and corpses like predators over a fresh kill. Fox's eyes bulged out of his skull as he noticed Wolf smirking in his cockpit.

"Wolf…" Fox stammered like his mouth was filled with peanut butter. "How did-"

"I convinced your tin can to let us out, so he cleared me and my boys for some danger-close air support."

"You're… helping us?"

"Course I am! Can't have my parole officer bite it the day after I get my freedom, now can I?"

"Can you see what's going on from above?"

"No clue. It's a madhouse all over this place. CDF's shooting at CDF down there. We'll keep the skies clear up here, so if you got any targets for us, mark 'em and we'll bring the fire. Just make sure you step back before calling us down."

Bill was in a quiet shock on the other end of the line, his floppy ears standing straight up as he heard Wolf's voice. "Whoa whoa whoa, did O'Donnell just save your ass, Fox?!"

Wolf let a smirk split his mouth as he savored the surprise from the soldier. "Yes I did, and I'm puttin' it on his tab. How about you, Billy? Need some danger close?"

While every part of Bill's body wanted to tell Wolf off, he swallowed his pride as he remained in cover. "We're by the southern steps and we're pinned down hard!"

Wolf kept his grin as the Wolfens began to move toward the south of the Congress, disappearing overhead as the roar of the plasma engines were muffled the further they went. "Unless you wanna join these poor shitbags, I'd recommend taking cover."

Explosions rocked the ground once more as Fox and his squad took the window created by Wolf and ran through the flaming debris. Fox looped his arm around Krystal to support her while one of the soldiers did the same with their injured comrade.

Running across the now battle-scarred promenade, Fox noticed a makeshift barricade set up at the end of the road. It was crawling with troops, causing Fox's stomach to fall through his feet. He was unsure if they were friendly or not, a problem that was exacerbated when many of them began to raise their guns at the group.

Thinking fast, Fox raised his concealed pistol to the sky and quickly activated the flashlight before turning it on and off multiple times in a specific pattern. Fox could hear his heart beating through his chest as he held Krystal tight, who refused to take her eyes off of the soldiers. After what felt like agonizing hours, a flashlight from the barricade flashed the countersign back. A thousand-ton weight had just levitated off of Fox's shoulders as he ran to the soldiers as fast as he could.

Blaster rifles covered the group as they ran past the barricade, allowing them to breathe as they retreated further back behind friendly lines. Once he knew everyone was safe and the soldier's helmet was returned, Fox stopped near a makeshift medical tent that was already backlogged with injured civilians and soldiers alike. As soon as he stopped, he was approached by two armed soldiers, a tan-furred shepherd to his left and a fox-cat hybrid to his right.

"Captain McCloud," the shepherd began. "Staff Sergeant William Hawkins and Warrant Officer Mira Marshall, CDF First Response Unit. What exactly is going on over there? Reports are hazy at best and comms are down."

Fox looked around at his squad, covered in dirt, dust, and blood before turning back to the two soldiers. "Terrorists. They're disguised as CDF and potentially other emergency services, so watch your fire. General Pepper, Premiere Canis, and Peppy Hare are M.I.A after a series of bombs were detonated during General Pepper's speech. Captain Bill Grey has my team looking for them, I need to return to F.O.B Salazar with injured."

Will took in every word and nodded, stepping aside and pointing to a running military vehicle. "You can take the truck I came here in, good luck." With a grateful nod, Fox helped Krystal into the back of the truck before Fox moved to the driver's side and jumped in. As he put the truck in gear, he noticed Will motioning toward Bill's soldiers. "Alright, you five are going back into the fire with Mira and I. We're sweeping for survivors and putting down any terrorists in our way. Let's move!"

With no other distractions, Fox put his foot to the floor, the truck's tires squealing against the pavement. Looking over toward Krystal, she gently nodded. Nothing had to be said, his worry was washing over his face like ocean foam against jagged rocks. Fox slowly let his heart rate drop down. He knew that Krystal was okay. They were leaving the active combat zone. Soon, she would be patched up by R.O.B. and Fay back aboard the Great Fox. All he had to do was safely drive back to the base.

As if the universe was cursing him for his doubts, a red sports car with white stripes running along the top of it suddenly slid around the corner, causing Fox's heart to leap into his throat. His foot went from gently pressing down the gas pedal to slamming on the brakes. The sports car did the same, missing the truck by a millimeter.

Both cars were at a dead stop in the middle of the road, Fox's brow raising as the driver of the sports car wore a similar perplexed expression. Rolling down his window, TJ leaned out of the Viper. "Fox? Is that you?"

"TJ," Fox began, his mind still restarting from the encounter. "What are you doing here? This is an active combat zone!"

"So that's what those explosions were?"

"Yes! You have to come back to the Great Fox with me, it's not safe!"

TJ paused, his eyes running along the truck. With only an injured Krystal in the truck, it prompted more questions from the street racer. "Where's everyone else?" His eyes suddenly went wide, almost popping out of his skull. "Are they dead?!"

Fox shook his head. "No, they're not dead. But they're currently trying to find Pepper, Peppy, and Premiere Canis. Some terrorists kidnapped them."

As if he spoke of the devil, Bill was suddenly in Fox's ear. "Fox, we found them!"

Fox wasted no time responding, dread filling his gut. "Are they okay?!"

"Rgh, can't cut through, sons-of-bitches are loading them into a car!"

"Can you stop them?!"

"Trying!"

As Fox waited for an update, Krystal looked at the teenager in the supercar next to her. A slow smile spread across her lips as she tapped Fox's shoulder to get his attention. "If they are being held captive in a vehicle, do you think TJ can stop them?"

Fox paused, looking at the confused street racer before turning back to Krystal. "I… maybe?"

"Ask Bill which vehicle they are being loaded into."

"Bill!" Fox shouted, heading his wife instantly. "What are they driving?!"

After agonizing seconds, Bill replied. "Black sedan, plate number HFWL-12491! Why?!"

Looking back at TJ, Fox's face morphed into a deep scowl. "The terrorists have loaded them into a black sedan, the plate reads HFWL-12491. Do you think you can safely bring the car to a stop and rescue them?"

TJ's eyes lit up as a wide smile crossed his lips. "Yeah, sure! I got this, no sweat!"

"TJ," Fox growled. "I'm serious. Don't wreck the car. Just get it to stop. If any of them have so much as a scratch on them, you're done. Understood?"

"Yeah yeah, like I said, no worries! Gimmie sixty ticks an' I'll have this all wrapped up!"

Before Fox could say another word, TJ took off in the direction of the congress, already choosing his pursuit music. Fox swallowed as he hoped he made the right choice before taking his foot off the brake and heading back to the Great Fox.

~::::~

Wolf would be lying if he said that getting a free pass to blow away targets dressed as the CDF didn't put a smile on his lips. Pulling the trigger on his laser cannons, he let a sick smile split his mouth as the gyrowing he targeted was reduced to nothing more than smoldering rubble. With no anti-air or fighters in the skies, it was easy pickings for Star Wolf as they cleaned up each side of the Congress.

Wolf was distracted slightly from his demolition mission as Leon pinged him, his face as unamused as ever while he managed to eviscerate a large group of troops with a single cannon blast. "Wolf, I have to ask this, but why are you so eager to help out Fox and his team? Gyrowing on your right." Lasers flew by Wolf's cockpit as Leon downed the gyrowing, giving Wolf some space and time to think.

"Like I told the bot, if he bites it, we're screwed."

"While that is true, something tells me that there is more to this than us being on house arrest."

"…do you have a problem with us helpin' the pup?"

"Only Lombardi. But as for the rest of the team, not exactly. Their credits are still spendable after all."

"So what's with the questions?"

"I just find it peculiar that you of all people want to be on the right side of the law for once. Were you not complaining about wanting to go on a job a mere hour ago?"

"This is a job!"

"A job with no guaranteed pay. One might assume that you are doing this out of the good of that black, corroded heart in your chest."

"Hey, Powalski?"

"Hm?"

"Fuck you."

"Right back at you, Wolf. I suppose I will get an answer from you later. For now, do you wish to continue mopping up the rest of the impostors?"

"Yeah, let's keep at it. Just keep firing 'till we get the all-clear from Billy down there. Speaking of…" Pinging Bill, Wolf wore a sly grin as he noticed the canine's face twisted in a combative grimace. "Any more spots you need cleaning, Bill?"

Bill grunted, still firing back a small group down range on the now-eviscerated steps. "Miyu's gone quiet, we can't reach her! See her from up there?!"

"On it!" Panther suddenly shouted as he whipped his Wolfen around, scanning for the lynx. His heart began to thud out of his chest as he prayed Miyu was still breathing through all the destruction. His eyes went wide when he rounded one of the charred pillars of the building, noticing Miyu suddenly kicked to the ground by a hulking canine. She was without a weapon while her opponent leveled a rifle at her forehead.

Panther's body flew into action, shooting the base of a nearby marble pillar. Both combatants flinched when the green bolts sent stone flying into the air, but only Miyu had the sense to tuck and cover. It was too late for the canine, as the massive marble pillar came crashing down on top of him. The sound of stone hitting stone masked the wet crunch caused by the collision, but it did not prevent Miyu from getting covered in crimson.

The lynx had enough sense to close her eyes, preventing the fluids from entering her body. Slowly, she wiped the red from her eyelids and blinked away the rest of the dirt and debris. Looking up at the Wolfen, Miyu's shocked glare turned into a cocky smirk as she grabbed the squished canine's rifle. Raising a middle finger to the Wolfen, the gesture was quickly followed by a wink to the pilot. Panther was smitten.

While the Wolfens continued to clear the congress, Bill noticed some movement at the base of the steps. "Eleven o'clock, it's them!" Laser fire forced him behind cover as he noticed Pepper, Peppy, and Premiere Canis all being shoved into a black sedan. He could see the bruises on their bodies while their arms were bound by cuffs, preventing them from fighting back.

While Bill had a sizeable fighting force, they were being suppressed by shots coming from the base of the steps. All he could do was call Fox and give him a status update. "Fox, we found them!"

There was barely a second before Fox responded. "Are they okay?!"

Bill tried to peer over the wall, only to be forced back down by more laser fire. "Rgh, can't cut through, sons-of-bitches are loading them into a car!"

"Can you stop them?!"

"Trying!"

Bill popped his head over the collapsed stone wall he was taking cover behind, motioning for everyone to focus fire on the base of the steps. Slowly, the terrorists fell with each shot, but he felt he was too late. Before Bill could think of a plan to quickly free the trio, Fox's voice shouted over the comms. "Bill! What are they driving?!"

Bill narrowed his eyes at the vehicle. He was not able to catch a make or model, but he was able to quickly grab a view of the license plate thanks to the zoom module on his visor. "Black sedan, plate number HFWL-12491! Why?!"

The line went quiet, Bill waiting for agonizing seconds as he assumed Fox was formulating a plan. The continued silence was louder than the firefight around him. Just as he was about to call Fox's name over the comms again, the sound of squealing tires filled the air.

The sedan began to tear away from the curb, causing Bill's heart to drop. "No, no no no!" He shouted as the sedan sped off. Watching his chain of command ride off into the sunset, Bill felt sick. Before he could tell Fox the terrible news, a rising engine note blared over the noise of the various firefights happening around the Congress. The team watched as the red Viper suddenly blasted across the road, right behind the sedan. It distracted the remaining terrorists on the steps, allowing Bill and company to put them all down within seconds.

Watching the Viper speed off after the sedan, Bill prayed that TJ was a good as he said he was.

~::::~

(Song: Brake Stand - Humble Brothers)

The Viper slipped and slid through the narrow city streets like a heat-seeking missile after the sedan. TJ could see his target sloppily weaving through the traffic ahead, running like a scalded dog. The driver was either terrified or terrible. The sight made the street racer chuckle. "Amateur…"

The sedan cut the wheel to the right at a busy intersection, causing a small pile-up of confused traffic. With a steadied nerve, TJ ripped back on his handbrake and downshifted, sending the Viper into a wide drift through the twisted metal and injured pedestrians.

The sedan was now rocketing down a one-way street, attempting to lose the Viper through the busy and panicking roadway. It did little to slow TJ down, as he dodged the sideswiped and crashed cars like they were standing still. In his mind, they were, as his adrenal glands had dumped again. The purple tint of the world came back, as TJ was dodging the obstacles on the road with ease.

Emerging from the one-way street behind the sedan, TJ chuckled as he noticed a swarm of red and blue lights converging on his position. They appeared like a flash of lightning on the road, a legion of police cars quickly getting behind and ahead of the sedan. "Never thought I'd be this happy to see the cops," he exclaimed, waiting for the cops to try and force the vehicle to a stop.

TJ raised a brow, realizing that the formation was similar to a V.I.P motorcade when one of the cop cars pulled alongside him. TJ pointed at the sedan with two fingers and a smirk before it was wiped off his face when the cop car slammed into him. "What the hell, asshole?! I'm on your side! For once…" He barely had time to voice his objections and correct himself before the cop slammed into him again, pushing him to the side of the road.

The realization hit TJ at the same time that the cop shunted him for the third time. As usual, the cops were his rivals this time. Why they were kidnapping Peppy, Pepper, and the Premiere was a mystery, and it was one that he did not have time to answer as the cop geared up for a fourth shunt. TJ slammed on the brakes and cut his wheel to the left in an offensive maneuver. The Viper bit the cop car in the rear quarter panel, spinning the vehicle out of control and taking it out of the chase as it wrapped around a parked truck.

The other cops noticed the vehicular sucker punch and quickly closed in on the Viper, attempting to divert it from the sedan. TJ did not let himself become distracted by his new playmates and began to weave through the congestion. A squad's worth of cop cars were upon the Viper, and TJ felt the net closing. The sedan was beginning to gain ground on him thanks to the cop cars leading it away from him. He had to shake the rest of these cops before they boxed him in.

Dumping his adrenaline once more, TJ looked around the purple-tinted city for something to shake the cops. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates when he noticed a series of construction works up ahead. While two lanes of the road were safe to drive on, the other half was under renovation. It was full of scaffoldings, equipment, and various other obstacles that could cause a headache for those attempting to pursue him. A smirk grew across his lips as he put his foot to the floor and aimed for the equipment.

With a wooden crash, TJ rammed the Viper past the barriers and into the construction. The washboard road was bumpy, giving his suspension an intense workout as the cops that were behind him followed his bumper. Instantly, TJ got to work, smashing into whatever he knew the Viper could handle. Like a wrecking ball, the construction began to crumble apart. The cops were unable to keep pace with the Viper, the debris flying in the air causing many of them to crash into one another.

The destruction behind TJ made him chuckle before he focused his attention on the cops still on the open road. TJ noticed a small wooden gantry hanging just ahead of the cops on the other side of the construction, supported by wooden beams. Seeing his opportunity, he rammed the Viper through the beams, the splintering wood barely rising above his roaring V10 or music.

The plan worked, sending the gantry crashing down onto the open path ahead of the cops. Debris spilled all over the road as the cops began to wreck, either in an attempt to avoid the makeshift roadblock or crashing right into it. Surveying his surroundings, TJ noticed that the cops who had been chasing him were now trapped behind a series of construction that had been scattered across the road. Now TJ had the opportunity to chase down the sedan once more as he hopped back onto the regular roadway.

Thanks to the flashing lights of the remaining escorts, TJ was able to spot the sedan making a break for it on the on-ramp to the freeway, following it up to the maze of traffic. It was clear that the driver was panicking, attempting to escape by any means necessary. The driving exaggerated the panic as the sedan was grinding on the walls of the ramp to pass traffic. TJ was able to simply slip and slide between traffic, threading every needle he could.

Skidding onto the wide freeway, TJ spotted the sedan now flanked by two police motorcycles, attempting to clear a path for it. TJ wasted little time and tapped a marked button. In seconds, the spoiler dropped into the trunk, the Viper was lowered further to the road, the wheelbase was lowered, and the nitrous mixture was activated. These elements combined to turn the Viper into a straight-line rocket, blowing the doors off every civilian car it passed.

TJ was soon upon the sedan, but he had to deal with the two cops on the motorcycles first. Thanks to the upgrades on the Viper, he was able to close the gap quickly as the sedan screamed around a long bend in the road. Just as TJ began to formulate a plan to stop the runaway vehicle, he noticed one of the cops reach down and unholster a pistol. He only had a split-second to react, ducking underneath the steering wheel just as bolts of superheated plasma were unleashed upon the road. One bolt blasted through the windscreen, causing air to howl through the cabin. TJ peeked up to notice both the surgical hole burned through the glass as well as the rear bumper of an upcoming civilian car that had slammed on the brakes.

Smacking the wheel to the left, TJ avoided the collision by a centimeter, ducking low and barely peering over the dashboard to resume the pursuit. The anger of almost being shot in the face got the better of TJ, and he aimed his nearly two-ton missile at the cop who shot at him. Stamping his foot on the gas pedal, the Viper made a mad dash towards the culprit, who began to visibly panic. He did not have enough power to outrun the Viper however, as the front bumper of the supercar made contact with the rear wheel of the motorcycle. Almost instantly, the rider was flung from the bike, going airborne for a split second before landing on the elongated hood.

TJ locked eyes with the stunned cop, who quickly began to snarl as he reached for his gun. Realizing what his new hitchhiker was trying to do, TJ raised the rear spoiler and widened the wheelbase, putting the car into track mode. With his extra aerodynamics, the top speed of the Viper took a hit, but the trade-off was razor-sharp handling. Just as the cop raised the blaster and leveled it with his forehead, TJ ducked down once more, slammed on the brakes, and ripped the handbrake back at the same time. The momentum tossed the driver off the hood, sending him rolling down the highway at speeds that would have turned him into a meat crayon if he was not wearing protective gear.

With the first cop down for the count, TJ quickly caught up with the other cop, even though his new aerodynamics were slowing him down. He would waste no time with this officer, instead pulling right beside him before jerking his steering wheel toward the bike. Despite the maneuverability of bikes compared to cars, the cop was caught off-guard as the Viper shunted him. The cop quickly lost balance, as the bike slammed into the pavement and tossed the rider to the road beneath it.

Now it was between TJ and the sedan. Just as he was about to ram the rear bumper, he stopped, falling behind slightly. "Right, Peppy and Pepper are in there. Come on, think… think…" Despite driving at well over one hundred and thirty-five miles per hour, he held the steering wheel with one hand while his left hand supported his chin. Thoughts ran in and out of his head, each one ending with the sedan totaled and the occupants injured. After seconds that felt like minutes, an idea managed to wedge itself into his brain. A devious smile worked across his lips as he put two hands on the wheel once more. "Oh yeah, that'll work."

Slamming his foot down on the gas, TJ blew by the sedan, confusing the driver as he began to slightly slow down. He waited until he pulled further ahead before ripping the handbrake and fully cutting the wheel to the right. The rear tires began to smoke up before the Viper turned around one-hundred-eighty degrees, now driving in reverse and facing the sedan. "Come on… take the bait…" TJ mumbled under his breath.

To his amusement, the driver obeyed and drove straight at TJ. With a metallic crunch, the front bumpers of the two cars met. TJ's body jerked forward slightly before he fell back into his seat, overjoyed that his plan was working. Instantly, he shifted into first gear and slammed his foot down on the gas. The rear tires began to smoke and screech as the Viper entered an impromptu sumo match with the sedan. The sedan tried to push past the Viper, but the torque coming from the supercar was too much for it to handle. Very quickly, the sedan began to screech to a halt, tires uselessly spinning on the pavement as the driver began to panic.

The car wrestling gave Peppy and Pepper similar ideas. They both gave each other a knowing nod before lifting their knees to their chests and sliding their cuffed hands under their feet. At the same time, they threw their hands over the top of the headrests in front of them and placed their feet on the backs of the seats before pulling their arms back as far as they could. The metallic bars around their cuffs began to strangle their captors, only able to choke and wildly kick the dashboard of the car. The metal restraints were carved into their windpipes, adding increased pain as they struggled to breathe.

The sedan began to slowly roll backward as TJ was able to see what was happening through the clouds of tire smoke, prompting him to let his foot off the gas. Pepper and Peppy continued to strangle their captors, waiting for the thrashing to cease for a measured minute before they finally released them. Both captors collapsed in an unconscious heap in the front seats, the one on the driver's side falling onto the horn and letting it blare continuously.

Cautiously, TJ exited the Viper, making sure there was no instant danger. It looked like traffic was giving him a wide berth, something he was grateful for as he jogged up to the driver's side window of the car. His first instinct was to grab the handle and pull, only to be met with the dull thud of the door locks still engaged. He huffed for a second before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the screwdriver. Placing the flathead of the tool on the lower right corner of the window, he slapped the end of the handle with an open palm. The transfer of energy safely shattered the window, allowing him to reach inside and unlock the doors.

With a thunk, the doors unlocked, prompting TJ to open the rear doors and free the captives. Peppy and Pepper stumbled out of the back seats, looking none the worse for wear while the Premiere shuffled out slowly. Looking at the street racer, there was no time for formalities as Peppy motioned toward the unconscious driver still lying on the horn. "Get his thumbprint!"

TJ's brain did a burnout as he looked at the driver, some sort of canine by the looks of it. "You… want me to cut off his thumb?"

Peppy raised a brow and widened his eyes at the question. "What?! No! Just… stick his right hand out the window!"

"Alright, alright," TJ whined, putting his hands by his head defensively. "Just makin' sure s'all." Reaching over the driver to grab his hand, TJ froze as the canine stirred from his sleep. He was barely able to rasp out a protest before instinct took over TJ's body. Cocking his right fist back into a punch, the street racer let a right hook crack against the jaw of the canine. Once more, the canine fell into the void of unconsciousness as TJ grabbed his hand and stuck it out the window.

Peppy grabbed the canine's exposed wrist before placing the thumb on the center of the metal bar. A click echoed as the cuffs opened, allowing Peppy to free his wrists before Pepper and the Premiere did the same for their cuffs.

Making sure that the loose ends were tied up, the old soldiers quickly slapped their cuffs on the wrists of those who kidnapped them. With both hostiles subdued, the two were finally able to take a rest. "Unbelievable," Canis mumbled, shaking his head as he eyed the unconscious kidnappers up and down. "Attacking the Congress. Dressed as members of the CDF, no less."

"Yeah," Peppy replied, walking up to Canis' side. "Whoever did this must have some serious strings to pull. Whattya think, Cory? Inside job?"

Pepper shook his head with a huff, taking note of the authentic armor his kidnappers wore. "It's not something I would rule out. But who would have a motive?" The canine shook his head to his question. "Something we will have to think about later. For now…"

Pepper straightened out his uniform, a friendly smile on his lips as he approached TJ with an outstretched hand. "That was some exemplary driving, Tyler! Truly remarkable. How you handled those impostors in badges was a sight to behold."

TJ cautiously shook his hand as he raised his brow and looked back down the now-jammed highway. "Wait, those weren't cops?"

Pepper shook his head as he clasped his hands behind his back. "No, they were not. Mere crooks wearing the uniforms of our law enforcement, I'm afraid. I thought you were aware?"

"It looked like…" TJ paused shaking his head. "Never mind, don't matter. Sorry about the crash as well, couldn't do much else without hurting you guys."

Peppy shook his head and waved his hand with an earnest smile. "Don't worry about it, son. We're right as rain! If you had not intervened, " The old hare let a chuckle escape his lips, before fishing into his pockets for his phone. "I should probably give Fox a call, let him know we're safe. Poor boy's probably havin' a heart attack right now!"

Punching in Fox's number, Peppy put the device up to his floppy ear. After a few seconds, his eyes lit up with joy. "Fox! Hey, I'm alright, I just got rescued by…" The expression on Peppy's face instantly fell, his eyes going wide as his ears flopped down. "…What?… Shot?!… Fox, take a deep breath, alright son? Just breathe… Exactly, Fay's on her way right now to take care of her… I'll be down there in a heartbeat, but I need you to promise me that you'll stay calm, alright? Alright, good. I'll be back with TJ once we get things squared away here. Just breathe."

Hanging up, Peppy took in as much air as his lungs could carry before sighing. He looked back toward TJ and the beast of a car he arrived in. "You mind givin' me a ride back to the Great Fox?" He saw TJ's eyes light up, causing him to add to his own request before TJ could say or do anything else. "Without breakin' the speed limit? I've had enough excitement in a day to last me well into the next year."

There was a slight deflation in TJ's eyes as he realized that he would have to reign in his Viper. It did not stop him from nodding however as he walked back to the Viper. With the low rumble of the supercar's engine cutting through the air, Peppy turned back to his friends with a worried expression. "If this was some kinda hit, both of you keep your heads low. Right now, I'd only trust Bill and his boys. Everyone else, well…"

Pepper put a gloved hand on Peppy's shoulder, softly smiling. "We will be alright. In the meantime, you should get to Fox. It sounds like he could use your presence."

Peppy looked around the highway for any signs of the military, not that he trusted them at the moment anyway. "You guys have a way to get back to safety? I don't just wanna up and leave y'all here."

Premiere Canis let his eyes drift back to the black sedan and the handcuffed captors. "Well, this vehicle is not too badly damaged. I am sure that we can requisition it for a while. Pepper, would you mind helping me put our guests in the backseats?"

"With pleasure, sir." Looking back at a still-concerned Peppy, Pepper nodded. "We are alright, just go."

Peppy nodded, slowly walking back to the red supercar with his hands in his pockets. Today was a day he would not mind forgetting at the bottom of a glass in his new office… once the city had calmed down.