FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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_Chapter -3-

"Another Closed Option"_

"They're revolting." Krystal watched the guards through the binoculars and added, "Even after the mental conditioning, they're so vile and disgusting that I feel dirty just being near them. They're beyond scum. Lower than enemy pawns." She passed the device back to Caruso and frowned at the thoughts she heard from his mind. "I promise this is different than the other night on Corneria. I won't have a problem dispatching these people."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded firmly. "You have my word. They're repulsive and, if anything, Octoman's brainwashing actually helped them. The mental conditioning has, at the very best, made it so that they're not as interested in all things foul. I can't explain it very well."

"Panther understands." He brought the binoculars to his eyes. "They were focused on darker thoughts but the brain washing has given them clarity and focus on completing Octoman's tasks. However, if he doesn't continue the sessions with them or if his mental wavelength machine is shut down... these men revert to their dishonorable ways. Either way, they're a threat."

"Exactly." She reached for his shirt and gave a tug. They both lowered in the brush. Krystal brought a paw to his muzzle and gestured silently to him that he should remain still and quiet. No one moved. Instead, she stared straight ahead at the tiny green bud emanating from what previously looked like a dead shrub. Tiny green saplings dotted the brown bush twigs in front of her nose, a result from restoring the waters of Venom just a few months ago.

Knowing she was telepathic, Panther thought the words, 'What's going on?'

She canted her head a bit then brushed her lips against his ear. "Someone is downwind of us. Don't worry, they haven't detected our scent. At least not yet. But I sense they're coming this way."

"You distract them away from here. Panther will move towards the entrance to the cave and neutralize the..."

"Shh." She waited for a moment then whispered into his ear again. "They're in communication with one another."

Panther narrowed his gaze, squinting through the binoculars. "You're right." He passed them back and told her, "Look closely."

She took the device and peered within then frowned. Each enemy by the main entrance wore a rather small headset with a plastic boom microphone alongside their mouths. She'd not noticed them before because the headsets were made of translucent plastic. The metal tip that extended forward from the headset was no larger than a shoestring aglet.

"I'm thinking we should take down this guy coming our way and make it look like an accident. When the communication stops, they'll come looking for him. At that point, we have two options. We ambush anyone who comes to investigate or we can take the opportunity to sneak into the cave undetected, depending on who is sent to search for the missing man."

"A good plan, Krystal; you wait here and..."

"No." She returned his binoculars and said, "You're my buffer. This is how we're going to do it... I'll back track and take the guy down. I'll make it look like there was an accident. If, for any reason, those guys down by the mouth of the cavern get involved... well, you'll be in position to ambush them before they can get to my location. Stay here and don't move."

"As you wish. Stay safe."

"Stay alert," she replied and crawled backwards, backing down the hill. She moved down through high grass, towards the beachhead and tracked the nearby field patrol. Krystal dropped to her belly and wormed her way through the tannish-yellow seaside meadow. Before long, the ground softened where dirt became sand. The high grass thinned out as she neared the beach. Sensing her proximity to the patrolman, she paused so as to lie in wait for her quarry. With careful, slow movements she withdrew the staff from her harness and willed it to extend telescopically.

The man, dressed in khaki shorts and a white tank top, had a rather large class-three armored vest on overtop of his shirt. The thick, heavy padding made him feel safe and secure, giving him an air of confidence as he strolled leisurely across the upper beach.

Krystal stood up silently. She'd seen Panther kill quickly, without struggle and she pondered if she could emulate it. Now directly behind the man, she grew close. He stopped in his tracks, causing her heart to race. The man brought a scaly hand to his ear and said, "You guys need to stop clowning around. I mean it. The big boss said Dash Bowman might send spies to see what we're up to. That crazy kid might think he owns the planet but if you idiots don't stop screwin' off, I'll make sure the big boss does to you guys what he did to the other guards. You boys want to lose your freedom of will? I didn't think so. Stop clogging up the communication lines."

As soon as he released the button on the side of the headset, she leapt high into the air and pounced him hard. Krystal locked her legs around his waist and brought her staff up against his neck, jerking it from left to right in an attempt to break his neck. She'd seen Panther do it but couldn't seem to reproduce those results. With all her upper body strength, she pulled back on the staff, using the fulcrum to choke the man.

He doubled over and threw her body into the grass and sand. She rolled away from him, catching her outer thigh against a rock the size of a typical simian skull. It was bleached and smooth on one side. The vixen winced, knowing she would have a bruise from the collision. Half-buried in the sand by her foot was the man's headset. She grabbed it and threw it beyond his immediate reach.

"You're going to pay for that," he sneered. The lizard went for his sidearm.

Quick to react, Krystal rolled evasively through the loose sand. She grabbed at his tail and attempted to pull it with all of her might in order to bring him down to the ground with her. To her utter surprise, the tail ripped clean from his body. He whirled about and pulled the blaster from the hip holster he wore. "My species is known for that," he said with a smirk. He pointed the weapon at her.

Krystal rolled back and kicked her legs up. Her right foot caught the bottom of the gun and her left hind paw met the man's crotch. He groaned in pain but squeezed the trigger anyhow. His blaster fired straight into the air. Meanwhile the female fox reached for her staff.

"No you don't!" he wheezed in pain. He brought his right foot down on the staff and his left foot rose in attack.

Sensing his moves as though they were telegraphed to a professional fighter, she was ready to counter. Krystal blocked his kick, snagged his elevated leg and delivered a quick jab to his other knee. Now, without balance, the reptile spilled backwards and landed on his back in the sand.

He rolled over to protect his face and began to move to his hands and knees. Before he could get up, Krystal snatched the rock she fell on earlier and brought it down against the backside of his head. Silence. Realizing the rock was now covered in blood, she threw it into the waist-high grass and slumped back by the staff. She lay there for several minutes, panting from exertion and adrenaline.

She swallowed back her trepidation and sought inner resolve. During her time with the Cornerian Air Guard, she wanted everyone to think she was an icy-hearted combat expert - a true killer. It was just an act; even Bill Grey saw through it... but she had to believe that about herself right now... there was no flaking out; she was doing her duty. ...She was a woman of duty after all, just like on Cerinia.

Krystal gathered some sand in her paw and flung it at the motionless body. "You had to make it difficult..." She looked away, not really caring to see the skull she'd bashed in. After a few deep breaths to get at herself she began to ponder what to do next. She retrieved the headset from the grass while her mind raced over multiple options.

Finally, the little vixen scooped up some more sand in her palms then doused the backside of the man's head. Before long, the bloody wound was covered with so much sand that the profuse bleeding was soaked up and stopped all together. She came around to the other side of his body, grabbed his legs and dragged him, face down, across the beach. To the west was a large rise in the shoreline. The precipice of a cliff towering over a hundred feet high ended with rocks and splashing waves on the shore.

With a grunt, she slung the body over the rocks so it looked as though he'd fallen to his death. Last but not least, she broke the headset in her paws and tossed the remains towards his body. She backed away, where the rocky terrain melted into soft smooth sand... Again her head lifted, looking up along the rock face. She surveyed her work to make sure it looked believable. A large wave caught her attention from out of the corner of her eye. Krystal backed up the shoreline and, moments later, the large wave struck the beachhead and the rocks at the bottom of the precipice.

She returned to look over the scene. The wave had tossed the body about so that it looked far less staged. Satisfied, she turned about and hurried back from where she'd come. Once she reached the grass she turned towards it and made her way back to Panther. He was still waiting where she told him to stay.

"What took you so long?"

Krystal offered him a lame grin, resembling a smirk in a way. "You really don't want to know. The patrolman had his accident. It wasn't pretty but... that sort of thing never is. You'd have been proud of me." She returned her staff to the harness and said, "Now we wait."

In a matter of minutes, the guards at the mouth of the cavern left their post. Panther and Krystal waited until they were out of sight then the couple darted from their hiding place. They quickly entered the cave and raced down into the antechamber below the island's surface.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Peppy Hare traced his finger over the cigar case and closed his eyes. It was a present from James McCloud but the rabbit had given up cigars, scotch and other such hedonistic things many years ago. Now even coffee was a rarity and low-caffeine or otherwise decaf hot tea was the choice of this aging General.

"We saved Corneria," said Bill Grey from his seat.

"You did well," added John Pepper from further back. "I wasn't sure I'd live long enough to see the Capital City lights again. It's taken four months but... I looked out over the skyline a while ago and all I could see was twinkling. You did good, Peppy."

Hare opened the glass display case and open the cedar box within. He removed three well-aged cigars from the case and turned to his peers. "I gave up smoking cigars a year after James died. These are kept at seventy degrees and at seventy percent humidity in a climate-controlled display case. They're about the same age as my daughter." He passed the cigars to Bill and John then retrieved wooden matches from his desk. "And I assure you gentlemen... you'll never smoke anything finer than this in your whole life ever again." Peppy offered a wan smile and passed them the matches. He settled down on the other side of the desk.

Everyone lit their cigars and the room grew quiet. Pepper was the first to speak, offering a low, "Wow." He drew the cigar from his muzzle, looked over the object then wedged it back between his teeth and grinned at Peppy. In a muffled tone, speaking over the object, he said, "Now this is a victory smoke. Why didn't you break these out the day the Anglars were destroyed?"

"Because it wasn't over," said the rabbit, exhaling a plume of richly flavored and finely blended smoke. "The Anglars were taken down but people were still dying in the streets from all the damage. It's been four months and now... just look around. With the debris removed, the city finally turned on the skyline lights. Route sixty-seven's neon glow is back. Shops are open today. There was a parade this afternoon."

"I was there," said Bill. He clinched the cigar in his fingers and eased it from his teeth. He wasn't much of a smoker but he couldn't argue... this cigar didn't have the harsh bite he'd experienced at eighteen. It was like finely aged wine in its own right. "The parade was awesome. It marked the official reopening of the city. So that's what this little get-together is about?"

"That's right," said Peppy. "Corneria's defcon level has officially returned to its most peaceful setting just one hour ago tonight. I wish I could have tracked down Fox McCloud and invited him to this little private party. His ship is in dry dock but he's nowhere to be found. I can't reach him because his communicator is offline."

Grey nodded and frowned. "He wasn't at the parade today, either. They mentioned him and the Mayor said he wanted to give Fox the key to the city one day in the near future."

"Speaking of peaceful status," said the old hound, sickly with age, "What's this mess I read about the maximum-security prison just outside of town?"

Bill furrowed his brows, not knowing anything about the situation. Both he and Pepper cut their eyes to Peppy for answers. Hare took another long, slow toke on the cigar then sighed contentedly in enjoyment. His eyes lifted to them with a slight frown. "When the investigation concludes I'll know more. However, I can tell you that all the detainees have been rounded up and all of them are accounted for. Zako, the bounty hunter that worked for the Anglar Empire, was found dead. They're doing the autopsy in the morning. Toxicology found poison in his blood. Also, three guards died in the skirmish... One was found in a bathroom, shot to death. Another was found with a broken neck and inmates overcame the third one during their rush to leave the jail. From what I understand every force field in the maximum-security block was deactivated at the same time."

The younger canine leaned back in his chair. "Sounds like someone wanted to start trouble and create disorder. Perhaps it was an attempt to rescue Zako and it went awry? Or someone could have broken in and created the mess to cover their tracks so they could..."

Pepper patted the youthful dog's knee. "No, young man. It sounds like an assassin didn't want Zako to talk to us. He was about to go to trial - tomorrow I believe - and Zako was seeking amnesty in exchange for a great number of things. He even went so far as to claim he was being forced to work for the Anglars. I don't really believe that but he was going to tell us where we could find the remainder of the Anglar Emperor's field commanders and leaders. Zizan, Zolge and Octoman."

Bill took a deep puff on his cigar and said, "Zolge is dead. I heard he begged for his life before the Anglar Super Weapon was pushed into the surface of Solar. Kinda' gives a new meaning to the term, 'shot down in flames,' doesn't it? I reckon he could've escaped but if he did... he'd used a stealth cloaked escape pod. No one saw anything but the magma swallow up the whole damn thing. I'm perdy' sure he's gone for good."

"Maybe if Zako was alive, we could find out for sure," said Hare with a shrug of indifference. "Now we'll never know unless we find Zizan or Octoman. Most likely it was one of those two responsible for Zako's murder. If we can somehow determine that much we'll be able to determine if those two are still a threat. Somehow I doubt those two are anything more than a couple of thugs at this point. They can hide but it won't last forever."

John Pepper leaned back, enjoying the flavor of the aged cigar in his paw. "This advanced stage of diabetes may take me to my grave soon but one thing is for sure... I left Corneria in good hands. You two really make me proud. I want you boys to find Fox McCloud and his team. The boy really worked his tail off and, this time, he didn't even ask for a fee up front."

A soft chuckle came from the rabbit along with a knowing grin. "Don't worry about that, John. Fox has learned how to manage his money better over the last half-decade. After living so frugally for the two years leading up to the old Sauria mission, he learned how to stretch money and hold onto it. Even though he didn't hold his paw out this time... I budgeted for a Star Fox fee. It's all taken care of. After all, I knew there would be one - I knew Fox would be the one to take a stand. I remember waiting for him to get paid when we scraped by in the past... it's different being the one to pay him, now."

"Funny how that works, hmm?" Pepper finished his cigar and brought his paws together. "It's not like him to hide on days like today. He wasn't at the parade or anything? I know he used to hate pomp and circumstance but he came to like the attention and praise... let me know if either of you hear from him."

"I wonder what he's up to right now?" Bill mused aloud. "If it was me, I'd be having myself a beer or two. But Fox doesn't seem the kind of guy to sing his own praises over alcohol. He's not a party-hound."

Peppy shrugged and said, "I'm sure he's somewhere quiet, getting close to Krystal right now. Those two were really in love for a while there. I heard all about what happened but... last I heard, they made up and she even helped the team to fight the Anglars together. For all we know they might be on the beaches of Cape Claw on Sauria right now. Ah, young love. They were a cute couple, absolutely smitten with one another."

"She flew for me for a while," said Bill. "She was pretty upset with him. Angry. She clouded out her emotions and was an ice-hearted stone-cold killer... at least she'd have had you believe that but one thing was for sure about that girl... she was professional. Good work ethic and a strong sense of duty and responsibility. Fox better not screw it up again."

John shook his head. "Don't you boys talk to your people?"

"What do you mean, Sir?" asked Grey.

Pepper's eyes lowered. "Scuttlebutt is that Krystal came to Corneria this afternoon. She stopped through to refuel her fighter and then she left. She told one of the communication people that she was now a privateer again. He said he told her that he was sorry Fox must'a kicked her off the team again and she didn't correct him. So... actually I think he did screw it up again."

Peppy shook his head and sighed. "I'll find him and talk some sense into him again."

"Maybe, if I'm lucky, she'll come back and continue to fly for the Air Guard again. Good pilot. I could use someone like her. I'm all for Fox and Krystal being happy together but... I'm not about to get in the middle of that mess, either. If I see either of them I'll send'em your way," he told the rabbit with a firm nod. "So... if he's not with Krystal... I wonder where he's at and what he's doing right now?"

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About twenty-five miles away...

*Falco kicked his legs up on an ottoman * and reached for the TV remote. He glanced over at the bedroom where he could see Fox face down on the mattress with his head draped over the side of the bed. There was a trash pale beneath Fox's face... just in case. The avian cut his gaze back to the TV and frowned, seeing it was on a news channel. He lifted the remote to change the channel when the current story caught his attention.

The anchorman spoke of rumors on Zako in prison. They mentioned an in-house riot and that Zako was found dead with only twelve more hours before his court trial. The blue-feathered avian shook his head and sighed. "Great. This has drama written all over it. Obviously it was a hit." Seconds later the anchorman mentioned that initial toxicology reports showed traces of cyanide in his blood stream but the autopsy reports wouldn't be out until a few days from now. Falco folded his arms. "Cyanide like the pills or like the injection? Man this smells fishy... this guy was whacked by someone who didn't want him going to trial."

Lombardi shifted, hearing something from the nearby bedroom. He glanced over and saw McCloud easing up onto elbows. "Just sleep off the sickness. You'll be fine in the morning, man."

"I need water," murmured Fox.

Falco got up and walked to the doorway. "Huh? I didn't hear you over the television."

"Thirsty."

A dull expression came over the avian's facial features. He walked away and, after a moment, returned with a cup of tap water. He handed it to McCloud and said, "Be careful with that. I'm not going to feed it to your drunk ass... just don't spill it. And, for the record, I'm freaked out by your comment earlier... the one about dating me."

Fox carefully got up from his stomach and sat on his knees. He reached out for the plastic cup and drank from it. Once the cup was empty he passed it back to his long-time friend. "You were saying something about dating people and suggested someone I disagreed with..."

"Yeah, Lucy Hare."

"Right, here. She's not for me. Anyhow, I was saying I'd date anyone else at this point... I'd try it, anyhow. Even you. Meaning if you were a girl, I'd try it... even though you show up late and have a sensational ego. Because, unlike most people in my life, you've always come back and had my back when I really needed help. It may surprise you but... foxes are monogamous. After I foolishly got Fara killed, I got pretty weird. Miyu and I started talking but she refused a relationship with me. She said she couldn't date a man who wasn't over his dead ex-girlfriend. Then I went eight years before looking at another woman. Look, if I could find someone who is right for me... great! But I'm not interested in Lucy. Most girls I know aren't interested in me. Slippy has Amanda. Katt is still smitten with you. I'm just... not cut out for love. I don't even know how to handle a relationship. At least normal kids got to see how their parents treated one another... and learned how a proper family works... and how spouses treat one another. I missed out on all that stuff, man. I'm sorry you misunderstood me and I was too drunk to explain myself better and..."

"Whatever." Lombardi placed the cup on the night stand and said, "Fill it yourself if you want more, bud. Now that I know you're not going to drown in your own vomit... I'm going to bed." He flipped off the bedroom light, shut the door and went out to the living room.

Fox could hear the sounds of the living room sofa bed being opened. The creaky springs grunted and groaned momentarily then he heard a squeak from his friend flopping down on the old mattress. McCloud sighed to himself and sat there, in the dark, all alone. He hated feeling alone. He also hated the thought of the McCloud family surname ending with him.

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"So he's seen us land... why is security weak?" Panther peered around a corner then sniffed at the air. They were alone in the dank subteranian corridors. "Those two men at the entrance walked away to find a missing patrolman? IF they knew that two fighters landed on this island, they should guard their post no matter what happens... accident or otherwise."

"I know what you're thinking," she whispered. "And you're probably right. It's possible we're walking into a trap but... I can't sense much more than the fact that his intentions are hostile. We've come too far to turn back now. Let's find him and take him down."

"Can you sense anything else?"

"Yes," she replied. Krystal reached behind her back and withdrew the staff she brought. "He's readying his escape. It's rather elaborate; he fears that Zizan is the one who hired us. He thinks that he has been marked by an assassin."

"Escape? What a coward... does he know our identity?"

"Not yet. He thinks Zizan is behind this but has no idea it's you." She brought a paw to her lips and gestured for quiet then whispered, "Someone is nearby and they're watching through crosshairs. We've not stepped into his sights yet but... he's close. One of the brainwashed ones, I fear."

Panther nodded to her whispered words and asked, "Shield Barrier?"

She shook her head vehemently. "The glow of the field will give away our position from around corners because of how dark it is down here. Stay sharp, hon." She continued forward then stopped just before an intersection in the hallway. She lifted her paw and said, "Don't move."

"Pardon?" He looked back down the dismal cavern then forward. "What's wrong?"

"Look." She pointed to the floor. Her right foot was lower than her left. The ground around her right foot was significantly deeper and there was loose dirt on that spot. "Don't move. I've stepped on a switch. The second I step off..."

"Say no more," he interrupted. Panther put the tip of his toe down, adjacent to her small foot. He added pressure then said, "Step off."

Krystal moved off of the pressure plate hidden beneath loose dirt while Panther kept it depressed. She glanced around the floor then backed her way to the other side of the hall. "I'm sorry."

"We didn't know," he murmured. "Start searching the walls, floor and ceiling to see if you can find any nozzles or slits in the granite. If we can figure out where this trap will spring we can better avoid it."

She began searching the floor first, staying sharp for any other weight-activated switches. "Found another," she murmured exactly across from him. "Anyone who is trying to cross the intersection will need to stay away from the sides." She began checking the walls. After a moment, she said, "Nothing," and began scanning the ceiling. "Nothing. I can only assume... once you step out into the intersection, you'll be attacked by something down the hallway on either side."

"See if you can find out for sure before I let my foot off. With any luck this footswitch is merely a silent alarm."

"It's trouble either way." She peered around the corner then used the binoculars to zoom up on the far wall. "I don't see anything like a turret or a nozzle in the wall. This isn't going to be easy. There's also the possibility that if this island was used back in the days of the Venom War, that pressure plate doesn't work anymore."

"Panther will hold it down until we can be sure."

"Thank you but that shouldn't be your problem. If you want, you can go on ahead and I'll wait here until your return. What do you think we should do?"

He shrugged. "You've put Panther in danger with your clumsiness, dear flower. You must try to be more careful in the future. You wouldn't want to damage my picture-perfect visage, would you?"

She probed his mind then looked away. He was actually serious - where Fox was more worried about her safety, Panther was more worried about his own safety. She ran her paw back through her hair and twirled the staff in her free paw. "I'll activate the shield on my staff. You let off the footswitch and whatever happens... we'll be protected. Let's go." She moved close to him then lifted the pole and activated its shield bubble.

Panther withdrew his foot from the pressure plate... The shield bubble ripped just inches from the feline's snout where a high caliber round of ammunition struck the blue field of energy. Caruso's ears flickered and his right paw closed then opened.

Krystal's flinch was far more visible. She cringed, hissing inward through her teeth. "OH my heavens!" She looked at Panther while holding her breath then whispered, "Where did it even come from?"

"It doesn't matter," he said, adding, "But it's in the direction we're facing, because that's the side of the shield it struck. You see? Be less careless, lest you damage your perfect boyfriend my dear." He saw her flinch then asked, "What's wrong?"

"...Nothing." She couldn't believe his audacity. However, with so few options at this point, she held her tongue for the time being. Moving slowly, together, they remained inside of her shield bubble unless they crossed over the intersecting passage. She lowered the field and placed the base of her staff on the floor, holding it just beneath the tip. "I'm sensing excitement. There must be more traps. I think this is Octoman I'm reading... I don't know how he'd be watching us but... he doesn't know you're behind this because I'd have felt such... let's keep going."

"He's far more clever than I'd given him credit for. I saw him as an overrated fool." The hallway continued for another two hundred feet then opened into a large underground dwelling. On the east side of the enormous room, several tall computer towers lined the wall. Above the computers, the ceiling had an airshaft with a high power fan drawing the heat up and out of the room. To the west, a field office had been erected. There was a table, a laptop, a chair and an empty coat rack.

She glanced back at Panther and shrugged. "Well, at least we can shut down his base of operations. I'll trash this stuff with my staff's quake ability."

"Wait." He placed a paw out then pointed back down the hallway from which they came. "Do you have any explosives? If we rig a timer we can be sure there will be no failsafe mechanism. If we destroy these computers while we're down here... who knows, the cave may seal itself off or put us into danger. For a clairvoyant person, you lack much common sense, my little flower. Think first - if you have any reason to hesitate over anything then ask Panther first, yes?"

"I can't..." She wanted to say she couldn't believe he was being so arrogant. However, he did put himself into her place and nearly took a bullet for his troubles. She swallowed in defeat and said, "Fine. I'll ask first."

"There's a good girl." He approached the computers on the far wall and told her, "Since you apparently lack anything explosive or anything we can use as a timer, we'll have to be creative."

"I sense you've already come prepared with a solution?"

"Yes, my darling girl. Panther is always prepared for anything. It's dangerous and will require your aid." He slid his paws into his gear packs and opened an interior lining then withdrew a bag of silver powder from his right hip pack and a bag of red powder from his left hip pack." "This is aluminum shavings and iron oxide dust."

She was only vaguely familiar with the first element; Krystal pondered aloud, "You brought rust and one of the Lylat metals with you? Shavings of both? Why?" She wanted to sense the answer from him but there were mental shades of gray in place.

Panther moved both baggies to his right paw then reached with his left paw and pulled out a magnesium flashbang. "I'll use this to light a mixture of the two metals. Just know that it will work. Panther has no time to explain. Scout the perimeter while the real work is done." He dismissed her with a wave of his paw and a brilliant smile. "This is about to become the artwork of a truly dashing and fantastic man, you will see! Check the perimeter and watch my back." He began mixing the two sets of powder atop of the wall of computers.

Krystal looked away in disgust and made her way down the hall, scanning the floor and walls. She returned to the trap switch at the intersection. With a sigh of frustration the little blue vixen peered down to the left and right. She stepped forward into the joined corridors. Nothing happened. She crossed over it then froze. Again, she sensed a brainwashed man nearby. She saw clearly into his mind and had a mental image of the attacker's eye on his gun sights. Her gaze widened and she realized that he was now watching a target through his scope.

She pivoted on her foot and sprinted back towards Caruso. "Move!" she hissed as she ran towards him. "Get down!"

Caruso saw the flash of gunfire before she did. He threw his body towards her, knocking the vixen to the floor, thereby saving her life. A shell casing rang out through the underground area, echoing off the granite walls. Panther sat up with his paws on Krystal. She was unharmed. His fingertips moved to his cheek then he looked at his palm. Short strands of fur covered his padded paw. The bullet passed within a matter of millimeters from his muzzle. It came so close that it shaved fur hairs. "You're the telepathic one, my dear... you sensed that his crosshairs were on me that late? Are you trying to get Panther killed? Did you not realize he must have changed his target to you as you ran through the area, calling attention to yourself?" He glanced about. "From where are these coming? We need to find them so this job can be finished. You, my dear, are the telepathic one - find him and put a stop to it. It will require the proper mixture to cause thermite, else it won't do the job properly and that cannot be done unless you have Panther's back. Stop nearly getting Panther killed, will you?"

Again, she gritted her teeth and told him, "Just finish getting ready to destroy these computers." Krystal stood up but Panther dragged her back to the floor. She realized his intentions then scoffed. "Just crawl your butt over there and finish the job so that nothing happens to your precious, 'handsome face'."

Caruso smiled brightly, bringing his paws up to either side of his cheeks as if reveling in a compliment. "See? You agree that Panther's face is precious and handsome! You wouldn't want anything to mark the creator's hard work, now would you? Go on, my dear. I'll finish here - try to have Panther's back. We're a team, remember?" He winked and moved back towards the computers, staying low.

Krystal closed her eyes with a sigh. He missed her sarcasm, probably from selective hearing. She shook her head and looked away with newfound disgust. They'd never worked together in such a way before... and now that she was able to see this side of him... she regretted her decision to return to him. Krystal balled her paws into fists, crept along the far end of the room then approached the back wall. She began tapping the tip of her cane against the hardened granite surface.

"Please, my dear flower... Panther needs to focus to make the proper mixture of these chemicals without use of a hand scale."

"Shut up." She glowered at him then continued tapping along the walls. Halfway down, her tapping resulted in a hollow sound. She brought the staff about, charged the 'quake' feature and touched the tip of the cane against the dirt surface. Incredible force rushed from the cane and into the wall, causing the faux section to crumble. A man with a rifle spilled forward into the newly created dirt pile.

She lifted the staff then brought it down, channeling all of her anger into the blow. The weighted tip struck the reptile in his head. He cried out in pain and scrambled to his hands and knees. With a grunt for good measure, she brought her foot back and punted the man in his gut. He flipped over onto his back, causing the dirt pile to be strewn out across the floor.

Instinctively, the man withdrew a blaster on his hip. Krystal used her staff to swat it out of his grip. She twirled it then thrust the end into the ground beneath his back. The cane glowed softly then she activated the charged boost application and flipped him into the air. Like a ballerina, she pivoted about and brought the staff around in full swing. The pole struck the man like a baseball bat and he hit the wall.

The man rolled onto his side. Blood dribbled down from his snout and his clothes were soiled and ripped in some places. In his scaly hand, he held a thermal detonator. It began to pulsate as it counted down in his palm. Her eyes widened. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Panther!"

"No now, flower," he casually remarked, focusing on the mixture of powder he was creating.

She glanced back at the grenade in the dead reptile's palm. Her heart and mind raced. She had only seconds to react but didn't know what to do. She used the tip of her staff to try and pry the grenade from his grip but Riga Mortis had the explosive locked in a death grip.

In a race against time, Krystal positioned herself directly in front of the lizard, knelt down besides him and activated the shield of her staff. The glowing blue energy field swelled to life, closing her in an energy cocoon. She positioned herself so close to the reptile that she could see the detonator pulsing only several inches from the glowing aura. Krystal clinched her eyes tightly but relaxed her body, using herself as a shield to deflect the blast. It went off.

The svelte blue vixen was literally launched into the air. She struck the ceiling, glanced off the sidewall then landed on the field office table. The legs gave out beneath the little wooden structure, sending her and the laptop crashing to the ground. She heard a distant ringing in her ears but was unable to retain her consciousness... instead, her mind fled into the comfort of temporary oblivion.

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"Wake up, little one." The voice was soft and soothing but for some reason it inspired anger. She couldn't quite understand why just yet. It spoke again but its creamy relaxing tones irritated her.

Krystal's eyes opened and she reached for her ears. She looked up at Panther's face and realized that he was carrying her down the beach to the fighters. He smiled and said, "Welcome back... a little late to the party but at least you're not damaged. Panther wishes to express his gratitude for sacrificing your safety as a body shield to protect your love. No harm has come to me. Did you enjoy your siesta?"

She quivered from anger, keeping her muzzle shut so as not to say anything spiteful. He tilted his head and drew her closer to his chest. "Oh, you're trembling, my flower. Again, I assure you that handsome Panther is unharmed. You were quite the noisy girl back there, hmm? Panther had difficulty concentrating on his work while you were playing about, having fun with your friend. It's of no matter... the thermite proved successful and the computers are now nothing more than slag. However, because you required a man to carry you out of there, Octoman successfully escaped in his ship. We should depart before what's left of his goons try to start more trouble."

That was it. She couldn't take it anymore. The vixen kicked her legs out of his arms and landed on her feet. Leering at him, Krystal withdrew her staff and brought the tip to his throat. "I did all the work to keep you alive. You appreciate having your face unmarred but you didn't thank me directly for risking my neck to save yours."

He lifted his paw to his cheek and said, "The fur of my cheek is shorter in one spot... the wound is like that of a papercut. You're wrong... Just be thankful that it's not a permanent mark. Do not be hard on yourself, though... For any other, Panther would have killed them for putting him in danger let alone allowing him to be nicked. But not you..." He changed to the first person perspective to sound sincere. "I have patience for you because I love you, Krystal."

"You don't know the meaning of the word LOVE, Panther!" She opened the tip. The bulbous piece opened to resemble a small trident edge. The nozzle brushed the lump of his Adam's apple. "You have no respect for me."

"You're wrong, my emotional little angel. Panther respects every inch of a woman."

"That's NOT respect! That's lusty admiration - it's different. You lecherous bastard. I'm so glad I suggested that we come here and work together. It gave me the chance to see this side of you. If you put your own safety first, how can I expect you to properly father a child? No. I won't allow that. Ever. You've lost the right to call yourself my mate. Go home, Panther."

"Flower, you're merely being emotional. Panther understands menstruation and has the patience to wait out this cycle. Come home and relax. In a week, when you're ready to apologize, we will resume our wonderful romance! Come, I shall lead the way back to Sargasso."

"SHUT UP!" She glowered at him, ground her teeth together and clinched her paws around the staff. Her fur bristled up and her heart raced. The seething woman hissed through clinched teeth. "I'm not on my period, you idiot. The last time I had it was the day before I returned to you." She pushed the tip against his neck.

"Careful, lest your hormonal rage accidentally leave a mark on..."

"I said shut up." She turned towards her ship, placed the staff's base against the ground then charged it. The booster utility launched her upwards. She gracefully performed a somersault, causing her skirt to billow up around her waist momentarily. Krystal dropped to her feet atop of the hull, opened the canopy and called down to him, "It's over. I made a mistake. Y'know, you're a different man when you're safely shielded inside your cockpit. No wonder you were an assassin... sniping a target at a distance gives you a subconscious sense of safety yet provides you with the feeling of power and control when you take a target's life. At the jail, you snuck up behind that one man and broke his neck while he was facing away from you. Didn't you realize your cowardice? You hide behind a woman to protect your face, Caruso. You're no man, you're a... a reticent... pusillanimous... coward! You'll certainly never be my swain."

"But you came back to Panther because he is your one true paramour! Your inamorato! And you are his inamorata! Let Panther resume his duties as your suitor and let him prove to you that he will provide you with companionship, patience and understanding... love!"

"You know what's sad? It hurt to leave Fox. But it's going to feel great to leave you." She slid into her cockpit, pulled the canopy down and pushed her staff into the crawlspace behind her seat. Krystal booted the computer, pushed the throttle bar all the way up and waited for the engines to come online. Seconds later, the ship rumbled then lurched vertically, creating a powerful blast of dust and sand to billow up around the fighter. She sensed Caruso shielded himself with his arms but was covered in dirt nonetheless. A subtle smile of satisfaction tugged at the corners of her muzzle. The Cloud Runner ascended into the Venom stratosphere. She opened a channel to Dash Bowman.

"Ranger Bowman here. Did you find him?"

"I was rendered unconscious by one of his goons. Panther says he escaped. Did you see which way he went?"

"I can't track him. My sensor array in that area went down. I have computers in various sectors throughout Venom to create an overlapping sensor array but an energy spike caused a hole at the center of that section. I've done a little research on the matter and came to realize that Octoman must have located one of those installations. I assume he tied into my computers to power his mainframe without my knowledge... I'm not sure how those computers were damaged - perhaps he sabotaged them to cover his escape... either way, I cannot see nor can I track him now that he's left Venom."

"They'll need replacing. Panther thought those computers belonged to Octoman, not you. He took them offline to attempt to break Octoman from communication with possible allies. My apologies. I suggest you send a bill to Sargasso - they're strictly business, there."

"I cannot allow there to be violence on this planet; I promised the indigenous survivors that I would shelter them and help them rise to greatness without fear of crime or galactic drama. Please leave - it's best I close my doors to the rest of Lylat for the time being. I have an economy to restore and messes to clean up. Thank you for reporting to me and have a safe trip. Miss Krystal, I hold nothing against you, personally, and I even respect you. However, Panther Caruso and his allies are no longer welcome. Fare well." The communication ended.

Her panel showed an incoming transmission from the Black Rose fighter. Instead of answering it, she set the navigation computer for Corneria. Krystal lifted a paw and touched the emerald tiara above her brow. With that and her staff, she had all the belongings she'd ever need. Just like when she left Cerinia, it was time to start over.

Krystal engaged the autopilot and her fight yoke retracted from her seat. She reached over and touched the communication button. "What?"

His voice played over the ship's internal speakers. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't suggest tracking down Octoman. So why are you upset?"

"Because you're too much drama for me," she said then rolled her eyes. "Seriously... what did I ever see in you? Why did I even give you a chance when I already sensed that you were a lowlife? I can't believe I even wasted my time with using you that first time we dated. The sad part is that I actually gave our relationship a serious notion when I returned the other day... boy that was a mistake - it sure as hell didn't last long, either. OH! And tell Wolf that Nicole is rich. She bet against the base because she hates you more than they do... that's right, Panther. She gambled that I would break up with you in less than one week. I sense someone close to Wolf was in agreement but thought we'd last much longer... I can't see who it was from here but... I'm sure they'll collect money, too. You disgust me. I actually felt guilty for going back to Fox... I felt like I hurt your feelings. But you love yourself and no one else. I didn't bruise your heart... I bruised your ego. My mistake. Oh, and you can keep my luggage to remember me by - I'd much rather start fresh on Corneria."

"But Krystal! You're being unreasonable!"

"No, Panther. You are. Thank you for helping me to restore my sense of heritage. I appreciate that and I'll never take the tiara off... ever again. But you're partisan loyalty is to yourself only and I cannot stomach that. You have a great deal of growing up to do but it won't be with me. Find another woman to be your sycophant. I have too much self respect to be a fan-girl. You're the same as Fox... the only difference is, he revels in the admiration of others and you revel in the admiration of yourself. It's twisted."

"Krystal, return to Sargasso so we can discuss this face to face. Please, I beg of you to sit down and hear me out."

"You know what's sad?" Krystal placed her thumb on the boost button but didn't push it yet. She saw the jump gate up in the distance, lowered her eyes to the counter on her dashboard that estimated how long before she would jump out of the sector, then cleared her throat. "Fox pushed me away because he feared for my safety. You pushed me into leaving because you were worried more about your own safety. I won't be anyone's ward. At least Bill Grey was impartial and treated me with equality and respect. Goodbye, Panther Caruso. Enjoy your solitude and enjoy the comforts of your paw because that's all you're going to get for a while." She deactivated the link with a smile.

Seconds later, the communication panel began to flash again. She left the hail unanswered and mashed down on the booster button. The ship raced into the jump gate and disappeared. It was time to start over again. At least she still had options, here in Lylat.

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