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Role Reversal (working title) (Perspective?)

Story is (c) 2011 Ringtailed Fox and Ringshadow Cat

Star Fox characters are (c) 1993-2011 Nintendo

Writer: Ringtailed Fox

---

This is based off of a role-playing session on throughout much of September,

October, and November of 2010 on AIM, between RingtailedFox and RingshadowCat.

The basis for this was Ringshadow mentioning her ideas of writing a reverse-

universe StarFox fanfic, but not having the time or inspiration.

This was also inspired her "Cards" series of fanfics, on AdultFanfiction.net

(if you have not read her works before, go there NOW, and read them here:

http://games.adultfanfiction.net/authors.php?no=1296826511, then come back and

read this one. I'll gladly wait! :D ).

---

The windshield wipers rubbed smoothly against the plexiglass of the

older-model sedan as it waited in traffic at the stoplight. The middle-aged

driver looks down at his wristwatch. 4:18 PM. He's going to be late for

dinner. He reaches into his pocket to grasp his cell-phone, but notices the

light turns green, through the misty greyness of the day. No time to phone

home right now.

He gently taps his foot on the accelleration pedal as traffic begins to pull

through the intersection. So far, his day has been filled with one errand

after the other. Travelling from the military academy, to the spaceport, and

then to his apartment, and back. This just is one of those days for James

McCloud.

"One final trip, and then I can relax and have dinner with my son." He sighs

to himself as he drives along the wide avenue, towards the military academy.

The sedan comes to a stop in the parking lot. The driver shuts off the

engine, and steps out of his car, closing the door. He walks through the

halls, showing his mercenary military security pass to the security guards

along the way.

He approaches the inner sanctum of the military academy. He approaches the

door to the office of his superior officer, and knocks softly.

"Come in." The military officer within replies.

James pushes the door slowly open, stepping into the office. He sees the

well-decorated General sitting at his desk, signing some documents.

"Ahh, James. I'm glad you were able to make it on such short notice!"

"I'm just glad to be of service, sir. What is it you needed to see me

about?" James asks the older male.

The hound looks up, adjusting the collar on his elaborate overcoat, then his

hat. "I've asked you to come here because I fear that Andross is up to

something on Venom. We've detected strange, suspicious activity there."

James nods his head upon hearing this. "And I suppose you want me to get

StarFox Team together to check things out?"

"That's what I've contracted you to do. This will be standard pay for a

basic reconnaissance mission. Is this acceptable for you, or should I hire

the Cornerian Defense Forces to take care of this?"

"We can handle it. We can depart in the morning. We just need time to

prepare."

A smile crawls across Pepper's muzzle. "I'm glad I can depend on you,

James."

"Thank you, sir." James replies.

The older hound reaches into his desk, and pulls out a thin manilla

folder, containing some papers. "This is the mission information for yourself

and your crew."

James grasps the manila folder and walks towarsd the door. As he places his

hand on the doorknob, he turns to face Pepper once more. "Ahh, sir, is there a

reason you had me come here, instead of calling me on my cell phone and sending

the data to me by comlink?"

"Those documents couldn't be sent over the air to you, becuase of their top-

secret nature. Only StarFox Team and the military are to see them. We can't

have people in a panic if things go wrong. I hope you understand."

"I do, sir. I won't let you down." James replies.

"I know you won't, James." General pepper speaks, watching as the male fox

exits his office.

As James steps back into his car, his cell phone goes off. He rubs his

forehead in an annoyed manner.

"Oh, for the love of all that's good... what now?" He grumbles, not bothering

to look at the caller ID as he answers.

"McCloud here."

"Mr. McCloud? Listen, it's Bill, your son's friend." The voice on the other

end of the line replies.

James places the car into gear, resting the cell phone between his ear and

shoulder.

"Hey, Bill, what's up?" James asks.

"I need you to stop by my apartment later on, it's very important."

James sighs. "I'll never get home at this rate..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. McCloud... I would not bother you if it wasn't important."

James turns the car onto the main road, towards Bill's apartment building.

"I know. I've just been on the go, non-stop, all day." He speaks as he

drives.

A few minutes pass, and James is sitting down in the relative comfort of Bill

Grey's living room. Bill sits down next to James, and passes him a palm-held

computer device. James looks curiously at the screen as Bill presses a small

button, causing a video to play.

James is a bit confused as he sees somewhat shaky footage being displayed,

from what looks like the interior of a military complex. As the film footage

moves into another room, he has a hard time making out the shapes, due to the

dim light. He looks closer, beginning to make out what horrors he is viewing.

He sees a kangaroo male being sedated and operated on, removing portions of

his skull and brain, before lowering an overhead machine, "filling in" the

space formerly occupied by his brain matter.

"Bill, what is this?" James asks, nervously.

"Advanced robotics footage I stumbled upon."

"Is this Andross' work?"

"No. Cornerian Government. Experiemntal laboratory. It's labelled as being

Andross' work, in case someone managed to leak it."

"What are they doing to that poor man? Why would he volunteer for this type of

thing?"

"They're 'roboticizing' him, partially, anyway. Full ones step into a closet-

like machine, and are transformed from flesh and bone, into metal and circuits.

What you see here is a guy getting "upgraded" as they call it, to become an

obedient super-soldier. Oh, and it's not volunteer work." Bill explains.

"Does Pepper know about this?"

"Of course. He authorized this project."

"Bill, I'm officially getting freaked-out now. If this is top-secret data, you

and I could end up in the same fate as that kangaroo man. HOW did you get

this?" James asks, very firmly.

"I, uh... I managed to sneak it out after Miyu took the footage in the lab and

gave it to me." Bill replies.

"Miyu? Miyu Lynx???" James asks.

"Yeah, that's her. Why?"

"We were told she was killed testing a new experimental rocket engine on an

experimental plane."

"I know. It was a cover-up. She was taken here and forced to work on these

people."

James doesn't know what to think at this point. Could his long-time trusted

and respected boss, not to mention friend, General Pepper, be sick enough to

allow live experimentation on sentient beings? Is this even true, or is this a

trap? Who is behind it?

"I have to go, Bill, but I'll be back. Try not to get yourself killed, okay?"

James speaks to the younger hound as he stands up, returning the portable

device to its owner.

"Yeah. You too, Mr. McCloud." Bill replies.

James eventually makes it back to his apartment, and is greeted by his son,

Fox.

"Welcome back! I was starting to worry about ya." Fox speaks as he sets the

kitchen table.

James sniffs the air as he steps in, taking off his flight jacket and boots.

"Well, I'm back." He chuckles, then sniffs the air. "Smells good. What's for

dinner?"

"Just leftovers from last night." Fox speaks as he opens the oven door, slowly

removing the steel tray containing their meal.

"I see. Well, We have to get up early for a mission briefing." James speaks.

"Want me to call everyone?" Fox asks.

"After dinner, if you want. We'll need Peppy and Pigma to meet us at the

SpacePort. Apparently Andross is up to his old tricks again."

"What do you think it is?" Fox wonders.

"I have no idea. Just... try to get some sleep after you finish eating. We

have a long day ahead of us, tomorrow." James speaks in between bites of food.

"Yes, dad." Fox replies.

Morning comes soon enough. As usual, James is up at the crack of dawn,

preparing for the mission ahead. However, this time is different. The look on

his face is one of concern and uncertainty.

James sighs as he looks at himself in the mirror, fully-dressed in his flight

suit. "Oh, Vixy... Things I've stumbled upon are disturbing me. I don't even

know who I can trust anymore..." He speaks to himself.

He shakes his head and opens his bedroom door. As he walks down the hallway

from his bedroom, he can hear Fox yawn and stretch as he wakes up.

"Sleep well, Fox?" James asks.

"Yeah... did you?" Fox replies.

"Of course. Why would you ask?" James raises an eyebrow.

"Well, you just look like you didn't sleep well... or that something's on your

mind." Fox speaks.

James nods his head. "Just something i heard the other day... I'll explain

it to the team on board the Great Fox. It's the thing from yesterday." James

speaks.

Fox nods his head as he grasps his boots, having slept in his uniform.

The drive over to the spaceport is quiet and uneventful, but James has a

nagging feeling in the back of his mind, that he just can't quite put his

finger on. Pigma and Peppy arrive shortly after the McClouds at the Great Fox.

James steps out of their car, followed by Fox, walking over to his teammates.

"Guys, I wanna get into orbit immediately. Can we skip any non-necessary pre-

launch checks?" James asks.

"Sure, I suppose we could skip the secondary inspections... but why?" Peppy

asks his friend.

"I can't explain... not here, anyway." James replies.

Peppy is a bit suspicious, but shrugs, and walks with James into their craft.

The large dreadnought-class battlecruiser lifts off with a power and speed

that betray is mass. James steers the ship towards the Orbital Gate, slowing

down for clearance to depart from Corneria. The inspection is uneventful and

mundane, and the battlecruiser quickly resumes its trip deep into the Lylat

Star system.

"Alright, dad. You've been acting strange ever since you got home from Bill's

apartment last night. What's been bugging you?" Fox asks.

James turns around to face his crew. "Alright. I'll explain. Is everyone

here? Good, they are." James speaks, as Pigma and Peppy sit down at the table

on the bridge.

"Bill showed me some footage of a secret classified government project that

was... well... it was horiffying and disturbing. In the film, I saw furs being

transformed into robots, and cyborgs, and scientists being forced to work on

them against their will... worst of all, this was implemented by our beloved,

benevolent leader, General Pepper." James explains.

Pigma becomes a bit concerned as he listens to Jame spill the beans on a

supposedly-secret project. He tries to hide his concern, looking cautiously

at Fox and Peppy, then at James. The older fox has to be disposed of, before

anyone else catches wind.

"Now, we can't tell anyone. I think we should be extra-cautious around General

Pepper and his forces from now on. We don't know who we can trust." James

instructs his team-mates.

Pigma turns, watching as James walks from the bridge, towards the docking bay

of the Great Fox.

"Alright, team. Time to suit-up and head out for patrol. Fox, you know what

to do here. ROB will assist you." James speaks.

"I can't let him survive now. This is a security breach that must be sealed."

Pigma thinks to himself as his Arwing launches from within the Great Fox, right

behind James'.

Peppy follows his two teammates, leaving Fox, Falco, and Rob on the bridge of

the Great Fox.

"I got a bad feeling about this, Falco..." Fox speaks, watching as the three

craft silently fly off into the distance.

"Whatcha mean?" Falco asks.

"I mean... Pigma looked a little... 'off'..." He explains.

"He and you dad are old buds... you really thing he'd do somethin' to 'im?

Besides, Peppy's out there, protectin' his ass. He'll step in if anything does

happen." Falco explains.

"I hope you're right..." Fox speaks, still feeling uneasy.

Pigma turns on his communicator, and speaks to James on the private

communications channel.

James accepts hte incoming transmission.

"Yeah, Pigma?" James asks.

"I hate to do this, ol' friend, but you know too much." Pigma speaks, firing

several laser blasts at James' Arwing.

"What the fuck??? Pigma! Have you gone insane???" James yells as lasers

strafe his craft.

"No... just fixing a security breach." He replies, firing several more laser

pulses.

Peppy immediately flies in, firing a blaster at Pigma's engine, hoping to

disable it.

"Pigma, what the hell are you doing?" Peppy asks.

"Ahh, Peppy. I forgot about you." He grins, firing his retro-rockets, turning

to face the rabbit pilot.

Pigma fires a blast right at Peppy's plexiglass cockpit, cracking it.

"HAH! You two need to learn a lesson about surprise attacks!" Pigma speaks as

he rolls his craft to deflect Peppy's laser fire.

He fires several more blasts into James' Arwing, before ramming it directly,

setting it on a path into the micro black hole within the Lylat System.

"JAMES! NO!!!! GOD DAMN YOU, PIGMA! YOU'VE KILLED HIM!" Peppy shouts,

firing several more blasts, trading fire with Pigma, before being forced to

turn back as his craft begins to decompress.

His craft limps back to the Great Fox, with smoke and oxygen pouring from it.

Peppy just barely manages to make it inside in time.

Fox and Falco run into the docking bay as it re-seals, helping Peppy out of his

destoryed craft.

"Pep! What happened out there?" Falco asks.

"Where are Pigma and dad?" Fox asks.

Peppy shakes his head.

"Pigma ran off after attacking us, but killed your father. Fox, I'm sorry." He

speaks.

"Dad..." Fox whispers softly as he looks out the window, falling apart inside.

He then turns around, pissed. "I'll avenge him. I'll hunt pigma down." He

growls.

At the military base on Corneria, Wolf looks at his reflection in his room's

mirror. He feels the patch over his eye, a gift from a training mission gone

awry. Ever since the Andross resistance had been crushed, he was forcibly

drafted into the Cornerian Forces as punishment for his treasonous activities.

For once, Wolf had TRIED to do the right thing, and what happened? He was

shot down in flames, both figuratively and literally. Now, he's serving a life

sentence with no real hope of getting out.

He hears a knock on the door.

"Pepper wants to see you in his office." The voice speaks, before walking down

the hall.

Wolf shudders. He absolutely hated this part of the situation most of all.

He grasps the doorknob and opens the door, walking slowly towards General

Pepper's office.

The general is reclining in his office chair at his desk, pleased to see Wolf.

"I'm glad you came, Wolf." He speaks.

Wolf shrugs. "It's not like I had a choice."

Pepper stands up, approaching wolf, patting his shoulder. "Well, you're right

on that. You don't."

The hound smirks, nibbling Wolf's eartips. Wolf simply closes his eyes and

sighs, trying to leave his body by letting his mind wander to a different place

and time, ignoring Pepper's advances on him.

The older canine caresses along Wolf's jawline. "lose the jacket, son. You

won't be needing it." He whispers.

Wolf growls softly as he takes off his jacket, letting it drop to the floor.

"Y-you won't break me, General." Wolf growls.

Pepper grins, caressing Wolf's chest through his shirt. "I don't want to break

you. I have you just as I want you."

Wolf remains silent as Pepper begins to undo his shirt, undressing him. The

older male growls lowly as he begins to undo Wolf's belt. He simply tries to

ignore what is happening and allow Pepper to have his way with him.

"The sooner he finishes, the sooner I can get out of here..." He reminds

himself as the older male caresses and gropes him.

He shudders as he feels those familiar paws along his chest and groin. The

wolf remains still as the older dog explores his body, pressing up against him.

"Just get it over with, General." Wolf growls.

"You should learn your place, pup." Pepper replies.

Wolf shudders as he feels the other male's shaft against him, poking under his

tail. "I know my place. You can rape me, but you can never conquer me."

Pepper growls, pinning Wolf to his desk as he pushes into him.

Wolf growls, trying to push the older male off of him, but Pepper leans all

of his weight into Wolf. When he tries to struggle, Pepper nips his neckscruff

and ears.

"Just be a good boy and let it happen. The sooner you do, the sooner you can

go back to your room." He speaks, like a sadistic, condescending parent to a

misbehaving child.

Wolf snarls, but remains still. He growls loudly as he feels that familiar,

knotted cock pressing into him again. Pepper grasps Wolf's hips, his claws

lightly digging into his furred skin as he begins to thrust into him. Wolf

closes his eyes tight, trying to think of other, better places to be.

The lupine soldier tries to ignore Pepper raping him, and his own throbbing

cock, imagining that he's back on Corneria, with Fox, Falco, and James. Good

times that he longs for again. He's quickly dragged back into his horrid

reality when he feels that familiar knot swelling against him.

"N-no... please don't knot me this time..." Wolf whispers, nudging a bit.

Pepper snarls, pushing him hard against the desk. "You'll take it, and you'll

like it, my little wolf bitch."

Wolf shudders as Pepper ties firmly with him. Thanks to the combination of

Andross' cybernetic implants and this miserable old fuck raping him every so

often, his sex drive's gone to shit. Whenever he even tries to think about

sex, he can only picture Pepper fucking him, biting him, or pinning him to the

desk in his office. It wouldn't even be that bad if he at least thought of his

lovers... reached around to stroke them off, or let them mount afterwards...

but then again, this is Pepper we're talking about. He's simply pure,

unadultered evil. Even the constant, warm pressure on his prostate from the

dog's knot isn't enough to bring wolf to orgasm. Wolf shudders as Pepper

floods his insides with his sticky seminal fluids. He sighs, knowing that

the end is at least near.

The older dog grins, patting his head gently, like an obedient pet. "That was

nice, Wolf. Once my knot goes down, you're free to return to your room."

Wolf murrs softly at the thought of returning to his room, and away from this

madman.

He watches the clock as he waits for Pepper's knot to go down. Minutes

pass, but they seem like hours to Wolf. Soon, a firm tug, and then another

come from Pepper as he tries to pull free. Pressure inside him eases, and the

older male slides free with a wet "pop".

Pepper begins to clean off his slickened shaft.

"You are excused, Wolf." He speaks non-chalantly to him.

Wolf shudders as he rinses himself off in his shower. He feels so dirty from

letting General Pepper have his way with him. Again. He tilts his face into

the shower as he thinks to himself. He needs to escape this hell.

He hears another knock on the door. He turns off the shower, wraps a towel

around himself, and approaches the door.

He opens the door, only to find Bill Grey, his superior officer. Relief

flows over his body, and he tries to resist wagging his tail as he invites Bill

inside. This is the first time in ages that something good has happened to

him.

"Bill, I've missed ya, man. Where have you been?" Wolf asks, clutching his

robe.

"Ehh... places I'd rather wish I wasn't." He replies, sitting down on Wolf's

couch.

"Still working on that top-secret robotics project Pepper assigned you to?"

"Yeah. It's getting worse, too. It's getting to the point where I'm actually

scared. And you know me. It takes a *lot* to scare me."

Wolf nods, sitting down next to him.

"I... I've managed to smuggle video of it out this time." Bill says, grasping

the video player in his pocket, showing it to Wolf.

"Aren't you worried about being caught?" Wolf asks.

"I'll explain why that won't happen... just watch it first." Bill speaks as he

turns the device on.

Wolf leans over to see on the device's small screen, but cannot make out many

details.

"I'm sorry the video's grainy... I had to shoot it from one of those secret

undercover cameras hidden under my vest." Bill explains.

"I know. I don't really know what to make of what I'm seeing..." Wolf

apologizes.

Bill thinks for a second as he feels along his pockets, pulling out a cable.

"Do you still have those implants Andross and Pepper forced you to get?" Bill

asks.

Wolf winces upon hearing that. He had forgotten about those for weeks. For

the first time in years, they weren't acting up or causing him problems. They

were, however, a reminder of how he was used and dumped by successive bosses in

his life.

He begins to let his mind wander, finding himself thinking about the past, as

he typically does. It's bad enough that he had little choice in getting

cybernetic implants in his skull, though Andross said it was 'for the best'.

"Hah. I've heard that before. Sure, Andross treated me far better than any of

my other bosses before or since, but still maltreated me on occasion. They all

did; it made no difference. Andross forcing cybernetics on him, Pepper forcing

him into sexual liasons against his will, under penalty of... oh god, I don't

even want to think of THAT."

He shakes his head of those thoughts, however. Bill's here, and that's all

that matters. If Bill's able to help him, that will mean the world to him.

"Y-yeah." Wolf speaks, feeling over the small ports in the back of his head.

"I can show it to you directly." Bill offers, plugging one end of the cable

into the device.

Wolf grasps the cable and plugs it into the port in his head.

"Ready to play when you are, Bill." He speaks.

Bill re-starts the video, and watches as Wolf closes his eyes.

"W-what the fuck??? What is this?" He asks, seeing the little shop of horrors

that Pepper is running.

"It's his advanced robotics laboratory. I've already smuggled it to James and

StarFox Team. It's called 'Project-X'." Bill explains.

"I think I'm going to throw up, Bill." Wolf speaks.

The wolf manages to keep it together until the video clip ends. He pants,

clutching his head from vertigo.

"I'm sorry, Wolf.." Bill speaks.

"Not your fault..." Wolf replies.

"I feel it is... I've been trying to smuggle you out, or at least help you get

those implants that Andross and Pepper shoved into you removed..."

"You're doin' the best you can to keep from gettin' caught. I don't want you

bein' murdered to keep the situation under wraps." Wolf speaks.

Bill places a paw on his friend's shoulder. Wolf looks up at him.

"I know what happened today, Wolf. I can smell it on you. Pepper called you

into his office again, right?" Bill asks.

Wolf nods, staring blankly at his friend.

Bill hugs him, comforting him. "It's alright. I'm going to get you out of

here, Wolf."

Wolf nods, hugging back. He would've broken down and cried in Bill's arms if

this were the first few months of his arrival to the Cornerian Flight Academy,

but he quickly grew numb to the torment he receives here.

"I've been thinking on eventually just opening my Wolfen cockpit in space as a

way to end it and escape it all.

Bill gasps. "No, you must not do that, Wolf! I can get you out, I just need

time so I'm not suspected or caught!"

"I know."

"Why would you even think of such a thing?"

"It's getting harder to stay alive without going insane. I thought that way,

I can't be revived or have my mind saved and uploaded... Would be the only way

for me to be truly free from Pepper."

"I gotta get you out of here. I will, Wolf. I promise."

"I know you will, Bill. I trust you on that." Wolf gives his friend a kiss on

the forehead.

Bill kisses him back.

"Now, what was it you wanted to say to me?" Wolf asks.

"Well, at least you're able to escape from Pepper. I can't." Bill replies.

"I don't understand." Wolf asks.

"My cross to bear is that... Pepper's my father. Knocked up some female so he

could have a 'perfect, obedient son' to follow in his footsteps, inherit his

legacy, and continue his work. I'd rather sabotage it than keep it going."

"Oh god... Bill... I didn't know... I had no idea..." Wolf speaks, hugging his

friend.

"It's alright. I don't think of him as my father... just someone I happen to

share half of my genes with. A sperm donor, basically."

Wolf chuckles.

"And before you ask, no, I'm not going to end up insane with power, like dad."

Bill replies. "I'm a stoner, not a dictator. You know that." Bill playfully

nudges Wolf.

Wolf grins, pulling Bill onto himself, hugging him tightly.

Bill swishes his tail as he smiles at Wolf. "I see you're smilin'. Haven't

seen you do that in months."

"Haven't had a reason to do that for months." Wolf kisses Bill's lips softly.

"I'm glad I could help cheer you up... any piece of solace in this hell is

better than nothing at all..." Bill replies, kissing him back.

Wolf stays still, hugging Bill tightly, almost not wanting to let his only

friend go. "You've become the only thing keeping me going all this time,

Bill."

"It's why I try to sneak out and visit you while no one notices my absense. I

would like to think of my visits as a morale boost... or at least, cathartic."

"Oh, they are. And you don't know how much I appreciate it." Wolf speaks.

"Wolf, I know you and StarFox are the only guys that can stop Pepper. I'll do

what I can to help you make that happen." Bill speaks as he tries to move

slightly against Wolf.

Wolf growls playfully, hugging Bill tightly, not letting him move. "You're not

goin' anywhere, prettyboi." He wags his tail.

Bill chuckles and nuzzles Wolf, hugging him back.

"You gonna keep Fox informed?" Wolf asks.

"Of course." Bill says.

"Good. He's alright... just a shame he's on the wrong side." Wolf speaks.

"I think StarFox Team now knows that, now." Bill speaks. "It's just a matter

of time before Pepper's exposed."

"Fox, I have a letter from Bill." Falco speaks as he grasps the letter from

the floor, near the front door of their apartment.

"Oh? Probably a little update." Fox speaks as he walks over.

Falco opens the envelope. he sees several pictures of the secret facility,

taken from both inside, and from the air. Alongside the pictures are two

letters. The first is a status update of his and Wolf's conditions at the

Academy. The second is a report that Pigma was a double-agent, and warns to be

extremely cautious around anyone that may appear to be friendly.

"So, if dad was executed... we could be next." Fox speaks.

"That's why we gotta be careful, hun."

"Falco, you know I'll protect you."

"Likewise, Foxy." Falco speaks.

Fox smiles at his boyfriend. "Listen, how about I grab us some food so we

don't keel over from hunger?"

Falco nods. "Sounds good. I'm not goin' anywhere."

Fox nods as he grabs his coat, and walks out of the hallway.

The golden-furred fox walks down the hallway, towards the elevator of his

apartment building. As he enters the elevator, he stops, thinking he saw

someone, or something, walking the other way. When he turns around to look,

he sees only a deserted hallway. He shrugs and walks into the elevator,

pushing a button as the doors close.

"Fuck, that was too close." Fara thinks to herself, hiding around the corner

from Fox as he enters the elevator.

The fennec vixen walks down the hallway, looking for Fox's apartment. She

wasn't counting on an encounter with Fox McCloud. He's become too suspicous in

recent weeks, and it's doubtful he'd trust a military officer such as herself.

She approaches the door, reading the number.

529.

It's his apartment. The one she's looking for should be inside. She looks

through the eyehole. A blue falcon is doing work on a portable computer.

"Bingo. Just the man I was looking for." She whispers to herself, knocking on

the door.

Falco gets up, and walks to the door. He looks through the eyepiece, seeing

Fara standing on the opposite side of the door, waiting patiently.

"Shit. Well... just play it cool, Falco... don't let on anything and she won't

suspect anything." Falco thinks to himself as he unlocks the door, letting

Fox's old flame in.

"Come on in, Fara. What brings you to our place?" Falco asks.

"Oh... you know, just in the neighbourhood, and I thought I'd see how Fox was

doing." She replies.

"Well, he stepped out to get dinner and groceries. He'll be back soon." Falco

responds.

Fara looks at a picture on their coffee table. Fox and Falco look so happy in

it. She sighs to herself, thinking about what could have been.

"Something wrong, Fara?" Falco asks.

"No... just thinking about days past." Fara replies.

"Like what?" Falco inquires, sitting next to the vixen.

"Well, about how Fox and I used to date before you two became an item..."

"Hm." Falco thinks to himself.

"And if you wanted... we could get a bit closer, too..." Fara smirks, scooting

a bit closer to her avian friend.

Falco begins to feel uncomfortable, and scoots away. "Uhh... Fara... I'm

sorry, but I'm gay, and Fox is, too. I'm faithful to him." He speaks.

Fara frowns. "Aww... so, you don't want to make me one of your conquests, like

Fox did?" She caresses Falco's chest with a finger.

Falco shakes his head. "Sorry, babe. I'm not even hard..."

Fara nods. "I see."

An awkward silence falls upon the two, before she notices Falco's handheld

computer.

"So... what's that?" She asks.

"It's uh... it's nothing." Falco replies.

His heartbeat begins to race, and his face begins to feel hot. Fara may have

made him feel nervous, but now, he's legitimately afraid that she'll find out

what they've been working on.

Fara looks at him, noticing he's more nervous than before. "Is it top-secret?"

She coyly asks him.

"Uhhhh... maybe."

She grins. "Is it your gay porn collection?"

"Yeah. Tons and tons of guy-on-guy action in that thing, Fara." He replies,

hoping she'd be turned-off.

"Mmm. I have a thing for gay men." She smirks, grasping the little device,

opening it and turning it on.

Falco reaches for it, but Fara grasps it before he can.

Fara's eyes widen as she views all of the top-secret files from Project-X."

"What the fuck is this??? Where did you get this???" She asks, in a very

serious tone.

Falco's face goes white... or would have, if he had no feathers.

"It's something I've found." He replies.

Fara stands up. "I asked WHERE."

"I don't reveal my sources... and why do you care, anyway?" Falco asks.

"I care becasue I'm the security officer for the military, and this is a huge

security breach." She speaks, lifting her t-shirt, showing the gun in her

holster. "And you're going to tell me, right now."

"Fuck it. Just take it, Fara. Take it and get out." Falco speaks, holding

his head in his hands.

"Good boy." She speaks, grasping his little device, placing it in her pocket.

"You just wanted to sleep with me to get that?" Falco asks her.

Fara swishes her tail, as if she captured a great prize. "If I had to, I

would."

Her tail then stands still. "Why aren't you trying to get it back?"

"I've failed Fox. We were investigating his father's death, and that device

had files on it about James."

"Well, you stole Fox from me, so I guess this makes us even. I had always

loved him, and YOU had to turn him gay and..." She sighs. "We both talked

about getting married and having kids one day..."

"Fara, I never turned Fox... you have to be born gay... and he told me he was

bisexual. If he wanted to sleep with you or have a kid, I'd let him. He's

never told me he wanted either."

"You're a filthy liar, Falco." Fara frowns, beginning to growl. "And now,

your lies have caught up with you."

"Huh?" Falco asks, confused.

"I can't let you live, lest others find out about Project-X." She grasps her

gun, aiming it at Falco.

The avian turns and tries to get up to run, but Fara pulls the trigger,

firing the gun,. The last thing Falco feels before he dies is the left side of

his head going completely numb. The gun is very quiet, thanks to the built-in

silencer Fara had installed. The falcon falls to the floor, next to the couch

and coffee table, his blood staining the carpet, with blood splattered on the

walls and television set.

She approaches Falco's now-lifeless body, kneeling down next to him, and

placing her gun in his hand, to make his death look like a suicide. She starts

to walk out of the apartment, closing the door and walking towards the

elevator.

When she reaches the ground floor, the doors open, and she sees Fox

approaching.

"Hey, Fara." Fox speaks as he approaches the elevator, passing her on her way

out.

"Hey, Fox. I was just knocking on your door, but you weren't home. I just

wanted to ask how you were doing, since your dad died..." She speaks.

Fox shrugs. "I'm managing... Falco's helping me get through each day."

"He's a good guy."

"Yeah, he is..."

Fara looks down briefly. "Well, I have to get going... I'll see you later?"

She asks.

Fox nods. "Sure. Don't be a stranger."

The two vulpines part ways, with Fara exiting the building, and Fox entering

the elevator. He approaches his door, but remembers what Fara said.

"No answer? Falco's home... maybe he was just brushing his beak, or had to run

to the store..." Fox tries to rationalise with himself, to push back the

uneasy feeling of dread.

He opens the door to their apartment, swiveling his ears to hear if Falco, or

anyone else, is in their apartment.

"Falco? Are ya home, pal?" Fox asks.

When he recieves no answer, he begins to grow frightened. He stops dead when he sees Falco's bloody body on the living room floor.

"Oh my god... Oh my god...Falco... no.. what happened... oh, god no..." He

whimpers to himself, stumbling back towards the doorway.

Fox runs out of the lobby of the apartment building, down to the underground

parking garage, towards his motorcycle. He hops on, not even bothering with

his helmet. The vulpine turns on the two-wheeled machine, and bolts into the

streets above. Fox tries not to break down as he drives, making his way to

Peppy's home, in the hilly suburbs of Corneria City.

Peppy hears a knock on the door, and the urgent ringing of his doorbell. He

places his book aside and gets up. He walks up to the door, seeing Fox

standing there, and welcomes him inside.

"Fox, what happened? You look terrible." The older male questions his friend.

"Falco's dead." Fox speaks, burying his face in his hands.

"Wh-what? What are you talking about?" He asks.

"I came home and found Falco shot in the head in the living room. I called

9-1-1, and the paramedics tried to revive him, but it was too late... so I ran

and came here on my motorbike." Fox explains.

Peppy nods his head as he listens.

"Did you see anyone shortly before or after?" He asks.

"No... Fara said she stopped by to see me but had no response, and we met in

the elevator..." Fox speaks.

"Shit." Peppy speaks, getting up, looking out of his living room window.

He only sees the lights of Corneria City, and Fox's parked motorbike behind his older sedan in his drive way.

"Fara might've been sent to kill you and Falco becuase of what you two have

learned. Pigma already did your father in. I'd be extremely cautious around

her, son. She is a member of the military police force." Peppy explains.

Fox nods slowly. "F-Fara? I thought we were good friends, though... we used

to hang out at the Flight Academy..."

"Those days are long gone. She might've been your friend at one time, but not

any more. She's supposed to do her job, which is crush any dissent. Of

course, it's possible she was merely being friendly to get close to you, like a

spy... either way, it's not safe here anymore. The two of us should get going

and hang out in the fringe until things die down..."

"I don't want to run and hide... dad never taught me to be a coward..."

"I know, but look at what bravery did to him. it KILLED him. It will surely

kill you, too."

"Alright, but how long do we hide?"

"A year, a decade... forever... I don't know how long it takes..." Peppy speaks.

Fox stands there, silent, not knowing what to say.

"We'll pack our bags, and try to get the Great Fox out of the Corneria Space

Port." He speaks, walking over to his bedroom, getting a couple spare sets of

clothes to change in to.

"I can't go back there, Pep." Fox speaks. "Fara might be waiting there... and

even if that's not true... Falco..." He lets his voice trail off.

"I understand, son. I always kept a couple sets of clothes here in case your

dad stopped by for the weekend..." He speaks, showing Fox a couple t-shirts and

pants.

"Dad used to stay here?" Fox asks.

"When we were younger, yes. He'd spend the weekend... sometimes your mother

would stop by as well." Peppy explains.

"So... you and dad were lovers?" Fox raises an eyebrow.

"Well, when you put it that way... I guess you could say that. Why do you

ask?"

"Becase Falco and I--" Fox speaks.

"Were lovers. I know. You two were always close. Whether it's genetics or

not, it doesn't matter if you're into males or females, because there's nothing

wrong with it. I could tell without either of you ever having to say a word to

me. I have ESP, remember?"

Fox lowers his ears and nods. "Y-yeah... I forgot..."

Peppy closes the lid of his suitcase containing their clothes. "Alright, let's

go, Fox. Say goodbye to Corneria... it's the last time we'll be seeing it for

a long time."

Fox nods, following Peppy towards the front door.

"Alright, Wolf. We'll have only one, maybe TWO shots at this." Bill speaks.

Wolf nods his head as he lays down on his stomach, on the cool flat surface of

his kitchen table.

"Is there any reason I have to be nude, Bill?"

"It's to prevent your clothes from being soiled with blood." The dog speaks.

"Fair enough. Is there any reason *you* have to be nude, though?" Wolf

smirks.

"I thought you'd be more comfortable this way." Bill replies, petting Wolf's

ears.

"Mmn. I suppose." He speaks, closing his eyes as he leans into the pets.

"Alright. now, sweetie, I want you to drink as much of this as you can...

preferrably all of it." Bill speaks as he begins to pour a brown-yet-clear

liquid into a glass.

"What is it?"

"Whiskey. One-hundred-fourty-proof." Bill replies.

"Shit. Are you tryin' to get me drunk and have sex with me? 'cause... you

know, all you have to do is ask." Wolf boasts.

"Don't tempt me, Wolf." Bill chuckles. "I mean, this is to numb the pain by

getting you as hammered as possible as fast as possible. I'll use the

remainder as a disinfectant at the wound site."

"And what about blood loss?" Wolf asks.

"I won't let you bleed out. I have clotting agents and can clamp you down if

you start to hemmorage." Bill explains.

"That's... comforting. Alright, I'm ready." Wolf speaks, grasping the large

glass of whiskey, drinking it.

Within moments of finishing the liquid, Wolf begins to feel its effects,

blurring his vision, relaxing his body, making him drowsy.

Bill watches him. "You feelin' tipsy?"

Wolf nods his head. "Yeah... been a while..."

Bill pets his head gently. "Alright. Let's begin. You'll feel a small pinch,

like a bee sting..."

The dog makes a small incision at the base of Wolf's skull, just below Wolf's

cybernetic implants. Wolf winces a bit at the pain. Bill notices, as Wolf's

fingers and toes curl in stress.

"It's alright.. you're doing well." He speaks.

"Have you ever done this before?" Wolf asks.

"Cybernetics removal? Four or five times." Bill replies.

Wolf smiles a bit, feeling somewhat relieved.

"All in conditions about on par with this.... removals are unauthorized by

General Pepper, unless they're causing severe issues with life." Bill replies.

Wolf sighs, then twitches as Bill touches something within him.

"What the hell? What are you doing in there?" Wolf asks.

"Shit, sorry... this equipment's very sensitive." Bill speaks.

"Yeah, well, if you make me forget math, your ass is mine." Wolf growls.

Bill nods, carefully severing the implants' connections, one by one with the

scalpel. He dabs wolf's neck with the towel as blood pools in his wound. He

begins to then slowly, and carefully, remove the port and tracking device that

were embedded into his brain for the past couple of years."

Wolf growls, wincing from the pain. He claws the table lightly.

Bill pets him gently as he dabs the towel along his neck again. "Shh, shh...

it's almost done... it's already out. I just have to sew you back up." He

speaks.

"What about the others?" Wolf asks.

"I can't remove them... they're too deep, and too damaged to remove." He speaks

as he guides a thread through a needle.

"Andross really fucked me." Wolf speaks. "In the figurative sense, of

course."

Bill nods. "I'm sorry. If I remove them, they could fall apart, or shock you,

or do something else entirely... they're all over your back, arms, and skull,

too. I can't remove them without making dozens of incisions, so I've removed

only the worst one, the tracking device."

"I understand. Thanks for doing this, Bill. I know you're putting yourself in

grave danger..."

"It's not a problem. I'm doing this becuase you're my friend... and someone

has to bring down Pepper."

"I don't even know where to begin with that insane fuck. No offense."

"None taken, and I meant myself in taking him down... though if you're willing

to help, I'd greatly appreciate it." Bill smiles.

Wolf smirks back at him. "Oh, I'd love to get back at that fucker for all the

times he's raped me. I can't even get it up anymore... and the only time I

feel even *remotely* aroused, is when I'm around you."

"Flatterer." Bill speaks as he gently pierces wolf's skin with the needle,

beginning to sew him up.

"I'm serious. At least you bother to make sure your partner is cared-for." He

speaks, growling as Bill stitches him back together.

"It's just common-courtesy, dear." Bill replies.

"I find it hard to believe that you're Pepper's son." Wolf speaks.

"You and me both." Bill speaks, finishing sewing Wolf's neck, kissing his

friend's nose.

Wolf blushes and smiles at this small pleasure in his fucked-up life,

savouring it while it lasts. He pulls Bill into a hug, comforted by the

feeling of another person, one that genuinely likes him, against his body, not

caring if ithey are male or female. He sighs and murs loudly.

Bill grins. "Enjoying yourself?"

"More than you know, prettyboi." Wolf replies.

"Good. Once that alcohol wears off, you're gonna have a massive migrane. I

got a couple blunts for us to do to kill your pain." He replies.

Wolf hugs Bill tighter. "Well, then... break 'em out."

"Will do. And after that, we're breakin' you out. Think you can handle it?"

Bill asks.

Wolf raises an eyebrow. "You seem to forget who you're talking to."

Bill nuzzles Wolf. "It's just that I performed brain surgery on you minutes

ago."

"I'm pretty fucked-up, Bill... this is as good as I'll get." Wolf replies.

After a couple joints, and after the sun goes down, Bill and Wolf get

dressed into their uniforms. Bill leads Wolf down the hallways, towards one

of the staff entrances.

"I don't have that level of clearance, Bill." He whispers.

"I do, and you're with me." Bill replies.

"Sorry. I guess I forgot I don't have their tracking device in me anymore."

"It happens. Just come on." Bill leads him through the empty staff corridor.

Wolf nervously follows Bill through successive corridors below the military

base, soon coming to the staff parking garage.

"We're almost there." Bill speaks.

He leads Wolf to his car, and opens the door, and then pops the trunk.

"Uhm...?" Wolf wonders what Bill is planning.

"You gotta hide in the trunk, just until I get you a safe distance from the

base."

"Can't you just let me ride in the passenger seat and say you're taking me off

base?"

"I can't... they'd ask too many questions... the only perk about being Pepper's

son is that they won't scan my car... I still have to go through security

checks and answer their questions, though."

Wolf nods as he walks towards the rear of the car.

"At least you have lots of trunk space." He says as he climbs in.

Bill shuts the trunk, steps back into his car, and pulls out of the parking

lot. He pulls up to the security gate and calmly states he's going out for the

evening in Corneria City. After being waved through by security, he drives

down the road, stopping after the first curve to open the trunk and let Wolf

out. The lupine dusts himself off and steps back into Bill's car, sitting in

the passenger seat.

"Where are you gonna go, Wolf?" Bill asks as he drives.

Wolf looks out the window, towards the city in the distance. "I'm not sure,

really... might just hook up with my pal Leon and hang out in the fringe..."

"Powalski?" Bill asks.

"Yeah."

"I'm glad he's not been caught."

Wolf chuckles. "I think it's more like Pepper and his goons not *wanting* to

catch him... he's not right in the head... hell, even ANDROSS was scared of him

at times."

Bill nodded in agreement. He heard stories of Leon when he lost his temper,

and never wanted to encounter that side of the chameleon. He casts those

thoughts aside, keeping his mind on driving to the Corneria Space Port, just up

ahead. The husky slowly pulls his car into his registered garage spot, near

his spacecraft. He turns off the ignition and steps out, followed by Wolf.

The two males walk towards the green-and-orange craft. Bill notices Wolf is

somewhat skittish, looking around nervously, as if he's being followed.

"Relax, Wolf. I was able to get it out, and I made sure no one was following

us here." Bill speaks, placing a reassuring paw on Wolf's shoulder.

"I know... just a habit, I guess." He replies in his usual gruff voice.

Bill pops the canopy, and begins to climb in. "Don't worry, it's a two-

seater."

"I'm more worried about security cameras... or getting caught at the Orbital

"Gate..." Wolf speaks as he climbs in.

"This is a military-registered ship... we're exempt from having to go through

the Orbital Gate." Bill replies.

Wolf's ears pick up at this good news. He can't believe his ears at this

relative good fortune. "Really?"

Bill nods. "Really really. You're safe."

Wolf swishes his tail behind him in his seat. He leans forward and hugs Bill.

"If my sex drive weren't shot to shit, babe... I'd introduce you to zero-g

sex."

Bill blushes slightly from that comment. "I'd take you up on that offer."

The craft slowly lifts off of the surface, before blasting up into low orbit,

breaking free from Corneria's gravitational pull. It flies undetected through

Lylat, before approaching the Fringe, seeing its main planet of Eledar in the

distance.

"Where should I drop you off? I'm not sure if bringing this military ship in

would be a good idea... they might think it's an invasion or something..." Bill

asks as he brings the ship in through Eledar's atmosphere.

Wolf waves off Bill's concerns. "We're more of a live-and-let-live group. As

long as you're not causing trouble, you're fine. Just... try to stay away from

Sargasso. That place is all manners of fucked-up..."

"I thought you frequent that place." Bill inquires as he lands.

"I do. It's... the only supply depot this far out from Lylat... which means it

attracts all sorts of trouble." Wolf explains.

The ship lands without incident, several miles from a nearby settlement. The

canopy pops open, and the two males step out.

"You need to go anywhere in particular?" Bill asks.

Wolf shakes his head. "Nah, this is fine. Leon's gonna pick me up in that

nearby town. Thanks for the ride, though. I owe you for this." Wolf speaks.

"No problem, Wolf." Bill speaks as he closes the canopy on his craft again,

slowly taking off, watching as Wolf begins walking towards the settlement.

The Great Fox's engines roar to life as the large craft begins to blast off

from the surface of Corneria. The large ship reorients itself, aiming for the

Orbital Gate as it takes off.

"Wave goodbye to Corneria, Fox... we're never seein' her again." Peppy speaks.

Fox watches as he assists Peppy in taking off, monitoring the ship's computer

systems. "I just hope Bill and Wolf got out..." He speaks to himself.

"I'm sure they did. We might even see Wolf in the Fringe, on our way out."

Peppy speaks.

The Great Fox approaches Orbital Gate. Peppy dials in to the Orbital Gate's

post, for departure information.

Fox turns to him. "Will they really let us leave? What do we tell them? 'Oh,

hey, boys... we're goin' into self-exile as outcasts... you'll never see us

again.. can ya point us towards Crossing and help us get to Warp speed'?"

Peppy sighs. "Just let me handle it, Fox."

The ship stops at the Orbital Gate. Peppy shows them their credentials as

Star Fox Team. When asked for their destination, he simply replies with

"Crossing." A couple raised eyebrows later, the Great Fox is off for the

Fringe, for the final time. The trip takes nearly a day, but the familiar

red lights of the Sargasso Space Port come into view. Peppy and R.O.B. bring

the craft in to dock safely. The crew soon disembarks, to purchase some much-

needed supplies for their interstellar journey.

Fox orders a drink for himself, grasping the cool glass as he walks back

towards his table. He sets the two liquid-filled glasses down and looks closer

at two figures he thinks he recognizes in the distance. Wolf and Leon. He has

not Wolf in over 3 years, Leon since the Lylat Wars, when they fought in

combat.

Fox and Wolf went back to their teen years, before the Lylat Wars. When Wolf

was kicked out of his own house by his alcoholic father and biker mother, James

took him in, and tried to help Wolf and Falco get their lives back on track. A

single parent raising his own kid, plus his two runaway teen friends off the

street. No wonder Falco and Wolf held James in high respect. He trusted and

understood them and cared for them when no one else would.

It's a shame that Wolf was kicked out of the Flight Academy. Falco was able

to get out of the street gang that would've lead to his death, though Wolf

wasn't as lucky. When the administration found out he refused to leave the

gang or get help, they gave him the boot. He ran right into the comforting

arms of Andross, taking his gangmember friend Leon with him.

After the war, Wolf's disloyalty to the Cornerians netted him a life sentance

at the Cornerian Flight Academy's maximum-security detention wing. Some sort

of perverse joke on Pepper's behalf, maybe... he checked in, but would not be

checking out... not if Pepper had his way about it.

It's a shame... Wolf and Leon deserved better than that. They all did. Fox

shakes his head from daydreaming of past years and events. He notices that

Leon sees him. No look of anger, murder, or hatred on his face. A good sign,

though he could just be great at hiding his emotions. He pauses, mulling over

whether or not to walk over to them. His mind's made up for him when Wolf sees

him, and waves him over. He shrugs, picking up his glasses and walking over to

their table.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you two again." Fox speaks as he sits down.

"Likewise, pup. What brings you out here?" Wolf inquires.

"Pep and I are goin' nomadic. We're leavin' Lylat to cruise the stars from now

on." Fox speaks. "We have nothin' left to keep us here..."

Wolf nods slowly. "So, you're just givin' up? I didn't think McClouds were

quitters."

"Hey, fuck you, Wolf. My mother's dead. My dad is dead. My boyfriend is

dead. I'm probably on a government hit-list to be taken out by my old high

school flame, and Peppy doesn't see a way out for us aside from self-exile."

Peppy sits down beside Fox. "Now, don't be hard on Wolf. He's just tryin' to

be friendly."

"Thanks, Peppy." Wolf speaks.

"I know. I'm just upset... I feel like I have nothing worth living for now."

"You still have us." Peppy speaks.

"For how long, huh? Fara's gonna come after us. We could fly all the way to

Sol or Epsilon Canis Majoris, or even planet Kew... we're wanted and dead on

our feet." Fox holds his head in his hands, trying to keep his emotions and

creeping paranoia in check.

"Fox... don't be paranoid. Fara won't find us. We'll be maintaining radio

silence.. how can she track us?"

Leon observes quietly. Normally, others' affairs don't concern him, but

Fox's out-of-character behaviour is concerning him.

This unnerves Peppy. Fox was never one to stoop to paranoid fears or

delusions. He closes his eyes, noticing Fox's brainwaves. He taps into Fox's

mind, and is initially surprised by what he finds. Fox's mind is in complete

turmoil. Thoughts of endless sorrow, fear, suicide, and loneliness flood

through like an out-of-control tsunami, repeatedly washing over the more-

pleasant memories of Falco and his parents.

Fox and Wolf's arguing voices fade into the din of the restaurant as Leon

focuses in on Peppy's face. He raises an eyebrow, wondering what the hare is

doing. He then remembers that Peppy is a clairvoyant. "Extra-Sensory

Perception, or whatever it's called. Yeah. ESP." A voice in Leon's head

tells him.

"He's probably picking up Fox's brainwaves..." he thinks to himself.

As he says this, Peppy opens his eyes again, watching Fox and Wolf closely,

before turning to Leon. Peppy notices a previously-unseen expression on Leon's

face: one of concern.

He does not want to betray Fox's trust, but knows he might need help. Wolf

may be unreceptive, or too blunt, and he'd rather not dive into Fox's mind

again, since Fox would probably become enraged at being violated in the most

intimate of ways. The only other option is Leon. He taps his index and middle

finger twice to his own forehead as he looks at Leon. The chameleon tilts his

head in confusion, before understanding what Peppy's asking. He shrugs, then

nods slowly.

The hare breathes calmly as he tries to tune in to Leon's brainwaves. It's

not easy, as the chameleon doesn't have a "signal" of any sort, unlike Fox's

steady white noise, or Wolf's pulses and bursts of brain activity. However, he

soon hears a calm voice. Leon's voice.

"You wanted telepathy?" Leon asks.

"Yes. It's about Fox." Peppy replies.

"Not surprised about this? No questions about how I have your skill?"

"Not at all. I know you have your own mental issues... we all do. With all

the people in Lylat, I was bound to come across another clairvoyant. Besides,

it's your business and yours alone."

"Very true..." Leon looks at Fox, who is speaking with Wolf. "What about

him?"

"Something's not right. I don't know what, but I fear for him. He's in a

great deal of pain right now."

"Such as...?"

"It's easier if I show you..." Peppy speaks, sharing what he saw with the

chameleon.

"It's not that bad... for me. For him? Don't go. He's a loose cannon."

"I see. What do you suggest?"

"Well... he's part of the reason my boyfriend was imprisoned for the past few

years in that hellish military academy. I'm still trying to help him get over

it... I don't really see why I should help you or Fox."

Peppy mulls this over for a second.

"It's not for him, or me, it's for Lylat."

Leon raises an eyebrow. "For Lylat. The star-system that gave us independent

thinkers and social outcasts a giant middle-finger, forcing us into self-exile

or torture on Corneria and Venom? Why should we help those that harmed us. I

would torment and destroy them, first."

"Not everyone's bad, Leon. Fox and James weren't, and I'm not..."

"I know, but the numbers are too few to be important. Besides, you don't even

have a plan on how to help save Lylat from Pepper. The only one of you I have

any level of respect for was James, and he's dead... It's a pity that he's

gone, too... if only he played on the right team, we would've been able to help

Andross fuck over Pepper and save the system. "

Leon and Peppy go silent, listening in to what Fox and Wolf are speaking about.

"Wolf... you were right. This whole FUCKING time... you were right."

Wolf raises his eyebrow. "Right on what?"

"Everything. Andross not being the enemy, right about questioning others'

intentions and not just blindly following orders... my father did it, and it

got him killed... Falco did it, and he was killed... that is my fate, and I

have to accept that..."

"Well, you got yourself into that mess... you didn't have to go to the Flight

Academy..."

"I just wanted to impress my father and keep honour for my family..."

"And you thought honour was being a mindless tool?"

"At first, yeah... but then I started questioning odd orders like bombing

depots instead of munitions caches... I'll come clean... I've learned to hate

the military. They had me shoot up schools and cars filled with people as they

tried to flee from me in my fighter! I killed innocent, unarmed people...

children!"

"So... what do you want from me?"

"Forgiveness. There's blood on my hands and it's starting to eat away at me."

Wolf shakes his head.

"Sorry. I'm a renegade... that's not my game. Besides, there's nothing to

forgive. You did what you thought was right, so did I. I don't hold a grudge

against ya, though."

"Please... what should I do then?" Fox asks, almost begging.

Wolf sighs.

"Fox, your dad was a good man, but he did what a bunch of bad tricksters told

him, and it got him killed. Probably from uncovering something he wasn't

supposed to. It's why most of us are out here in the fringe. We can't go back

to Lylat... or just don't want to..."

"Self-Exile... that's what Peppy and I are doing..." Fox thinks out loud to

himself.

Wolf nods. "You could hang out with us here, or go on your starcruising."

Peppy turns back to Leon. "If Wolf can forgive Fox... why not give him a chance

at redemption?"

"Wolf never forgave him." Leon snorts.

Peppy nods in reply.

"How about I just get you two oriented in life on the Fringe... if you decide

to stay, that's fine... and if you decide to send the Great Fox into the

surface of a star, well.. more room for me." Leon offers.

"That... that would be much-appreciated, Leon. I suppose living out here is

preferrable to the vast expanses of deep space."

Leon pulls out his knife, running his finger along the edge, feeling its sharp,

cold steel along his flesh. He breathes deeply, immersing himself in the

familiar sensation, before replying.

"Anything's preferrable to deep space... aside from Lylat. I'm only doin' this

because I'm just such a charming fella. Now, you'd be wise to stay on my nice

side and do what I say if I give orders, otherwise... mister nice guy goes

away, understand?"

"Yeah... but we can't just kill anyone..."

"Who said anything about killing? That's *my* hobby, and I don't like to do it

with others, aside from Wolf, very often. Lucky for you and Fox." Leon grins,

touching his fingertip to his knife, before returning it to its leather holster

on his belt. "It's just common-sense shit, like don't piss off that guy, or

shield the Great Fox from the meteor storm coming up... you listen to me,

you'll do just fine out here."

"That sounds fair." Pepper replies.

Leon decides to speak up, interrupting Fox and Wolf. "Ah, guys... I think I

know what Fox is going through. I think it would be a very bad idea for you

two to disembark with him in this state of mind. You can hang out with Wolf

and I until you get yourselves together again. I know of a cheap docking zone

for the Great Fox if you don't have a place to stay."

Fox shakes his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't impose myself on you

both like that... It's best if I get myself as far from Lylat as I can..."

"It wasn't an offer." Leon replies bluntly.

"Huh?" Fox wonders.

"Think of it as protective custody, or suicide watch." He speaks.

"Uh... Leon?" Wolf raises an eyebrow. "Can I speak with you alone for a

second?"

Leon stands up with Wolf, walking with him away from the table.

"What's gotten into you? I know you never got along with Star Fox Team..."

"He's obviously going through some emotional issues, and it's better if he's on

terra firma in case something goes wrong, as opposed to intentionally opening

an airlock without a spacesuit."

"You think Fox might kill himself?"

"I think he *will* kill himself."

"I've never known you to be the overly-carying type. This is new to me."

"Think of it this way, Wolf. Fox hangs himself by his belt in the Great Fox's

bathroom, and there go our star system's chances at being saved from General

Pepper's tyranny. He's our last shot, now that James and Falco are worm-chow.

Do I trust Fox? Not a chance in hell. Do I trust Peppy? Only marginally more

than Fox, which isn't saying much... though it would be in our best interests

to at least keep them around, should some major shit go down."

"Ahh. THAT'S the Leon I remember. Cold, calculating, logical."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're beginning to see things the way I do."

"And to think I expected you to say 'no, fuck off, losers. I just got Wolf

back and we're trying to pick up the pieces of our relationship'." Wolf

chuckles.

Leon simply pets Wolf's ears in response, before walking back with him to the

table.

"The offer still stands for you to hang out with Wolf and I. I'm only offering

because I'm just that much of a nice guy... and I don't want to see you put

your blaster to your chin and paint the inside of your ship with your

brainmatter." Leon grins, feeling a bit of relief at returning to his more-

usual wry, sarcastic, insane self.

"I'm not suicidal..." Fox speaks up, being a terrible liar.

"Just... accept our offer. For a couple days." Leon asks. "Then, you can go

fuck off to whatever place you and Peppy wanted."

Fox sighs. "Alright."

"Do you know where our place is? Or where the docking zone is?" Wolf asks his

two friends.

"Not really, no..." Fox replies.

"We'll take ya there. Let's go." Wolf speaks, standing up.

The flight from Sargasso to the other side of Eledar took only an hour. Wolf

and leon guided the Great Fox in for a landing in the grass-covered docking

zone, just outside of town.

The four males walk from the docking zone towards a run-down home in dire

need of repair. Leon proudly opens the door, letting Wolf, Fox, and Peppy

inside.

"Sorry that this place still looks trashed... Twenty years of war and neglect

does that to a place. Still workin' on fixin' it up, though." Wolf explains

as he walks with them through the small, gutted living room.

"That's alright... guys, I really appreciate your hospitality--" Fox speaks,

before Leon interrupts him.

"Hah! You're a former enemy. You are surviving only by my good graces... if

shit goes down, I'm expecting you to help us." He smirks as he opens the small

refridgerator, grasping an apple, taking a fairly-violent bite out of it.

"I... understand." Fox speaks.

"Good." Leon says after gulping down the apple's juicy pulp.

"I think we'll be staying in the Great Fox tonight, Leon." Peppy speaks.

"Nonsense. I have a spare bedroom. Wolf and I will share a bed... you.. don't

have a PROBLEM with my work-in-progress, do you?" Leon asks, slowly waving an

arm, emphasizing their small house.

"No, not at all... I just thought it was a one-bedroom place." Peppy speaks, a

bit uneasy.

"That's fine." Leon hugs Wolf with one arm.

The dim daylight fades into night very quickly on Eledar. Fox and Peppy are

in the spare bedroom, getting ready for what they hope is not their final

night's rest. Fox sits down on the bed as Peppy crawls in.

"Sleep well, Fox. I'll see you in the mornin'." Peppy speaks, yawning.

"Yeah... you too, Pep." Fox speaks, somewhat nervously.

He listens as Peppy falls fast asleep next to him. He can hear Wolf and

Leon's voices through the thin walls.

"I don't see why you have to treat Fox like shit, man." Wolf speaks.

"Treat him like shit? I offered him shelter. I don't have to do anything,

including let him live... but I have."

"You don't like him very much, do you..."

"I don't trust 'im. Wolf, we just got back together after HOW many months of

you being trapped in that hellhole?"

"I'm not leaving you for Fox. I'm surprised you'd be jealous."

"I'm not jealous, believe me. I just have enough on my plate with helping you

getting your life back together... now I have him begging for help."

"Cut the pup some slack. Falco died. Very gruesomely, too. It would be like

you losing me."

Leon stares blankly at Wolf.

The lupine male knows he's hit a nerve. Without him, there'd be absolutely

nothing holding Leon back from his sociopathic rampages.

"I know Fox better than you because we go back farther... but that doesn't mean

I'm attracted to him. Fuck... Leon, he's almost like a brother.. his dad took

me in when I needed someone. Just give him a break. He needs it."

"Wolf, I could do damage to his mind but he's doing it well enough. I'm

tempted to just kick back and watch his descent into madness as I munch on some

popcorn. I'd be disappointed in you if you pulled him back from the abyss."

"Leon..."

"You owe him NOTHING. No, you owe him less than nothing. You owe him all the

pain in the world. He's the reason why you spent so long suffering at the

hands of Pepper, and now you want us help him."

"Because he helped me. Just repaying a debt. I've put the Lylat Wars behind

me, even though they've fucked me up."

"Why? Let him fall. If he's strong, he'll land at the bottom and get back up.

If he's not, well... guess it didn't matter then, did it."

"So, you want him to just get out of our hair and go somewhere else in the

Fringe?"

"He don't have to go home, but he can't stay here."

"Why even offer to help Peppy and Fox in the first place, then?"

"You really want to know why?"

"Yes."

"I... rather dislike being alone. I was assuming if I told them to go fuck

themselves, you'd leave me. I seem to have bitten off more than I can chew...

something I rarely do..."

"Leon..." Wolf sighs. "I'd be annoyed at you, but I wouldn't leave you."

"I just wouldn't be able to stand it if you left me for.. for HIM. Daddy's-boy

Fox McCloud, 'saviour' of Lylat... the one that ensured its downfall. Bill?

Fine. I know you two have a long history... I'd even rather see you leave me

for Bill, instead of Fox... I just feel Fox and James were the ones that just

fucked us badly."

"I... I didn't know you were that passionate about us." Wolf speaks.

"Come on, Wolf. I'm sociopathic, not unfeeling." Leon turns away from Wolf

Wolf ignores this and wraps his arms around him.

"You're the only man I'm able to open myself up to... Fox is just a friend, and

it's going to remain that way."

"And Bill?"

"He's just one I felt I owed for helping keep me alive in the Military Academy.

I wouldn't have lived if he didn't help me. You know that."

"I'll accept that." Leon gives a light nuzzle.

"So, what do you want me to do with Pepper and Fox?"

"Hmm... maybe take them into town and show 'em where the market and shit are...

just get 'em acquainted with the place, and then tell them there's no room at

the inn anymore..."

"You do it however you want. I never intended on being the 'caring' type...

and I'm not starting now."

"I'm not going to argue... we'll just tell him in the morning that we gotta gut

the other rooms and he and Peppy will have to stay in the Great Fox from here

on out. Are you happy now?"

"Like a cat eating a canary."

"You're unbelivable."

"I wouldn't be Leon Powalski any other way, now would I?"

"Goodnight, dear."

Fox's ears droop at that conversation. He looks to Peppy. The only one he

has left that genuinely cares about him. It pains him even more, realizing

that Peppy will almost certainly die before him. After that, what? Complete,

unending loneliness? His nightmares have come true. He falls back into his

pillow, drifting off to a restless sleep as he tries to recall where his life

came crashing down around him.

Sleep came with a struggle, and was gone prematurely. Not that his dreams

were pleasant anyway. His dreams were filled with Falco and his father telling

him how he had failed them, and how Lylat was doomed, thanks to his blind

obediance to Pepper, and assassination of Andross, the only rebel that could

end Pepper's vice-like grip on the star system. The night dragged on for what

seemed like weeks. Fox's dreams were filled with his friends taunting him for

fleeing, calling him a coward and a failure. The worst stings were from Falco

and James. As he dreamt, he saw visions of people being tortured and turned

into machine-like cyborgs, blaming him for their horrid fate. Fox woke up,

opening his groggy eyes.

He looks at his watch.

6:13.

He sighs. He stands, getting his uniform back on. He rummages through his

duffelbag. His handgun, blaster, and submachine gun are all present, in their

compartments.

"Good. I just might be needing one of you boys one last time." Fox speaks,

tucking the loaded gun into his vest pocket.

Fox walks out of his bedroom, towards the kitchen.

As he grasps a pear, he hears footsteps. He turns his head to the doorway,

finding Wolf standing there.

"You know, Leon gets angry when his fruits are eaten without his knowledge."

Wolf speaks.

"Well, your boyfriend can eat shit and die." Fox speaks, a noticible quiver

in his voice as he places the uneaten pear back in the fridge.

Wolf listens closely, looking at his vest, unable to tell what is in the

front-pocket.

"I know he's an ass... but..."

"I heard what you and Leon discussed last night. Don't worry, Wolf. You'll

never have to deal with me again. Nobody will." Fox breaks down as he pulls

the slug-firing gun from his vest.

Wolf's eyes go wide.

"Fox... what are you doing?" Wolf asks quietly, taking a step forward, keeping

his hands in front of him, in a feeble attempt to shield himself from a

projectile from the gun.

The wolf's heart begins to race.

"I'm ending it. Right here, right now. I'm done with this insane, backwards

star system! There's no way out for me, or you, or ANYONE else! We're all

doomed to a life of slavery, torture as Pepper's cyborg slaves, or constant

surveillance, and YOU KNOW IT! There's nothing to be done to stop it!" Fox

cries out, pulling the trigger on the older gun.

The bullet in the chamber doesn't fire.

Wolf takes this chance to immediately tackle Fox to the ground, grasping at

his hands to wrestle the gun out of Fox's hands, before he can get another

chance at suicide.

"FUCK OFF, WOLF! LET ME DIE WITH DIGNITY!" Fox shouts, trying to push Wolf

off of him.

"This isn't dignified, pup!" Wolf growls, trying to keep Fox pinned.

By this time, Leon and Peppy have been awakened from the commotion in the

kitchen.

"Aw, shit. What's going on, Wolf?" A concerned Peppy asks as he walks through

the doorway, seeing Wolf pinning Fox.

"Fox just tried to off himself in the kitchen. He's lucky the gun jammed." He

turns to face Peppy, replying tersely.

Fox siezes the opportunity and sucker-punches Wolf in the jaw, splitting his

lip and pushing the larger male off of him.

"Little fucker!" Wolf growls, jumping after Fox.

"Serves you right, Wolf!" Fox growls, finding himself nose-to-nose with Leon.

"And you... I don't even get you. Offering to help Peppy and I, then saying

you want us to fuck right off and never come back. You want us gone, we're

gone!"

Leon simply remains emotionless. "You've assaulted my boyfriend and tried to

kill yourself. Part of me wants to gut you like a fish, another part of me

wants to just say 'get out and don't come back', and the other, smallest, part

is saying to not leave you alone in a room anymore."

"Such a smartass, Powalski."

"Fox, shut it. You're a guest in his house. I know you're upset, but you owe

them both a huge apology."

"I owe THEM?"

"Yes."

"So it's my fault that Lylat's completely fucked. Real nice. I have enough

shit to worry about without you trying to lay guilt on me."

"I don't mean that. I mean you owe them apologies for your outburst.. and for

nearly breaking Wolf's jaw." Peppy replies calmly.

Fox turns to Wolf, who is feeling his teeth, a bit surprised that none of them

were knocked loose.

"Wolf... I'm sorry for hurting you and Leon. I'm just at the end of my rope,

and I don't know what to do... my life's come crashing down... short of

becoming a one-man kamikaze army... I'm at a loss for ideas..."

"Just come with me, pup. Let's go for a walk.

"Pep... tell everyone you meet that I tried my best..." Fox speaks as Wolf

pushes him out the door.

"I'm not gonna kill ya, Fox. You know me better than that. I'm pissed at you

for punching me, but you need to know that punching me is the least of our

worries. It's water under the bridge, got it?"

Fox nods shyly.

Wolf walks with Fox through the bushes behind his house with Fox behind him.

"The fresh air will do us both some good." He speaks.

"Is Leon going to kill Peppy and I?" Fox asks.

"No. He's just annoyed at you, and holds a grudge from the war... but it's not

as bad as before..." Wolf speaks, coming to a meadow.

The two keep walking, gradually coming to a small stream. Wolf and fox walk

along the riverbank, before coming to a stop, sitting on a log.

"Fox, you're self-destructing. You need to get your pain out of you before it

kills you. I know this becuase I've pulled Leon back from the brink a couple

times."

"I... I don't know... I don't know if I can survive the pain..."

"Oh, there'll be pain, but it needs to come out." Wolf speaks softly, dragging

Fox into a tight hug.

"Your friend Bill is responsible for me still being alive. He didn't give up,

and neither will you, do you understand me? Lylat's down but not out." Wolf

speaks, keeping Fox's eyes on his.

"Bill?"

"Yeah. Bill Grey, your old friend."

"I miss Bill... hell, I miss Falco and dad... and I've missed you, too..." Fox

whimpers, trying to hold back his tears.

His emotions have been bottled up over months, and are now like a weak dam,

ready to burst at any second.

"Shh. Just let out your pain, Fox. Give Wolf your tears." He speaks.

"Ever since the Lylat Wars, I've had this feeling like I was wrong.. I was a

pawn... now people hate me... Pepper's declared me a traitor... I've lost all

that I've worked for and earned." Fox begins to cry as Wolf pets his ears.

"I know... but if you killed yourself... no one would be able to stop Pepper.

You're the Lylat System's last hope... even if you don't defeat him, you'd act

like an inspiration... Bill can't do everything himself... he's been trying to

convince Pepper to let him lead so he can start reforms... but it's probably

not gonna happen..."

"I want to stop him, and save Lylat, but I don't even think the people would

want it..."

"They're just too stupid and uneducated to know the truth like we have."

"Which is why life isn't worth living... this system's become like a death

camp. Anyone that gets close to me dies... Wolf, Leon's right... I gotta get

away before you two end up killed.

Wolf laughs. "Killed? ME and Leon? Hah! Not likely."

Fox wipes his eyes and looks up at Wolf again.

"And my dad... I've failed him... and Falco..."

"You didn't fail them. You just followed orders. Not your fault you were lied

to... if there's an afterlife, they'll be waiting, and they love you. They

were both good men."

Fox tries to smile. "Thanks..."

Fox sighs softly. "I hope you had a better time than I did these past few

years... I mean.. aside from the military academy... I'm still sorry for

turning you in to there..."

"Don't worry about it. It's in the past, and I'd just rather move on. But,

I'll tell you this... I've had it worse-off for a *long* time."

"With your abusive parents?" Fox asks.

"Yeah. It got worse from there... got caught up in street gangs, fought in

cage fights, street fights... lost my eye in one... even spent a few months in

jail after I was caught with a hooker in a back alley. Then the war broke out,

and I was free... I hooked up with old pal Leon, and we went to Andross, to try

bringin' change and democracy back to Lylat..."

Fox nods as he listens.

"... never worked out the way we planned. I was spared execution in exchange

for doing time at the Military Academy as Pepper's personal fucktoy." Wolf

growls softly when he recalls this.

"I'd say the thing that fucked me up the most, though... when I was nineteen.

After I ran away from your place. After I got kicked out of the Academy... I

decided to just live on my own in the woods for a while, try to quarantine

myself away from society. They didn't want me, and I didn't want them."

"What happened to ya?"

"I was hanging out near one of the caves outside of Corneria City, walking in

the Forest. I ended up getting captured by Pepper and 'drafted' into his

little military. Lots of nasty shit happened to me there, yet there was no

real way for me to escape, since everyone either supported him or was too

afraid to stand up to him..."

Fox watches him closely.

"I've only told this to Leon... so, if you tell anyone else, you *will* be

killed, do you understand?"

Fox nods.

"The worst part was when I was forced to perform sexual acts with feral wolves

from the forest. Genetically-altered, or engineered, or whatever, by both

Pepper and Andross... from before their ideologica split on that subject..."

"Wait, wait wait.." Fox rubs his forehead. "You mated with feral wolves?"

Wolf sighs. "It was that or be ripped apart and dismembered alive. It fucked

me up... I still don't even know if I can have regular, healthy sexual

relationships from it... Leon understands... he's been helping me cope."

Wolf resumes his story. "I was caught trying to escape the military academy

one night, but was caught by guards... and caught by the barbed-wire fence. I

was dragged back to the prison. Pepper had his guards throw me into this pit

with a pack of feral wolves... about six or seven of them. He wanted to watch

me fight for my life, or be ripped apart... but he's such a sick fuck that he

simply laughed when they started shredding my clothes and then began to force

me into sexual congress with them."

Fox nods his head, listening intently to Wolf's disturbing story.

Wolf continues. "So, the alpha male and female approached me, and I had mated

with them. Sure, you might think it's hot to have sex with wild, feral

animals... but they are fucking fierce. I still have a couple scars from their

claws and teeth on my body from it. I couldn't walk straight for a couple days

afterwards, thanks to that alpha..." Wolf lets his voice trail off, not

needing to speak for Fox to understand he was both the giver and the recipient.

"So... what happened afterwards?"

"Heh... Well, I had a small place with Leon in Corneria city. About six months

later, Leon and I are in our rental home. I was given a brief visitation for

'good behaviour', if you can believe that... Anyway... We hear a scratch on

the door..." He recalls.

"Since I'm cooking Leon and I lunch, I ask him to get it. He opens the door

for me, and who walks in, looking annoyed?"

"Who?" Fox asks.

"It's a rhetorical question, Fox."

"Anyway, The alpha female of the pack walks right into the apartment, as if she

owns the place... which is quite hilarious since we weren't allowed pets. Leon

had a what-the-fuck expression on his face."

"Why'd she risk walking through a major city like that?" Fox asks.

"Well, the whole time, she was carrying her wolf cub by the scruff of its

neck. I guess she could tell where I lived, by my scent. Leon freaked out and

nearly left me over it... but I convinced him to let them both stay, since we

could afford the extra 20 dollars for bags of food... but 'no more kids', he

tells me."

"How'd you know the cub was yours?" Fox asks.

"It had my scent, and looked a lot like me.. same fur, same claws... I had a

hard time believing it myself... a dad at nineteen, and it wasn't even

consentual."

"Wow... so... we've both been through fucked-up relationships... Fara dumps me,

then gets pissed when I come out and tell her I'm dating Falco... and you were

basically raped by a wolf-pack and had a cub..."

"That's the core of it, yeah..."

"What happened to your wolves?" Fox asks.

"They're still around."

"Ohh, on Corneria?"

"Nah, Xena and Lupo are with me everywhere Leon and I go. I just tell people

they... 'adopted' me and we're each other's mascots... I'd have my ass executed

or thrown in jail if the truth was told."

Wolf looks down at his watch, and then up at the sun through the trees. "We

should be heading back, pup. Ya feel better?"

"I... do, actually. Why, though?"

"Misery loves company."

An unimpressed Leon stands at the doorway, watching as Fox and Wolf walk back

up the dusty road to their home.

"Have fun?" Leon asks, sarcastically.

"No, but Fox feels better. I don't think we'll have to put him on suicide

watch." Wolf replies.

"Good, I suppose. Peppy and I started making dinner... should be done in a few

minutes." Leon speaks.

"Leon and I thought we'd dine in the back yard, since it's a nice day..."

Peppy speaks from the kitchen as he finishes preparing the food.

Wolf shrugs. "Sounds fine to me."

Fox sniffs the air as he steps in behind Wolf. "What's that nice smell?"

"Potatoes. Haven't cooked 'em in a while." Peppy speaks.

Fox and Wolf step out into the back yard and sit down at the picnic table.

"You wanna meet my family, Fox?" Wolf asks.

Fox nods. "Sure."

Wolf howls. A few seconds later, a large, feral female wolf steps out of

the house, sitting down next to Wolf. Behind her is a slightly-smaller male,

who sits down on the other side of Wolf. Both have silver-black fur, though

the male has silver-white headfur, looking similar to Wolf's.

"Fox, this is my family... Xena, and Lupo." Wolf speaks, petting their ears.

"It's nice to meet ya..." Fox speaks, unsure of what to say.

Leon steps out with a tray of food, placing it on the picnic table.

"Dinner's almost ready." Leon speaks, before looking down at Athena and Lupo.

"Hello, guys." He speaks.

Lupo lets out a soft woof.

Within a few minutes, the four males are sitting at the old picnic table in

the back yard of Wolf's house. Wolf turns on a small portable television set

as he begins to eat his hamburger and potato. The television offers some well-

needed background noise. A situation comedy plays, but is interrupted several

minutes later by breaking news from Corneria. Wolf turns to the television

set, and increases its volume. Fox nearly chokes on his burger. Peppy jumps

up behind Fox, ready to give him the heimlich.

Fox shakes his head as he swallows, letting Peppy know he's alright.

"B-Bill!" Fox speaks, watching the news report on protests in Corneria City.

The camera zooms in on Bill, waving the Cornerian flag as he stands on the

hood of an automobile, with hundreds of people chanting "We want freedom!"

alongside him.

"Bill, what the fuck have you done..." Wolf wonders to himself.

By now, Leon and Peppy have stopped eating, watching the screen closely.

Bill grabs the camera in response to the reporter's questions. "You know

what I want? What we, the people, want? We want an end to the tyranny and

dictatorship. An end to all the lies, the secret police, the 'disappearances'

and the murders. I want justice for Vixy and James McCloud, and for Falco

Lombardi... all of whom were killed by military hired-guns. Ya hear me, Fox?

It's time for change."

Wolf rubs his forehead. "Bill's gonna get himself killed..."

"Should we go back to get him?" Peppy asks.

"*WAY* too risky. It'll be like flying into a trap." Wolf replies.

"What should we do? We can't let him get captured and killed..." Fox speaks.

"I wouldn't count Bill out just yet... I'm sure he'll be able to get out on his

own." Peppy states.

"I hope you're right, old man." Wolf speaks as he turns off the television

set.

"Thank gods. I couldn't watch any more of that..." Leon speaks in between

bites.

Fox ponders responding, but then reminds himself it's Leon Powalski, and he'd

most-likely state something like "Enough emo protesting... just burn the places

down." He shrugs and continues eating.

Peppy's communicator starts beeping. The older hare reaches down and pushes

a button on it. "This is Peppy." He speaks.

"Peppy, it's Bill. Listen... ahh... right after the newscrew left, things

started turning violent... dad declared me a traitor and began firing upon the

protestors. Many of 'em are dead... hell, I was winged in the arm. I'll be

fine, but we scattered. I gotta get outta here... where's a safe haven?" Bill

speaks.

"Bill... are you on a secure frequency?" Peppy asks.

"Yeah... for now, anyway. Might have to ditch this phone, though." The dog

states.

"Alright. Meet us at... no, Sargasso would be too-likely, since Fox and I just

came through there... fuck... can you get to Crossing?"

"Crossing??? Are you out of your mind? That's half-way to the nearest star

system!"

"It's the only place they won't suspect you, Bill... if you can even get past

the Orbital Gate, that is." Peppy speaks.

Bill sighs. He knows Peppy is right on everything. If he can get past the

Orbital Gate, and get enough fuel to make it to Crossing, he'll be home free.

"I can get to Crossing. Might take a couple days." He replies.

"Good. Now, I'm gonna put you on speaker, since Fox and Wolf are scared for

ya." Peppy speaks, pushing another button and placing his communicator on the

table.

"Fox, Wolf, can ya hear me?" Bill asks.

"We can hear ya fine, Billy-boi. What's going on?" Fox asks.

"I leaked everything to the press... Your dad, Falco, Project-X... it set off

a firestorm, man..." Bill speaks.

"Can you get out safely?" Wolf asks.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good. We'll meet you at Crossing." Fox speaks.

"See you then. Headed to the spaceport now." Bill says as he hangs up.

An uneasy silence descends on the four as they finish their meals. Wolf and

Leon take care of the dishes. Fox turns to Peppy, petting Lupo's ears softly.

"Do you think Bill can get out on his own?" Fox asks.

Peppy shrugs. "I... don't know. Bill's a good pilot, but he's gotten

himself into a whole mess of trouble..."

"We could take out the Great Fox and meet him half-way... they won't find him

at Sargasso, and it would save him from having to go all the way to Crossing on

his own..." Fox asks.

"We'd be a much bigger target... the radar return on the Great Fox alone is 320

times that of your Arwing-II... we'd need to get closer for radio contact, but

we'd have to be very careful."

Fox nods. "That settles it, then." Fox speaks, as Wolf and Leon return. "You

guys need to know this... Peppy and I are gonna take the Great Fox out to meet

up with Bill. You're welcome to come with us..."

Leon can't believe what he's hearing. "No. We're not gettin' dragged into

another inner-system conflict. Lylat gave us the finger, so we left and made

lives for ourselves out here. Why on earth should we help them?"

"It's not so much helping the whole Lylat System, as it is helping a friend. A

good friend, at that. If Pepper's overthrown, you'd be welcome to come back."

Fox explains.

Leon shrugs.

"Well, let's give it a shot. If we can get things back to the way they were,

I'm game. It'll at least give James some justice." Wolf speaks.

Leon sighs. He knows he'll be dragged into this, kicking and screaming anyway.

"Count me in." He speaks.

"It's settled. We'll leave at dusk." Fox speaks.

Sunset comes soon enough, and the Great Fox lifts off from the Fringe, towards

the distant outpost known as Crossing.

Bill manages to sneak to the Corneria Space Port unseen. He activates his

Cornerian Fighter, and hops in quickly as alarms and searchlights activate

and home in on his craft. He steers it into a vertical lift-off, as bullets

ricochet off the craft's steel hull, giving unnerving "ping" sounds.

"Great... if security's this tight, I might not even make it to the Orbital

Gate..." He thinks to himself as he steers the accelerating craft into low-

level orbit.

He presses a couple buttons, checking radar for any following craft. None so

far, but he expects that to change very quickly once he reaches the Orbital

Gate.

Naturally, there is a lineup of craft at the Orbital Gate, waiting for their

coordinates and acceleration parameters to finish loading.

"Dammit... come on... come on..." Bill mutters to himself.

He checks around as the craft slowly approach the Orbital Gate. Security

seems to be fairly lax. The craft slowly move towards the Orbital Gate. Soon,

Bill's craft is next. It pulls up to the docking bay, and an Orbital Gate

Security Guard's voice comes to life on the radio system.

"Alright, name, please."

"Bill Grey."

The doberman guard checks the blacklists for any names relating to it. He

finds one matching entry, added that morning.

"Uh, Bill... switch to a private frequency. 242 Gigahertz." He speaks.

Bill types in the frequency. "Talk to me."

"You're on a blacklist that General Pepper authorized. We can't let you leave

Corneria."

"I know. It's for leading that protest and leaking all the data. Dad's pissed

that I've had it with his regime."

"I know. Which is why I'm going to press the 'wrong' button, and drop my pen,

which will accellerate you towards Crossing."

"How'd you know I'm going to Crossing?" Bill asks, suspicious.

"It's where I'd go if I was in your shoes. I'd leave the system, and that's

the last port-of-call before interstellar space."

"I see."

"I wish I could do more to help ya. Anything else, and I'd be aiding-and-

abetting a known wanted criminal. I can't guarantee this will even work. You

might end up with Cornerian Defense Forces telling you to turn you back or take

you down. Be careful, please. Lylat's depending on you."

"Understood. I'm comin' back... just gettin' some help from the Fringe."

The security guard switches to the standard frequency, and then pushes the

activation button, just as he said he would. This gives Bill the opportunity

he was needing. He accellerates through the Orbital Gate, and is pushed up to

a high-enough speed to reach Crossing and escape Lylat's gravitational pull.

Bill's craft does not go undetected to Cornerian Defense Forces radar from

Fortuna, and a pair of craft are sent to encounter him.

"Shit shit shit... this is bad... they won't hesitate to shoot down one of

their own if they think I've gone rogue... which I have... or stolen their

craft... which I have..." Bill speaks to himself as he sees the twin craft

rapidly approaching him on radar.

Soon, the speakers in his craft come to life with the voice of one of the CDF

pilots.

"This is the Cornerian Defense Forces. Turn your ship around for immediate

escort to Defense Base Fortuna."

"I can't do that, guys. I have to get out of Lylat."

"Commander Bill, you are a wanted criminal. You are to proceed with us to

Fortuna or you will be shot down."

"I know what Pepper does to criminals. I'd rather die than be tortued." Bill

replies.

"They never pick the easy way..." the other pilot speaks as he fires several

warning shots at Bill's craft.

"Fuck! Gotta think fast... gotta think..." Bill mutters to himself as the

laser shots narrowly miss his ship.

The dog ruffles through one of the storage compartments, and finds a small

box. He grins and wags his tail. "AHA! FOUND YOU!" He shouts to himself,

kissing the box before he takes out its contents, a pair of marijuana joints,

and lights them.

The other craft continue their barrage of laser shots, and one strikes the side

of the craft. They close in on the craft, finding its cockpit and cabin areas

filled with smoke.

"You must've hit the engine or climate-control systems. He'll overheat and fry

like an egg, or suffocate from the smoke. He's as good as dead. Come on,

we'll return to base." One pilot says to the other.

Bill remains silent, and keeps his communicator shut off, letting his craft

drift silently and quickly towards Portal. He watches the radar screen closely

as the two craft return to Fortuna. When he feels the coast is clear, he

reactivates his craft's engines, coughing profusely from the marijuana fumes.

"Hooo boy... this is nice, but I'm gonna be regrettin' it later on..." he

mutters to himself.

The hours seem to drag on for days, but Bill manages to make it to Crossing

without killing himself. It is every bit as he had imagined it: small, yet

important, with several craft, including the familiar Great Fox docked. Bill's

eyes are red, and his sight is blurry from the marijuana fumes within his

craft. He slowly drifts towards the airlock, struggling to dock his craft with

the space station. Upon hearing that familiar "hiss", he opens his craft's

doors, and steps through the airlock.

Bill looks around, hoping to see Fox or Wolf or Peppy. The outpost has some

visitors within, but it isn't packed by any means, thanks to its extremely-

remote location. He eventually stumbles towards figures he thinks are Fox and

Wolf.

"F-fu... Fox? Wolf?" He mumbles.

The snowleopard and coyote step back, waving the air in front of their

muzzles.

"Uh, no, man... I think you got us confused with someone else..." The coyote

speaks.

"I think you should lay off the grass..." The snowleopard adds.

"Dammit... sorry..." Bill speaks, stumbling away, rubbing his head.

The drug-addled canine stumbles towards another pair of figures in the distance.

Fox sniffs the air, immediately noticing a strong scent of marijuana. He turns

his head, watching as Bill stumbles his way in.

"Bill! You made it! What happened to you?" Fox asks.

"It was hard, James.. er.. Fox... Nearly got caught... had to light my joints

as a smokescreen..." Bill stutters and mumbles through his marijuana-induced

haze.

Wolf nods. "Uh-huh. And exactly how much of this occurred in reality?"

"All of it, Floating Wolf-head dude..."

"I think it's safe to say that he's in no condition to fly for the next few

hours, at least." Peppy speaks.

"But... my ship..." Bill asks.

"It'll stay aboard the Great Fox. For now, we need to plan things out." Peppy

replies.

The group of adults pay for supplies they will need on their mission, such as

fuel, food, water, and ammunition. Before the hour is out, Wolf carefully

moves Bill's Cornerian Fighter into the Great Fox, alongside his Wolfen, and

Fox's Arwing II, and the group boards the Great Fox as it departs once again,

for the Lylat System's inner reaches.

Fox walks towards the bridge of the ship, where Peppy, Wolf, Leon, and Bill

are waiting for him.

"Alright. So, we have four craft, and a limited amount of ammo. Bill, what

are we facing right now?"

The dog sips his coffee, feeling a bit more clear-headed. "Security's gonna be

ridiculously high. You thought Venom during the Lylat Wars was tight? This'll

be about a hundred times worse. The top-secret base is fanatical..."

"Well, let's just focus on one thing: getting through Corneria's defenses, and

to the ground safely." Leon interrupts.

"You showed us all some images of that base, but we don't really know what

we're up against, or what to even expect..." Wolf adds.

"Yeah.. advanced robotics, experimental biological shit, biological, chemical,

nuclear warfare, highly-infectious viruses and diseases... it's like Area-51."

"Logic dictates it will have fanatical security. Even if we *do* somehow sneak

in, what would our goal be?"

"End the cybernetics projects. They're enslaving and torturing innocent people

in there." Bill adds. "Blowing the place sky-high is probably the only way to

get rid of it."

"I have a few pounds of C-4, but if it's a sprawling underground base, even

that might not cut it..." Leon thinks out loud.

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, guys... our goals... we have to take

down the base to end their robotics, biological warfare, and oppressive

capabilities. I'm tempted to even add 'vengeance for Falco and dad'... but I

can't let my emotions get the best of me..." Fox explains.

"We could add those to our reasons, Fox. It's perfectly rational." Wolf

replies.

"Will this topple the regime?" Peppy asks. "Is that our goal?"

"Well, no. We're not planning regime change... just revenge for them attacking

the civilians, and our friends and family. We'd be pulling their teeth or

disarming them... and if that happens to allow the citizens to overthrow Pepper

and his goons on their own, that would merely be icing on this cake." Bill

replies, feeling more and more coherent as he comes down from his high.

"You know, that might very well be General Pepper's secret hideout, or base of

operations... he'd probably want to be close by... and if there was ever a need

for a nuclear-proof bunker, that place would most-likely have it." Peppy says.

"So... what do we do if we encounter Pepper? Kill him?" Fox asks. "I feel a

bit uneasy about that..."

"Fox, he's the enemy now. He used you to enforce his tyranny." Leon reminds

him.

"I know. I just don't want to kill anyone unless I absolutely have to and have

no other options or choice."

"Fair enough. Capture alive, if possible, but kill him if he can't be taken

alive." Wolf offers.

"If we catch him alive?" Fox asks.

"Citizens' arrest for crimes against humanity and crimes against nature, for

court-martialling in a court of law that the citizens would set up after

dismantling the old regime." Peppy speaks.

"Alright. We now have a plan. Let's just hope we get there safely." Fox

speaks to his teammates.

The trip back to Corneria is fairly quiet and uneventful, aside from the

occasional pitter-pattering of feral paws on the steel grating of the Great

Fox's stairs. Leon watches as Wolf jogs with Athena and Lupo along the hallway

and stairwell of the Great Fox. Time has little meaning in deep space, as the

days and nights tend to bleed together, without a valid day-night cycle. The

crew's time is spent mostly reading, exercising, or in the case of Fox and

ROB, playing video games.

"Alright, boys, listen up! We're half an Astronomical Unit from the Orbital

Gate, and they're probably waiting for us. So, here's the plan: We maintain

our heading, get into our craft if we need a quick escape, and keep the Great

Fox's cannons armed and ready. Upon landing at the base, we blast our way in

and destroy place with our C4 packs." Peppy explains from the bridge.

"And if we're captured?" Wolf asks.

"We go down in a blaze of glory." Fox suggests.

"Hah." Wolf closes his eyes and folds his arms. "Sounds like fun, to me."

"Let's just do this." Leon speaks, breaking the rising tension in the room.

Within moments, the pilots are in their respective craft, with Peppy and ROB

remaining on the bridge to pilot the Great Fox as it approaches the Orbital

Gate.

"This is the Orbital Gate. You are required to stop for clearance." The voice

on the communicator speaks.

Peppy doesn't bother responding, keeping the ship on a steady path towards

Corneria.

"Craft at heading 3-114-22, you need to stop and identify yourself before

proceeding to Corneria." The voice speaks, more firmly.

Peppy motions for ROB to maintain radio silence. ROB nods.

"Craft, if you do not stop and identify, we will open fire. This is your final

warning."

Peppy grabs the microphone for the ship's intercom. "Pilots in your ships,

deploy now. This could get hairy."

The bay doors of the docking zone open, and the ships empty one-by-one in

quick succession.

"Arm the cannons, ROB. We'll need 'em." Peppy speaks, watching as ROB obeys

his orders and types on the control panel.

The Orbital Gate's security cruisers pull out, preparing their own cannons,

aiming them at the Great Fox. The Arwings and Wolfen immediately swing into

evasive action as pursuit by the Cornerian Military and Orbital Gate security

begins. A couple warning shots are fired at the Great Fox, but the laserfire

simply bounces off its hull. Fox and Wolf go into a loop over and around the

Great Fox, luring some of the pursuing craft away from the Great Fox, and into

range of its cannons.

Upon reciving minor damage to the wing engines from the Orbital Gate, Peppy

decides it's time to return fire. He aims the cannons and strafes the Orbital

Gate's defenses.

"Guys, we're half-way to Lylat... just keep it together a bit further... just a

few more minutes..."

"Got it. Keep the beggars on the run until re-entry... should we fire at 'em?"

Wolf asks.

"Only fire if shot upon. They'll probably break away from reentry and leave

you to ground defenses, which will most-likely fire at us." Peppy replies.

"I can keep 'em distracted." Wolf chuckles, sending his craft into a loop to

evade his potential captors.

Just as Peppy estimated, the craft pull away as they approach the uppermost

sections of the Cornerian atmosphere. The craft begin to glow red- and

white-hot with plasma from the friction of re-entry.

"Alright boys, arm your cannons. Radar's showing a welcome party on the

surface about 30 kilometers in at a base. They're well-armed and well-

defended."

"That might be the base. What are the coordinates?" Fox asks.

"83 degrees, 42 minutes, 12 seconds north by 22 degrees, 48 minutes, 34 seconds

west." Peppy reads.

"That's the base. All weapons armed." Fox speaks.

"I'm ready for play-time." Leon grins to himself.

"Once we break cloud-cover, fan-out. It'll make it harder for them to track

multiple bogies." Peppy speaks.

"Won't that make the Great Fox vulnerable?" Leon asks.

"Nah. I may be a bigger target, but I have far-superior weaponry. I can stand

my own." Peppy replies.

As planned, upon breaking the cloud deck, the craft fan out over the desert.

Almost immediately, anti-aircraft guns begin firing at them. Peppy fires back

from the Great Fox, disabling several with laserfire and precision artillery

shots. They regroup as the top-secret base becomes visible on the horizon.

"That's the base." Bill speaks, having broken his trip-long silence.

"What type of defenses do they have?" Leon asks.

"Not many. Some anti-aircraft guns, some EMP devices... radio jammers... they

rely mostly on the offense capabilities of those surrounding batteries. We get

past them, we should be able to easily overhwelm them and land on the roof."

"I bet the real fun's inside..." Leon grins.

"Oh, security within the base is insane." Bill replies.

The base's roof-mounted anti-aircraft guns fire at the approaching fleet, but

are fairly-easily overwhelmed by the Great Fox's lasers. The craft are able to

land without incident on the roof.

"Alright, guys. Get all the laser guns, projectile guns, and ammo you can

carry. Now we enter the funhouse." Peppy speaks, carrying a pair of rifles in

his hands as he walks from the Great Fox's docking bay.

The pilots quickly grab their supplies. Bill kicks in a utility door leading

into the building from the roof. They move single-file, quietly down the

metallic stairway.

Bill looks around a corner at the bottom of the stairwell. He sees a well-

armed guard. He knows they've already been detected by radar and security

cameras, and it would be pointless to shoot them out.

"We have a guard. He's got a powerful gun. Wait until he gets closer, ambush,

shoot, and move to the next hallway." Bill whispers to his teammates.

They wait for the guard to walk closer, before opening fire, killing him

instantly.

"Let's move, guys. We won't have long before this sector's swarming with

military guards." Bill speaks, leading them down one of the corridors.

Soon, the alarms sound, and they can hear the running footsteps of guards

echoing down the corridors. A firefight ensues with Star Fox team staying just

around a corner. The fight intensifies, with Fox getting grazed on the arm

from a shot, right before killing two guards. The other guards go down after

raining down bullets on the heroes. Bill leads the way again, guiding them

deeper into the base, down another level.

Pepper has been watching the firefight on closed-circuit cameras. The look

on his face is one of interest. He wonders just how far Star Fox team will go.

"I can't let them leave here alive... but they're too good to waste. Beltino,

send in the 'extractors'." He speaks as he gets out of his chair, walking

towards the windows of his office that overlook the large room below.

"Y-yes, sir..." The nervous toad replies.

Beltino walks out of Pepper's office, and onto the assembly line-like room

below. As he walks between the rows of tables, he watches his colleagues,

doctors and scientists of various types, working on either cadavers or robots,

creating unnatural cyborgs, or performing brain surgery on the still-living,

gradually turning them into unwilling cyborg super-soldiers.

He closes his eyes as he approaches a certain table.

"You're needed." He speaks to the robot and cyborg.

They don't respond, but step forward. "Corridor 4, Level B. Go quickly." He

explains.

He watches as the two powerful machines walk down the corridor and out the

guarded doorway, unfazed by the abject horror of the room, daring to hope that

he might be rescued from this hell.

Star Fox Team scurries down a stairwell, only to find the next hallway filled

to the hilt with electronic traps. Lasers, smokescreen to disguise them, and

ceiling-mounted motion-sensing projectile-blasters, all waiting for them, with

the added bonus of an autonomous twin-blaster robot standing at the end of the

hallway.

"Now it gets interesting. The only way to get through here is to hack through

the security software to disable the motion-sensors and lasers." Bill speaks.

"Great, and I left my hand-held computer on the Great Fox..." Fox replies.

"We could try to grab that thing's attention and hack the software through it,

but... That is a huge risk." Peppy speaks.

"Excuse me, gentlemen... but are those motion-sensors infrared?" Leon asks.

"Yes, they are.. why?" Bill replies.

Leon grins. "I'll have us through in a minute or two." he leaps into action,

holding his katana at his side as he slithers and crawls over, under and around

the lasers. He winks at Wolf, narrowly avoiding rubbing against a laser on

purpose, as if he was on a stripper pole. He manages to slide through to the

end of the hallway. He then unsheathes his katana and slices off the robot's

blasters, before stabbing it, disabling it.

"And I thought this would be hard..." He chuckles. "Alright, Wolf. Your

turn."

Wolf blinks. "Are you kidding? Leon, baby, I'm twice as bulky as you... I

can't fit through some of those gaps..."

"Well, I can't drag this thing back with me... Even I have a limit to my

strength..."

Wolf nods. "Alright... here goes nothing..."

Wolf closes his eyes, before slowly making his way past the lasers. His

shoulder is singed by one, and he gasps in pain and fear, but freezes in

surprise when the alarms fail to activate. He shrugs and keeps going, having

to contort his body into angles and positions he didn't think were physically

possible to his large physical form, swiftly diving to the ground to duck under

one laser, crawling on his stomach, pressed to the floor the remainder of the

way.

Leon claps softly as Wolf stands up. "Bravo, lover. That was sexy."

"Yeah, well, I hope I didn't fuck up my shoulder..." Wolf groans softly.

Leon grins, kissing Wolf's shoulder, before licking his wound, slowly dragging

his tongue along the burn mark, listening to Wolf yelp in pain at first, then

groaning softly.

Leon then pulls himself off of his lover's shoulder. "What now, Bill?"

"Wolf needs to plug himself into that machine and turn off the security

systems." The dog replies.

"How do you know that will work?"

"All the machines here are networked, either wired or wireless."

Wolf shrugs, carefully opening his robotic eye, grasping one of the severed

cables, and plugging it into himself.

He thinks to himself as he searches through the robot's core memory, trying to

figure out how to disable the security within the hallway. Within seconds, the

lasers shut off and the motion-sensors fall silent.

Fox, Bill, and Peppy run through.

"Wolf, you did it! You kick ass!" Bill pats Wolf's shoulders.

"Yer damned right, I do!" Wolf chuckles, taking the cable out of his eye.

Star Fox team makes it down to the final level of the building. Bill looks

around the corner of the corridor, and finds it clear.

"Why have we been experiencing a lack of resistance so far?" Wolf asks.

"They might be consolidating their defenses around Pepper's office, as a last

stand..." Bill replies. "It's my only theory."

Bill looks around the corner, seeing two robots. "Fuck. Company."

"What makes it different this time?" Peppy asks.

"Robots, this time." Bill speaks. "Quick, hand me something explosive, or

capable of generating an EMP..."

Fox rummages quickly through his backpack. "We have C4, but I think we should

save that for when we blow this place to hell."

"Uh, Bill... you might wanna can the EMP idea..." Wolf speaks as he looks

around the corner, getting a closer look at the robot slowly walking its way

towards them.

He narrows his eyes to see better in the dim light. The figure lookes very

familiar, but heavily altered, and with wires coming out the back, connecting

its neck to its mid-section.

The robotic being sees Wolf, and slowly raises its left arm, aims, and fires

several bullets from the blaster on the end, where its left hand would be.

Wolf rapidly hides behind the corner, narrowly avoiding the bloodiest haircut

of his life, as chunks of concrete raindown onto the floor.

"FUCK!" He yelps, covering his ears.

"R-run!" A faint, semi-electronic voice speaks, echoing through the hallway.

"What was that?" Leon asks.

"Shh! I dunno! Let me hear!"

"Run away now!" The voice speaks again.

Wolf peeks around the corner a second time. He tilts his head slightly in

confusion as the robot appears to be struggling as it lifts its gun-arm again,

as if it was trying to resist, still walking towards them, much closer than

last time. Wolf immediately ducks back behind the corner.

"Okay. That robot seems to be malfunctioning or something. It's resisting,

and I think it's the source of that voice we're hearing." He speaks.

"I hope it's a robot and not one of those poor people turned into cyborgs..."

Bill speaks.

"I think it was... hell, it looked vaguely familiar..." Wolf speaks, unaware

that the robotic being has approached from behind the corner.

"FALCO!!!!!!" Fox screams, his face going white in fear.

"Huh?" Wolf asks, turning around, before ducking swiftly, just barely missing

a steel arm to the face.

"R-RUN NOW!" Falco yells, struggling to resist firing on Wolf and Fox.

"AHHHHHHH! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" Fox breaks down, sobbing, covering his

face as he leans against the wall in a fetal position.

Bill and Wolf immediately leap into action. Wolf grabs Falco's left arm, while

Bill grabs Falco from behind, bringing him into a strangle-hold. Falco

immediately tries to slam his back into the wall to knock the wind out of the

defecting dog. Wolf keeps a firm grip on Falco's arm.

"Guys, we need some help here!" Wolf shouts.

Bill yelps and coughs as he's pinned between Falco and the wall.

Leon grabs Fox by the collar of his flight jacket, dragging him about thirty

feet down the hallway.

He looks down at Fox, concerned. "If we lose control, get up and RUN."

Fox whimpers, nodding slowly.

Leon pulls out his katana, thrusting it into Falco's chest. Falco's scream of

pain is an unholy cacaphony of organic and mechanical tones. He does not

stumble or fall, but uses his normal, right, hand to attempt to pull the blade

out of himself, drawing blood on his hand from the firm grip.

"Again, Leon, do it again! His arm, this time!" Wolf yells. "And don't we

have a toolbox???"

Leon pulls the sword out, helping Falco, before thrusting it into Falco's

robotic arm, twisting it to sever some wires and hydraulic lines. Sparks erupt

briefly from Falco's arm, and he yells in pain a second time. Leon uses his

sword as leverage, however, and manages to break Falco's lower arm from its

socket. The blaster falls dead to the floor with a loud, metallic bang that

echoes through the hallway.

"Is... is it over?" Bill asks, panting.

Wolf pants and nods. "I hope to fucking GOD it is..." He shakes his head.

Leon pulls his sword out of Falco a second time, holding it in one hand, looing

him closely in his eyes.

"Which do you see out of?" He asks calmly.

"Both..." Falco responds.

"Are you in control of yourself?"

"Not fully... i'm still recieving orders to rip you to shreds." He speaks,

still trying to shrug Bill off of him and push Wolf aside, the only things

keeping Falco from a likely-suicidal charge at Leon.

"Are you connected to another system?" Leon asks.

"Wirelessly. I have an internal Lithium-ION battery where my left kidney was.

It will last me about one hundred twenty years at this rate."

"Why are you the only guard out here?"

"There are others... I was the only one assigned to this sector."

"I mean, you made a lot of noise... why haven't the security alarms gone off?"

"General Pepper knows you're here. He's planning a last stand in the

laboratory."

Falco yells in pain a third time, from an electrical shock caused by one of his

now-malfunctioning electrical systems. He lunges at Leon, pushing him against

the wall, cutting his shoulder with his own katana, throwing Bill and Wolf off

of himself in the process.

"F-Fuck! Sorry!" He yelps. "You cut my stabilizer cable!"

Leon drags his finger along the bleeding cut. He scoops up some of the blood

and drags it across his tongue, almost savouring the metallic, iron taste. He

grins.

"It's just a flesh wound, and a lucky shot." He grins, evilly.

"Leon, don't..." Wolf speaks.

"Oh, I won't. The only reason I'm not going to turn you into a robot chicken

sandwich is that someone is here that you care about." He smirks, stepping

away, resheathing his katana as he approaches a sobbing Fox.

Fox looks up at Leon.

"It's alright, McCloud. Get up. There's someone you should meet."

"F-Falco?"

"That's right."

"NO NO NO! He's gonna kill me! He's not himself anymore! He's like a... a

robotic zombie!"

"He's trying to control himself. Wolf and Bill are helping me keep him under

control. Now, be a good boy and come." Leon explains, stretching out his hand

to help the crouching vulpine up.

Fox nods slowly, grasping Leon's hand in his own. Cool to the touch, even for

a reptile.

Fox slowly steps towards Falco, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Oh god... Oh, Falco!" He whimpers, lunging forward, hugging him tightly,

nuzzling softly.

Falco returns the hug, nuzzling lovingly. "Hey, Fox..."

"Falco.. what happened to you? Oh my god, are you in pain?" Fox whispers.

Falco shakes his head. "Not anymore... I'll tell you what happened."

"That traitor, Fara Phoenix, was pissed that you had left her for me, and

sought to have me killed. She tried seducing me... but being gay, it didn't

work. So... she put a bullet in my head and carried me back to the laboratory

from hell, to perform experiments on... 'why let a good test subject go to

waste?' she said..."

"I'll kill her. That cunt's as good as dead!" Fox growls.

"Now, hold on, Fox. She's just the huntress. Small bait compared to the fish

we're after."

"Bill's right... anyway, after they electrocuted my body several times, they

began work on my brain, replacing it with machinery and electronics. At that

point, I was brought back, but I became comatose, though I could feel

everything those bastards touched. They replaced my arms, some of my organs,

my left eye, and my leg... they did this to me to make me into a 'super

soldier'... and tried programming me to be a fully-obedient slave... it didn't

work, though... the programming's still a bit buggy, and... and I'm able to

fight it off, though it comes through in brief bursts... as Leon saw."

Fox nods slowly, gently caressing Falco's face. "I'll kill whoever did this to

you, Falco. Just show me who did this. I'll drink their blood and bathe in

their entrails. I require vengance for you now."

"Careful, McCloud... you're making me horny." Leon smirks, unashamed.

Everyone turns when Wolf growls lowly, doubling over in pain.

"Wolf, what's wrong?" Fox asks.

Falco grips his head at the same time.

"What's going on?" Bill asks.

"The implants... General Pepper forced into me... dead for months... now

active." Wolf growls.

"Don't tell me you're at risk like Falco..." Fox speaks.

"I'm not.... just hear a lot of random commands going through, like someone or

something's pokin' around inside me, trying to find something'..."

His robotic eye switches from blue to red, with lines of text scrolling across,

overlaid with his field of vision. He slowly reaches back, feeling the

cylindrical plastic modules within his neck and spine vibrating and clicking

softly.

"I'm gonna kill that perverted fuck." Wolf growls.

"Where's the lab?" Leon asks Falco.

The robotic avian lifts his good arm and points down the hallway. "The room

with the double-doors."

The soldiers walk down the hallway, stopping before the doors. "Get all your

ammo ready, guys. This is it. We might not make it out of here alive... or...

living in the sense we prefer." Bill speaks as he loads up his blaster.

Fox and Wolf do the same, while Leon simply unsheaths his katana, before

approaching Falco.

"You should sit this one out, Falco. I fucked you up enough. No sense in you

going in there without an arm..."

"Gee, thanks, Leon. And I thought you were concerned for my help..." He

chuckles.

"Ugh, I am, you annoying bird. Just... sit here, our boyfriends and I will be

back after having some fun." He speaks, before turning around to join Bill,

Wolf, and Fox.

Wolf kicks the doors in. "Shift's over, freaks! Anyone NOT here under their

own free will, leave now."

Some scientists run towards the door, others remain seated. Most of the tables

have dead bodies on them, in various stages of the cyborg-enhancement process.

"Anyone else?" Wolf asks.

"Some of us are chained to the tables..." One speaks.

"Then just keep your head down and cover your heads... this is about to get

nasty. PEPPER! We're callin' you out!" Wolf howls.

Pepper steps out of his office, to the enclosed balcony overlooking the

laboratory.

"What took you so long, ladies?" Pepper asks, hands folded behind his back,

unnervingly calm, despite the nightmarish conditions of the laboratory.

"You're a sick fuck, Pepper! It's time to drag you back to hell!" Fox growls.

"My my, such large talk from such a small fox." Pepper wags his finger at Fox.

"You may have brought me into the world, but I'm here to take you out of it."

Bill grins.

"Go ahead, boy. Try to drag me back to hell." Pepper dares.

Bill pulls the trigger on his gun, blasting a large hole in Pepper's chest and

abdomen. The dog slowly lowers his gun in horror as Pepper merely stumbles

back a few paces, then begins to laugh insanely.

"What the hell...?" Wolf asks himself.

"You thought I wouldn't want to Live forever? I was the FIRST to try the

roboticizing process... after it was perfected and proven safe, that is!"

Pepper laughs.

"Don't worry, Wolf... I'll be sure to roboticize your wife and kid with you...

after all, I am a family man, myself... and the family that slaves together,

stays together." He grins evilly at Wolf.

At this point, Wolf doubles over in pain again. Wolf falls to the ground. Fox

steps back, watching his friend closely. He howls in pain and anger. His

implants go into overdrive, popping out, pressing his skin outwards like

cylindrical internal spikes. His claws sharpen and he growls loudly.

"Pepper, you *really* shouldn't have said that." Leon speaks calmly, katana

still drawn.

Wolf howls and leaps at Pepper, slashing at his head and torso, dislocating one

of Pepper's arms. The robotic hound tries to push the enraged Wolf off of him,

but to no avail. Wolf snarls, biting down on his throat before slashing it.

Wolf howls loudly as he thrusts his fist into Pepper's bullet hole and pulls

out a fist full of circuitry.

"What the-- NO! YOU STUPID FUCKER!" Pepper yells, seeing Wolf ripping out his

voltage-control circuitry.

Fox grabs Wolf as the rest of the team stands back. Pepper's body begins to

spark and sieze, before exploding in a yellowish-green fireball.

When the smoke clears, Fox and Bill approach the charred remains of the

dictator.

His eyes are still glowing with power from the remains of his lithium-ion

battery that did not explode. "I-I'll rebuild... cannot-you cannot stop me you

disgusting scum-organic scum..." Pepper growls.

"Oh, give it a rest." Fox growls, picking up Pepper's skull, watching as Leon

thrusts his katana through it.

"You always have to kill the brains of the deceased-impaired." Leon smirks, as

he pulls his sword back out. "It's why I'm the most-likely to survive a

zombocalypse... or as I like to think of it... heaven."

Wolf pants raggedly, his implants still active. Fox and Leon rush to Wolf's

side as he stands up slowly.

"Are you alright, big guy?" Fox asks.

Wolf nods. "Y-yeah... I think so... just gotta get these pieces of shit outta

me now."

"Good. Now, we just have to free the scientists, call the medics, and alert

the star system that the deed is done... Pepper's gone, and so is his tyranny."

Bill speaks.

Leon re-sheaths his katana. "sounds like a plan, to me."

Falco slowly walks in. "Y-you guys killed Pepper?"

"Yeah... wanted you to sit this one out in case there was an explosion. Aren't

ya glad I made ya?" Leon grins.

"A bit, I guess..." Falco shrugs.

Bill walks over, uncuffing several of the scientists from their workstation

tables. Miyu Lynx, Fay Dog, Slippy and Beltino Toad... many of the missing

scientists.

"I.. I still can't believe this nightmare's over... it's coming to an end..."

Miyu hugs Fay and Bill tightly.

Leon pets Wolf's ears. "You think we should still detonate this place?"

Wolf shakes his head. "Nah.. it's a crime scene... evidence should be kept so

people know what happened."

"Alright. Now let's get those things out of you, babe." Leon hugs Wolf with

one arm, walking with him towards the exit.

"What now, Foxy?" Falco asks.

Fox frowns. "Well, I don't know how we'd be able to restore you... but I'm

still going to marry you. I'm going to put Fara away for the rest of her life,

and I'm going to protect the Lylat System the way I always have." He winks at

his boyfriend.

"That's my Fox." Falco smiles, hugging Fox tightly.