Star Crossed [an old and terrible Star Fox fanfic]

C16 - Wolf's Promise

Fox McCloud strained as he squatted, bound by wrist and ankle, stripped to only the minimum. His uniform would be kept as a souvenir, maybe even put in the museum dedicated to the Androssian conquest of the system. What's more, though, was what he was further stripped of: his dignity. He sniffed a little, trying and mostly succeeding to hide his dread. Corneria's poster soldier, the spark of hope that kept the people of the planet alight in the face of dire war... reduced to a lowly prisoner of war. He knew not his fate, yet here it came: Wolf O'Donnell, typing in the complex security passcode, opened the hatch to the dingy but sufficiently secure cell. He felt the stones set in his stomach, his heart beating fast. The canine stepped in, seeing the captive enemy. He had his orders, and silently recounted them:

He stepped towards the camera set up in the room, and made sure it was on. This was to be as theatric as possible. It was the Emperor's request. There was so little else to do. This was the only preparatory request he recieved from what was now his only higher-up. Fox faced the camera, still silent. The fear clearly showed in his green eyes, his tail down and limp. They were wide, and seemed to be even further dilated, either from the high amount of stress this vulpine was going through, or the mass amount of experimental sedatives the guards pumped into him to keep him "calm".

O'Donnell could barely believe this. This was the sweet, beautiful fox, who he had so sneakily given a secret kiss not even a year ago. This was the fox he so secretly idolized as his hero, more so than James, or anyone else. This was the fox who he wanted to love, to hold close. This was... the fox, of whom he had orders to execute, for no other crime than fighting for his planet. He unholstered his blaster, and, with his other hand, held the top of the dazed fox's head.

"Please," Fox suddenly whined out.
Don't do it, Wolf. Wolf's sense tried to scream out to his own body.
"I l-love you," the Fox made this drug-induced confession. "Please, Wolf."
That didn't mean anything, and yet, at the same time, it meant everything. What did it mean? Wolf couldn't tell. It was too late to tell. It was far too late for anything like that. The camera was rolling. Wolf waited a bit. Maybe they'd edit that part out. Hopefully so.

"I'm so sorry..." Fox whined, as he stared at the camera.

Look at me, Wolf thought. He wanted his captive to give him the pleasure, the privilege, of at least looking into those stunning vulpine eyes once more. At what cost, though? Would that be a delay? Or, worse, would it owe him punishment? Fox was silent. Wolf concentrated a little more, knowing what he had to do. He tried to close his eyes, but knew this had to look natural, and personal. He put the blaster to the side of Fox's temple, now tightly gripping his head.

"Hail our almighty Emperor, and may his mercy grace the endless universe," Wolf recited a new creed, that burned his tongue when he said it. The fox had no last words, and it would have been blasphemous to ask if he did. He looked at the camera... and pulled the trigger, feeling himself go numb as warmth dripped down his fingers. All his soul screamed, but he had no free mouth to express himself with. He wished, even, that they could have traded places. Why did you have to die, Fox? Why did you have to die, Fox? Why did you have to die, Fox? Why did you—

Wolf yelled out, jolting up as he woke up from the worst dream of his life. He screamed, burrowing his head into his hands, panting, as he now sat. His body, after this initial shock, gradually relaxed, his fur going back down, and he collapsed back into a conscious but limp rest. His mattress was covered in sweat. He wanted to call it a nightmare, but... Fox was there. Even though he killed him, he at least got to see him. It was so good, then went so wrong.

This whole war, of such grand proportion in importance and yet such small proportion in terms of powerful figures, was undeniably messing with his head. His own thoughts had been so incomprehensible as of late. He was being forced to chase after what he so felt was his greatest goal, only to brutally destroy it all. Oh, Fox...