Star Crossed [an old and terrible Star Fox fanfic]

C22 - Dance Into The Fire

Star Fox, in its whole, stood beside the window, looking into the toxic haze that made up the Venomian atmosphere. Fox felt his nervous sweat start to intensify, as he looked down the area that Andross's lair supposedly rested. Falco, now having healed sufficiently, held Miyu's shoulder, as Peppy turned to his captain. Slippy meanwhile made some mental calculations, assuring that this mission would be a success. Connections with the General were lost, as Andross blocked his signal within Venom's vicinity.

"You have to go as soon as possible, Fox," Peppy stated softly.

"Just a few moments more," Fox sighed.

"Is Star Wolf anywhere near?" Miyu asked.

"Oikonny, Dengar, and Powalski are in Andross's lair," Slippy answered. "O'Donnell is nowhere on the planet, probably hovering off somewhere like he said he'd be."

"You SURE he's actually helping us?" Peppy asked, once again to his captain.

"Would he have really taken Falco back here if he wasn't?" Fox asked.

"Yeah... you're right, by God," the hare adjourned.

Fox had offered the rudimentary explanation that Wolf had shifted sides once again, and had gained insider documents that would allow for a much easier conquest of Andross's head-shaped ship. This was of course the truth, but only the minimum of it. McCloud assured himself that, once this was all over, IF this was all over, this would at most be a secret. Wolf would be a close collaborator... but Corneria would never allow for anything more. To change that would mean to overthrow this stubborn Supreme General, with his strict policies, but that would be an insurmountable task compared to doing so to Andross.

Now wasn't the time for thinking of so relatively distant of a future, though. Now was the time for action. This was the moment that all the system was waiting for. This was the ultimate finale to the conflict that Corneria faced. Today was the day that the ambition of terroristic anarchy would surrender to the greater order, so that it may rule once more... or, at least, that's what was likely to happen, when it all boiled down. This, however, gave Fox a feeling of great sadness, unlike any he'd felt before. He was the visage of hope, the embodiment of the Cornerian perseverance in the face of the threat to its tranquility, now feeling that his own purpose was defeating him.

And yet, he was definitely doing the right thing. "I'm heading out," he decided, turning and taking his first step away.

He didn't get the chance to take a second step, because he was rendered closely surrounded... in a tight group hug from his team! Falco winced a bit as he first hugged the vulpine, and refrained a bit, but Peppy more than made up for it, as Miyu and Slippy followed after.

"Good luck," Falco nodded, as they then eased up.

"Thanks," was all the fox said in response, as he went down to the hangar.

This should only take a few minutes... Crucial as all hell, but short. That's what this would be. Fox looked to the picture of his former family at his windshield... and, as comforting as it was, he realized it was missing something. He took a clipping of an official poster he saved from that stash of Androssian documents Wolf provided. It was a photograph, of the very canine in question. He held it close for a few moments, then, with a forlorn sigh, slipped it next to the older one.

"Hey, what's that?" came a sudden young voice.

"HEIYAH!" Fox yowled in surprise, whipping his head around, only to find that Slippy was standing beside his left window. "Oh, hell— ghah! You scared the bejeezus out of me, Slip..."

"Sorry, Captain," the amphibian apologized, and then backed away a bit.

"Well— hey, come back! What was it you were asking?" Fox lifted an ear as he inquired.