Chapter XIV
Shattered
Chapter XIV
They got back to the ship half an hour before dark. As the team walked up the ramp, Alex hung back and waited for the shipment of items he purchased. After a few minutes a truck drove up, and out stepped a few burly wolves and a bear. The bear walked up to Alex uninterested in the fact he was an alien. "We got your order sir." He grumbled, the wolves were unloading the items and placing them down in front of the closed hanger door.
"Thank you." Alex said before fishing around in his pocket for some credits that he had converted into chips. He held out the bundle of currency, which the bear took hesitantly.
"You don't have to pay us again, the company already did."
"Nonsense, a working man should always be paid for his labour." Alex responded kindly.
The bear looked down and his eyes bulged out. "I think you miscounted sir." There was several thousand credits in his paws.
"I didn't." Alex replied simply.
"I-I can't take this." The bear said, "it's too much."
"Sure you can, just make sure to give equal share to your men." Alex said with a friendly smile.
"T-thank you sir!" The bear exclaimed.
"It is I who should thank you." He watched the bear walk over to his fellows and show off their surprise tip. The wolves muzzles went from disbelief to shock as they looked into the cupped paws of their boss. Alex walked away whistling contentedly at a kindness done. He always enjoyed making other people happy. Now came the hard part. He picked up the cabinet with a groan and hauled it into the ship.
It took him twenty minutes to carry in all the gifts. But when he was done he felt satisfied. He truly hoped they would enjoy his gifts. Not wanting anyone to find them prematurely he stashed the gifts in a seemingly abandoned storage room. Then he covered them up with some wrapping paper he had shipped also. The cabinet was a hassle, but after a grueling twenty minutes he was done. He dusted off his hands after he placed the last wrapped item. "A job well done." He commented to nobody in particular.
With the presents safely hidden he could now put away the other things he had bought for his own personal use. He finished setting up the last item, a loading station.
"Hiya Alex, watcha doing?" He heard the high pitched voice of Slippy inquire.
"Oh nothing, just taking a gander about the hanger and setting up shop."
"Oh, I just saw you so I thought I would ask." Slippy said walking away.
Since he finished, he decided to follow after Slippy. They walked together until Alex saw his room. He was exhausted from his long day, so he quickly went to the door. "Later Slip." He said goodbye and opened the door. He walked in and stopped. Krystal and Fay were laying in his bed and were talking. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you." Krystal answered.
"Okay, Why?" He asked befuddled.
"So we can sleep." Fay replied.
"Okay...so why?"
"So we can sleep together!" Krystal exclaimed finally. He could see her tail thumping under the blue blanket. "We wanted to spend time with you."
He was too tired to object, and frankly, he liked the idea. "Move over." They both moved so he could lay in the middle. Thankfully the bed was large enough to accommodate all three of them. Krystal snuggled backwards into his chest, so he wrapped his arms around her. She murred happily and shifted until she was satisfied. Her tail was in laying on his leg and moving softly. Alex could feel Fay's furry arms as she hugged him from behind. He felt incredibly comfortable. Idly scratching behind Krystal's ears he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Alex was jolted awake when he felt a furry body land on his chest. He opened his eyes to see an emerald green pair staring back at him less then an inch away, they were surrounded by a field of blue fur. He could feel a wet nose on his.
"Hi."
It was Krystal, she had apparently jumped on him. "What was that for?" He asked painfully.
"It's Donum Dans day!" She replied happily. Her long blue and white tail danced back and forth behind her.
"Really?"
"Yeah, come on, everyone else is waiting!" she said in a rush and tried to pry him out of bed.
"I don't wanna." He fired back stubbornly and dug deeper into the sheets. "I'm still tired."
"Oh, none of that!" She denied and began to push him over the side.
With a yelp he crashed down onto the cold floor. "What the heck!"
Krystal giggled mirthfully. "I suppose you have to get up now."
"Yeah, yeah, you win this time. But beware, one day I'll get you back for this!" He vowed as he got off the floor and staggered into the bathroom.
She smirked and sat on the bed. She loved that man, he was funny, kind, brave, and he understood her. But most importantly, he loved her back. It didn't bother her that she shared him with Fay. She was a good friend.
"What are you smirking for?" She heard Alex grumble. He had gotten dressed in the same outfit he always had, it seemed that he had forgotten to buy clothes for himself at the mall.
"Nothing." She replied innocently.
"Uh...huh." He said slowly.
"How about we go now?"
"Might as well, considering you threw me out of my wonderful bed." He muttered with a playful tone and kissed her on the cheek. This made her smile and give him a quick swipe with her tongue across his.
"Wait for me outside, I have to do something real fast." She went outside and waited. As soon as she left he hurriedly stashed his gifts for her and the other girls in the small closet in the room. He was excited for when he would unveil them. To waylay suspicion he had got a few distraction gifts for the girls so that they would not get upset at the main gift giving, the real gifts for them would be handed out in a private setting. That completed he left to join her outside.
They walked down to the large den. Entering, Alex discovered that, indeed, the others were already there. Fox and Falco sat in chairs by a table and were talking. Fay, Miyu, and Lupa played some sort of board game with Penelope on the floor. Slippy was fiddling with some piece of mechanical junk, and Peppy was sitting in an armchair by a simulated fireplace reading a book.
"Hey guys, I got him!" Krystal announced triumphantly.
"I see the beast has awoken." Falco laughed.
"Very funny." Alex retorted sarcastically as he took a seat next to the avian. Krystal sat beside him. "What's the plan?" As he said that he walked over to Fay and have her a hug, which she returned with bone crushing strength.
"There's no plan, we're just going to have a good day, and exchange some gifts." Fox replied.
"Okay, when do you wanna do that then?" He asked as he recuperated from the hug of death.
"How about after some breakfast?" Falco asked hopefully.
"I guess Krystal and I could whip something up."
"Awesome!" Slippy said suddenly from his place by the door.
"So you only talk when there's food?" Fox teased.
"No...well...maybe...sometimes...whatever!" Slippy exclaimed getting up angrily and throwing his hands in the air.
This made them all laugh. "We're just playing with you." Fox said in-between fits of laughter.
"It's alright Slip, I'll make you something special." Alex said feeling a little bad for the teasing.
"Fine." Slippy huffed and sat back down. With the toad pacified Alex and Krystal left and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
In the kitchen they talked while making food. "You know", Alex began, " I never thanked you for everything you've done for me."
"What do you mean?" Krystal asked confused as she stirred some pancake batter. She was wearing an apron so as not to get any of the mix on her fur and clothes. To him she was still beautiful in it, if not more so.
"You did so much to help me after my arrival, talking with me and becoming my friend." He explained. "You showed so much kindness to a strange being you never saw before. You cared about me, maybe not as much now, but you did nonetheless. And when I lay dying next to the remnants of that monstrous marker on Aquas and saw you crying, for a man you hardly knew, that's when I fell in love with you." He stopped cooking and looked at her with a great big smile. "I love everything about you, your beautiful blue and white fur, your wondrous melodic voice, your sparkling emerald eyes, and your amazingly compassionate and gentle personality."
She was speechless. "I-I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. I wanted to tell you, that's all." He said as he turned back to the stove. "I like Fay too, maybe not love, I haven't talked to her too much. But given time, I will." He had his focus back on the food, so he didn't see her watery eyes. Although he did hear her sniffles. Alarmed, he twirled back to face her. "What's wrong?"
She was smiling as big watery drops fell down her muzzle. "Nothing." She replied, her cerulean and white furred body flying into his. He was startled to feel her fuzzy lips press against his greedily. And even more surprised when he felt her tongue try to force its way into his mouth. Alex let her in. Their tongues intertwined like two parts of a whole, each made for the other. His tongue was smaller, her vulpine one coming out on top. They were like this for sometime.
Alex began to smell something other then her perfumed body. "Is something burning?" He asked moving his mouth away from hers.
Krystal pulled away. "The food!"
Indeed the food was turning an unappetizing black. Panicked they struggled to save what they could. When it was all said and done, a quarter of their sustenance was ruined. Luckily there was more then enough left for everyone. "We almost lost breakfast." Alex said as he cleaned up the burnt scraps.
"Yeah but it was worth the risk." Krystal replied as she began to put salvaged parts on the trays of the trolley. With one last kiss, they went back to the den with the food. Their arrival was greeted with great jubilation.
"Food!" Slippy shouted. With the food there, they all went to the table and took their accustomed seats.
"Yep, food." Alex said as he wheeled the cart to its place at the side of the table. "Bon-appetite!" He exclaimed as he dramatically revealed the trolley's contents. He had decided to go a little french that day. Crepes with an assortment of jellies and syrup, some breakfast pastries, pancakes of course, and finally french toast. All their mouths were watering at the sight. "Go ahead and eat." He urged.
Hearing that they all got plates from under the trolley and quickly grabbed their food. Alex watched them all eat with a sense of pride, and a small bit of wariness, their snapping maws were disconcerting. Either way he loved making food. The happiness it brought always brought a smile to his face. It looks like today was going to be another great day.
Feeling a little tight chested he walked into the small washroom jointed with the den, unnoticed. Inside he grabbed some tissue paper and cleared his throat. When he did he could feel a strange burning sensation. He lifted the tissue and was shocked to see blood. It seemed that the sickness was always hanging over him, and when he was at his happiest it came down like a hammer on an empty shell, shattering his perceived moments of bliss. He refused to let that happen. He threw the tissue into the toilet and flushed it down. He watched the crimson sheet of paper as it slowly swirled down into the depths of the ships plumbing.
Krystal was sitting next to Fox eating a plate of Crepes with strawberry jelly. She was having the best time of her life. Alex was all she could think about. She loved him more then he loved her. He was slowly becoming the most important person in her life. Alex was always kind to her, never having a mean thing to say, he thought she was beautiful and never tried to take advantage of her. He made her feel good whenever he was there. Just his presence was comforting.
She took another bite of the crepe and washed it down with some juice. 'Where was he?' She looked all over the room for him, green vulpine eyes scanning until she found her target. She saw him walking out of the washroom with a depressed face. His usually kind mirth-filled eyes looked empty and his expression was devoid of emotion. When he saw her looking at him, he switched it to a smile almost fast enough to make her doubt that she had really seen it.
"Hey there beautiful." He said happily as he took his seat next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Fay was beside him, so he kissed her as well. "Hey Fay."
"Hiya Alex!" Fay said tail wagging behind her chair.
"Looks like everyone is liking the food." He commented upon seeing their focused efforts on making sure that there would be no leftovers.
"Yep, this is some if the best food I've ever had the pleasure of eating." Fay remarked as she dug back into her plate of pancakes.
"That's great." He sat there and watched everyone eat, Slippy was happily munching on the plate of french toast that Alex had made especially for him.
"Aren't you hungry?" Krystal asked concernedly as she noticed that he had not got a plate for himself.
"Not really." He answered, he was starving earlier, but now he didn't feel much like eating. In fact his throat felt incredibly dry, he was parched. So he poured a cup of juice and drank it.
"Are you sure?" Krystal was worried, he wasn't eating and he was starting to sound distant.
"Yes I'm fine." He said kindly.
"Please eat something, for me." She begged.
"Anything for you." He relented and made a small plate of crepes and nibbled on them throughout the rest of the meal.
She sighed in relief and went back to her own food. He was eating something now. She vowed to watch him closely and make sure he was taken care of.
Once the meal was over the guys cleaned up and put the plates and utensils away. With that done they moved the furniture into a semicircle and placed the gifts that they had bought for each other in the middle.
"Who wants to go first?" Fox asked.
"You guys go ahead, I have to grab mine." Alex said as he stood up.
"You bought gifts?" Slippy wondered.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know, I just didn't expect it that's all."
It took a long time for Alex to get all the gifts on to the right deck level and to the door of the den, still he did it. He opened the door and brought in the smaller gifts leaving the unreasonable large cabinet for Slippy in the hallway. He saw when he entered that Falco had a new jacket on, a personally designed blue and red one. Fox was sporting a new pair of boots. Peppy had a new pair of glasses. Penelope was surrounded by mounds of clothes. Krystal had a purple blouse in her lap. Miyu was wearing a hat that suspiciously resembled a cowboys. Lupa had a dazzling red dress. And finally Slippy and Fay had a new jumpsuit and pilot-suit respectively.
As they saw Alex with a huge armload of presents Falco whistled. "Someone went a little overboard."
"Nah." Alex said, "I just wanted to show you all my appreciation for what you've done for me since I got here."
"You didn't have to do that." Fox said, "it was our pleasure."
"Yeah, well it'll be my pleasure to give you guys these gifts." He walked around handing out the gifts. When he skipped Slippy, the toad got a sad look.
"Don't worry Slip, yours was too big to carry with the others." Alex placated him. Hearing that the toad's face lit back up.
"Wow you got something for everyone." Fay said as she looked over her small present.
"Yep."
"Who should open it first?" Faloc asked excitedly.
"Why don't you." Alex decided.
Heading that suggestion, the avian shredded the paper on his gift to reveal a Phoenix Arms handgun case. He looked up with a shocked expression. "You didn't!" Alex didn't answer, he only smiled contentedly as he watched Falco reverently unlock the clasps and open the case. With shaking hands he pulled out the Golden Falcon. Falco traced the engraved inlays with a feathered hand and brought his gaze back up to the smiling human. "Thank you, so much."
"Your welcome."
As the avian held his gift and stared at it, Alex asked Fox to open his. In haste the vulpine opened his present to unveil the bodysuit he wanted from the shop. "I-I don't know what to say, this is...I don't know." Fox said, unable to find the words.
"That's alright, your muzzle says it all." Falco and Fox staring at their gifts with wonder, Alex bid the rest of his friends to open theirs. Curios, they quickly complied.
Penelope got a little oven thing for making your own mini cakes and things like that. "Thanks big brother!" She shouted and ran up to him and gave him a hug. He chuckled and ruffled the fur atop her head.
Peppy got some books, he looked up and nodded his appreciation, Alex nodded back.
Miyu got a a bracelet with a feral lynx running on it. She was surprised. "This is nice!"
"Yep, it's made of a rare alloy that never scratches or rusts." Alex replied. "At least that's what the salesperson told me." She, in a surprise action, embraced him briefly.
"Thanks." Was all she said before pulling away.
Fay and Krystal got matching red and purple tail loops. "I thought you two might have liked those."
"Like them? We love them!" They replied in unison and kissed him on both cheeks.
"Great, I was a tiny bit worried honestly." He turned to Lupa who was opening her small box. Inside lay two earrings. They were stylized as a pack of running wolves as one, and a moon as the other. Both were made of sterling silver. "They told me it was a great gift for a wolf girl."
"They were right." Lupa said quietly as she gazed upon them. "Thank you."
"Of course."
"What about me!" Slippy grumbled.
"Calm down Slip. I'll go get it." Alex walked out and came back moments later as he slowly dragged in the big present. "Ta da!"
"Wow." The toad immediately set upon the wrapped gift with frighting zeal. In seconds he had torn all the paper off and was now going crazy. "You got it! The...."
Slippy then went off saying the things name, but it was too complicated for him to follow. So Alex just shook his head as if he understood. "Yeah I did."
After a moment everyone realized something. "We didn't get you anything!" Fox voiced in a sad tone.
"I didn't want anything anyway." Alex shrugged off. "I have all I could want already. Great friends, a good life, wonderful women, and a new purpose. That's all I could ever want."
"still, we should have got you something." Krystal said with pouty lips.
"I'm fine, really!"
"Okay." Falco said still a little unsure
Before their could be more objections Fox's communications bracer beeped. "Fox here."
"I hate to call you today, but we have a situation." The voice of General Pepper responded.
"What's the problem sir?"
"I can't say over the line, I need you to head to headquarters as soon as possible, and bring Alex " Pepper said mysteriously and ended the call
"Strange." Fox muttered. "We better hurry up then. Alright, I'll take Alex, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy. Krystal, Miyu, Fay, and Lupa watch over Penelope. We'll be back."
After cleaning up the mess of wrapping paper, the selected members of Starfox left The Great Fox and took a skycar to Cornerian Military Headquarters. When they arrived they were quickly ushered into Pepper's office. He was sitting behind his desk in his swivel chair, he was waiting for them.
"I have troubling news." The old bloodhound said gravely. He was fiddling with sheaf of papers, as if trying to figure out what to say.
"What's wrong?" Falco asked.
"Sometime last night, a squad of venomian commandos broke into Beltino Industries. They took all research pertaining to the teleporter and kidnapped Beltino himself." The General admitted at last.
"What!" Slippy exclaimed. "They took my father!"
"I'm afraid so Slippy."
"Do we know why?" Fox asked.
"No, but the security team managed to capture one of the infiltrators."
"What are we waiting for, let's go beat the information out of him!" Falco muttered darkly.
"Soon Falco, but first I have a request." Pepper said.
"What is it?" Fox wondered.
"When we make a move on venom to retrieve Beltino, I would like you to take two temporary pilots." Pepper explained.
"Alright who?"
"You have to agree before I tell you." Pepper said surprising them.
"Why?"
"Just do it." Pepper responded.
"Fine, I'll take them in." Fox muttered hurriedly, "now who are they?"
"You'll find out when you go down to the interrogation room." Pepper told him cryptically. "Before you go I need to talk to Alex for a minute."
"Uh okay sir." Alex said hesitantly.
"We'll be outside." Peppy said patting him on the shoulder. They left, leaving Alex and the ages General alone.
"What do you need sir?"
Pepper sighed. "Son, the ape we captured, has been spewing out some strange religious mumbo jumbo. But we did here him say something about markers."
Alex's heart began to beat faster. 'Not again' he thought. "Are you sure?"
"Sadly I can guarantee it."
"Has anything else come up?"
"He has denied any other form of information."
"Do you need him alive?" Alex asked dangerously eyes gleaming with a volatile fire.
Pepper though about it seriously. "....no"
"I will make him talk." Alex growled with a cold certainty.
"Good, and Alex, do what must be done." Pepper said with a resigned sigh.
"I intend to. No matter what happens, don't let Fox of Falco stop me." Alex said as he turned away to leave. Giving Pepper one last look with those flaming golden eyes. His face as hard and uncaring as stone.
Alex walked out of the room, with a blank look on his face. "What's wrong?" Falco asked.
"Everything." Was all he got in response, as the human walked past them and headed straight for the interrogation room.
"....Ok then." Falco said worriedly.
Fox and the others desperately tried to keep up with the taller human, they having to take two steps for his one. "What's with him?" Slippy asked.
"I'm not sure Slip." Fox said as he watched the human walk with a fire in his step. He was on a warpath. Fox communicator beeped. "Fox here."
"This is Pepper, no matter what happens, do not interfere with the interrogation." Pepper ordered first thing and then disconnected with out waiting for a response.
"That is...disconcerting." Peppy muttered.
"What's going through his mind right now?" Slippy wondered aloud as he watched the figure of the human stride down the corridor.
"I don't know buddy, I don't know." Falco replied.
Alex was angry. Rampaging thorough his mind was the desire to get information, using whatever means necessary. The damn markers would not just leave him alone. Now they threaten everything he has grown to love. And he will do anything to stop them. There was no doubt in his mind. That ape will die, but not before telling him what he needed to know.
Alex walked into the main room that housed the cells. Fox was right behind him. The cellblock was huge housing many containment rooms and a single table were sitting down, were his new temporary team members. And when he found out who was to join his team he had only one thing to say. "Shit."
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Fox Mccloud and his band of misfits." The smug tone of notorious space pirate, Wolf O'Donnel mocked from his seat. The grey wolf was wearing a reinforced black combat suit with a bladed pistol on his belt. His boots laid on he table and he picked at his canines with a dagger. "And with the alien from the news in tow, you've really gone up in the world eh fox?"
Fox was too busy staring at his other new crew member, with unease. Sitting next to Wolf was Fara Phoenix, once love interest of his. And now, a very scary fennec vixen. She said nothing as she watched Fox haltingly walk over. They had a falling out at the academy and ever since have had a enmity for each other.
"Crap, we gotta work with this asshole!" Falco grumbled loudly.
Alex moved to the side without saying a word. He emitted a aura of suppressed malevolence.
"Is your alien friend shy?" Wolf asked with pseudo kindness.
"No." Fox growled.
Fara just sat their quietly and watched the two men fight with each other, that is at least, until the human spoke up.
"Fox."
"Yeah, Alex?" The orange vulpine replied turning away from his verbal sparing with his long time rival.
"I'm going to interrogate the prisoner." Alex informed as he moved from his place and walked to the door to the room holding the ape.
"Watch gonna do ruffle him up?" Wolf asked he human with a cruel tone. Alex ignored him, opened the door, and entered. "Interesting, let's see what he does." Wolf mused. The door locked.
Inside Alex stomped up to the ape, he was of an interminable species, with brown fur coloring, he was chained to a metal chair, and when he saw Alex walk up he started to talk condescendingly. "Oh what's this? They bring out their pet alien, the marker-"
Before he could continue Alex grabbed his head and brutally smashed it into the steel table. "SHUT UP!" He roared.
Outside, everyone in the room froze. "...Damn." Wolf said in surprise. But the human wasn't done yet.
"Where did they take the toad!"
The ape was reeling from his meeting with the table, but still defiant "pfft you thi-" WHAM.
Another collision with the metal surface, this time his nose broke Alex pulled his head upward and blood gushed out of the simians nasal cavity. "WHERE?" He demanded.
"I-I don't know!" The simian said fearfully.
"Not good enough." Alex growled and rammed his right fist into the ape's face. The chair flew backwards sending his victim to the floor. Alex pulled it back up to face him. "You will tell me." He said with absolute confidence.
Meanwhile the others in the opposite side of the door had mixed reactions. Wolf looked on approvingly, Fara thoughtful, and the members of Starfox rampant. "What's he doing?" Slippy asked panicky.
"What you won't." Wolf grunted as he watched the interrogation, or perhaps torture, through the one-sided window. "I think I like this guy."
"We can't let him do this!" Slippy shouted to Fox.
"Pepper told us not to interfere." Fox replied solemnly.
Falco and Peppy just watched with sadness, their friend had changed.
Inside the room, Alex had just smashed the ape into the table again. "WHERE DID THEY TAKE HIM?"
"Okay, okay, I'll tell, I'll tell." The ape whined, blood flowing down his head.
"Where?"
"They took him to a research facility on Venom."
"Where is it located?" Alex demanded from his place behind the ape.
"I won't say more, the marker is with me." The ape began to rant insanely. Alex yanked his head back and beat it against the table half a dozen times.
"Oh will it now?" Alex almost whispered causticly. "Will it stop me, prevent me from hurting you? Will it strike me down to save its follower?"
"It wil-"
"WRONG!" Alex threw the chair, with the simian attached, into the wall. He collided with a wet thud. Alex picked him up and set him back up almost gently. "Just tell me where and I'll let you go." He said softly.
"But I can't go against its will." The ape said reluctantly. Alex moved to hit him and the ape finally caved. "Alright! He's in the facility connected to the capital, under the airbase."
"Thank you for your cooperation." Alex said as he put his hands on the ape's neck.
"Your letting me go?" The ape asked hopefully.
"Yes." Alex said, then he twisted his hands roughly and there was a sickening snap, like a soggy branch. The now lifeless body of the ape, who's name remained unknown, slumped in the chair, held up only by the restraints. Alex walked out of the room and into the shocked gazes of his friends. "It's done."