Fox Hunt
A/N: Here we go! Re-edited version of Fox Hunt. I hope you enjoy this one more than the original. For all you new readers, this is a crossover with one of scfi's bigger icons.
Star Fox and it's characters do not belong to me, they are copyrighted by Nintendo and Rare. Our mystery guest belongs to FOX.
"Yes General. Thank you."
The holographic image of General Pepper blinked a few times then disappeared. Fox McCloud leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head, a slight smile on his muzzle. The team had just finished another successful job for the General and was looking forward to another nice fat paycheck.
"Maybe we can finally take that vacation."
The team was in desperate need of one. Corneria had been in dire need of extra protection since the Aparoid Invasion a few months ago. While the city was being re-built, they were a perfect target for enemy forces. Armada's of Andross's remaining forces would often try to attack and the Aparoids had significantly weakened the Cornerian Army. StarFox was constantly on the job, shooting down enemy ships day and night. But with the city finally being finished it's repairs and fresh recruitments to the Army, they could start taking it easy for a while.
And the sooner the better.
Falco was getting more and more difficult to deal with, more than usual. He was often annoying either Peppy and Slippy for his own amusement or blasting his music so loud the whole ship trembled.
Slippy was constantly repairing the Arwings or interior damage to the Great Fox from battles. He would spend days in the hanger or in his room working on all sorts of parts and technical problems. The team rarely saw him unless they were called to duty.
Peppy was feeling like he was in a home. The others would be out dog fighting and he would be stuck at the command center of the Great Fox overseeing the mission. He was more than happy to give his spot to Krystal but being stuck on the ship for months on end made him feel older than he was and utterly useless.
And Krystal...well, Krystal didn't have a problem with anything. She and Fox pretty much kept each other entertained quite a bit.
Fox smiled at that. He remembered the day he worked up the courage to finally tell her how he felt after a year of fantasizing and sweaty palms.
It was a few days after the defeat of the Aparoid Queen and the team was visiting Peppy and the General in the hospital. After seeing his two old friends lying in their hospital beds, bandaged up and bruised, he realized that life was too short, especially in their line of work, to wait on something like this. He pulled Krystal aside when they were alone and poured his heart out to her, afraid to even look her in the eye. But she made him look at her and told him that his feelings were returned. Needless to say, Fox was on Cloud Nine.
But Fox hated that they were stuck on this floating tin can. He wanted to take her out somewhere special. Somewhere glamorous and exotic. He wanted to make love to her in a lavish hotel room instead of his small, messy room where you can hear the Great Fox's engine's running.
Fox's daydreaming was interrupted when he felt two soft hands from behind run up and down his solid built chest. A sweet, soothing voice flowed into his ear.
"Are you coming to bed handsome?"
The vulpine grinned and turned around, grabbing the blue vixen around the waist and pulled her into his lap. "Impatient are we?"
"Hey, it's cold and I need someone to keep me warm all night." Krystal replied, nuzzling his cheek. Fox chuckled and pulled her into a soft kiss. They broke apart and Fox picked her up, carrying her towards his room. Krystal giggled as the door closed behind them.
Fox awoke the next morning to the sound of his alarm clock. Slapping the snooze button, he turned over to cuddle with Krystal, only to find she was gone. Sitting up and scratching the fur on his head, Fox hopped out of bed and into the shower. After drying off, he changed into his standard uniform and made his way to the kitchen to find Peppy cooking breakfast and Krystal sitting at the table, enjoying her meal of pancakes, bacon and eggs.
"Morning Fox. Sleep well?" Peppy asked, flipping a pancake. "Very well." Fox responded, giving Krystal a coy look. She winked back at him. Peppy shook his head smiling and muttered something about young people. Falco and Slippy entered the room just then, arguing about something.
"Let's ask Fox then!" Falco bellowed. "Fine!" Slippy agreed.
"Now what?" Fox asked, leaning against the counter.
"Who's better at Space Wars? Me or wart head here?"
Peppy sighed and rolled his eyes. Krystal giggled. Fox rested his chin in his hand to implicate he was thinking hard. "Hmm...sorry Falco. Gonna have to go with Slippy on this one."
"Yes!" Slippy shouted, raising his stubby arms up in the air in triumph. Falco gave Fox an evil look.
"You just said that cause he installed that new stereo in your room for you." He stated. Fox chuckled and sat beside Krystal.
"Get over it Falco."
"Yeah. Get over it." Slippy repeated. Falco was about to knock Slippy into the next world when Peppy had enough. "Alright you two, that's enough! Christ, it's like dealing with two children all day."
Falco and Slippy gave each other one last glare before sitting down at the table. Seeing that everyone was here, Fox decided to speak up.
"I talked to Pepper last night and our paycheck is being cashed in as we speak so I've decided we have a little vacation."
"Fuck yeah!" Falco shouted, raising his arms in the air. A look of pure joy and appreciation spread across the face of the others. Slippy leaned forward, almost out of his seat, his eyes as big as saucers.
"Please tell me this isn't a dream Fox." Slippy begged, hope in his eyes. Fox laughed and patted Slippy on the shoulder.
"No dream Slip." He reassured him. The toad slid back down in his seat, staring into space and mumbled something about "no more grease stains".
"Where did you have in mind Fox?" Peppy asked, serving him a plate of breakfast. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could go down to the city for a day or two then head off to Aquas for a week or so."
"I'd be all for that." Falco agreed. "Me too." Slippy seconded.
"Anything is alright with me, just as long as I get off this damn ship for a while." Peppy said. Fox looked at Krystal and asked, "Well Krys?"
"Sounds great." She said, squeezing his knee under the table. Fox smiled.
"Well let's get packing! I want to get off this thing as soon as possible!" Peppy exclaimed throwing down his spatula and headed to his room.
"I better make sure Father Time doesn't break a hip." Falco said with a smirk and headed off after Peppy. Krystal cleaned off her plate and started to clean the dishes but Fox stopped her.
"Hey, hey, none of that. I'm ordering you to get packed and to relax until we're cleared for entry. I'll take care of this."
Krystal only gave him her one of a kind bright smiles and softly dragged her fingers across his stomach as she left. Fox felt a shiver run through his body and watch her leave, the vixen's tail swishing behind her. He chuckled and turned back to the dishes only to notice that Slippy was still sitting at his seat, staring at Fox with those hopeful eyes.
"For the last time Slippy, NO, this is not a dream. Go get packed."
Slippy was off like a shot, heading to his quarters, tripping a few times in the process. Fox laughed out loud and went back to the dishes.
Things felt better already.
"Holy shit, is the planet's thermostat stuck on high?" Falco exclaimed, walking out of the space port into the sun which stood high in the sky.
"Your not kidding." Slippy panted, wiping some sweat off his forehead. Fox felt the heat hit his body like a tidal wave after stepping out after them. It was unusually hot. In fact, Fox can't recall it ever being this hot when he was on Corneria.
Cornerians were walking about in bathing suits, fanning themselves or chugging on a bottle of water. Waves of heat covered the city, making it dace and sizzle in the background.
"Must be a heat wave." Peppy stated, fanning himself with his hat. Falco shielded his eyes from the sun, looking back at his team mates. "I swear to God, if this some sort of Death Heat Ray from Venom and we get called in, I will personally kill the bastard myself."
"Let's just get to the hotel and get our stuff organized. Then it would probably be a good idea to head to the beach." Peppy suggested, ignoring the avian.
The team agreed wholeheartedly. Calling some cabs, they were on their way to the Corneria Hotel, the biggest one on the planet. It was a towering piece of architecture with over a hundred floors that over looked one of Corneria's sparkling beach's. The cabs pulled up to the main entrance and Krystal was awed by the size of this massive hotel. She had only been to Corneria a few times one being the Aparoid Invasion and to do training exercises on a base away from the city. While it was normal to everyone else, to Krystal this was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen.
The team entered the massive lobby and were greeted by another rush of hot air.
"Christ, I think it's hotter in here than it is outside." Peppy said. Falco was about to agree when two felines walked by in revealing bathing suits, obviously on their way to the beach.
"Relax gramps. The heat can be good for something." He cooed, watching the girls walk out. Fox chuckled and turned around to find Krystal gone. Looking around, he found her staring at the massive staircase that lead up to the second level. He walked up behind her and gently gripped her shoulders.
"Everything okay beautiful?"
"Yeah. It's just...I never seen anything like this. I mean, I've been to other cities in other systems but...they had nothing like this." She said, staring at her reflection in the polished golden handrail. Fox grinned and whispered in her ear,
"Wait till you see the bedrooms."
Krystal smirked and turned around and gave him a pat on the cheek. "Is that all you think about?"
She walked over to the others and grabbed her stuff. Fox joined them and they got their room keys from the front desk. Taking the elevator, they rode up to about the 50th floor. Everyone had their own rooms except for Fox and Krystal who were sharing one as the others would of guessed.
"I'm off to the beach right freakin now. I can't stand this heat much longer." Falco stated, walking into his room.
"Right behind ya." Slippy said. "I third the motion." Peppy agreed, wiping some sweat away with a hankey.
"I think it's safe to say we're all going to the beach so we'll all just meet in the lobby." Fox said and closed his door. He found Krystal sprawled on the large bed enjoying the satin feel of the sheets. He smiled at the sight of her enjoying the most simple things. Things that he and everyone else takes for granted.
"Enjoying yourself?" He asked sitting down beside her. The blue vixen rolled over so her head was resting in his lap.
"Very much."
The two sat there for a brief moment not saying anything. Fox just stared at her while he softly stroked her hair.
"Thank you so much for this trip Fox. We really needed it." Krystal finally said.
"No problem. You all deserve it."
Krystal sat up and kissed him softly then got up to go change into her swim wear. Fox smirked and turned on the TV while he started to change.
"...Meteorologists are baffled by Corneria's recent weather as of late. It is said to be the biggest heat wave to have hit Corneria in the past hundred years. In other news, new information has reached officials about the Cornerian weapons supply truck that was hijacked last month. After similar eye witness accounts, it appears the apparently deceased StarWolf team was behind the theft. The three thieves wore masks but two displayed the characteristics of Leon Powalski and Panther Caruso. It can only be assumed that Wolf O'Donnell was the last suspect."
Fox froze at the mention of StarWolf. They were alive after all. It was odd. Whenever the thought of StarWolf entered his brain, images of dogfighting and insults usually came to mind. But now, all he could think about was the way they saved he and his team and sacrificed themselves against the Aparoids.
Fox turned it off just as Krystal came out of the bathroom ready to go. "Fox? Are you ready?"
He stared at her for a moment, his mouth opening to say something but he closed it and gave her a smile.
"Sure. Let's go."
"Is something wrong?" She asked him, a hint of worry in her voice. "It's nothing. Just thinking."
Krystal was not totally convinced but decided she would not push it for now. The two linked arms and headed out to meet the others. Fox made no mention of the broadcast to them either. They didn't need to worry about this. Not now. They would deal with everything when they get back.
To say the beach was crowded was an understatement.
The entire shoreline was littered with people, umbrellas, blankets and more people. It took the team awhile but they finally found a space where all of them could sit. Slippy took off like a rocket towards the water, Peppy was sleeping under the shade of his umbrella and Falco had already begun flirting with some girls and more were coming. The word spread quickly that the StarFox Team was there and small crowds were gathering.
Fox sighed. He was hoping to avoid this. He didn't mind the fame or signing autographs but sometimes it gets to be way too much. Not to mention the fact that almost every guy he saw was drooling over Krystal. Deciding to get away from the craziness that was sure to follow, Fox got up to go for a walk.
Pushing his way past people, Fox headed towards the more secluded area of the shoreline. He walked along the water's edge, waves crashing into his feet the cool ocean water feeling delightfully refreshing on such an unforgivingly hot day. As he moved farther away from the crowds and the noise, the more his mind returned to StarWolf.
"So they've been alive all this time." He thought. It was a fact that rubbed Fox in all the wrong ways. He didn't understand why they would stay in hiding for so long only to come out and rob a weapon supply truck and disappear again. Not to mention there has been no reports of fire fights or any other large weapon related activity since the hijacking.
And why did they not launch any sort of attack on them during the city's reconstruction?
Fox and his team had more than their hands full and StarWolf could have taken them down easily. It was the perfect opportunity for them to finally come out on top but yet they were nowhere to be seen.
Wolf was good at taking advantage of a situation and if it involved Fox, he was there ready and determined. That much Fox knew and that is what bothered him the most.
Fox sat down on the rough, warm sand, the sun starting to set behind the ocean. Unfortunately, the weather had not cooled down much. He rubbed his eyes, not wanting to think about StarWolf anymore. He just wanted to relax and enjoy his time away from that sort of thinking. He felt the sand shift beside him and turned his head to see that Krystal had joined him.
"So here you are. I've been looking all over for you." She said, leaning her chin on his shoulder.
"What? You mean to tell me you don't like having men drool over you?" Fox asked with a grin. Krystal chuckled and gave him a coy look.
"I like it when you do it."
Fox grinned and look out over the ocean. Krystal could sense something heavy was on his mind again.
"Is something bothering you Fox? If so, please tell me."
"It's nothing important. Just..."
"Just?" Krystal pushed, trying to get him to open up. "I've just been thinking about StarWolf lately." He confessed, leaving out the part about this mornings news once more.
"StarWolf? That's a little odd. What brought this up?"
"I don't know. I guess it just feels weird knowing that they're dead after all we've been through." He lied. But Krystal had a feeling he was leaving something out and it bothered her. It was not like Fox to keep things from her. Ever since they got together, he has told her everything. About his parents, his former relationships, Andross and all the way to his very darkest fears. But she thought maybe was not the time to push it. He had been incredibly stressed from their work load and when he was ready, he would tell her.
"Well, if you need ever need to talk, I'm right here."
"Isn't that what I told you the first day you came on board?" Fox asked with a smirk.
"What can I say? Your good natured habits just seem to rub off on me."
Fox laughed and picked her up. She though he was going to kiss her but instead, hoisted her up on his shoulder. Carrying her down to the water, with much protest from Krystal, he dumped her in. Krystal resurfaced and with a half amused, half peeved look.
"You are so dead." She said and tackled him into the water. The two laughed as they splashed and dunked each other with Falco and Slippy joining in.
The sun eventually fully set after another hour and the team left the beach, smiles on their faces. The evening provide even more enjoyment as they went out for a nice dinner and caught a show afterwards. It was a great way to start off their vacation.
They arrived back at the hotel and headed up to their rooms. Saying goodnight, they closed their doors. Fox fell onto the bed and yawned. It was going to be fantastic to sleep in nice huge bed. But his thoughts of sleep disappeared when he felt Krystal straddle his waist and slip her hands up his shirt to massage his chest and stomach.
"I hope your not planning on sleeping just yet." She whispered and pulled his shirt over his head. Fox sat up and the two shared a long, passionate kiss. Fox pulled away and said,
"Wouldn't dream of it."
The stars were shining brightly over the Corneria night sky. If anyone would have stopped to look up, they would of seen a shooting star blasting over the city. Only this star did not disappear like so many of it's brothers before it.
The star started to descend faster and faster towards the planet's surface. It became a torpedo, burning through the atmosphere. As the star came closer to reaching the surface, it was revealed to be an escape pod of some sort. The pod finally crash landed in the tree infested area of one of Corneria's forest, just outside the city. The pod bounced and slid, ripping up the dirt a good forty feet. Silence was followed. Nothing could be heard from the ship nor the wildlife from the surrounding fortress of trees. It sat there for a moment, smoldering in the dirt. Then suddenly a door hissed opened and an eerie mist flowed from the doorway.
A large being stepped out of ship. The air shimmered and danced around it, causing everything It stood in front to bend as if looking through a kaleidoscope. It seemed to be cloaked with some sort of stealth camouflage, not entirely invisible but rays of bending light shrouded It's figure making it impossible to tell if It was Cornerian, Venom or from a different system. The being looked around and sniffed the air. Crouching down then pushing upwards with It's legs, the being jumped higher than any creature on Corneria could of dreamed. It reached the top of a nearby tree in one leap. Looking outwards, it saw the bright lights of the Corneria city. A series of clicks and growls came from this new visitor.
It leaped down and silently made It's way through the dark forest. For something so large it moved like the wind. It continued it's journey until It came to the entrance of the city. It burst with life. Hover cars and people swamped the streets. All fair game.
It would be a good hunt.
A/N: There's your first chapter. Seems like the team is really enjoying themselves...for now. Anyway, working on Chapter two! Cya!