The Willing

Chapter

Wheels Go Round….

"Home sweet home, ah the nostalgia."

With a chuckle that was mostly purr Panther leaned forward. The felines black nose almost touched the glass of his ship and left a smudge on the cockpit. He looked about with obvious interest, golden eyes flicking here and there. Tracing the continents that am the like that made McBeth the land locked mountain strewn monstrosity it was…. There was something like glee in those fool gold eyes. Panther let loose another purr, clickety click went the claws against the control panel as the three hundred and some odd cat tap danced his claws against the steel in barely suppressed anticipation.

And never mind that Panther was a three hundred some odd pounds pure muscle and murder. Never mind he could in turn be calculating and ruthless, that the cat had more kills to his name than any legit vet of the Lylat wars. Hell, forget that the feline was nearly thirty!

A yellow bus in his head he saw a little bus stuffed till bursting with kits and cubs, pups and kittens. And all the little kiddies, eyes wide, snouts gaping, had rolled right by when-

Smashing the heel of his paw against the span right between his eyes. Minding his claws so he wouldn't lose his other eye. With a soft growl he told that memory to stay suppressed like a good bit of tama. Another self inflicted smack pushed it back and brought a headache to take it's place. When he lifted his paw and looked at his monitor all was the same as before. No changes on his Wolfen, save that the fuel was getting low. Not enough to be worrisome just yet but enough to note. From the com's projector system he saw Panther was much the same as before. Rapt and eager, guard down, looking at home like those brats had marveled at the wreckage of his beloved Wolfen o-

Damn it! This time he smashed his head against the control panel.

To that Panther blinked, a slow sluggish drop than raise of the eyebrows, like a cat coming out of a cat-nip dream.

"Problems?" Caroso queried delicately.

Cradling his skull in his paws, Wolf drummed up enough civility to grunt. Not wanting to dare more than that the Lupine star pilot clicked back his ears and radiated that calm but violate packed aura of "ask me any more and I'll shoot you". To that, Panther revisited reality, wised up, and went back to acting his impassive, unflappable self.

"Not a freakin' word." Wolf snarled to his remaining, -and all too quiet- wing mate.

To that Leon followed orders, though the lizards head was tilted just so and the grey-green eye lips were rolled up so the almost covered the whole of the chameleon's eyes. Running his teeth over his blunted fangs, the lizard amused himself by not saying a word, and playing wordless ditties in his mouth.

Wolf's keen hearing picked up each and every note, and with effort he checked a snarl of frustration. After all, technically, Leon wasn't saying a word, so he couldn't get away with yelling. Roar at Leon when he was following orders was the same as asking for major surgery with no antiseptic, knock out meds, all done with dull knives to boot.

Not wanting to experience that again the Lupine gnashed his fangs and held his tongue.

Undisturbed, grey green backward eyelids crinkling up, the lizard merrily tapped out "The wheels on the bus go round and round" while Panther looked at McBeth with a face as expressive as stone and eyes that shine.

"Leon."

The tongue stills its taunting ra-ta-ta-tap, and those non-mammalian lids slid down.

"What?" Leon hissed.

"The signal, it still coming from McBeth?"

They'd already scooped out McBeths larger moon, thinking that's where it had been first. A quick flyby with scanners going full tilt and the resulting flight from the ground based auto shooters meant to take them down had proven that spot a fake. It had also tipped Star Wolf to the intents of their prospective "employers", well rather it had tipped Wolf off at least. Panther still had yapped about getting his pay, though the tight tone to the feline's voice might have meant that he was hoping to get that "pay" from the doxies hide.

Always hope for the future, and all that crap.

"Sst…" Triangular head dipped down and both eyes locked on the equipment. "Signal's strong and clear and bleeding out like a severed artery." Leon clicked his teeth together, digesting that last thought, maybe even savoring it. Who knew with cold bloods? "We could, even open communications if we like."

Refusing to answer that choice bit of stupidity Wolf leaned back as far as the seat belts would allow.

"Funny that, signal still beaming." The Star Pilot grunted, instead. "You think they'd have severed them after they realized we were coming."

"Ssst, a set up?" Leon hissed.

"Bet your scaly ass on it." Wolf snarled. "And when I get the moxie who set us up I'll slit her down the middle."

Considering something, Leon tilted his head to the side, eyelids sliding up, than down, than up again.

"With a dull knife." The reptile suggested brightly.

"You better believe it."

With a low growl Panther cut in. "Incoming transmition!"

"Lock on the coordinates." Wolf barked to Leon, then the eye that could narrow did as Wolf considered his next order careful and sure. "Panther…."

"Yes?"

"Open up the line, this might be interesting."

"But sir, if we…"

"I gave a direct order Caroso. Don't think for a second that the fact you're piloting one of my ships gives you protection against being shot down for insubordination."

With a low grunt Panther toed the line. A familiar square box popped into being before O'Donnel's snout. The colors were washed out; the outlines ha defined mass into shapes were so thin he could look through it like a fogging window. All necessities considering that sometimes you had to shoot and talk all at once.

Recalling that face, that snow-white fur and that damned black pert nose Wolf snarled, losing words in the hot serge of hate that took him and shook him hard.

"What the hell you want?" Wolf spat.

"No time." No longer cool or composed, her eyes were wide and glinting, like sun on ice. She panted softly, and his eyes picked up smears of red on her pretty white clothes. "This is a set up and this transmitions being traced. You've got mere minutes before the mercenaries hired to bring you down get to where you're at."

Slow, sure, he took a deep breath, shelved his snarls.

"Why you helping us doxie?"

"I'm not helping you, I'm helping myself."

Fair enough, more than fair really.

"Tell me what you can girl, we'll talk pay later."

To that she grinned, no shame in showing fangs and all.

"Fair enough. More than fair."

"Spill it!" Wolf barked.

Hardly one to be offended by a show of boorishness she complied.

The Willing

Chapter

Wheels Go Round….

"Home sweet home, ah the nostalgia."

With a chuckle that was mostly purr Panther leaned forward. The felines black nose almost touched the glass of his ship and left a smudge on the cockpit. He looked about with obvious interest, golden eyes flicking here and there. Tracing the continents that am the like that made McBeth the land locked mountain strewn monstrosity it was…. There was something like glee in those fool gold eyes. Panther let loose another purr, clickety click went the claws against the control panel as the three hundred and some odd cat tap danced his claws against the steel in barely suppressed anticipation.

And never mind that Panther was a three hundred some odd pounds pure muscle and murder. Never mind he could in turn be calculating and ruthless, that the cat had more kills to his name than any legit vet of the Lylat wars. Hell, forget that the feline was nearly thirty!

A yellow bus in his head he saw a little bus stuffed till bursting with kits and cubs, pups and kittens. And all the little kiddies, eyes wide, snouts gaping, had rolled right by when-

Smashing the heel of his paw against the span right between his eyes. Minding his claws so he wouldn't lose his other eye. With a soft growl he told that memory to stay suppressed like a good bit of tama. Another self inflicted smack pushed it back and brought a headache to take it's place. When he lifted his paw and looked at his monitor all was the same as before. No changes on his Wolfen, save that the fuel was getting low. Not enough to be worrisome just yet but enough to note. From the com's projector system he saw Panther was much the same as before. Rapt and eager, guard down, looking at home like those brats had marveled at the wreckage of his beloved Wolfen o-

Damn it! This time he smashed his head against the control panel.

To that Panther blinked, a slow sluggish drop than raise of the eyebrows, like a cat coming out of a cat-nip dream.

"Problems?" Caroso queried delicately.

Cradling his skull in his paws, Wolf drummed up enough civility to grunt. Not wanting to dare more than that the Lupine star pilot clicked back his ears and radiated that calm but violate packed aura of "ask me any more and I'll shoot you". To that, Panther revisited reality, wised up, and went back to acting his impassive, unflappable self.

"Not a freakin' word." Wolf snarled to his remaining, -and all too quiet- wing mate.

To that Leon followed orders, though the lizards head was tilted just so and the grey-green eye lips were rolled up so the almost covered the whole of the chameleon's eyes. Running his teeth over his blunted fangs, the lizard amused himself by not saying a word, and playing wordless ditties in his mouth.

Wolf's keen hearing picked up each and every note, and with effort he checked a snarl of frustration. After all, technically, Leon wasn't saying a word, so he couldn't get away with yelling. Roar at Leon when he was following orders was the same as asking for major surgery with no antiseptic, knock out meds, all done with dull knives to boot.

Not wanting to experience that again the Lupine gnashed his fangs and held his tongue.

Undisturbed, grey green backward eyelids crinkling up, the lizard merrily tapped out "The wheels on the bus go round and round" while Panther looked at McBeth with a face as expressive as stone and eyes that shine.

"Leon."

The tongue stills its taunting ra-ta-ta-tap, and those non-mammalian lids slid down.

"What?" Leon hissed.

"The signal, it still coming from McBeth?"

They'd already scooped out McBeths larger moon, thinking that's where it had been first. A quick flyby with scanners going full tilt and the resulting flight from the ground based auto shooters meant to take them down had proven that spot a fake. It had also tipped Star Wolf to the intents of their prospective "employers", well rather it had tipped Wolf off at least. Panther still had yapped about getting his pay, though the tight tone to the feline's voice might have meant that he was hoping to get that "pay" from the doxies hide.

Always hope for the future, and all that crap.

"Sst…" Triangular head dipped down and both eyes locked on the equipment. "Signal's strong and clear and bleeding out like a severed artery." Leon clicked his teeth together, digesting that last thought, maybe even savoring it. Who knew with cold bloods? "We could, even open communications if we like."

Refusing to answer that choice bit of stupidity Wolf leaned back as far as the seat belts would allow.

"Funny that, signal still beaming." The Star Pilot grunted, instead. "You think they'd have severed them after they realized we were coming."

"Ssst, a set up?" Leon hissed.

"Bet your scaly ass on it." Wolf snarled. "And when I get the moxie who set us up I'll slit her down the middle."

Considering something, Leon tilted his head to the side, eyelids sliding up, than down, than up again.

"With a dull knife." The reptile suggested brightly.

"You better believe it."

With a low growl Panther cut in. "Incoming transmition!"

"Lock on the coordinates." Wolf barked to Leon, then the eye that could narrow did as Wolf considered his next order careful and sure. "Panther…."

"Yes?"

"Open up the line, this might be interesting."

"But sir, if we…"

"I gave a direct order Caroso. Don't think for a second that the fact you're piloting one of my ships gives you protection against being shot down for insubordination."

With a low grunt Panther toed the line. A familiar square box popped into being before O'Donnel's snout. The colors were washed out; the outlines ha defined mass into shapes were so thin he could look through it like a fogging window. All necessities considering that sometimes you had to shoot and talk all at once.

Recalling that face, that snow-white fur and that damned black pert nose Wolf snarled, losing words in the hot serge of hate that took him and shook him hard.

"What the hell you want?" Wolf spat.

"No time." No longer cool or composed, her eyes were wide and glinting, like sun on ice. She panted softly, and his eyes picked up smears of red on her pretty white clothes. "This is a set up and this transmitions being traced. You've got mere minutes before the mercenaries hired to bring you down get to where you're at."

Slow, sure, he took a deep breath, shelved his snarls.

"Why you helping us doxie?"

"I'm not helping you, I'm helping myself."

Fair enough, more than fair really.

"Tell me what you can girl, we'll talk pay later."

To that she grinned, no shame in showing fangs and all.

"Fair enough. More than fair."

"Spill it!" Wolf barked, meager patience all but spent.

Hardly one to be offended by a show of boorishness she complied.