Star Crossed [an old and terrible Star Fox fanfic]

C21 - Take On Me

"Fox McCloud speaking. Star Fox, report," Fox ordered over his microphone for what must have been the tenth time, as he made this mad dash through Bolse's seemingly endless halls. There were no larger spaces to take a breather in, and little else of note besides cells and quarters... just a dizzyingly endless maze of hallways that comprised Bolse's innards. "Star Fox," the captain desperately yapped into his headset, "do you READ me?"

He thought intensely as he shouted, of both the consequences of him potentially being unable to find his team in time, and that of the confession his formerly second-most enemy gave him just a few minutes before. As with many things, on these tense past few months, it weighed heavily on his mind, and yet he felt this was on another level. It was different... it was good. This was hope he was finally feeling, not dread. Did Wolf really mean that, though? Maybe was this was all some grand plan, to lower his defenses at this crucial moment? He didn't ever see O'Donnell sinking that low, but, hey, he'd done so before. Wolf seemed changed, though, in a certain way. He had a tone of seriousness in his voice that he'd only heard before this war. He must've meant it, right?

It was with this question that he suddenly tripped, and promptly slammed onto the floor, landing snout-first. He rubbed his nose as he stood again, and looked behind him, to see what he would have tripped on. Unluckily enough, it was the leg of a fallen rabbit, as Peppy laid still on the floor, stunned.

"Peppy! Dear Lylat..." McCloud awed under his breath, looking around to see Falco and Slippy, both in a similar situation. Falco in particular bled immensely, and Miyu, with a lesser crimson stain of her own at her hip, struggled to keep him upright.

"Hey... c'mon, hang in there," the lynx tried to urge. "Stay with me here..."

"Miyu, they— khhghk—" the avian made a helpless caw out as he spasmed in pain.

"Miyu!" Fox shouted out.

"Fox? Captain McCloud! Is that you?" Miyu happily cried out, though she didn't move from her beloved bird's side.

"Fox? Fox, that's you? Oh man, they got us, Fox..." Falco groaned. "No... I must be going faster than I thought," he worriedly said.

"No, I'm really here, Falc," Fox assured, kneeling beside Lombardi. "You'll be alright, you're still alive."

"B-But we're gonna die, Fox! Some of us are, at least! They're knocked out cold, Captain!" Falco exclaimed. "I can't walk like this!"

Fox realized his injured wingman had a point, and realized that there must have been such little time left. "SHIT," he shakily swore, looking around. "Oh shit..." he said again.

"Captain!" Miyu anxiously yowled. "What's the matter?!"

"We have to leave someone behind. It can only be practical enough to carry two people out of here, and still be able to go fast enough to the hangar!" Fox explained hurriedly.

"That settles it then! Leave me!" Falco cried.

"Falco, what?" Miyu now turned her head. "No, honey..."

"Leave... y-yeah. Leave me here, take Slippy and Peppy back. They're not even awake, but I can at least— agh!— accept my fate," Falco deduced. "I can do it. I might die anyhow, with how bad I'm bleeding, here."

"No, no, you CAN'T! I can carry two—" Miyu tried to insist. "No... no, I'll die with you, at least!"

"You haven't known me for a year, even... and you've got so much ahead of you," Falco shook his head quickly, laying back down.

"And someone needs to carry Slippy," Fox nodded.

Miyu looked back at Falco, and then at Fox, then at the unconscious Slippy and Peppy, facing this moral dilemma... then suddenly turned, hearing a frantic set of footsteps down the hall. They were of Wolf O'Donnell, presently stuffing a few sensitive documents and freshly-printed blueprints into his uniform's jacket's inner pockets.