Shattered

Chapter 15

"Why?" Fox asked, needing an answer. In fact they all needed an answer.

"He had been in contact with a marker, there was only one solution." Alex replied with a sad sigh.

"But why?" Fox asked still not understanding.

"A marker imprints upon everybody that comes in contact with it, over time, the instructions for their creation. He was too far gone."

"What the hell is a marker?" Wolf demanded from his seat.

"Something that should be destroyed." Alex answered.

This was the first time that Fara spoke. "What do we do. now?" She asked Alex.

"Now," he answered with a frown, "I have to do what I thought I never would have to again."

"Being?" She asked, one long ear hanging lopsided of her head.

"To teach others about the necromorphs. Fox, I need you to get everyone down here, I'm going to talk with General Pepper." Alex ordered as he walked to the exit of the room, all eyes were on him. He looked back one last time, not at them, but at the monitor, showing the corpse of the ape he had killed. Then he left without a word.

"What the hell is a necromorph?" Wolf demanded, he was ignored.

Hours later Fox and his team were waiting in a huge briefing room. It was large enough to accommodate their new additions, (making the whole place uncomfortable for poor Fox), and another team that had not arrived yet. Fox was trying his hardest to avoid eye contact with Wolf and Fara.

"So Foxy, where did you find that killer eh?" Wolf asked from his seat across the room. Fara had decided to sit near him again, but it wasn't because they were close, more so that things were a little estranged with the team she had once called friends.

Krystal and the others had arrived half an hour ago, Lupa had left Penelope with a close friend. "Who's he talking about?" Krystal asked fox. Alex had not entered the room yet, as he was still talking with Pepper.

"Don't listen to that prick." Fox told her, giving his rival a death glare.

"Oh you know, that human. Never seen such a brutal interrogation before." Wolf continued to flap his jaw. "That ape never stood a chance."

"Interrogation?" Fay inquired, puzzled.

"Yeah, that hu-"

"Shut up wolf!" Falco ordered form his seat next to Slippy. The toad wasn't doing so well. His father had been kidnapped, and to exasperate that, it seemed that they had not seen the last of the necromorph scourge. Which his father was most likely at the heart of right now.

"Sheesh, alright then." Wolf grunted throwing his paws up defensively. "Don't have to bite by head off."

That's when the entryway to the room opened, and a squad of heavily armored and armed wolves walked in wearing the 48th's patch. They silently took their seats on the opposite side of the room. Making Wolf and Fara move to Fox's side. They weren't told to, but the intimidating presence they exuded was a subliminal warning to step off.

Wolf reluctantly sat next to Fox, and Fara moved to where Falco Slippy and Peppy were. "Uh...hey." She said awkwardly.

"Hello Fara." Peppy said warmly. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah, long time no see." Falco agreed. Slippy just waved half-heartedly.

It was strange to her. They talked for a few minutes and it felt like she had never even left. As if her fallout with Fox had never happened. It was...nice.