; - A Star Fox fanfiction

Ruin

Dammit... where are they? What are they doing? Is... is everything okay? Falco was beside himself with worry. It had been a couple hours since he had left Fox with Wolf in the canine's apartment. It was completely silent, except for the seemingly normal atmosphere of downtown Corneria. He had taken to sitting on the hood of his car, a beat up street racer, while he waited. He had already paced around the block twice, and there was no sign of the two. What were they doing?

He watched a couple pass by, deep in conversation. The girl laughed at the man's obviously bad jokes, considering the way he smiled afterward, but it seemed real. Her jewels sparkled in the neon lights of the nearby signs. They seemed happy together. Falco couldn't help but worry; it had only been a week since Fox's incident that morning. Will we make it to that point? Laughing and loving each other until the end of our days? He sighed, pulling out his phone and going through his social media. Nothing but baby pictures and engagement announcements filled his feed. The flood of infants and rings was only broken by a couple political rants here and there about the current President.

Then, something caught his attention. He stopped scrolling and slowly stood. He didn't know how or why, but there it was: a post from Wolf O'Donnell that read, "It's done boys." It was posted only thirteen minutes ago. He hastily shoved his phone in his pocket and bolted up the stairs to Wolf's apartment. He pounded on the door, but his heart dropped when it opened on its own. The inside of the apartment was completely dark. It was far too silent.

Falco bolted out the door, panic beginning to set in. What did he mean by 'It's done'? he thought, nearly tripping down the steps. Fox isn't dead... there's no way he can be dead. He jumped down the last set of stairs and began sprinting. "FOX!" he screamed out into the chilly silence, "FOX WHERE ARE YOU?!" Those that still wandered the streets gave him strange looks. Tears began to form in his eyes as a feeling of hopelessness gripped his heart. As he rounded a corner, he suddenly collided with someone. "S-Sorry..." he sputtered.

"Don't be," a deep voice purred. There was a subtle accent in his voice. Falco stood up and stared down...

"Panther Caroso."

"No need to be so cold, Lombardi. We are not enemies anymore," he said, adjusting his suit.

Falco growled and shoved Panther into the wall, pressing his forewing into the cat's neck. "Tell me what that bastard did with Fox. Now." For good measure, he pulled out the switchblade he carried in his back pocket.

Panther smiled, baring his perfectly white fangs. "Since I would rather not get my suit dirty – as I have a very important date with a certain cerulean vixen – I will just say this: check the park, by the river," he nodded towards the large expanse of grass-covered in a blanket of trees. "You are already so close." The frantic avian closed his blade and bolted. "Hurry, hurry!" he heard Panther sing behind him, "Time is running out, pretty bird."

The next few minutes were the worst of his life. He had no idea whether Fox was alive, barely breathing, moments from death... he had to find him. "Fox!" he yelled into the darkness. He waited, straining his ears for some kind of sound, and peered into the abyss. "Please..." his voice cracked. He began to move again, following the water through winding trees and twisted vines. Then he stopped, noticing something on the other side of the riverbank. Any sooner or later and he would've missed it: a small flash of green. Fox's emergency signal. He raced into the water, gasping at the chill that crept into his skin. He waded deeper and deeper, desperately trying to get across. He made it to the other side and picked up the device, shivering violently from the algid water that soaked up to his chest. "Fox!" he called out once more. He wasn't prepared for the smell; a mixture of blood, alcohol, and... something else assaulted his nose. He went to step forward, but ended up treading on a thing that twitched and whimpered. "Oh shit..." Falco knelt down and could barely make out the near lifeless form of Fox. "No. N-no!" he whispered, gently placing his head on Fox's back. His breathing was shaky, raspy, and barely audible. "Thank hell you're still alive..." he gingerly lifted the small frame of his beloved, unaware of what injuries he may have sustained.