Wolf's Weakness

Chapter 14

"You still alive back there McCloud?" Wolf asked over his shoulder as the Wolfen slowed down, beginning to lower altitude as they approached the randevu point. He started to prepare the ship for the landing, the skis extending from their wells.
"...I'm here." Fox responded groggily, he had been crammed behind Wolf's chair for what felt like an eternity, but was more like around eight hours of space travel. He had come very close to upchucking the small amount of food he had eaten.
"...Guess I didn't fly fast enough." Wolf teased as he focused on the landing process. Off in the distance a few shadows presented themselves, marring the pristine snow. It looked like the Cornerians had gotten there first. The figures were huddled around what appeared to be a large cargo ship, smaller fighters parked next to it as escorts. Nobody was obviously standing out as Leon- Wolf guessed that he was still in one of the ships.
"What d'ya think the odds are that they're holding out on me, Fox?" He asked, trying to be nonchalant. "They're your boys, think they'll do a clean trade?"
"Just, do what you promised and they'll do the same. You're not dealing with criminals here."
"...Yeah, bet Andrew heard the same thing. Look what happened to him." The Lylat Wars had certainly changed the Cornerian's approaches to diplomacy.
The Wolfen continued its descent, coming to a near-stop and pressing its skis into the snow a safe distance from the others. Wolf took a deep breath and prayed to whatever higher power he didn't believe in that this would all resolve okay. The cockpit opened up with a loud 'hiss' as the pressurized air dissipated into Fichina's atmosphere. He took a quick headcount; One... Two... Three... There were at least seven soldiers out there, more than would normally be necessary for a one-for-one exchange. As uncertain as he was, Wolf knew that the best chance to get Leon back safely would be to just do what he agreed to. The grizzled dog reluctantly unholstered his blaster and opened up the pilot's compartment to stow it away.
As he angled it in, his paw brushed past something he forgot that he owned. A small weapon that was kept in the ship for emergency situations, his pocket-pistol. It didn't pack much of a punch, but was concealable enough to hide in a boot or a jacket pocket, something that could be used as an absolute last resort. Making a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret, Wolf grabbed it and stuffed it away deep in his right boot, feeling it imprint against his ankle.
"Alright, get up." Wolf commanded to Fox as he reached back over the seat. Fox wasted no time in obeying, eager to get out of the ship and even more eager to return to safety. He rose to his feet with Wolf supporting him from under his arm. Together, they jumped out of the cockpit and landed in the snow. Wolf stuck the landing but Fox tripped to his knee with a whimper, his chest wounds didn't respond well to sudden impact.
"Get up, get up. Everybody's watching." Wolf snarled under his breath, looking over towards the Cornerians. They had begun disbanding from their huddle, looking a bit more attentive and taking positions in front of the ships. Wolf couldn't spot any weapons, but his eyes weren't exactly what he was galaxy-renowned for. It took a moment but Fox gathered himself and stood up again, close to shin-deep in the snow.
"HEY FLEA BAGS," The grey wolf shouted over the icy winter winds as he approached, leading Fox by the arm. His animal fur-laced hood was pulled up and over his head and ears. "YOUR BOSS BETTER BE HERE OR I'M GUNNA BE PISSED."

A couple of them muttered to each other, then moved to the side. One knocked his hand on the transport ship to signal the bay door to drop. As it did, a bright florescent light spilled out over the evening tundra. Two figures stood in the entryway, one of them unmistakable in their silhouette. A lithe, slender body with a long curled tail distinctly standing out among the bulky canines. While Wolf couldn't see their face, his heart knew exactly who it was. It took a lot of effort to suppress his excitement on the spot, he had to keep playing tough. Without hesitation he began to trudge through the snow with more conviction, eager to get a closer look.
"O'DONNELL." A commanding voice shouted from the transport bay, it sliced through the overwhelming sounds of the winds like a knife through butter. "DO YOU MEET US HERE UNARMED?"
"...NOTHIN' ON ME." Wolf shouted back, patting himself down and holding his arms up to quickly demonstrate the fact. The dog-general nodded in understanding and began to lead his captive down the ramp and into the snow.
As the two canines approached each other, Wolf strained his eye trying to get a good sight of Leon. He hadn't seen him since they had parted for the mission days ago and his mind was abuzz with worry. The chameleon appeared to be dressed in his skintight black wool top and tights, no coat or anything else to protect his cold blood from the harsh elements. He was also hanging his head, walking no faster than a hobble with great difficulty as the general pulled him along. Wolf's heart rate started to escalate.
"What did you do to him?" Wolf blurted out as soon as they were close enough to speak without shouting. "Where's his coat?"
"He's alive." Pepper replied, artfully dodging the more pertinent question. "Your chameleon didn't make things easy for us, you're lucky that we're willing to relinquish him to you. He's been violent and uncooperative this entire time, even under captivity. Under normal circumstances we'd have put him down, but your legacy carries some degree of respect, O'Donnell. We have taken care of him and are now ready to pass him off to you in exchange for McCloud." Fox perked up, locking eyes with the General with a vibrant smile. It was the first one he'd had for the last few days. "I take it you've been very hospitable?"
"He's alive." Wolf hastily responded through clenched teeth, jerking Fox forwards and into focus. "Battered, bruised, but breathing. Give me Leon. Now."
"Quiet. Let him speak. Fox? Are you okay?"
"G-general!" Fox responded, he was shivering but it didn't stop his enthusiasm to see a friendly face again. "I-I'm fine, we're fine. It's all fine. I j-just want to go home." Pepper smiled in return.
"Good. I think everything's in order then. I'll count to three. When I say three let him walk over to me and I'll let Powalski walk over to you. Agreed?"
"Fine, just count." Wolf responded gruffly, just wanting to expedite the process. His paw fished around in his jacket pocket until he found his keyring. He pulled it out and grabbed Fox's cuffs for the last time, pulling him closer than would normally be appropriate.
"Fox." Wolf whispered into the captain's large fluffy ear as he fiddled with the key against the handcuffs, his muzzle was turned away so that Pepper couldn't see. "Understand that you're alive right now because of your 'master' here. Nothing you've said to me, nothing you say to me and nothing you could ever do would stop me from hating you. I will kill you, Fox." The metal cuffs unlatched and fell into the snow. His words sent a chill down the fox's spine, something that stood out even in the heavy cold. Despite that, the determined young pilot stood his ground, he wasn't going to let himself be intimidated now.
"...I hope you reconsider someday Wolf." Fox responded, rubbing his newly unrestrained wrists. "You're not a bad person, and I think in another life we could have been friends." Wolf responded with a sneer, pushing him away by the shoulder.
"C'mon old man, COUNT." He commanded, growing more and more impatient. The general happily obliged, having just finished removing the handcuffs from his own prisoner.