Before the War
“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU GOT ME AGAIN.” Wolf fumed.
Fox heard that via the radio. “Oh go soak your head.” He said with little humor, aiming for a runway at the Academy.
Wolf snarled to himself and touched down next to his competitor.
“What’s the scores?” Fox asked, walking over to a billboard standing in front of a hanger.
“Just put them up, they’re recent up to the fight you just finished.” Bill replied.
PILOT SCORES
McCloud 57
O’Donnel 54
Pheonix 54
Lombardi 50
Grey 50
Monroe 48
Toad 44
And so on.
“You’re still at the top.” Bill grinned.
“Not for long if I can help it.” Wolf growled as he stalked by, heading for the track.
“Sheesh, what’s with him?”
“He doesn’t like me.” Fox replied. “Never has and never will.”
“Well if it isn’t the great McCloud, still leading the scoreboard, with two pilots nipping at his heels and a few more not much farther away.” Said a low, sarcastic voice.
“Afternoon Falco.” Fox grinned.
“Yeah, afternoon. Saw that Wolf was pissed, but you beat all of us into the ground again as usual, so I’m not surprised.” The tall avian shrugged easily.
“Yeah, well, such is life.” Bill grinned lopsidedly at Falco, tail wagging. “Can’t beat the best, much as we’d like to.”
“Well, if you’re not careful Fox, you might just be kicked out of best. Seems to me that Wolf and Fara are certainly trying to!” Katt sauntered up.
“At least Fara’s friendly about it.” Fox replied with a snort. “And for your information there is one pilot who has beat me, and a great many times at that.”
“I see you said pilot and not Cadet. Who might that be?”
“My dad. He’s kicked my tail too many times to count!” Fox grinned sheepishly.
His friends laughed, and Bill clapped him on the back.
“Naturally! Your dad is the best in the entire system I heard!” Said Falco.
“I heard that too.” Katt said.
“I’m flattered.” Commented a new voice, and James McCloud walked out of the hanger, striding easily, ears perked up. “Hey Fox.”
Fox grinned, tail wagging. “Afternoon, dad.”
The elder McCloud sent a glance at the scoreboard. “Not bad at all. Lot of good pilots I note. Who’s always the last five in the air?”
Fox put his hand up, along with Fara, Falco, and Bill. “And Wolf.” Bill added. “But he stalked off as usual. Lot of anger in that guy.”
“Talent matches kills as usual, then.” He nodded to himself.
“Was it a close competition when you went here?” Bill asked.
“Yes actually. All in fun of course.”
“Still is, at least for me.” Fox muttered to himself. “Seems to be for most Cadets.”
“That’s how it should be.” James said gently. “Not all life is a battle. Let’s see here…I wasn’t always at the top, I do remember that. Seems that I always ran close with Peppy Hare, Pigma Dengar, Charles Pepper, Andross, and Tanner Fortner.”
“Let’s see here…” Fara said. “You, Dengar, and Hare are on the Star Fox team. Pepper is a General, Fortner is a trainer, and Andross is exiled.”
James winced. “Well, there’s a bad apple in every barrel. He was actually a nice guy, before he lost it.” He leaned on the hanger.
“What are you doing in this neck of the woods?” Bill asked.
“Visiting friends and making sure my son was behaving.”
This caused snickers from the pack and Fox to look mildly insulted.
“Which he seems to be. I’m going to track down Tanner, so I’ll see you guys later.” James strode off easily, tail waving.
“I like that guy.” Katt grinned.
“Well he’s mildly amusing to have as a father.” Fox shrugged. “He has this talent for being likable I think.”
“I agree.” Bill said.
Wolf ran four laps around the track before he had to stop, both to catch his breath and because he had spent his frustration. He propped his hands on his bent knees and panted for a few moments, shaking his head.
“I’d like to see you harness that energy in cross country!” The track instructor came out of a locker room, looking impressed.
He shook his head. “No. Just running off some anger and frustration, ma’am.”
“Must be a lot of both!”
“You have no idea.”
“You’re locked on Fox.” James announced right after he came in behind his son’s plane.
Fox sighed. “Okay you got me. I told you he kicks my tail in the air.”
Falco laughed.
“You’ve improved though, vastly.” The elder pilot said, pulling up even with his son.
“A little healthy competition is a good thing.”
James slowly grinned. “Who are you competing with, me or Wolf O’Donnel?”
Fox laughed, and shook his head. “Why would I compete with you, old man?”
“Why the hell should I know?”
“Actually, I’m really competing with Wolf and Fara, and actually anyone who wants to try.” Pride crept into Fox’s voice.
“Careful.”
“What?”
“If you get arrogant you’ll find yourself out of first place, son. Believe me, it happened to me more then once.”
Fox nodded wordlessly.
“But pride is a good thing. You just have to figure out WHAT to be proud of.”
“You willing to provide examples?”
“No, think about it. It’ll be good for you.”
Fox sighed. He got that a lot from his father.
“I’m liking this guy more and more.” Falco remarked off-radio to Bill. “Seems sensible, and I’m willing to respect anyone who can get a lock on Fox!”
Bill smiled. “James does seem nice.”
“There’s an air show next week, you in it?” Fox asked.
“Actually yes, though I’m sick of my team being thought of like the Blue Angels. We’re a combat team, not daredevils.” James replied. “Though it is kind of interesting flying to music, which is showing up in more and more air shows. I’m surprised it’s not an Academy competition yet.”
“What, performance to music? Actually…”
“Oh, no, don’t tell me!”
“Okay I won’t.”
“Hey, the Art Departments doing a musical this year?”
“Yes, Jesus Christ Superstar, or so I heard.”
“Better then Bye Bye Birdie.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Not slamming that musical or anything.”
“I actually rather like musicals.” James easily admitted. “Though I’d rather pay to go to a rock concert!”
“I’m sure many share your opinion, but usually the ones put on here sell out for some odd reason.”
“Always nice.”
“That’s for sure.”
“You trying out this round?”
“Hell yes man!”
“Break a leg then. See you later Fox.” James flipped and headed back toward the Great Fox.
“Yeah, see you dad.”
A lot of people were at the tryout. Then again, there would have to be a lot of people, between the actors, stage crew, light/speaker crew, orchestra, and such.
“Well well well, what are you doing here? Since when do you act, McCloud?” Wolf asked, sauntering up.
Fox returned the look. “Since when do you sing, O’Donnel?”
“Boys?” Mr. Grant, head of the music department, came over. “Enough.”
“Yes sir.” Wolf said begrudgingly, returning to where the drama students stood.
“Yes Mr. Grant.” Fox went over to where the music students were.
As luck would have it, both made it.
Mr. Grant called both over. “Good news.”
“We’re listening I believe.” Wolf said.
“Both of you made lead roles. Wolf, unfortunately, you can’t sing. And Fox, you can’t act. So to make this work, I’m afraid over the upcoming break, you’re going to have to work together to make this musical work out.”
Both started to protest.
“Consider it extra credit the both of you. Fox you’re giving private voice lessons, and Wolf you’re giving private acting lessons. You’re both good at what you do, so there shouldn’t be any problem.” Mr. Grant went to talk to another group of kids.
The two just looked at each other.
“Oh, great.” Wolf said.
“No kidding.” Fox replied.
“Exams, upcoming midterms, mock dogfights, lines to memorize, and now this.” Fox groaned to himself.
“What’s up?” Fara asked.
“I’ve been cast as a lead role in the musical.”
“That’s great!”
“Yeah well, I have to give O’Donnel private voice lessons. Seems he got a lead role as well.”
“I’m sure you’ll work something out.” She ruffled his fur.
“You have much more confidence then I do then.”
“Have you EVER been in a play, even a school play as a kit?” Wolf asked in exasperation.
“Hate to disappoint you, but no.” Fox said.
“Ho boy.” He shook his head. “Well…let’s see. I guess it’s back to the basics then.”
“Were you EVER in a singing group of some sort?!”
“No.”
“Great.” Fox sighed.
“Now you know how I feel. Back to the basics?”
“Back to the basics.”
“You and me left over last again?” Fox guessed as the trainees took off, looking over at Wolf’s plane.
A laugh. “I wouldn’t be surprised. Should we team up then turn on each other?”
“Why not? You using hyper lasers or normal lasers?”
“Hyper, or I would be if it wasn’t this stupid laser-tag type stuff. You?”
“Same here.”
“We’re dead.” Slippy noticed, seeing the two band up.
“No kidding. Scatter!” Falco hollered.
The two split up and went after individual targets, and one by one, the trainees had been locked on by Wolf or Fox and were ‘dead’, so landed and watched from the ground.
“Like I said, everyone but us.” Fox laughed.
“Let’s go hotshot. We’re tied now.”
“Come and get me!”
“Is it just me or are they more friendly now?” Fara asked Bill via the radio.
“NO.” Said the two still in the air.
“I didn’t ask you.” She snapped. “And Fox, I’m pissed at you. Any particular reason you always go after me?”
Wolf snickered.
“Not really.” Fox replied absently, avoiding getting shot at and coming in right behind Wolf, who U-turned before Fox could get a lock on.
“Twenty bucks says that Wolf comes out on top.” Said one Cadet.
“Twenty says that Fox comes out on top!” Falco shot back.
It took nearly thirty minutes before a winner was declared. Fox had won.
PILOT SCORES
McCloud 83
O’Donnel 82
Pheonix 81
Lombardi 80
Grey 79
Monroe 78
Toad 72
And strangely, Wolf didn’t mind that time.
The musical went on as planned, and thanks to the two lead roles working together, it was a huge success. With Wolf cast as Jesus and Fox cast as Judas, they hit the parts perfectly.
The three shows planned sold out.
“Okay, I say we put on two more.” Fox remarked after the third show. “For the holy hell of it! I mean, why not?”
Wolf rubbed at the stage makeup. It was fine under spotlights, but in normal lighting he thought he looked like a bad drag queen. “Fine by me. Anyone else have any comments?”
“Well it might be good idea.” Mr. Grant said, coming out to where most of the actors and some of the musicians sat on the stage and sprawled on various props. “Because I just got a phone call. Seems that the Broadway show of Jesus Christ Superstar has heard about our little production.”
“And?” Marisol asked. She played Mary.
“Seems that some of the actors want to drop by and see it.”
Fox, still in the outfit he wore as an ‘angel’, nodded. “Well I guess it’s settled then.”
Wolf whooped, fighter rolling and spinning in his happiness. Fox smiled weakly. For the first time, Fox had lost a dogfight.
PILOT SCORES
O’Donnel 104
McCloud 100
Pheonix 99
Lombardi 98
Monroe 96
Grey 93
Toad 90
Wolf whooped again after he landed, turning a cartwheel. He knew it would happen, someday.
“I don’t believe it.” Falco said to Fara, stunned.
“Neither do the rest of us I think.” She replied.
When Wolf paused in his jubilation and looked around, meaning to talk to Fox, he found that Fox had disappeared. The arwing sat cooling, cockpit still partly open.
“Probably went to sulk.” Said Tyler, a friend of Wolf’s.
A messenger ran up and handed Wolf a letter, saluted, and dashed off again.
Puzzled, Wolf looked at the envelope.
O’Donnel—Open this in private.
It wasn’t any handwriting that Wolf recognized.
He went to the courtyard and sat on the grass, opening the envelope with one of his dull nails.
Andross
Venomian Forces
Wolf O’Donnel:
I write to offer you a rather unique chance. I know that you want to be on an elite team, and strive to be better then Fox McCloud. I have seen your jealousy and hate for him, and I can understand that.
I am gathering forces for a war, and am in need of a leader for a special forces fighter team. Seeing your skills, you are my first choice.
Think about it, Pilot O’Donnel. The pay will be handsome, and you will have a chance once and for all to prove that you are better then McCloud.
You will be approached in three days by a Wolfen4 fighter. If you accept, follow the fighter out of the atmosphere. If not, ignore the Wolfen4.
Wolf did a classic double-take and read through the letter again, then lowered his hands to his lap.
Prove for good that he was better then Fox?
Well he did dream of that. There was no denying that Fox would probably catch back up to him and very soon. Besides currently they were on the same side.
But to fight McCloud with full out armed fighters…yes. Oh, yes. Wolf could do that. Old hate boiled up, resentment. The temporary peace and even distant friendship was shattered in that moment.
He debated for two days, however, if he was willing to turn traitor on his home planet.
In the end, yes. He was. He silently followed the Wolfen4 out of the atmosphere, radio off when he heard protests and questions from his former fellow Cadets and friends.
“HE WHAT?!” Fox shouted.
“You heard me son.” James leaned on the wooden fence, staring out over the huge fields.
Fox’s non-sentient horse Dakota walked over and hung his huge head over the fence, nickering.
Fox gave the quarter horse a pat absently. “Why would Wolf O’Donnel work for Andross though?”
“I’m not sure. A lot of fighters have switched sides, which is all the worse for me. The team will be at the lead of Cornerian forces this round.” James shook his head, continuing to stare into the sunset.
“Don’t you dare die on me, dad.”
“I’ll try not to.”
There was a long pause.
“If I do go down though, I want you to take over my team.” James finally said.
Fox’s jaw went slack for a few moments. “Me?”
“Yes indeed.”
“Why me?”
“Peppy isn’t a leader, he’s a ‘Steady Eddie.’ He’ll be there and won’t let you down, but won’t lead. Pigma…well Pigma’s just PIGMA. He wouldn’t take lead either. I know, however, that you would succeed as a point fighter, and bring a couple good fighters to the team with you.”
“Hopefully it won’t happen though.”
“Well, hopefully.” James patted his son’s back.