Unleashed (An F-Zero fanfic)

[Mewfour]

holy shit mewfour is still alive and he's still writing shit

Yeah so I got this thing called Unleashed that I'm writing and it's almost finished too, so here's the prologue. Me finishing it and me posting it all here should co-incide nicely.

And yes, it's an F-Zero fanfic. You know, that series that Captain Falcon is from. What? No, it's not Smash Bros! It's F-Zero! Remember those games? Do you? Nahhh you don't remember...

here it is anyway

UNLEASHED

PROLOGUE: A Red Streak in the Night

The rusted old pipe kept a steady patter of leaking water dripping onto the floor, handily muffling Lily Flyer's light footsteps as she crept through the darkness. Despite her superior training, her heart kept racing- she had been on numerous reconnaissance assignments before, but infiltrating the remains of the last known Black Shadow Labs hideout would make even the toughest veteran's nerves begin to fray. Her tight leather suit easily helped conceal her presence in the shadows, and in what remained of the lighting in the labs barely managed to pick her out. Deeper and deeper she crept into the ruined facility, surveying the wreckage though her night vision goggles. The unexplained explosion here after the GX Grand Prix could be seen from space, yet so much of the labs remained intact- a puzzling result that Lily could not force out from the back of her mind.

Suddenly, right before her eyes, she saw what she had come so far deep into the labs for. A large computer kiosk, with a gigantic containment chamber linked to it with numerous cables. This is it, Lily thought to herself, her hand wandering away from the sidearm strapped on her hip, This has got to be it. The moment she placed her hands on the keyboard, the screen in front of her flashed on, as if it had been used recently. Paying it no mind, Lily quickly set to work, typing in what she was told at the briefing at Federation Headquarters. The screen momentarily went blank, and then quickly revealing the words:

"LOCK DISENGAGED"

A quiet hiss seeped from the containment chamber at Lily's left, and to her amazement, the heavy metal shields slid open. Inside was nothing but a small memory stick, held aloft in midair by a glowing suspension beam. Got it! Lily thought to herself, hastily snatching the stick and slipping it into her pocket, Now to get the hell out of here.

As Lily turned around to make a quick retreat, she gasped when he saw an imposing figure standing at the doorway, blocking her escape. "Thanks a million, lady," he said, drawing a pistol. "Now how about handing it over?"

The sudden blast from Lily's swivelling pistol holster caught the strange figure by surprise, having to dive to his right to avoid the shot. Taking his eyes off of Lily for just that one split-second cost him, the intruder now nowhere in sight. A sudden blow to the back of his knee crumpled him, and Lily's rushing shadow bolting past him into the hallway only irritated him. Running as fast as her legs could carry her, Lily scrambled out of the depths of the BSL, hopped into the open cockpit of the Bunny Flash, and sped out of the hangar and onto the desolate road ahead. Taking as deep a sigh of relief as her body would let her, Lily pulled off her mask and goggles, thankful to be able to breathe somewhat normally again.

All of a sudden, the sound of roaring G-Diffuser engines came screaming up from behind. Looking back, Lily's jaw dropped when she saw the Blood Hawk giving chase behind her, gaining ground at an alarming pace. Strategically shifting gears as she turned, Lily guided the Bunny Flash in a smooth, slippery turn around the long bend in the road, losing a minimal amount of speed as she continued to barrel down the road. The Blood Hawk, however, took the turn even more smoothly, no doubt being piloted by a much more seasoned driver. Within seconds, the Blood Hawk had pulled up right beside the Bunny Flash, and with one violent swerve, ploughed its side into the Bunny Flash's. The Bunny Flash was sent into the guard railings, screeching as it spewed out a shower of sparks. Regaining control of her machine, Lily tried to return the favour by throwing her machine against the Blood Hawk, only to have the Blood Hawk squeeze the brakes, letting her miss by mere inches. Pulling up alongside Lily again, the Blood Hawk swerved away a little bit before ramming itself into the Bunny Flash's side again, this time sending it bouncing against the railings, launching up into the air, and coming down with a bone-rattling crash. Pinned on her side, Lily shook the cobwebs from her head just in time to see the Blood Hawk backing away before screaming forward again. Lily squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her head into her chest, doing the best she could to brace for the inevitable impact. The Blood Hawk's body smashed into the underside of the Bunny Flash, sending it rampaging down the road like an avalanche before finally coming to a stop a few kilometres away.

When Lily's vision returned, she was too stunned to fully realize the staggering amount of pain she was in, despite hanging upside-down and inches away from the road poking through the Bunny Flash's shattered windshield. The boots of a tall figure suddenly appeared, and a gloved hand reached into her cockpit, digging the memory stick out of her pocket. "Like I said," came a voice as Lily's consciousness began to rapidly fade, "thanks a million."

-

Robert Stewart slipped off the bloody neoprene gloves, dropping them into the hazmat bin mounted on the wall before diligently scrubbing his hands clean in the sink. Quietly closing the door behind him, he was met with Jody Summer's disconcerted face. "How is she now, doctor Stewart?" Jody asked, her hands still slightly trembling in her folded arms.

Stewart looked back though the small window in the door to Lily's hospital room. Buried underneath tubing, tape, and an oxygen mask was what was left of Lily Flyer lying in the bed. "A lot better than what she was when she was brought in," said Stewart at length. "Her injuries were serious, but at least now she's stable."

Jody quietly sighed uneasily under her breath. "Will she recover at all?" Jody asked.

Stewart's face remained hard as stone. "Hard to say at this point. While I should expect her to make a full recovery, that day is far off. Months, possibly years."

Jody's face slipped into her right hand. I should have never sent her, she thought to herself, It should have been me.

"The most we can do for her now is pray," said Stewart, taking off his surgeon's coat and folding it up over his arm. "I'll keep you and the Federation posted on her progress."

Starting to get lost in her thoughts, Jody walked into the hospital waiting room in a daze, right past John Tanaka. "Well?" John asked, standing up from his seat and stretching out his back.

Jody snapped out of it. "I- she," Jody stammered briefly, "Lily's in bad shape. Collapsed lung, broken ribs, you name it."

John shook his head and muttered. "And?"

"She'll recover, but when, who knows," said Jody as she sat down, taking a moment to try and relax.

John sat down beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Jody," he said in an effort to console her. "Three months with no activity from that maniac? Not even a sighting? Anyone would think he'd be out of the picture."

"I- I don't know, John," said Jody, "I shrugged the assignment off on Lily, I should have gone. Look what he did to her because of me."

John placed his other hand on Jody's shoulder, turning her around to look him squarely. "But you're still in one piece, Jody. Don't let what happened to Lily slow you down. Now we know he's still active- now we can stop him. For Lily."

As John released his old on her, Jody brushed her eye with her finger. "Thanks, John," she said, slowly rising and heading for the exit.

"Where are you going?" John asked, standing as well.

"To see a friend."

"Oh, right," said John with a subtle hint of contempt, "your 'friend.'"

Jody rolled her eyes. "There's nothing going on between him and I," she said, pushing open the door.

-

The monitor rolled through the footage of the desolate road, but so far nothing had come racing across. Captain Falcon rested his chin on his hand, slouching in his chair as he stared at all the various screens surrounding him in his hangar, wondering if he had misjudged the time of the incident. "Long night for you too, huh?" came a voice from behind him.

Falcon straightened himself up again. "I thought I told you, Jody," he said, "I never sleep."

Jody walked up beside him, leaning against the wall. "Yeah, I'd believe it. You're sure you're okay with giving me access to your hideout like this?"

"I wouldn't if I didn't trust you," said Falcon, still fixing his gaze on the monitors. "Well? What's the word on Flyer?"

"In pretty rough shape," said Jody. "She's stable, but that's pretty much where to good news ends." Taking a moment to look at all the screens on Falcon's desk, Jody said, "Got a visual yet?"

Almost as if on cue, one of the monitors showed the Bunny Flash racing past the frame, followed by the Blood Hawk. Quickly hitting a key, Falcon paused the image, showing a blurry yet unmistakable image of the Blood Hawk and it's pilot. "I do now."

The purple helmet and red jumpsuit confirmed Jody's worst fear. "So... it is him."

Falcon nodded. "Blood Falcon."

Jody moaned. "Why now?" she asked. "Shadow's been gone three months, and only now Blood Falcon shows up?"

"Strange," Falcon muttered. "This goes against what I had initially thought of him."

"Oh?"

"We rarely saw Blood Falcon outside of the Grand Prix when Shadow was still around. I had thought that Shadow would keep him locked up- or otherwise incapacitated, when he didn't have a job for him. A clone of myself- capable of doing everything I can and more- I would have thought Shadow would keep him at arm's length."

"Blood Falcon was at the last GP though, wasn't he?" Jody asked.

Falcon nodded. "He was, but every spy cam I planted by the BSL's showed him returning back inside immediately afterwards. Including after the last GP. We know he's been conditioned to follow Shadow's orders, I always assumed that when he returned, he was conditioned to return to whatever it was that was holding him back." Then, shaking his head, Falcon muttered, "But it looks like I was wrong."

"So, if he was willing and able to leave on his own all this time," Jody said, "why now?"

"That," said Falcon, pausing briefly, "I don't know."

"He's your clone, isn't he?" Jody asked. "If anyone knows how he thinks, it'd be you, right?"

"How he thinks, yes. Why, no. We're not the same."

"Sorry," said Jody sheepishly. "Um, figured out anything we haven't yet?"

"None of this is making much sense right now," Falcon said. "I'll have to do some footwork of my own. What was Lily sent after, anyway?"

"Sorry," said Jody. "That's classified."

"Figures..."

"But," said Jody slyly, "If you were to-"

Falcon muttered silently. "You keep asking the same question, and I keep giving the same answer."

Jody smiled, defeated again. "Still don't wanna' join the Federation, huh?"

"I don't do crowds."

Jody sighed. "Well, I can only give you a hint without getting into... too much trouble," she said. "Since we first found the new BSL, we've been trying to crack its encrypted network, but we never had any luck. That is, until last night. There was a brief moment of shortage- the BSL data became completely unprotected, and we got what we could from it."

"A leak?" Falcon asked.

Jody nodded. "There was something inside the BSL that Shadow was keeping all to himself. Something highly guarded."

"Which was...?"

"That's all I can say," said Jody. "Sure you don't want to-"

"No."

Jody sighed, heading for the exit. "Take care of yourself, Falcon."

"You too, Jody."

[Mewfour]

And the Dance Continues

Peabody's was a small cafe by Mute City standards, little more than a handful of tables behind a fence on the sidewalk of the busiest street of the commercial district. Kate glanced out for a moment, watching the street machines whirr by. "It's strange to hear yourself on the radio," she mused, tapping her fingers lightly on the table, along with the beat of the music that gently filled the air around them. "Almost as strange as being asked out by Captain Falcon."

From across the table, Falcon winced. "Look, miss Allen, that's not why-"

Kate laughed. "Oh I know, I'm just teasing," she giggled as Falcon quietly groaned. "So tell me, what have I done to deserve the attention of the famous Falcon?"

"Not what you've done, but who you might know."

Kate's eyebrow arched. "Go on."

"I'm sure you remember, but it's about your former record label being a shell company for Black Shadow's credit laundering operations."

"Who could forget? I'm just glad they didn't pull me down with them."

"And if I remember correctly, you did most of your recordings there in the basement suites, didn't you?"

Kate smiled. "You've done your homework."

"Enough homework to know that the central server room was nearby the recording suites," said Falcon. "Nobody ever got convicted in the scandal, so names of the staff are hard to come by. You wouldn't happen to know the name of anyone who worked the IT department, would you?"

Kate hummed. "Its been awhile," she said. "Let me think... umm... Dewey!"

"Dewey?"

"Yes, that was his name, Dewey... something. Looked a lot like Roger Buster, with dark hair and if he gained twenty pounds. He was the chief engineer for the facility when the hammer came down."

"Where can I find him?"

Kate shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine- no, wait, now that I think about it, I vaguely remember him speaking on the phone one time about some property of his."

"Property? Like a house?"

"Something like that, yes. I don't eavesdrop on people on purpose, I'm sure you understand."

Falcon nodded. "Of course. Did he mention where this property was?"

"Somewhere in the northwest of Red Canyon, I believe."

Falcon groaned. "Of all the places..."

"That's where your best friend hangs out, isn't it?"

"Best friend, sure.."

"On the bright side, if Dewey's place is still there, it'll be the only one there for miles."

"Small comfort," Falcon muttered. "Thanks for your help."

-

The thick cloud of dust scattered into a fog as the Blue Falcon's G-Diffusers set the machine gently down into idle, the landing struts nestling deep into the rusty dirt below. The decrepit shack greeted Falcon with the sound of wind rustling through the holes in its walls as he hopped out of the Blue Falcon, waving the dust away from his face. Falcon stepped before the front door, and pressed his hand against it. The door's hinges squealed as they slipped from their moorings, and the door fell flat inside the shack. "Can't break and enter if it's already broken," Falcon reasoned to himself as he stepped into the shack.

Falcon tapped the side of his helmet, and his visor lit up, illuminating the shack with a beam of light. As he scoured the dust-blanketed room, Falcon looked down at his feet. "Tiles?" Falcon asked himself, wondering why this little shanty would have a tiled floor. Dropping to his knee, Falcon ran his fingers along the edges of the tiles, hoping to find something unusual. Something unusual quickly found him, as one tile shifted suddenly from his touch. Falcon dug his fingertips under the tile, pulled it up, and looked at the underside. There was something that looked like a panel inside of it. Giving the tile a little shake, it felt surprisingly light. "Now what's in you?" Falcon asked, tapping the panel.

The panel suddenly sprung open, revealing a thin data port. "Good enough for now," said Falcon to himself as he stood up and headed for the door, "Gotta get out of here before-"

As soon as Falcon stepped outside, he froze in his tracks. Circled around him was a familiar mob of hooligans, and grinning back at him was a familiar face. "Well well, look who it is!"

Falcon grimaced. "I don't have time for you, Goroh."

One of Goroh's thugs hopped into the cockpit of the Blue Falcon, stretching his legs out over the dash. "You're gonna make the time, Falcon," Goroh sneered, "or you'll be walking back to Port Town!"

Falcon growled under his breath. "What do you want?"

"Payback!" Goroh roared. "Nobody beats me on my own turf and gets away with it!"

The race between the two from three months ago flashed through Falcon's mind. "I got away with it pretty handily," Falcon smirked, "and if you want a rematch, I'll gladly do it again."

In an instant, Goroh's massive hand grabbed the collar of the bandit in the Blue Falcon, and effortlessly tossed him out. "Then get ready!" Goroh bellowed, "Today, Samurai Goroh bests the mighty Captain Falcon!"

Goroh slid over the hood of the Blue Falcon, and hopped into the cockpit of the Fire Stingray parked beside it. Keeping an eye on Goroh's henchmen, Falcon climbed into the Blue Falcon. Bringing up a map of the area on the Blue Falcon's HUD, Falcon could see the same twin spires that served as a finish line for his last race against Goroh. "Let me guess," said Falcon over the radio, "first past the two towers wins?"

"You got it!" Goroh replied as one of his men stood between the two machines, their G-Diffusers roaring to life. And with a quick wave of his arms, the bandit covered his ears as the Blue Falcon and the Fire Stingray shot past him.

Barreling down the badlands, Falcon watched as the Fire Stingray steadily crept up beside him, spying a sinister smile begin to stretch across Goroh's mouth. The Fire Stingray suddenly swerved towards him, and Falcon jerked his machine further away, narrowly avoiding a sideswipe. Regaining control, Falcon watched the Fire Stingray zoom into the distance ahead. Pressing the button on his steering column, the Blue Falcon shot forward with a scream of its engines, briefly narrowing the gap between him and Goroh. As they approached a high canyon wall, Goroh suddenly nudged his machine into the side of the canyon. With a rumble of the canyon floor, several boulders dislodged themselves from the top of the cliff face, charging down the sides like a legion of juggernauts. Falcon boosted the engines again, zipping through the avalanche of rocks. The last boulder clipped the wingtip of the Blue Falcon, dipping the machine down into a crazy wobble.

Goroh glanced behind him, and laughed. "This one's as good as mine!" He gloated, boosting the Fire Stingray again.

Falcon finally stabilized his machine, and began mashing his boosters with his thumbs. As he began gaining ground on Goroh, the Blue Falcon's monitor flashed red with all sorts of alarms, an engine blowout being one bad bump away. As Falcon soared past Goroh, he suddenly cut in front of him and braked. Goroh swung wide to his right, and crashed nose-first into the canyon wall. Seconds later, Falcon was sailing by the two spires alone. Falcon brought up the rearview camera on his monitor, waiting to smirk at his handiwork. His jaw dropped when he saw the Fire Stingray lying on it's side, a fire bursting from it's engines, and Goroh nowhere in sight. Power sliding his machine around in a quick U-turn, Falcon raced back towards the Fire Stingray, sliding to a stop beside it. Falcon's hands flew to the release latch on the cockpit, and saw Goroh struggling to get out, his leg pinned between buckled sections of the cockpit. "I've got it!" Falcon said, lurching in and pulling the laces of Goroh's boot apart. With a mighty heave, Falcon pulled Goroh free from the cockpit, dragging him behind the Blue Falcon just as an ear-bursting explosion rocked the Red Canyon landscape.

Falcon waited for the bits of shrapnel to stop raining against the hull of the Blue Falcon before peering back at what used to be the Fire Stingray. Goroh groaned, and held his ankle, blood seeping through his sock and leaking through his fingers. "Keep pressure on it," Said Falcon, hopping back into the Blue Falcon as Goroh's thugs converged on them. "See you at the Grand Prix."

Falcon took off, and Goroh pounded the dirt with a frustrated snarl.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

I was never a big fan of fatty Goroh. =P

[Mewfour]

But you have to admit the Fire Stingray was always OP as hell

Chapter 2- A Darker Shade of Black

The tile lay on Terry's desk, cables running from its hidden data port to his terminal, the sound of clacking keystrokes filling his room. "And open sesame, we are in!" He cheered, "Digi-Boy wins again!"

'You're pretty good," said Falcon, watching over Terry's shoulder.

"Haven't met a system I couldn't beat yet," the young man boasted. "Not for nefarious purposes, however, I assure you."

"Make sure it stays that way," said Falcon. "So, what can you tell me?"

Terry adjusted his glasses, and leaned forward towards his monitor. "I've run the serial number though every database I know. Your mark's name is Dewey Pouff, of 772 Block 34, Port Town, Sector 2."

"Anything else?"

"There's one part of a two-part security code stored on here," said Terry. "What it's for, however, I can't tell."

Terry detached a small thumb dive from his machine, and handed it to Falcon. Falcon pocketed the drive and said, "I'll bet Dewey knows."

-

Falcon adjusted his scarf higher around his neck. The chill of Port Town's nights were something he had almost forgotten. Falcon tapped his visor, and his vision was immediately zoomed in onto the window of the apartment building in front of him. The roof of the neighboring building was a bit too high to see much of Dewey's apartment from, but his man was in there, and Falcon was patient.

A flutter of feathery wings quickly settled beside him on the ledge of the roof. A dark brown owl fixed its gaze on Falcon as a sudden rustle of the wind came from behind him. Falcon turned around to see Super Arrow gently gliding down before him, landing with a muffled clatter. "You're a tough man to find," said Arrow.

Falcon turned back to the apartment. "If you found me, then I've gotten sloppy."

Arrow chuckled, and joined Falcon at his side. "If it's any consolation, I've found Zoda a lot easier before."

"Did you need something?"

The smile suddenly vanished from Arrow's face. "I need to thank you."

"For?"

"You don't remember? On the train crossing?"

Falcon's mind flashed back to a few weeks prior. "With your son?"

Arrow put his hand on Falcon's shoulder. "You saved my boy that day. The Arrow family is indebted to you."

Falcon murmured awkwardly. "I'm glad he's safe. It was a smooth rescue."

"Smooth, yes," said Arrow. "Though, it could have gone smoother for you, huh?"

The sound of seams splitting echoed in Falcon's ears like unwelcome ghosts. "Monique talks to much," Falcon groaned.

Arrow smirked. "You're telling me?"

The two let out a quick laugh together.

"Anyway," said Arrow, "if you ever need a favor, anything at all, you know how to reach me."

"Thanks," said Falcon, "but I prefer to work alone."

"I know," said Arrow, taking to the air again, "but the offer is always open." The owl flapped its wings and followed its master, disappearing into the night sky.

Minutes later, Falcon's patience paid off. The light from Dewey's window went dark, and Falcon began counting down the seconds in his head. Falcon hurriedly descended the fire escape stairwell, and right on cue, the man matching Dewey's description stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of him. Falcon quickly zipped into his path. "Hey, you!" Said Falcon, driving a startled jolt out if him. "Dewey Pouff, right?"

Dewey clutched the travel mug he was carrying tightly to his chest. "Y-yes, that's me," he squeaked.

"We need to talk."

Dewey began to tremble. "Oh- oh sure! S-sure!" He stammered, slipping a hand into the lid of his mug. "Let m-me just-"

Dewey's hand suddenly pulled the lid of the mug off, and with a quick jerk of his shoulder, he flung his steaming coffee at Falcon's face. Falcon staggered back and wiped his face, while Dewey whirled around and dashed away. As soon as Falcon cleared his eyes, he saw Dewey jump into a parked landcraft and fire up it's G-diffusers. As Dewey sped past him down the street, Falcon pulled back the glove on his left hand, revealing a small console strapped to his wrist. After punching in some keys, the Blue Falcon came zooming down the street, stopping beside Falcon. Seamlessly slipping into the cockpit, Falcon took off after Dewey.

Within seconds, Falcon was catching up with Dewey. Dewey glanced over his shoulder, watching Falcon come within meters of his craft's tail fin. "Damn it!" Dewey cursed, flicking some switches on his dashboard. With a swing of his control sticks, Dewey sent his craft into a wild spin. Falcon swerved right, narrowly slipping by Dewey's attack. Pulling up beside him, Falcon sharply banked the Blue Falcon left, ramming its hull into Dewey's landcraft. Dewey skidded forward along the street, his craft's engine beginning to billow a trail of smoke behind it. Dewey took a wild, looping left turn around a corner, and Falcon followed.

The sight of an oncoming bus popping into view made Falcon slide his machine in a wide turn, ramming aside a row of parked landcrafts. "This needs to end now!" Falcon declared to himself, watching Dewey pull onto a highway on-ramp. Boosting the Blue Falcon's engines, Falcon soared up beside Dewey again, and with another quick bank, Falcon rammed Dewey's craft a second time, sending it spinning wildly off the ramp, bouncing along the rooftops below.

Dewey's craft came to a screeching halt, teetering over the edge of a rooftop. The Blue Falcon came chasing after it, its G-diffusers letting it drift to a smooth stop beside Dewey's machine. "Help me!" Dewey cried, paralyzed with fear as his craft creaked and rocked on the ledge. Falcon grabbed Dewey's arm, and hauled him out of his cockpit, and the craft went plummeting to the streets below with a mighty crash.

On his hands and knees, Dewey struggled to catch his breath. "I was at the shack in Red Canyon," said Falcon. "Your safe had one part of a code on it."

" l-I don't know w-what you're-"

Falcon pulled Dewey to his feet by his collar. "No more running," Falcon growled, "You're going to give me some answers. What's the second part of the security code? What was Flyer after?"

"Alright!" Dewey squealed. "Alright! I'll talk!" Falcon tightened his grip on Dewey's collar. "I don't know what your friend was going for, but I can get you into Shadow's database, I swear!"

"You have the second code?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Where is it?"

"I-if you look by-"

A streak of light suddenly ripped though the air, and Dewey collapsed against Falcon's chest. A large, gushing wound painted Dewey's back as his body slumped over and fell to the ground. Falcon quickly zoomed in with his visor into the distance, and gasped. "Pico!"

Staring back at him from far away was Pico, glancing at him briefly from the scope of his sniper rifle before hurriedly detaching its components. Falcon leapt back into the Blue Falcon, punching numbers into the console. "Three hundred kilometers north!" Falcon exclaimed to himself as the windscreen dropped and the G-diffusers roared to life. The Blue Falcon zoomed off of the roof, landing smoothly on the street below. Three hundred kilometers was a mere moment for the Blue Falcon, and within seconds, Falcon saw the Wild Goose pull onto the road ahead, speeding down the streets of Port Town.

The Wild Goose's engines let out a thunderous burst, and boosted the machine down the road like a bolt of lightning. Falcon followed suit, clicking the buttons on his control sticks, rocketing after Pico. The Wild Goose suddenly veered left, onto another highway. The Blue Falcon slid around the corner with an ear-splitting squeal, right behind Pico, and into oncoming traffic. Pico weaved from gap to gap as other crafts veered aside, swerving back into Falcon's path. Falcon grit his teeth as he dodged craft after craft, the roar of the crafts' screeching air brakes ringing in his ears. A large freighter spun around Pico, and as it careened around the other way, it lifted up and flipped over, barreling down the highway at it broke apart in a shower of shrapnel. Falcon banked and swerved right, skidding onto the shoulder of the road. Falcon had to shake the cobwebs from his head as he righted the Blue Falcon, scanning the horizon for the Wild Goose. A sudden streak of green caught his eye. "There you are!" Falcon exclaimed, boosting the Blue Falcon into overdrive, gaining ground on Pico just in time to see him swerve onto an exit ramp, and dipping below the highway. Falcon slid around the turn after Pico, and gasped.

The exit ramp split into two forks, and he had to choose. Falcon jerked the controls to the right, speeding into a tunnel. Left in the darkened tunnel, Falcon's eyes darted to and fro, but the Wild Goose was nowhere in sight. Finally clearing the tunnel, Falcon pulled over onto the shoulder, scanning the road on the other side. Pico was gone. Falcon slowed the Blue Falcon to a stop, gnashed his teeth, and slammed his hands on the dashboard.

[Mewfour]

Chapter 3- On a Serpent's Wings

The breeze whistled as it blew over the hole in the ceiling, the moonlight bathing the chamber in a pale glow. Falcon looked over his shoulder, and held his breath. Nothing but the echoes of keystrokes gently pattering filled the room. He turned back to the monitor in front of him. "How's it going, Terry?"

"I've been at this for far too long," said Terry, his eyes locked on the screen as his fingertips pelted the keyboard in a flurry, "Shadow really took his security seriously."

Falcon looked over his shoulder again. "Ten more minutes, and then we bail. The Federation sentries won't leave this part of the BSL unpatrolled for much longer."

"If it's any comfort," said Terry, "the first part of Dewey's code has proven to be a useful cipher. A decryption job like this could have taken me hours to get this far." Then, looking at Falcon, he said, "I hope you understand what will happen if we're discovered here."

"I don't intend on finding out for sure."

Terry turned back to the monitor. "Though I must say, instead of the Federation, I was expecting to find another Falcon here."

"He must have abandoned the place once he ambushed Flyer. Whatever he's planning, it has to be stopped."

The terminal beeped once quietly. "I think I've got the second code," said Terry. "Lets put this in, and hope it works." Terry punched in a few more keys. "Another stunning victory for Digi-Boy!"

Falcon studied the screen. "Can you tell what Flyer was sent after?" He asked.

Terry paused. "It looks like she was sent to get whatever was in that lockup," he said, pointing to the open chamber beside them. "Probably a memory stick. What was on the stick, though, I can't tell."

As soon as Terry pressed the last key, a loud, piercing beep rang out from the terminal. "What was that?" Asked Falcon, gritting his teeth as the ringing in his ears faded.

"I don't know, but I'd say our cover's blown!"

"Time to move."

"Just a moment- got it! Okay, let's get out of here!"

Falcon and Terry dashed towards the exit, slipping through the doors just as the doors behind them opened. "They're onto us already," said Falcon, "these guys know how to move!"

As Falcon and Terry ran down the hallway, Terry suddenly stopped. "Falcon! In here!" He said, opening the set of doors beside him.

Inside, Falcon saw a wide open hangar bay, with a lone Blood Hawk sitting in the middle. "You scouted the BSL blueprints?" Falcon asked as they headed to the Blood Hawk.

"And decrypted the ignition sequence! Congratulate me later, let's just go!"

Falcon and Terry hopped into the cockpit of the Blood Hawk, and Terry closed the windscreen. "Hang on," said Falcon as the G-diffusers began to scream, "This wasn't built for two!"

The Blood Hawk bolted out of the hangar and down the long driveway out of the laboratories. Falcon glanced in the rear-view monitor, and saw several grey Federation landcrafts pull up behind him. Terry grabbed the back of Falcon's seat as hard as he could, watching a handful of White Cat shaped machines zoom past. One machine sharply banked into the hull of the Blood Hawk, ramming it towards the guardrail. Falcon swerved left and right as he stabilized the machine, watching more Federation crafts close in on him. Another machine soared past him, and slammed on its brakes, spinning wildly as it nicked the nose of the Blood Hawk, with Falcon veering out of the way. "Can't you hit them back?" Terry asked, "I've calculated at least three times you could have countered them!"

"We're in enough trouble as it is!" Said Falcon, weaving left. "Attacking the Federation is the last thing we want to do!"

Another impact from the right sent the tail of the Blood Hawk spinning to the side, the machine losing its traction on the road. "Then we can at least scare them," said Terry, punching in commands in his travel console.

Suddenly, two massive blast doors ahead of them began to converge. "What are you doing?"

"Flatline the engine if you have to!" Said Terry, "Boost like you've never boosted before!"

Falcon mashed the boost buttons on the control sticks. The Blood Hawk roared again and again as it rattled with every boost. Just as Falcon pulled ahead of the pack, the blast doors squeezed closed, slamming shut with a booming thud, trapping their hunters behind it. Within moments, the Blood Hawk came speeding out into the roadway outside, and vanished into the night.

-

The G-diffusers of the Blue Falcon came down to a quiet rumble as it glided to a gentle stop, and the windscreen of the Blue Falcon popped open. Terry hopped out from the back seat, and stretched out his back. "Well, wasn't that exciting?" He muttered.

The Blue Falcon's headlights pierced the darkness of the night, illuminating the front steps of the Little Einstein Academy. "Thanks for your help, again," said Falcon. "Next time I need it, it'll be legal. I promise."

"Make sure it stays that way," said Terry. "Oh, before I go, here, you might want this," he said, picking a thumb drive out of his pocket, and handing it to Falcon. "It's a copy of both codes."

"Kid, you're making me reconsider my whole solo policy."

-

The bright lights of his secret garage were a welcome sight for Falcon, setting the Blue Falcon down on the maintenance pad. The Blue Falcon's engines came to a hush as he flicked the engines off, and popped the canopy open. Falcon silently chuckled to himself as he hopped out of the cockpit, basking in his guilty pleasure of slipping away from the Federation for a moment. One moment was all the time he had.

"Been out for a midnight drive tonight?"

Falcon turned around to the entrance bay of his hideout, and saw Jody leaning up against the wall by the doors. "You know me," said Falcon, "I don't sleep."

Jody shook her head. "I'm not sure I knew you as well as I thought."

"What do you mean?"

Jody pushed herself off from against the wall. "There was a minor incident at the BSL a few hours ago. What would you know about it?"

"It's the first I've heard of it," said Falcon with a shrug. "What kind of incident?"

"Someone stole a Blood Hawk from the hangar. That's a little too much security to go through for a souvenir- especially if it means interfering with a Federation investigation."

"Did anyone get a look at whoever did this?"

Jody frowned. Falcon could tell she was getting annoyed. "No," said Jody at length, "but we'll find him. We always do."

The two stared awkwardly at each other.

"It certainly would be better for both parties if our man gave himself up," Jody said, finally breaking the silence.

"Unlikely," said Falcon. Jody gave her eyes a slight, subtle roll. "I'd like to help, but I've got a problem of my own to take care of. And I've got a hunch that you can help me out."

"I've already told you, Falcon, I can't say any more-"

"Pico."

Jody came to a complete stop. "Pico?" She asked. Falcon nodded. "What are you doing with that old psychopath?"

"I don't want to have anything to do with him any more than you do, Jody, believe me," Said Falcon. "Last night he tried to have me killed."

Jody gasped. "Are you serious? Why?"

"I don't know. Pico's ruthless, but he's not insane. Someone's put him up to it."

"Pico already charges small fortunes for his hits," said Jody, "whoever's hired him to take you out must be absolutely loaded. More than Don Genie!"

"Or someone with leverage."

"Leverage? On Pico?" Jody shivered. "What are you getting yourself into, Falcon?"

"I don't know, but I need to find out fast. I need to know where to find his newest hideout."

Jody shook her head. "You know I can't share Federation intel with you."

"The Federation can't touch Pico, so I'll have to deal with him myself if I want to avoid ending up like Dewey. I need your help, Jody."

Jody bit her lip, and then muttered, "You can get me into so much trouble... Fine. Devil's Forest, coordinates 228724, sector Gamma."

"Thanks, Jody, I-"

"Just be careful, Falcon. I've already told you way too much. I can't help you any further."

Jody turned around and headed for the exit. Falcon moved over to his chair, and sunk deep within it.

[Mewfour]

Chapter 4- The Forest in the Trees

A creak echoed throughout the dark hallway, and Falcon froze. Silence soon regained it's dominance over the corridor, and Falcon breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Fighting through the hurricane that was Death Wind was a walk in the park compared to sneaking through Pico's underground bunker. He could still hear the wind rattle under his helmet from his time camped by the entrance of the bunker carved out of a mountainside, waiting for Pico to head out again. Pico could be back at any time, and Falcon knew he had to be quick. Slipping into a nearby doorway, Falcon found himself in front of a spare Wild Goose, it's thrusters lying in pieces around the garage. The windscreen was wide open, with a collection of cables running from the cockpit to a computer kiosk in the corner. Pico's kept himself busy, Falcon thought to himself, silently creeping up to the hull of the Wild Goose. Falcon peeked into the cockpit, and saw the console monitor glaring back at him. He took a quick look around. Not a glimpse or sound of Pico anywhere. Then, Falcon leaned into the cockpit for a better look.

A ventilation block was the first thing that caught his eye, having been hastily welded to the side of the cockpit. "Now that's a heavy duty heater," said Falcon to himself. "Trying to cook yourself, Pico?" Falcon looked at the console, and punched in a few commands. The monitor brought up the specifications of the heater. White Land, Falcon thought, that explains the souped-up heater. Typing in a few more commands, Falcon brought up a map of White Land. "Let's see if you still have your Univeral Position System turned on too." A dot began to flash on the monitor. Falcon studied the map more closely. "The badlands? Now what were you doing out in the middle of nowhere?" Falcon tapped the dot, and a list of data rolled across the screen. This stop he made was recent, thought Falcon, just before he killed Dewey. Looking more closely at the data, Falcon saw how long Pico's stop was. Almost an hour, Falcon thought, whatever he was doing, it was probably important.

A sudden creak echoing through the hideout sent a shock down Falcon's spine. Falcon quickly typed the coordinates into his wrist console, and stealthily slid down from the Wild Goose's hull. Falcon crept up to the doorway, flattening his back against the wall. A foot stepped across the threshold, followed soon by Pico. Falcon held his breath, watching Pico survey the hangar. As Pico walked towards the Wild Goose, Falcon slid towards the doorway behind him. Falcon's toes touched the plates between the hallway floor and the hangar, and a tiny little squeak seemed to roar against the silence. Pico spun around, and locked his golden yellow eyes with Falcon's.

Falcon bolted through the doorway, with Pico lunging forward, tackling him against the hallway wall. Falcon landed hard on the floor, with Pico on top of him, pinning him down. With a jerk of his neck, Falcon smashed the dome of his helmet into Pico's jaw, driving a yelp from the assassin. Falcon pushed Pico off of him, and rolled over onto his feet. Pico's arms suddenly wrapped around his waist from behind, and Falcon had to brace himself against the wall to stop Pico from dragging him down. Falcon spread his feet and leaned into Pico, stifling Pico's wrestling. Pico suddenly crouched low and heaved Falcon up on his shoulders, lunging ahead and driving Falcon into the wall. Falcon reached over and grabbed Pico by the belt, and with a grunt, he lifted Pico's feet into the air, turning him over as he dropped to the floor, slamming Pico down. Freed from Pico's clutches, Falcon scrambled back to his feet. Pico rolled over and drew his pistol, pointing it at Falcon and pulling the trigger. An innocent little click echoed through the hall. Pico looked at the grip of his gun, then at Falcon. Falcon grinned, and dangled the ejected clip in his fingers before turning on his heel and bolting down the hallway.

Falcon could hear Pico clatter to his feet, chasing after him. As he rounded a corner, Falcon came to the gigantic blast doors of Pico's hideout, and skidded to a halt next to the control panel on the wall. He flicked the lone switch, and with a mighty groan, the blast doors began to squeal open. With Pico's footsteps drumming louder and louder behind him, Falcon dashed towards the doors as they lifted up, diving to the ground and sliding smoothly underneath to the outside. Just as Pico burst into the hangar, Falcon drew his pistol and shot the control panel. The blast doors came crashing down, shaking the ground with a tooth-rattling rumble. As Falcon stood up, he could feel the savage gusts of Death Wind trying to carry him away. Shielding his face with his arm, Falcon began the long hike up the mountainside to the Blue Falcon's hiding spot.

-

The windscreen closed, and Falcon could finally hear something other than the wind in his ears. Breathing a sigh of relief, Falcon drove the Blue Falcon back onto the highway, still fighting against the wind as it battered his machine's hull. Just as he began to relax, the Blue Falcon's console monitor began beeping. Falcon glanced down, and gasped when he saw the Wild Goose screaming up behind him. "Dammit!" Falcon cursed, hitting his boosters, "that didn't hold him long!" Falcon angled the nose of the Blue Falcon against the wind, gliding along the highway. Pico followed suit, and the two zoomed down the long straightaway. A sharp left turn suddenly appeared at the horizon, and Falcon banked into it, hoping to slide around it smoothly. As he coasted around the curve, the wind carried the Blue Falcon against the mountainside, spewing a shower of fire and sparks in its wake. Falcon jerked the controls back towards the road, swerving wildly as the G-diffusers struggled to regain traction against the gale. Falcon finally steadied his machine, only to see Pico effortlessly slide around the turn behind him. "He's definitely got the home turf advantage!" Falcon snarled to himself, careening around another bend. The Blue Falcon's tail end rattled against the rocky barriers, steadily slowing the machine briefly before Falcon boosted the engine again. The Wild Goose came inching towards the Blue Falcon, and glancing into the rear view monitor, Falcon could see the golden gleam in Pico's eyes. It was only a matter of time.

As another tight curve came into view, an idea crept into Falcon's mind. Falcon tapped in some commands into the monitor. The monitor flashed, and displayed the wind direction, blowing from behind them. "You want to ride the wind?" Said Falcon, "Then go ahead!" With that, Falcon boosted towards the curve, and Pico's Wild Goose boosted after him. Just as the road began to slightly bend, Falcon slammed on the brakes. Pico went zooming by, carried by the wind around the corner. Pico threw his control wheel around to pull a U-turn, but the gale swept him and the Wild Goose up, smashing him into the mountainside. With the Wild Goose pinned against the cliff face, Falcon swung the Blue Falcon around, and sped off into the distance.

[Mewfour]

Chapter 5- A Winter's Wake

Lily gently bit her lip, and took a deep breath. Her grip on the railings on either side of her tightened, as she took a slow, gingerly step forward. Her therapist kept her hands hovering at Lily's waist. "Now just touch your heel to the floor," She said, "Don't try to rush it, now, just a light touch is all we need."

Lily began to tremble as her leg inched ahead. "I'm trying, Nichole, it's just... difficult."

Lily lurched forward a bit, her foot planting clumsily on front of her. "Don't worry, it's a learning process," Said Nichole. "Just take little baby steps for now."

Another trembling step forward. "I can't- I've gotta' stop."

Nichole held Lily by the hips and guided her gently onto the floor. "That's alright, just focus on your breathing."

Lily took a slow, deep breath. "It's frustrating," She said, "to feel so helpless all the time."

Nichole nodded. "It feels slow, certainly, but keep working though it, and you'll be walking again sooner rather than later."

"Yeah, I know," Lily sighed. "Alright, let's try again."

-

The blizzard only seemed to intensify the longer Falcon drove. The bright snow on the ground dissolved into the ivory clouds above, painting a world of dizzying white. The Blue Falcon's console, scanning the area in infrared, was mostly a cold black. Falcon glanced at the corner of the screen, double checking the coordinates. The Blue Falcon came to a gentle stop, and all that could be heard was the hum of the engines and the roar of the wind. This is the spot, Falcon thought to himself, but there's nothing here. As Falcon looked closer at the monitor, he made out a faint splotch of color. "Or maybe..."

Falcon held his arm over his face, and opened the windscreen. The snow began to hurdle into the cockpit as Falcon quickly hopped out, closing the windscreen behind him. Falcon dropped to his knees and swept the snow away in front of him. His hands suddenly hit something metallic. Brushing away more of the snow, Falcon soon discovered a metal hatch, a large metal wheel sticking up in its center. Eager to get out of the freezing cold, Falcon gripped the wheel and gave it a crank. The hatch popped open, and a long, dark tunnel with a simple ladder running deep into the ground stared back at him. Falcon steeled his nerves, and stepped down onto the ladder, starting his long descent.

When he finally reached the bottom, Falcon turned around and looked at the bunker before him. "This looks familiar," Falcon said to himself as he began to wander in. Looking at the walls and ceilings, Falcon mused, "This looks like the same kind of architecture of the last BSL." Before he knew it, Falcon had come to the end if the small bunker, confronted with a terminal and a safe built into the wall. "If this is BSL," Falcon said, "then I wonder if I can use this..."

Falcon pulled Terry's thumb drive from his pocket, and plugged it into the terminal. Immediately, the monitor flashed on, and data began scrolling down the screen. Then, with a simple beep, the wall safe clicked, and the door lazily drifted open. Falcon swung the door wider, and saw a lone memory stick sitting inside. Falcon reached in and picked it up, noticing a small smear of blood at the bottom. He pulled back his glove, and plugged the stick into his wrist console. "Unable to read?" Falcon grumbled. "I'll have to take it back to my machine." With that, Falcon pocketed his drives, and headed back to the surface. As soon as Falcon poked his head up above ground again, he looked around. He could hear something- something that seemed apart from the whistling whiteout blizzard. Brushing it off as nothing, Falcon pulled himself out of the tunnel, and opened the Blue Falcon's windscreen.

"Over here, Falcon!"

The cry from behind him made Falcon whirl around. "Zoda!"

A twisted grin crept upon the patchwork face of the dark figure before him. "I thought I was catching a turtle, and here I've caught a bird!"

Falcon grimaced. He could hear the gushing chemicals race though the pipes connected to Zoda's head. Falcon's hand hovered above his pistol in his holster. "What do you want with Pico?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't want Pico," said Zoda with glee, his addled brain putting and unnerving warble in his voice, "I wanted to see what brought him out all the way here." Zoda glanced briefly at the opened hatch. "Another laboratory!" He cheered maniacally. "Shadow and Pico? Oh, isn't this intriguing!"

"As much as I'd love to bring you in," Said Falcon, "I'm busy. Explore all you want."

Zoda burst out into a wild laugh. "Oh dear Captain!" He howled, "it seems as though you've done all the exploring already! Whatever it is you've found in there-" Zoda suddenly snarled, "I want it!"

"Then you'll have to take it!"

With that, Falcon kicked up a cloud of snow between them. He leapt back into the Blue Falcon's cockpit, and closed the windscreen just as a torrent of gunfire rained around him. The G-diffusers roared to life, and Falcon took off. With his thrusters on maximum, Falcon soon came to the snowy highway of White Land. With the heated roadways, Falcon switched the console monitor to normal view. As soon as his hand returned to the control column, Falcon saw the Death Anchor burst out of the blizzard behind him. Then, several more Death Anchors followed. "Yes, my drones!" Zoda squealed in delight, "run him off the road!"

Falcon watched as Death Anchors began to soar ahead of him, their powerful boosters roaring as they passed. Falcon squinted, the blizzard making the road ahead a distant blur. A Death Anchor suddenly hit its brakes, spinning wildly as it came whirling towards the Blue Falcon. Falcon banked left, letting the machine sail by. Another Death Anchor slowed, and jerked wildly towards Falcon's side. Falcon hit his boosters, roaring ahead and narrowly missing the Death Anchor. "The new paint job's going to have to wait!" Falcon snarled, shifting the G-diffusers' balance as he swiped to the right at a Death Anchor. The Death Anchor slammed into the snow bank, flipping upside down in a shower of flames. As Falcon rounded a turn, he saw a line of Death Anchors follow him in a tight pack. Switching off his G-diffuser stabilizer, Falcon squeezed his brakes and sent the Blue Falcon into a wild whirl, smashing into the crowd of machines. As soon as Falcon brought the Blue Falcon under control again, a Death Anchor surged up beside him, and rammed into the hull. The Blue Falcon skidded towards the snow bank, with Falcon gritting his teeth as he struggled to swerve back into the middle of the road.

"One more like that!" Zoda cackled from behind the fracas.

Two more Death Anchors pulled up beside Falcon, one on either side. Falcon glanced at the Blue Falcon's HUD. One more hit like that could damage the engine. As the two Death Anchors drifted away slightly, Falcon held his breath as he boosted ahead again, just as the two Death Anchors violently swung inward, missing the Blue Falcon by inches, and smashing each other to pieces. As Falcon's HUD began to complain with a flashing red alarm, he saw another Death Anchor pull up on his right. Falcon glanced over, and saw Zoda leering back at him. "It's you and me now, freak!" Falcon snarled.

Zoda swerved towards Falcon, with Falcon swerving away at just the right moment. Falcon jerked the controls back towards Zoda, with Zoda weaving away at the last second in turn. A sharp left turn suddenly appeared out of the fog, and Falcon cranked his controls suddenly. Leaning the Blue Falcon into the turn, Falcon slid around the corner and onto the straightaway. With a glance at his rear view monitor, Falcon saw Zoda's Death Anchor slam along the snowbank, skidding wildly along the road in a dervish, before finally plowing into the side of the road as the blizzard encased him in the distance. Falcon breathed a sigh of relief, and patted the memory stick in his pocket.

-

The Blue Falcon's engines fizzled out, and Falcon wearily climbed out of the cockpit. His hideout was a welcome sight, and he reveled in the furnace's warmth as he walked towards his computer systems. Sinking into his chair, Falcon took the memory stick and stuck it into one of his many terminals. Tapping a few keys, Falcon relaxed as the memory stick was decoded, watching the progress bar on his monitor steadily lengthen. As it neared the end, Falcon's breath grew shallow, and then soon ceased. Silence reigned supreme over his hideout as he locked his eyes on the screen, and the screen quickly displayed a window, with a single icon in the middle. Falcon tapped the icon, and soon his jaw dropped open with a gasp.

[Mewfour]

Chapter 6- Honor for Disgrace

Falcon still had trouble believing it. The question that had haunted him for so long was finally answered, and he still had trouble believing it. He pushed open the door to the roof, hearing the wind whistle about him, atop the highest tower in Mute City. Taking a deep breath, Falcon stepped out into the open night. He took the memory stick from his pocket, and held it up high above his head. Coming to a stop at the middle of the roof, Falcon inhaled, steadied his lungs, and shouted, "Pico!"

The wind continued to howl. Falcon looked around, anxious. He's here, Falcon thought to himself, And I know he heard me.

Minutes later, a soft crunching suddenly came from behind him. Falcon slowly turned around to see Pico, rifle in his arms, steadily pacing up towards him. Falcon stared down the barrel of Pico's rifle, careful to not make any sudden moves. Pico finally came to a stop, mere meters away, his rifle still aimed at Falcon's chest. Slowly, Falcon extended his arm towards Pico, holding out the memory stick. "This is for you," Said Falcon, "Take it."

Pico cautiously crept forward, pinching the drive between his fingertips and plucking it from Falcon's grasp. Falcon kept his hands up, watching as Pico pulled back his glove to reveal a wrist console of his own. Pico plugged in the stick, and flicked his eyes up and down from the monitor to Falcon. Soon, Pico's eyes widened, and his jaw slightly parted. Then, he looked up at Falcon, and asked, "Why?"

"You know as well as I do," Said Falcon, "we couldn't keep fighting each other forever."

Pico nodded. "It would only be a matter of time. But that still doesn't explain why. And now that you know the truth," said Pico, raising his rifle again, "it'd be better for me if you disappeared as well."

Falcon was unfazed. "There's a reason why there's no Federation presence," he said. "I could have gone anywhere with this. But I'm giving it to you."

Pico lowered his rifle. "And people call me insane," He said, attaching his rifle to his back. "This is your idea of a peace offering?"

"Your secret is safe with me. You have my word," Said Falcon. "And now that you have the drive, he can't ever use it against you. No one can."

"I... appreciate it."

"I'm not going to pretend to understand your motivations," Falcon said. "Even if you were the one to give Black Shadow my genetic sample."

A brief silence stood between them.

"One thing I don't understand, though," Said Falcon, "If Shadow knew all this time, why is Blood Falcon the one using that leverage now?"

"Why else? Shadow was using it to keep me off of his operations. Though, now that's he's out of the way, Blood Falcon's motives, I guess, are a little more personal."

Falcon shook his head. "Using you to take me out? That doesn't seem like something he'd do. He'd want to face me himself."

"Who's saying he isn't? Maybe he knew I'd have trouble killing you. Maybe I was just a distraction."

"Distraction?"

"If I were Blood Falcon, what would I go after to really hurt you? What... or who?"

Falcon gave Pico a puzzled look. Then, suddenly, it all came together. "He wouldn't-!"

Pico nodded. "You'd better hurry."

Falcon dashed towards the rooftop doors as fast as he could.

-

The doors to the apartment whirred open, and Terry detached his cables from the control panel. "So much for keeping promises," Terry muttered as Falcon rushed in.

"Jody!"

The empty apartment seemed to speak in volumes to Falcon. "Are you sure she's not anywhere else?" Said Terry, "I hope I haven't broken into her apartment for nothing."

"She's not at Federation HQ," Said Falcon, as he went from room to room, "Not on duty, not answering her calls-"

"Maybe she took a vacation?" Terry suggested calmly as Falcon stormed the halls, "She doesn't have to tell you everything, you kn-"

Falcon suddenly stopped. "This must be her bedroom," He said.

"And please tell me you're not- okay, you are," Said Terry as Falcon stepped in.

Falcon glanced around the room, and gasped when he saw Jody's bed. On her pillow, a little note lay folded and propped up, begging for attention. Falcon hastily snatched up the note, and unfurled it.

"Took you long enough," The note read. "The Underworld. Where you killed Deathborn. Bring no one. We'll be waiting."

Falcon rushed out of the room, nearly knocking Terry over. "Terry, you'll have to find your own way back to the Academy."

"But I-"

"And this never happened."

-

The Blue Falcon's G-diffusers roared along the darkened tunnel, past the shattered wooden barrier strewn around the road. Just as the dull incandescent glow from the Underworld's magma began to shine in the distance, a large steel spike suddenly fell from the rocky ceiling above, planting itself into the road ahead. "What the hell?" Falcon gasped, swerving left as the ground shook. Falcon looked up, and saw more metal spikes, gleaming against the glow, hiding among the stalactites. Another steel spear came shooting down at the Blue Falcon, rumbling as it sunk into the ground beside him. Falcon rounded a sharp right turn, suddenly veering left as another spike came crashing down. Falcon looked up again, and his jaw dropped. Ahead of him were two more spikes, several times larger than the last, both almost half the width of the road. Falcon glanced in the rear view monitor, and saw a shower of spikes raining on the road behind him. The two gigantic spears suddenly shook loose, smashing into the ground with a mighty crash. Falcon grit his teeth, and hunched forward. Falcon steered towards the small gap between the spikes, and held his breath. The Blue Falcon zoomed through the gap, with a screech and squeal as the side fins scraped the edges of the giant spikes. Falcon exhaled with a sigh of relief, as the cavernous underground roadway expanded before him.

Slowing down, Falcon studied the track. Everything was as he had left it three months ago- The large gap in the rocky side walls that Deathborn had knocked out with his Dark Schneider and into the magma below still marred the track. Unexploded landmines lay dotted about the road, still merrily flashing away. As Falcon rounded a turn, he suddenly stopped. A sign, scrawled haphazardly at the side of the track, read, "In here Falcon." Falcon looked beside the sign. A man-sized hole in the wall met his eyes, and an eerie, white glow came from the other side. The Blue Falcon came to a stop, and the canopy popped open. Falcon stepped onto the track, and ventured towards the cave within the cave. He crept into the light, and found himself within a small cavern.

"Falcon!"

Falcon whirled to his left. "Jody!" Falcon rushed to the wall where Jody was chained, a rail spike driven into the wall serving as an anchor to the shackle around her right ankle. "Jody, are you alr-"

"Behind you!"

Falcon spun around. With a grin stretching ear to ear, a tall shadow chuckled quietly from the other end of the cavern. "So, you're still alive?"

Falcon stood in front of Jody. "Blood Falcon!"

Blood Falcon stepped closer towards the light, slowly clapping his hands mockingly. "I didn't doubt you'd find a way to deal with Pico. But breaking into my little bunker? Even finding my bunker? Hah! I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"It's me you want," Falcon snarled, "leave Jody out of this!"

Blood laughed. "It wouldn't be nearly as interesting if I did!" Blood held up his hand, and revealed a small rectangular device. "This little transmitter will set your girlfriend free," said Blood, as Jody silently shook her head, "when it breaks, so will her cuffs. Now, how about we play a little game over it?"

Falcon grimaced. "What kind of game?"

"Do you remember, just before the Grand Prix before last, a little exhibition they called a Death Race?"

"And let me guess, this one is just between you and me?"

Blood nodded. "Well? Ready to dance?"

Falcon looked over his shoulder at Jody. She took a silent, deep breath, and closed her eyes. Falcon looked back at his clone. "You're on."

Blood cackled maniacally. "Yes! That's the spirit, Falcon!" He cheered, heading towards the exit. "I'll give you two a moment to say your heartfelt goodbyes!"

As Blood left the cavern, Falcon turned to Jody. "I'll beat him, don't worry," he said, putting his hands on Jody's shoulders.

Jody put her hands on Falcon's. "I know you can, but be careful. You can't let me down."

Falcon bowed his head. "This isn't goodbye," he said, before turning and heading out towards the track.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Nice going! I actually had to pick up F-Zero from my Classic Mini SNES to see what this all is about.

[Mewfour]

If you have a Gamecube, I do highly recommend you play F-Zero GX. It's one of the best games ever made, even if it does get rage-inducing difficult sometimes.

[Mewfour]

Chapter 7- The Fatal Spiral

As Falcon exited the cavern's maw, he saw Blood Falcon type in some commands on his wrist console. A Blood Hawk suddenly came zooming towards them, coming to a gentle halt between them. The windscreen opened, and Blood leapt inside. "Just you and me now, Falcon."

Falcon hopped into the Blue Falcon's cockpit. "So? What are the rules?" Asked Falcon as the canopy closed.

Blood's voice came through the Blue Falcon's radio. "Just like the exhibition," He said. "Run around the track, and first one to die loses."

Falcon tapped in a few keys on the Blue Falcon's console. "You've made some modifications," He said, looking at the layout of the track. Instead of a long, winding circuit that Falcon had battled Deathborn on, the track was shaped like a figure eight, one section bent upwards and hanging upside down.

"The things you can accomplish with three months and nothing else to do!" Blood cackled.

"And you made all this for me?" Said Falcon as they pulled up to the starting line. "I think I should be flattered."

A beeping began to come over the radio. "Four seconds," Said Blood.

Falcon took a steady, deep breath.

A second beep. His hands tightened around the control sticks.

A third. His foot hovered above the accelerator.

The fourth beep sounded, and the two machines took off with a thunderous roar.

The first hairpin turn came up fast and suddenly, leaving Falcon to swing the control sticks sharply left into the turn. As the Blue Falcon slid around the turn, the Blood Hawk coasted up behind him, its nose nipping at the side fins of the Blue Falcon. Falcon flicked a switch in the cockpit, and flung the Blue Falcon into a whirling spin. The Blood Hawk bounced off of the azure tornado, careening into the side walls before straightening out and zooming back beside Falcon. The Blood Hawk's boosters let loose a blast of energy, rocketing it forward, and ramming it into the side of the Blue Falcon. Falcon whipped the control column back to the middle of the road, as the track began to ramp upwards and upside down. As soon as Falcon could see the track in front of him again, a sea of landmines stuck to the road greeted him. Falcon swerved right, slaloming in between the mines. He looked at the rear view monitor, watching the Blood Hawk veer around the landmines behind him. As the track curved downward again, the Blood Hawk surged ahead, taking a swipe at Falcon as it passed. Falcon slid away, narrowly missing the Blood Hawk. Locking his eyes on Blood Falcon, Falcon violently shifted into the Blood Hawk, ramming the Blue Falcon's hull into the Blood Hawk's side. The Blood Hawk began to billow a thick cloud of smoke as it wobbled alongside the Blue Falcon. "Damn you!" Falcon heard Blood scream over the radio.

The Blood Hawk suddenly surged ahead again, drifting directly ahead of the Blue Falcon and slamming on it's brakes. Falcon swerved right as the track took a sharp turn, skidding it's rear around, its G-diffusers squealing as the Blue Falcon skidded around the corner. As soon as Falcon got his machine under control again, he saw the starting line ahead. The Blue Falcon's engines were already close to overheating, just beginning to leak a thin stream of smoke from the hood. "That was just one lap," Falcon growled to himself. "This won't last another!" As the track curved upward, Falcon lined himself up with a landmine. "Let's hope this works."

As Falcon sped towards the landmine, he glanced in his rear-view monitor. The Blood Hawk was right behind him, gaining ground quickly. Falcon grit his teeth, and tightened his grip on the control column. Just as the nose of the Blue Falcon came within meters of the landmine, Falcon swerved away. The Blood Hawk went soaring into the mine, triggering it in a deafening explosion. The track shook as the Blood Hawk shot along the road like a fireball, zooming past Falcon as its engines flamed out. "This isn't over, Falcon!" Blood screamed over the radio, as the Blood Hawk dropped from the track and smashed into the ground below.

The Blue Falcon coasted to a stop by the cavern entrance, as Falcon's heart began drumming slower towards normal again. The canopy raised, and Falcon hastily leapt out onto the road. "Jody!" Falcon exclaimed as he rushed inside.

Jody, kneeling as she massaged her ankle, looked up. "Falcon! You made it!"

As Jody tried to stand up, she suddenly dropped back to her knee. "Are you okay?" Falcon asked, kneeling beside her.

Jody groaned. "Yeah, I'll be fine," She said, "that cuff was way too tight."

Falcon pulled her arm across his shoulders, and hoisted her up. "Let's get out of here," he said, helping Jody towards the exit.

As he and Jody limped towards the Blue Falcon, Jody suddenly perked up. "What was that?" She asked.

"What was what?"

"I thought I heard something, but-" Jody shook her head, "Maybe that's just stress talking."

Suddenly, a roar came from the distance behind them. Falcon and Jody turned around, and stared in shock as a Blood Hawk pulled up towards them, followed by several more. The windscreen of the lead Blood Hawk popped open, and a familiar face smirked at them. "Thought you'd seen the last of me, Falcon?"

"Blood Falcon!" Jody gasped. Jody whispered to Falcon, "I thought you would have-"

"I did," Falcon whispered back.

"Oh, you did," Said Blood, stretching out in his seat, "but that wasn't me."

"Then who-?"

The windscreens of the other Blood Hawks opened. Falcon and Jody gasped. Staring back at them were Blood Falcon after Blood Falcon, each identical to the ones beside them. The Blood Falcon in front of them cackled loudly. "Surprise!" He laughed. "Didn't see this one coming, did you?"

"What the hell is going on here?" Falcon demanded.

The Blood Falcon put his feet up on his dashboard. "Let me tell you a little story," He said. "When Shadow took your genetic sample, he created us to help him take you down. If one of us died, there would be another Blood Falcon to take his place. Me? I'm actually the fourth in line."

"And everything that's happened now, after Shadow's death, that's been one of his schemes?"

"Actually, that was ours. Well, the third Blood Falcon's. He'd be here now if you hadn't killed him at the last GP."

Falcon gagged. "I killed-?"

The Blood Falcon laughed again. "And you didn't even know! That's the beauty of it all!"

Jody snarled. "You twisted... monster!"

The Blood Falcon shrugged. "Black Shadow may be dead, but our mission is the same. Take you down by any means possible. Of course, with all the toys we have at our disposal now, we could have just nuked Mute City ten times over, but where's the fun in that?"

"The whole thing with Lily," Falcon said, "That was part of your plan?"

"We spent three months trying to get into Shadow's systems. We knew what was on the stick, but we couldn't crack the security. We needed a little... help, courtesy of Federation Intelligence."

"You mean, you disabled the network encryption?" Jody asked, surprised. "Just to bait us into breaking in for you?"

The Blood Falcon grinned. "We made an educated guess that your eggheads had devised a decoding algorithm if such an opportunity came around. And we were right!" The Blood Falcon howled with laughter. "Sending a little girl to fetch a prize you never knew what was inside of? Hah! I should have taken the Federation to a dog show, had I known it would be so easy to get you to jump though hoops!"

Falcon had to hold Jody back. "You-! You son of a-!"

"Jody, get in," Said Falcon, "we need to go. Now."

The Blood Falcons laughed as Falcon and Jody climbed into the Blue Falcon's cockpit. "Yeah, run away, Falcon," The Blood Falcon taunted as the Blue Falcon's windscreen closed, the machine lifting up and turning around towards the exit runway, "see how far that gets you!"

Falcon grimaced, staring at the darkened tunnel ahead. "Hang on tight, Jody," He said, "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

[Mewfour]

Chapter 8- Flight of the Falcons

Falcon stomped on the accelerator, and the Blue Falcon took off with a mighty roar. Hurdling down the exit road, Falcon looked at the rear view monitor. The horde of Blood Hawks were right behind him, keeping a hot pursuit on his heels. The slim stream of smoke spilling from the Blue Falcon's hood left a trail behind them, as alarms began to flash around the cockpit. A pack of Blood Hawks pulled up beside him, and one took a swerving swipe at the hull. Falcon swerved away, narrowly missing the Blood Hawk's attack. The large steel spikes embedded in the road ahead still created the same bottleneck as before. "We can't risk trying to thread between them," Said Falcon, "we're taking a detour!"

The road ahead split in two, and Falcon waited until the last moment before whipping the control sticks left, down the clear track. A handful of Blood Hawks skidded as they tried to follow, but ended up slamming into the spikes in a burst of flames. Wobbling as he tried to control the Blue Falcon, another Blood Hawk surged ahead of them, and stomped on its brakes, spinning wildly. Falcon grit his teeth and flung the controls right, curving around the red tornado as he and Jody kept barreling along the track.

Suddenly, the Blue Falcon lurched. Another Blood Hawk had just sped into the Blue Falcon's tail, and the alarms in the cockpit intensified. "We're losing power!" Jody exclaimed. "How many of them are there?"

"Too many," Falcon growled as a cloud of red machines formed in front of them.

Jody muttered quietly under her breath, before saying, "Don't go down without a fight."

The tunnel roared with the sounds of thrusters racing down the track. More and more Blood Hawks pulled in front of them, forming a solid wall. "Hang on!" Said Falcon, destabilizing the G-diffusers. The Blue Falcon spun like a hurricane, smashing into the crowd of machines. When the Blue Falcon straightened out again, a sharp left turn greeted them. Falcon banked his machine into the turn as they skidded along, the sudden turn causing the G-diffusers to lose their grip, sending the Blue Falcon into a power slide. The tail fins of the Blue Falcon scraped along the guardrails, showering the Blood Hawks behind them with sparks. Just as Falcon got the skid under control, a Blood Hawk came zooming up beside them, smashing into the Blue Falcon's hull. More smoke billowed from the hood, and the alarms grew deafening. Falcon grit his teeth. "They're not getting us alive."

Suddenly, a flash of pink swept past them. "What was that?" Jody asked.

Falcon looked at the rear view monitor, and gasped. "Goroh!"

The Fire Stingray sunk into the middle of the pack of Blood Hawks behind him, and soon a cacophony of crunching hulls echoed in the tunnel. "I'll thin out the herd," Came Goroh's voice over the radio, "you just focus on getting out!"

"Goroh, what are you doing here?"

"I owe you one, Falcon, and I'm not going to stay in your debt forever!"

An explosion rocked the tunnel from behind them. "You don't have to do this, Goroh!" Falcon pleaded, "It's suicide!"

Goroh laughed. "I should be so lucky! But this time, I brought some help!"

Falcon looked ahead, just in time to see a streak of red zoom past him. Super Arrow suddenly appeared in the rear view monitor, planting his fist in the hood of a Blood Hawk, splitting it in two. The two halves careened into the Blood Hawks beside them, running them off the road in a shower of flames. With his bare hands, Arrow caught the tail fins of another Blood Hawk, holding it in place as the thrusters screamed. With a roar, Arrow pivoted around and swung the Blood Hawk like a giant baseball bat, cutting a swathe though the pack of Blood Hawks with a single swing.

As the carnage between Goroh and Arrow continued, Jody asked, "You called for backup?"

Falcon shook his head. "Not me."

"Then who-?"

Falcon's eyes met with the end of the tunnel, and perched above the Underworld's entrance was Pico, sniper rifle in hand. Falcon could make out a quick salute coming from the assassin as the Blue Falcon raced out of the Underworld. Pico then hoisted up his rifle, put the stock to his shoulder, and fired a round into the crowd. A Blood Hawk's windscreen shattered, and it wobbled wildly before tipping and tumbling down the track. Another shot, and another Blood Hawk suddenly burst into flames.

Falcon glanced at the rear view monitor. Not a Blood Hawk in sight. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the Blue Falcon raced down the road. "That was too close-"

Jody suddenly pointed at the road ahead. "Falcon! Look! The bridge!"

Falcon zoomed in with his visor, and saw the bridge to the outside world, with a gaping hole in between its two ends, and a Blood Hawk heading at him from the other side. Inside the Blood Hawk's cockpit, a Blood Falcon cackled. "Die, Falcon!" He screamed, zooming towards the bridge.

Falcon glanced over his shoulder. "Can't turn back, can't stop, only one thing we can do."

Jody tightened her grip on the back of Falcon's seat. "Are you seriously going to-?"

"Hang on."

Falcon boosted the engines. The Blue Falcon surged ahead, and the hood began to spew a cloud of smoke. The flashing red alarms blared louder, as the two machines converged on the bridge. As the Blue Falcon launched off of one end, the Blood Hawk launched off the other, and the machines flew towards each other at blistering speed. Just as the noses of the machines came within meters of each other, Falcon pulled the control column up. The Blue Falcon's nose lifted, and the G-diffusers slid across the top of the Blood Hawk, bouncing it off the roof and onto the other side of the bridge. The Blood Hawk plummeted to the gorge below, erupting in a flash of fire as it slammed into the rocky wall.

Falcon slowed, and the Blue Falcon came to a gentle stop. Falcon switched off the engine alarms, leaving only the faint crackle of the burning Blood Hawk behind them to fill the air. Jody glanced at Falcon. "Is it... really over?"

Falcon took a look around with his visor's zoom. "It's over."

As Jody breathed a sigh of relief, the Blue Falcon's console began to beep. Falcon and Jody locked their eyes on it. A message icon had popped onto the screen. Falcon and Jody glanced at each other, before Falcon tapped the screen. A screen popped up, and a sentence began to scroll across:

"I'll be back."

Jody felt a shiver run down her spine. Falcon looked up, and stared at the road ahead. "And I'll be waiting."

************

A/N: But wait! It's not done yet! There's an epilogue coming up next!

[Mewfour]

Epilogue- As Fate Would Have It

The Rainbow Phoenix came to a gliding stop, just in front of the shack of the barren desert planet. "There's a communicator array inside," he said, looking over his shoulder as the windscreen of the Rainbow Phoenix popped open, "This is where you get off."

The large, shadowy figure in the rear seat behind him grinned. "I suppose a show of gratitude is in order."

Phoenix only snorted. "Don't mistake my actions for altruism, villain," He grumbled. "If it were up to me, you would have been left to float in space." Phoenix sighed bitterly. "But apparently, that's not your destiny."

The stranger chuckled, amused. "Duty or not, time-rider," He said, "I'm not a man who forgets his debts."

"I want no favors from you. Get out."

The shadow of a man climbed out of the back seat, and hopped onto the ground. "As you wish."

"Now go," Said Phoenix as the Rainbow Phoenix's canopy began to close, "go and do whatever it is you do that saves the universe, Black Shadow."

*******

And there we are! We're done!