Chapter Text
The live studio audience clapped and cheered as the camera turned from them towards the stage where the late-night host sat behind his desk. A smile and a laugh before sipping from his coffee cup. The lion’s smile widened into a grin, “And welcome back! We’re here with the ever-so-lovely Ante Lope! We left off when we were about to discuss what it was like working with the Star Fox team! Could you tell us about that, go into how it worked?"
"Why, of course, Linus! Keep in mind I've got that contract they had me sign, some things can not be disclosed," Ante Lope said with a wink. "But they were very nice to me, I especially enjoyed Fox McCloud's company."
"Did something special spark between you and him?" Linus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as the crowd laughed, one of the audience members whistling.
"Oh, good heavens no. As handsome as he is, he appears very work-oriented. A little too work-oriented for my tastes. I wouldn't have minded a night with him though," Ante giggled, "He is very strong, surprising for as short as he is."
"Short?!"
"I'd say he came up to my shoulder," Ante feigned obliviousness. Linus and the crowd cackled at the comment. "But he could easily take down a rhino with one hand tied behind his back."
"Very impressive indeed," Linus said, "Now, did you get to actually have a conversation with him?"
"I did, we talked about random things. The conversation always somehow got back to the Lylat Wars and I think the poor thing's got it wrapped around him tight. Can't escape from it. He gets so stressed," Ante pouted, sticking out her lower lip.
"What did you talk about with the Lylat Wars?"
"Well, we drifted from the Arwings to where battles took place, and then it got very interesting. We talked about Wolf O'Donnell and I tell you, Fox's entire demeanor changed," Ante got closer to Linus and lowered the volume of her voice.
"How so?"
"I tell you, I pick up on things very easily, practically a gift. The way his eyes became filled with this storm and he seemed awed and afraid of Wolf O'Donnell. They've got a clear connection to each other that runs deeper than anything you or I have experienced."
"What's that connection?" Linus asked, "I'm very curious."
"I believe Fox McCloud and Wolf O'Donnell are dating."
The audience gasped and erupted into excited and confused chatter. Linus blinked, "You mean as in boyfriends?"
"Absolutely. Now Fox never explicitly told me, but I recognize that connection anywhere. They've got to be dating!" Ante gently knocked her fist on the arm of her seat.
"I suppose we won't ever truly know unless Fox says something himself," Linus said. "We could certainly bring him on here, right folks?"
The audience cheered.
Fox angrily switched off the broadcast and whipped around towards his team. "SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT!"
"Fox-" Peppy began.
"How DARE she?! I never once said anything about being even remotely interested in the IDEA of dating Wolf! I told her we were rivals and it was complicated because Wolf and I hardly know each other but we do in a way! That was it!" Fox paced as he ranted. "This is going to start rumors if it hasn't already and I'm NEVER going to hear the end of it!"
"Then say it's not true!" Falco said, "And if people don't believe you, that's their problem!"
"Yeah, but even if I deny it if it circulates enough I'm going to have Corneria on my ASS because I COULD be kissing and telling the most wanted man in the Lylat System all of their precious secrets!" Fox sneered.
"Aight, jeez!" Falco put up his hands, "Calm down!"
Fox inhaled deeply and sharply and held his breath. He forced himself to slowly exhale.
"You good?" Slippy asked.
"Just peachy," Fox sighed and pinched the bridge of his snout. "I've got a headache."
"We'll figure this out tomorrow, alright? If people believe what she says and it becomes an issue, we'll go from there," Peppy assured.
"Fine," Fox said, "Fine…"
"It'll be okay Fox," Falco stood from where he was sitting on the arm of their sofa and put a hand on Fox's shoulder. "I gotta say, I am curious what Wolf's reaction is gonna be."
"I bet he's blowing a fuse," Slippy said, holding back a laugh.
Fox snorted at the thought, "Probably pissed his pants."
"I thought you were gonna, not gonna lie," Falco elbowed Fox's chest.
"Ah, shove it."
"Boys, enough. Go get ready for bed," Peppy scolded.
"Sorry," The three young men said in unison. They left and headed to their quarters. As they walked down the hall, Fox stopped.
"Would Wolf even know? I don't think he'd be the type of guy to watch celebrity interviews."
"He'll find out walking by someone in like, 10 years and overhearing them talk about what a dumb thing it was," Falco chuckled.
"Yeah, or he hopefully won't care," Slippy said.
"And if he does know and cares?"
"I'll kick his good eye," Falco said.
"I'll hold you to that," Fox smirked. The pit in Fox's stomach had never lessened since his brief moment of anger just minutes before. Fox refused to admit that he was scared of Wolf. Fox always beat Wolf, he had no reason to be scared, he told himself. But Wolf always got close, too close for comfort. And he'd never met Wolf in person, let alone hold his hand or kiss him. Fox's mind imagined Wolf being much taller and much more muscular, a hulking figure with an intimidating presence that was enough to cast a shadow over everyone around him. But whether that was true, Fox didn't know. It was his mind running away from him.
He needed to stop, get some sleep. Who knew what Wolf was up to, and Fox didn't have time to stay up and wonder.
In the Meteo Asteroid Belt, in a formerly abandoned space station, Wolf O'Donnell laid passed out, drooling onto his pillow as he snored, blissfully unaware of everything happening in the Lylat System, and especially of the live broadcasts involving Cornerian celebrities and their rumors about him and Fox McCloud's supposed dating life.
Wolf awoke with a snort. He sat up with a long groan and rubbed his eye. He'd long since gotten himself to stop rubbing the empty socket on his left side. Wolf yawned and stretched out his arms, scratching his shoulder. Nothing of importance came to his mind about the day, therefore he must have the day off. It was a rare occurrence, especially with the Sargasso Space Zone newly under his thumb.
A knock at his door. Wolf sighed and forced himself out of bed. He grabbed his eyepatch off of the nightstand and once it was in place, he sighed. He shuffled his feet over to the door and opened it. Andrew jumped at the sight of his disheveled, half-awake boss.
"Uhhh-" Andrew stared.
"What." Wolf's voice cracked.
"There's… uhh, something you gotta see, it's… bad."
"How bad?"
"Really really bad."
Wolf huffed, "Fine, lemme get dressed," he drawled. "Come in."
Andrew nervously stepped inside, the door shutting behind him as Wolf went over to his closet and rummaged through for something to wear. He wasn't in the mood for his Star Wolf jacket. Not with his day off, which Andrew apparently deemed unimportant because of something really really bad.
"What's so bad that's got your panties in a twist?" Wolf asked. He pulled out a dark purple turtleneck sweater. This was good. The next question was now what to wear for pants…
"It's… so… y'know those stupid Cornerian talk shows, with all the famous people?"
"Mhmm, what did someone make a lame joke about me?" Wolf rolled his eye. He smirked as Andrew stomped his foot.
" No. I'm being serious Wolf! This is a matter of life and death!"
Wolf pulled out a pair of black overalls. Perfect. He couldn't help but laugh, "Sure."
"Ante Lope was interviewed last night and she talked about hiring Star Fox…" Andrew shifted anxiously from foot to foot. "And uhm, she said she talked with… Fox."
Andrew paused and turned away, a blush filling his face as Wolf undressed. Wolf snorted and shook his head as he slipped the turtleneck on, it shaping nicely around his strong form. Wolf knew Andrew well enough that it was embarrassment more out of respect rather than anything sort of a crush. But it was still fun to tease about.
"What, don't like my outfit?" Wolf put a foot up on the bed and gestured to his stunning turtleneck and boxer brief combination.
"Put on some pants!" Andrew nearly shrieked. "God damn it."
"What did that lady and Fox talk about that's so important I gotta know?" Wolf put on the overalls. He looked at himself in the mirror. Not bad. Maybe he'd put some earrings in.
"She said they talked about you."
"And I've talked about Fox to famous people too. Not Corneria famous but y'know, mobsters," Wolf shrugged. He looked into the mirror again and adjusted his eyepatch.
"She said Fox got a type of way and I… she said she's sure you guys are…" Andrew trailed off and whined.
"We're… what?"
"Dating."
Wolf paused. "Repeat that?"
"She said she's sure you guys are dating," Andrew spat, "Eugh."
"Okay," Wolf took a deep breath in and exhaled. He wouldn't get pissed. This was his day off. A day for himself to relax, not get so worked up.
"And uhm… people are believing it… uhh, prepare yourself for when you head down," Andrew bit his lower lip.
"I know the majority of the lot here are idiots but they can't be that stupid," Wolf said, slipping on his boots. "And if they are, they'll get what's coming to 'em."
Wolf walked out of his room with Andrew close behind, stuttering out warnings that fell on deaf ears. Wolf padded through Star Wolf's living room, Pigma darting out of the kitchen and falling in step with Wolf and Andrew.
"Boss, yer reeeeally not gonna wanna go down there, what with ya having Fox McCloud as yer boyfriend," Pigma cackled.
Wolf glared at the swine. He pressed the button for the elevator and sighed. The headache behind his eye was already forming and that ruined his mood even further. "I was supposed to have the day off."
"Then how's about we get Leon and get outta here for the day, eh?" Pigma gave Wolf a clap on the shoulder.
"Maybe," The doors to the elevator opened with the three stepping inside. "Where is Leon?"
"Uhm, trying to keep everything down there under control," Andrew said, "He seemed to be getting all of them to quiet down but I still wanted to get you."
Wolf huffed, "I'm gonna really hear it aren't I?"
"Oh, without a doubt," Wolf took note of the delight in Pigma's voice.
"Something funny to ya, Pigma?"
"Just waiting and seeing what's gonna unfold," Pigma said.
The doors opened to the main floor of the station. Whatever chaos Andrew had alluded to appeared to have dissipated. People were sitting at tables, walking and talking, carrying boxes. It looked normal. Wolf scanned the room for Leon. The vibrant chameleon stood out in a crowd of apes, who surrounded him.
Wolf sprinted over, "HEY! Backoff!" He shoved two apes away from Leon. He saw Leon had one of his knives drawn. That wasn't good.
"Hey, Wolf, how's it going?" One of the apes said happily.
"Shove it," Wolf snapped, "The hell's going on?" He asked Leon.
"Nothing that is of your concern, Wolf," Leon tried. He always tried. He wanted to protect Wolf always, but Wolf always shut that down when he could. It wasn't fair how Leon and Andrew or even sometimes Pigma would throw themselves in front of Wolf the first chance they got when something happened.
"Leon," Wolf began.
"We were simply mindin' our business when yer buddy here got all up in our faces," An ape said. He had a nasty yellow smile combined with a malicious glint in his eyes that made Wolf turn his lip up in disgust.
"It was their discussion that drew my attention," Leon said, glaring at the apes.
"Lemme guess," Wolf sighed, "They were talking about me and McCloud."
"HA! BINGO! Can't say I'm surprised, pretty sure you've been trying to tap that ass since ya met him," The ape clapped Wolf's shoulder.
Wolf snarled and grabbed the ape's arm, lifting him over his head and slamming him on the ground. It was slightly difficult given the ape being a head taller than him but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. An example had to be made. He twisted the ape's arm, the cracking of the bones effectively doing their job. The other apes backed away and immediately changed their demeanor.
Wolf let go of the ape's arm, "Listen here, I might still be new at being in charge, but you will not treat me like one of your buddies. You will not treat my team and I like we're nothing. You will treat us with the respect we deserve, otherwise your arms won't be the only parts of ya that are gonna break. You will refer to me as Lord O'Donnell. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yessir," The apes said in unison.
"Good. As for this McCloud business, I've never met him in person let alone want to, how'd you say… 'tap his ass'."
"Um, Wolf, I think he said 'tap that ass," Andrew said quietly.
"I don't care," Wolf said, exasperated. He redirected his attention to the apes. "Shut your traps about it. I'm not dating him, we aren't boyfriends, and I sure as hell never intend to be. I want his tail as an ornament on my ship, I want him to piss off and keep licking General Pepper's boots," Wolf turned to leave, "And make sure everyone else knows that."
"Yes, Boss," The ape with the horrible smile and now cowering fear in his eyes said.
Wolf snarled and growled for extra measure. The apes jolted away. Wolf laughed evilly, "Now fuck off."
The apes quickly scurried away from Wolf. Wolf looked at Leon. "What?"
Leon choked on a laugh, "Nothing."
"Shut up it wasn't that funny," Wolf gave Leon a soft punch on the shoulder, "And I appreciate ya standing up for me, you don't have to," It was the closest Wolf could do to giving affection. He would love to be able to do it properly, but this was all he could muster. The weight in his mind that manifested itself in his entire body held him back.
"Even if I did not have to, I wanted to," Leon stated firmly. One look and Wolf knew Leon wasn't going to budge on what he did. Wolf knew if his and Leon's positions were switched, he would've done the same.
"Fine…" Wolf said with a wave, "The three of you come with me, I'm heading to the bridge. I'm guessing you've already done the daily inspections?"
The way his teammates shifted and looked away was more than enough answer.
"You've all checked the engine room?"
No answer.
"You've at least," Wolf gritted his teeth as he spoke, " At least, made sure the artificial oxygen is running properly?"
Andrew's face scrunched uncomfortably as he shook his head, "No." Finally an answer. Not the one Wolf wanted to hear.
"Come on," Wolf led them to the elevator again. Once the doors shut, he turned to them and crossed his arms.
"You three agreed you'd help out around here."
"Aw c'mon, we're not used to it yet," Pigma rolled his eyes. "We've only been here a few months now and you've only been in charge for wut, two of 'em?"
"I don't give a shit, you've got to force yourselves to help out in keeping this station operational. Especially on days like these, that I'm supposed to have off. " Wolf's voice grew harsher as he spoke, "I need to count on ya for this, I might have placed myself in charge of the entire place but that doesn't mean I can be everywhere at once!"
Leon and Andrew had the decency to show their guilt. Pigma stood, stone-faced. Wolf knew him well enough. He felt guilty too. Good.
"Especially with whatever this McCloud nonsense is until we get outta here I'm gonna be probably dealing with that constantly and I can't be distracted and running the station at the same time," The thought of it made the temples of Wolf's head dully ache.
"We'll do better to help out, promise," Andrew said.
Wolf took a deep breath and sighed, "You better."
"Hey, Wolf."
"Yes, Andrew?"
"How come you get to be called Lord O'Donnell and we don't get any titles?" Andrew asked.
Wolf laughed, "Why, you wanna be called Heir to the Androssian Empire, Andrew Oikonny? Is that it?"
Andrew's ears turned a darker shade of red, " No! "
"Liar," Wolf said, "But you three don't get titles 'cause if we all did, then I wouldn't be the one in charge, would I? The three of ya still work for me."
Andrew frowned, "I guess."
"We might be workin' for ya but no way in hell am I gonna call you Lord O'Donnell," Pigma cackled, "Yer tryin' too hard."
"And you're a lazy, boneheaded waste of air," Wolf said coolly.
"Whatever," Pigma continued to laugh, "I pull my weight more than the two of them."
"Which isn't much," Wolf said. He hid his smirk as Pigma gawked at him.
"Hey," Pigma whined.
The elevator doors opened to the bridge.
"Lord O'Donnell!" A small gecko ran to them as the Star Wolf team stepped inside. "Thank goodness you're here, we were about to call you!"
"What's happening?" Wolf straightened his posture. He followed the gecko, Ari, to her station. She pointed to her screen.
"We've received a message from an unknown source. They've sent multiple and it won't let me see who they're from."
"Lemme see," Wolf looked. There was a string of messages. He looked to see they all said UNKNOWN SENDER with the usual call numbers unavailable. He turned to Ari, giving her a sheepish smile. Ari's large golden eyes bore into him. He might have a soft spot for her. And maybe a few of the others who worked full time on the bridge. Why shouldn't he? They did everything Star Wolf couldn't.
"The number's just blocked is all," Wolf said softly to her.
"Oh!" Ari quickly typed and found a list of blocked numbers. "Which one?"
"Unblock Star Fox's number," Leon ordered.
"Star Fox? Are you sure?" Ari asked, a twinge of fear in her voice. She was a gentle thing and stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the rougher inhabitants of the station. Wolf felt sorry for her. But she did her job well.
"Do it," Wolf said.
Ari opened Star Fox's number and unblocked them. The messages opened. Wolf groaned. He hated that Leon was right. Wolf carefully read the messages, six in total, varying in length.
"What do they say?" Ari asked.
"Fox is asking me to meet with him," Wolf said.
"What?! You can't go meeting with Fox McCloud! Is he crazy?!" Andrew shouted. Pigma gave him a good whack on the shoulder to silence him.
"Don't go drawin' attention to us! Especially with this," Pigma hissed. Andrew blew air out of his nose.
"Seriously Wolf, don't."
"He's asking to meet on Papetoon, he sent coordinates, I think that's in the middle of the desert," Wolf ignored Andrew's pleas, "I should make it there in about three days."
"You are not going all the way out there alone!" Leon jabbed a finger into Wolf's chest.
"Fox wants me to go alone, he's gonna be alone as well," Wolf said.
"This ain't about that stupid you two are dating thing, is it?" Pigma asked.
Wolf shrugged. "So what if it is?"
"What the hell did he say that's got you already deciding to head out there?" Pigma pushed past Andrew and Leon. He shouldered Wolf aside and read the messages out loud.
"Wolf, this is Fox McCloud, I'm contacting you due to what happened last night on a Cornerian talk show. A celebrity I was recently hired by to act as a bodyguard said that she believes you and I are in a romantic relationship," Pigma glared at Wolf as he read. "Due to this, I have woken up to messages from around the Lylat System from former clients as well as members of the Cornerian military and higher-ups in the government. This is putting me and my team at RISK as the rumor has spread so rapidly, there's already talk that I've been giving you highly classified information from back during the Lylat Wars. As utterly ridiculous as this is, I need you to contact me as soon as possible, Fox McCloud."
Leon scoffed, "So what if he's getting in trouble? It gets him and his little team out of our way."
Pigma skimmed through the next messages, "Blah, blah, blah, more shit about Corneria on his ass, blah blah blah, hurry up and contact me, blah blah… I will make you an offer: meet me at these exact coordinates on the planet Papetoon. It's easier to discuss this in person than over messages which can be easily tracked and saved."
"I don't know what else to do, my team isn't offering the best ideas and I need to figure this out. You're the other one dealing with this and if I can somehow also help you and your team get this flack off of you, I will. Please contact me ASAP, Fox McCloud."
"Oh, great, he's desperate," Leon rolled his eyes.
"He must be getting a lot of shit about this if he's this antsy," Pigma chuckled.
"That's why I'm going… plus if he gets into trouble, especially now that he's blatantly made contact with me specifically with not only his team's call number but also to Sargasso's call number, it puts us at risk. I don't need Corneria taking over my colony," Wolf said. "Thank you, Ari, I'll be replying to McCloud myself in private," He gave her a pat on the shoulder.
Ari nodded and scurried away back to work. Wolf went to walk back to the elevator. His ears swiveled back as he heard footsteps follow. "Woah, woah, the three of ya aren't coming."
The Star Wolf members stopped dead in their tracks. "Excuse me?" Leon asked.
"The three of ya still got to do daily inspections since those weren't done earlier. And I said I was gonna message McCloud, in private. But as soon as I respond to him, I'm gonna head out to Papetoon. I'll be sure to pack enough food and water for the trip before the three of ya get all up on my ass about that," Wolf stepped inside the elevator.
"I don't trust him," Leon sneered.
"Neither do I. But it's talking to him or have Corneria arrest him and we get caught too," Wolf said. "I'll be back."
The doors to the elevator began to close.
"ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH YER BOYFRIEND!" Pigma shouted after Wolf. Wolf snarled and punched the door. The elevator moved upwards towards Star Wolf's residential area.
Wolf opened his communicator and wrote a response to Fox.
You shouldn't have contacted me through Sargasso's communications. If you're really getting this much shit for this, now you contacting me has put a huge target on my home. I'll meet you at Papetoon where you said, it's about a three-day trip for me. I'll be waiting.
Wolf O'Donnell
He sent it and made a beeline to his room. He packed a small bag with clothes, ration packs, and water. Three days to get there, he'd refuel at Papetoon, and three days to get back. He'd made longer trips in the Wolfen during the Lylat Wars, he thought to himself. This would be easy.
Wolf moved hurriedly to the hangar, hearing snickers and jeers as he passed by the residents of Sargasso. Wolf picked up his pace more. Maybe they did need to figure this out sooner than later.
"Is my Wolfen prepared?!" Wolf barked at the mechanics.
"Yes, Boss!" The head mechanic, a lemur, saluted. Wolf couldn't remember their name. He was still struggling to learn the names of his new… employees.
"I'm heading out for about a week or so, try not to burn anything down while I'm gone," Wolf climbed up to the cockpit of his Wolfen.
"Are you going out to see your BOYFRIEND?" A nearby opossum shouted. A disheveled-looking fellow who was missing a canine tooth.
The attention in the hangar turned to Wolf. Wolf scowled. "No, I am not. I don't got a boyfriend!"
"Well, enjoy running off and kissing Fox McCloud, your totally-not-boyfriend!" Wolf couldn't tell who shouted it. The hangar erupted in laughter.
Wolf let out a loud, gruff bark. The sound echoed through the hangar, silencing any laughter that was in it. He stared down at the mechanics. "One more word about McCloud and your skins will be hanging on my wall. Now get back to work!"
Wolf climbed into his Wolfen and immediately closed the cockpit. He wanted to get out of there. Papetoon was supposed to have nice small, quiet vacation spots. Perhaps he could take an extra day and get the day off he was supposed to have. Wolf slammed forward the controls and rocketed out of the hangar, setting the course for Papetoon. He plugged in the exact coordinates Fox had sent. His communicator pinged. A response from the aforementioned vulpine.
Ah jeez. Alright, I'll get there in about the same amount of time. I'll see you then.
Fox McCloud
Wolf felt his heart skip a beat. He was nervous? No, he couldn't be. There was no reason for him to be nervous. He was simply meeting his sworn archrival in person for the first time. The man who proved to be the only one better than Wolf at what they did. And a better person in general. Wolf gripped the controls tighter. He tried to imagine that Fox was much shorter and skinnier than himself. Large eyes, very childish. Whiney like an army brat. But it couldn't and didn't match the firm voice he'd heard over the communications channels during their battles. That sharp, stern voice that Wolf envied because of the power it held. Wolf felt his eye twitch.
This was going to be a long flight.