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Shattered

Chapter I

Fox hated mornings. His wrist communicator began to buzz angrily from its resting place on the end table next to his bed aboard The Great Fox. He tiredly pressed the button "Fox here." He yawned his muzzle still pressed into his pillow.

"Fox this is General Pepper." The old bloodhound said as his voice emanated from the small wrist device.

"Pepper, sir what can I do for you today?" Fox mumbled as he looked to the digital clock on his nightstand. 'Huh it's 7:30 that's a little early for a normal call'. Fox thought to himself.

"I have a job for you, double the standard pay." Pepper offered.

"Double standard pay! Why so much?" Fox inquired.

"I need you and your crew to go to Beltino Industries and provide security for the demonstration of a revolutionary leap in teleporter technology."

"Teleport tech?"

"Yes if this demo goes off without a hitch we might might be able to send living things through the teleporter matrices."

"Really." Fox muttered as he thought of the ramifications.

"Indeed, I don't think I have to tell you all the military and economical applications."

"No you don't sir, I'll take the job. When do you need us to be there?" Fox asked already getting out of bed and preparing.

"You have two hours, a car will be waiting at the starport." Pepper replied before he ended the call.

After talking with Pepper Fox spent little time getting ready for the day before rushing out of his quarters and into the hallway. "ROB," he spoke in to his wrist comm. "Wake up the others and tell them to meet me on the bridge."

"ORDERS RECEIVED." The monotone voice of the ships robot replied.

With that taken care of Fox sped on to the bridge and sat down in his captains chair. He waited for half an hour before the others finally decide to show.

The first person to walk in was Falco. The blue and red avian swaggered into the bridge before sitting down at the tactical console and putting his boot clad feet on it. "Sup Fox."

"What took so long!" Fox growled.

"I was sleeping and I can't be rushed." Falco scoffed.

"Well I guess you don't want to go on the next job for double pay." Fox sighed before turning away.

"DOUBLE PAY!" Why didn't you say so Falco exclaimed. "Let's go!"

"Do you even know where?" Fox asked his over enthusiastic friend.

"No but with that kind of pay it doesn't matters." Falco said stubbornly.

While they were having a friendly argument Slippy and Peppy walked in and took their seats ignoring the pairs antics as they had grown accustomed to it in their long friendship.

"So..." Slippy drawled grabbing the vulpine's attention "what's the plan Fox?"

Fox and Falco stopped their bickering and went back to business. "Pepper hired us as security for a demonstration at your fathers company."

"Really I get to see dad!" Slippy said excitedly.

"That's right Slippy, although I expect you to act professionally." Fox warned.

"Of course Fox I'll be the professionalist."

"Thats not a real word." Falco scoffed.

"Cut it out Falco." Peppy scolded.

At that the blue vixen Krystal walked. She was a tall lithe vixen with a long luxurious fluffy tail and long ears. Her emerald green eyes looked as if they could peer into your mind....which of course they could. She was a telepath from the destroyed world of Cerinian. Fox found her on Sauria and saved her. They have been family ever since.

"Hey guys." She greeted in her velvety soft voice.

"Hey Krys." Fox said. "Glad to see your up.

"Yes well even though I need my beauty sleep I came because you called."

"That's good to hear I have news, Pepper has just given me our next contract." He informed his friends, Falco already aware. "It's at Beltino Industries."

"Well then when do we leave?" Krystal asked.

"The Great Fox is already heading to the starport and Pepper has a hovercar waiting for us when we land." He said laying out the plan.

"GREAT FOX DOCKING AT CORNERIA CENTRAL STARPORT." ROB announced, causing them to turn around and watch as the ship glided into port.

Corneria was a world covered in swaths of skyscrapers and apartment complexes. The wooded outskirts were home to the small residential communities for the people who disliked city life. The viewport moved as the ship aligned with its approach vector and they got a good look at the starport.

The starport was home to hundreds of ships that varied from small personal leisure craft to the huge military vessels grounded for repairs and maintenance. The Great Fox landed inbetween a small cornerian corvette and a carrier. After the ship lowered its landing gear and gracefully came to a stop ROB informed them that they had landed.

"All right guys let's get moving. We don't want to keep the general waiting." Fox ordered as he ushered them to the exit ramp. A few minutes later they found themselves standing outside of their ship to see a low hovering black car with tinted windows. Two lightly armored wolves were standing beside it with their arms crossed in front of them all in black and with tinted sunglasses. The pockets on their uniforms bulged ever so slightly with the buts of concealed weapons.

"Mccloud?" The one on the right asked.

"Yep legendary merc Fox Mccloud right here." Fox answered.

"Good please step into the vehicle." The one on the left said gesturing to a door he had just opened.

A little phased that they were so blunt the team quickly piled into he car. One of the wolves got in the back with them and the other started to drive.

"So...what's with all the secrecy?" Fox asked the wolf looked to him eyes hidden ebbing the shades he was still wearing.

"The teleporter prototype is a heavily guarded secret amongst the higher echelons of the government If any potential enemy were to get ahold of the device the repercussions would be...catastrophic."'the wolf answered swiftly and with little emotion.

"I see." Fox said seriously.

Slippy ever the chatterbox asked "so sir what's your name?"

The wolf directed his obscured gaze to the toad. Slippy began to squirm in his seat involuntarily. "My code name is Wraith, my real name can not be disclosed. It would put my family at risk."

"Oh....okay." Slippy muttered awkwardly. His awkwardness permeated the cabin and cut any hope for conversation as the hovercar sped to its destination barely obeying the laws of the skylanes.

Forty minutes later they were dropped off in front of Beltino Industries. With out delay Fox and the others went inside. At the front desk sat a thin doe in a secretaries outfit. "Welcome to Beltino Industries, where we make the impossible, possible. How can I help you today?" She asked in a cheery and energetic voice. Her name plate read Mary.

"Well Mary we are here to see Mr. Beltino." Fox answered.

"Ah Mr Fox Mccloud I have been informed of your arrival right this way please." The energetic doe motioned for them to follow her. She lead them down several corridors until they reached an elevator. They all crammed uncomfortably into a elevator that was only supposed to house four. Several close spaced minutes later the elevator opened with a ding. Judging by the time and movement of the elevator they were very deep below the surface. Mary took them to a room at the far end of the hallway and opened the door with a keycard. As she moved aside to let them in she said "Beltino is inside, goodbye." She turned around and walked back down the hallway until they lost sight of her. Looking at each other they walked inside.

The scientific amphibian was sitting at a large monitor with four assistants of varying race. Standing at the observation room was none other then General Pepper himself. Slippy ran over to his father while the rest went to join the aged bloodhound in the room. They walked into the room and took seats at the long white table placed in the middle of the room. "Welcome we've been waiting for you to arrive."

"We got here as soon as we could general." Fox defended.

"No worries Fox, I was just saying its good for you to be here."

"I don't mean to be rude general but why do you need starfox to provide security? You have plenty of soldiers up to the task." Falco questioned.

"They may be good soldiers but I trust you more." He answered.

"Thanks for the trust sir we won't let you down." Fox said who a smile.

"I'm sure you won't Fox, I'm sure you won't." Then all the guys started to talk amongst themselves. Krystal not wanting to be a part of the conversation wandered back down into the actual room that the scientists and Slippy were in and noticed Slippy talking with his father and decided to go to them.

"Wow so the particles fuse back together to recreate the original copy!" Slippy exclaimed with surprise.

"Yes so you see th-oh hello Krystal how nice of you to drop bye." Beltino addressed her as she made her presence known.

"Hey Krystal how it going?" Slippy added.

"Just fine, I wanted to see the machines thats all." She said while looking around at all the strange devices spread throughout the massive lab. She could see Fox and Pepper taking to each other in the observatory above them.

"That's nice, although we are about to start the machine Beltino said gesturing to the large spiral shaped object in the middle of he room.

"Oh please could I stay down here? I want to see it all up close." She pleaded.

"I don't know..." Beltino said unconvinced until he got hit full blast by the eyes of supplication she beaned him with. "Alright I don't see the harm in it." He said as he caved into her demand.

"yay!" She yipped excitedly happy tail rapidly swinging back and forth since her plan had worked.

"But you're going to have to move to the side with Slippy." He warned her.

"That's fine." Krystal replied as Slippy and herself moved so that they would no longer be in the way. Then they watched as Beltino and his assistants started the test.

"Beginning power transfer." A rabbit women said as she pressed a couple buttons on the computer in front of her.

"Power reaching max peak." The male lion assistant said from his corner of the room.

"Okay power at nominal levels and system reads one hundred percent functionality, beginning test." Beltino warned from his place at his monitor.

The spiraled device began to spin slowly and Krystal could see energy crackle as it flowed around the device.

"System reports green and all capacitors are running smoothly." The lion informed. "Initiating teleporter matrix."

The device spun faster and a loud noise began to leak into the air from the thing. "It's working sir! The teleporter in active!" the male bluejay at the main console reported loudly over the noise being generated by the object. "...wait something's wrong the field is fluctuating!" The bluejay yelled. "It's going to collapse!"

Krystal was by this time panicking as the room began to build up static charge and her fur started to stand up straight. Slippy was taking cover under a console so she joined him.

"It's going critical!" The lion warned before diving into cover. Just as the last person took cover there was a blinding flash of light and the room shook violently. After some time the shaking stopped and the light died down. Son the room was silent.

Ever the curios one Krystal was the first one out of hiding. She crawled out from under the ruined table and walked over to the device cautiously. It looked melted, as if it was out under a giant magnifying glass in the sun. It was glowing cherry hot and was dripping molten steel onto the tiled floor. She got closer to the object before she saw a flash of movement. Without warning she felt strong armored gauntlets wrap around her neck and pull her to the owners chest. She screamed in fear and could hear fox shout and running footsteps. She tried to struggle but she couldn't budge an inch. She tried a different tactic, she attempted to attack the assailants mind. She stopped her own attack. For when she tried to invade the persons mind all she could see was glowing symbols in a dark room. She didn't know what it meant but it made her feel sick and afraid.

"PUT HER DOWN!" She heard fox roar at the unknown attacker. She then felt the cold steel of a long serrated dagger press against her throat. This made her cry. She cried with big watery tears as she though she was about to die. Suddenly her captor released her. Confused she turned to face her temporary jailer. Standing in front of her was a very tall humanoid in segmented black armor. It was wearing some strange pendent that looked allot like the machine that had exploded. The helmet was fully concealing except for the vertical red glowing slits. They angled down slightly like an extended V. The armor the being was wearing had a strange patch on the side of its shoulder that read S.C.A.F. It was holding onto what must have been a pistol of some kind with a long barrel and a cylinder in he middle. She thought she heard a puzzled voice say "monsters don't cry."

"Get on the floor!" Fox shouted again pointing his blaster at the things head. Slowly Fox moved forward and grabbed Krystal's hand and dragged her behind him. By this time everyone else had either regained consciousness or came down from the observation room. Standing next to fox was General Pepper and Falco. Falco had his blaster out and pointing at the thing as well Pepper just looked at it curiously. The scientists and Peppy were in the back.

"I said get on the floor!" Fox shouted again.

The tall creature just stared at them. Without warning it fell to its knees, dropped its gun, which fell to the floor with an ominous bang, and put its head in its hands. Then it spoke. "They're all dead." The thing whispered in a male voice. "I couldn't save them. I promised them I would, I promised." It (or now a he) sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

The others now watched this menacing apparition whisper softly to himself. Krystal looked at her strange captor he looked so sad it broke her heart.

Fox and Falco had lowered their blasters and fox, being a nice guy walked to the man. "Hey...are you alright?" he asked softly.

The man stopped talking to himself, and slowly reached for his gun. Fox halted his steps forward and got ready to pull his out. The mysterious man picked up his gun and ponderously brought it up. Fox was about to draw when he saw the man continuing to raise his gun until the barrel rested under the chin of his helmet. They all looked on horrified. "Sir put the gun down." Fox said quietly.

The mans helmet turned to look Fox directly in the eye. "I failed them." He whispered before pulling the trigger.

"NOOO!" Fox shouted as he vainly tried to stop him in time.

CLICK

There was a soft click and Fox stopped. The man with the gun withdrew it from under his helm and looked at it. Soon afterwards it fell from numb fingers and hit the floor once more with a bang. The armored figure just sat there quietly not moving an inch. "Kill me." They heard him say after a minute "please just end it all."

Fox had a sad look on his face that was mirrored on everyone else's. "In sorry I can't." Fox said. The figure sighed got up and walked over to fox and stuck his arms out. Getting the message fox grabbed his hands and put them behind the guys back. Moments later a security team came and picked him up. They dragged the unresponsive man out into the hallway. Krystal stood with the others who hadn't moved yet. All she could think about was the stranger.