Author's note
Two more chapters left to go.

Chapter 9: Assembly Required

Mike and his pals are inside their plane, preparing to head off once the elevator is closed while they are being lifted up. The trio must make it to their destination now before the storm gets worst.
"Be careful. The JTWD has issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for the northeast Pacific ocean. Area of convection is located 5000 nautical miles east-northeast of Hawaii." A voice from the radio spoke. Mike, Gwen and Cameron gasps in alarm, coming out of the ship. That storm is getting intense! A jet flew off as it notices the flag. "Okay, Maximus sustained surface winds are currently estimated at..."
"Report to catapult two." A crew member said to two workers who rush off to the catapult to prepare to send Mike's plane a-going before it's too late. "Okay, this baby will take you from 0 to 160 knots in about 2 seconds."
As the lights are turned on, the plane begins to get hooked up to the catapult. Mike and his pals gasps in horror, "2 seconds," Are these people crazy or something?!
"Don't forget; climb straight once you get airborne." Another crew members advises Mike carefully. The boy must move his plane above the clouds to escape in one piece.
"Right, climb straight ahead." Mike said nervously. That would be easier said than done!
"So then what," Cameron ask the workers in concern.
"Get above the storm." The first worker finishes the instructions.
Gwen gulps as a catapult of some sort arrives at the back of the plane to launch it. She isn't worry about that; the Goth girl is worried about Mike because of his fear of heights.
Ling gives out instructions to Mike, "All right, engine full throttle. Now nod to the shooter when you're ready."
Mike nods nervously as he turns his plane on. Yao grins, giving a thumbs up to the boy while exclaiming, "Win it for the Star Fox, you guys; Volo Pro Veritas!"
"In other words, good luck." Chien-Po said gently. Mike, Gwen and Cameron gulps as they look at the runway ahead of them. The trio would be lucky to get off the ship in one piece than in that storm!
"Head Wind's good and so is the pressure." The engineer calls out, making Mike's group nod at him. "Go on cat two; And...GO!"
Mike and his pals scream, bracing themselves as the catapult soon push them right off the ship. The plane flies out into the skies, preparing to meet the storm head on.

"Mexico City, Mexico: Latitude 19' 25' N, Longitude 99' 08' W"

Most of the pilots for the race has arrived at the Mexico City stop...all but Mike who is still out there, braving that storm. While folks are waiting and hoping that he's okay, Burger is singing heartfeltingly with a mic while his brothers play instruments...of course, the beagle is singing badly, causing the crowd to mourn while Scott and Courtney cringes a bit.

Burger: (off-key) Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Most of the crowd sniffs a bit. Probably because of how touching the song is or the fact that it is finally over.
"Thanks, folks! I also do bar mitzvahs!" Burger exclaims with a smile. "Anyone got any requests for the next song?"
"Yeah! The 'Sound of Silence'," Courtney snaps to Burger in annoyance, "Ugh, honestly! Who let him sing?"
Just then reporters gather around the two. A female reporter spoke in an Mexican tone, "Senor Scott and Senorita Courtney, do you got any comments on Mike and his friends' disappearances, no?"
Scott shrugs, pretending to be worried and sad as he spoke, "Well, what can I say? Those three are nice people who flew the challenges and pierced the clouds of mediocrity." The bad boy made a fake sniff. "If they're gone...well, we're going to miss them. Excuse me."
"Wow...that was...a bit nice." Courtney said as the reporters leave the two racers. However, she notices an evil grin on her boyfriend's face. "Wait, that was fake?!"
"Heh heh; let's hope that dumb idiot Mike makes a better boat than a flyer!"
"Oh yeah, good one boss," Big Time laughs with Scott as the Beagles leaves with their boss as well as the concerned Courtney, most of them laugh cruelly. The evil trick performed without anyone else's knowledge has done well.
"Yeah, that was pretty good, huh?" Scott laughs cruelly.
"But they could be hurt or dead." Courtney said to Scott in concern. "I mean, aren't you a bit worried?"
"Awww, come on! You wanted them out of the race like I do!"
"But not by killing them especially when I was hoping that Mike would turn back from the tunnel! I may be angry with Gwen for stealing my boyfriend and all but..."
Scott however cuts her off, snapping, "Courtney, you're my co-pilot. Just let the champion does all the thinking."
Courtney frowns a bit, a bit upset by her boyfriend's words. Soarin' was watching from nearby, not happy with Scott's cruel words either.
"Jerk," Soarin' scowls as he marches angrily to Scott who glares right back at him. "You are a monster and a murder! Mike, Gwen and Cameron got 10 times the engine of hearts as you do!"
"As well as 10 times the integrity," Zoey exclaims furiously as she and Trent confronts Scott as well.
"Oh really? This is coming from the flyer with the shiny new propeller! Ha ha ha! Tell me, sweetheart, how much integrity did that cost ya?" Scott laughs cruelly, making Zoey gasps at him. Courtney gasps right back, a bit upset.
"Too much."
"Okay, I admit, I was angry when I found out what Zoey has done...but I'm more mad at you for setting the whole tunnel up as well!" Trent exclaims angrily. The boy was upset when Zoey told him the truth, that she set Mike up to take the tunnel route in the first place, but Trent calms down once he found out that Scott was involved.
"For the record, I didn't tell Mike to take the tunnel. That was all Scott's idea." Courtney explains, but a glare from Scott causes her to keep quiet.
"Ugh, you used to be a great champion...but now, you're a dirty cheat!" Zoey remarks furiously to Scott. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. And Courtney? If you have any sense, you would leave Scott while you got the chance."
With that, Zoey and Trent leave Scott and Courtney. Soarin' glares at the boy while snapping, "Oh, you are not even worthy of a cape swish."
As Soarin' leaves, Scott just scoffs, rolling his eyes while saying, "Really?"
Courtney thought about what Zoey just said. She should leave Scott if the girl had any sense. Courtney was angry at Gwen before...but is even hurting or killing the girl and her friends just to win a championship even worth it?

Mike kept on flying through the storm, but he is having trouble focusing. The voices in his head are distracting him, especially with what he knows of so far.
"I don't understand! Why is there only 1 mission?" Mike's voice asks. "I mean Peppy Hare should've gotten more!"
"Yeah, but you told us you made more than 1, right?" Gwen's voice asks in Mike’s head towards Peppy.
"The Battle of Airway; The raid in Tujunga Harbor; The Aleutians; The Battle of Wake Island; The Assault on Kumming," Peppy's voice said in Mike's head. The boy shakes his head in shock and sadness. Was everything that his mentor told him...a lie?
Suddenly thunder flashes, causing the group to scream; they are going to be dead unless the trio can get above this storm safely!
"We got to get above this storm!" Mike exclaims to his pals, preparing to do the unthinkable.
"But you are scared to do that!" Cameron exclaims, reminding Mike of his fear of heights that kept him from doing so.
"I know, I know! But what other choice do we have, Cameron; we're running out of options!"
The group screams as more thunder flashes, almost knocking them into the waters. Mike and his Pals yelps as they dodged a small wave...then spots a slightly bigger on in their way; The trio gulps and strain as Mike splash his way through.
"Whoa!" The trio exclaims in concern. That was a close one! Now Mike and his pals got to get this plane above the storm!
But as Mike is about to do so and pull his friends to safely, the engines begin to die. The boy and his pals look worried as the plane begins falling back. They all scream as they themselves are about to meet their demise.
"Mayday, mayday! We're going down!" Mike calls into the radio frantically for some help. "18 degrees north, 6 minutes, 119..."
But before Mike could finish, the plane splashed right into the water, busting some windows and damaging the pilot's arm as a result. The friends does their best to hold their breaths, splashing up and gasping a bit before the water splash right onto them.
As the plane twirls a bit, Gwen struggles and splash a bit above, trying to get out of the seat belt that she was stuck in but to no prevails.
"Help," Gwen coughs as she splashes downward. Looks like this is it, the trio are trapped in their plane and in stuck seatbelts; all of them are heading downward to their demise...
Or so we would've thought but after another flash, a diver appears, heading to the plane and covers it with a net just as the trio's world went black...

Spanish voices are heard as a helicopter with the rescuers appeasr at the Mexican stops, bringing in the plane with the trio still stuck inside. The Spanish reporters shout, flashing their cameras, everyone is wanting to know what's going on.
The rest of Mike's friends look worried, especially Jack who said, "No..." This doesn't look good. Are Mike, Gwen and Cameron still alive or...no! One must not think of it, not at all!
Once the plane is set down, workers got the doors bursts off. The belts broke out, causing Mike, Cameron and Gwen to plop right onto the ground. Their friends rush over in hopes that the trio has survived the madness that almost got them all killed.
"Mike, Cameron, Gwen!" Audrey exclaims in worry, hoping that the worst didn't happen.
"My friends, are they all right?" Soarin' ask the others frantically.
"Mike's alarm is damaged." Joshua said, checking on Mike's damaged arm. "We got to get them into recovery and fast."
"Quick, to the hangar," Peppy said seriously. There is no time to waste. Mike and his pals need medical attention.
"Are they alive? Are they alive?" The Mole asks frantically, jumping up and down in alarm. The freak is getting scared by this.
"Not unless we help them, come on!" Vinny exclaims as the friends help the unconscious trio and their plane right into the hangar.

Audrey check through the data on Mike's plane, seeing if she can do what she herself can do to get it fixed. Luckily, the boy and his friends are okay, bandaged and coughing a bit. Jack and Owen slap their friends on the back each, causing them to spit out more water.
"Wow; that was a close one." Gwen exclaims with a groan. "But stop slapping us on the backs, okay? We can get the water out on our own!"
"Audrey, what do we got?" Cameron asks Audrey who looks over the plane in worry. "We're safe but..."
"The plane got broken wing ribs, twisted gear, a bent prop...and the main spar is cracked bad." Audrey explains sadly to Mike's group. Everyone looks worried. With so many damages, the plane will never continue the race again. "It's over."
"Right, unless we can get some new parts soon, eh?" Vinny remarks to Mike with a sigh. "But how can we afford them?"
Mike gave an angry glare to Peppy who looks guilt ridden. The boy has not forgotten what he has learned on the USS Zauriel...and how everything that the hare has told him and his pals were lies.
"One mission, really," Mike ask Peppy angrily, "Ha; So much for 'Volo Pro Veritas'."
"Mind telling us why you told us about the mission...when you only have 1?" Gwen demands furiously to Peppy, still hurt over the hare's deception.
"Yeah, I mean, what the heck?" Cameron ask Peppy in disbelief, "What about all that work we heard about you and the Star Fox teams?!"
"The missions were real...but I never participated in them." Peppy explains to his friends with a sad sigh. He knew that this day would come, that the hare must come out with the truth once and for all. The others are concerned especially when Peppy told them, "Listen...a minute alone, please? You too, Rob."
Most of the group begins to leave. Rob 64 nods sadly as he leaves with the others. The robot knew that his friend must tell the truth and now...that day has come.
"So what's going on, Peppy," Gwen asks Peppy with a disappointed look. "Does this got to do with the reason as to why you haven't flown in years?"
"My friends...the story I'm going to tell you is true...and it's a very sad one." Peppy said with a sad sigh. As he looks down, the hare continues, "It was my first patrol as a member of the Star Fox team at Glendal Canal. My squadron consists of Fox McCloud's father James, another old friend named Pigma Dengar, and a couple of rookies. They are all razor sharp...."

Flashback

The Star Fox team and their rookies, various Chinese soldiers, flew through the air in their Arwings on a routine patrol. Of course, not all of them realize what would go wrong that day.

Peppy's voice narrates, "I should know, James and I trained every one of those rookies. At first, it was supposed to a routine patrol, a milk run...we don't know how run we were that day..."

"Hey, Peppy, James; Look, enemy ship two 'clock low, 2 miles; Looks like easy pickings. How about it," Pigma ask his pals as he points to some ships below.
"Negative, Pigma." Peppy said, shaking his head a bit. "We got orders to do a recon and report back."
"Peppy's right, Pigma," James McCloud said seriously to Pigma. "We can't..."
"Aww, come on, guys! It will be a turkey shoot!" Pigma insists to his pals with a smirk. "After all, we can take these guys."
"He's right. Come on, let's do it!" A Chinese pilot insists to James and Peppy excitedly.
"Yeah, come on!" Another Chinese pilot exclaims excitedly. James and Peppy looks reluctant as most of their rookies also voted to kick some butt; Looks like they are being outvoted here.
"Okay, fine." Peppy said with a sigh. He and James knew when they were outvoted. "We will only go for a closer look but keep your distance."
"Right, any sign of trouble; get out of there." James said in agreement.
With that, the team of Star Fox and their rookies flew down, to take a closer look. Unfortunately, they gasps as the team saw more enemy ships appearing...and firing right at them as if they were suspecting them!
"Holy Pig; It's the whole enemy fleet!" James exclaims in alarm and horror.

"Regretfully, it was too late for any one of us to pull out."

With no choice, the Star Fox team was forced to fight back, firing at the ships but the enemies clearly got more firepower.
"No, James, get out of there!" Peppy exclaims frantically. Too late, the ships fired at the Arwings, shooting them down. Peppy tries his best to fire at the enemies and escape...but he was shot down as well, hitting the waters.

A while later, the army ship that Peppy belongs to found his Arwing, lifting both it and the weary hare out of the waters, right onto the ship itself; a worried Rob 64 watches on, looking down alongside Peppy; The hare is the only survivor, except one, of that failed attack...

End Flashback

"It was later revealed that Pigma has betrayed us. He told the enemy we were coming and set a trap for us, setting us up for cash. My whole squadron...under my and James's whole command and all because we didn't realize that one of my friends has turned traitor....and I lost the other" Peppy explains sadly to his shocked friends. He sighs sadly. "After that...I couldn't bring myself to fly again."
"But what about when you trained Fuzzy Lumpkins?" Cameron asks Peppy in concern.
"I did that while I was still on the ground, not in the air, Cameron. Never got into an Arwing..."
"Peppy..." Mike said in sadness; All these years, failing his team because of one of his friends' betrayal and a sneak attack.
Peppy sighs as he puts his paw on Mike's shoulder, speaking, "Mike, allow me to ask you something. If you and your friends even knew the truth...about my past...would you have asked me to train you? The concerned boy tries to speak then looks down.
"No...I wouldn't."
"Come on, guys, let's go." Gwen said with a sad sigh.
As the trio leaves, Peppy sighs in regret, saying, "Guys, I'm really sorry."
"Sure...so are we for even believing in you. You know, if you had told us the truth before, we would've accepted it somewhat...but now? You're just an old washed up rabbit who lost it."
Peppy looks down sadly as his friends leave the hangar. It's true, he is washed up and a liar...

Outside the Emergency building a while later, the rest of Mike's friends looked worried as they find Mike, Gwen and Cameron sulking in the dark. The truth that Peppy told them has hit them hard.
Jack, Audrey and her crew looks reluctant then goes over, with the head engineer the first to speak, "Mike?"
"Cameron, Gwen?" Jack ask in concern, worried for his worker and his friends.
"Hey you three okay?" Vinny ask Mike's group in concern.
"Ugh, can you believe it?" Cameron asks with a frown as he kicks at the dirt.
"Peppy haven't been telling us the whole story this whole time." Mike groans, shaking his head in sadness. He thought that Peppy believed in him...when the hare couldn't even believe in himself! "The sad part is? Audrey, you and Jack were honest. You told me that I wasn't built for me...and the old hare told me that I was a dumb kid with a foolish dream. Heh; Perhaps I should've listened to you two."
Joshua pauses then frowns as he speaks, "Now hang on a minute! You aren't a dumb kid with a foolish dream! I mean, you made it this far, right?"
"He's right, Mike. If you had listened to me, I wouldn't forgive myself ever." Audrey said seriously as she made Mike, Gwen and Cameron turns towards her. "Yes, Peppy was wrong for what he did but he was right about you, Mike."
"What do you mean?" Gwen asks Audrey with an annoyed sigh.
"And Gwen, Cameron; You lass and lad helped your friend through thick and thin no matter what." Jack said in encouragement, something that he hasn't gave the two before.
"Mike, as far as I'm concerned, you aren't a crop duster...and I betcha you pals aren't losers either." Audrey said with a smile on her face. "You're a racer, a navigator...and a friend. And now, the whole world knows it too."
Mike, Gwen and Cameron looks concerned then looks at Owen and the Mole smiling. The trio pauses then smiles right back. Audrey and jack are right. They are more than what they themselves seem to be back home.
"Yeah, thanks Audrey; that means a lot." Mike said to Audrey with a small smile.
"Right, same to you Jack," Gwen said with a sad sigh as she looks down a bit. "But now we got another problem: our plane."
"Right, it's major wreck!" Cameron complains a bit.
"They're both right. I've gone as far as I can go here. I'm hurt and...look at my plane!" Mike complains a bit as he points to his plane which flops a bit. Without the parts needed to fix it, that baby isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"Right, look at you." A familiar voice spoke. Soarin' appears, smiling at his pals as he arrives on the scene. "Mike, Cameron, Gwen, I would not bear the thought of competing in this race without you."
Suddenly a forklift pushes some wings over to Mike's group, making them gasps in amazement.
"Whoa, that's the wing of a T-33 Shooting Star!" Mike exclaims in surprise and disbelief. Soarin' is actually giving them to him, Cameron and Gwen?
"When the Wonderbolts needed help, the Americans T-33 came without any questions." Soarin' explains proudly to Mike. "They were there, because that is what friends do."
"And that," Cameron ask puzzled as he notes a box nearby Soarin'. "What's in there?"
"My lunch, don't touch. But the wings are yours."
"Soarin', we really appreciate..." Mike begins to say, but Soarin' shush his pal, interrupting the boy before he could finish as if saying that Mike himself shouldn't ake this.
"Sshh, quiet, I wouldn't hear another word of it." Soarin' insists to Mike and his pals with a smile. "I mean, you did help me in my quest to win Rainbow's heart...and now we are here to help you."
"Wait, we?" The trio asks in surprise. They became more surprised when Rainbow came in, showing more parts as if wanting to help Mike and his pals with their pals.
"Yeah, consider these a gift, pals!" Rainbow exclaims to Mike's group with a grin. "Good luck tomorrow! I am so proud to race with all of you."
"Check out these plane parts!" Cameron exclaims in amazement. Mike and Gwen looks surprised. These parts would help fix Mike's plane up in no time!
Rainbow move aside to allow Homer to come in with some parts as well. The fat man said, "You are a good kid, Mikey. This here is a sat-nav device...just in case..." The yellow man begins to get teary a bit. "I mean, in case you ever find yourself lost, you know, without..." Homer winces a bit before recovering. "...without a pal to help you through it."
"Thanks, Homer." Mike said with an approving grin.
"Right, thanks fat man." Gwen jokes towards Homer, making him smile a bit.
Suddenly more pilots of the race appear. They all heard about Mike's situation and are giving him some parts to help in fixing the plane no matter what. Racers like Wedge Achilles, Link, Elongated Man, Lord Eric, Rarity, Sasuke Uchina, etc. give out parts in support for Mike. What he did out weight anything Scott and Courtney had done.
The pilot, the same one who mocked Mike before the first leg, spoke, "Hey; got a flow control valve for ya. Hey, sorry about before. The competition got to me. No hard feelings?"
"Here's a starter generator, darling." Rarity said as she and Lord Eric gives a starter generator to Mike.
"It is honor to fly beside you." Sasuke said, bowing. Mike and his pals smile, they got almost all the parts needed to fix their plane.
"Thanks everyone, really." Mike said with a smile.
"Amazing, looks like all you need now is a..." Audrey said, smiling in amazement at the parts in front of Mike's group. Only 1 part is missing however.
"A new propeller," A familiar voice finishes what Audrey is saying. To everyone's surprise, Zoey came over with Trent holding a familiar propeller.
"Would a Sky Slycer Mark Five be of any help?" Trent asks Mike with a smile.
"Wait, Zoey, that's your propeller!" Mike exclaims in shock. Zoey is willing to give up the new propeller that Scott and Courtney gave her for this race? "But you would need it to win this race."
"Oh, I am still planning on winning but with my old propeller." Zoey giggles as she points to the back of her plane which now has its old propeller. "This one doesn't suit me...but I betcha you would have better luck with it than I do."
"Wow...thanks, Zoey."
"All right, yeah," Gwen cheers on wildly and eagerly. Zoey has redeemed herself for her mistake. "Scott is going down!"
"Audrey, any chance you and your pals can fix my plane?" Mike ask Audrey with a hopeful smile. With all the parts here, that means the boy can get his plane fixed.
Audrey smirks as she holds a wrench, saying, "Does a PT6A have a multi-stage compressor?"
"Uh..." Most of everyone said confused, not understanding what Audrey just meant.
"She means 'yeah, yeah it does'!" Joshua translates to the crowd with a laugh. Everyone cheers wildly. That mean Audrey and her crew can get the plane fixed after all!
"Okay, everyone, time we get them ready to race!" Audrey exclaims in determination.
"Right, everyone, let's get to work!" Vinny calls out eagerly.
Owen cheers on wildly, getting ready. Suddenly he felt someone nudges him as well as a "Ssh!" The fat boy turns to see someone in a trench coat and hat behind him, holding some sort of video.
"Hey, what's with the getup?" Owen ask the stranger curiously but looks startled as she passes him the video.
"Don't tell anyone where you got this...not until the race is officially over. Check it. There's something in there that will guarantee Scott's downfall. Use the strategy wisely. Don't ask questions."
The figure quickly rushes off, leaving Owen confused. What could be on this tape that she wants him to see that could beat Scott?

The workers and Audrey are at work in the emergency room working on getting the plane fixed. Mike, Gwen and Cameron watch in newborn hope and determination.
At the same time, Owen, Jack and the Mole watch the video that the fat boy has gotten: It was a replay of Scott and Courtney's race in the rally last year which ends with the male pilot using the wings to cut the finish line.
The group frowns as they rewind a bit to the part where Jet said, "This one's..."
The reverse was pressed as the image goes back, pausing. It shows the same image of Scott and Courtney's place slicing at the side of the finish line a few times. What is it here that the figure wants to show that could end Scott's championship reign?
"Wait a minute..." The Mole said thoughtfully. He and his pals then notice something on the camera, on that they finally notice that made the good guys ponder a bit. Yes, it could work!
Owen goes over to Mike, Gwen and Cameron, speaking, "Guys, you got to hear this. Trust me, what I'm about to say and motioning...it's about Scott."
"Is it big?" Mike asks Owen puzzled, wondering what his friend's talking about.
"Oh, it's big alright and a big shocker!"
Mike, Cameron and Gwen looks concerned. Whatever Owen got to say, it could help put the heroes for the big win!

Author's note
So Owen got an idea on how to beat Scott once and for all and Mike's plane is being fixed. In the next and final chapter, the final leg is on and Scott will do what it takes to win, no matter what, even if it means destroying Mike, Gwen and Cameron for good. But unlikely allies come to help the heroes and will Courtney do the right thing? Read, review and suggest!

Pigma Dengar's betrayal is a bonus which was made in the Star Fox games.

Wedge Achilles is one of the heroes from the Star Wars films.

Elongated Man is a DC Comics hero.

Rarity is from ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' with Lord Eric being an OC of his.

Sasuke Uchina is the hero/former hero of the Naruto franchise.