Unfortunately someone-somebody had found out so to speak.  It was Laserbeak the pet servant of Belladonna the witch sorceress who had been watching from nearby and was flying away to StarWolf home base with news of the latest StarFox activity to give to its boss Wolf O'Donnoll that is.  The macaw soon arrived and beamed forth visions of its discovery as both Wolf and his wife looked on curiously.

 

WOLF: What do you make of it, honey?  What does it sound like to you.

 

BELLADONNA: Hmmm, from what Laserbeak showed us it must be a radio tower of unknown origin.

 

LASERBEAK: Squawk!  Unknown radio tower, uh-oh...squawk! <ruffles his feathers - flaps his wings>

 

BELLADONNA: <chuckles and pets him> Good bird, well done my pet. <he nods>

 

WOLF: Anything else about this mysterious radio tower?

 

BELLADONNA: <examines hologram visions> From its size and location it must have great range.  Both for sending and receiving signals from Corneria.

 

LASERBEAK: What?!! <shocked look> StarFox plans on sending signals home, whistle!  That's not good.

 

WOLF: No it's not good, I agree with you.

 

    Then Anti-Sally the sister of Sally Acorn entered into the conversation.

 

ALICIA: Who is Fox sending messages to anyway?  Maybe there are new recruits hoping to join his gang that we know nothing about.

 

BELLADONNA: My thoughts exactly my dear. <nods> Maybe he is planning on calling for reinforcements to help in his cause.

 

ALICIA: Aye, we must destroy this radio tower before it's too late...NOW! <then leers>

 

WOLF: Do not forget who's in charge here! <retorts back angrily> I make the decisions, not you.

 

ALICIA: Oh yeah? <still leers with arms folded> When I become the new leader of Team StarWolf things will be a lot different, I guarantee it.

 

BELLADONNA: Hmmph...<scowls with hands on hips> in your dreams my pretty. <Alicia ignores her for the moment>

 

WOLF: Laserbeak, escort Belladonna to where you made this discovery.  Perhaps this radio tower of McCloud's may be useful to our cause instead.

 

LASERBEAK: Yes sir, squawk! <then takes flight>

 

BELLADONNA: Hey! <glares> Not so fast, birdbrain.  Oooooooooh! <then she too flies away on bat-wings>

 

WOLF: <laughs> That's my wife.  I'm lucky I married her long ago on Corneria. <beams proudly>

 

ALICIA: <rolls her eyes> Whatever...I still say we should destroy this radio tower so Fox cannot call up for reinforcements or recruits to destroy us.

 

    Guided by her loyal pet the witch whippet flew swiftly to the lonely spot until arriving on-site so to speak.  She touched down folding her batwings into her vest jacket then looked about in all directions as the macaw alighted on her shoulder grooming himself as parrots always do of course when she saw the mast of the lightning rod collector towering above her.

 

BELLADONNA: Whoa! <her eyes go wide>

 

LASERBEAK: Squawk! <his eyes wide too - flaps wings>

 

    For a moment they could only stare in disbelief at what they saw.  Then the witch sorceress began sensing through the dark arts to pick up any form of transmissions that she could hear but there did not seem to be anything issuing forth from the mast.  A scowling frown creased her face as she concentrated.

 

 

LASERBEAK: Oh boy, this is bad, really bad, uh-oh...<then grooms himself again>

 

BELLADONNA: <comes out of her trance> My husband must be told about this, let's be going Laserbeak. <together they fly away>

 

    While inside the cave at the same moment...Aleu was making last second adjustments to the lightning energy convertor as Fox, Rick, Jack and Enik watched her work.

 

ENIK: So this machine will convert lightning strikes into energy.  I doubt it's ever been tried before.

 

RICK: No I don't think such an invention like the one she built has ever been created.

 

JACK: You said it brother.

 

ALEU: There, that should do it. <steps back to admire her work> Neat, huh?

 

FOX: Yes, I believe it will work as you say it will do. <thumbs up gesture>

 

    Next he contacted the rest of his gang to come see this new technology and in short order...Sally, Fiona, Lupe, Ari, Cooper, Falco, Krystal, Tigress, Sonia, Holly, Will, ChaKa, Slatch, Blue all showing up at the same time together with GIJoe, Mike and Duke from Adventure Team Headquarters and of course Doc Brown from the IFT.

 

EMMETT: Great Scott!  What sort of invention is that.

 

MIKE: Wow! <takes photos with his digital camera>

 

DUKE: Looks like an alien device with four columns surrounding it but I have no clue as to what its function is.

 

JOE: So this is the machine that will capture lightning.

 

SLATCH: Whoa...<eyes go wide>

 

CHAKA: <moves around to examine it> Cool!

 

BLUE: <sniffs curiously at it>

 

HOLLY: So you built this? <Aleu nods> Amazing. <high-five slaps with her>

 

WILL: Yeah...

 

ALEU: <laughs or giggles> Okay, now to explain to all of you how it works, ahem!

 

    While back inside StarWolf headquarters Belladonna and Laserbeak reported to O'Donnoll who listened with a thoughtful expression on his face.  When both Belladonna and Laserbeak finished.

 

WOLF: This technology is beyond our wildest dreams.  If I can unlock its hidden secrets, we will have a weapon to be used against our rivals.

 

 

WOLF: Laserbeak, return and keep watch on our enemy while I make plans. <the macaw nods and flies away>

 

    Unfortunately he failed to notice or sense his 2nd in Command silently slip away out of home base to carry out her plans but she did not go alone of course, asking Thaddeus to accompany her which he agreed without question or argument of course.  Meanwhile Laserbeak flew back to the mast of the lightning rod collector perching on the top of the mast then peered down from his vantage point.  At first he saw nothing but was patient and waited of course.  Not knowing they were being spied upon Team StarFox went ahead with plans of testing Aleu's lightning energy convertor.

 

ALEU: And that is how the convertor will function, I guarantee it.

 

BLUE: Wonderful! <barks several times> Good luck too.

 

ALEU: Thanks, friendly Raptor. <gently strokes her forehead - she nuzzles against her>

 

HOLLY: She likes you already.

 

WILL: Can't say I blame her one bit, Blue I mean.

 

HOLLY: Right...<playfully elbows him in the side>

 

RICK: Hey! <scowls> No need for that honey.

 

HOLLY: I was only kidding.

 

RICK: Of course you were, I was playing along. <grins>

 

WILL: Oh bother...<quotes Winnie the Pooh>

 

JACK: You said it nephew.

 

FALCO: But what if there isn't another storm coming?  What if there's no more lightning?

 

EMMETT: Of course there will be another storm, we must not rush Mother Nature at her work.

 

JOE: Right, we must learn to have patience.

 

FALCO: Okay, I give up. <puts up his hands>

 

MIKE: We can check the radio for weather report updates to see if another storm is due to arrive.

 

JOE: Good idea buddy, let's go. <then he-Mike and Duke exit the cave>

 

DUKE: See you guys and gals later. <gives a Johnny Wave gesture>

 

SLATCH: Hey, if there isn't another storm due to arrive we can fly a flag on Aleu's mast.

 

ENIK: What? <scowls at his apprentice> That was not nice to say.

 

    However that brought forth laughter from everybody present.  Laserbeak saw GIJoe, Mike and Duke emerge from a cave opening far below where he perched atop the mast to climb into the Adventure Team Vehicle and drive away into the distance then seconds later familiar figures of Fox and gang exiting the cave joking and laughing with Enik, Slatch, Chaka, Blue, Doc Brown and the Marshall family then the heroes of Corneria magically changed themselves into cars & trucks with Rick, Jack, Holly and Will riding inside the cab of the PeterBilt 379 disguise form of McCloud while Chaka, Slatch, Enik and Blue rode inside the Camaro form of Sally following her boss of course then the other StarFox warriors bringing up the rear until the convoy disappeared from view.  As soon as they were gone the macaw flew back to StarWolf home base and reported to Wolf.

 

LASERBEAK: The radio tower is still a mystery, squawk!  But now StarFox has hidden something inside a cave at its base, whistle!

 

BELLADONNA: Are you sure? <the macaw nods> My goodness.

 

WOLF: I must know what is so important Fox would hide it from me.  I will make him give me the secrets! <anger on his face>

 

    That is when he noticed Anti-Sally absent at the moment and demanded to know where she went and was informed by Panther that he saw Alicia and Thaddeus leaving headquarters but had no idea where they were going at the moment.

 

PANTHER: Guess I forgot to ask where she was going, boss. <shrugs>

 

WOLF: <still looks angry> I can only guess what she's planning on doing behind my back.  We must stop her before it's too late.

 

BELLADONNA: <glares> StarWolf, scramble! <then transforms into the Malificent dragon in Disney's Sleeping Beauty>

 

    Then she, her husband and the other StarWolf terrorists took to the sky flying at top speed to intercept and stop Alicia Acorn before she destroyed StarFox's secret weapon!

 

                                                                                                            END OF CHAPTER 2