Research and (Muscular) Development- Part 1 (Patreon)

Falco could never resist an easy pay day, and when General Pepper offers a hefty bonus to serve as a lab rat for a military experiment, Falco starts sporting some serious heavy-duty equipment! Stay tuned for November to see what happens, and thanks again for your support everyone!

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A brassy fanfare played over loudspeakers as a huge crowd in Corneria’s biggest city roared with approval. A squadron of arwings performed a fly-over, celebrating another successful campaign holding back the forces of the evil Emperor Andross. The centerpiece of the display was Team Starfox, once again serving as the tip of the spear that drove back Corneria’s most deadly enemy.

“What is this, like, the sixth victory parade they’ve thrown for us?” Falco Lombardi’s voice crackled over Fox McCloud’s comm.

The leader of Team Starfox smirked as he replied, “Don’t tell me you’re getting tired of your adoring audience, Lombardi.”

The avian pilot scoffed. “Oh no, not that- I just hate that we’re flying the same formation over and over. Wouldn’t the people like to see something like a-”

“Don’t.”

“Bar-”

“Falco, stop.”

“Barrel-”

Peppy Hare chimed in, gasping in delight. “Hey, Fox! We should do a barrel roll!”

“Ugh.”

Some time later, Fox leapt out of his arwing, the vulpine punching his blue, avian friend in the arm. “That was low, Lombardi- you know I get cross-eyed every time Peppy makes me do a barrel roll.”

Falco smirked. “Gotta keep you on your toes, Fox.”

The two rounded the corner, only to be met with an aging bloodhound in full military uniform. Fox, ever the professional, instantly stood ramrod stiff, offering a salute. “General Pepper, sir!”

Falco followed the gesture, but the old dog chuckled good-naturedly, waving them off. “At ease, gentlemen. I wanted to personally congratulate you on your success, now we’re away from the holovids and speeches. You really helped Corneria this time, Starfox- Andross was sitting on a gold mine of information and experimental tech.”

Fox and Falco exchanged looks. “Uh, general, are you sure it’s a good idea to go poking around Andross’ personal effects like that? When has he ever done any science project that wasn’t concentrated evil?”

“Your concern is noted, McCloud, but we’re being careful,” General Pepper said. “We’ve already written off nine-tenths of what we collected as unethical or unsalvageable- but there is one experiment we think may be worth the Cornerian Defence Force’s time. It’s a serum that we believe is the result of a super soldier experiment- something that, if we could test it safely, could really give Corneria an edge on the ground.”

Falco folded his arms. “Sounds good, but what’s this got to do with us?”

The general grinned quickly. “Groups like Starfox Team make up an important part of the Defence Force- your team are exceptional pilots, hardy, healthy- ideal candidates to test something like this. We’re offering a very generous bonus to any volunteers that step up,” Pepper explained.

Fox glanced over to Falco, the blue avian leaning in slightly, with a golden glint in his eye. Fox was quick to cut him off before the bird opened his mouth. “Thanks, general, but-”

Pepper, in return, cut Fox off with a wave of his hand. “Don’t say ‘no’ too quickly, McCloud. It’s no small amount of money to sneeze at. Just some food for thought, gentlemen.” The general saluted them as means of goodbye, and left.

Fox shook his head as soon as Pepper was out of ear-shot. “I like Pepper, but that’s crazy. Who would be stupid enough to try one of Andross’ experiments?”

Depends on the bonus, Falco thought to himself, before grinning at his team leader. “Yeah… especially at the start of leave. I’ve got better vacation plans than being a lab monkey.”

“So, just how big is this bonus again?” Falco asked as he was instructed to lie down on an operating table, and two lab technicians tied him down.

“Oh, you’ll find it very generous,” Pepper said reassuringly over an intercom, separated from the operation room by a glass wall. He was flanked by other officials and military personnel, watching intently. “If all goes well, you’re looking at a year’s pay for an hour or so of being poked and prodded.”

“Oh!” Falco lit up, seeing credit signs in his eyes. “Well, shoot me up, doc. Let’s see what Andross was working with.”

“Beginning decontamination process,” a technician announced. With a mechanical hum, a scanner passed over Falco, taking in his vitals.

“Preparing injection,” another announced, producing a needle filled with a faintly glowing, neon blue liquid.

The blue avian took a deep breath, bracing himself as he felt the needle pierce his skin. He felt an electric, tingling feeling rushing up his arm, a rush of adrenaline that made his heart beat faster and faster. The technicians reading his pulse monitor gasped, General Pepper leaned forward in anticipation, and then after a few tense moments…

Nothing. The adrenaline passed, Falco’s heart beat returned to normal. Pepper frowned. “Is that it?” he demanded over the intercom. “Is there any change at all?”

One of the technicians adjusted his glasses. “Well, sir… his vitals are good. It seems that he may have been cured of a cold coming on…”

“Nothing else? Lombardi, do you feel any different?”

Falco shifted against the restraints holding him to the table. “Uh… I’ve got a bit of pain in my arm, I guess?”

The intercom was suddenly cut short as General Pepper let out a string of expletives that was close to short-circuiting some of the equipment. By the time the general calmed down and walked out to meet him, Falco had been released and was already back in his own clothes.

“General? Are you alright?” Falco asked.

Pepper, looking sullen, sighed heavily. “I just blew a hundred thousand credits of Corneria’s money out of my butt, but beyond that, I’m fine. It wasn’t your fault, of course, Lombardi… go and enjoy the rest of your leave.”

“Right- thank you, sir.” Falco stood up straight to salute him. As he walked off, Pepper arched a brow. Had Falco always been taller than him?

“Hey, uh, Fox…” Slippy stuck his head in the locker room where Fox was grabbing his things. A week of leave had come and gone, and Team Starfox had met up for their first coordinated training day. Fox was one of the last to be ready, going over in his head the day’s routine he had planned out.

“What’s up, Slip?”

“Have you seen Falco? He looks… off.”

Fox quirked his brow. “Off how?”

“Hey, hey, boys!” Falco strutted in, the blue bird smiling wide, his chest puffed out. Fox’s mouth fell open as he looked Falco over; where he had always been taller than Fox by a couple inches, Falco now stood more than a head taller than his squad leader- Fox only came up to his chest. “How’s it goin’, small fry?” Falco asked, reaching down with a smack on Fox’s rear.

“Falco! W-what the hell?” Fox yelped. Eyes still wide, Fox ogled his team member up and down- he wasn’t just taller. His clothes were tight; Falco had always been reasonably fit, but now he was considerably athletic, with toned limbs and a well-defined chest, filling out a suffering red shirt.

“Oh, c’mon, Fox! I’m just playin’ around,” Falco chuckled, his chest puffing out further.

“Are you okay?” Slippy asked carefully.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I feel great! Definitely needed that R n’ R.” Falco rolled shoulders that were definitely broader, his jacket clinging and fraying at the edges. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off thicker forearms. Overall, there was just more of Falco Lombardi.

“Falco, you’re what, four inches taller in the matter of a week? Tell me how that happens,” Fox demanded.

“Oh, what? I’m just… y’know, same as always. Maybe I was just slouching?” Falco shrugged.

“Wait,” Fox stopped, blocking the locker room exit. “Did you actually go through with General Pepper’s experiment, birdbrain?”

“I- what? No! Pfft!” Falco scoffed, waving the thought off. “What gave you that idea?” He asked, accidentally walking into the doorframe and smacking his forehead.

“Call it a hunch,” Fox said drily.

“Aw, c’mon, we’ve got training to do,” Falco grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

Fox was about to protest as the larger bird shoved past him, but Slippy tugged on his jacket quietly pointing back at the bird. The vulpine’s mouth fell open all over again, as Falco was actively growing wider before their very eyes.

“Well? What’re you two twerps waiting for?” Falco shouted as he pried open the cockpit of his arwing.

Fox forcefully shook his head, rushing after his friend. “Lombardi! Wait!”

“Listen, McCloud, if I hafta stuff you in a locker to get you off my back, I will, and… hrph!” Falco, squeezing into his arwing, found that he couldn’t move around his legs. “Uh- uh- Fox? Fox, a little help!” he cried out as panic began to set in.

Unfortunately for Falco’s arwing, there wasn’t anything Fox could do. There was a small, shrill sound of slowly groaning metal, and then all at once, Falco tripled in size. His sleeves burst apart as his biceps ballooned bigger than his head, his shirt splitting to make way for a pair of bulging pecs like a canyon. His sprawling back spread out like wings, and his hill-like shoulders filled out all the space in the cockpit and then some, shattering the glass. Flaco grunted as his legs filled out with rock hard muscle, pressing against the complex machinery of his spacecraft until he heard the crunch of metal and the snapping of wires.

Finally, the beast of a bird proved too much sudden weight for his arwing; the spacecraft tilted forward, the nose dipping down until it crashed against the floor, taking the hulking Falco with it. When the growth finally stopped and the dust settled, Falco was left looking at a thunderstruck Fox and Slippy, still trying to process what they just saw.

“So, uhm…” Falco began, his voice dropping an octave as he spoke. “About the bonus the General offered…”