Austin Smith

> You could have told me! I could've told you the truth![...]I was FIFTEEN! I was plenty old enough to understand! But no! All this happened because YOU DIDN'T TRUST ME enough to tell me the TRUTH!
>
> Austin to Locke, Austin's Adventures

**Austin Smith** is a character who appears fairly frequently throughout *The Legend of Fox the Brave*. He is a Mobian German Shepherd who hails from another World. Like Fox before him, Austin is known for having a vicious temper spawned from a traumatic experience in his past

### Relatives

Michael Smith(brother); Dallas and Dakota Smith(sons); Jones and Duke Smith(grandsons)

### Occupation

Warrior(formerly); Deputy(formerly); Leader(formerly); Loner

## Appearances

### Debut

Austin's Adventures

As of *City of Storms*, Austin is retired and now lives in Storm Cloud City as a guardian of Maxwell Veschell

## Appearance

Austin is a tall, wiry German Shepherd. He has thick brown fur with a black muzzle, back, and upper-tail. He wears a simple black t-shirt, a wrist-com on his right wrist, and black Z-Ring on his left

A long scar stretches over his face from above his left eye to below his right, and he has a much shorter scar on his stomach, hidden under his shirt

## Personality

Initially, Austin was a friendly, outgoing, and somewhat shy person. Austin was also a bit of a nerd at times, and timid

After Michael's death, Austin changed completely. He became cold, distant, and guarded, as likely to snap at someone as Fox

As time went on, Austin calmed down, especially after meeting Max. Austin formed a close bond with Max, becoming a sort of protector for him

## History

### **Arrival in the Worlds**

Austin was first born in a different World inaccessible from the Four. How he arrived in the Worlds is unknown to this day

Austin landed first on Angel Island, where he got caught up in the fight between the Dark Legion and the Dingo regime. Additionally, he had trouble from Dr. Finitevus, who gained a strange interest in him

After the battle, the Guardian Locke promised to take Austin to the Storm Fighters to help him join them, but Knuckles left the Island, leaving Locke as the only Guardian to defend the Island. So Austin was stuck on the Island until the opportunity arose for Locke to take him

### **Arrival at the Base**

Austin was brought to the Base by Locke, and he settled in quickly

Austin soon met Rosa in Lamarkie Village, and later reunited with his younger brother Michael. Despite some encounters with Finitevus, Austin has a peaceful time at the Base

### **The Battle for Angel Island**

The warriors are gathered at New Mobotropolis to deal with the threat of Enerjak, as the kingdom has been warned by Dimitri

Austin becomes worried, as Knuckles has gone back up to Angel Island by himself, and he knows what will happen. Becoming desperate, Austin begs to go up to help, and is allowed to go reluctantly

Austin goes up to the Island, but is ambushed and knocked out. He is sent down to meet Finitevus, and is forced to bear witness to the return of Enerjak, which Finitevus' plans had been leading up to

Austin remained on the Island throughout the conflict, but was rescued when Sonic and Fox beat Enerjak, and Finitevus escaped afterward

### **The Mission to Downunda**

Some time afterward, Austin and his close friend Storm were brought along for a mission to Downunda to find Finitevus. They did find him, but were forced into an uncomfortable alliance after the group realized that Angel Island was chained

After the group was rescued by the Downunda Freedom Fighters, they worked together to free the island and stop the local chapter of the Dark Egg Legion

Austin was sent on Knuckles' half of the team up to the Great Crater, while Storm went with the second team. However, both teams were ambushed and captured, with Finitevus revealed to be behind it all

After explaining his plans to the captured group, Finitevus takes Austin up to the Shrine Isle(a part of Angel Island), wanting him to "see the truth", but Austin refused, blurting that the doctor was insane

Meanwhile, Knuckles launches himself up to Angel Island, and confronts Finitevus, which eventually devolves into a fight. While trying to avoid the fight, Austin falls off the Island

He is saved by Storm, but they still hit the ground hard, leading to them both suffering severe, lasting injuries

### **The Mission to Rescue Dallas**

A while after the Downunda mission, the Destructix, a group of rogues working for Finitevus, kidnap Austin's older son Dallas. In a desperate attempt to get him back, Austin leads a patrol to rescue him along with Boulder, Storm, Lucas, Finnick, Michael, and Sky

They followed the rogues to Mystic Ruins, and scared them into dropping Dallas. The patrol rescued the pup, and took shelter with the Red Fox Pack, who were living in the Mystic Ruins forest at the time

However, while out on his own, Austin was captured by two more rogues, who are revealed to be working for someone else. He meets this person after he wakes up in a cell, and it is revealed to be someone called Dr. Starline. He is later rescued by Michael and Boulder

At the end of the mission, as the patrol is approaching the Base, they are ambushed by Finitevus' rogues, and Michael is badly injured in the ensuing battle. Austin barely leaves his brother's side as he recovers, but Michael tragically succumbs to his injuries, and dies

### **The Phantom War**

Austin does not appear very often throughout *The War of Darkness*, but he plays a larger part in *The Phantom War*

In a fight against the Jackal Squad, Austin gets slashed over the face by their leader, and leaving him with a long wound on his face, which heals into the scar he now bears on his face

After the Base is destroyed, and the warriors scattered, Austin forms a new team of Storm Fighters with some of the warriors that escaped. When Boulder joins them with Pebble, Austin names the Lycanroc as his deputy, and they move to a new camp outside Red Gate City.

Austin later leads a patrol to the city when they learn it is under attack. Austin remains hidden while Boulder confronts Infinite in a rage. When Infinite leaves, Austin takes the patrol back to the camp

**More coming soon...**

### **Dark Enerjak Returns**

Austin is forced to flee when Enerjak attacks the Base, and Boulder narrowly escapes with him. Austin later returns with help, but in the ensuing battle, Austin is badly wounded

**More coming soon...**

### **Undercover Work**

At some unknown point in time, after recovering from his injuries, Austin goes undercover working with Starline to spy on him for the warriors

While spying, Austin tries his best to help Max, a young boy caught in the crosshairs. Austin helps guide Max and his friend Bailey to Red Gate City so they can be picked up by the warriors

Along the way, during meetings with the doctor, Austin tries his best to discourage Starline, to no avail. This drives Austin to subtly help him escape, pretending to chase after him after he's kidnapped to help him get to the forest

However, Duke betrayed the warriors, ratting Austin out, and aiding in the capture of Max and Mr. Tinker. After this happens, Austin is held in a cell, and starts to suffer because of his refusal to give in

After the Battle for Mystic Ruins, he is shown to have grown life-threateningly thin, and is forced to stay in the local village to recover before he is deemed healthy enough to return to the Base

### **Retirement**

Austin remains at the Base after moving back, and stays there while Max, Storm, and Riza travel to Storm Cloud City.

After the Battle for Storm Cloud City, Austin announces his decision to retire, citing his back injury as his reasons. Rosa moves with him, and they decide to settle in Storm Cloud City

## Alternate Counterparts

### *Fall of the Worlds*

Austin serves as one of the POVs of *Fall of the Worlds*. Following Fox's capture and EJ's ascension to leader of the Storm Fighters in his place, Austin is appointed deputy

Austin is the father to a puppy, Dallas, whom he dotes on. Because of Enerjak(and through him, Finitevus) taking the Four Worlds, Austin has become a bitter man. Still angry at Locke, Austin rejects Pyro's idea of recruiting the Guardian's resistance, but he is the person sent to gain his assistance, and later leads the mission to the Master Emerald to break the hex holding Knuckles

### *Reign of the Empire*

Austin first appears in *Rise of the Warriors*, when he encounters Red after the fox crashes into him. The two quickly form a close friendship, and Red becomes the only person Austin willingly trusts his secret to

After the newly-named Fox the Brave and his friends leave Angel Island, Austin becomes the go-to person for Fox about information in the Worlds. However, Austin's knowledge about the Worlds got him into trouble with Dr. Finitevus, who was interested in using that knowledge to his own ends

In *The Broken Worlds*, Austin is kidnapped by Dr. Starline in an effort to weaken Fox, but he is later rescued by the warriors. After the mission, Fox decides to send Austin off the hide on Angel Island. Austin objects vehemently, because he knows Finitevus is on the Island, and wants to avoid a confrontation at all costs. However, he eventually caves and goes along, hoping to hide from Finitevus

Austin is still kidnapped by Finitevus' forces anyway, and is dragged into the Chaos Chamber, much to Knuckles' confusion. However, despite Austin's objections, Knuckles still falls into Finitevus' trap, effectively trapping Austin on the island until the final battle

After the battle, Austin-bruised and bumped from the fight-loses his temper at Fox, angry at him for "dumping" him on Angel Island in time for Finitevus' plans. Austin gets angry enough to leave the Storm Fighters, leaving the Island through a Warp Ring to wander Mobius

A few days' journey away from New Mobotropolis, Austin meets a Houndoom named Doma, who decides to accompany him, and the two become good friends. Eventually they encounter a squad of dingoes that coerce them into meeting their General, who sends them off with Knuckles, Julie-Su, and Mighty to find Dr. Finitevus

The mission quickly goes downhill, as they encounter Finitevus, but their hands are forced into working with him. However, Finitevus betrays them to the local Dark Egg Legion, gaining access to the Master Emerald in the process. Finitevus takes Austin with him, and attempts to appeal to him, and later Knuckles, but both reject his offer, and fight him

After Finitevus is dropped off the Island, Austin is offered by Knuckles to stay on the Island, and he eventually accepts. While talking with Doma, he concedes that his exile will not be permanent(and that he knew it already), but he won't be returning to the Storm Fighters until he feels comfortable

## Trivia

Austin is the first POV to come from outside the Worlds