The Rematch, part 2

Written by Zelda

 

                Seige blinked the rain out of his beady eyes as the Chameleon jumped up from the middle of the backseat. He took another coil of rope off the floor and started for the door. Seige opened it for him.

                The lizard morphed into a man in a gray suit and a briefcase. "Well honey, I'm off to work!" he said comically, and stepped for the door, accidentally landing on the Seige's foot.

                "OW!" the fat orange lizard snarled. He picked the lizard up by the back of his neck and flung him out of the door, into the mud.

                "Yeaaaahg!" Chameleon yelled as he landed. He collected himself and stood up, examining his suit carefully.

                "Guess it's back to the cleaners!" he said chipperly, wiping some of the mud off. He shouldered the coil of rope and skipped through the headlight beams, over to Mallory. The mud-coated Duck was still trying to get her breath and recover enough strength to get up again. Chameleon happily looped the rope around her, tying her hands and dropping her into the mud again. He quickly finished tying her up, and dragged his prize to her knees. He quickly morphed into a fisherman, taking off his fly-covered hat and bowing. "Golly! This one's a catch for the record books!" he joked through buck teeth.

                "Shut up you little peon!" Dragaunus roared at him from the driver's seat. "Just get her into the back of the truck!"

                "Sheesh, okay boss!" the Chameleon grunted. He grabbed Mallory by the back of the ropes and began dragging her through the mud, towards the truck. He was having trouble pulling her through, he wasn't strong enough. "Ugh, somebody wanna lend me a hand?" he called.

                "Sure, how about a foot to go with it?"

                Chameleon turned around just in time to see himself receive a flying kick right into his jaw. The lizard was thrown onto his back, holding his mouth and squealing in pain.

                Duke stepped into the thick beams of the headlights.

                "WHAT? How did he get free?!?!" Draguanus roared from the truck.

                Zelda peered in at him from the roof, waving daintily. "Guess it was me." she grinned.

                Draguanus roared and shot out the windshield with his laser, the glass flying in a thousand directions, barely missing the dragon as she flew up into the air.

                Duke stooped beside Mallory, having no time to lose. "Think you can run?" he asked her.         Mallory shook the mud out of her hair. "Gemme loose and I'll race you."

                Duke was using the long, gray spine on his elbow to try and cut through the ropes. It was slow going.

                "Come on Duke, can't you move any faster?" Mallory whined.

                Suddenly, Duke yelled out as he was thrown away from her.

                Seige, beady eyes nearly blazing in the darkness, came storming through the mud, the ooze splashing up around his elephantine feet.

                Duke rolled up as Seige grabbed Mallory and jerked her high into the air. "Let her go Seige!" he yelled.

                "Make me beak face!" Seige stuck a little pink tongue out at the Duck. He waved back to the truck. "Hold your fire! I want a piece of this Duck myself."

                Duke glared at him.

                Seige charged forwards, head down like a rhinoceros.

                Duke agilely flipped over him, stabbing him along the arm with his elbow spike.

                Seige yelled out angrily and spun around to face Duke as he landed, holding his shoulder and seething.

                "Torro, torro!" Duke laughed. Seige threw Mallory to the ground and charged again. Duke knew it would be stupid to try the same move again, he stayed low and tried to dodge him. Seige rumbled over him as he ducked. The orange lizard spun quickly, and Duke tried to push himself up, slipping in the mud. He lost his stride and regained himself a step behind Seige, who was already on him again.

                Seige closed his eyes and pivoted around, stiffening his tail and letting it rip sideways. He felt it slam into something and completed his turn, glancing around to see Duke still flying backward. He grinned and stomped off for Mallory again. He knew that Duck wasn't getting back up. A quick glance over his shoulder verified it, Duke lay curled up in a little ball about ten feet away. Idiot. Seige smiled as he picked up Mallory again. She wriggled like a worm.

                "Duke! Duke get up!" she yelled.

                "Shut your face Duck." Seige snapped at her. The lizard looked over his shoulder to see the Chameleon wobbling toward him, holding his jaw. "Whatsa matter, that little featherbrain gave you a booboo?" Seige teased.

                "Shut up!" Chameleon whined, muffled by his hand. "Think he broke something in here."

                They both trudged over for Duke, Chameleon giving him an extra kick in the flank before Seige picked him up by the back of the shirt collar, and threw them both into the back of the truck. He leapt back into the car, followed by a hobbling Chameleon, and slammed the door behind him.

 

                Zelda had taken to the wing long ago. The cold rain pounded on her, beating her down. She roared and pushed herself upward, tiring quickly. She had seen Duke and Mal captured. She knew she was alone now. The engine of the truck was rumbling behind her, she had to get away! She veered for the jungle sharply, hoping to lose them. Suddenly a thick hail of lasers resounded to her left, pushing her back into the middle of the clearing. They were playing with her as if she were in a shooting range! Terrified, Zelda tried to maneuver to the right, with the same result. Lighting cracked overhead like a claw. Zelda cried out and barrel-rolled downward, hoping to outmaneuver her aggressors. She had to do something, and she needed an idea now.

 

                The truck fishtailed in the mud, sending its cargo in the back rolling over each other. Grin landed hard on his back, the sore bruise that formed a line right across his spine throbbing. He rolled back into a sitting position and tried to remain that way in all the chaos. He looked out into the night, knowing Zelda was the only one left. If she could just get away.... He ducked and bobbed inbetween the wooden slats of the back of the truck, trying to see. A brilliant flash of lightning nearby revealed her form for a split second, flapping through the sky almost directly ahead. Lasers blazed past her, casting red shadows on her purple scales to further guide the aim of the Saurians. Zelda was definitely in panic. She couldn't look behind her to see her attackers. The storm was swirling in closer, the driving rain and thrashing lightning was going to be a problem. She was tiring too. Grin knew she needed help. Lightning suddenly cracked so close that it hit a tree on the edge of the jungle.

                Zelda screamed in fear.

                "Keep your head Zelda, they're centered behind you!" Grin tried to concentrate through all the chaos in the truck. "Watch the lightning and keep trying to shake them! You can do it!" Grin received no telepathic message in reply.

                The dragon ducked and wheeled in the air.

                "Can't somebody hit zhat flying snake?" the Baron yelled at the Saurians in the truck ahead.                 Suddenly, a dazzling claw of lightning struck the ground about sixty feet in front of the truck. In the strobe-like flash of light, Grin gasped as he saw Zelda, very close to the bolt itself, wings spread out in suprise. Thunder burst out directly overhead in an earsplitting wave. In the blackness, Grin lost Zelda. Another flash of light nearby saw her falling helplessly down through the air. Grin froze. Had she been hit by the lightning? The truck suddenly squealed to a turning stop. The Ducks were thrown about again as Grin was slammed to the right side of the truck. The car was turned towards the jungle, Grin could make out the foliage thrashing in the headlights. He looked ahead into the mud. Blackness. Where was Zelda? Mallory grunted as she righted herself next to him. Silence quickly enveloped the truck. Where was she?        Out of the darkness, the dragon gave a long, loud roaring cry. It hung in the air, nearly rattling in her throat, twisted in pain, gurgling in the mud. She was crying for help.

                Thunder blotted out all sound as it smashed again. The cry was gone by the time the rumbling had receded.

                Grin thought he could hear the Saurians talking in the cab ahead.

                "You heard her, she's still alive!" Wraith said.

                "I zay we leave her here! Let my wolves rip her into zhreds!" Baron declared.

                "No." Dragaunus said in a smiling voice. "Seige, finish her."

                Lighting flashed as the passenger door creaked open.

 

                Mallory gasped as she saw him.

                Seige stomped out into the darkness, blood dripping from a ragged gash in his arm. Seige barely seemed to notice it though, as he wiped mud off of the barrel of his laser. A flashlight from the truck was trained on him as he walked out into the rain, about twenty feet in front of her. As he raised his laser, Zelda's cry came rattling out again. Seige carefully aimed and fired.

                Mallory caught the flash of red light as it sparked off something not far away from Seige.

                Zelda's cry was violently cut off.

                Seige went towards his prey, and the flashlight was turned off.

                "What... what happened...?" Nosedive coughed from somewhere in the black of the truck.                 Nobody answered him.

                There was a startling creak of metal as the back of the truck was swung down and open.

                Mallory felt mud splash onto one of her outstretched legs as something light and wet landed on it. Lightning cued in to reveal one of Zelda's wings.

                Wildwing, who was sitting closest to the end of the truck, growled angrily and suddenly struck out, kicking Seige hard in the head.

                Seige stumbled back, then roared and loomed into the truck, dealing the gagged Wildwing a punch.

                Wildwing was pushed back as the truck was slammed shut and Seige stormed away.

                "Zelda? You okay girl?" Tanya asked.

                There was no answer.

                The truck roared up again, and turned around, heading towards a path in the jungle.

 

                Drip, drip, drip.... Wildwing listened to the rhythmic sound of the water dripping from the stalactite across the way. The hollow cave seemed to echo with that one sound. He twitched again as the Mask sparked from the dent in the right side of the beak. Seige had given him a good whack. He hoped the Mask wasn't badly damaged. The cave made a good setting for a prison, and the shackles that held his hands to the wall weren't comfortable. In the dim light, he looked down at his feet and were glad they were allowed to rest freely on the ground. As he craned his neck a little more, pain suddenly rippled through it. He winced and quickly looked up again. Ouch, that hit by Seige hurt more than he thought it did. The Mask sparked up again, into his eyes. He heard a sneeze next to him, and glanced over to see Tanya shaking her head, her hair still wet and full of mud. She looked up at him with a rather blank stare, as if she was wondering what to do next. As the wall rounded and the cave continued to hollow, Wildwing scanned his eyes across his brother. Nosedive didn't look badly hurt, there was a noticeable bruise on his arm, and of course the laser burn that had singed his stomach. Fortunately, it looked that most of the blast had been taken by his chest armor. Nosedive was now hanging his wet head, perhaps he was asleep after the ordeal. Next was Duke. Despite the pain in his neck Wildwing turned his head to get a better look at Duke, whom he was seriously worried about. He hadn't seen the blow Seige had given him, but Duke was having obvious trouble breathing. It was actually hard to tell if he was breathing at all, his breath was so shallow and quick. Perhaps Seige had broken a few of his ribs. Wildwing frowned. Duke's eye was pale and glassy from a lack of oxygen. There was little any of them could do for him like this. Next to him lay Zelda, who wasn't shackled to the wall but had her each foot on a chain secured on the floor. She lay in a twisted heap of her own wings, still covered in mud. From time to time she managed to stir and let out a high, soft whining. Wildwing had heard that sound quite a few times, he'd actually given it some behavioral analysis in the back of his head. Whenever Zelda was injured, unconscious, or helping someone else who was injured, she made that noise. It was a high, hollow sound that was pitched out of the throat. It was barely audible to the human or Duck ear, but Wildwing thought it might be at a higher frequency so her kind could hear it, almost like an instinctive distress call. Perhaps this same sound was mimicked by the signal whistles that the Ducks used to call Zelda when she was away. Wildwing could feel the light reed whistle hanging in its place around his neck, under his armor. Wildwing blinked and was just happy that she was showing some sign of being alive. He was terrified that shot had killed her when he heard it go off, or that she had been struck by the lightning. Wildwing sighed softly and looked over at Mallory. She still looked tired, her eyes half-closed and her gear encrusted with mud. She didn't return his gaze. Grin seemed to be the most together in the group. Wildwing knew that bruise across his back wasn't exactly comfy, but he seemed to be taking it well. Wildwing turned his attention away from the team and scanned the bars of the cell. The bars separated the cell a little less than halfway down the hollow of the cave. Another cell lay empty across the way. It's door held a typical prison lock.... Duke could get through that in a heartbeat. Wildwing cleared his throat, a wave of pain going down as he swallowed.

                "Hey Duke? You okay over there?" his words echoed cautiously off of the cave walls.

                Duke raised his head slightly and took a quick breath. "Fine." he said simply.

                Zelda began to whine again. "You're getting rusty at lying Duke." she mumbled from beneath her wings.

                Wildwing was suprised. Had she been awake all this time?

                Slowly, the dragon began to fold her wings into some sort of neatness. As she did, a thin steam came from off of her flanks.

                It was barely visible, but it caught Wildwing's attention. How could she be generating enough heat to evaporate the water in the mud?

                "Where'd Seige get ya Duke?" Nosedive asked, snapping a stupor he'd been in.

                Duke took a moment to answer. "Ribs..." he managed.

                Zelda snorted audibly.

                Suddenly he began to cough slightly, trying to stifle it, eye squinted shut in pain as he did so.

                "Easy Duke." Wildwing tried.

                As Duke finally quieted, he relaxed.

                "You think anything's broken?" Wildwing asked a few moments later.

                "Dunno." Duke admitted with a blink.

                "We'll get ya outta here." Mallory assured him.

                He sighed in reply.

                "Idiot Saurians." Nosedive seethed. "I wish I could have one clean shot at 'em."

                "First we must escape from here." Grin reminded him.

                "Well if anyone has a plan, I'd be more than welcome to hear it." Wildwing sighed.

                The room was silent for a moment.

                "Care to try the playing opossum trick?" Zelda mumbled lightly, eyes half-open.

                "Dunno if it would work... uuh we're all tied down, how could we escape when the Saurians open the door?" Tanya asked.

                "Wait... what if the Saurians came in here and took the 'opossum' out, say Zelda for instance. They'll leave her somewhere, and she'll come back to free us." Wildwing said.

                "Negative." Mallory shook her head. "That 'leaving her somewhere' could mean shoving her in the Raptor's incineration chamber."

                Wildwing got her point.

                "It's worth the shot." Zelda raised her head, shivering. "At the moment... there's no other plan."

                "We'll think of something a little less risky." Wildwing overruled her.

 

                Nosedive glowered miserably at his brother. Two hours and nothing. No activity, no talking. Two hours of boring, sleepy silence. Dive could tell his brother was thinking, and thinking hard. But the truth of the matter was that this was a really sucky situation. Draggy had outdone himself for this scheme. Nosedive rolled his eyes and hung his wet head, wondering if he might catch some zzzzs through the dull pain that radiated through his stomach. Uck this place was yucky, he still had mud all over him. Two hours. He was wishing something would happen.

                And suddenly there was a loud, metallic clang from somewhere far off in the cave. Heavy footsteps resounded soon after.

                Nosedive slumped down. Dang it.

 

                Seige's beady eyes scanned the Ducks in the cave like a tiger. His mouth curled into a grin as he stopped. He clanged the bars with his tail, snapping anyone who was asleep inside awake violently.

                "Whoops, did I do that?" he smiled innocently.           

                "Shut up you volleyball with legs." Mallory snarled.

                "Silence both of you!" A voice roared to life from down an unseen hallway. Dragaunus stalked into the room calmly. "Just coming to check on our guests." he grinned. "I do hope you're all uncomfortable."

                Everyone behind the bars glared hatefully at him.

                Wildwing glanced down to see Zelda lying on the floor with her eyes closed.

                Dragaunus seemed to notice it too. "And what's the matter little one?" he cooed, leaning down to have a look at her. "Got a bad case of death from Seige eh?" he glanced up at his grinning henchman. "Can't tell how someone so puny as yourself could take a hit like that."

                The dragon didn't respond.

                Grin began to tap his foot on the floor.

                Wildwing looked at Grin strangely, who nodded. Wildwing knew what it meant.

                "Zelda.... Zelda wake up...." he suddenly urged her in a worried tone.

                The dragon still lay silent. She wasn't breathing.

                "Zelda?" Tanya joined in, her voice a tad more frantic.

                Grin stretched his leg out to nudge her. The dragon still didn't respond.

                "Great mother of Ducks..." Nosedive breathed. "She's not--"

                "Dead?" Dragaunus interrupted. "I'll be the judge and jury of that." His purple robes fluttered behind him as the red lizard unlocked the cage bars and stepped inside. Instead of teasing the others like he usually would, he went strait for Zelda. He picked the dragon up by the back of the neck, she making no response and sagging beneath him like a rag doll.

                Wildwing blinked hopefully. He hated to be taking this risk.... but maybe... just maybe. The leader smiled internally as Draguanus started to chuckle over the 'corpse'. The old opossum trick had worked again. Draguanus's laughter continued to grow, until he suddenly flung Zelda's body violently to the ground and roared in fury. Wildwing snapped to. What had happened?

                "Do you take me for a fool?" he screamed at the occupants of the cell. He began to smile again. "Idiots, do you think I was stupid enough to mistake one with her flesh nearly on fire for a dead body?!"

                "Well it would be dumb to say no now, wouldn't it?" Mallory smirked.

                Draguanus lashed his tail across the front of her legs, leaving the Duck cramped with the stinging pain.

                Wildwing was still trying to grasp what had gone wrong. Flesh on fire? What was he talking about?

                Zelda opened her eyes miserably beneath him, seething about her plan not working. She roared shrilly and sunk her teeth into his left ankle, biting like a dog.

                Immediately the lizard above her roared in pain and recoiled, pulling his foot away.

                Zelda held on, her chains snapping taught as Dragaunus tried to get her off of his leg. She shook back, twisting her head and trying to cut as deep as possible.

                Dragaunus slammed her to the ground so hard that it jarred her, and he slipped out of her grasp. He smacked her hard across the head and neck with his tail, knocking her clean into Grin. The dragon fell to the floor soundlessly while Dragaunus held his foot, wincing. "You'll pay for that you little waste of scales. I'm going to get Baron to stuff you and stitch you up so nicely... right in the position you'll lay in when you die!" He put his foot down and tried to walk out of the cell, only managing to limp instead. He snarled as he walked.

                Nosedive snickered at him.

                "I'll stuff you all! Just you wait." he snapped back at the Ducks before he slammed the door closed in fury. Seige moved to help him walk, but Draguanus refused him with an angry snarl and hopped out of the room with Seige in tow. A distant door slammed shut, and all was left in silence.

 

                                                                                To be continued....