Deadeye the child of the blade

Forever here

 Forever will stay

 And so a child she will remain

 Child of the blade

                                                ---Wildwing Flashblade

 

 

Song of Angels

Written by Zelda and Deadeye

 

                The winds tore at him, trying to pull him out too. He felt Grin's arms around his chest, holding him securely in the doorway. And his own arms were straining, fingers digging into the only thing that connected him to his best friend.

                "Take it Wildwing!" he heard him yell. "Take it!!!"

 

And then he let go, staring up at him as he sank into space.

 

                "Canard!" Wildwing screamed after him. "NOOOOOOOO!!!!"

 

                Wildwing jolted himself awake, sitting strait up in bed, breathing heavily, chest heaving in panic. "No... not again... no." he whispered thinly. As he stared strait ahead of him with wide eyes, his bunk door hissed open, Nosedive barreling in.

                "Bro? Bro! You okay?" he asked, flipping on the lights quickly. He stopped as he saw his older brother sitting up, in a cold sweat.

                "Not again...." Wing repeated to himself.

                Nosedive shook his head.

                "That's it, I'm getting Tanya." He turned to leave, when Wildwing darted out and grabbed his arm.

                "No..." he told him, voice still weak.

                Dive turned again and squatted beside Wildwing's bunk.

                "Look, you're not doing so hot." Nosedive said sternly. "This is the third time this week Wing, and frankly, I'm worried about you."

                Wing was surprised at his brother's serious words.

                "And I'm just sick of getting up constantly." Dive gently pushed Wildwing back down as he stood up. "I'm getting Tanya, and Zelda." He walked out the door, when suddenly a slicing, burning pain swiped down the back of his neck, then, seconds later, his back. The unseen blade slashed down his arm, his leg, burning as it slit effortlessly, deeply. "You...." he whispered....

 

                "NOOOOOOO!!!" Nosedive was trembling in sheer terror as he sat strait up in bed, staring with wide eyes into the blackness. His door opened, florescent light outlining the form of his brother as he came running in. Nosedive broke down into tears, half of relief, half of shock and fear.

                "Nosedive?!" Wing quickly walked over to his brother and knelt down.

                Nosedive flung his arms around Wildwing, butting his head into his big shoulder and crying.           "Shhhh..... Dive easy.... I'm here now.... calm down." his brother hugged him back, patting his shoulder. "It's all over now...."

                Nosedive was still trembling, choking on his own tears in trying to calm himself.

                "What's wrong with the kid Wing?" Duke asked with a concerned voice from the doorway.               Wildwing looked up at him and sighed.

                "Bad dreams.... that's all." he shook his head.

                Zelda poked her head in, ears lowered, also scared.

                "Is he alright? Should I get Tanya?" she asked.

                Wildwing brushed back his brother's hair.

                "No... thanks anyway but no..." he refused.

                Zelda nodded, keeping at the doorway politely, but obviously distressed.

                "Bro..." Dive shivered, becoming a little erratic. "I...I..."

                "Shhhh...." Wildwing held his brother back and looked at him. "It's okay, we're all here, nothing's gonna happen."

                "I heard running." Deadeye bounded up, rubbing her eyes, dragging a small blanket behind her.

                "You should go back to bed kiddo." Duke said.

                "But what's happening?" Deadeye asked, pressing to go into Dive's room. She was halted by Duke.

                "It's nothin." he dismissed. "Wing can take care of it, kay?" Duke put the blanket around her shoulders. "Now come on and let's get you back to the rec. room." Duke escorted Deadeye away, entering the rec. room and having her lay back down on the couch. "It's only 3 AM." he yawned. "You need at least 4 hours more of sleep kid, take it from me. Tomorrow you can ask all the questions." He covered her gently with the blanket. "Now rest." Duke walked out, turning at the door to shut out the lights. "Night kiddo." he whispered. He walked out, the door hissing shut.

                "Night." She replied with a tired smile, nestling down into the couch.

 

                The next morning came quickly, as the team needed to be out on the ice for practice at 10. Deadeye walked into the Galley, yawning, to find Dive and Wing sitting together and eating cereal.

                "Feeling better?" she asked.

                Dive shot her a tired glance that made her regret her words for a moment.

                "Nightmares suck." he muffled while chewing. "Those things scare the crap outta me."

                Wildwing shot him a 'watch your beak' glare, and Dive stared into his bowl.

                Deadeye fetched a muffin from the bread bin and sat down next to Wing.

                A gentle rumble and a clicking of claws on metal preceeded Zelda as she entered the galley. She paused to look up at Dive, smiling good-naturedly.

                "Everyone ready for practice?" she asked.

                "Yayyyyy." Nosedive cheered in a monotone. He shoveled another spoonful of cereal in his beak before he got up and dumped the empty bowl in the sink. "I'm goin' ta take a shower, nobody be try and be funny by turning on the hot water again."

                "That's your job kiddo." Duke pulled up a chair with a cup of coffee.

                Dive cracked a grin and walked off.

                Zelda hopped up on a chair and rumbled again, this time out of concern.

                Wildwing patted her on the head.

                "He's fine Zel, he just had a bad dream..." Wing assured her.

                "I feel bad for the kid." Duke shook his head.

                "It is weird... he always used to get bad dreams when he was little." Wildwing pondered.

                "Well he's lucky to have you around." Zelda nodded, walking out.

 

                Duke winced and braced himself as both Grin and Tanya came flying at him from opposite sides, pinching him off in a double-play hit that sent him sprawling, his stick sliding away.

                Zelda leapt off of the boards and trotted towards the three as Tanya helped Duke up.

                "No no no Duke you don't cringe when you see that! Now come on, you've been in pinch-offs before, pass the puck!"              

                "Yeah but no pinch-off in the league has a guy that big in it!" Duke chuckled, gesturing over his shoulder to Grin.

                The big brown Duck smiled gently.

                "And what effect does that have on your passing abilities?" Zelda butted him in the legs. "I wanna see Mallory with that puck when we run this drill again. She's got the point shot, let the defensemen come at ya!" Zelda passed puck back to Mallory as she and Duke skated back to the red line. "Now, let's run through this one more time...." Zelda said. "Dive!" she called. "You and Mal are up next on the cycle drill!"

                From the other end of the ice, Nosedive waved. He stood against the goalpost as his brother leaned the cup of his glove on the butt of his huge goalie stick.

                "I just don't know what you see in her, that's all!" he continued.

                "I don't believe this." Wing smiled, a little hurt. "Don't tell me your jealous!"

                "Jealous of what? You promised Zelda in that other dimension that you'd protect her, not fall head-over-heels!" Dive scoffed.

                "Do you have a problem with me having a girlfriend?" Wing narrowed his eyes. "She means more to me than a promise to a friend."

                "Lay it on me Shakespeare." Dive cracked. "You sound like you're in one of those corny romance novels you get in the supermarket!" He rapped his brother on the head with his stick. "I mean come on Wing, she's younger than I am!"

                "Shut up baby bro." Wildwing became annoyed and skated away.

                Dive was about to follow when a puck landed on his head. He looked up to see Zelda catch it as she stood on the ice.

                "Cycle drills." she pointed, and Dive skated off.

 

                Duke snorted himself awake as the alarms rang though his ears. He got up and hit his pillow in frustration. It was just like Dragaunus to spoil a pre-game nap!

                "Alright, let's get this over with." He snapped into his com.

                "Give that attitude to Draggy, not to me." Tanya responded. "Meet up in the hangar team, I've got the 'Grator warming up."

 

                "You're gettin' good at this girl." Mallory waved to her as she walked in. "Where's our target?"

                "The old Gray Pine lumberyard." Tanya was tapping away at a console.

                "Mebbe Lizard Lips wants to build a new deck." Duke shouldered his sabre as he and Grin arrived. Dive and Zelda hurried aboard, and Wing and Deadeye were the last in, shutting the door behind them.

                Dive shot his brother a glance as he strapped himself into the driver's seat, and they were off in a flash.

 

                The lumberyards were abandoned, quiet. The Ducks checked the Migrator at the entrance and proceeded in on foot, cautiously keeping their weapons at the ready.

                "You sure they're here Tanya?" Mallory asked.

                "As sure as the theory of relativity is... ya know... right." she said.

                "But what could they want here?"

                "Smells like a trap..." Dive huffed.

                "Then we'll be careful." Slowly, his brother slid ahead of him, into the open. There were piles of wood, neat stacks of lumber, small cranes and forklifts, and heaps of woodchips everywhere. It would be excellent cover... and excellent for the Saurians to hide behind. Wing slowly backed up to a woodpile and activated his Mask. From across the yard, he peered through a stack of wood to see the Chameleon charging his laser. He pointed back to the rest of the team, and Mallory waved to him.

                She loaded a set of mortars into her puck cannon, aimed, and fired. The mortars went off, singing through the air, arching up and slamming into the woodpile, the neat stack exploding into splinters and flames.

                The Chameleon came yelling from the smoke, flaming splinters stuck all over him like he had just run through a cactus patch.

                "He's mine!" Dive yelled, and immediately he was running into the open, the rest of the team flanking behind him.

                "Dive wait!" Wildwing called, but by this time his brother had already caught up to the Chameleon, and with a kick, sent him to the ground.

                "This time you're going back to the pet store where you belong lizard." Nosedive shoved a launcher in the Saurian's face before he could move. "You're going down."

                "I believe you've got things a little mixed up." Chameleon shot him a pained smirk.

                Nosedive looked up just in time to see to see the fire before him.

 

                The team's advance ground to a halt as both Dive and the Chameleon disappeared behind a huge firewall.

                "Dive!" Wildwing drew his shield out and held it before him as he ducked into the flames, the icy cold keeping him safe. The rest of the team was about to shoot off enough freeze pucks to douse the fire, when Wildwing was spat out from behind the wall violently. He rolled to a stop in the dirt, armor smoking. Wildwing braced himself up with an arm and looked to see Dragaunus walk strait through the firewall, his robes smoldering, his eyes blazing as red as the flames themselves.

                He held Nosedive by the collar of his armor, his unconcious form dangling in midair.

                "Nail him!" Duke snarled, and the entire team brought up their weapons. Before they could fire off a single shot, Dragaunus drew the silvery blade of a knife up to Dive's neck.

                Less than 20 feet away, his brother froze in terror.

                The team didn't move.        

                "Hold it right there Dragaunus!" Zelda roared.

                Dragaunus glanced at her, then let out a sinister chuckle, not moving, eyes burning.

                "Touche." he sneered, and then he and Dive both disappeared, leaving nothing behind but their green teleportation shadow.

                The team didn't have time to react before they were suddenly hit by fire from behind them! The three henchmen advanced with deadly confidence, intent on backing the Ducks right into the firewall!

                "Time for a little barbecue Ducks!" Siege roared.

                "Oh yeah baybay!" Chameleon morphed into a lumberjack, swinging a thick tree branch in hand. "And I got just the right kinda wood to smoke you in...."

                "Split Ducks!" Wildwing ordered, and the line of Ducks split into a flurry, darting all over the lumberyard. The Saurians broke rank as well.

                Zelda swooped strait up into the air, a line of laser blasts following inches from her tail. She flipped up her wings and dove feet-first behind a distant mound of wood chips, out of harm's way. She peered out from the side as Mallory joined her.

                "This isn't getting us anywhere!" she snorted.

                "We've gotta coordinate ourselves." Zelda told her. "Keep track of the others and the Saurians at the same time...."

                "Way easier said than done Zel." Mallory reloaded her puck launcher. "And we've gotta stop that firewall before the whole place burns down!"

                "I'm sure the fire department's on it's way." Zelda shook her head. "Klegghorn's gonna love this one..." Mallory darted out into the open again, and Zelda climbed her way to the top of the pile and peered out. The whole lumberyard was a flaming mess. Pucks flew everywhere, lasers scorched the ground. And she couldn't identify anyone. Suddenly, she saw Deadeye climb to the top of a rusty old lumber crane. Apparently she had the same surveillance idea Zelda did. Deadeye whipped out her launcher and started firing down into the smoke below. The dragon launched herself up off of the wood chip pile and soared down into the fight.

 

                Wildwing swerved around the corner of the crane, launcher still smoking from the last round he'd been chasing Wraith with. He stopped in his tracks, glancing around him, the smoke stinging his eyes. Where had he gone? Suddenly, a blazing light appeared behind him. His goalie instincts shoved him to the side as one of Wraith's fireballs blazed inches from his feathered head. Wildwing rolled up firing, Wraith retreating from the cockpit of the crane and to the top of the lumber stack that it paralleled in a smoky cloud. Wildwing quickly climbed up after him. As he pulled himself over the top, he found Wraith cornered, the firewall to his back, backing towards the end of the stack.

                "Nowhere to run sleazoid...." Wildwing brought out his ice shield and prepared for a fight.                 Wraith glanced around, panicked for a few seconds. Slowly, he turned back towards Wildwing with a sickening, toothy, wrinkled grin that made his stomach drop.

                "Perhaps I'll get my roast Duck after all..." Wraith suddenly drew his sword from his robes, the firey blade gleaming in the darkness. Wraith spun about and flung his staff strait at Wildwing, who caught it easily.

                "What was that?!" Wildwing chuckled bitterly.

                "A distraction." he replied simply. Wraith lunged out and took a swipe at the tower of the crane, and Wildwing heard a loud yell from above.

                Deadeye wavered and spun her arms, doing her best to maintain her balance at the top of the crane.

                "Deadeye!" Wildwing yelled out. He leapt for Wraith, but caught only smoke as the Saurian elusively vanished. The metal of the rusty old crane squealed in protest, and buckled under the stress of the dent Wraith had created. The whole tower suddenly collapsed, and Deadeye came down with it. "No!!!" Wildwing yelled, taking one bounding leap towards the end of the wood stack. He landed on his right hip, hard. The shock radiated up through his whole body, and then Wildwing felt something rip past his gloved hand. He snatched out just in time to catch Deadeye's hand. Gravity pulled him right to the edge of the woodpile, splinters stabbing him along the legs as he tried to stop himself. His whole shoulder stretched down over the edge. He looked down to see Deadeye's terrified face staring back. "Hang on!" he yelled. Deadeye wrenched to find a foothold against the woodpile, the firewall dangerously close, flickering demonically at her. Deadeye's hands were sweaty, he could feel her slipping from him.

                "Don't drop me!" She pleaded up to him. Wildwing closed his eyes, throwing his other arm over the edge to help her up. He only ended up sliding over to his waist! Now he was in a struggle to keep both of them up, and Deadeye was still slipping from him! He could feel her fingers slowly slipping, slipping, desperately digging into his gloves. And suddenly, she was gone.

 

                Tanya grinned from ear to ear as she finally connected with her shot, nailing Siege right in the heel.

                He toppled to the earth, raising a cloud of sawdust as he landed.

                She ran out from behind a jumble of scrap wood and fired on him again.

                Siege stumbled up and started to limp away. Tanya wished she could fly in and give him a good kick to the jaw, but she knew better. He'd be twice as careful to hit her into next week should she come in range. She lined up her puck cannon on her shoulder and aimed carefully at the fleeing Saurian, his fat form easy to put in the crosshairs. She pulled the trigger and felt the cannon kick violently back as the puck whizzed forward and nailed him right in the back of the skull.

                Siege collapsed to the ground again, and didn't move.

                "She shoots, she scores, ahah!" Tanya pumped her arm enthusiastically, opening her com. "Seige is down guys, what say we...."

                "What Tanya?" Duke asked.

                A cloud suddenly burst before Siege's unconscious form, Wraith's eyes blazing and his staff held forward like he meant business.

                "Never mind." she sighed, shouldering her cannon again. Tanya aimed steadily. "Freeze Wraith! One move and you'll get a hole in the head!"

                Wraith looked down at Siege, who moaned loudly upon being nudged. Wraith shot Tanya another hateful glare before reaching for his wrist and teleporting away.

 

                The dragon screeched to a stop along the ground, barely managing to halt herself before a towering stack of wood before her.

                "Chicken!" Zelda roared into the black. "Next time, I rip the teleporter off that little iguana." Turning, she sniffed the air and whined. Her friends were in distress, pain. The dragon lifted her wings and shot up into the air, quickly spotting Wildwing near the firewall, at the top of a pile of wood, lying near the edge. She landed quickly beside him and steadied him.

                "Easy Wing what is it?" she asked as he grabbed at his hip, wincing.

                "Deadeye.... " he groaned.

                Zelda looked over the edge to see the Duck slumped at the base of a smoldering pile of wood chips, at least 15 feet below.

                "Grin!" she called, spotting him nearby.

                He came and quickly scooped her up.

                "Mind her neck!" Zelda frilled her ears. "Get her away from that fire! Are you okay at least?"

                "No worse for the wear." he nodded, gently cradling the unconscious Duck, and carrying her off.    Zelda turned her attentions back to her leader, who was still trying to prop himself up.

                "Whoa whoa relax..." she pushed him back down.

                "What happened....?" he asked.

                "She's fine... knocked out." Zelda sighed.

                "I can't believe I let her go...." He closed his eyes.

                "Easy..." Zelda repeated. "What did you do to your hip?"

                "Landed on it." he breathed.

                "And hard.... I hope nothing's cracked.... probably just bruised... we've gotta get you down from here." she told him.

                Slowly, Wing staggered up on his good leg, and limped back to the cab of the crane, sliding down.

                "Full report team." he ordered raggedly over his com.

                "Not hating the Saurians any less." Mallory snorted.

                "Fine here... I'm putting out a fire." Tanya said.

                "Deadeye's in the Migrator." Grin checked in.

                Wildwing shook his head.

                "Having a bit of trouble here..." Duke clicked.

                Zelda whined.

                "Coming to get ya Duke." Tanya sighed.

                Wildwing slowly limped off in his direction as well, balancing his weight on Zelda's head. They rounded a pile of wood chips and found him, sprawled in the sawdust, belly up.

                "Hold up there." Tanya knelt down beside him as Zelda broke from Wildwing. "What hurts?"

                "I'm not one to take-" he winced. "Things lyin' down..." he rolled up slowly. "I think I messed up my leg." As Tanya tried to feel along it, he gritted his teeth and sucked the air in out of pain and frustration.

                Zelda whined, knowing his high threshold for pain wasn't helping him now.

                Behind him, Wildwing got up, looking frazzled.

                "I'm going to the Migrator...." he breathed shortly, his voice cracking.

                As he shuffled off, Duke's eye followed.

                "What's wrong with--?" Duke had his bill clipped shut by Tanya, who gave him a sad look and shook her head.

                "Your foot is broken kiddo." Zelda pointed to the ankle as it was grossly misshapen.

                Tanya slowly helped him up, and Duke limped off, eyes squinted shut, up the ramp and into the Migrator, where at last he sat again.

                The vehicle was dead silent as Zelda quickly padded over to Deadeye as she lay, white as a sheet, on a cot.

                Wildwing sat, shivering, in the driver's seat, eyes fixed on her. There wasn't a sound except for a stifled grunt or two from Duke as Tanya splinted his ankle.

                "Is... is she... okay?" Wildwing finally asked, his voice still shaking.

                Zelda didn't look him in the face.

                "She... had a nasty fall Wing... pretty badly bruised in some parts..." Wing let his shoulders slump and his head dip into his lap.

                "And Dive....." he sniffled.

                Zelda arched her neck and whined softly.

                "We... should get back Wing." Mallory ventured.

                Wing didn't move, his back shivering. A tear dripped to the floor silently.

                The team stood in sad shock. They had never seen him like this... not even after Canard....

                Zelda slowly climbed up beside him on the dash, and folded her wings around him. She shot Mallory a frown, lowering her ears.

                "Yes... we should get back." she said simply.

                Mallory shuffled to her station, and started the engine.

 

                The infirmary was quiet. Duke's ankle itched like crazy, but he itched even worse. He knew he shouldn't be here.... he should leave his leader alone... he let out a silent sigh and stared up at the ceiling, away from Wildwing. His leader had his back to Duke, head resting on the edge of Deadeye's Medicom bed. The scanner provided the only whispering noise in the room. Wildwing's Mask, now white and expressionless, sat at arm's length from him. The infirmary door opened with a hiss, and the clicking of claws on metal told Duke that Zelda was here. He shut his eye and pretended to be asleep. There was a pause as the door shut.

                "Wildwing... you're supposed to be in bed!" she said gently.

                Wildwing didn't respond.

                The dragon clipped up to his side, putting a paw on his shoulder armor gently. He looked up at her with worn eyes. She could tell he had been crying.

                "She'll be fine Wing... please?" she asked him softly.

                "I can't believe I let her go...." he whispered. "And Dive...."

                "Tanya's looking for the Raptor now Wing." Zelda said. "You have to rest."

                There was a pause as Wildwing's eyes drifted hollowly. He looked back to Deadeye and let his head droop again.

                "Leave me alone...." he whispered, his voice dry and pleading.

                The dragon hovered for a moment, looking lost and helpless herself. Slowly, she slid back down from beside him, winding slowly back out the door. It shut behind her with a hiss.

                Duke wished he could obey as well. He heard Wildwing slowly lean up.

                "I know you're awake." he said lowly.

                "Sorry." Duke said quietly, opening his eyes.

                Wildwing got up and turned to him.

                "Feeling okay?" he asked, an obvious charade quality to his tired voice. "Do you need anything?"

                "I'm fine." Duke nodded. "Don't change the subject."

                Wildwing shook his head.

                "Why am I the one to blame?" he asked himself rhetorically. "If only we'd left her in that other dimension... she wouldn't be in so much danger. And Dive... when will I learn to take a firmer hand to him?" His voice cracked weakly as he sat down and hung his head again.

                "Hey now...." Duke tried. "I agree Dive is a little reckless, what's just who he is. And you know what would have happened to Deadeye if we left her..." Duke looked at him seriously.

                Wildwing met his gaze with defeated eyes.

                Duke slowly leaned up, scratching the cast over his ankle. "Wing, it's late, and with your hip..." he started. "Zelda's right, you should get your rest." Wildwing made no response. "Deadeye's not going anywhere now. I bet when you wake up she'll be awake too." Duke tried again.

                Wildwing hid his beak in an arm, tears welling up.

                Duke sighed, frustrated.

                "You never acted like this with Canard." he bit quietly.

                Wildwing glared poisonously at him, and for a split second Duke was terrified that the comment had hit the last nerve his leader seemed to have. But Wildwing gulped down and sighed, his tired eyes slowly fading.

                "You're... right." he muttered. He staggered up slowly, wincing at the pain in his hip. He bent over despite it, to kiss Deadeye's hand, and stroke the sawdust out of her ruffled hair. He slowly limped over to his bed, and lay down, back to Duke.

                There was silence for a long time in the room, and Duke was slowly drifting off to sleep as a whisper found his tired ears.

                "What have I done?"

               

                Tanya opened her eyes slowly, the whole Ready Room blurry, metallic gray. She slowly started to remember where she was... asleep against Drake 1's console. She slowly leaned up, and felt the side of her face to discover keyboard keys indented in her cheek. She sighed and wondered how long she had been asleep. A check of Drake 1's BIOS clock revealed it was almost 6:30 in the morning. Had she been alseep for a whole three hours? It seemed more like three minutes. A far door opened with a hiss, and in came Wildwing, looking just as disheveled, limping with a crutch.

                "You should be in bed Wing." Tanya yawned.

                Her leader ignored her and continued a steady approach to Drake 1.

                "Zel get you the crutch?" Tanya asked as he came up behind her.

                "Got it myself." he said dryly.

                Tanya knew he must really be hurting. She'd give him something for it.

                "Deadeye's still not up.... I couldn't sleep."

                "Take it easy." Tanya urged him to sit down. "She only took a fall Wing. She'll be okay."

                "A fall because of me." he hung his head.

                "She'll forgive you when she wakes up." Tanya let out a grin.

                Wildwing didn't join her.

                She cleared her throat and looked askance.

                "Any sign of the Raptor?" he asked.

                "Not since last night...." Tanya said slowly. Wildwing closed his eyes.

                "We've gotta get Dive back... who knows what Dragaunus is---" he broke off.

                Tanya put a hand on his shoulder.

                "I know this is hard for ya Wing." she looked at him seriously. "Dragaunus dealt you a real double blow."

                Wildwing nodded slowly.

                She bent down to look him in the face.

                "But we need you now Wing. Duke and Deadeye are out of the picture... you may be too." she locked his gaze. "If we're going to get Dive back safely, we need you. You know that." She backed away and sat down again, leaving the thought to stew in her leader's head. There was a long pause, nothing but the brooding hum of the supercomputer before them.

                Wildwing sniffled and wiped his bill, sitting up.

                "Are the others asleep?" he asked. Tanya nodded.

                "As far as I know."

                "Let them." he ruled, taking up his crutch again and hobbling away, silent as he exited from the room.

                Tanya looked after him sadly. She wouldn't trade places.... not for a second.

               

                Duke awoke with a start, sleep being yanked off of him like a blanket. He heard her.... Looking over quickly in the harsh lighting, he saw Deadeye staring into space, blinking awake, beak slackly open.

                "Hey kiddo!" he said softly.

                "Wing?" she said again, panicked. She couldn't see strait and started to move about in the bed.

                "Easy there!" Duke sat up quickly.

                "Wing?" she called out, frightened.

                Duke opened his com.

                "Yo Tanya, Deadeye's up... really up.... Bring Zel with you, and quick!"

                "Wing!" Deadeye was now frenzied, shaking on the bed, eyes squinted shut.

                Panicked himself, Duke hopped out of his bed, balancing on one foot and hobbling over to her.

                "Take it easy kid." he grabbed her hand and tried her press her shoulders down, to get her back against the bed. "Relax, I'm here..."

                "Wing!?" she didn't calm much, thrashing her unheld legs.

                "Calm down!" Duke ordered. "Listen to me Deadeye, you've gotta calm down."

                The door hissed open and Zelda skidded into the room, Tanya right behind her.

                "Wait Duke, let her be!" Tanya brushed her hair back, coming up beside him. "It'll take the pressure off of her lower back..." she went over to the Medicom console as Zelda hopped up in the chair beside Deadeye, the one Wing had sat in the night before.

                "Easy Deadeye...." the dragon took her hand and soothed.

                Deadeye opened her eyes, brimming with tears and tightened with pain.

                "Wing!" she shook herself and kicked violently, nearly hitting Duke.

                "Whoa!" he put his hands down over her legs and tried to hold her as the duck went into a spasm.

                "Hold it right there kiddo!" Tanya leaned over Zelda and injected Deadeye in the shoulder with a syringe.

                Deadeye very slowly calmed, her muscles slowly relaxing.

                Tanya patted her on the shoulder. "Just take it easy kiddo, everything's going to be okay..."             Slowly, her body went limp, and Deadeye's eyes, still echoing fear, slowly closed.

                The dragon shook her head.

                Tanya immediately went back to the Medicom's console.

                "There's a lot more bruising along her back than I thought. Perhaps she landed on it after all." she muttered. "We'll have to put some ice packs under there... might help to relieve the pressure."

                Duke hobbled back to his bed, exhausted.

                "He's coming kiddo." he told Deadeye plainly. "Just you wait. He's coming. I promise."

                It was only seconds before the door opened again, Wildwing nearly running in, even on his bad hip.

                Tanya turned and glared at him.

                "I thought you were hurt." she chided, pointing to the crutch.

                Wildwing hobbled to Deadeye's bedside, wincing.

                "I never said I wasn't." he stooped over, leaning heavily on the bed. He looked with fear at Deadeye's limp form. "Was she awake?"

                "That.... was all the commotion." Duke slowly explained.

                "We had to give her a sedative." Tanya chimed in quickly, trying to ease her panicked leader. "She was.... uncomfortable."

                "We didn't want her to hurt herself." Zelda seconded.

                Wildwing cradled her head in his big gloved hand.

                Her eyes slowly faded open.

                "Hey there." Wildwing was instantly relieved. "Talk to me Angel."

                "You... you tried to save me." she smiled, her eyes fluttering. "Thank you... my love." She faded into sleep again.

                "Deadeye...." Wing frowned with concern.

                Tanya patted him on the shoulder and helped him lean up.

                "There's nothing more you can do for her Wing." she looked into her eyes. "Let her sleep."               Wildwing shook himself.

                Tanya saw that he was weak, frazzled from exhaustion and stress.

                "You need sleep too."

                "No." he refused solidly and tore himself away, hobbling on his crutch. "No... we should be looking for the Raptor... for Dive."

                Zelda caught Tanya's tone.

                "You're in no condition to go anywhere Wing." she said cooly.

                Wildwing glared at her.

                Tanya came up behind him slowly and injected him with a syringe.

                "Ow!" he snarled irritably. "What's going on?"

                "You need your rest Wing.... please?" Tanya tried to reason with him.

                Wildwing's beak quivered, slowly, realizing his defeat. He slowly hobbled over and sat on his own bed.

                "You'll wake me up if you find anything?" he asked weakly.

                "Trust us." Tanya assured him, and he slowly fell asleep. She shook her head and drew a blanket over him.

                Zelda sighed and trotted towards the door.

                "I'm going to talk to the others. I'll be back." She walked out.

                Tanya and Duke turned and looked at each other.

                "What is going on here?" Duke shook his head, bewildered.

                "You're right... I've never seen him like this... does he care for Deadeye that much?"

                "We know he does for Dive..." Duke half-answered.

                "Come on, you need your rest too. I'm going back to the Ready Room, but not before you take your medicine." She shook a few large pills out of a white bottle in a cabinet.

                "No way." Duke refused quickly. "I'm still woozy, took enough painkillers last night to kill an elephant."

                "Well." Tanya fumbled through the cabinet again. "It's either the pill or the needle...."

                Seeing the syringe made Duke rethink the situation quickly.

                "Jeez! Scare me ta death with that thing why don't ya?" he asked. "I'll take the pills any day."            Tanya laughed, a tired laugh.

                "You want some warm milk to help you sleep?" she chuckled, handing the pills to Duke.

                "Yeah, thanks mom." he tossed them in his bill, sticking his tongue out and gagging.

                "Now sleep." Tanya insisted. "Who knows when you'll get the opportunity again." She shut the lights and walked out of the room.

                As Duke pulled the blankets around his shoulders, the door closed, and the room was left in blackness.

 

                He slammed his body against the bars fruitlessly, feeling his ribcage rattle around beneath his armor, his shoulders stick between the bars. He stumbled backwards, the bruises aching again, and stared out in frustration to the hallway beyond him. There was a hysterical laughing in the distance. A serpentine hyena.

                "Let me out!" Nosedive screamed at the Chameleon.

                "Nawt a chance wize guy." Chameleon kynucked. "Not after what you guys did to me, punk!" He was still picking splinters out of his scaly skin.

                "Yeah, I can't wait until they try and come to rescue you." Siege taunted. "I owe the blondie some payback for nearly breaking my ankle." He thought and laughed. "Maybe in return I can break her face."

                "Maybe you can get an elementary school education too, but it won't happen either!" Nosedive spat back.

                Siege's eyes narrowed and he snarled, suddenly rushing in rage at the imprisoned Duck. He suddenly tripped on the loose bandage over his ankle, and fell flat on his face.

                Nosedive laughed bitterly at him.

                Wraith seethed by himself in a corner.

                "Please Lord... this little ingrate has to learn a lesson. Let me roast him!" he pleaded to his Overlord.

                Dragaunus dismissed his henchman with a wave of his taloned hand.

                "Be patient Wraith." he growled. "We'll need him yet. I do wish you had bagged the girl." he rolled his eyes to his minions. "I want to know who she is... where she's from."

                "Well, first you have a daddy duck and then you have a mommy duck and...."

                "SHUT UP!" Dragaunus lashed his tail out like a whip, and sent the Chameleon flying across the room, landing with a loud clatter. The Overlord put a talon to his chin and seethed as he thought.

                "Dragaunus..." Wraith started reproachfully. "We kept all the prisoner files from the slavery camps on Puckworld. She was not one of them." He shook his head. "I have a gloomy prediction that she will be a stumbling block for us all."

                "Yeah she will!" Dive spat suddenly, then just as quickly rethinking his words. "If she can ever get her eyes off of my big bro." he muttered.

                Dragaunus smiled sinisterly upon the Duck.

                "And how can they come looking for you when they can't find you? When they dare to set foot in here, we're going to sit down to a little meal, the four of us."

                "Yeah!" Siege chimed in. "When we're done with you, you little twerp, you won't even make an appetizer."

                Dragaunus stalked out of the room, his henchman in tow.

                Dive was left all alone in the stinking brig. Frustrated and tired, he walked to the back of his cell and pounded the walls. What was he supposed to do now?! Sit here and be bait? He hated it. The feeling that the Saurians had a trick up their sleeves for him, or the rest of the team, or both.... twisted a knot in his stomach. What he would give to have his com back... how he wanted to tell his bro that he was okay. And of course, not to step right into the trap! But it had taken longer than usual for the Ducks to show up on their rescue mission, was there something wrong? Had somebody been hurt.... or died?! Had they already come and been captured? A sick worry made Dive slump down to the floor. He missed his brother.

           

                The dragon tucked in her wings and spiraled up towards the sun, shooting up into a cloudless and beautiful blue sky. She roared loudly as her wings exploded out, and she pumped them as she shot back down like she was on an invisible roller coaster, finally curving violently horizontal inches away from the pavement of the Pond's parking lot.

                The sun hurt Mallory's eyes as the dragon arched up again, gracefully, almost turning on her back as she flew back to where she had been before, pedaling her wings almost lazily. Suddenly, she snapped down again, darting in a blur and splashing down into the aqueduct that ran beside the Pond. Mallory knew that the dragon didn't like that aqueduct much... she'd never drink from it. Zelda was gone under the rippling water for a long time. Mallory was about to go back inside and get out of the sun, when Zelda came flying only inches overhead, dripping wet.

                The dragon swerved and landed.

                "Sorry, didn't see you." she shook herself off.

                "Sokay... needed to vent eh?" Mallory nodded sympathetically.

                "Where's a nice dense, challenging forest to fly through when you need one?" Zelda nodded. "I couldn't sleep."

                "Neither could I." Mallory admitted. "I'm still amazed that Grin can... I have to ask him for some meditation lessons..." she smiled hollowly. "This sun's givin' me a headache, wanna come inside?"

                "Might as well." the dragon trotted in with her, onto the much cooler, much darker, and much dustier catwalk over the rink. They both instantly saw nothing but green before their eyes, and stumbled down the catwalk. They both reached the elevator tube and sat down on a bench next to it.

                "I still can't believe what's happening." Mallory shook her head. "Dive's missing, and we're all hanging around here and sleeping like we just played a hard game last night."

                "I know what you mean." Zelda nodded. "But Wing.... I don't see how he can go in with us to rescue Dive... but he's so broken up about it I don't see how we could make him stay here."

                "He's really fallen apart, hasn't he?" Mallory sighed.

                Zelda frilled her ears, prodded by a slight offense.

                "I wouldn't say that Mal..." she started.

                "Then what are we doing here?" she growled. "I'm tired as hell, but I'm more worried about Dive." She folded her arms. "I know this is tough on him, but he's the leader here, this is no time to whimp out."

                Zelda knew she had a point.

                "If there's anyone who's worried about Dive here, it's Wing." she said. "He's not hiding from anything. But what can we do? We haven't found the Raptor yet."

                "Yeah... just me arguing." Mallory waved herself off. "I'm just too tired for this."

                "Well get some sleep." Zelda smiled slightly.

                "Only if you promise to sleep too."

                Zelda hesitated, then nodded.

                Mallory smiled.

                "Well then it's a deal. Come on." They both walked together into the elevator tube.

 

                Duke awoke slowly. The painkillers were still making him dizzy as he slowly rocked up and rubbed his head. He opened his eyes, and was surprised to find that he was no longer in the infirmary, but in his own bunk! Slightly distressed, he stumbled out of bed and to the door.

                "Guys?" he opened his com. There was no answer. "Guys? Tanya?" he asked again. Switching on his AutoTracker, he found its range wouldn't extend outside the Pond! What was going on here? He opened his door and stumbled out, leaning heavily against the wall to keep his balance. He opened the door to Wildwing's bunk and looked in to see he was still sleeping as well. Duke walked in and tried to shake his leader awake. "Wing, you've gotta wake up."

                "Wha...." drowsy and wobbly, Wildwing slowly opened his eyes. "What's.... why am I in my bunk?" he yawned.

                "Somethin's wrong." Duke whispered. "Nobody's answering my com, and I can't track the others outside of the Pond!"

                It took a while for it to register in Wildwing's head. He slowly leaned up and slid out of bed, bumping his head on the bunk above him.

                "Ow!" he snarled, sliding to the floor. "Ow!" he growled again, the pain in his hip flaring as he put his weight on it. "The others better have a good explanation for this...." he grumbled.

                Sleepy and grumpy, Duke thought, not a good combo for a leader.

                "Come on." He handed Wildwing his crutch and an extra puck launcher. "I got a bad feeling. Something's up." Together, they both hobbled through the hall, Duke hopping on his good foot and swaying from the dizziness, Wildwing huffing along on his crutch.

                Suddenly, he halted by the infirmary.

                "Wait." he ordered Duke. "I'm getting Deadeye." He punched in his access code on the security pad next to the door. There was a loud buzzing, and the door failed to open. "What?" he snapped, punching it in again. Again he got the same loud beeping. "Code denied? What's going on here?" He was starting to get angry. He pounded on the door loudly. "Deadeye! It's me! Open up!!" he ordered.

                "Whoa, wait a sec." Duke hobbled over and tore off a notice that was taped to the door. "Look, it's from Zel... 'Wing and Duke, sorry about all of this. Tanya and I believed it was necessary. Your access codes to the infirmary, as well as to the vehicle hangar and to Drake 1 have been disabled. Tanya gave Deadeye more medication and she won't wake up for hours, please let her rest, for her sake. Both of you need to rest as well. You shouldn't be reading this. The rest of us will return shortly, please go back to your bunks and get your rest. There are more painkillers next to your beds if you need them. Be safe, Zelda...' He looked up to find Wildwing very angry by now.

                "I don't believe it." he seethed. "They went off to find the Raptor... do you know what this means?"

                Duke set to thinking.

                "They sealed me out of half of the Pond? Who's the leader here!?" he pounded on the door again, wincing.

                "Come on..." Duke started. "There must be a reason for all this."

                Wildwing glared at Duke to silence him.

                "You can get out, can't you?" he asked.

                Duke thought quickly. Of course he could get out. This place was full of holes. But should he and Wing get out? What could they do in their state? Even if they did get out, even if they did find the Raptor with only the Mask, they couldn't fight. Wildwing let out a ragged sigh. Duke looked up to see his anger fading.

                "Duke, we've gotta get outta here." he said. "I'm not going to sit around while half of the team tries to take on Dragaunus.... and Angel...." He hung his head.

                "What can we do?" Duke voiced his thoughts. "We can't fight like this, we'd only make trouble for the others."

                Wildwing growled, frustrated, and gave a last weak pound on the infirmary door. The anger and strength gone from him, Wildwing leaned against the wall, beak to the door, eyes closed.

                Duke read his mind.

                "Zel said she'd be fine." he reminded him.

                "Angel.... why wouldn't she let me see her?" he whispered.

                "She needs her rest." Duke sighed. "And so do---"

                "No." Wildwing looked him strait in the eye and cut him off firmly. "I'm not going to sleep while only four of us try and get Dive out of the Raptor."

                "So what are we supposed to do?" Duke snapped back at him.

                Wildwing reshouldered his crutch and straitened himself up.

                "You have your lock picks with you?"

 

                Tanya paused beneath the bell of the Raptor's engine. It was still hot from the engines firing. She rubbed her fingers against the side.

                Grin towered behind her.

                "The bells are still hot." she whispered. "They've just moved here."

                "You're right." Zelda leapt up on Grin's shoulder. "The grass is scorched. They just landed about half an hour ago."

                "So what's the plan?" Grin asked, craning his thick neck to look at the Raptor above him.    Mallory shouldered a puck cannon and rubbed her beak.

                "Up through the bells." she determined. "They'll be expecting us through the ususal route... we can sneak up and break for the holding cells."

                "Assuming Dive is even there." Zelda shook her head. "He could be anywhere."

                "Are you sure he's not putting out any com signal?" Mallory asked.

                "Sure." Tanya replied, edging on annoyance.

                "Standing around will accomplish nothing." Grin reminded them. "We must keep moving before we are spotted."

                "Then up through the bells it is." Tanya sighed, and launched a grappling puck from her Omnitool. It hitched onto something high and out of view. Tanya tested her weight, it held, and she slowly started hitching her way up.

                Grin followed, then Mallory, swaying up into the hot metal engine bell.

                Zelda floated up stealthily on the warm drafts, soaring up and out of sight.

                Tanya looked up to see that she was nearly at the top, and her aching arms strained to see the edge. Suddenly, she heard a loud PING, and her line jerked downward. Tanya froze in mid-climb.

 

                The dragon gasped and swerved downward as the line jerked. She heard Mallory yell out, and there was no time to react before Tanya's grappling puck gave another PING, and the last prong of the puck bent under the strain, snapping loose and sending the three clinging to the line into a freefall!

                Tanya yelped and her hands snapped against the edge of the bell, dangling at the top where it ended. Grin and Mallory plunged down, and Zelda dove after them.

                Grin snagged a hand on the end of one of the huge bolts that stuck through the bell to hold it together. He stretched down and caught Mallory by the ankle, jerking her to a halt too.

                Zelda darted under them, breathing a loud sigh of relief.

                Grin easily hauled Mallory up, where she caught a hold of a bolt as well, eyes still wide with fear.

                "I hate this ship...." she muttered, and then cast a glare up at Tanya, who had pulled herself over the edge and was peering back down timidly.

                "Hehe... my bad." she whispered.

                Mallory growled as she and Grin started to climb up, the dragon hovering alongside them. It was a long time before she looked up to find Tanya's hand outstretched to meet her. Mallory frowned, hesitating obviously before she took it.

                Tanya helped her up.

                "Sorry." she said.

                "Grappling puck lines probably weren't meant to take the weight of three of you anyway." Zelda landed beside them as Grin stood up.

                "What now? Head for the cells we know about?" Tanya asked.

                "They'd be expecting that." Mallory shook her head.

                "Split up?" Grin suggested.

                "Too risky if one of us gets caught...." Mallory shook her head again.

                "Then what?" Zelda asked.

                Mallory frowned. There was a pause.

                "Okay okay." she sighed, frustrated. "We'll stay together.... and go check the cells first. We'll have to be careful..." she said, and started moving off.

 

                The walls were dank, covered with moss and rust. The whole place stank, reeked of Saurians, just as fearful a smell as it was disgusting.

                "Now I know what a swamp rat feels like." Tanya muttered under her breath, crouching along the wall.

                Zelda took the lead as she peered around a corner. She felt Mallory standing behind her, and Tanya bringing up the rear. Suddenly, the floor tremored. Zelda flattened her ears to her skull and backed away, crouching low as Siege walked past. None of the three even breathed. He was soon out of sight and earshot, and the three relaxed.

                "Let's go." Zelda crept ahead, to the door that lead to the main cell block. She beckoned for Grin, and he smiled, coming forward to do his usual job.

                He placed his hands into the cracks of the door, and like a vice, wedged it open.

                Zelda slipped through the small crack. The walls here were shiny, silvery. Four cells were placed neatly along the walls, two with electrified bars. One was a small cell, with an electrified ceiling. Zelda drew back as she saw one cell draped with the musty skeleton of a Duck.

                Tanya joined her, cringing at the sight as she opened the cell's long unused door.

                Grin walked in and spotted metal glinting amongst the bones. He pulled off a pair of dog tags.

                "He was in the Resistance." Grin started. He handed the tags to Mallory as he walked out.

                Tanya was stooping beside the small cell, and saw in it the withered body of a tiny mouse.

                "Just like a tyrant to fear the smallest of creatures." Grin reflected lowly.

                Zelda had walked a ways ahead now, and suddenly looked back.

                "There! Dive!" she pointed, and started forward cautiously. She quickly halted and held up a paw.

                The three behind her froze.

                "What is it?" Mal whispered, puck launcher ready. The dragon flapped her wings, stirring up dust from the floor. Eerily, red beams formed in the cloud. Laser beams... an alarm system.

                "Man..." Mallory breathed. She glanced to Tanya. "Can you shut them off?"

                "I'll take some time." Tanya immediately started working at her Omnitool.

                The dragon had already flown herself over the laser beams, and to Dive's side in the cell.

                "How is he?" Grin asked.

                "He looks okay... He's either asleep or unconscious." Zelda wasted no time in going to the electronic panel on the wall, and started messing with it.

 

                "Hurry!" Wildwing ordered, standing over Duke's shoulder.

                "Hey, I'm working as fast as I can here." Duke was trying to shake off his frazzled leader as politely as possible. "I agreed to get you in here as long as you don't go off trying to save the day with that hip of yours, remember?"

                Wildwing sighed.

                "Yeah."

                "So calm down already. The others can take care of themselves." Duke lowered his bill and went back to work. Carefully selecting another pin from the pouch in his belt, Duke inserted it into the crack of the infirmary door, and began carefully prodding around. There was a light rustling in the other room.

                "She's stirring." Wildwing said.

                Duke knew he was right. She could be rolling over or something. Her medication might have already worn off, she could just be sleeping.

                Wildwing was leaning against the door and pondering. There was something that he remembered.... Tanya had taken their access codes offline, but not those of the others... and he was there when Tanya programmed Deadeye's into the system!

                "Move back, I wanna try something." he ordered.

                Duke stood up as Wildwing punched in the access code, and the door opened.

                "How'd you?--"

                "Deadeye's codes were never disabled." Wildwing hefted up his crutch and hobbled quickly in. "Angel?" he called. "C'mon, wake up for me." As he approached the bed, he smiled as Deadeye's eyes slivered open, and she looked strait up at him, smiling back.

                "Hey there kiddo." Duke greeted warmly from the other side of the bed.

                "Wildwing?" Deadeye asked.

                "Yes?" He was tearing up quickly. "I love you... how do you feel?"

                "Fine, remarkably." She slowly sat up and rubbed her shoulder. "Where's everyone else?"

                There was a pause.

                "Dive... Dive was---" Wildwing broke off.

                "Captured." Duke finished for him. "We tried to help, but the fight broke out, remember? I broke my ankle, and Wing messed up his hip pretty bad trying to save you."

                Deadeye slowly remembered everything. She turned to Wildwing, sat up, and kissed him.

                "Don't blame yourself.... you saved my life. I only fell a few feet, if you didn't catch me and I fell all the way from that crane... I might have died for sure. You were very brave." She whispered gently in his ear. She rubbed her left shoulder and back.

                Wildwing and Duke helped her gently off the bed.

                "You two need rest." she started.

                "As do you." Wildwing helped to hold her up.

                "What about your reckless plan to help the others?" Duke asked.           

                "We had a deal." Wildwing said firmly. "And besides, if I was the one captured you'd have to do this without me anyways. This is a kind of test.... I have the best team I could want, you've never let me down before. I should trust the others."

                Duke smiled.

                 "Well, now that she's awake and you're back to normal," he grinned. "Where to rest?"

                "We can bunk in the rec. room." Deadeye smiled, and they slowly hobbled out together.

 

                Zelda gave up at the panel, and wedged her snout as close between the electrified bars as she dared, trying to get to Nosedive. Despite her harshly whispered calls, he didn't move. He must be unconscious, she thought. The dragon snorted back to the three, still on the other side of the beams.

                "Just gimme a sec..." Tanya edged. "Aaaaannnndddd got it!" The lasers vanished. Tanya picked herself up and headed strait for the panel on the other side.

                "Watch the bars." Zelda reminded as Mallory and Grin crouched near the cell.

                "He's not waking up." Mallory started.

                Zelda whined again.

                "Hang on.... if this is a standard panel I can crack it yeah..." Tanya mumbled. She prodded at the panel and held up her Omnitool to it. "If I can just decode it.... there!" The electricity faded from the cell's bars.

                Zelda wedged her snout in fully.

                "If only Duke were here." Mallory sighed. "He could pick the lock in no time."

                "I can substitute." Grin said deeply. He grabbed hold of the door with one hand, and wrenched it right off its hinges.

                Mallory grinned and ran in.

                "Dive? Come on, wake up." She shook him nervously. Grin, Tanya and Zelda also stepped into the cell, when suddenly a great green shadow blazed up just a few feet before them. The three threw themselves back just in time to avoid Draguanus's whiplike tail.

                "Raiding my cookie jar?" he asked with a smirk. The three henchmen teleported in to quickly surround those outside the cell.

                Tanya gulped.

                "Hand him over Dragaunus." Grin pointed to Dive. "And I may not have to 'enlighten' you."             Suddenly, Siege grabbed Grin and held him high over his head like a barbell.

                "I think you're light enough already!" he laughed, and spun Grin like a basketball on one hand. The big Duck managed to land a punch at Siege's head and was thrown to the floor.

                Tanya wasted no time in drawing her launcher and shooting Wraith a few feet backwards.

                Zelda stood her ground beside Tanya, confused at whether to go after The Chameleon, or Draguanus, both who were looming on her. Suddenly, the big red lizard screamed out and collapsed in a hailing glow of blue light.

                Mallory stood behind him, Dive hefted on her shoulder and a puck launcher in her free hand.            Zelda flew and landed a slash right across Chameleon's face.

                "Let's get outta here!" Tanya yelled, her advances starting to break down as Wraith protected himself with a magical shield.

                Grin took Dive's body from Mal, slung him over his shoulder, and joined the others as they ran for dear life.

                Dragaunus stumbled up shortly.

                "AFTER THEM YOU FOOLS!" he thundered, and sent his henchman scurrying.

                Zelda scampered to the head of the pack as lasers snapped at her heels.

                "The 'Grator ready for us Tanya?" Mallory asked.

                "You betcha." she replied. "All we have to do is----"

                The entire group skidded to a halt before they all flew over the ledge and down into the bells of the engine. They stared stories down.

                Mallory gulped.

                The lasers slit the air around them again seconds later, and they began to panic.

                "What are we gonna do?" Zelda yelped.

                Tanya searched her Omnitool.

                "I have one more grappling puck."

                "As do I." Grin added.

                "Okay, two per line, Grin and Dive, me and Tanya, go now!" Mallory ordered them.

                Tanya and Grin set their pucks and began repelling down the bells as fast as they safely could go. It wasn't long before the Saurians reached the ledge.

                "If they ungrip those pucks we're goners!" Grin tried to fire his launcher and climb down, Dive on his shoulder the whole time.

                "If we keep hanging here we're sitting Ducks!" Tanya yelled back.

                Zelda swooped up and darted around the ledge, trying to distract the three shooters.

                "Come on!" she yelled. "You want me? Or am I just gonna have to paint a big bulls-eye on myself and--" Laser blasts cut her off.

                Siege gave up on her and stooped down to cut Mallory and Tanya's line.

                Zelda gasped and dove strait for him, butting him squarely back a few feet.

                He snarled and reached out, catching her by the wing.

                Zelda flapped helplessly like a panicked bird.

                "You ain't goin nowhere sweetie..." Siege grabbed at her other wing. Suddenly a puck thwacked his arm. The orange lizard yelled and let Zelda go, holding his arm in pain, stumbling back.

                Zelda didn't wait an instant before she dove back down into the bell, finding the others nearly at the bottom.

                "Nice shootin' Grin!" Tanya yelled across to him.

                "You must be one with the target." he bowed his head, and now focused solely on climbing down. He was the first to reach the ground and break for the Migrator.

                Zelda, Mallory, and Tanya were only seconds behind.

                Mallory was in the driver's seat and gunning the engine just as the door closed, and the Migrator sped quickly out of the range of the Raptor's lasers.

 

                Zelda tried to keep her balance as the Migrator's wheels spun along the bumpy road.

                Nosedive sat limply in a seat, his seatbelt the only thing holding him up.

                "How's he doing?" Mallory couldn't take her eyes off the road.

                Zelda brushed Dive's hair back and peered into his pale face.

                "If I can wake him up..." she started.

                Suddenly, Grin overturned a small bottle of water on Dive's head. The Duck shook  himself quickly awake. Grin winked and folded his arms.

                "Whoa...." he shivered. "What happened?"

                "Easy there." Zelda told him. "You're gonna be fine. Anything hurt?"

                "Nothing life-essential." Dive unbuckled himself and slowly stood up.

                "Nice to have you back." Tanya nodded at him.

                "Yeah I'm pretty happy to be conscious too." Dive bit. "Now will SOMEONE tell me what's up? Where's Wing and Duke? And Deadeye?"

                "Back at the Pond." Grin explained. "They were hurt in the lumberyard. Your brother has been worried."

                "We'll be back soon enough." Mallory said. "Siddown and buckle up."

 

                He knew that something simply wasn't right. There was an empty blackness in his head, and he was just floating, searching in the blackness. He kicked with his feet and swung his arms, nothing. Was he floating or falling? He suddenly became very scared. He hated falling.... he froze, his whole body rigid with terror. What was happening to him? Why was he here? Panic seeped into every corner of his body, his flesh crawling, his feathers ruffling. Wildwing sat strait up, the couch creaking beneath him. His body heaved as he tried to get his bearings, eyes wide open, panicking in the blackness. It took him at least a minute for himself to confirm that he was in the Rec. Room... not somewhere else. He sat stock still, feeling the cold sweat against his face. He slowly closed his eyes again, listening to Deadeye breathing nearby. As he opened his eyes again, he could see her sleeping peacefully. She had been through too much. Wildwing slowly calmed himself... slowly forced his body to relax. Still, something didn't feel right. That feeling in his head remained. Wing pulled the sheets off of him and slowly stood. The pain in his hip screamed at him as he stretched it to step gently over Deadeye. He winced as he got over her, and shook it off as he crept towards the door. He froze as he heard more sheets rustle behind him. Duke. He could hear like a cat.

                "Something wrong?" Duke's voice was groggy.

                "Just need some air." Wing lied. "Go back to sleep."

                Duke gladly obliged.

                Wildwing reached and found his crutch, he needed it. And finally, he opened the door and hobbled out. The florescent lights above him left him blinded for a moment. They were always the same, no way to tell whether it was night or day underground. He hobbled down the hall towards the elevator, when he suddenly heard a familiar rumbling nearby. The Migrator. A chill ran down Wing's spine as he turned around and headed for the hangar. As he opened the door, he saw the 'Grator parked in its usual space, Mallory and Grin walking off with tired faces and slumped shoulders. Something prevented the leader from calling out to his team. His throat was suddenly freed as he saw Zelda and Tanya supervising as Dive walked down the ramp, shaking them off as if he were annoyed. Still, he kept silent and concentrated his enegry on limping forward, leaning heavily with relief on his crutch.

                It was Nosedive that spotted his brother first.

                "Bro!" He grinned. Wing mirrored him. "What the heck did they do to you!?"

                "Nothin' worse that it looks like what they did to you." he responded warmly.

                Dive ran and threw an arm around his brother.

                The others caught up to him shortly.

                "So you... found the note?" Tanya asked sheepishly.

                "Deadeye and Duke are sleeping in the Rec. Room. Looks like you guys could use some Zs too." he explained.

                "Well there's something that could go for us all around." Grin nodded.

                "Let's get down to the infirmary and get ourselves cleaned up." Tanya slicked back her hair. "And then we can settle in. I'd like to check Duke and Deadeye out if they're not too fast asleep."          Wildwing raised an eyebrow.

                "Then you wake 'em up." he grinned and straitened himself on his crutch, hobbling ahead of the others, but alongside his brother, from the hangar.

 

                Deadeye had fallen fast asleep again on the Medicom bed. Nobody had the heart to wake her. She was still tired and sore from her ordeal. They all were. The team walked together down the hallway, seeing everyone to their bunks safely.

                Wing paused before Dive's.

                "You know, I was worried as heck about you. I almost got Duke to take me and go after you."

                "Are you sure you didn't take a shot to the head too?" Dive asked incredulously. "What made you stay?"

                "A little common sense... and I had to get Deadeye out of the infirmary."

                "Well thank goodness big bro." Dive shook his head. "You know... maybe Deadeye isn't so bad after all."

                Wing looked into his younger brother's eyes, and saw that he meant more than he said.

                "Yeah." he smiled. "She isn't."

                Dive turned and went into his bunk, the door closing behind him.

                Wing stood for a moment in silence, then turned and hobbled off to bed himself.

 

The End

 

 

                Mighty Ducks-The Animated Series, including all logos and characters (except Zelda, the leaders, and those related to the Territory) are copyright and property of Disney. You may copy, print, or whatever with this document, so long as it is not altered and I (Zelda) am credited. Thanks! Also, special thanks must be given to Deadeye. Her character is also not copyright Disney, and must be used by her standards. Muchas gracias girl!