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