Tomorrow Comes Today

Part 3

Written by Zelda

 

               

                “Not bad.” Duke nodded, rubbing his bill. “A signing does sound pretty normal to me.”

                “You guys used to doing this?” Russel quirked one of his brows. The team seemed pretty at-ease to him, as the whole group of them was assembled with his band in one of the Pond’s entrance foyers.

                “You kiddin’?” Nosedive rolled his eyes. “Our manager books us for these deals too often. I gotta wear a wrist brace after an hour!”

                “Whiner.” Mallory scoffed. “Tactically, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We have autograph signings in the middle of the Anaheim Mall complex all the time. So to the Saurians, I don’t think like it would seem we were springing a trap, if you were to have a signing there.”

                “Doesn’t sound too bad.” 2-D nodded. “If ‘ats the case.”

                “And we might jus’ make a little money selling some more CDs while we’re at it.” Murdoc sneered.

                “Best of all.” Wildwing started. “You’re as close as can be to the Pond. In case anything should go wrong, we can usher you right back here. As soon as you’re inside, you’re perfectly safe.”

                Noodle tugged on the big Duck’s arm, and started jabbering, a frown on her face.

                Zelda appeared surprised. “You know about that?” she cocked her head. Looking up, she translated for the others. “She reads her news, the girl knows about the few break-ins we’ve had.”

                “Perfectly safe, eh?” Murdoc put his hands on his hips.

                “You wanna go this alone, Muds?” Russel frowned at him. The frown turned into a quirked smile as his bandleader made no response.

                “It’s settled then.” Wildwing nodded. “The mall’s expecting you in an hour or so, they’ll have a setup and security, but nothing big. We’ll be completely out of sight, but we’ll be around. If trouble does come up, all you guys have to remember to do is stick together.”

 

                Noodle sighed and sat back, rubbing her hand and muttering something in a complaining tone.

                “I know girl, I know.” Russel patted her back, smiling a little.

                “Quit yer whinin’.” Murdoc grinned toothily at them. “We ain’t never too busy for our adoring public.” He turned back to finish autographing a picture of himself, handing it to a blonde woman that was standing nearby. “A li’l something ta remember me, eh sweetheart?” he purred.

                The lady wrinkled her nose and replied by smacking the bassist across the face.

                The three other band members, sitting at their autograph tables, burst out into laughter as Murdoc retreated to his chair, a red mark on his cheek.

                With a loud growl, he raised a hand and balled his fist at 2-D, who was sitting closest to him. Instantly the singer recoiled so violently that he fell over into Russel, and Murdoc calmed himself, cackling.

                Russel pushed 2D back up into his own chair, and grumbled, twisting his wrist around before signing a poster. “You wanna keep things on the downlow Muds? We are supposed to be acting normal.”

                “Seems pretty normal ta me.” he grinned, leaning an elbow heavily on the table before turning to the next person on line. This one was even prettier than the last one!

                “How rude that girl was.” the fan cooed to him, leaning over to ruffle his oily black bangs. “I could never to such a thing to my favorite bassist!”

                “Well.” Murdoc smiled. “Ain’t you a sweet ‘un?” He took her hand in his and went to kiss it in a gentlemanly manner, when he started, seeing that her hand actually had ugly greenish-brown liver spots on it.

                “Aww, now don’t insult a lady’s looks!” she pulled her hand away with a frump. “After all, we are your biggest fans!”

                “We?” Murdoc recovered, beaming again. “Maybe some of you and your fellow fans would like to see my hotel room…”

                “Oh, been there and done that one, honey.” the woman sassed him by wagging a finger.

                “Huh?” Murdoc frowned. He stood with surprise as the woman took a few paces back, grinning like a hyena. A green light erupted around her, and she started to change, shrinking in size and fattening out in shape. When the light faded, the beautiful girl had been replaced by a hideously ugly sort of bipedal gecko!

                “Of course, had we been the only uninvited guests, we could have gotten to know you fellas so much better.” the lizard laughed. It raised an orange band around its wrist, and yelled into it.

At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar form spring up from behind a large plant pot. Wildwing was also yelling something into his wrist, hopefully calling his team out into action against this – thing! But Murdoc looked back to where the lizard had been standing before, to find that there was not just one, but an entire army of them! Looking like crazy robots in red and silver, they had appeared out of nowhere! People screamed and scattered in all directions, knocking over the tables where the band had been sitting, and spilling CDs all over the ground.

“Wot in tha---?” he heard 2-D stutter, backing clumsily away.

“Ohhh no you don’t.” The green lizard grinned, taking a blaster gun out of its hip holster, and polishing the muzzle. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere!” He switched his gaze over to Noodle, who was babbling something or other, clinging to Russel’s arm. Somewhere, mentions of Godzilla came up in her rant. In reply, the lizard’s face twisted into a greenish mold of Robert DiNiero. “You scared girl?” he sneered. “A lil’ bit?”

The four bandmates got distracted as a few explosions went up in the distance, the shredded remains of robot drones scattering at their feet.

“Put the blaster down and back away, Chameleon!” A female voice barked through the smoke. Murdoc squinted against the acrid smoke, hoping to Satan that this wasn’t someone else looking to kill them.

 

Mallory emerged from the charred shrapnel, a puck cannon pointed right at Chameleon’s gruesome face.

“That’s it pal, hands up, nice and easy.” Duke seconded her order, coming through the smoke on the lizard’s other side.

Mallory frowned slightly, looking at the positioning of the two of them, and Chameleon. There needed to be a third in front of the band, to shield them, or to pin Chameleon in. Where was Wildwing? A few more resounding explosions told her that he was part of the fighting already. So who was supposed to get the band out of here? Things had happened so quickly, she hadn’t caught all of Wildwing’s orders. Those Saurians still knew how to pull a few surprises on them. But her objective was containing Chameleon now. She glanced over to Duke, who met her eyes across from her, and nodded.

He drew his sabre, and waited for the lizard to make a move.

“Ey, are you threatenin’ me?” Chameleon splayed his fingers on his chest, offended and still continuing his impression.

“What if we are?” Mallory growled. “Care to settle it with us instead of innocent people?”

“You guys don’t know the half of what’s goin’ on here.” Chameleon grinned nonchalantly. “I’d run now, before things start blowin’ up like ‘The Godfather’.”

“The only one who’s endin’ up in ashes is you, buddy.” Duke shook his head.

Out of the corner of Mallory’s eye, there was movement. She glanced over just momentarily to see the four members of the band moving away, towards a beckoning hand. Grin was in the distance, gesturing the band back behind a concrete wall. He’d be the one to take them back to safety in the Pond! With a light breath of relief, Mallory turned back to Chameleon, hoping that he hadn’t noticed the retreat of the band. Fortunately, he was in a shouting match with a rather amused Duke. As long as Duke could supply the insults, she could certainly supply the force to back it up. She kept her puck cannon locked on the lizard, and waited for her shot.

 

Zelda soared high over the fight, circling the mall pavilion where everything had broken out. How could they not have seen Chameleon coming? And where were the other henchmen? After all of their battles, Zelda knew they had to be hiding out somewhere, waiting to pounce one someone who strayed from the pack. It was her job to keep a perspective on the moving battle, with her bird’s-eye view. In reality, she felt more like a living traffic helicopter, fuming over her inability to join in the gridlock.

“Other two appeared yet?” Wildwing’s voice crackled over her com.

“That’s a negative.” she responded quickly. “But there here, they’re waiting…”

“I’m sure they have something planned. Grin’s escorting the band back to the Pond, we’re closing down the perimeter. Still just Duke and Mallory in the fight?”

“They’re holding Chameleon off.” Zelda nodded. “How far until we’re locked down?”

“Not far, from Grin’s signal. I want to be sure that things quiet down here before I send you guys back. So stay right overhead, got it?”

“Ready to engage on orders.” Zelda spoke, and soared higher to get a better perspective. This whole situation had been executed like clockwork. The Ducks knew just how to act once the Saurians had triggered their attack. Deep in a corner of her mind, Zelda couldn’t help but be proud. They had structured everything like some clean, well-practiced hockey play. Fights had become so calculated as of late that it was more like a chess match. It would help, however, to see the other side of the board. The one thing that separated the Ducks from the Saurians was the lizards’ element of surprise. They always managed to pull something out that defied any element of strategy. And Zelda’s foremost thoughts were on when that trump card was going to rear its ugly head. Her stomach dropped suddenly, a feeling that she had grown to loathe far more than physical pain. Spinning in mid-air, the dragon’s eyes darted around for the source of trouble. More hunter drones had appeared to back Chameleon up! She watched as Mallory and Duke shifted their attention to destroying them, as Wildwing ran out from behind a bench to help them. Chameleon was scrambling off away from the Pond, with the three Ducks hot on his heels. But that wasn’t the source of the trouble, not at all! Letting out a high-pitched whistling cry as a warning signal, she pinwheeled and spun away from the fight, and back towards the Pond. In the parking lot, mere feet from the Pond’s door, a cloud of purplish-gray smoke was swirling furiously. Zelda could see Nosedive and Tanya running in from either side of the lot, also realizing that trouble had befallen Grin and the band he was guarding. But they were many, many yards away, and wouldn’t reach the fight half as fast as she could on the wing. With a roar, the dragon plummeted from the sky, opening her wings fully to swoop down and dive-bomb through the smoke. She didn’t impact anyone or anything, but when she pulled in a breath, something made her gag as her muscles suddenly felt like they had turned into wet noodles. She came tumbling from the other side of the gas cloud, nearly spilling out onto the pavement.

“Zelda!!” Nosedive called out, alarmed. “What’s going on?!”

“Careful of the gas!” Tanya called, realizing by then what it could do to those who breathed it. “Where’s the band?”

Zelda shook her head, eyes wide as she tottered to her feet again. Her vision was blurred and the sound of her own blood was rushing in her ears. Knockout gas, powerful enough to affect her with a single lungful, swirled behind her. Zelda took in a deep breath of fresh air and plunged into the vapor again, trying to see through it. She ran in widening circles, not running into anything. Growing desperate, she reared and started flapping her wings, hearing encouragement from her teammates beyond the fading cloud. Out of the shadows of the purple smoke, something appeared close to the ground. Letting out a little air in another warning whistle, the dragon loped over quickly, nearly tripping over the form. It was Grin, lying on his stomach. And he was still moving. Zelda reared and started flapping again, the gas finally dissipating and moving away on the breeze. When Tanya and Nosedive moved in, the dragon dared to breathe again.

“Grin! Aww man, he musta been caught in that gas!”

“He’s still conscious…” Tanya knelt down and felt his pulse quickly.

The big Duck was turned onto his side, protesting weakly. His eyes were rolling back into his head, his limbs going slack.

“Stay with us Grin…” Zelda whispered, nuzzling his shoulder with worried eyes.

“But where’s the band?!” Nosedive was on his feet again, looking frantically around. “They’re gonna kill us---“

“If the Saurians don’t first.” Tanya sighed. “That gas was from Wraith, I’ll bet. They took the band hostage.”

Nosedive was busy waving to the remaining three Ducks as they came charging back across the parking lot, hastened by seeing Grin lying on the pavement.

“What happened?!” Wildwing called, the moment that he was in earshot. “When did they strike?”

“Nosedive and I didn’t even see it! We just saw this big cloud burst out, and then Zelda came in…” Tanya started.

“…I didn’t see it either.” the dragon shook her head, still woozy from the gas and sticking very close to Grin.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Mallory asked.

“Given time, yes.” Tanya nodded. “That gas was potent, it nearly took Zel out in one breath. Grin’s bigger, so it’s taking longer to work its way through his system.”

                Duke ran his hand through his forelock of hair in frustration. “I can’t believe they surprised us like that! Now that entire band got captured!”

                “I still don’t get why they would be targets for Dragaunus.” Nosedive sighed. “Why would he want them?”

                “First thing’s first, let’s get Grin down the infirmary.” Wildwing pointed into the Pond. “Then we’re going on a snake-hunt.”

 

                The team, down by one, waited beside Drake 1’s massive console as the supercomputer scanned for the familiar frequencies of a cloaked Saurian warship.

                “He’s gone outside of the city limits.” Wildwing muttered, tapping at a keyboard. “Knows it’ll take longer to scan out there…”

                “Like a leopard running up a tree with its kill.” Zelda growled.

                “More or less.” Wildwing sighed. “But now that we have some time, we can start cracking the mystery of why the Gorillaz were at the top of Draggy’s hit list.”

                “You’ve got me there Bro.” Nosedive shrugged. “I went through all of their equipment while you guys were in the infirmary. I didn’t see anything unusual---“ Here, he stopped and shuddered. The band members were certainly some unusual people. “—Well, I didn’t see anything that might catch the eye of a world-domination-bent lizard.”

                “Maybe he wants publicity?” Duke asked. “Those guys are a pretty big band. What’s going to happen when they don’t make their next gig?”

                “I disagree.” Mallory shook her head. “Dragaunus has never openly advertised unless he was sure of unleashing some doomsday weapon or something. Remember that time with the hover platform? That’s the only time he’s really announced his presence to people.”

                “I see where you’re going.” Tanya nodded. “Dragaunus wouldn’t want to do anything high-profile unless he was sure the humans couldn’t stop him… Which doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better about this situation.” her confident look withered.

“Well, this is a fine mess we’re in.” Wildwing shook his head. “But those four humans are our responsibility. We’re getting them out of this, no matter what.”

 

“We’re getting out of this, no matter what.” Murdoc growled savagely. “I don’t care what the ‘ell they are!”

“Wake up Murdoc.” Russel grumbled. “Take a look around us. We ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

The four bandmates were locked in the cramped quarters of one of the Raptor’s brig cells. Huddled along the back wall and corners, they were all cringing at the stench and filth of the place. 2D cowered visibly, nearly shaking as he sat with his back pressed to the wall, centered in the cell. Murdoc lay tangled in a corner, limbs akimbo, fists clenching and unclenching in anger. Russel tucked himself into the opposite corner, Noodle sticking close by his side.

“So wot?” Murdoc shrugged. “What do they want with us anyway? I bet they’ll let us go.”

Noodle turned to him and shook her head emphatically, letting out a matter-of-fact sounding string of Japanese.

“Think she said somethin’ about those lizards.” Russel blinked at her, trying to understand. “I don’t like this.”

“You’ll like it even less, when we’re through.” a voice sounded from down the hall. It was deep and had a strong, sharp tone. Noodle instantly clung onto Russel’s arm. Into the window of the cell came stalking a monster, eight feet high and weighing in at six hundred pounds. It was a mass of bristling scales and body armor, topped with a regally crested head.

“Who the ‘ell are you?” Murdoc snapped, rising up to squat on the balls of his feet. “And wot do you think yer doin’ with my band?!”

The lizard chuckled and shook his head at the man. “You want to know who I am? I…” he replied, leaning closer to the bars and filling the cell with the stench of his rotten breath. “… am your Overlord. I am Dragaunus, and I will be the last thing you see before you die.”

2D was shaking like a leaf, Noodle was burying herself into Russel. But Murdoc spat loudly and swung to his feet. “You got a lotta nerve kidnappin’ us, you do. Cut the act, step outta ‘at ugly monster suit and let us go.”

With his scaly lips twitching up into a grin, the Overlord raised his right wrist, and shot a laser blast that seared through the bassist’s shoulder.
                Murdoc cried in shock and fell back against the wall, sinking to the floor and shutting his eyes as the pain set in. His bandmates were frozen, terrified.

“I’d watch my tongue, if I were you.” Dragaunus continued, an amused tone in his voice. “You see, I have no reason to keep any of you alive. When this is over, my henchmen and I will eat you. I only need one…”

The Saurian paused and looked over the band as a gray, musty fog began to creep out over the floor at his feet. The fog quickly thickened, rising and gathering into a tangible shape. Another Saurian rose from it, matching Dragaunus’s piercing stare at the humans. “That one…” he spoke, pointing a gaunt claw at Russel.

“Me?” the drummer’s voice was unusually weak. “What the hell…?”

“Then bring him.” Dragaunus nodded, ignoring the man. “We’ll deal with him separately.”

“Pity we can’t eat him too.” Wraith pouted, slowly dissolving into smoke again and oozing to the floor.

“There is still time.” Dragaunus nodded distantly, looking over the humans again. “You can have your pick of what’s left. Except for the girl…” His grin turned sadistic as he caught Noodle’s eyes. “She’s mine.”

Noodle understood enough of that to let out a frightened yelp.

Russel growled, rising to his feet as well. He stopped short, though, when he saw the fog on the floor seeping into the cell itself, creeping over all of them.

“Perhaps we’ll leave the dark one to Chameleon.” Dragaunus continued, further ignoring the band’s actions. “He seems a little stringy anyway.”

Murdoc squinted a glare up at the Overlord, but could manage nothing further.

Wraith materialized once again inside the cell, causing all around him to panic and shoot for the corners. “Come now, human.” he pointed to Russel again.

The drummer backed up against the wall, keeping Noodle behind him. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere man. You let us out right now, before I give your old self a beatdown!”

Wraith rolled his beady eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “You humans.” he muttered. He snapped a set of claws, and Russel’s eyes suddenly rolled to match his. The man’s body crumpled like a wet noodle, and he collapsed at the Saurian’s feet.

Noodle squealed in alarm, then suddenly went on the offensive and jumped out in front of Russel, jabbering angrily at Wraith.

The old Saurian was surprised at first, then amused. It was when she dared to reach out and try to pull his staff away that his expression changed to anger. Another snap of his fingers, and she fell unconscious beside her drummer. “Bleh, human germs!” he growled. Picking up his staff, Wraith muttered something under his breath, and the eyes on the skull of it glowed red. The same red light formed around Russel’s body, as it levitated up into the air.

Dragaunus opened the rusty cell door, keeping a wary eye on the two remaining band members. As soon as Wraith and Russel were out, the door slammed shut again. “Don’t bother in trying to escape.” he waved at them nonchalantly. “None of you could comprehend what you’ve gotten yourselves into here.”

The two Saurians towed the drummer out behind them, and left.

In the cell, 2D and Murdoc waited, now squished together in a corner, hearing nothing but the strained hisses of Murdoc’s breathing.

“Y—you okay ---Muds?---“ 2D stammered after a few moments, not looking away from the hall.

The bassist shoved him roughly away before returning the good hand to his wounded shoulder and squinting his eyes shut again. “Get off me, face-ache--- and wake up the kid.”

2D could barely keep his limbs locked, he was shaking so badly. He managed to crawl over to Noodle, and pull her up into his lap. “Noodle--- c’mon girl--- wake up…” he tried, leaning back against the wall. After a few seconds, the guitarist’s eyes fluttered open, and she shot the vocalist a confused look.

“2D-san?” she started. Then things all came back to her in a flash, and she snapped upright. “Russel! Russel-san?!” she stood and ran for the bars, looking out into the hall to find him.

“Shhh!” 2D hissed, frightened. “Pipe down Noodle, Russ’s gone, I dunno where---“ The thought of what those lizards could be doing to the drummer at the moment quickly shut 2D up.

Noodle calmed slowly, then looking back with a frightened and obviously unhappy glance. Her face changed slightly as she turned her eyes to the corner. “… Murdoc-san…?”

Murdoc squinted to see the guitarist picking her way carefully over to him, solemn curiosity in her face.

“S’okay Noodle---“ he spoke gruffly.

“Yeah Muds…” 2D joined in, turning to face him. “That guy shot you…”

“’ell yes, he shot me.” the bassist glared poisonously back. “Doesn’t hurt, just burns a lot---“ he ventured to take the hand from over the wound and crane his neck to look at the line of charred flesh. “Didn’t even really hit---“

“Wot’s all this about, Murdoc?” 2D whispered. “Whadda they want with Russ?”

“How in the bloody ‘ell do I know?” Murdoc growled, wincing again as he tried to move his arm. “That big one looked uglier than Satan ‘imself…”

“Get Russel back?” Noodle blinked at him.

“Yer bloody welcome to try.” the bassist sighed. “I’d like ta keep the rest of me arm. Don’t look like there’s much we can do, now.” Unwilling to admit that he was in a good deal of pain, and just realizing what a mess the quartet was in, Murdoc leaned heavily back against the wall of the cell, hoping the heat from the rusty metal would ease the searing ache across his shoulder.

 

He came to slowly, slowly, his vision fading into focus from the center of his eyes outward. Russel’s mind felt that he was just waking up from a long, peaceful nap. His body told him something very, very different. The drummer was suspended, tilted stomach-down, a few feet over the floor. He tried to move his arms, and found that they were braced back. Held up by chains, a pair of bars stretched between the manacles around his hands and feet, preventing him from moving.

“Ahh, and he’s awake.”

Russel’s blood froze cold as he heard the voice, so close that it was nearly hissing in his ear. The drummer jerked his head to the side to see Wraith staring back at him.

“Good.” Another familiar voice noted, from somewhere farther away. Dragaunus stood closer to the wall of the round room, watching expectantly.

“Forgive me my Lord.” Wraith bowed weakly. “I did not expect the spell to work only when the host was conscious.”

Spell? Host? Confusion swirled in Russel’s head. He wrenched in his chains and grit his teeth to the lizard. “You lemme outta here right now man, my attorney’s gonna have a field day with you people!”

Wraith let an amused grin pass back to the human. “You’re quite lucky.” he nodded. “We would have killed the four of you without a thought, if you were just a normal human. But there’s something special about you, isn’t there?” he grinned. “Something which I can put to very good use. Now, you’re going to tell me how to get it out.”

“Do what now?” Russel frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about man, and I sure as hell ain’t gonna cooperate.”

“Another trademark of your idiotic species.” the Saurian nonchalantly examined his claws. “Don’t fret…” he spoke, raising his staff so that the skull that adorned it leveled with the drummer’s milk-white eyes. The skull’s empty orbits glowed a painful, piercing red. “I have my ways of getting what I want…”

Russel felt his vision cloud again, fogging over, and felt a bout of nausea wash over his body. As if he were underwater, his hearing was distorted. He could barely make out the Saurian before him emitting some grunt of frustration, and backing a few paces away. As he lowered his staff, the drummer felt his dizziness lift. “What the hell was that?!” he whispered harshly.

“Wraith!” Dragaunus thundered, stalking towards and towering over his now shaking henchman. “Is this the extent of your spell?”

“He is resisting, M’Lord!” Wraith quaked. “I—I cannot break it!”

“Then we’ll break him.” Dragaunus snarled, beady yellow eyes locking onto the drummer’s widened white ones. “Bring me the girl.”

As Wraith exited quickly, Russel kicked, grunting as he struggled with everything he had. The chains merely flowed with him, negating his efforts, exhausting him shortly. “You leave her alone!” he threatened.

“Perhaps I will.” Dragaunus sprouted a toothy grin. “If she gives me the answers that you are unwilling to provide. And if not? She will be an appetizer, to merely hold me over while I wait for my henchmen to finish with you…” The Saurian turned and began to slither his way out of the room, winding his tail along the floor behind him.

Fear rising in his gut, Russel again tried to struggle, pulling at the chains until his muscles burned and gave out. “You don’t touch her, you hear? She’s just a kid! You want me, don’t you?”

“All in good time, human, all in good time.”

With that, the tip of the Saurian Overlord’s tail slid into shadow as he stalked out into a corridor, and Russel lost sight of him. All he could do now was hang limply in his chains, alone in the open room.

 

The transmission was full of static at first, and the interference caught the ears of the Ducks in the Ready Room like feedback caught the ears of a concert crowd. Their eyes all darted to the massive screen of Drake 1 as the video feed started coming in.

“Tanya, where is that coming from?” Wildwing asked. But he got his answer sooner than Tanya could respond, as the feed cleared to reveal a very familiar death-stare.

“Dragaunus!” Mallory gasped angrily. “You’ve got a lot of nerve!”

The Overlord ignored them, walking away. It seemed the feed was not over his com, but from some sort of camera. The team watched as he cleared most of the screen, to reveal someone else in the room with him. He held little Noodle firmly around the shoulders with his left hand alone, talons pressing against her neck.

“What—what’s the meaning of this!?” Wildwing demanded, shaking off the surprise at the sight. “You put her down this instant Dragaunus, if you hurt her---“

“Silence, miserable Duck.” Dragaunus spat at him. “This pathetic human doesn’t speak English. You translate, or she dies.”

Nosedive turned to the dragoness at his ankles, whispering nervously. “Can you do that, girl?”

But Zelda had already advanced from behind him, staring down the Saurian Overlord. “You hurt her, and you’ll get nothing.”

“You’ll translate or she dies!” Dragaunus emphasized his point by shaking the girl rather violently. A kicking Noodle narrowed her eyes and spat on the Overlord. Nosedive couldn’t contain a burst of laughter, but it was soon cut and replaced by a frightened gasp as Dragaunus pressed his claws tighter to Noodle’s neck, causing her eyes to glaze over. He released her only when she stopped struggling.

Quickly trying to get a word in edgewise, Zelda loped towards the screen, trying to state something Japanese in a calming tone.

Noodle’s eyes locked on the camera, recognizing her voice, and she started stammering loudly in reply.

Eyes blazing angrily, Dragaunus shook her into submission again. “This is an interrogation, not a conversation, understood?!” he snarled. “Now, tell me!”

Locked under his powerful glare, Noodle withered, a broken stream of frightened Japanese finding its way out.

Zelda listened intently, frowning slightly in confusion, until the girl stopped and shut her eyes tight in defense.

“What did she say? What’s the answer?!” Dragaunus demanded.

“She--- she doesn’t know. She said she doesn’t know how to call him, he just comes on his own…”

Dragaunus snarled angrily, glaring at the girl and shaking her again. “You waste of human flesh, you’re lying! Tell me now or I’ll eat you alive!”

Now truly frightened, Noodle squealed.

“She is telling the truth!” Zelda insisted. “She doesn’t know! Maybe if I understood your question better---“

“Don’t try that with me, dragon.” the Overlord sneered. “You’ll all find out soon enough.” With footsteps that shook the camera, he stalked back towards the lens again, obscuring the frightened Noodle. “And by that time, it will be too late to save these worthless humans.” With a callous swipe of his tail, Dragaunus sent the camera tumbling, and the transition faded to static when it hit the ground.

“Unbelievable!” Nosedive yelled, moments after the signal ended. “To a kid!”

“What on Puckworld did he want with her, Zelda?” Duke turned to ask her.

“I’m not sure…” the dragon replied, still in distress herself from the child’s situation. “He never said the original question. But her answer was a pretty good translation, I think.”

“This is very odd.” Grin spoke, folding his arms. “What information would a mere child have, that Dragaunus would find so difficult to get on his own?”

“Maybe he thought it would be easiest to scare it out of her.” Mallory shrugged.

“Whatever the reason, we have to figure out what that information is, and fast.” Wildwing frowned. “That’s the key to why Dragaunus kidnapped the band, they know something. Who is this ‘he’ she mentioned, Zelda?”

                “Apparently someone Dragaunus wants to get in touch with.” Zelda replied. “She never mentioned his name.”

                “So its someone the band knows… someone who contacts them.” Tanya pondered aloud. “This is really weird, guys. Like, world’s-greatest-detective type stuff.”

                “Hey, Batman has nothing on us.” Nosedive joked.

                “And with a stunt like this.” Duke jabbed his thumb towards Drake 1’s screen. “He’s proving that he’s getting desperate. He’ll kill the kid, I got a hunch.”

                “He won’t get the time.” Wildwing snorted. “Tanya, did you manage to get a lock on where that signal was originating from?”

                “It was a bit too short and grainy for me to get an exact location…” she started, seated at the supercomputer’s console and typing quickly. “But I do have an area, about five square miles…”

                “Do a full range scan on that area, we’ll have to get it narrowed down more if we’re to find them in time.”

                “Whoa, you were tracing the line that whole time?” Nosedive asked Tanya.

                “Standard procedure.” the duck nodded, smiling in return to an obviously impressed Nosedive. “What’s the use of this equipment if we don’t use it when it counts?”

                “One thing’s for sure, it counts now.” Zelda noted. “Duke’s hunch is right, Dragaunus knows it’s only a matter of time before we find the Raptor. Whoever this person is that he’s looking for, he’ll get more and more desperate to find him. If the Gorillaz don’t have answers, he’ll dispose of them to avoid a fight with us.”

                Grin shook his head and sighed heavily at the situation. “Let’s hope the other three can buy themselves some time.”

 

                The darkness was broken with a rusty squeal of metal, and something was thrown bodily against Murdoc as he leaned against the wall. Pain ruptured in his shoulder again, and the bassist let out a surprised grunt as the thing that had hit him moved, and yelled back in panic. He could recognize that high pitch anywhere. “Oi Noodle, it’s me!” he snapped, shoving her roughly away with his wooden-heeled boot. “Bugger off!”

                The girl tumbled out onto the floor of the cell, looking back at the bars. For some reason, the strip of light that hung out in the hallway had burnt out. It fluttered to life for a few seconds, combining with the corridor’s other lights in a lightning flash, revealing a skeleton form and a leathery face looming outside of the bars. The girl squealed again, gaining her feet and running until she hit something else in the cell’s corner.

                “Sniveling child.” Wraith scolded. “Find your tongue only when you have the proper answers for Dragaunus, or you’ll all die.” And with that, he vanished, vaporizing in a puff of smoke and disappearing into mid air.

                Noodle was squished against what she had run into in the corner, which was actually 2D. He had been just as rudely awakened as Murdoc, but opened his eyes to find the nightmare creature before him, and held himself silent as he was curled up against the walls. Now the girl had knocked his head into the metal wall, and the headache that he’d managed to keep stifled in the darkness blew into a full-fledged migraine. His arms untangled themselves to find the girl’s shoulders in the dim light. “Easy girl!” he stammered.

                “2Dsan!” Noodle’s voice was both joyful and relieved as she sprung into his lap and locked her arms around his neck. “2Dsan okay!”

                “Ark! Yes! Oi I’m awright Noodle!” he pried her carefully away, being quite happy himself in knowing that she hadn’t been eaten! “What did ‘ey do to ya girl?”

                “Mean Godzilla!” Noodle huffed, quickly regaining her bristling attitude. “Make Noodle mad!” she stood and put her hands around her throat, acting out for 2D what had  been done to her.

                The singer could barely make out her stance, but saw enough. “Sheesh Muds, this is awful! Didja see Russ, girl?”

                “No Russel-sama.” Noodle sighed.

                “Bloody wonderful.” came a grumbled reply from the distant wall of the cell. Murdoc shifted one knee up to brace his bad arm on as he gestured to the others, holding the othe hand over his wounded shoulder. “This is just brilliant. And where are them Ducks? They seemed to know a lot about these ‘ere pet shop rejects. Ain’t they comin’?”

                In the darkness, 2D couldn’t see the bassist, but there was an unfamiliar twinge he caught on his bandleader’s smoked-out voice. Concern pushed him tighter into his corner, the pain radiating in his head. Noodle had left him, trotting over to Murdoc, who regarded her with slightly frowning eyes.

                “Go keep the Muppet from spacing out.” he ordered.

                Noodle cocked her head for a moment, then scampered back and pushed herself up against 2D with a sigh.

                “Those Ducks’ll come for us Muds, ya know.” the singer offered with a scratchy voice. “They wouldn’t just leave us alone in a place like this, would ‘ey?”

                “Can it, dullard.” came another rusty growl. “Wot makes you so sure ‘ey know where we are? And if they do, they bloody well get over here, ‘cause I don’t wanna be leavin’ in a body bag.”

                Shuddering at the thought, 2D turned back to Noodle. “Wot did ‘ey want with ya girl? Do they want somethin’ from us?”

                Noodle shook her head simply, blinking her almond-shaped eyes in the darkness. “Wants Del.”

 

To be continued…

 

               

Mighty Ducks-The Animated Series is property of the Walt Disney company. The Gorillaz are property of Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn, thank ya guys! All other characters are copyright of Zelda and The Dragon’s Den.