Then again it gives me a reason to write a sequel about how he gets to Anaheim, as he winds up someplace else on earth. ;)

A tall lean duck entered his lab, wearing a black jumpsuit and white lab coat. He looked at one of the metal walls and at his reflection in it.

'Laughed at', he thought as he looked at the graying head feathers. He then looked back at the missile like object in the center of the room, 'Well I'll show them that my theory of warping space to improve space travel is true.'

It was then that he heard something crash on the other side of it, like the breaking of glass. Walking around it he saw a young brown duck, probably around 8 years of age, holding a large ball, looking at some broken vials.

"Luc!" he said, making the young duckling jump and look up at him and responding, "I'm sorry papa I'll clean it up."

He just sighed and rubs Luc's still short head feathers with a hand. "Well at least you'll be more careful next time." Lucus smiled up at him and followed his papa around to a control panel on a wall.

"So why aren't you practicing your hockey Luc? You need to get outside more."

Lucus just sighed as he father turned around and picked him up, only to place him on a table next to the control panel. "You’re more fun then stupid hockey papa, that stupid puck still hits me in the face too, and it hurts!"

He chuckled and nodded to Lucus as he made some adjustments to the control panel, opening a section of the roof. "I see. Well Luc, this is the big day, time to launch that probe and make history."

Luc's eyes lit up, "Can I launch it papa? I like making them take off. I promise I'll try harder to be good too."

His papa looked at him. "Now, now you know I just want you to be nice to Marisa."

Lucus frowned. "Do I have to? She drinks that weird stuff a lot and smells."

His papa looked him right in the eye. "Lucus Drakestone Jr." Lucus winced. He hated his full name. "Watch what you say, I love her very much and you do need a mother around the house, and she cares for you, at least try to be nice to her."

Lucus sighed and nodded, "Ok papa I'll try."

The older duck then grinned, "Good. Now you may do the honors."

Lucus smiled and pressed the large red button he knew so well. The probe's engines then flared to life, a steady stream of fire pouring in to the hole below it, so they where safe.

But then a alarm sounded and several monitors started going crazy. His papa frantically looked over the controls, the clamps for the probe hadn't released. Then they heard the sound, like a small bang, and looked at the probe. It had begun generating the gateway, must as his papa had built it for, he looked at his son and laughed, "It worked! I knew I could do it!"

Then papers and small objects started to fly in to it. His papa started to lift in to the air and quickly grabbed a handle on the console, with one hand and his son with the other. His Lucus just cried, as he pulled him up to the table yelling, "Lucus grab hold of it and don't let go!"

Lucus did as told then his father's grip flattered, and he fell back in to the gateway yelling for his son, then the probe broke free and finally went through, closing it after it disappeared along with his papa.

Lucus began to cry as two guards managed to bust down the door and looked at the mess. One noticed Lucus an kneeled down to him. "Are you alright, son?"

Lucus just looked at him and said through his tears, "My papa is gone."

Lucus walked along the dirt road with his hands on his cd-player, readjusting the controls slightly. Dressed in simple blue jeans, black boots, and a white shirt with a black jacket, he hefted his school books in his backpack. As he fooled around with the player, he grumbled to himself. "Damn two hour walk just to get home, at least I'll have the money saved up to get myself that bike I want."

"Excuse me sir," a mechanical voice trilled, "But why don't you just build one?"

Lucus looked to his right and saw the familiar two-foot diameter orb hovering next to him. It has a simple strip in the center with a light that circled it, but that was it. "Look Archie, I already explained why."

Archie just remained at his side as they walked. "But you built me sir. ‘Just because it looks cool’ does not compute."

Lucus rolled his eyes and slipped the cd player in his jacket pocket, "Oh lighten up, will ya? Sheesh, your starting to sound like Marisa."

He then heard another voice. "Well, well, look what we caught here, boys."

Lucus looked up at the three larger ducks in front of him. They were his age of sixteen and attended the same school.

"Still too good to play hockey Luc?" one laughed.

Lucus grumbled and forced his way past them. "It's a dumb sport, now I gotta get home, ok?"

Another one of them chuckled, "Look Marc, I'll show ya why he doesn't want to play." He dropped a puck and then aimed his stick for a tree across the street, "Watch this, it's a laugh."

He then smacked the puck hard and it hit the tree, bouncing off of it, and it hit another tree then Lucus right above his left eye, knocking him flat.

The others blinked. "What the?"

The large one just chuckled, "Ya see guys doesn't matter where poor old Lucus is on the ice, all the pucks go right for his face."

Archie zoomed over between all three, "Sirs please leave."

One of them chuckled and poked at it, "Or what?"

Archie's center strip lit up bright. "I guess you guys need a hot foot." Arcs of electricity then leaped out hitting all of them, making them jump and run back to town.

Lucus rubbed his head and looked at Archie and chuckled. "Knock it off, I think they learned there lesson." Archie zoomed back over and hovered low enough so that Lucus could use him to help himself stand. "Come on. Let’s get home."

***

A tall, thin female duck with white feathers and long red hair, patted a cloth on Luc's forehead. "You should start wearing a helmet."

Lucus just growled at her. "And you should stop drinking Marisa."

Marisa looked sternly at him. "Look now, young man. I took you in to my home as a favor to your departed father, don't you go bad mouthing my habits, or it's out on the street with you."

Lucus just stood from his seat and growled at her. "He's not dead, he's still alive!"

Marisa smacked him across the face. "I will not be back talked to in my home young man! Go to your room! You’re grounded for a week."

Lucus grumbled and went upstairs saying under his breath, "If Papa was here you wouldn't hit me all the time like you do."

***

Lucus sat in front of his desk and began to fiddle with a circuit board in front of him.

"Sir, you can always go to the police. What if she almost breaks a bone one day?"

Lucus looked at Archie hovering over his shoulder. "Because I don't want to live in a foster home, that's why."

Archie hovered silently for a few moments then flew over to a small stand and landed there. Lucus just looked at the larger bot standing next to his desk, and then back at his circuit board, picking up his soldering iron and going back to work.

***

A couple of days latter he didn't go straight home. Instead he went in to a large mall, based around a large ice rink. He made a b-line for the security office, with a five foot lean robot with a duck-like head on it following.

The officer at the desk looked up. "Oh hi there Luc, is that it?"

Lucus nodded. "Yup this is Secure 1."

The officer nodded. "Ok let me just let Marget know your on your way up."

Lucus nodded and headed down the hall. He knocked on a door and head a deep feminine voice say, "Come in."

He stepped in and looked at the athletically built female duck in the white uniform sitting at her desk, she smiled and gestured to a chair across from her. He sat down with his bot moving along side, yet behind him.

"So that's what you've been working on is it?"

Lucus nodded. "Yes ma'am. Secure 1 is the best design I think I ever came up with yet, and this one is armed with some light defensive weapons now."

Marget nodded. "Ok Luc, you've always managed to impress me in the past, what can this one do?"

Lucus turned to it and pointed a few things out with his hand as he talked about it. "Well, like the Secure p4 before it, it has a basic duck-like shape and built so it won't scare off anyone, and can wear a outer garb to help. Only now I've included a better processor in the brain and voice box for more realistic interaction and speech. In the forearms there is now a stun blaster in the left and a net launcher in the right. It can still dispense tickets and fines through the port in it's chest and carry cuffs in the upper leg compartments as normal. It doesn't talk unless it has to, and still responds to the remote vr unit I gave you just like the p4."

Marget nodded. "Ok Lucus you sold me. We'll buy it for a trial run, but if it works this will be the last one, ok? But we will want to mass produce it."

Lucus nodded and then stood. "He's all yours then. And thanks."

Marget nodded and looked at Luc. "You know, with all you know you should be designing bots for the military. You would make a killing."

Lucus laughed. "They want killers. I hate that stuff and don't want any part of it."

Marget laughed and stood up. "Ok, but at least let one of my boys drive you home this time. There's a storm coming in, and I know how far you have to walk. You'll get hit by it full force before you get half way home."

Lucus blinked then slowly nodded. "Ok, just this once."

***

Marisa was waiting for him when he got home, and in the door. "Where were you young man?"

Lucus blinked and looked at her. She was holding a bottle and smelled of alcohol. "None of your business."

Marisa walked up and slapped him across the face with the bottle. "I'm your guardian! It's my business, where were you?"

Lucus just growled at her. "With someone that likes me, ok? Jeez. Can I go now?"

She just hit him again with the bottle then punched him in the gut, sending him sprawling on to the ground. "You’re grounded remember? You go straight to school, then back here! Understood?" She then kicked him in the crotch before he could respond, and turned to head in to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes, go clean up and then set up the table.

Lucus stood and growled under his breath. Then went upstairs to his room.

Archie was hovering at the top of the stairs and let Lucus by. It wondered why Lucus put up with it, and accessed a few records before following him in to his room.

"Sir, may I make a statement."

Lucus sat down slowly and rubbed a bruise on his cheek, "Shoot."

Archie bobbed slightly, "Sir, I have a solution to your problem with the madam. Your bank records show that not only do you have enough for the bike, but also for a small studio apartment in town."

Lucus blinked and looked at Archie. "Say that again?"

Archie just remained still, "Sit. Madam Marget deposited a large amount in to your account, and also just emailed the following……Tested during your ride home, worked better then expected, so I included a down payment for the mass production of the designs at a friends firm who will keep the schematics out of military hands, and arrange for 25% profit share of all sales. Contact me tomorrow for the details."

Lucus smiled. "Archie, search local news nets for a suitable place then make down payment. Also activate Bert and Rich to help me move out of this dump."

Archie bobbed slightly then flew down to the garage, though a small flap in the wall. Lucus then headed down stairs and in to the kitchen. "Guess what Marisa! I'm out of your life. I'm moving out."

She just glared at him. "Oh no you’re not, young man. You’re staying right here."

Lucus growled at her. "Look you old fart, I'm going and that's that, unless you want me to go to my police friends about your abuse and drinking."

She blinked and then sat down. "But what am I going to do without you?"

Lucus shrugged and turned his back to her., "Like you really care. Good bye." He then headed back to his room.

Lucus was 18 now, and smiled as he turned a corner on his hovercycle. The sleek design and small size made maneuvering easy and the sped made the commute from the big city where he worked to the small town he lived in easy.

He stopped at a light and put a foot on the ground looking around him. He was full grown now, standing a lean 5 foot 8 inches, a little thin for his height, with his hair kept short, but still wore the blue jeans, and black tee-shirts he liked.

He noticed a few ducks his age, down a nearby street playing some hockey and laughing, making him sigh slightly. He never liked that game, his face acting like a magnet for it. Still he looked at the babes and sighed.

'They only go for the jocks,' he thought. He then revved the engine. 'Maybe I'll be able to talk to one at the club tonight.' He then noticed the green and took off for home.

As he walked in, he was kind of relived that he didn't exactly live alone. Archie was still there, and a couple of other bots that helped around the place. Archie flew over to him.

Lucus had added a pair of arms to him now, small one that ended in 2 finger claws. "Sir, you have a guest."

Lucus rolled his eyes and went in to the main room of the apartment and saw the familiar blonde haired duck in a red dress looking at one of his robots cleaning the rug. "Hello Sondra."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Hey, about time you got home! School got out over a hour ago."

Lucus plopped down on the couch, "I work, remember? So why did you come in here again?" He gave Archie a dirty look, who in turn flew over to hide behind a chair.

Sondra giggled and plopped down next to him. "Oh come on, you know my folks won't be home for a few hours, and well…" She blushed. "My lil' bro locked me out again, so I thought I'd wait here, ok?"

He rolled his eyes and thought to himself. 'Oh boy not again.' He smiled politely. "Well sure…"

She nodded. "Ok! Well, maybe we could go to the rink! There's a ho- sorry, I almost forgot."

He grumbled slightly. Sondra was about to say something when there was a explosion outside.

They both went out with Archie close behind him. He saw that his bike looked like a pancake, and started at it. "Aw man!!"

Sondra then eeped. Archie stated rather calmly, "Sir, I think there are bigger things to worry about, like our lives."

Lucus looked up and saw a large robot standing front of them. It turned and took a pot shot at them with it's lasers. Lucus jumped aside, and looked back to see the charred remains of Sondra.

"NN….nooo….no!!!!"

Archie grabbed his shoulders and pulled him around a corner. "Sir, we can't do anything for her, we have to leave fast."

Lucus just tried to pull away from Archie. "Damn, I didn't think that she meant that much to me! Let me back there, I want to kill that thing!"

Archie just kept pulling him away. "Sir, you’re no good to her dead. I'm getting frantic reports from all over the globe. It's a invasion, and from what I can tell of the design, the Saurian empire has returned."

Lucus blinked as Archie finally stopped, and felt a new hand grab him. Looking at it, he saw that it belonged to a robot that stood slightly taller then him, obviously belonging to the invaders. It said in a calm mechanical voice as it knocked Archie aside with it's free hand, "Come with me, you are a prisoner."

***

Only a month had passed as he labored in the work camp, and he hated it.

All Lucus wanted now was to find Dragaunus and kill him for what he did. All he could think of was Sondra, before she died he thought she was nothing more then a pest, but as it turned out she really liked him, and it wasn't that bad.

He saw a Saurian walking over to him. He cursed himself for stopping a moment to look out the fence.

The saurian was taller then him and had a large sword in it's hand. He growled, "Back to work."

Lucus sighed and thought, 'Well, that's it. I'm going to try and get this one at least."

He leaped up and tackled the Saurian. It and the other prisoners blinked at this as it batted him away and swung with its sword.

Lucus screamed and reached over with his left hand to cover where his right arm used to be. He fell to his knees as a pair of explosions ripped through the camp.

He passed out as he heard a somewhat familiar voice say as something picked him up, "Don't worry sir, you’re free now."

***

Lucus woke up with a scream, and began to pant. Moving his left arm to his chest as he sat up, he looked at where his right arm used to be.

It was bandaged and had a kind of metal plate covering the wound. He sighed, and looked around. He saw Archie hovering in a corner, and a six-armed robot next to his bed showing vital signs and the like on a screen. Most likely his own.

"Where am I?"

Archie didn't take long to answer. "Home, original one where I was made. It was abandoned and the Saurian didn't level it. From what we can tell they don't even know it's here."

Lucus nodded and looked at the medical robot next to him, noting the fine surgical tools on it's hull and arms. "Capability?"

The medical unit turned it's box-like head to him. "Fully capable, including micro surgery on nerves sir."

Lucus nodded as his eyes sparked with a new idea, and looked at Archie again. "I have a idea to replace something of mine. I may not be left-handed but get me a pen a few pencils and a pad. I want you to build something for me."

He then looked at the medical unit. "And you are going to install it."

***

A few days later Lucus stood in front of a mirror and sighed. He looked at something obviously made of metal.

The ducks of Puckworld were advanced in many sciences, but one was forbidden by their culture as it seemed very unnatural. And he had just done that. He lifted a metal hand and flexed it, comparing it with his own before slipping a black glove over it to hide the cybernetic limb that was now his arm.

He had been planning on taking up the field, mainly out of interest, never thinking he had to use that knowledge. Now he had replaced his whole right arm with it, but not before making modifications to the design.

He snapped a thin barrel of a puck launcher on to the forearm. The ammo would be held in there. He adjusted the monocle on his left eye so he can get a clear picture from the internal computer he included in the upper and shoulder area of the arm. He then looked at his black jumpsuit physique looking for signs if the true nature that the arm was artificial would show. None did, so he slipped on a black glove to his left hand and walked back to the garage.

Archie had found 4 of his Secure 1 bots still in good condition and refitted them with a puckblaster on each arm and a jet pack on the back. He also had Archie working on another design besides the arm.

He looked over the suit with the shoulder wings, and form fitting helmet. A large puckblaster rifle on the back, and two wrist lasers for back up as well. "Now we fight Dragaunus on his own terms. Bot vs. bot." He began to suit up in the solid black suit of power armor and before putting on the helmet looked at Archie. "Get the rig finished, once we destroy a bot of his and managed to get his control frequency where going to find his lair and kill him."

Archie bobbed in a nod and flew through a doorway, as Lucus and the 4 reworked bots flew off in to the night.

It didn't take them long to find a pair of the larger flying robots that the Saurians used in the initial invasion. One shot its lasers at the Secure bots, blowing one of them to pieces. Lucus swung around with his rifle blazing, tearing large holes into the main body of it.

The other surviving Secure bots targeted its legs and weapons, making it crash to the ground. Lucus landed on top of it and ripped open the hull using the augmented strength his armor provided him.

"Where is that beacon?" He blinked as he found a red box that the suit registered as transmitting a continuous signal. Grinning, he flew back home with it.

***

Later he piloted a modified transport, with Archie and his two surviving bots following a signal from the red box to its source. They saw a explosion ahead when the signal stopped and the Saurian flag ship flew over head, being followed by a military Aerowing.

He turned and revved the engine up to full speed to follow as best he can, then saw the Raptor open a portal. Wide-eyed and stammering, he watched as the Raptor flew in, followed by the Aerowing.

"Sir," Archie said, "What is it?"

Lucus just started and gunned the engine for the portal as the memories of his father, the probe and how his father was sucked in to a similar portal flooded back to him.

'No.' he thought. 'it looks exactly the same! How did they get their hands on his technology?!?!' He followed in, wanting answers.

As they flew, they passed a duck being devoured by a energy worm. Lucus, feeling incredible rage and loss, didn't notice him.

Archie snapped him out of it when he said, "Sir, it closed up ahead! We are trapped!"

Lucus just growled. "Fire the missiles at the energy bands of this tunnel before they disappear too. That should open a exit for us."

Archie hit a switch, and Lucus's wild guess was right and they flew to freedom.

'But where are we now?' Lucus wondered.

They landed in a pine forest near a sign that said New York City, 60 miles.

Lucus considered. "New York City? I wonder what the locals look like? Oh well. Let’s see if we can find some local looking transportation for our gear and head in.

“I have the feeling that we are going to be here a while, and might as well head in to this city and try to make ourselves at home there for a while at least."