Nosedive sat at the controls of Drake 1, grinning as he found himself winning the game he was currently playing. A small beeping sound and a blinking light from the control panel alerted him to the fact that something was up.
He paused the game and flipped the switch. The beep became loud enough to be heard through the room.
"Hey, Tanya!" he said over the com. "Something's up!"
The rest of the Ducks emerged from different locations of the Pond. Tanya went to the controls, pressed a few buttons, then stepped back.
The screen showed a map of California and a small red blip.
"It's a dimensional portal," she said. "Something just arrived and it landed outside in the desert."
"Then let's check it out," said Wildwing, donning the Golden Mask. "The Aerowing!"
Forty minutes later, the Aerowing reached its destination.
"There!" said Mallory, pointing to a still figure on the floor.
"Bring her down," ordered Wildwing.
Nosedive and Tanya , both at the controls, brought down the Aerowing for a smooth landing.
"Be careful," Wildwing warned, as all six ducks climbed out of the jet.
As the approached the figure, it began taking a more familiar shape.
"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Mallory.
"Whoa, dude!" said Nosedive.
"Canard!" whispered Wildwing.
X
Meanwhile, in the bottom of the ocean just a bit away from the California shoreline, Lord Dragaunus, Siege, Chameleon, and Wraith were attempting to repair the ship.
"Blast those Ducks," growled Dragaunus. "Blast those meddlesome, wretched, Ducks!"
"Hey, watch it! Nyuk, nyuk," Chameleon said, imitating Curly from the Three Stooges. "You almost got my head there!"
Siege stood in front of him, a mallet in his hand. "Oh, sorry," he said, sounding quite the opposite.
"I told you technology will be the downfall of the Saurians," drawled Wraith. "If only we were more powerful in the mystic arts."
"Oh, shut-up!" hissed Dragaunus.
Several of his robots crossed the room, each carrying a pile of metal.
"Take those to the engine room. That's were most of the leaks are," ordered Dragaunus. He turned away. "Once I repair this ship, I'll have my revenge!"
"Uh, your Lizardness?" interrupted Chameleon.
"What is it?"
"Just checked the main computer. Says there was an incoming portal that opened up in the dessert."
"Let me see." Dragaunus rushed to the giant monitor. Sure enough, there was a list of numbers and letters that told him of a portal opening.
"Great," he thought out loud. "We don't even know if it's an ally or foe."
Then the alarm sounded. "What the . . . another one?"
"Where's it opening up?" asked Siege.
"Here!"
A shimmer of an opening portal caught the corner of Dragaunus' eye. He whirled around to face it, laser out and ready to shoot the potential threat.
Chameleon, Siege, and the droids did the same. Wraith used his staff.
A moment later, Dragaunus lowered his laser as his jaw dropped in disbelief. The figure that stepped out was another Saurian. And a female at that!
She was shorter that Dragaunus, but held a posture of something both regal and dangerous.
She wore a purple outfit with green trimming that hugged her muscular body. She also wore a garment that wrapped around her waist like a skirt. A matching headband with a purple gem kept most of her black hair away from her face, and a thick necklace decorated her throat.
A black leather glove covered her right hand, probably to handle the laser sword at her belt better.
Dragaunus, however, paid more attention to the ring she wore on her left hand.
The Saurian, in the meantime, stared at the lasers that were still in the hands of the others. She dismissed them as unimportant, but raised an eyebrow at the sight of Wraith's staff.
Then she looked at Dragaunus.
"I am Firepassion Nightbloom, fifth rank of the Saurian Code. Whom do I honor with my presense?"
Lord Dragaunus dropped to his knees, surprising Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith.
"Oh, Lady of the Saurian Code! I am Lord Dragaunus!"
X
The Ducks gathered around the unconscious form of Canard.
They were back at the pond in the infirmary, hoping to get an answer. Wildwing was ecstatic, and although Nosedive couldn't feel quite the same thing, he was curious to know where Canard had been this entire time.
Grin remained silent, meditating in one corner. Duke and Mallory were in shock. Tanya was too busy checking everything to make sure that Canard was all right.
A few moments later, Canard began to stir. His eyes flickered open.
Wildwing stepped into his view.
"How ya doing, buddy?" asked Wildwing.
"Wing? 'Sthat really you?" Canard asked, in a hoarse voice.
"Yeah, it's me," replied Wildwing. "How do you feel?"
"Tired and awful!" With that, Canard drifted right back to sleep.
"Let him rest," said Tanya, gently ushering the rest of the ducks out the door. "Whatever he went through gave him quite a shock to his system."
X
Lord Dragaunus watched with apprehension as Nightbloom moved around the room. She wasn't making any move to study the rest of the Raptor. Instead, she was touching everything.
She stopped in one place and had a look of deep concentration.
"Forgive me, your Highness, but I don't trust her," said Wraith, quietly.
"I'm not too trustful either, but she is of the Saurian Code, and fifth rank! Do you know that is the best of the best? Do you know how long I've tried to be accepted into that group? I want to know why she's in it, and I'm not!"
"My lord, in my experience I've learned never to trust the Saurian Code. They sometimes have a hidden agenda."
"The best reason to keep her close. Of course, I've also heard that they are quite cunning against their foes. If we could get her to help us, the Ducks won't stand a chance!"
Lord Dragaunus stood up straighter as Nightbloom approached.
"Why is your ship underwater?" she asked sternly.
"Well, you see . . ." began Chameleon, who was standing closest to her.
"I did not speak to you, Lower class Civilian," snapped the female Saurian.
"Sheesh, sorry," grumbled Chameleon, putting up his hands in the gesture of surrender. "No need to get so catty."
"Insolent being!" growled Nightbloom, her hand going to the hilt of her sword.
"Yikes!" Chameleon scrambled to put distance between him and Nightbloom.
"I asked you a question, High class Civilian," Nightbloom said, staring at Dragaunus.
The male Saurian swallowed the angry retort that rose to his lips. Instead he answered her question.
"My ship was shot down by the Mighty Ducks, six wretched beings from Puckworld."
Nightbloom didn't say a word, nor did she blink. Her still yellow snake eyes began to unnerve Dragaunus and Wraith.
"You are telling me that the mighty Lord Dragaunus of the Annectia Seas was defeated by ducks?"
Dragaunus's eyes opened at the mention of his full name.
Nightbloom seemed to have read his thought. "Oh, I've heard of you. Close and yet so far from becoming a member of the Saurian Code. Start from the beginning and tell me why these Ducks are against you and hate you enough to send you to a watery grave."
X
Canard smiled wearily at Wildwing. "Glad to see you're still here, and alive at that!"
"That's what I should be saying to you! What happened? Where did you come from?"
Something flitted over Canard's eyes. "I'm not sure," he said. "All I remember is a whole bunch of nothingness. Then there was this push, and I found myself falling to the floor!"
"How did you survive?"
"Pure luck. The worm let go of me to go after you. But you had already crossed the portal." Canard yawned.
Wildwing chuckled. "Looks as if you still need more rest."
"If it weren't for the darn sedatives Tanya has given me," Canard growled. "You still need to tell me what has happened during all this time." Canard struggled to stay awake, but the medications won and he was fell fast asleep.
X
"This room appears to be less than adequate. I assume the rest of the ship is the same," Nightbloom said, in a bored voice.
"Less than adequate?! This ship served its purpose in taking over Puckworld!" roared Dragaunus.
"Then they must have had very primitive technology, Of course, so does this planet, and you're stuck down here!" She glanced up in disgust as another leak formed, dripping on her shoulder.
Dragaunus bit back a response, not wanting to push her away.
"Civilian Dragaunus, show me the rest of your ship. Then I will tell you whether or not I can help you with repairs."
X
The Mighty Ducks were scattered throughout the infirmary as Wildwing told Canard of all the happenings.
"So Dragaunus is now at the bottom of the ocean," finished Wildwing.
Canard raised an eyebrow. "You did good." Longer than I anticipated, but good."
"Thanks," said Wildwing, a little unsure about the compliment.
Canard smiled at Tanya, who was checking on his vital signs.
"I trust I chose wisely on your scientific genius."
Tanya beamed as Wildwing said, "Oh she is extremely handy in anything that deals with machinery or something scientific that we don't understand."
"How about Duke?"
"His stealth and knowledge of sneaking in helped us get the drop on Dragaunus several times."
"Mallory?"
"Strategic planning was her definite strong suit and she followed orders well."
"And Grin?"
"Uh, despite his non-violent nature, he provided the muscle when we needed it."
Canard chuckled. "That's good to hear."
"Hey, what about me?" asked Nosedive, slightly offended that Canard didn't ask about him. Then again, he hadn't been handpicked by Canard either.
Canard gave a small frown. "Nosedive! I see you're still here. And in good health, it appears. Maybe I did underestimate you."
Nosedive didn't say a word. How could he have forgotten how hard Canard tried to persuade Wildwing into not taking him along?
"Then again," continued Canard. "What else besides trouble did you contribute to the team?"
"Stupid stunts," said Tanya, immediately, thinking of the time Nosedive pulled her out of a flying rocket ship on a hunch that something would stop them on their way down.
"Stupid jokes and pranks," grumbled Mallory, thinking of the time Nosedive put a can of worms in her boots.
"Stubbornness," rumbled Grin, thinking of the time when Nosedive wouldn't let go of an argument over a stupid cartoon.
"Hyper-activeness," said Duke, thinking of all the energy the kid put into work. Made him feel old!
Wildwing said nothing, knowing that his team members were speaking the truth, but also in half jest. While Nosedive proved to be infuriating at times, his characteristics made him who he was, and Wing couldn't imagine him another way.
Nosedive, on the other hand, didn't see this as a joke. All he could think about was the few times he got them about of situations on his own.
Why didn't they mention the things he had done? Like the time he saved them from that Doctor Pretorius who wanted to dice them. Or the time he proved their innocence when they had been framed for a jewel heist. Or when he woke up with a mild concussion yet went after the Mammoth to keep Dragaunus from getting his hands on it!
Obviously they were too embarrassed to mention it. Or maybe they didn't see it worthy enough of being mentioned.
"Well," said Canard. "I guess we'll have to work on that."
Nosedive swallowed hard. He didn't like the way that sounded. Of course, it looked like the other ducks didn't take it seriously.
X
Firepassion looked around as she ran her fingers over several wires. Her lips twitched, but the rest of her facial features barely showed what she was feeling.
She then ran her hands over some of the metal walls. She scratched at a rusty spot and water seeped through.
Off to one side, Dragaunus watched, the anger on his face masking the growing embarrassment of his ship.
Firepassion got on her knees and looked underneath a panel.
She stood up.
"Your ship is salvageable, Civilian Dragaunus. If you dismantle half of your droid force for spare parts."
"I see," said Lord Dragaunus.
Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith looked at each other.
"I don't like this," grumbled Siege.
"Half the force?! Sheesh! We couldn't beat the ducks with the whole force," said Chameleon.
"She's up to something," stated Wraith.
X
"So the only working dimensional portal machine went down with Dragaunus's ship."
Wildwing and Tanya nodded.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't plan on living the rest of my life on this planet," Canard grumbled. "Tanya, so you think you can build a portal?"
"If I had a reference," said Tanya. "I could possibly pull it off."
"Of course the only reference we have is at the bottom of the ocean," growled Mallory.
"We'll just have to go and get it," said Canard. "The water may have destroyed, but at least Tanya will have an idea of how to fix it."
"Not a bad idea," added Duke. "Deep sea scuba diving. I've been wanting to do that."
"HelllOOOooo!" interrupted Nosedive, rather obnoxiously. "Has everyone forgotten about Dragaunus? He could still be alive down there!"
"Ha!" snorted Canard. "That's only possible in your wee little mind. By now Dragaunus has perished. It's been two months. If he didn't die on impact, he would have starved to death!"
"Oh."
Canard shook his head. "What a stupid thought," he muttered.
"So, what will you do in the meantime?"
"What else?" replied Canard with a grin. "Play!"
X
Dragaunus stepped away from a green glowing form that appeared next to him. An old lady with two large shopping bags took its place. Then the lady transformed into the Chameleon.
"Food's here," he said.
"Take it to the cold storage room," Dragaunus snapped.
A noise drew his attention and he stood up straighter.
"It's no wonder the Mighty Ducks finished you off so easily. This ship is a disgrace," said Nightbloom.
"Maybe you could give me some advice on how to make this ship more serviceable, if not helping me to repair it, Lady of the Saurian Code," responded Dragaunus, tightly.
Nightbloom looked around. "I will repair it," she said, " granted that you follow my advice to dismantle you droid force."
"May I assume this means you'll help us against the Ducks?"
"No."
Dragaunus reared back in surprise.
"I will help you rebuild your ship, Civilian. But I do not join a war without observing potential allies or foes."
"What do you mean?"
"I only join a war if it is one of two things. One, I believe in the cause that my potential ally is fighting for. And second, I will fight against a foe who I deem worthy of a challenge. Occasionally, I am blessed with both."
"So this means . . ?"
"I will observe you and your henchmen in action. I will observe the Ducks in action. Then I will make my choice." Her words were spoken without feeling, and cool distant eyes settled on Dragaunus.
He swallowed nervously.
X
"Everything is in working order," said Nightbloom.
Dragaunus had to admit, there were no more leaks or cracks along the ceilings, floors, and walls.
"All that is left is to supply some temporary power. There will be enough to pull your ship away from here and make a landing."
"Excellent," said Dragaunus.
"But is there a catch?" muttered Chameleon.
"I still don't like this," said Wraith.
"Me neither," added Siege.
"Civilian Dragaunus," said Nightbloom. "Stand by the controls. Push the launch button when I give the order."
Dragaunus nodded calmly, although he was seething with anger. He hated being told what to do, especially by a high and mighty female.
His claw hovered over the controls.
"Now!" said Nightbloom, touching a bare wire to another.
Dragaunus pushed.
A moment later, the Raptor broke through the surface of the water.
X
Drake 1's alarms blared through the halls.
"What is it?" asked Canard.
Tanya dashed into the room.
"You're not going to believe this, but Drake 1 picked up readings from Dragaunus's ship!"
"What?!" cried all of the Ducks, with the exception of Nosedive who was saying, "I told ya, bro!" earning a glare from Canard.
Five minutes later, the Aerowing was in the air.
"Drake 1 picked up the signal here!" said Tanya, pointing to a map that showed up on their monitors. "It headed north."
Wildwing and Nosedive turned the jet northward. They travelled for about three minutes at full speed when a red blip showed up on the screen.
"There!" shouted Tanya.
X
"What are you doing?" asked Dragaunus, as Nightbloom took over the controls.
"Avoiding detection," she answered as she lowered the ship and turned to the east. "At this altitude, we'll be under radar, and with the cloaking device on, unnoticed by humans."
"You gotta admit, she's good," said Chameleon, grudgingly.
"We'll stop here. Then you can begin the process of finding some real energy source."
Nightbloom landed the ship.
"Of course," responded Dragaunus.
"Oh, hockey sticks!" cursed Tanya. "The signal is gone."
"Let's go over the area and see if I can spot it with my mask," suggested Wildwing.
Half an hour later, the Mighty Ducks returned to the pond feeling dejected.
"Great," muttered Duke. "Dragaunus is back."
Wildwing immediately headed to the infirmary.
"Back already?" asked Canard.
Wildwing winced. "We lost him."
"I see."
There were a few tense moments.
"I guess there is one thing left to do," Canard finally said. "I think it's time I took back my place as Team Captain and finish Dragaunus for good."
To be continued . . .