Chameleon nervously made his way to the room that Nightbloom occasionally occupied. "How did I get picked for this job?" he asked himself.
He knocked on the door and frowned when there was no answer.
He jumped back, startled, when the door swung open.
Nightbloom stood staring down at him, her closeness and height intimidating. "What do you want, Commoner," she asked.
Chameleon bit back a snarl, knowing that he needed to play nice this time.
"Well, you see, after the fiasco last night and all, I got some questions, and I figure you're the best one to ask, being smarter than us and all."
Nightbloom's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Chameleon morphed into a twisted image of Annie, looking up at Nightbloom with big, innocent, pleading eyes. "Please?"
Nightbloom turned around and walked back into her room, leaving the door open.
Chameleon walked in cautiously, unsure whether or not that was her permission for him to enter.
Nightbloom made her way to a black marble dresser with a large mirror overlooking the room. She stared at his reflection. "What is it that you need to know?" she asked, in a bored tone.
"Well, we all saw how Darkflame didn't kkrrrkk the duck when he had the chance," said Chameleon, making a slashing motion across his throat. "I was just wondering, what are the chances of Darkflame reverting to his old self?" Chameleon asked.
Nightbloom looked at him from the corner of her eye, an evil smirk creeping on her lips. "Minimal. There is only one sure way," she said, patting a small pouch that was tied to her belt.
"It was a minor relapse in the programming and spell. It is a concern, which is why I believe it best to eliminate him now. The real soul reclaimed the body for a moment. Although it is impossible in his state to overthrow Darkflame, Nosedive will still pose a threat." She turned away from him and stared into the mirror.
Chameleon didn't really like where this was headed. "So this basically means that Darkflame is going to be a permanent resident."
"He is now the dominant soul. But a lucky shot to the head can put Nosedive in charge."
Chameleon looked hopeful.
"Temporarily."
Chameleon looked disappointed.
"Unless...a dash of this powder is sprinkled over him in an unconscious state." Nightbloom once again patted the small pouch tied to her waist. She turned and stared into Chameleon's eyes. "And it only works along with my spells, so it's not as if Wraith will find use for it."
Chameleon pretended to look insulted. "I wasn't thinking that!" he said.
Nightbloom let out a small "Hmph," before she turned back to the mirror. "You may leave now. You have asked more than enough questions."
Chameleon left the room.
Nightbloom untied the pouch from her waist and placed it on the dresser. She looked into the mirror, the smirk on her face reflecting back. "Predictable," she murmured.
X
Chameleon scampered down the hall and ran into someone.
"Hey, watch it!" he heard Darkflame snarl. "Or else I'll turn you into roast iguana! I hear it's a delicacy in Southern America."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, You Excellency," said Chameleon, grovelling at Darkflame's feet.
The dark duck stepped back, caught off guard by the Saurian's strange behavior. "Yeah," he said, hugging the wall and making his way around the pleading lizard.
"Please, forgive me! I am but your humble servant."
Darkflame frowned and moved away, throwing one more quick glance back at the little Saurian. "I smell a rat," he muttered to himself, before disappearing around a corner.
Chameleon stood up and grinned, before morphing himself into a small rodent and hurrying back to where Siege and Wraith awaited for him.
X
All the ducks gathered in the ready room, and so did Phil.
Captain Klegghorn stood there next to Wildwing. "I've got some bad news," he said.
Wildwing and Canard looked at each other, anticipating and dreading Klegghorn's next words.
The others noticed their reactions and grew fearful, not knowing what the news could possibly be.
Captain Klegghorn turned away and sighed. "I had to give out the shoot-on-sight order this morning. I couldn't delay it any longer."
Wildwing dropped into a nearby chair as Phil squawked.
The ducks and Phil all spoke at once.
"What do you mean!" cried Tanya.
"You can't shoot that duck! He's one of my players! Besides, I don't think my insurance will cover that!"
"Put a sock in it," snapped Duke.
"But he's not himself," interjected Grin.
Mallory stood stunned, having had orders like that in the military.
"I know, I know," said Klegghorn, holding up his hands. "But the city doesn't know that and they want Darkflame stopped by any means necessary. I have no choice but to follow the orders of my superiors."
"There is absolutely nothing you can do?" asked Duke.
Klegghorn shook his head. "Nothing. I could only give you the heads-up." The captain walked out of the room, with Phil leading him out.
X
Siege chuckled as he punched his fist into the palm of his claw a couple of times. "This is gonna be great," he growled.
"Indeed," agreed Wraith.
"Now all we have to do is get that powder away from Nightbloom without her noticing," said Chameleon.
Wraith groaned. "A near impossible feat."
"I'm sure she has to put it down sometime."
"Then we should stake out her room," said Siege.
"Well, all righty then. Let's go!"
The three Saurians headed down towards Nightbloom's chambers, acting as casual as they could. The paused outside her door when the noticed that it had been left lightly open.
"Okay," said Chameleon. "This seems almost too easy."
Chameleon slowly pushed open the door. "Nightbloom?" he asked. "You here?"
There was no answer.
Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege crept into the room. Chameleon gasped, startling the other two Saurians. "Look, there it is!" he whispered loudly.
There on the dresser was the small pouch that Nightbloom had showed to Chameleon.
The three Saurians made their way to the dresser.
"So now what do we do," asked Siege. "It's not like we can take the whole bag. She'll notice it missing."
Wraith conjured up a small bag of his own. "We can borrow a bit," he said.
Chameleon picked up the bag, unwrapped the twine that held it closed, and poured a bit into the bag in Wraith's claw.
He then wrapped it closed and set if back on the dresser, precisely where he found it.
"Okay then, let's go," said Siege.
The three Saurians crept out of the room.
"So now all that's left is to get Darkflame on his own," said Chameleon.
"Will you be quiet! Someone could hear you," growled Siege.
"Sorry," muttered Chameleon. "But still, any ideas?"
"We could always ask for his help and for him to meet us somewhere."
"I doubt he'd believe that," drawled Wraith.
Chameleon suddenly snickered. "But I think I just came up with a simple plan."
X
Nightbloom watched as Darkflame teleported out to somewhere, looking annoyed. A few moments later, she spotted the Saurians doing the same.
She shook her head and went to her room.
She strode up to the dresser and lifted her pouch from the top and held it in her hand. She tossed it twice into the air, as if testing its weight. Then she stared at it, the corner of her mouth giving one slight twitch.
X
The moon was full and it rested high in the sky, casting dark shadows against all sort of structures. The air was still and the streets were empty, save for one lone squad car sweeping through with its flood light.
Darkflame mentally cursed himself as he came across an alley with a dead end.
"Now where are those stupid humans?" he asked himself.
Earlier on he had received a message that the three humans who had helped him rob banks wanted a favor. It annoyed him to no extent that such peasants would dare ask the son of a lord for a favor. While the humans proved useful for his projects, they were nothing but novelty, and novelty always wore off.
There was a slight scuffling sound behind him.
Darkflame whirled around, arms outstretched and ready to blast the morons who summoned him to this place.
He let out a grunt as something slammed into his back and he went crashing to the floor.
He shook his head, trying to clear the stars from his vision.
He stood up on shaky legs and blindly shot out a black fireball. He cried out in anger as he felt something hot strike his chest.
The force knocked him down against a wall.
He saw a shape standing before him, so he swung out and connected one solid punch.
That was the only hit he was able to accomplish.
Dirt flew into his eyes, effectively blinding him.
"Argh!" Darkflame cried out, rubbing his eyes and leaving his stomach unprotected. Something heavy struck him there, bringing him down to his knees.
He fumbled for his teleporter, but it was knocked from his hands.
A moment later, a hard object stuck his head. He landed on the floor in a heap. As darkness and silence slowly came, he felt something soft and light flutter against his face.
Then sweet oblivion came to his aching body.
X
"Finally," said Wraith, twirling his staff in his claws. "We rid ourselves of Darkflame."
Chameleon rubbed his jaw as he pocketed an empty pouch. "About time," he muttered.
Siege pulled out his laser. "And now we get rid of the duck." He aimed down towards the unconscious Darkflame.
A loud snarl interrupted them. They whirled around to face the sound.
"What was that?" asked Chameleon.
"Probably some mangy mutt," replied Siege.
A loud screech sounded out, followed by the sounds of metal cans banging into each other.
"We're under attack!" shouted Chameleon.
"Retreat!" ordered Wraith.
The three Saurians disappeared in a flash of green light. A split second later, a cat tore out of the ally, followed by a dog.
Within moments, everything was silent again.
A soft purple glow emitted from Darkflame's body. It slowly drifted down towards the dragon brooch that held his cape closed. It disappear as if absorbed.
X
Sounds of distant screams.
Sounds of distant explosions.
A duet of maniacal laughter.
Eyes snapped open, taking in the scenery. The sidewalk was trashed, and it was dark. A light kept flickering on and off nearby.
Everything was fuzzy.
Buildings swayed side to side, and the streets were unsteady.
A pair of bright lights flashed, followed by a squealing sound and a crash.
Then darkness.
X
Captain Klegghorn muttered to himself as he drove down the empty streets. There were some days that he hated being captain. The long hours were exhausting, and the constant dressing down he had to put up with the commissioner and the mayor were monotonous.
Klegghorn glanced down at his car's radio and shook his head at the current newscast.
"In other sports related news, there is still no sign of Nosedive, the NHL team member of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Rumors have it that he's been abducted by aliens and taken back to his home world."
"Unbelievable," he muttered. "Although they aren't too far off," he added, after thinking about it. He looked up.
A figure dressed in white suddenly appeared before him.
"Jehosephat!" Klegghorn cried out in surprise yanking the steering wheel to the right.
His car tires squealed as it swung out of control, skidding straight into some garbage cans. The cans flew in every which direction as Klegghorn's car bounced over the curb and onto the the sidewalk.
The car stopped and everything was silent.
Klegghorn slowly got out of the car, making mental notes about possible injuries. He noted none.
He glanced back to where he first spotted the figure and saw that whoever it was had collapsed to the floor. He made his way to the person in the middle of the street. As he got closer, he noticed that there was something very familiar about him.
"What the..." he said, recognizing the white and teal armor and blond hair.
Klegghorn slowly reached forward and pulled on the shoulder.
"Nosedive," he murmured, as the face came into view.
X
Klegghorn sat on his couch, drinking a mug full of hot cocoa.
He remained silent as he stared at the alien duck lying on his couch.
"Someone really worked a number on you, didn't they, kid," he finally muttered.
Klegghorn reached over for the communicator that was lying on a small stand next to him.
A soft moan distracted him.
Nosedive shifted on the couch, and bleary eyes blinked.
"Hey, kid, you all right?" Klegghorn asked, moving to the young duck's side.
Nosedive blinked a few times. "No?" he finally said, sounding unsure of himself. He winced. "Cap?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
Klegghorn smirked. "I live here."
Nosedive widened his eyes to look around.
It was a somewhat small yet cozy apartment.
The walls were bare, except for a couple of diplomas and certificates framed and hanging.
A wall unit held some trophies, plaques and pictures, all dealing with the police one way or another.
A small potted plant sat on the center of a plain looking coffee table, with magazines and newspapers scattered about.
A headline caught his eye.
POLICE ISSUE A SHOOT ON SIGHT ORDER FOR DARKFLAME
His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the picture. That duck looked very familiar. His vision swam and he closed his eyes. "Where's Wing?" he asked.
"I'll call him," said Klegghorn. "Then we'll talk a bit."
Nosedive made an affirmative sound, since nodding seemed to make things worse.
X
"There," said Tanya. "Drake 1 caught a small signal of a teleportation."
"That's the only lead we got," said Canard. "Let's go."
At that moment, the wrist com unit on Wildwing flashed.
The ducks glanced at each other. They were all accounted for, standing in the same room.
"Wildwing here," said the duck, looking into his com unit.
"Wildwing, this is Klegghorn. "I've found the kid. He's at my place."
"What?" exclaimed Duke, voicing the disbelief of the other ducks.
"He's roughed up, and confused."
"We'll be right over," said Wildwing.
"To the Migrator," ordered Canard.
"No need to tell us twice," said Mallory.
X
Nosedive looked up at Klegghorn. He sat up when the police captain handed him a mug of something hot. He sniffed at it and then slowly drank it. He gave a weak smile. "You make one mean cocoa," he said, his voice a bit hoarse.
Klegghorn winked. "Milk instead of water usually does the trick," he said. He sat down opposite of Nosedive. "So kid, what do you remember?"
Nosedive's smiled faded. "I...I...don't...remember...anything." The young duck looked up. "I hear a voice, but...I can't make out what it's saying."
Klegghorn nodded. "It's all right."
Nosedive looked back at the newspaper on the coffee table.
"Darkflame," he whispered.
On his chest, the eye of the dragon on his amulet glowed for one second, then died.
X
Klegghorn watched as Grin carried Nosedive to the Migrator, cradling him in his arms.
Wildwing hovered anxiously, while the other ducks kept their distance, but casting their worried looks over to the blond duck.
Klegghorn stared, his face expressionless. He waited until the Migrator was gone from his sight before he smiled again.
X
Nosedive slowly made his way through the Pond. He looked around, as if it were his first time. He ran his hands over the controls of Drake 1.
Wildwing and Duke trailed not to far behind.
Canard watched from a distance.
Grin stood to one side, arms crossed, but looking generally pleased.
Mallory and Tanya stood side by side, glancing at each other and then at Nosedive.
"How do you feel, baby bro?" Wildwing asked.
Nosedive remained silent for a few moments.
He took a deep breath. "Like I'm home," he finally said, turning around and giving his older brother a big smile.
Wildwing grinned and pulled his little brother into an embrace.
"I think this calls for a group hug," said Duke, walking towards the two white ducks.
Everyone else except for Canard stepped forward.
"Aw, guys!" said Nosedive, blushing.
"Nice to have you back home, Dive," said Mallory.
"Things were quiet without my little bud," said Grin.
"I think I'm gonna cry," said Nosedive, in half jest, as the ducks surrounded him and all gave one giant group hug.
Off to the side, Canard watched with a small grin on his face. It slowly faded as he got to thinking...will Nosedive remember his criminal life? For the young duck's sake, he hoped not.