Here We Go Again
By: Tazzy
Part 1 of 3

She leaned back and rested her booted feet on the console as she laced her fingers across her flat stomach. Her emerald green eyes peered out of smoky gray fur and her pointed ears, emerging from a main of raven black hair, twitched at every little sound. Idly, her tail swished through the air as she stared at the swirling blue outside her window. She was Jellica, the Guardian of Dimensional Limbo, and she was totally bored out of her feline mind. Things had been extremely slow since one of her robots had pulled that female duck out of the vortex, but even they seemed bored.

There was a knock on her door and Jellica tapped a button to admit a duck with light brown feathers wearing a dark blue and brown military uniform that looked like it had been put together out of what ever pieces and parts he found at the time.

"How's your friend doing, Canard?" inquired Jellica, looking at her newest lieutenant with sparkling eyes.

Canard crossed his arms. "Lucretia knows words that I didn't even know existed," he replied in his deep, soothing voice. "She's been cursing everyone from Earth to Puckworld and she has yet to repeat herself."

Before Jellica could ask anymore questions, an alarm rang through the tiny office and Jellica swung her feet to the ground as her fingers flew across the keyboard. A monitor emerged from the wall and flickered to life, revealing the Saurian War Fleet. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the portal opening in the War Fleet's prison and a growl started deep in her throat.

"Looks like that creep Dragaunus has finally made his move," she snarled, trying to close the portal and prevent the Fleet's escape. Canard watched the screen and saw something white fly past the portal. As the portal grew larger, he was able to make out the Raptor with a smaller craft hovering close by. Just as the portal grew large enough to allow the Fleet through, it suddenly collapsed in on itself, trapping the War Fleet once more in Dimensional Limbo, and Canard glanced at Jellica only to find a puzzled expression on her face.

"You didn't close the portal," Canard stated, realizing the source of her confusion. She nodded in agreement and stared at the screen where the portal had been. "If you didn't, who did? Dragaunus wouldn't stop when he seemed to be winning, especially if it means he could take over a world."

Jellica stood up and slipped her puck launcher into a holster strapped to her leg. "C'mon. We're going to investigate this," she stated firmly, her emerald eyes hard. "There is a definitely mystery here." She strolled out the door with Canard behind her and he wondered if that strange, white ship had anything to do with the portal suddenly closing.

Wildwing strained as he pushed the barbell off his chest, his muscles rippling under the stress. Yesterday, he had been forced to destroy Dragaunus's dimensional gate generator to prevent the Saurian War Fleet from escaping their prison and helping Dragaunus take over the Earth. Unfortunately, when he destroyed the generator, he also stranded his team on Earth and with the Raptor at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, Wildwing doubted that they would ever see Puckworld again.

With one final heave, he rested the barbell on its rack and sat up, draping a towel around his neck. None of the others blamed him for what happened since they were at war with the Saurians and the destruction of the generator was just a casualty in that war, but Wildwing blamed himself for sealing their only way back to Puckworld and their friends. Silently, he stood up and began getting ready for the game in a few hours.

That evening, the Pond was packed with screaming fans, the tension was thick in the air, and the Ducks were ahead two to one over the Manhattan Screamers. It was the last few minutes of the fourth quarter and Wildwing deflected the puck towards Mallory. Sitting behind the Mighty Ducks' team box were Buzz Blitzman, Slash, Mook, and Dr. Huggarman, cheering the team on.

"Go, Mallory!" Buzz shouted at the top of his lungs. "Crush those creeps!"

As the minutes turned into seconds, the entire rink was filled with people chanting "Ducks! Ducks! Ducks!". The Screamers had the puck and were furiously skating towards the goal when all but one were slammed into the boards. The final player fired the puck at the goal and it reached it just as the final buzzer sounded. There was silence in the Pond until Wildwing tossed the puck out of his glove and the crowd went wild.

The Mighty Ducks assembled in the center of the rink and raised their hockey sticks to form a point above them. "Ducks Rock!" they cried in one voice. One of the referees skated over and handed Wildwing the Stanley Cup and they shook hands. The crowd screamed even louder when Wildwing held the trophy over his head.

"Let's hit the showers," called Wildwing as they made their way to the locker room.

As they were changing out of their hockey gear, Phil Palmfeather, their manager, entered the locker room with a huge smile on his face. "You guys are the greatest!" he cried, practically dancing with joy. "The mayor wants to hold a banquet in your honor tomorrow night."

Duke glanced at the human as he placed his duck saber on his sleeve. "Personally guys, I think we should go out and celebrate our win," he announced, his eye twinkling. "I mean it's not every day we're declared the country's best hockey team."

"Duke's right," agreed Mallory. "Besides, we could all use the R'n'R."

Wildwing snapped his chest plate on and nodded. "All right," he said. "How about Luigi's?" He pressed a button on his belt and was surrounded by a golden glow. When it faded, he was dressed in civilian clothes.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Big Bro," replied Nosedive, shutting his locker.

Tanya shook her head. "Sorry, but I need to work on the Aerowing's engine," she stated, slipping on her Omnitool. "I'll just grab something here." Turning, she entered the elevator and descended into the ducks' headquarters.

"Lets get out of here before the press finds us," suggested Wildwing. Together, the ducks made their way to the garage where they climbed into the Migrator and Mallory activated the vehicle entrance. Seconds later, the vehicle emerged into the cool Anaheim evening.

As the Migrator pulled up to Luigi's Fine Italian Dining, several people with cameras gathered around the vehicle and began snapping pictures as the five ducks tried to make their way to the front door.

"What did you say about the press finding us?" Mallory asked Wildwing as they stumbled through the front doors.

"Too bad they're between us and the Migrator," muttered Duke, glancing over his shoulder. "I hate having my escape rout cut off."

The maitre d' lead them to a booth that was off to one side and surrounded by plants. He left them with menus and a few minutes later, a waiter took their orders and left again with the menus under his arm before their drinks arrived.

"It's strange because only a year ago, 'Dive and I were just trying to stay live," mused Wildwing, glancing around the candle lit table. "Now we're part of the best hockey team in America and the team that took down Dragaunus."

"I'm glad to hear that Saurian Scum finally got what he deserved," stated a familiar voice as two shadows fell across the table. Startled, the five ducks looked up to find their lost Team Captain, Canard, standing there. Instinctively, they whipped out their weapons and trained them on the new arrivals. "Hey. Whoa," soothed Canard. "I'm on your side. Remember?"

"That remains to be seen," Wildwing said, touching the sides of the Mask He scanned them and realized with a shock that Canard, his best friend, was really standing there. "It's really Canard," he whispered, still shocked. The others lowered their weapons as Canard introduced Jellica.

"So how did you manage to get out of Dimensional Limbo?" inquired Duke. Before Canard could reply, Wildwing's communicator beeped and he opened it to reveal Tanya's face. "Wildwing, Drake One's picked up teleportaion readings at a nearby robotics factory," she cried.

"We'll meet you there!" he snapped, already moving. Mallory dropped enough money on the table to cover their check and raced out of the restaurant. They activated their transformation units and seconds later, were dressed in their battle gear. As soon as everyone was in the Migrator, it sped off down the road to confront the Saurians at the factory.

When they arrived there, one of the duckcycles was parked put front, but Tanya was no where around. "There is bad vibes here," stated Grin with a shake of his head.

"Can we say 'trap'?" inquired Nosedive, drawing his puck launcher. "Yeah, I knew we could." Slowly, they entered the factory and Wildwing used the Mask to scan the interior.

"Tanya's in the control booth being guarded by a pair of drones," he reported. "Duke, take someone and go free her. The rest of us will find out what the Saurians want here and stop them."

Jellica placed a hand on Duke's shoulder. "Take me with you," she said. "I can help." He nodded and they fired twin cables into the rafters before the darkness swallowed them up. Several minutes later, the strange couple slipped into the control booth and Jellica drew a sword similar to Duke's before cutting Tanya free.

"Who are you?" gasped Tanya after she untied her beak.

Jellica hooked her saber back onto her belt while Duke motioned Tanya over to the door. "We'll explain everything later, sweetheart," he muttered. "But for now, let's rejoin the others." He turned and stared at Tanya with his one eye. "If we're gonna get past the drones, do exactly what I say and do. Understand?" When she nodded, the trio slipped out of the control booth.

Meanwhile, Wraith and Siege had teleported in and had the remaining ducks trapped behind some posts and machinery. Wildwing snarled and fired on Siege when he had a clear shot. One of his pucks knocked the Saurian down, but the Wraith tossed fireballs at them until Siege regained his footing.

"What does it take to drop these guys?" snarled Wildwing, ducking the fireballs. He returned fire when his puck launcher jammed and he growled as he crouched down behind his meager cover to repair the launcher.

"Wing, Catch!" called Canard, tossing his friend a spare puck launcher. Wildwing caught it and resumed firing on the Saurians.

Just then, the Chameleon teleported in between Siege ad the Wraith. "We gotta go," announced the shapeshifter. "I've wired this place to blow in a few minutes." He vanished with the Wraith behind him. Siege was about to teleport away when Duke, Tanya, and Jellica rejoined their friends.

"No," he whispered, his face turning a pale brown. "It can't be!" He teleported away just as the first explosion ripped through the factory.

Wildwing reacted instinctively as the detonations grew more frequent. "Everyone, out now!" he snapped, already heading for the door. Another blast ripped through the factory and Mallory was thrown to the ground. With a strangled yell, Wildwing changed direction and threw himself on top of her just as the roof caved in, burying both of them under cement and steel.

The rest of the group stumbled up to the Migrator when Nosedive realized they were two ducks short. "Duke, Wing and Mallory are still in there!" he cried, ready to head back into the exploding factory. Just then, the roof caved in and one last detonation ripped through the ruined building. Before anyone could stop him, Nosedive raced for the rubble and began digging, trying to locate his brother.

Tanya activated her communicator and used the homing beacon in Mallory's communicator to locate them under a huge pile of cement and steel girders. "Hey, everybody!" she called, already beginning to move rubble off the pile. "They're over here!" The others joined in and soon they had uncovered the unconscious forms of Wildwing and Mallory.

"No. Wildwing," whispered Nosedive, turning his brother over. Wildwing's armor was cracked in several places and there was a huge gash across his back above his belt where a stray fragment had struck.

Tanya motioned for Grin to pick up Wildwing. "We have to get both of them back to the Pond," she announced. "For..y'know...a medical analysis or somethin'." Duke carefully scooped up Mallory and the group walked back to the Migrator, before the vehicle returned to the Pond.

Dragaunus glared at Siege with furious eyes. "If this is a joke, I'm not laughing," growled the Warlord between clenched teeth.

"It's no joke, my lord," replied Siege, shaking his head. "SHE was there as well as Canard and the other ducks." He ducked as Dragaunus fired at a nearby drone and it exploded, showering the room with fragments.

After a few minutes of ranting and raving, Dragaunus managed to get his temper under control. "Well, it looks like I'll just have to eliminate HER along with the ducks," he decided. "And the only way to do that is by drawing HER out. Get Chameleon. I have a job for him." Siege nodded and strolled out of the command room of the Raptor.

Soon I'll know how many lives a cat truly has, thought Dragaunus as an evil grin crept across his features.

Nosedive hovered by Wildwing's side as Tanya examined his brother. Mallory had woke up on the way back to the Pond and Tanya had examined her, announcing that the only thing wrong with her was a bump on her head the size of a hockey puck.

Finally Tanya stood up and turned to face the rest of the team who was gathered in the Infirmary. "He's got a concussion, a few cracked ribs, and a large cut across his back," she reported, sadly. "I don't have a clue when he'll wake up."

Just then, Wildwing moaned and opened his eyes. With a rush of adrenaline, he sat up and glanced around wildly before Mallory and Nosedive put a comforting hand on his shoulders.

"Easy, Bro," soothed Nosedive. "You're safe." Wildwing blinked a few times as he gazed around and he relaxed, allowing the two ducks to push him back onto the bed.

"Welcome back to the Land of the Living," greeted Canard in his deep voice.

Wildwing smiled at his friend. "Some welcome, huh?" he stated, chuckling a bit and wincing as pain stabbed through his ribs. "What happened? I feel like Dragaunus used me for a hockey puck."

"Well, that's what happens when you get buried under several tons of steel and concrete," replied Tanya in a casual manner. Wildwing started to get up again but Tanya stopped him this time. "You're not going anywhere for the next several days," she ordered. "You've got cracked ribs and a concussion. There's no way you're leaving this bed until your injuries have healed."

He glanced around to find everyone, except Grin and Jellica, with stubborn looks on their faces. "All right, but since I'm benched," he sat up and scooped up the Mask from where it had been resting beside the bed. "Canard, you're Team Captain."

Canard pushed the Mask back to Wildwing. "Thanks for the offer, but you're a fine Team Captain," he replied. "Besides, I already have a job with Jellica over there."

Jellica smiled at the group with her tail twitching. "It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you," she announced in soft voice. "Canard has told me so much about you." Suddenly, there was a soft beeping noise and Jellica tapped a button on her communicator.

"Guardian," came a robotic voice. "The Puckworld Prisoner No. 369 has escaped her cell and eluded security."

"I'm on my way," she replied before severing the connection. She glanced at Canard. "Wanna come help me track her down?"

He waved at her. "Go and enjoy yourself," he stated. "I want to catch up on history with these guys. If you need me, call." Jellica nodded and walked a distance away from the ducks before pressing a button on her belt. A swirling blue and lavender vortex opened up in front of her and she calmly entered it before it vanished behind her.

"Canard, just who is she?" asked Mallory, sitting on the edge of Wildwing's bed.

"She is Jellica, Guardian of Dimensional Limbo," announced Canard. "All of the B.R.A.W.N. robots answer to her and she keeps the Saurians in their prisons." He gazed at the six ducks with a pleading look on his face. "Don't accuse her of allowing Dragaunus and his goons to escape," he begged. "If you want to find out what happened, talk with her. She's done what she can to make up for allowing Dragaunus to get free. She modified the Mask to 'see' thought the technology Cloaks as well as the magical Cloaks, and when she discovered that Dragaunus was here, she sent one of her B.R.A.W.N.s after him. When the robot didn't report back, we decided to call a time out and wait for Lizard Lips' counter attack which came yesterday when he tried to free the Saurian War Fleet from it's prison. Unfortunately, all Jellica could do was slow down the Portal's growth and was on the verge of closing it when it collapsed in on itself, trapping the Saurian War Fleet in their prison." Canard smiled. "That's when she decided we'd better investigate what happened."

Duke shrugged and leaned against the wall. "Well, what happened is the easy part," he announced. "Wildwing blew up Dragaunus's dimensional gate generator to stop him from conquering this dimension, and since Dragaunus had his newly acquired beryllium crystals hooked up to it, the back lash not only shattered the crystals, but also punched a huge hole in the side of his ship."

Wildwing winced and arranged the pillow at his back into a more comfortable spot. He hoped the others would think his injuries caused the wince instead of guilty feelings, but when he look at his brother and old friend, they both gazed at him with knowing looks.

Before anyone could say anything more, Phil stormed into the Infirmary and glared at the ducks with his fists on his hips. "Just what is going on here?" he demanded. When his gaze fell on Wildwing, Phil groaned and smacked his head. "Please tell me that you're not injured," he begged. Wildwing and Mallory exchanged patient looks, but the human continued. "Don't forget. The mayor is holding a banquet for you guys tomorrow and he expects ALL of you to be there."

Just then, another swirling blue portal opened and Jellica emerged with a triumphant look on her face. "Poor Lucretia," she stated, her eyes twinkling. "Now she has even more B.R.A.W.N.s to talk to during her stay." Her smile grew cold. "At least until she's taken to Puckworld to stand trial for her crimes."

Phil walked over to her with a look of astonishment on his chubby face. "She's gorgeous," he breathed, walking around Jellica to get a better look at her from all sides. "I could easily make a few million off the photo shoots alone!"

With lightning speed, Jellica reached out and grabbed Phil's shirt, lifting the startled human inches off the floor. "Listen and listen good because I don't like to repeat myself," she snarled, her fangs bared. "If you even TRY to pester me into doing one of your stupid photo shoots just so you can make some money, you'll get a VERY close shave." She held a hand up to his face with her claws extended. "Am I clear on this?"

"Crystal," squeaked Phil, his face pale. When she set him down, Phil ran out of the Infirmary like a ghost was after him. Canard was startled but all the ducks except for Grin, were laughing so hard, tears were streaming down their faces.

"I never saw Phil run so fast," laughed Tanya, holding her sides. Mallory nodded. "The look on his face was priceless!" she gasped around her laughter.

"I definitely have to remember that," chuckled Wildwing. "Maybe if I threaten his life a few times, he might learn to leave us alone with all those publicity stunts of his." After a few minutes, the ducks settled down and Nosedive yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm falling asleep here," he announced, starting for the door. "I'll talk to you in the morning." With a chorus of "Good nights", the ducks started from the Infirmary, leaving Wildwing, Mallory, Canard, and Jellica behind.

Wildwing tossed back the covers and started to stand up. In a flash, Mallory was by his side with her hands on her hips. "Where do you think you're going?" she demanded, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Tanya said that you need to stay in that bed until you're better."

Wildwing smiled at Mallory. "I'm going to my room," he replied, getting unsteadily to his feet. "I'm not going to stay in here when my bed is much more comfortable." He turned to look at Canard and Jellica. "You can stay here for the night if you want," He offered. "I have a couch in my room and someone could take the couch in the Rec. Room."

Canard sighed and glanced at Jellica who nodded. "Okay," he replied. "I'll take your couch." He slung one of Wildwing's arms over his shoulders and together the two ducks left the Infirmary.

Mallory shook her head and glanced at Jellica. "I've got a spare bed in my room that you can use," announced the red head. Jellica smiled her acceptance and the two left for Mallory's room.

Part 2 of 3

The next day, the ducks were restless until Wildwing suggested that they get some practice in before Phil found them. The others instantly agreed and invited Canard to join in.

"Why not?" he replied with a shrug. "Got equipment that will fit me?"

Wildwing smiled. "I'm sure we can find something for you to wear," he replied casually, standing up with a wince. "C'mon. Time to hit the ice."

As the ducks headed for the elevator, Mallory dropped back to stand next to Wildwing but before she could open her beak to say anything, he held up his hands. "Don't worry. I'm benched remember?" he stated. "But I can still offer advice from the sidelines." She nodded and together they climbed into the elevator with the others.

In the team box, Jellica sat next to Wildwing as he shouted advice to the ducks as they skated across the ice. He didn't offer advice often but when he did, the duck he gave the advice to instantly corrected the tiniest of mistakes. She noticed that he seemed to watch Mallory the most as she skated across the ice and smiled at the emotions in his dark eyes.

He probably doesn't even realize how he feels about her or even how she feels about him, mused Jellica, her ears twitching with amusement. Her thoughts drifted back to another couple she knew long ago and was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize Wildwing was talking to her until he said her name a few times. "I'm sorry," she apologized, snapping her mind back to the present. "Did you say something?"

"Yes," replied Wildwing. "Yesterday when you went to help retrieve Lucretia for the B.R.A.W.N.s, Canard told us about you. He said to ask you what happened when Dragaunus escaped. I'd like to know, but I won't force you to tell me if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "No. Actually, I'd prefer to tell someone what happened that day just to get it out into the open," she confessed. "It happened like this..."

Jellica gazed at the many monitors in her office and noticed that all the Saurian Prisoners were locked away in their cells. She decided to go down to the cell block and take a first hand look at the prisoners, especially Saurian Prisoner #476. He had been too quiet recently and that raised the fur on the back of her neck. Holstering her blaster and strapping her sword to her belt, she quietly strolled out of her office to the cell block.

When she arrived, Jellica got several hostile stares and several insults thrown at her. As she passed by one cell, she glanced in and noticed the Wraith was busy doing something with his magic. A quick scan told her that he was trying to regain his lost youth and she shook her head in amusement before moving on to a cell with a B.R.A.W.N. robot guarding it.

"And how are we doing today, Dragaunus?" asked Jellica in a pleasant manner. Dragaunus folded his arms across his massive chest and glared down at her from his seven foot height. With a growl, he turned his back on her and stared at the massive robot as if he could melt it from the heat of his glare. With a sigh, she turned to leave, when suddenly, the B.R.A.W.N. guarding Dragaunus seemed to go berserk and started firing on everything and everyone.

Instinctively, Jellica dodged out of the way and returned fire, hoping to slow the large behemoth enough for the other robots to come and restrain the kill-crazed robot. During the crossfire, a stray bolt smashed the lock on Dragaunus's cell and he quietly slipped out, vanishing in the smoke just as the other B.R.A.W.N.s arrived. The crazed robot fled down the hall and started shooting at everything in sight as Jellica and the other robots followed, hoping to take the berserker down before it destroyed the entire station.

After several hours of fighting and searching, the robot was finally brought down, but the damage had already been done. Dragaunus was free and he had freed the Chameleon, Wraith and Siege before stealing a Saurian ship and Jellica's dimensional gate technology. Using the Dimensional gate, he had slipped into the duck's universe and vanished into the meteor belt that spread across that galaxy to plan his revenge.

"...And that's what happened," concluded Jellica, hugging her knees to her chest as she balanced on the bench. "Dragaunus somehow managed to reprogram that B.R.A.W.N. to go crazy and it managed to destroy most of my systems as well as twenty-five percent of the station." Her ears drooped at the memory. "I failed at my promise," she whispered so softly Wildwing almost didn't hear her. A tear trickled down her furry cheek. "Forgive me, Drake Bouvier."

Wildwing was startled when he heard her say his family name and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself," he soothed as her green eyes met his brown ones. "It could have happened to anyone. Besides, I've gone up against one of your B.R.A.W.N.s and they're not easy to beat. I'm surprised you were able to stop that one robot with only twenty-five percent of your station destroyed. The one we went up against managed to take out Grin, Duke, and Dive and the only way Tanya took it down was by tricking it into shooting itself."

Jellica smiled briefly before she gazed at the floor. "I've tried to console myself with that for the past two years," she replied, gloomily. "It doesn't help. I promised a very old friend of mine that I would guard the Saurians as well as my children and their children. When Dragaunus escaped, that promise was broken and that hurts more than anything anyone can do to me."

Wildwing gathered Jellica next to him and hugged her to his chest as tears streamed down her face. They stayed like that for several minutes until Jellica's grief had run it's course and she smiled up at him through her tears.

"Thanks," she sniffed, wiping away the moisture on her fur. "You remind me so much of Drake you could easily be him." She sighed and a far off look came into her eyes. Wildwing just sat there with an arm around her shoulders and Jellica's head on his chest. Neither noticed the glare that Mallory tossed them.

Canard stopped next to Mallory and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Don't get jealous," he advised. "She really needed that right now. Especially if we go up against Dragaunus. You don't want to see her go crazy in battle." Mallory nodded and returned her attention to the ice.

Dragaunus gazed at his henchmen. "You had better not fail in your assignments," he growled at Siege and Chameleon.

"No problem, Boss," stated the Chameleon. "I just teleport in and create havoc while Siege does all of the dirty work." He smiled at Siege and waved him towards and imaginary exit. "After you, dear chap," the shapeshifter said in an English accent. Siege growled at the Chameleon as they teleported out of the Raptor and into the outskirts of Anaheim.

"Okay. According to the map, our target is that way," announced Siege, pointing to downtown Anaheim. With a wicked smile, the two Saurians set off to their destination.

Meanwhile at the Pond, the ducks were getting ready for the banquet and most of the team was assembled in the Rec. Room. Jellica and Mallory had helped Tanya get ready and she was with the male ducks, waiting for the other two to show up. She was trying to convince Wildwing to stay at the Pond with Nosedive's help until Wildwing held up his hands.

"I have to go so Dragaunus won't know that I was injured in the blast," he explained, gazing at Tanya and Nosedive.

"But what about the Mask?" asked Duke, straightening his bow tie. "I mean, the Mask doesn't exactly look too sharp with a tux."

Wildwing smiled and pulled his coat back to reveal a puck bag hooked to his belt. "Don't worry," he soothed. "I'll have it in case of an emergency."

Canard ran a finger under the collar of his borrowed tux and shrugged his shoulders under his coat. "I don't see how you can wear these things," he groused.

"Personally, I think it looks good on you," remarked Jellica, entering the Rec. Room with Mallory right behind her. Wildwing and Canard's jaws dropped at the sight of them and the two females exchanged knowing glances. Mallory was wearing a dark green satin dress that fell to the floor and hugged her figure. A slit up to her thigh revealed a pair of matching heels and the neckline plunged dangerously deep with the beaded straps fastening behind her neck. Emerald earrings and matching necklace completed the outfit. Jellica was wearing a lavender Oriental dress that was modified to accommodate her tail and a pair of amethyst earrings adorned her ears. The dress had a slit on each side of the skirt that ended just above her knees and she had borrowed a pair of spiked heels with ankle straps to complete the outfit.

"Think they like the dresses?" mused Jellica with an impish smile.

Just then, Phil entered the room in a wrinkled tux. "Hurry up you guys," he called. "The limo's waiting outside!"

As they squeezed into the elevator, Tanya gathered her large skirt close to her legs and the hem slid up to reveal her normal combat boots underneath the blue dress. Jellica and Mallory shook their heads in disgust while none of the guys risked their lives by saying anything about it. After several tight minutes with the nine of them squeezed into the back of the limo, the finally arrived at the Imperial Hotel in downtown Anaheim where the mayor had rented a ball room for the banquet. Canard looked around the room with a small whistle of surprise. Jellica smiled wistfully and laid a finger on her furry cheek.

"This reminds me of the balls the Blade had in the old days, before the Saurian Invasion," she said, her green eyes lost in her memories. Duke looked at her suspiciously as several things about her clicked into place. When they sat down at the long banquet table at the head of the room, he managed to sit next to the Guardian of Dimensional Limbo with Canard on the other side of her. Next to Canard was Tanya, then Grin, Nosedive, Mallory, Wildwing, and finally Phil next to the speaker's podium.

"I hope we can talk about the Brotherhood later," whispered Duke in Jellica's ear, "Guardian."

Jellica smiled. "I haven't been called that since the first Saurian Invasion," she replied. "I would like to talk to you later about what the Brotherhood has become since my day." He nodded and flashed her a charming smile with his one eye twinkling. Jellica reached up and touched the patch over his right eye. "That looks like it hurt," she murmured as a slight tingle ran through the empty socket. "I could repair that for you."

Duke shook his head. "No thanks," he stated. "I've lived with it for several years and it's one of the few things about me that the people in the Brotherhood remember." Jellica just shrugged and they turned their attention to the mayor who had started speaking as the food was being served. The ducks listened for a while until they decided that the mayor had stopped making sense and their eyes roved around the room dancing over the people gathered at the various tables. The reporters and press were sitting in the front of the room where they could get the best pictures of the team with the Stanley Cup on display at the base of the speaker's podium and in the next section back were the business owners and the big shots of Anaheim. Finally in the back were the ordinary people who showed up at the games to support the ducks.

Suddenly, one person caught Jellica's eyes and they glowed a faint green for a brief second. The person's true identity was revealed and she stifled a growl. With a quick glance at the others, she pointed a finger at the tall and chanted, "Tall and Plain/ Easily Concealed/ Now true nature/ Is revealed!" A lavender light sprang out to strike the man and in a green glow, the man changed into a very startled Chameleon.

There was a startled gasp from the crowd as the ducks swung into action. Duke drew his saber from under his coat and leaped over the table a few seconds behind Mallory. She activated the ice shield strapped to her left wrist and lunged at the Chameleon who danced out of the way, drawing his own tachyon blaster.

His face changed into a side show barkers' face and he began firing at the ducks and everyone else in the room. "Hurry, hurry, hurry. Step right up," he called, tachyon bolts slamming into tables and walls. "Drop a duck and win a prize."

Mallory managed to deflect most of the bolts with her ice shield and landed a vicious roundhouse kick, knocking the blaster out of the Chameleon's hands. She smiled as the Chameleon backed up with his hands held up in front of him. "I'm gonna enjoy this," she grinned, falling into a defensive stance.

The Chameleon smiled and transformed into a muscular version of himself. "I don't think so girlie," he announced in a deep accented voice as he started towards her with his muscles rippling.

"I do!" cried Jellica, slamming into the Chameleon from behind. The force of her blow knocked the massive lizard off balance and when he turned to confront her, the ducks attacked from all sides.

While he was tossing the ducks across the room, the Chameleon noticed that Wildwing wasn't joining in on the fighting. He glanced around and spotted Wildwing standing on the outskirts of the battle with a pucklauncher in one hand and his free arm wrapped around his ribs.

SO the duckies are trying to protect their injured leader, mused the Chameleon as he swung a massive hand at Duke who easily avoided the blow. Looks like it's time to up the stakes some. The ducks fell back as the Chameleon was enveloped in a green glow and when it vanished, The Chameleon had changed into an exact replica of Dragaunus!

"It's just the Chameleon!" shouted Mallory, supporting herself against the wall while her legs stopped trembling. "Don't let him fool you!"

The Chameleon laughed, his voice a copy of his leader's. "Can you be sure, you miserable mallard?" taunted the Chameleon, firing at the ceiling over the mayor's head. As the roof began to crumble, Wildwing went into action and shoved the mayor out of the way as a huge section of the ceiling gave way and fell onto Wildwing.

"NO!!!" screamed Mallory, blasting the Chameleon with a furious look on her face. The Chameleon laughed and returned to his shape before teleporting out of the banquet hall. Mallory stared dumbly at the spot where the Chameleon had vanished until Canard shook her out of it.

"C'mon," he stated. "Wildwing need's our help." She nodded and moved to where the other ducks were digging through the fallen ceiling. Together, they managed to clear away the worst of the rubble to find the puck bag where it had been jarred loose from Wildwing's belt and a large hole in the floor.

Duke scanned the hole with a critical eye. "The Chameleon was just a diversion," he announced. "While we were battling that blasted Saurian, probably Siege bashed his way through the floor after Wildwing pushed the mayor out from under the ceiling."

Jellica's ears drooped. "It's all my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't arrived, Wildwing would still be here."

Nosedive whistled. "Hey, Time out here," he ordered, forming a 'T' with his hands. "You're acting like Wing's already vaporized. What you seem to forget is Wildwing's gone one-on-one with Dragaunus and came close to defeating him. He's not gonna roll over and play dead just because he's the unwilling guest of those scum."

"Dive's right," Mallory stated firmly. "Besides, Dragaunus won't kill him off immediately. He'll use Wildwing as bait for the rest of us."

"We'd better get back to the Pond and start planning a rescue operation," stated Canard, scooping up the puck bag. The others nodded and left Phil to comfort the mayor.

Wildwing moaned and clutched his aching head. The last thing he remembered was pushing the mayor to safety just in time to get buried again. Suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps and sat up, looking around. He was in a cell with three metal walls and electric bars sealing off the only opening. Two hunter drones stood on each side of his cell and a third was pacing in the hallway.

Dragaunus isn't taking any chances in letting his 'guest' get away this time, mused Wildwing as he slowly stood up. He reached for the puck bag at his waist to discover it was gone! Either Dragaunus has the Mask or it fell off my belt when the ceiling collapsed on me, he decided, with a small shake of his head. I just hope the others find me and soon.

"So nice to see you finally awake," sneered an all too familiar voice. Wildwing looked up to find Dragaunus standing in the door of the cell. "I'd hate to think that you would sleep right through your demise, but I'm glad you're awake to enjoy every painful moment of it."

"You'll never get away with this, Dragaunus!" snarled Wildwing, falling into a battle stance.

Dragaunus started laughing. "Actually, Duck," mocked the Warlord. "I HAVE gotten away with it and when your pitiful friends come to rescue you along with that pest of a Guardian, I will crush them all in one final blow!" He turned his back on Wildwing and calmly strolled out of the cell right through the energy bars. A thrumming sound filled the ship and Wildwing felt his heart sink. The Raptor was operational again!

Part 3 of 3

At the Pond, the ducks were sitting around the Rec. Room in their usual battle gear trying to come up with a plan to rescue Wildwing. So far, the major problem that they seemed to come up against is locating Wildwing in the Raptor as well as getting their injured Team Captain out from under Dragaunus's scaly nose.

"This is hopeless," Nosedive finally cried, standing up to pace around the room. "No matter what we decide on, Dragaunus is going to know who'll be after Wildwing by who's missing when he finally rounds us up."

Tanya nodded. "For once, Nosedive's right," she agreed.

Suddenly, Duke snapped his fingers. "I have an idea, but you have to trust me completely on this," he stated, standing up and waking over to where some paper was scattered around. Grabbing a blank sheet and a pen, he scribbled out a brief note before turning to Jellica. "Take these to the abandoned warehouse on Fifth and Elm in Andoxia on Puckworld," he told her, handing her the note and his saber. "You'll be taken to the Brotherhood's spare meeting chamber. Everything will be explained there."

"Mind explaining to the rest of us what's going on here?" inquired Nosedive, waving a hand in the air.

Duke shrugged. "It's simple," he replied. "Jellica is simply going to Puckworld to pick up a few of the better members of the Brotherhood and they're going to help us free Wildwing."

"But I though that you had given up your life of crime," announced Canard, confused.

"Actually, the Council thought it would be a good idea if the Brotherhood turned our talents to a more useful occupation than stealing from Puckworlders," remarked Duke. "I only steal from Saurians or anyone on the wrong side of the law now."

Jellica smiled in understanding. "I'll be back as soon as possible," she said, touching a button on her belt. A dimensional gate opened up before her and she entered it.

A half-hour later, another dimensional gate opened and Jellica stepped out into the Pond followed by three female ducks. They were all clad in green body armor and had silver masks obscuring their faces. Their hair was pulled on top of their heads in long flowing pony tails. The only visible difference was one had brown hair, one red hair, and the third silver. Each had matching sabers of midnight blue on their left fore arms and matching puck launchers belted low on their hips.

"Team, meet the Sisters," introduced Duke with a wave of his hand. "Their names are Athena, Selina, and Diana. They're the best team in the Brotherhood and Wildwing's ticket out of the Raptor." Mallory noticed the Sisters glancing at each other when the Saurians' ship was named and figured they didn't know t he details of why they were here.

"Excuse me, Leader," Athena said, stepping forward. "Could you please explain the details of our job on this planet?" She absently reached up and brushed her red hair off of her shoulder as she gazed expectantly at Duke.

"This might take a while," Duke stated. "Why don't you sit down." Warily, the Sisters sat on a couch and relaxed a bit when the others sat own as well. "What happened was this. Our Team Captain, Wildwing, was captured by Dragaunus. If one of us tries to free him, old Lizard Lips will know who by who's missing when he rounds the rest of us up. BY bringing you three in, we'll distract the Saurians while you get Wildwing out."

Selina smiled, her silver hair sinning in the light. "Sounds like fun," she replied. "Does anyone have plans or the layout of the Raptor?" Everyone looked at each other confused and Selina exchanged looks with her sisters and she smiled, cockily. "Well, it's not the first time we've had to do a job blind, Sisters," she announced as the group stood up and headed for the Rec. Room and Drake One.

Suddenly, Drake One's alarm sounded and Tanya's fingers flew over the keys. "Dragaunus must have repaired the Raptor," she said. "It's headin' for Anaheim."

"Everyone to the Aerowing!" cried Canard. The group raced for the stealth fighter and a few minutes later, they were soaring over Anaheim. While the rest of the team was busy locating the Raptor, Duke quietly spoke to the Sisters in the rear of the Aerowing, giving them last minute instructions before handing each one a spare communicator and Selina slipped a backpack on over her armor. Then the Sisters stood by the hatch as Duke took his usual seat.

"Looks like we won't have to look far for the Raptor," Mallory finally remarked in a soft voice. Everyone looked at her as she pointed out the window to the red shape that was quickly getting larger.

Canard nodded and stood next to Duke. "They have everything?" he asked softly. Duke nodded and Canard turned to the rest of the team. "Okay, here's the game plan," he called. "We get in and do our best to try and rescue Wildwing. The Saurians are sure to meet us in the center circle and as long as we keep them busy, the Sisters can pull off the real play by sneaking Wildwing out of the Raptor."

"Then let's do it," growled Nosedive, cocking his puck launcher. Mallory flew right at the Raptor and maneuvered around to a blind spot on it's back before landing. Activating a switch, a laser extended from the belly of the Aerowing and cut a hole in the red hull. Five ropes were lowered into the Raptor and the ducks and Jellica slid down them. Duke nodded to the Sisters and they slipped into the shadows, vanishing in a blink of an eye.

"Duke, Mallory, head in that direction," Canard instructed. "Tanya, Grin, you head that way. Dive, you're with me. Jellica..."

The Guardian smiled a chilling smile. "I've got an old score to settle," she stated "Don't worry about me. I'll catch up with you." Canard nodded and the group split up, moving in their separate directions.

As they crept along the hallway, Nosedive glanced at Canard, confused. "Why did you want me to come with you?" asked Nosedive. "I mean, you could have had any of the others with you."

Canard smiled, briefly. "Simple," he whispered. "Even though I might not have had a real high opinion of you before, I know you can pull your own weight in a fight. I trust you as much as I trust Wildwing and Jellica." He glanced at the younger duck next to him. "Want to know something? Since Dragaunus invaded, I haven't trusted anyone past the small list I just told you. Not even the others on the team."

Nosedive shook his head. The one duck he though would trust his comrades was Canard, but this was a new side. "C'mon," Nosedive said, placing a comforting hand on Canard's shoulder. "Let's go free my big brother." Once again, they walked down the corridors in silence unaware that they were being watched.

Wildwing sat down frustrated and winced as his cracked ribs protested at the movement. He had checked every inch of his cell and had found nothing more deadly than dust in the corners. He hated feeling useless while the rest of the team walked right into Dragaunus's open arms.

I have to get out of here, he thought, furiously. He stared at the to drones visible on either side of his cell when they suddenly vanished in a flurry of activity. Startled, he stood up and there was a flash of a midnight blue blade before the bars faded out of existence. Three shapely ducks entered his cell and the one with silver hair flashed him a smile.

"You have got to be Wildwing," she remarked, slipping her backpack off. She tossed it to him and he grunted in surprise as he caught it. "You might want to change into something more comfortable."

"Who exactly are you?" demanded Wildwing as he shed his tuxedo to slip into his bodysuit and armor.

The silver haired one glanced nervously down the corridor. "We're the Sisters," she replied. "I'm Selina. The red haired ones Athena and the brown haired one is Diana." She glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "If it makes any difference, we're with the Brotherhood of the Blade."

"Leader gave us specific instructions to find you and get you out again," announced Athena. "Just allow us to do our job."

Wildwing smiled as he fished out the Mask from the bottom of the bag and placed it firmly on his face before shoving his tuxedo into the back pack. "Let's kick some Saurian tail."

The three girls fell in around Wildwing in an escort pattern. Athena lead the way and Selina and Diana walked on either side of him "Leader, we have Wildwing," announced Athena into her communicator. In the background, Wildwing could hear sounds of a battle. "We're taking him back to the Aerowing."

"Been a change of plans," came Duke's voice. "We need him here. We're pinned down by a legion of drones and Jellica and Canard are in combat with both Wraith and Dragaunus." The Sisters exchanged startled glances and Wildwing nodded, grimly.

"Let's go," he said and maneuvered past Athena. Without a backward glance, Wildwing sprinted down the corridor and the Sisters had no choice but to follow. When they reached the source of the battle, the instantly dove out of the way as a group of drones turned to fire on them.

Mallory made her way over to them and leaped behind their meager cover. "They ambushed us after we split up into pairs," she reported, relief visible in her eyes. "Then, they herded us back here with the drones." She stared right into Wildwing's masked eyes. "Canard doesn't stand a chance against Dragaunus. Only you have fought Dragaunus to a stand still and walked away in one piece."

Wildwing stood up slightly and glanced at the Sisters. "DO what you can to get the other ducks unpinned," he ordered. "But don't get yourselves benched." With that, Wildwing and Mallory slipped away without a backward glance.

Selina smiled at the others before drawing hr blade. "Let's get to work," she said, her eyes dancing with delight. With warcries echoing above the sounds of battle, the trio launched themselves into the melee.

Duke smiled and watched as the Sisters sliced the drones to scrap metal. "I just love watching them work," he sighed before jumping back into the fight with his golden sword blazing.

Canard shook his head to clear the ringing in it and blearily looked up at Dragaunus. "I'm afraid this is good-bye, you meddlesome mallard," snarled Dragaunus, snagging Canard by the front of his uniform and lifting him in the air as he cocked back his other arm. Suddenly, someone leaped at Dragaunus and knocked Canard out of the Warlord's grasp. "Who dares?" demanded Dragaunus, turning around. He gasped n surprise to find Wildwing standing there.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" challenged Wildwing, crouching in a defensive position.

"I'll destroy you with my bare hands!" Dragaunus shouted, starting for the masked duck. Wildwing met the Saurian's rush head on and grabbed Dragaunus's wrists, stopping the sharp claws inches from his face. The two advisaries were locked in that position: Wildwing straining to keep the deadly claws away from his throat and Dragaunus determined to rip his opponent's throat out. Canard watched helplessly as his friend struggled against Puckworld's greatest enemy when he noticed a group of drones approaching the battling duo and smiled. This was something he could handle. He drew his pucklauncher and started blasting away at the drones.

Jellica did a double back spring and landed next to Canard. "Looks like Wildwing could use some help," she remarked, drawing her silver sword. She started forwards but Canard snagged her arm.

"Don't," he cautioned. "Wildwing can't afford any distractions right now." He fired at a drone before turning back to watch the struggle. Wildwing was slowly gaining the upper hand and around him, Canard heard the other ducks destroying the drones.

Before either could move, Dragaunus managed to throw Wildwing into a nearby wall with enough force to dent the metal. Wildwing collapsed to the floor and tried hard to ignore the pain screaming for attention in both his head and his now broken ribs as he raised his head to gaze up at Dragaunus.

"Now it ends, duck!" snarled Dragaunus, raising his wrist laser for the killing shot.

"NO!!" screamed a harsh voice. Startled, both Wildwing and Dragaunus looked up to find Jellica hovering in the air with a lavender nimbus around her. Her black hair swirled around her head like furious serpents and her eyes were solid with energy. "The Saurians won't destroy another DuCain as long as I live!" She raised her hands and a huge bolt of power slammed into Dragaunus, shoving him away from Wildwing. Clasping her hands above her head, Jellica sent a streak of energy racing through the ship before kneeling next to Wildwing. A strange transformation had come over her and her eyes were still infused with magic.

"Time to go home, DuCain," she whispered, scooping Wildwing up before her magic struck out to collect the rest of the ducks and the Aerowing and transporting them back to the Pond.

Seconds after the ducks had vanished, and explosion ripped through the Raptor and the Saurians were tossed around. "What is happening?" demanded Dragaunus, grabbing onto a nearby pipe.

The Chameleon stumbled to a control panel. "The main engine's destroyed," he announced in a fearful voice. "We're going down!"

Instantly, Dragaunus was at the control panel and tried furiously to activate the reserve power, but before he could, the Raptor crashed into the mountains outside of Anaheim.

As the lavender light faded, the ducks found themselves once more in the Rec. Room, and Jellica collapsed to her knees with her ears drooping. She shook her head and climbed to her feet, glancing around. "Everyone all right?" she asked looking around.

Canard did a quick head count. "We're all hear in one piece, if that's what you mean," he replied.

The Sisters approached Jellica cautiously. "Guardian, could you send us back to Puckworld since our job is over?" asked Athena, softly.

Jellica smiled and held out a small device. "This will take you back to the very spot you left Puckworld," she replied. "And thank you for your help."

Diana took the device and they held hands as a dimensional gate appeared behind them. With a wave, the Sisters vanished into the vortex and the remaining ducks turned to face Jellica.

With a moan, Wildwing collapsed on the floor and Mallory instantly started stripping his armor off. He groaned slightly as her hand brushed his ribs and she lightly probed the area. "IT looks like his cracked ribs are now broken," Mallory announced. "We have to get him into the Infirmary." Grin scooped Wildwing up and took him to the Infirmary.

Tanya frowned at the read out on the screen. "It doesn't look good," she announced sadly. "Two of his ribs have punctured his lungs and he's bleeding internally. There's nothing I can do for him."

Mallory closed her eyes and buried her head in Canard's shoulder as Jellica approached Wildwing's side. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his head and on his chest and tipped her head back with her eyes closed. A lavender light appeared and surrounded both of them while the others watched. After several minutes of silence, Jellica groaned and slumped over Wildwing's chest. The others watched in disbelief as Wildwing's lifesigns grew stronger and he opened his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, groggily. Jellica shook her head and stood up to face the group of ducks.

"That's what we'd like to know," stated Nosedive. "What's your game?"

Jellica sighed and wrapped her arms around her. "Better sit down," she remarked. "This might take a while to explain." Once everyone was sitting comfortably around the room, Jellica began. "My race has always done it's best to help defenseless races against invasions from other planets. When one of my elders discovered the Saurians' plans for Puckworld, I was sent there three hundred years before the Invasion to prepare for it. I started a band of warriors and spies called the Brotherhood of the Blade and over the years they received a reputation for being some of the fiercest mercenaries on Puckworld."

"After the Saurians invaded, some of the Brotherhood scouts found six ducks holding off a bunch of hunter drones on a hill and assisted them. In return the six ducks offered their services to the Brotherhood. The ducks were named Conrad, Lori, Tina, John, Redfire and her husband, Drake DuCain." Startled gasps ran around the room as Jellica continued. "Drake helped me organize many of the strikes against Dagodevas, the Saurian High Sorcerer and Warlord. eventually, I faded into the background and turned control of the Brotherhood over to him. After the Saurians were defeated, I took them into Dimensional Limbo to watch over them while the others went back to their lives. "

"But why did you call me 'DuCain' before you teleported us out of the Raptor?" asked Wildwing, confused.

"And why did you say that another Saurian won't destroy another DuCain as long as you're around?" inquired Duke.

"During the last battle, Drake's spine was broken," explained Jellica, sadly. "Even though he could hardly use his legs, Drake managed to throw himself on Dagodevas and saved the planet by absorbing some of the dark magic. I managed to remove it and repair his body but the damage was already done. Drake was forced to wear leg braces for the rest of his life. After that, he changed his name to 'Bouvier' to protect his family and friends from the unwanted attention the name 'DuCain' had brought into their lives. Besides who would believe a cripple had saved the world."

Nosedive stood up and held his hands up. "Wait a minute," he requested. "If Drake DuCain changed his name to Drake Bouvier, does that mean Wing and I are his descendants? I mean our last name is Bouvier."

"That's correct," replied the Guardian, gazing at Wildwing. "Now do you understand why I acted as I did? I had already seen one close friend crippled by the Saurians and I didn't need another one killed."

Tanya gazed around at the others. "But what about Dragaunus?" she asked. "I mean, he does have the Raptor fully powered."

"Not any more," replied Jellica. "As a parting gift, I sent a surge of energy through the engines, fusing many of the circuits into useless junk." She laughed. "It will take the Saurians a while to get the Raptor working again."

Canard smiled at Jellica. "Well, I don't know about you, but I still have catching up to do with Wildwing and the rest of the team," he stated.

Jelli8ca put a finger to her cheek. "Think you'll be caught up in a week?" she inquired.

"Why a week?" asked Mallory.

"Because it will take me about a week to install a dimensional gate generator in the Pond," she replied. At the ducks' startled looks, she continued. "You don't think I would leave here without providing you guys some way home again, do you? I'll even show you how to operate it so you can go to other dimensions or visit me and Canard at the Station." Jellica put on an innocent expression on her face. "Unless, you don't want it." She laughed at the shocked expressions on the six ducks' faces and opened a gate. "I'll go get my tools. C'mon, Tanya. I'm gonna need your help bringing some of the components back." At Wildwing's nod, the blond duck followed the feline into the portal and it closed behind them.

Wildwing stood up and wrapped an arm around Canard's shoulders. "So what do you want to talk about?" inquired Wildwing as the two friends strolled out of the Infirmary.

Nosedive shook his head in disgust. "Here we go again," he muttered, throwing his hands into the air as he stalked out of the Infirmary.

The End... For Now.