Duck Quest: The Real Adventures

This is to Sarah - it was very appropriate that we met the day before Halloween.

He appeared next to the cliff and collapsed as his legs folded under him. His body armor sizzled when it touched the wet grass. Every feather hurt and he tried to focus on his surroundings.

I have to get away, he thought, pushing himself up with shaky arms. He climbed unsteadily to his feet and staggered away from the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded and panic set in as he raised his pucklauncher.

"You won't take me back to the mining camp!" he snarled, firing at the three figures who dodged his pucks. He slapped his free hand to the back of his neck and spun around to face the new figure holding a gun aimed at him.

"You won't take me back," he protested as he fell to the ground, seconds before unconsciousness claimed him.

**************************************************

Dragaunus growled as he glared to the other Saurians. "How could you let him escape?" he roared, clenching his fists.

The Chameleon rubbed the back of his neck. "Not easily," replied the shapeshifter. "He took down a squad of drones and managed to program the teleporter to target random locations all over this continent before he escaped. He could be anywhere."

"Find him!" ordered Dragaunus, smoke pouring out of both his nose and mouth. "Use every method at your disposal but find that blasted duck before he has a chance to rejoin the others!"

The three Saurians scrambled to obey their leader while a small group of drones huddled in a corner, silently hoping Dragaunus wouldn't notice them. Almost casually, the powerful warlord raised an arm and a tachyon bolt leaped out from his wrist laser to scatter the drones across the bridge of the Raptor. Feeling a little better, Dragaunus strolled over to the control panel and began searching for the elusive duck.

**************************************************

Jonny sighed in relief as the tall duck fell to the ground and smiled at Race who slung the tranquilizer gun over his shoulder.

"Thanks, Race," stated the blond teen, running a hand through his hair.

Jessie knelt next to the duck and reached out a hand to turn him over when she stopped. "Jonny, give me your sweater," she requested, holding out her hand. Jonny was about to protest but decided not to. He quickly shed his black sweater and tossed it to Jessie. She wrapped it around her hands before gently turning the duck over onto his back.

"He might be injured," remarked Hadji. "We should get him inside."

Jessie shook her head. "We can't move him," she announced. "His armor's scalding hot."

"Jonny, go get your father and a couple of fire blankets," ordered Race, kneeling next to the duck. Jonny slipped his sweater back on and ran for the house. Suddenly, the duck began muttering and the humans leaned forward to listen to the hushed words.

"What is he saying?" asked Hadji, unable to decipher the strange language.

Before Race could answer, the duck began speaking in English. "You took everything, Dragaunus," growled the duck, his voice harsh with anger. "My family. My friends. My home. My planet. I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't destroy this planet, Saurian scum!" With that, he fell silent and the humans exchanged puzzled glances.

"What do you suppose that was about?" mused Jessie, sitting back on her heels.

"We'll have plenty of time to figure that out later," remarked Race as Jonny and Benton arrived with thick blankets in their arms.

Benton handed Race a pair of gloves. "Help me get his armor off," requested the scientist. Together, the two men quickly removed the strange armor and piled it on one blanket, before they wrapped the extra blanket around their unconscious guest. Benton, Race, and Hadji carried the duck inside the Compound while Jessie and Jonny picked up the blanket containing the hot armor and followed the others inside.

**************************************************

With a sigh, Duke stretched out on the couch in the Rec. Room and folded his arms across his chest to keep from fidgeting. Grin sat close by, meditating, while Nosedive paced around the room. Tanya was in the Infirmary, nursing an unconscious Mallory and the four ducks waited anxiously for the red head to wake up.

A few hours earlier, Mallory and Wildwing had left for a night out and things had been quiet. Fifteen minutes ago, Drake One's alarm had sounded and the four dicks had scrambled to the scene of the Saurians' latest attack. When they had arrived, they found the remains of a battle and Mallory half buried under rubble, unconscious. Of Wildwing, they couldn't find a trace of him and decided the Saurians must have captured him.

The door slid open and both Tanya and Mallory entered. Duke and Nosedive stared at them expectantly as the two sat down on the couch.

"Mal, what happened?" asked Nosedive, his face filled with a mix of concern and fear.

"Wing and I had finished dinner and decided to go for a walk," Mallory reported in a flat voice. "We had gone maybe five blocks when the Saurians attacked. We managed to change into our gear when the Wraith tossed a fireball at us, forcing us in different directions. Siege managed to keep me pinned down, but it looked like Wildwing was winning against the Wraith and Chameleon. Suddenly, the building above me crumbled and the last thing I saw was the Saurians and Wildwing teleport away."

"Okay," Nosedive said, breaking the silence. "Now what do we do?"

Mallory looked around at the others. "The first thing we do is form a plan to locate the Raptor and free Wildwing," she said, looking at Tanya. "Can you use Drake One to locate Wildwing's communit?"

"I can try," replied the blond duck. "But the communits only have a range of one thousand square miles. If he's outside that range, it could take days, weeks even, to find him." Despite her protest, Tanya had started for Drake One and began typing. The others gathered around her and waited for the results.

After several minutes, a red marker appeared on the screen. "According to this, that was Wildwing's position about five minutes ago," Tanya announced. "But then he vanished from the screen a few minutes later."

Duke studied the screen. "So either Dragaunus destroyed his communit or he teleported out of range," he remarked. "I'm willing to go with the later."

Nosedive nodded. "But what I can't figure out is why Wing didn't come back here," he stated.

"There has to be a logical explanation," began Tanya. "I mean, he could have been injured or didn't have time to program the teleporter for Anaheim."

Mallory frowned at the screen. "Tanya, is it possible that the Raptor is still there?" she asked. When Tanya nodded, Mallory turned to Duke. "Think you can get into the Raptor and find out what happened to Wildwing?"

"Easy," replied the one-eyed duck with a small smile. "Want me to do anything else while I'm there?"

"If Wing's there, get him out," she instructed. "If he's not there, find out what happened to him."

Tanya handed him two disks. "Here," she stated. "This one is blank to record information on and this one's a virus to distract the Saurians." Duke nodded and slipped the disks into a pocket on his shoulder. Together the five ducks headed for the Aerowing and a few minutes later, the plane was streaking through the dark sky.

Duke glanced over to where Mallory was sitting. She was staring at her hands folded in her lap and he crouched down next to her seat. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked in a soft voice.

Startled, she glanced at him before smiling slightly. "I'll be fine," she said, her voice flat.

He shrugged, not convinced. "If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here," stated Duke. "I know what its like to loose someone you care about." He patted her hands and went back to his seat as she thought about what he said.

The Aerowing landed in the mountains behind Anaheim and the ducks climbed out. Duke studied the landscape with a professional eye before glancing back at the others. "We're here," he announced. "Now what?"

Mallory hefted her puck bazooka onto her shoulder. "We'll keep the Saurians hopping while you get into the Raptor," she remarked, a cold smile on her face. Duke nodded and watched as the other four moved off a distance before shadowing them.

Suddenly, a group of rocks shimmered and warped into the Raptor, before firing on the ducks. The four ducks dodged for cover before returning fire, and a door opened up as hunter drones spilled out. Duke edged his way past the drones and quietly slipped inside the door before it closed. Mallory noticed him entering the ship and silently wished him luck before destroying a drone in front of her.

Stopping inside the door, Duke glanced around to make sure the way was clear and silently stole down the corridor. He moved like a living shadow down the red metal halls of the Raptor for several minutes before slipping into an empty room. Inside was a large computer consul and he smiled at the sight of the monitors.

Jackpot, he thought, moving over to the consul as he pulled out the two disks. Duke inserted the blank disk as his fingers flew over the keys and he searched for Wildwing. There was nothing in the database that revealed where he was so Duke managed to download all the surveillance film for the past two hours. As he was waiting for the consul to finish, he noticed the Wraith and Dragaunus were talking on the bridge and began recording their conversation.

"This could be useful," he muttered. Once everything was done, he slipped the now full disk back into his pocket and replaced it with the virus disk. "To Dragaunus, from the Mighty Ducks," he stated, downloading the virus into the computer system. As soon as it was in the system, Duke grabbed the disk and headed for the exit.

Mallory was busy fighting drones when a golden streak slashed through the one in front of her and the drone fell apart to reveal Duke. "Let's move, Sweetheart," he shouted. "Wing ain't here."

"Ducks, fall back!" she called, her voice audible over the battle. Mallory and Duke began making their way to the Aerowing with Grin, Tanya and Nosedive. They scrambled aboard the stealth jet and it rose into the sky minutes later, heading back for the Pond.

Once the Aerowing had landed back at the Pond, everyone gathered around Drake One and Tanya to see what Duke had retrieved from the Raptor's computers. Tanya quickly scanned the disk to make sure it was free of viruses before she started accessing the information stored there. As the others watched, the blond skimmed through various surveillance videos until she spotted Siege, Wraith and Chameleon teleporting out of the Raptor. She slowed the video down and they watched as the three Saurians appeared back on the Raptor with Wildwing struggling to get away. They dragged Wildwing down the hall when he suddenly went limp, and when they tried to get a better grip on his arms, Wildwing twisted out of the Chameleon and Siege's hands. He checked both of them into the walls before activating his ice shield and deflecting the Wraith's fireballs. Using his shield, Wildwing slammed the Wraith into the wall and glanced up as a squad of drones appeared around the corner. Turning, the masked duck sprinted back the way they had come. The Wraith heaved himself to his feet and gestured at Wildwing. The duck's head glowed a brief red before the sorcerer collapsed. Wildwing spun around and began firing on the drones that returned fire. Several bolts hit his body armor and ice shield before Wildwing could destroy the last of them. He quickly slipped into the teleporter room and fiddled at the controls before leaping on the platform, vanishing in the green light just as another squad of drones burst into the room.

"Well, now we know what happened to Wing," Nosedive said in a soft voice. Tanya skimmed through the disk until she reached the conversation between Dragaunus and the Wraith.

"My Lord, I have reviewed my battle with that accursed duck," groveled the sorcerer.

Dragaunus shrugged "What does it matter?" he inquired, carelessly. "He still managed to escape."

"But without his memories," exclaimed the Wraith, triumphantly. A stunned silence fell on the Ready Room as the Wraith continued. "After he slammed me into the wall, I managed to cast an amnesia spell on him before he could escape."

Dragaunus chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Wildwing will be as helpless as a hatchling without his memories," he gloated. "If we can find him before his team mates do, we can gain ourselves an ally." With that, the screen faded and the ducks stared at each other with shocked looks on their faces.

"We have to find him before the Saurians do," stated Mallory, her eyes hard with determination.

Nosedive snorted and folded his arms. "I'd like to know how since Wing's out of range," he remarked.

The redhead glared at Nosedive. "How do you find anything in a large country?" she snapped. "You let the public know."

"Even if you do let the world know Wing's missing, how will we know which calls are genuine and which ones are people trying to gain attention?" inquired Tanya, her mind racing. "We'd have to ask them about something no one but the people helping Wildwing will know."

"How Tanya? He doesn't have his memories," Nosedive reminded her. "We can't ask him about a life he doesn't remember."

"The clearest answer is often hidden within shadows," muttered Grin from where he was standing.

Duke snapped his fingers. "His ring!" he exclaimed. "He only got it last month and I don't think he's ever been photographed with it."

Mallory nodded. "He was wearing it on our date but it was covered by his gloves," she replied. "But who's going to write the release and arrange the press conference?"

"I'll do the press release," announced Tanya as Nosedive spoke up. "I'll tell Phil." The others nodded before separating to do their chosen chores. Mallory glanced around and the room spun. She grabbed a nearby chair and held on until the room righted itself again.

Instantly Duke was at her side. "You need to get some sleep," she announced. "You haven't completely recovered from that blow to the head." Mallory nodded and allowed the one-eyed duck to escort her back to her quarters.

Once Duke had left, the commando changed out of her body armor and slipped under her covers. She picked up the picture frame sitting on the nightstand next to her bed and gazed at the picture of her and Wildwing. It showed her leaning against him with his arms around her waist and a picnic lunch close by. Duke had taken the picture when the Ducks had gone on a picnic in the hills only to be called away by Drake One's alarm. With a sigh, Mallory replaced the picture on the nightstand before turning out her light and sinking into a troubled sleep.

**************************************************

He slowly climbed out of the deep sleep that had claimed him during the night and noticed that the aches and pains of the previous night had faded to a dull throbbing in the back of his head. Sensing he wasn't alone, he remained still and waited as he heard the door open and someone else enter the room.

"How is he, Hadji?" asked a feminine voice filled with concern.

"He hasn't moved since we put him here last night," replied Hadji.

There was a sigh and a cold cloth was put on his forehead. "I hope he wakes up soon," remarked the female voice.

"Do not worry, Jessie," soothed Hadji. "We do not know what he had been through before he arrived here."

Suddenly, pain lanced through his head and he cried out, clutching his head. There were a couple of startled gasps and he quickly rolled out of bed into a battle stance, blinking against the bright sunlight that streamed through the windows. Standing close by was a red haired girl with green eyes and a dark skinned boy with a strange hat on. Both were watching him warily and he glanced around the room. Unfortunately, the windows were closed and the only other way out was past the two teens. As they stood there, watching each other, the door opened and a white haired man walked in. He stopped when he saw the stand off and raised his hands in a nonthreatening gesture.

"Easy. We're not going to hurt you," the man said. "I'm Race Bannon. This is my daughter, Jessie, and Hadji Singh."

"Who are you my friend?" inquired Hadji, his dark eyes curious.

He searched his mind for a name but found nothing. He stood up and backed away as he desperately looked for his memories. "I...don't know," he stuttered, his eyes wide with surprise and fear. "I can't remember anything."

Jessie frowned. "Well, you don't have any head injuries," she remarked. "So that can't be the cause."

Race studied him carefully before turning to Jessie and Hadji. "Why don't you two go inform Doc that he's awake," the older man suggested, leaning against the wall. Jessie grabbed Hadji's arm and the two of them left without a backwards' glance.

"Now why don't you tell me why you wanted me alone?" he inquired, crouching back into a defensive position.

"Don't worry," soothed Race. "I just want to reassure you that you're not going to be harmed while you're here." He gestured towards the closet. "You can use some of my clothes since we're about the same size. The shower is through that door. I'll leave you to freshen up." Race held out his hand and he slowly reached out to grasp it. "Come downstairs when you're ready."

The white haired man left the room and he walked over to a mirror. He was greeted with the sight of a golden mask covering his face and reached up, gently removing it. The mask shimmered and changed from a gold color to hockey white. For some reason, this didn't surprise him. He stared at the strange face in the mirror and noticed the brown eyes that seemed to be haunted with an unknown pain and the dirty white feathers.

Turning away from mirror, he stripped out of the grimy dark green body suit and slipped off the strange boots with familiar ease. Placing them in a neat pile, he entered the bathroom and turned the shower on full force. Climbing into the steady stream of water, he sank to the floor and cried like a broken hearted hatchling.

**************************************************

Dragaunus pounded on the consul. Nothing seemed to be working properly on the Raptor and he was starting to get irritated. "Siege, have you discovered what the problem is with these infernal machines yet?" snarled the Overlord into the communicator.

"Yes, my Lord," replied Siege. "The ducks managed to infiltrate the Raptor and planted a virus in the system."

"So those web footed pests probably figured out what happened to their beloved leader by now," mused Dragaunus, smiling. "I have an idea. Why don't we let THEM find Wildwing and then crush all of them with one blow." He began laughing and Siege shrugged, returning to purge their system of the virus.

**************************************************

Race came down the stairs with a look of concern on his face and was instantly confronted by the three teens. "How is he?" inquired Jessie, putting down her pen.

"Is he going to be down soon?" asked Jonny.

The older man held up his hands. "Hold it," he commanded. "He's freshening up now. Don't ask him a lot of question."

Just then Benton entered to room. "How is he?" inquired the bearded scientist.

"Not too bad," confessed Race with a shrug. "Considering that he has amnesia."

"Maybe this will help," stated Jessie, holding up a pad of paper with writing on it. "I'm keeping track of the odd things he says and does. They might be clues to who he really is."

Race glanced over his daughter's shoulder. "Not bad," he congratulated. "But what's this?" He pointed to the word FIGHTER with a question mark beside it.

"When he first woke up, he rolled out of bed and into a fighting stance," she explained. "Anyone else would have checked themselves over for broken bones or sprains. Plus, there was the fact that his armor was hot enough to evaporate the water on the grass last night."

"You're right, Jessie," remarked Benton. "There were some scorch marks on his chest plate that looked like some energy weapon had struck it. This also fell out of one of his gloves while I was examining it." He held up a ring. It was a simple gold ring with a round sky blue gem on top and a strange engraving inside.

"That engraving almost looks like a name of some kind," muttered Jonny, looking at the ring. "Only I've never seen a language like that before."

"Maybe I can help," announced a new voice. The group turned around to find the duck standing there. He was wearing a red shirt opened to his waist, revealing a muscular chest and the sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. The shirt was tucked into a pair of jeans and he once more wore his odd boots. The gold mask had been removed to expose a handsome face with dark, haunted eyes. At his waist was a cloth bag that bulged with curved lines indicating that the strange mask was inside.

The duck walked over to them, cautiously, and held out his hand. Jonny placed the gold ring in the duck's hand and he studied it carefully. "Drake Bouvier," he read after a few minutes. "The inscription's almost worn off." He held it out but Jonny held up his hand.

"This is your ring," remarked the teen. "Think Drake Bouvier could be your name?"

The duck shrugged. "It's possible," he admitted. "It seems familiar for some reason."

Jessie smiled. "At least you have a name now," she said, tilting her head to one side in a curious manner. The duck nodded thoughtfully before Hadji approached him.

"Come, my friend," he invited. "You must be hungry. What would you like to eat?"

"I don't want to be any trouble..." the duck began, but Benton brushed off his apology.

"Nonsense," announced the scientist. "As far as I'm concerned, you're a guest in my house and you are welcome to remain here for as long as you like."

Jonny grinned. "So let's grab something to eat!" he exclaimed. "I'm starving!" Together, the group entered the kitchen with laughter trailing along behind them.

**************************************************

Mallory stared around at the numerous press agents gathered in the conference room. Every newspaper, radio jockey, and news anchor had showed up for this press conference and the redhead secretly hoped that they could help find Wildwing.

"You gonna be okay, Mal?" asked Nosedive, softly. She looked up at him and noticed the dark smudges under his eyes, proclaiming his lack of sleep.

She nodded, slightly. "I'll feel a lot better once Wildwing's back with us," Mallory whispered. Nosedive smiled sympathetically as Duke took the podium.

"Last night, while out on a date, Wildwing Bouvier and Mallory McMallard were attacked by the Saurians," began the one-eyed duck. "During the battle, Mallory was knocked unconscious and Wildwing was captured. Later, we discovered that Wildwing had escaped his captors but as a result of his injuries, he has amnesia. We are asking everyone who is a fan to help us find our Team Captain and bring him home safely."

Several members of the press began shouting out questions as a storm of flash bulbs went off in their faces. Duke held up his hands for silence before pointing to a young woman standing next to a television camera.

"Mr. L'Orange, just exactly who are the people who attacked Miss McMallard and Mr. Bouvier?" she inquired.

"The attackers were The Wraith, Siege and Chameleon," replied Duke. "They follow the orders of their leader, Lord Dragaunus, who basically wants to conquer this planet and enslave the populace."

"How do we know that this isn't some publicity stunt?" called a voice from the back of the room.

Phil glared at the source of the voice. "There's no profit involved," he shouted across the room. "How can it be a publicity stunt with no profit?"

A murmur raced through the room as the Ducks turned and left Phil there with the press to answer questions.

When they reached the Pond, Jellica and Canard were waiting for them in the Ready Room. "What happened?" asked Canard, his eyes sweeping over the group. "Where's Wildwing?"

"He was captured by the Saurians," Nosedive replied. He proceeded to repeat the story for the two arrivals and when he was finished, Jellica's face was thoughtful.

"Amnesia spells in general are pretty powerful," muttered Jellica as she paced the room. "Luckily for us, the Wraith is only at half strength* so his spell should start decaying in a few weeks. Sooner if Wildwing can remember his name."

Duke watched the feline as she mulled over the problem. "Is there anything you can do?" he asked, softly.

The Guardian of Dimensional Limbo sighed. "I can't send the B.R.A.W.N.s out to look for him, because I need a general area to search," she admitted. "Besides, even if they did find Wildwing, I seriously doubt he would be willing to go anywhere with them. As for the magic part, I'm afraid anything I do would only make the spell stronger, not weaker." Her ears drooped slightly. "Wildwing's on his own until either he contacts you or you manage to find him."

A thick silence fell over the group. "Now what do we do?" asked Mallory, breaking the silence. "We don't have a Team Captain and shards knows what will happen if Dragaunus attacks."

Canard shook his head. "Sorry guys," he apologized. "I'm baby-sitting DeCoy until her trial date in a month. After that, I'll probably be on Puckworld for weeks." He looked around at the Ducks. "From what I've heard and seen, I think Mallory would be the perfect one to take Wildwing's place for now."

"Is it just me or does this feel like a rerun of that creeper incident?" Nosedive asked no one in particular.

Mallory looked around to find the others watching her. "Well, I guess I'm temporary Team Captain," she admitted. Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "I just though of something. Once the word gets out, we're going to be flooded with calls. Tanya, can you create a sifter program to go through all the calls?"

"Easily," replied Tanya, nodding. "But I'm going to need a description of Wildwing's ring."

"It's a simple gold ring," described Nosedive, "with an ice blue jewel embedded in it and 'Drake Bouvier' engraved along the inside of the ring in the Ancient Language."

Just then, the phone began ringing Duke sighed. "Looks like the word is out," he remarked as the other lines for the Pond lit up. Tanya wandered over to Drake One and began typing as Canard glanced at the clock on his communit.

"I'd better get going," he said. "I don't like leaving DeCoy alone any longer than necessary."

Jellica nodded. "A couple of the younger Saurians are making me jumpy," she confessed. "Seems they figure since Dragaunus managed to escape, they should follow his example and join their leader."

With backward waves, the two left the Ducks alone to search for their Team Captain.

*See "Price of Freedom" in the Trilogy of Drake DuCain for details

**************************************************

Drake, as he decided to call himself, watched from the rocks as Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji played in the water. They had invited him to join them, but he had declines, preferring to watch the teens enjoy themselves for now. The teens were playing water tag and Jessie had proven to be very tricky. She would swim under the water before surfacing behind the boys and tagging them. Drake was able to follow their movements due to his elevated height and the fact that Jonny and Jessie's hair was quite visible.

After several minutes, Jonny called a time-out. "Why don't we play something else," he remarked.

Jessie grinned. "Tired of being 'It', Jonny?" she inquired, sweetly.

The blond teen shot her a withering glare and she laughed. "Anybody have a suggestion?" Jonny asked.

"We could hold a breathing contest," suggested Hadji, his dark hair floating in the water.

Jessie and Jonny looked at each other before nodding. "Okay. Whomever stays down the longest wins," announced Jonny, grinning. "And no fair using your yoga tricks, Hadji."

The three took deep breaths and sank beneath the surface. After a bit, Jessie's head broke through the surface of the water and a few seconds later, Hadji joined her.

Jessie looked around. "Where's Jonny?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"I do not know," replied Hadji. "He usually surfaces the same time we do."

Drake climbed to his feet as his eyes scanned the waves, and he quickly spotted Jonny's blond hair. With a running start, Drake dove into the water and swam over to Jonny. Jessie and Hadji were floating nearby and he motioned for them to keep back as he approached the blond teen. Drake discovered a rope, wrapped around the boy's ankle, which prevented him from surfacing. Suddenly, Drake's vision wavered and Jonny transformed into a teenage duck with long blond hair, trapped by greenweed.

Hold on, I'm coming, he though, swimming over to the duck. He saw the fear in the young duck's eyes and offered a reassuring smile before grabbing the greenweed. He began tugging on the water plant, ignoring the stinging pain that shot through his hands, and finally, the greenweed broke. He wrapped his arm around the duck's limp form and swam for the surface.

"Easy, Bro," he murmured once he reached the surface. "You'll be fine." He pulled the younger duck up onto the rocks when his vision blurred again. When he could see, Jonny was sitting on the rocks, trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, man," gasped Jonny. "What happened?"

"A rope was wrapped around your ankle," explained Drake, absently wiping his hands together.

Just then, Jessie, Hadji, Race and Benton ran over to them. "Jonny, are you all right?" asked Benton, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

Jonny nodded. "Thank to Drake," he stated, smiling at the duck. "He managed to free me from some rope that had wrapped around my ankle."

Benton peered at the red mark around Jonny's leg. "That's not a rope burn," he muttered, wiping away some of the red mark. "That's rust!" He looked up at Drake. "Let me see your hands."

Drake held out his hands and blinked in surprise when he saw blood on them. Benton took one of the towels from Jessie and carefully wiped the blood and rust off his hands. Once more, Drake's vision wavered and a white haired duck was carefully washing his hands off while the young blond duck hovered close by.

"Just what were you thinking, Nosedive Bouvier?" she demanded as she exchanged her towel for bandages. "You know greenweed is deadly for swimmers. Be glad your brother was close by to rescue you." She sighed and tied off the last bandage before putting a hand to his forehead. She bundled him up in a towel and looked around. "Your father's gone to get the hovercar and you're going to the hospital before that venom gets too far into your system."

Suddenly, the world spun and Drake sat down, hard, on a boulder. Shaking his head, he noticed that he was back on the shore with the inhabitants of the Quest Compound.

"There are some metal splinters in your hands that are going to have to come out," announced Benton, standing up. Drake swayed on his feet and the group escorted him into the house.

Race shooed the teens out of the kitchen before glancing out the window towards the ocean. "That cable must have been left over from one of the various attacks," he remarked.

Benton pulled out a first-aid kit and motioned for Drake to sit down on a stool. "Race, can you go get some dry clothes for Drake?" requested Benton, picking up the tweezers. Race nodded and Benton glanced up at Drake before starting to remove the metal shards. "What happened to you back on the beach?"

"A memory surfaced," confessed Drake, wincing as Benton removed the metal splinters. "When I saw Jonny trapped by the rope, I remembered rescuing my brother, Nosedive, from greenweed when we were younger." He laughed. "I'm just glad that rope wasn't as poisonous as the greenweed or I'd be back in the hospital."

Benton smiled as he pulled the last of the splinters out of Drake's hand and washed off the small amount of blood that had oozed out of the cuts. The duck studied the scientist for several minutes, his brown eyes serious.

"What exactly did Mr. Bannon mean by 'one of the various attacks'?" inquired Drake as Benton put away the kit.

"Since you'll probably be with us for a while, I'd better explain," began the bearded scientist. "In my line of work as a scientist, I've made some enemies and since it's no secret where I live, many of those enemies have chosen to attack my home."

Drake nodded, understandingly. "That explains the security system," he remarked. Just then, Race entered the kitchen with a change of clothes and a towel.

"Here," announced Race, handing the bundle of cloth to the duck. "I'll take those wet clothes and run them through the washer."

Drake frowned. "Don't you have a 'fresher?" he asked, confused.

The two men smiled. "Drake, I think it's time I showed you our technology," stated Race, slapping a hand on the duck's shoulder as he escorted Drake from the room.

**************************************************

Nosedive sighed and glanced at his clock which announced that it was two in the morning. He lay back in his bed and tried to figure out what had woke him up when he heard someone in the hallway and silently groaned. Mallory was awake and pacing the halls again.

This has got to stop, he decided, closing his eyes. If Phil isn't after her for some ridiculous publicity stunt, she's worrying about Wildwing.

Suddenly an idea formed in his head and he grinned. Slapping the light next to his bed on, he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and scribbled on it for a few minutes before crawling back in bed. He would

put his plan into action tomorrow morning and hope it helped Mallory.

**************************************************

With one final wipe, Drake held the chest plate up in the sunlight and nodded in satisfaction. He had finally managed to remove the scorch marks from his armor and cleaned his green bodysuit. Now, his bodysuit, belt and most of his armor were neatly packed into the low box sitting on the floor by his feet, and he added the chestplate to the box before sliding it under the bed. He had been given the same bedroom he had woke up in for the duration of his stay.

Sighing, Drake stretched out on the bed and watched the gentle breeze ruffle the curtains. Floating on the breeze was a song that seemed familiar for some reason, and Drake closed his eyes to concentrate on the music.

We were strangers starting out on a journey

Never dreaming what we'd have to go through

Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing

At the beginning with you.

No one told me, I was goin' to find you

Unexpected what you did to my heart

When I lost hope, You were there to remind me

This is the start.

He was dancing with a red goddess in his arms and she was laughing at something he had said. "Rather appropriate for us, don't you think so, Firefly?" he asked as they twirled around the dance floor. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down to kiss her. Suddenly, he was standing in a room with four other ducks and an elf as they faced off against a huge red dragon.

"You dare challenge Asteroth, Lord of the Red Dragon, in his lair?" roared the dragon, spreading his wings.

"Team bodycheck!" he barked before racing forward with the others with him. As one, they slammed into Asteroth and together they tumbled out into the street below.

He found himself hanging by his ankles above a pool of toxic waste and Nosedive was with him. Both had their hands tied behind their backs but he had managed to cut through the ropes around his brother's wrists. Nosedive quickly climbed up the rope until he was balanced on the top of the crane and just then, the lever slipped, releasing the rope.

"Relax, Bro," Nosedive shouted. "The rope's really short." Just then the rope snapped and he went plummeting towards the pool. "And Cheap!" Nosedive cried, lunging for the broken end. He bounced to a stop inches above the bubbling toxin and felt the rope tremble as Nosedive struggled to keep him out of the toxin. The scenery shifted again and he found himself fighting two lizard like creatures that sparked an inbred hatred. A third one shimmered into view before the trio vanished in a green light just as explosions began rocking the building around them.

"Everyone, out now!" he snapped, racing for the nearest door. Six ducks and a feline obeyed his command and he glanced back as the next explosion tossed Firefly to the floor. Above her, the ceiling started cracking and fear lanced through him. There wasn't time to drag her to safety so he did the only thing he could think of. He ran over and threw himself on top of her just as tons of metal and concrete crashed down on them.

**************************************************

"Firefly!" cried Drake, sitting up with sweat running down his face. He looked around to find himself safe in the bedroom and wiped the sweat off his face.

"Are you okay?" asked a voice from the door. Drake looked up to find Jonny standing there with a concerned look on his face.

Drake nodded. "I'll be fine," he said, turning to gaze out the window. "Just some memories."

"Well, I came up to warn you that a friend of Race's is going to be visiting tonight," remarked Jonny. "Her name is Vintage Jade and neither Race nor Dad want her knowing you're here. Who knows what she'd do with that kind of information."

"She a spy?" inquired Drake, tuning away from the window.

Jonny smiled. "Spy, thief, fence, burglar. Basically anything that involves rare and valuable artifacts or jewels," he reported. "Now you know why we'd rather not let her know you're here?"

Drake smiled. "I'll be careful," he replied. "Is she spending the night?"

"Jade has a hotel room in town," Jonny said. "I'm trying to figure out how to get dinner up here to you without her getting suspicious."

"No problem," announced Jessie, entering the room. She put the back of her hand to her forehead and smiled. "I'm not feeling too well. Think Dad would mind it if you brought dinner up to my room?" The two teens grinned before slapping hands.

The duck shook his head. "I'm in trouble," he muttered as the teens escorted him downstairs.

**************************************************

Nosedive wandered into the Ready Room where Tanya was working on Drake One. He had just finished talking with Grin and now needed to get the second item to put his plan together. "Hey Tanya," he called. "Got a sec?"

She looked up and waved him over as she continued to work on the supercomputer. "What do you need, Nosedive?" she inquired.

"I need to visit Jellica for a few minutes," he explained. "I have an idea to help Mallory sleep, but I need Jellica's help to pull it off."

Tanya was silent for a few minutes before she manipulated some controls on the dimensional gate generator and a lavender portal appeared. He flashed her a grin before leaping into the portal.

The blond duck seemed to tumble through the chaos for several minutes before he landed on a metal platform with a thump. As he picked himself up, Canard walked out a door and strolled over to help the younger duck to his feet.

"What are you doing out here, Dive?" inquired Canard, curiously.

"I need Jellica's help," Nosedive replied as the two entered the station. "Mallory hasn't been getting any sleep worrying about Wildwing and Phil isn't exactly helping her by pestering her with all these stupid publicity stunts."

Canard nodded and led the younger duck through the cell-lined halls. As they passed one particular cell, a beautiful face appeared in the barred window and grinned.

"Hello, Nosedive," purred Lucretia DeCoy. "It's so sweet of you to pay me a visit in this dreary place."

Before Canard could move, Nosedive had his pucklauncher out and the barrel was shoved under Lucretia's beak. "Y'know, Lucretia, it would be a shame if anything was to happen to that lovely face of yours," growled Nosedive, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "But don't tempt me or you might end up looking worse than Duke." With that said, he turned and left a very shaken Lucretia with Canard following close behind.

A few minutes later, Canard had escorted Nosedive into Jellica's office and the feline stood up as the ducks approached. "Hello, Nosedive. Any word about your brother yet?" she inquired, leaning up against her desk.

"Afraid not," replied Nosedive. "But I need your help with something." Jellica gestured for him to continue and he took a deep breath. "Mal's been extremely worried about Wing and she's been having trouble sleeping. Problem is, Phil's been pestering her about publicity stunts and if Mallory doesn't get any sleep soon, who knows what would happen to her if Dragaunus attacked."

The Guardian of Dimensional Limbo frowned. "So what's your plan?" she asked, standing up.

"Just that I go to talk with Phil and both you and Grin go with me," he remarked casually. Jellica tossed back her head and laughed before slipping a dagger into the sheath on her leg.

"Let's get going then," she invited. "Canard, you're in charge while I'm gone." Together, the feline and the blond duck headed back to have a meeting with Phil Palmfeather.

**************************************************

Jonny sat down at the table as Race escorted Vintage Jade into the room. She was tall with short black hair and twinkling green eyes that took in everything. Tonight, she was clad in a pair of comfortable jeans and a silk shirt that matched her eyes. On her wrist were two gold bangle bracelets and as she sat down at the table, Jade glanced around in confusion.

"Where's Jessie?" she inquired in her throaty voice.

"She's not feeling too good right now," explained Jonny. Jade nodded and Jonny let out a small sigh of relief. It looked like their plan was going to work after all.

Throughout the meal, they talked about various things, but staying away from subjects like aliens and Jessie's "illness".

"So there's going to be this huge scientific convention in Boston next week?" inquired Jade, staring across the table at Benton.

The scientist nodded. "I hope Dr. John Huggarman joins us this time," he remarked. "Ever since he withdrew from society last year, the conventions just haven't been the same."

Race grinned. "Who else could you get to stay up and talk about various scientific discoveries with?" he countered. The table erupted in laughter and Jade glanced at her watch.

"I hate to eat and run, but I have a big meeting tomorrow morning," she apologized, standing up.

"Do you need a ride into town?" inquired Race, standing up as well.

Jade flashed him a stunning smile. "Thank you, but I have a car outside," she said, shaking their hands. "Thank you for the wonderful diner. We'll have to get together sometime soon to do this again. Next time it's on me."

"I'll walk you to the door," the white haired man offered, walking over to her. Together the two left the room and a few minutes later, Race came back with Drake and Jessie behind him.

"I'm glad Jade fell for that," sighed Jonny, leaning back in his chair. Jessie nodded and sat down with her notebook next to her plate. She scribbled a few things in it before closing the notebook and placing her pen next to it.

Drake frowned. "Something about her almost seemed familiar," confessed the duck. "Like I have met someone like her before."

Benton smiled, gently. "I wouldn't worry about it too much," he soothed. "Your memories will return eventually." He glanced over at Race before picking up his coffee cup. "Next week, Race and I are going to a science convention in Boston. I'm going to see if anyone else there has either seen you before or one of your race. Maybe if we can find another member of your race, they could help you recover your memories."

Drake blinked and found himself looking through a thick glass wall at a lavender haired duck. She was dressed in a pink outfit and was a stunning beauty, but there was something cold in her smile. "You pitiful saps," she sneered, approaching a metal wheel. "Soon you will be out of Lord Dragaunus's way for good."

"Does this mean our date is off?" inquired Nosedive picking himself up from off the floor. The beauty turned the wheel several times before pulling it off the gear. Turning, she strolled from the room and casually tossed the wheel over her shoulder just as gallons of water came crashing into the container, slamming the five ducks into the glass side.

"Drake! Wake up!" cried a voice as someone shook his arm furiously. He opened his eyes and glanced around at the humans that were gathered around him with concerned looks on their faces.

"Sorry," apologized Drake, sitting up. "Dr. Quest, I would prefer it if you didn't inquire about my race at the convention. I would feel much safer if the only people who know I'm here are the ones in this room."

Benton was silent for a few minutes before nodding. "Agreed," he said. "I won't mention anything about you at the convention." Drake smiled and he and Jessie ate their dinner before he headed for bed.

**************************************************

Groaning, Mallory eased herself down on the roof and closed her eyes as the cool night breeze ruffled her hair. It had been two weeks since Wildwing had vanished and they still had no leads. She had also spent the past fortnight fighting Phil at every turn.

Now I know how Wing feels, she thought, leaning back against the ventilation shaft. It's a miracle he hasn't collapsed before now. I'm beat and it's only been two weeks.

There was a soft sound beside her and she opened her eyes as Nosedive dropped down beside her. For several minutes, neither one said anything until Mallory finally spoke, "What do you want, Nosedive?" she asked, the irritation evident in her voice.

"To make sure you're okay, Mal," he confessed, none of his usual humor present.

"I'll be fine," she lied, closing her eyes again.

Nosedive snorted in disbelief. "The only one you're fooling is yourself," he replied. "You're running yourself ragged and not getting much sleep isn't helping either. You have to relax."

"How?" moaned Mallory. "Every time I turn around, Phil has another stupid publicity stunt for us. He hasn't let up since Wing vanished."

"I'll make a deal with ya," stated the blond duck. "If I can get Phil to drop all publicity stunts for the next month, will you start getting a decent night's sleep? The circles under your eyes make you look like a raccoon."

"Thanks," she said, sarcastically.

Nosedive met her eyes. "I'm serious, Mallory. If you don't start getting some sleep, you're not going to be much help when Dragaunus attacks."

"Okay," she surrendered. "You get Phil to drop his publicity stunts and I'll do my best to get some sleep."

"Here," he stated, holding out a folded piece of paper and a small black book. "You get to hang onto these for the next month."

Mallory unfolded the paper and red the lines. "But how..." she gasped in surprise. She opened the book to find Phil's cramped handwriting on the pages below certain dates. "Phil wouldn't part with this if Dragaunus threatened him."

"Try Jellica and Grin," explained Nosedive. "They were both with me when I went to negotiate with Phil. He was more than happy to sign the contract and hand over his book." He stood up and offered her a hand up.

She laughed and let him help her to her feet. "How did you know I would agree to this?" she inquired as they started down.

Nosedive gave her a sympathetic glance. "Even in the labor camps we had more than three hours of sleep," he remarked. "I hear you moving in the hallway when you get up."

Mallory was about to apologize when a huge yawn escaped her beak. Nosedive helped her down to the elevator and she flipped through Phil's appointment book, shaking her head in disbelief. "I still don't understand how it worked," she muttered as the elevator drew to a stop.

The blond duck shrugged. "It was either Grin's menacing smile or the fact Jellica was cleaning her claws with a very lethal looking dagger," he admitted. "I'm not quite sure which." Mallory's laugh ended in another yawn. The younger duck escorted her to her quarters where she had just enough energy to remove her armor before she sank onto her bed and into a welcomed sleep.

Nosedive smiled as he strolled towards the Rec. Room where he found Tanya talking with her friend, Dr. Huggarman. She looked up as Nosedive dropped into one of the chairs and smiled.

"Nosedive, Dr. Huggarman has an idea for how we can locate Wildwing," she remarked. "Next week, there's going to be this scientific convention in Boston and a Dr. Benton Quest is suppose to attend."

"Mind telling me how his Dr. Quest can help when the entire country is looking for Wing?" requested the teen, folding his arms across his chest.

Tanya shrugged. "Dr. Quest is a paranormal expert," she explained. "He's investigated several cases of haunted buildings and is rumored to have had numerous contacts with extraterrestrials. Who better to find an alien, talking duck?"

"I was telling Tanya that if she wanted, she could join me," Huggarman interrupted. "If you would be nice enough to fly me out to Boston, I'm sure Dr. Quest would enjoy talking to you."

Grinning, Nosedive studied the two scientists. "Sounds like a plan to me, but you'd better talk to Mallory. In the morning," he added when he noticed Tanya ready to leap from her chair. "She's finally getting some sleep and the last thing she needs right now is for you to start pounding on her door."

Tanya nodded. "In the morning, then," she agreed before resuming he conversation with Huggarman. Nosedive scooped up the remote control and turned on the television, but his mind wasn't on the show. His thoughts swirled around one main idea: they were one step closer to locating his brother.

**************************************************

Drake tossed and turned in his bed for several minutes before sitting up. For some reason, sleep was eluding him tonight despite the cool breeze that trickled in through the open windows. Sighing, he stood up and sat down in the chair he had moved over to the window for nights like this. Drake gazed out at the stars and smiled as a peaceful feeling descended over him. He closed his eyes and grunted as he hit the floor.

He opened his eyes and scanned the cargo bay for the invisible threat. He stood up and swung at the air around him, hoping to hit the threat. "You can't win," he gasped.

Mocking laughter echoed through the bay. "And who's going to stop me? Your friend is gone and you're a poor substitute."

"I'll find Canard," he vowed. "No matter how long it takes." Something grabbed him and tossed him into the wall.

"Deal with it, duck boy!" snarled the voice. "Canard is lost of all time in Dimensional Limbo. And the Mask with him."

He suddenly saw himself desperately trying to keep his friend from being sucked out into dimensional limbo, but the only thing that both of them were holding onto was a golden mask. "Take it," ordered his friend. "You're Team Captain now." With that, he let go of the mask and was pulled into dimensional limbo. The Mask! This threat was afraid of the Mask!

He shoved his hand into the bag at his waist and removed the white Mask he had been keeping until they found his friend. With a grim determination filling him, he firmly placed the Mask on his face and activated the scanner.

"Wrong, Dinobreath!" he growled before leaping at the now-visible red threat. He pulled the small control device out of the terror's had and crushed it, forcing the terror to become visible to everyone and he launched a kick that threw the terror on the ground. He leaped on top of the terror and for several minutes they struggled, neither one getting the upper hand.

Suddenly, the scenery shifted and he found himself slowly walking in a line of ducks that were chained together. The line slowly marched through the streets of a ruined city and he glared at the occasional red robot. A familiar feeling of despair and fear washed over him as one of the robots swung its massive head in his direction. He stumbled over an unseen rock and the robot raised its arm, a whip dangling from the end. With a swift motion, the red machine brought the arm down with the whip whistling through the air.

Gasping, Drake sat up with his heart pounding. He stood up and was about to switch on the light when the feathers on the back of his neck stood up. Something was wrong. He was sure of it. He stood up and was about to approach the window when he heard a slight movement from downstairs.

"Looks like some one has decided to pay a little after-hours visit on the doctor," muttered Drake, slipping out the door. He crept down the stairs and paused at the bottom to listen carefully. Again, he heard a slight movement off to his left and followed the sound until he came across a dark shadow lifting something off of a shelf in the living room.

"I don't think that belongs to you," announced the duck in a loud voice. The shadow whirled around and dropped the stone he was holding on the carpet. With a startled gasp, the shadow started edging towards the nearest window and Drake lunged at him, catching his arm. "Not so fast!" he growled. The shadow struggled in Drake's grip but was unable to break free before Drake grabbed the thief's other arm and lift him off the ground.

Just then, the light was turned on and Drake glanced over to find Race and Jonny standing there, the former with a gun and the later with a spear. "What's going on here?" demanded Race with a frown.

"An uninvited guest though that he would help himself to a few of Dr. Quest's artifacts," Drake stated, his dark eyes troubled by an elusive memory.

Race approached the thief and whipped off the mask to expose a beautiful woman with short dark hair. "Hello Jade," greeted Race, an ironic smile playing on his lips. "If you didn't enjoy dinner, you could have said something earlier."

Jade smiled slightly. "Hello again, Race," she said, managing to look dignified despite the fact that Drake held her arms behind her back. "Actually, I have a customer that will pay me handsomely for that piece of rock there."

"Sorry, Jade," called Benton from the doorway. "But that 'rock' is really an uncut diamond and you know it." He glared at the woman. "Now I suggest you get out of Maine before I call the cops on you."

"Well, could you at least tell me about your strong friend here?" inquired the raven haired woman. She glanced over her shoulder and her green eyes widened in surprise and recognition. She quickly turned back to Race. "Can I talk to you in private for a few minutes?"

Race studied the woman for a few minutes before gesturing to Drake to release her. Together, the two entered the next room and Jade pulled a newspaper clipping out of the pouch attached to her belt and held it out to Race. "This was on the front page of the paper about two weeks ago," she whispered. The headline screamed WHAT HAPPENED TO WILDWING? And beneath the headline was a picture of Drake!

"Two weeks," muttered Race. "That's about the time he appeared here." He turned to stare at Jade, his cold blue eyes meeting her concerned green ones. "You are to tell NO ONE that he's here. When he arrived, he had been in a battle of some kind and had amnesia. He still hasn't recovered all of his memories and we don't know who's after him."

"I promise not to tell anyone about your guest," swore Jade, before smiling. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a client to contact." With that, she slipped out of the house and Benton appeared to take her place.

"What did she want to talk about?" asked the bearded man. Race held out the article and Benton quickly scanned it. "According to this, Wildwing Bouvier, Team Captain of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks was captured by the Ducks' enemies, the Saurians. Later, the Ducks were able to discover that he had escaped his captors, but due to the extent of his injuries, he had amnesia." He looked at Race. "Why haven't we seen anything about this before? Something this big should have caught our attention before now."

Race shrugged. "We haven't had much of a chance to either watch the news or read the paper since he arrived," replied the man. "We've been busy helping Drake adjust to our world as well as help him recover his memories. Plus, the kids have been enjoying their time outside now that school is out. "

"Well, the article is asking anyone who has information about Mr. Bouvier to please contact the Mighty Ducks and let them know," muttered Benton, a thoughtful look on his face. He looked at Race. "What do you think?"

With a sigh, Race ran his hand through his white hair. "We don't know if this is genuine or not," he confessed. "And personally, we don't need any more trouble. Here's what we can do. We can spend the next week finding out everything we can about these Mighty Ducks and then decide if we want to risk the safety of this family and Drake by informing someone else that he's here." Benton nodded and together they agreed to tackle the problem in the morning after a good night's sleep. With Drake's help, they managed to convince the teens to go back to bed before Drake turned to them.

"What did Miss Jade tell you?" he inquired.

"I believe we're one step closer to finding out who you really are, my friend," replied Benton. "But Race and I still have much work ahead of us before we can tell you anything. There are too many things we don't know and none of us want you to get hurt."

Drake nodded and quietly went back to his room. As he stared at the moon-illuminated ceiling, questions swirled through his head and it was several minutes later before he finally dropped off into troubled sleep.

**************************************************

The man crept out of the cave with his eyes searching everywhere. In his hand was a large orange crystal that seemed to pulsate with power and he didn't want to get caught by the Bangalore soldiers until after he had delivered this to someone he was sure would reward him very well. Quietly, he slipped over the edge of the mountain and began working his way back to Calcutta where he could contact Lord Dragaunus with no fear of anyone overhearing him.

**************************************************

With a sigh, Benton pushed his chair back from the computer and rubbed his eyes. He had spent the last week searching for everything dealing with the names 'Mighty Ducks' and 'Wildwing Bouvier' only to find several files of game coverage but not much on the team itself. He looked up as Race entered the Lighthouse.

"I've called in several favors from my connections and all I've been able to get that is worth anything is a police report filed by one Mark Klegghorn," announced the white haired man, holding out some faxed sheets. "Also that the Mighty Ducks won the Stanley cup last month."

Benton read over the sheets and shook his head. "This was what he had to live with before coming here?" whispered the scientist as he read.

"Reminds me of the Concentration Camps run by the Nazis during World War Two," confessed Race. He sighed. "Well, I'm going to get packed for the convention tomorrow. I don't think there's anything else I can do." With a wave, Race started for the house.

When he was halfway back to the house, a flash of white caught his eye and Race stopped to stare at a cluster of trees. He smiled when he realized that the white flash had been the sunlight filtering through the wind blown leaves to reflect off of Drake's feathers. Turning Race continued into the house and left the duck to his peace.

With a content sigh, Drake stretched out under the broad limbs of the tree and looked up at Jessie who was lounging in the branches, scribbling in her notebook.

"Whenever I see you, you're always writing," announced Drake. "What are you putting in that notebook?"

Jessie smiled. "I'm keeping track of everything you say or do," she confessed. "That way, I can try to find out who you really are."

"Thank you, but Mr. Bannon and Dr. Quest are taking care of that," he replied, closing his eyes against the sun.

Jessie flipped to a blank sheet of paper in her notebook and began sketching Drake as he laid there in the sunlight. As she sat there, Jessie noticed Benton emerged from the Lighthouse and wondered if she could talk Drake into another game in Questworld. Jonny and her had managed to get him into Questworld a couple of times, but Drake preferred to sit outside on sunny days and read during rainy days. On a couple of occasions, he had managed to talk Jonny into going one on one with him in hockey much to Jonny's dismay. Now, Drake practiced at least once a day with Jonny and the blond teen had shown signs of improvement under Drake's tutoring.

Shrugging with indifference, she went back to her sketch as Drake quietly drifted off into a dream-free sleep.

**************************************************

Siege entered the bridge of the Raptor and bowed to Dragaunus. "You wished to see me, my lord?" asked the burly Saurian.

"One of my spies has located a mine full of crystals like this one," the red Saurian stated, pulling an orange crystal out of his robe and holding it for Siege to examine. "He claims that the crystals vary in size from microscopic to taller than myself."

"Where is this mine?" demanded Siege. "I'll strip it bare and bring every last beryllium crystal to you."

Dragaunus growled and Siege began backing away. "That idiot of a human can't give me the coordinates," he spat before turning to Siege. "Take a squad of drones and the human and fine that mine. With that many beryllium power crystals, I would be unstoppable!" Siege bowed and left the room with Dragaunus's laughter trailing after him.

**************************************************

Drake balanced easily on his ice skates and watched as Jonny and Jessie flew over the ice towards him, the puck a blur as it passed between them. He grinned as Jessie faked a shot and passed the puck to Jonny who fired it at the goal. There was a satisfying thump as the puck hit Drake's glove and Jonny's face fell.

"That's the fifth straight time you've stopped the puck," he said, exasperated.

The duck laughed and stood up. "You've been broadcasting your moves," he stated, pulling off his glove. "Let me show you what I mean." He motioned for Jonny to take his place in the goal and Drake took a stance on the blue line. "Now watch."

Drake began skating towards the goal, moving exactly like Jonny had been, and when he fired, Jonny was easily able to block the puck.

"Now watch that play again," instructed the duck, moving off a distance with the puck. Jonny's eyes were riveted to Drake as he skated towards the goal but Jonny didn't see the puck until it hit the back of the net.

Jonny smiled, sheepishly. "I see the difference," he confessed.

"How about a real game?" suggested Jessie. "I'm tired of shooting the puck."

"May I suggest the Stanley Cup game between the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Manhattan Screamers?" inquired Hadji's voice.

Jessie grinned. "Sounds perfect to me, Hadji," she called. "Drake can be on the Ducks' team while Jonny and I can be on the Screamers."

"Sounds like a plan to me," remarked Jonny as Drake nodded. The three took up their positions as players began appearing on the ice. Drake's uniform shimmered and changed into a Mighty Duck's jersey with double zeros on the back.

The puck was dropped and the five other Mighty Duck players morphed into ducks while the rink changed into a professional rink filled with screaming fans.

Jonny glanced around. "What's going on?" he asked Jessie.

"It appears that you are witnessing one of Drake's memories," announced Hadji.

Jessie pulled Jonny off the ice and into the empty team box for the Mighty Ducks. "If this is a memory, we'd better stay out of the way and watch," she advised. Jonny nodded and they watched Drake. They were unable to hear the announcer due to the screaming crowd, when Jonny looked up and nudged Jessie.

"Look at the clock," he stated. "It says that there's less than a minute left in the last period."

Smiling, he watched as all but one of the Screamers was checked into the boards and the lone player raced towards him. The crowd had the air filled with "Ducks! Ducks! Ducks!" and excitement pounded through his veins. The Streaker fired the puck at him and there was a very satisfying thump in his glove as the final buzzer sounded.

A silence fell over the crowd as he stood up and casually tossed the puck onto the ice. A roar broke out from the crowd and he skated over to form a circle with the other Mighty Duck players. They raised their hockey sticks to form a point above them. "Ducks Rock!" they cried in one voice before everyone vanished and Drake looked around, puzzled.

"Looks like I have more information to add to my list," muttered Jessie as she and Jonny skated over to Drake.

"My friends, we have a problem," stated Hadji, his voice full of concern.

"Jonny Quest, Jessie Bannon, and Drake Bouvier, logging off," called the blond teen. There was swirl of green light and the three found themselves back in the Lighthouse.

"What's wrong, Hadji?" asked Jonny, his blue eyes wary.

"Pasha just called," reported Hadji. "My mother was attacked by some lizard like creatures. I have to return to Bangalore to rule until she recovers."

Jonny sighed. "How?" he inquired. "You've just missed the last flight to India and none of us are legally allowed to fly the Dragonfly."

"I can fly this Dragonfly," announced a soft voice. Startled, the teens whirled around to find Drake standing there. "You get me to this Dragonfly and I'll fly you to Bangalore."

Jessie scooped up the phone. "I'll call Dad and let him know what's going on," she said. "You go and pack for a stay in Bangalore."

Jonny, Hadji, and Drake headed back to the house and they separated to get packed. Jonny followed Drake up to his room and leaned against the door, watching as Drake reached under the bed. The duck pulled out a flat box and opened it to reveal his polished white armor and dark green bodysuit.

"Is that really necessary?" inquired Jonny, nodding his head at the box.

Drake pulled off his red shirt and replaced it with the green top. "Better safe than sorry," he replied, changing his civilian clothes for the rest of the bodysuit. He stomped his boots into place and buckled a golden belt around his waist.

Jonny left Drake and moved down to his room where he tossed enough clothes to last two weeks itno a duffel bag. Scooping up the bag, he headed back down to the living room where Hadji was.

"He's getting his things together," remarked Jonny as Hadji gazed at him with a question in his dark eyes. The blond teen reached out to grip his friend's shoulders. "Don't worry, Hadj. Drake won't let us down."

Jessie walked over to join them with a backpack slung over her shoulder. "I left a message at Dad's hotel and informed the airport that we're going to Bangalore in the Dragonfly," she reported, shifting her backpack.

"Is everyone ready?' demanded Drake, coming down the stairs. The three teens stared at him, surprised by the change that had come over him. It wasn't so much the fact that he was clad in armor but the aurora of authority and power that seemed to surround him. The mask was once more on his face, making him a force to be reckoned with and a powerful ally.

"We are ready to leave," remarked Hadji, picking up his bag. Drake nodded and followed them out of the house.

Getting to the Dragonfly unseen was relatively simple. All Drake had to do was scale a metal fence and slip into the hanger while the teens walked in the front door.

Fifteen minutes after Drake had climbed aboard the Dragonfly, the teens finally stumbled aboard and Jonny sealed the door behind him.

"Let's get this bird off the ground," he called, strapping himself into his seat. Drake activated the engines and steered the long plane out onto the runway. He pushed a slider switch forward and with a roar, the Dragonfly took off into the sky.

**************************************************

Benton looked up as a shadow fell over his table and smiled at the rumpled looking man standing there. "John Huggarman! I'm surprised to see you here," exclaimed Benton, motioning for the older scientist to have a seat.

Dr. John Huggarman sighed as he sat down. "Benton, I need to ask a favor from you," he began, pulling out a picture. "Y'see a friend of mine vanished about a month ago and the police have been unable to find any trace of him. I was hoping since you travel extensively that you could keep an eye out for him." Huggarman laid the picture on the table and Benton's eyes widened in surprise. It showed Drake sitting next to a redhead with his arms around her waist and a picnic lunch close by.

"Who are they?" inquired Benton still gazing at the picture.

"The girl is Mallory McMallard," the gray haired scientist reported. "The man is the one who is missing. His name is Wildwing Bouvier, Team Captain of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. We're asking anyone with information about him to describe his ring." He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here are the details. The ring is..."

"...A gold band with an ice blue jewel and the name 'Drake Bouvier' engraved along the inside," muttered Benton, frowning at the picture. "He hasn't fully regained his memories so he's been at my home for the past three weeks," he explained, noticing Huggarman's startled expression.

The rumpled scientist leaped to his feet. "The others will be ecstatic to hear this," he cried, grabbing Benton's arm. "C'mon. Tanya's waiting for me in the lobby."

"Who is she?" the bearded scientist asked. "And what's she doing there?"

Huggarman smiled as they made their way to the lobby. "Tanya Vanderquack, the technical skills behind the Mighty Ducks," he said. "And apparently a few of the scientists here are hockey fans since they pounced on her and asked for her autograph. Which of coarse started a chain reaction."

Benton shook his head in amazement when Race suddenly appeared at his elbow. "Doc, we've got a problem," he reported, concern evident in his voice. "Neela was attacked so Drake flew the kids to Bangalore in the Dragonfly."

"Who were the attackers?" inquired a new voice. Startled, the men looked up to find a blond bespeckled duck in a purple jumpsuit standing there. She had a strange device on one arm and the same boots that Drake wore.

"According to the message, it was some lizard-like creatures," replied Race, folding his arms across his chest. "And you are?"

"Tanya Vanderquack," she announced, holding out her hand. Race shook it as she continued. "Those lizard-like creatures sound like the Saurians, but what could they want in Bangalore?" She blinked and looked at the two men. "Dr. Huggarman told me you know where Wildwing is."

Race smiled slightly. "Right now, he's flying our children to Bangalore," he remarked.

Instantly, Tanya flipped the circle up on her device. "Duke, come in," she called in the microphone. Seconds later, the face of a one-eyed duck appeared on the screen.

"Duke here. What did ya find out, Sweetheart?" he asked in a Brooklyn like accent. "Did ya find Wildwing?"

"No, but according to his hosts, he's going to someplace called Bangalore," she reported. "Where the Saurians have been spotted."

"Shards!" swore Duke. "Meet ya at the front door." The connection was severed and Tanya started for the front door with the three humans following her.

As they arrived, a white troop carrier pulled up and the door opened to reveal Duke standing there. "And where do you think you're going?" he inquired, staring at Benton and Race.

"Those are our kids with your friend," replied Race, stubbornly. "Try and stop us."

Benton put a soothing hand on his friend's arm. "Besides, we know where Bangalore is," he offered. "You take us with you and we'll direct you to Bangalore." Duke stepped aside and allowed the humans to climb aboard. When Benton entered the vehicle, he stared at the interior. Never had he seen technology like this before!

"Better strap yourselves in 'cause we're ready to burn rubber!" announced a youthful voice. Benton looked at the front of the vehicle to find a young duck with long blond hair and mischievous blue eyes sitting there and both Race and Benton strapped themselves into the nearest seats.

"Sweetheart, is there anyway to contact Mallory and Grin?" asked Duke as the vehicle sped down the road.

"The communits in the Aerowing are more powerful than our personal ones," replied Tanya, thoughtfully. "But the range is still limited. We'll have to wait until we cross the Mississippi River if we want a clear reception."

The blond duck sighed. "Man I am really wishing this was just a very bad dream brought on by too many comic books before bedtime," he groaned.

Duke smiled. "I think we all agree with you on that, Nosedive," he remarked, reaching over to flip a switch. "Lighten up, kid. We're almost to the Aerowing."

"But for all we know, Wildwing could be waling right into Dragaunus's claws!" exclaimed Nosedive, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I don't think so," began Race, shaking his head. "Drake had some nightmares about a large red terror."

Nosedive grinned. "That sounds like old Lizard Lips," he said. "But who's this Drake guy?"

"Drake Bouvier is the name your brother was using while he was at my home," Benton stated. "It was engraved along the inside of his ring and he decided to use it since he couldn't remember his."

The vehicle drew to a stop and a humming noise replaced the sound of the engine. The three Ducks stood up and left the vehicle with the men following them.

"Amazing!" breathed Benton as his eyes roamed around the interior of the Aerowing. "I have never seen technology like this before.

Race noticed Nosedive was strapped into the pilot's seat and the white haired man sat down next to Duke. "A little young to be flying, isn't he?" he inquired, nodding his head at Nosedive.

"You kiddin'? He can probably pilot the Aerowing better than some of us on the team," replied Duke, with a shrug. "Besides, he's seventeen."

There was a roar of the jet's engines and they were pressed back into their seats as the Aerowing climbed into the sky. "Make yourselves comfortable," advised Nosedive. "It's a three hour flight to Anaheim."

**************************************************

If anyone had entered the Ready Room, they would have thought that the figure sitting before Drake One was a mannequin. Mallory stared at the huge screen with a vacant look on her face and the only signs of life was the rise and fall of her chestplate. Nearby, a sandwich that Grin had brought her earlier sat, untouched, on a clear section of Drake One. Nosedive, Duke, Tanya and Dr. Huggarman left that morning to go see some scientist in Boston about trying to locate Wildwing.

Suddenly, the screen switched on to reveal Duke's face. "Duke to Drake One," he called over the channel. "Anyone there?"

Mallory's hand lashed out and opened the channel as she sat up in the chair. "Mallory here," she replied. "Did ya find him?"

"We've discovered that he's on his way to Bangalore," announced Duke, his one eye betraying his concern. "But there's been a report that the Saurians are there too."

"What's your ETA?" demanded Mallory, her eyes as hard as emeralds.

"One hour," came the reply.

"Don't bother docking," she ordered. "We'll meet you in the parking lot." With that, she severed the connection and turned around to find Grin standing there. "You heard?" When he nodded, she opened the nearest weapon's closet and pulled out a puck bazooka. "We'd better grab some extra weapons for the others." Grin grabbed a bag and loaded extra ammo in it.

"For Wildwing," he explained, handing her the bag, She nodded and clipped the bag to her belt before grabbing other weapons. Together the two Ducks headed up to the parking lot and several minutes later, the Aerowing lightly landed on the pavement.

The door opened and Dr. Huggarman climbed out. "Dr. Huggarman, you can stay here until we come back," she announced, heading up the stairs with Grin right behind her.

"Good luck!" called Dr. Huggarman as the stairs folded up behind her.

She strapped herself into a nearby chair after passing out the weapons. "And just who are you and what do you think you're doing here?" she inquired, glancing at the two strange humans.

"I'm Benton Quest and this is Race Bannon," announced the bearded man. "Our children are with your friend in Bangalore and there's no way you can stop us from coming with you."

"If there is a confrontation, you will stay out of our way and let us do our job," she ordered, cocking her puck bazooka. The tone of her voice left no room for argument and so both men nodded in agreement.

Nosedive tossed her a cocky smile. "Don't worry, Mal," he advised. "We'll get to Bangalore ten minutes behind Wing."

I just hope we're in time, thought Mallory as the Aerowing streaked out over the Pacific Ocean.

**************************************************

With ease, Drake landed the Dragonfly at the Bangalore airport and followed the teens down the stairs where they were met by a group of guards.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness," greeted the lead guard, bowing to Hadji. The four guards formed an escort around them and lead them towards the Palace.

"How is my mother?" asked the dark haired teen as they hurried across the ground.

"She is recovering, Your Highness," replied the lead guard. "She said to inform you that those creatures were seen near the abandoned mine."

Hadji frowned. "What would they want at the mine?" he muttered, puzzled.

Suddenly, a bolt slammed into the ground nearby and sent dirt flying in all directions. Drake activated his shield and leaped in front of the humans. "Run!" he shouted, intercepting another bolt on his shield before firing on the red robots hiding behind some boulders. Several of the robots exploded and the rest ducked down behind their cover.

A shrill scream ripped through the air and Drake whirled around to find Jessie, Jonny, and Hadji struggling in the grasps of three reptile creatures that stirred a mixture of fear and hatred in the duck.

"Let them go!" Drake growled, starting for the figures

The stocky brown creature laughed. "You want 'em, come and get 'em," he challenged. The six figured were enveloped in a green light before vanishing in thin air.

Drake turned and saw the robots vanish over some boulders. "I'm going after them," he announced before sprinting for the disappearing robots. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

**************************************************

Jonny struggled against the green scaly hands that gripped his arms, hoping to escape. "Let me go!" snarled Jonny, slamming his foot down hard on the green creature's. The creature let out a startled yelp and released Jonny who shoved the creature into the wall.

The blond teen turned and rammed the gaunt creature and Jessie managed to twist free from its grasp. Hadji slipped out of the brown creature's arms and shoved it into the other two creatures.

"Let's get outta here!" cried Jessie, starting for the entrance.

As Jonny and Hadji raced after her, a pair of muscular brown arms wrapped around the boys' waists and lifted them off the ground. "Gotcha!"

Jessie whirled around to see her friends struggling against the brown creature's grip. She stepped towards them to try and free her friends when Jonny glared at her.

"Go find Drake," he ordered. "Move, before you get snagged too!"

"I'll be back," she promised, running towards the entrance. She sprinted for the mouth of the mine when she ran headfirst into an unyielding red and gray wall. Sitting down hard on the ground, Jessie looked up to find a red nightmare in gray battle armor towering over her. The nightmare grabbed the back of her shirt and dragged Jessie back to where the creatures were picking themselves up off the ground.

"You miserable cretins!" he growled, tossing Jessie to the ground. "How do you plan on dealing with one duck when you can't even handle three human brats?"

"They're tricky, Lord Dragaunus," groveled the gaunt creature, leaning on his staff.

Dragaunus glared at the teens. "Take them farther in and tie them securely," he ordered. "Then prepare for a visitor. That blasted Duck can't be far behind."

The green creature grabbed Jessie and together, the teens were dragged deep into the mine before they were tied with some strange glowing cords.

"What do you want from us?" demanded Jessie, her green eyes blazing.

"From you, nothin'," replied the green creature. "You're just bait for a much bigger game." Once they were tied, the creatures left them there with only the glowing crystals for company.

Jessie sighed, dejected. "Sorry I wasn't faster," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Jess," soothed Jonny. "You couldn't have known that a monster was working with those creatures."

"From the way those creatures acted, I would almost say that Lord Dragaunus was in charge," stated Hadji, thoughtfully.

Jonny struggled against his bonds for a few minutes. "I don't know what these things are but I can't get free," he muttered, disgustedly. "Looks like it's up to Drake now." The three teens fell silent as they waited for their friend to rescue them.

**************************************************

Drake crouched behind the ridge and stared at the mine entrance. Two of the robots had taken up positions on either side of the entrance while the rest had vanished inside. Staring at the entrance of the mine sent waves of pure terror dancing down his spine and with an effort, he pushed the fear aside.

This is foolish, he thought, shaking his head. I don't know where the kids are or how many of those robots are hidden in there.

He frowned when he heard a sound so soft, at first he thought he had imagined it. When he heard it again, Drake spun around with his weapon up and tracking. To his surprise, a gray one-eyed duck was standing there with a look of surprise on his face.

"Usually I can get much closer before I'm heard," remarked the duck, crouching down next to Drake.

Drake's vision swam and he furiously shook his head. This was no time for a flashback, too many things were at stake.

"You okay?" asked the duck, concerned.

"I'm fine," Drake lied, returning his attention to the mine entrance. The gray duck shrugged and nodded towards the two robots.

"So what's your plan?" he inquired casually.

Drake sighed. "Those lizards have three friends of mine," he reported, not knowing why he was telling this duck anything. "The problem is, I don't know where they are in that mine or how many of those robots are in there."

The duck glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Looks like the odds have tipped to our favor," he said as four more ducks joined them.

The redhead smiled at Drake and held out a bag. "Here," she offered. "Your pucklauncher must be low." Drake nodded his thanks and began to automatically reload his weapon.

Suddenly, he stopped and glanced around confused. Why was he trusting these total strangers? A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up at the gray duck.

"Always remember, even when you can't remember who your friends are, your heart always knows them," the one-eyed duck murmured.

Drake blinked and finished lading his pucklauncher. "One thing I know for sure," he growled, "three human teenagers are being held captive somewhere in there and it's up to me to rescue them." He scrambled over the boulders and raced for the mine. Firing twice, he destroyed the robots by the entrance and faltered slightly before rushing into the dark tunnel.

There was a startled curse behind him, followed by footfalls, but after a few minutes, Drake had left them behind. The duck raced down several side tunnels for minutes until he slid to a stop inside a large cavern. Glancing around, Drake discovered he was on a ledge that ran around the top of the cavern and as he crept forward, he discovered several more of the robots mining the glowing crystals that covered the walls. The robots were stacking the mined crystals in a large pile off to one side and standing close by was the red terror from his dreams talking with the brown creature.

"...They won't be giving us any more trouble, Lord Dragaunus," announced the brown creature. "Those brats are securely tied up."

"Excellent work, Siege," congratulated Dragaunus, his tail swishing through the shadows around their feet. "And those accused ducks?"

"They were observed entering the mine minutes ago, my lord," stated the gaunt figure, emerging from a nearby tunnel. "But for a few minutes they were crouched behind some boulders talking." He sighed. "I'm afraid we must assume that the amnesia spell has decayed enough to make him a threat to us again."

Dragaunus shrugged. "Then we'll just kill him instead of turning him against his fellow ducks," he remarked before dismissing them with a wave of his had. "Find the ducks and destroy them all." The two lizards vanished and Drake shook his head.

I have to find the kids before Dragaunus kills them, he though making his way across the ledge. He peered into the shadows beneath the ledge and discovered another passageway. The only problem was, Dragaunus was standing only a few feet away wit his back to the passage.

With a silent sigh, Drake anchored a grappling hook between some crystals and cautiously lowered himself over the edge. Smoothly, he slipped down the rope and gently stepped onto the rock-covered floor. He released the rope and sprinted down the corridor, thankful that the noise of the robots muffled any noise that he made. Once again, Drake started his search for the captive teens.

**************************************************

Jessie sighed and leaned back against the crystal covered wall. I hope Drake comes soon, she thought as she glanced around at her friends. Jonny had struggled to get free of his ropes only to end up slicing his sweater several times when he had gotten to close to the various crystals. Meanwhile, Hadji had closed his eyes in meditation and hadn't moved for several minutes.

Suddenly, a red haired duck was kneeling next to Jessie with a knife out. The duck put a finger to her beak and quickly sliced through the strange ropes.

"My name's Mallory," whispered the duck, her voice loud enough to carry to all three teens. "I'm a friend of Wildwing's."

Jonny frowned as he rubbed the circulation back into his wrists.

"Who's Wildwing?" he asked.

Mallory stood up after freeing Hadji and pulled out a gold locket. Flipping the face open, she showed them a picture of her and Drake with their arms around each other. "That's Wildwing," she announced.

Jonny snapped his fingers. "You're Firefly!" he exclaimed. Mallory looked at him surprised as he continued. "Drake was having some nightmare when he woke up shouting for Firefly."

"Let's talk about their love life after we get outta here," stated Jessie, nervously glancing around. Mallory motioned for them to follow her and the quartet crept down the passage.

After several feet, Mallory raised her hand as she drew he weapon and they pressed themselves against the wall. Footsteps echoed down the corridor and Mallory tensed for a confrontation when Drake emerged from behind a clump of crystals.

"Boy are we glad to see you," breathed Jonny, stepping away from the wall.

Just then there was a beeping noise and Mallory flipped open the small device on her wrist "Mallory here," she announced.

"It's Tanya," came the reply as a blond duck's face appeared on the small screen. "This mine is full of beryllium power crystals. One stray shot in this place and the whole mine will go."

"Contact the others and let them know," instructed the redhead. "I've got Wildwing and the hostages. We'll meet you at the entrance." She closed her communit and motioned for the others to follow her. Drake hesitated for a few seconds before following Mallory down the tunnel with the teens close behind.

After several twists and turns, four other ducks joined the five of them and Jessie noticed that these other ducks seemed concerned for Drake. More than once, she spotted a worried look tossed in Drake's direction. Just then, the group stumbled into a large cavern and discovered several robots pointing weapons aimed at them. Jessie glanced behind them only to discover more robots had appeared and surrounded them, effectively blocking their escape rout.

**************************************************

Drake glared at the robots and wished for the umpteenth time for his memories to return. He placed himself between the strangely familiar robots and the teens as he tensed for the onslaught of battle.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" purred a cold voice. Drake looked over as the robots parted to allow Dragaunus through. "It looks like we have caught nine pests in one trap."

"You'll never get away with this," growled Drake.

Dragaunus tossed his head back and laughed. "Take them!" he ordered the robots. The red machines started forward when the ducks raced to confront them.

Drake smashed two robots together before glancing over his shoulder at the startled humans. "Get outta here!" he ordered the teens. "MOVE!" The three raced out of the chamber and Drake found himself tackled from behind. He looked back t find a robot clinging to his legs and he instinctively fired, destroying the robot. The duck climbed to his feet as Dragaunus loomed over him.

"You have spoiled my plans for the last time, Duck!" he spat, grabbing Drake's shoulders. With a growl, Dragaunus tossed the hapless duck into the wall and Drake crumbled to the ground, his head ringing.

He looked up, fighting the pain in his head and struggled to breathe through the agony that had encased his chest. The cave had changed into a red cargo bay and sounds of blasters filled the air. He gazed around as Dragaunus towered over him.

"Now it ends, Duck," announced Dragaunus, raising his wristmounted blaster for the killing shot.

"NO!!!" screamed a harsh voice. Startled, the opponents looked up and he managed to focus his eyes on a feline surrounded by a lavender corona. "The Suarians won't destroy another DuCain as long as I live!" A bolt of lavender energy slammed into Dragaunus, flinging the Saurian away.

Someone knelt by his side and he stared into a pair of shimmering green eyes infused wit power. "Time to go home, DuCain," murmured a gentle voice that blanketed the pain and a lavender light filled his eyes before darkness claimed him.

**************************************************

Mallory gasped as she watched their Team Captain crumple to the ground, unmoving. She swung her puck bazooka into her hands and fired at Dragaunus, knocking him away from the unconscious duck.

"Grin, grab Wing and head for the entrance," she ordered, her mind whirling. "Everyone else, move it NOW!" The Ducks exchanged startled glances before following Mallory's orders. Grin scooped up Wildwing and sprinted for the entrance with the other Ducks close behind. When Mallory was sure the others were clear, she fired at the largest crystal cluster and ran out of the cavern with explosions following in her wake.

When she reached the surface, Mallory was tossed out of the mine by the final explosion that also collapsed the mouth of the cave. Dimly, Mallory heard voices calling out but she was in no shape to answer since she was just barely holding onto consciousness.

"Mallory! Are you all right, Sweetheart?" asked Duke, helping her sit up.

She opened her eyes and managed a weak grin. "I hurt too much to be dead," she confessed, resisting the urge to close her eyes again.

A shadow fell over her and the two Ducks looked up to find the dark skinned teen standing there. "Thank you for your assistance in ridding my country of that menace," he announced with a bow. "I extend my hospitality to you for the duration of your recovery."

"Thank you," replied Mallory, slowly rising to her feet. She swayed unsteadily until Duke grabbed her arms to keep her upright.

"I think we'd better accept his invitation, Sweetheart," he muttered.

Mallory glanced around and noticed the bruises and cuts on her teammates. "We accept," she told the boy.

He grinned. "If you will follow me, I will escort you to my home, Miss Mallory," he instructed, starting down the mountain. The Ducks slowly followed the teen and Mallory leaned on Duke for support during the hike.

"Where are your friends?" inquired Tanya, glancing around.

"They went on ahead to instruct my servants to prepare your rooms," stated the teen, his dark eyes flashing in the sun.

Duke's gaze narrowed. "Just who are you?" he demanded, wary.

"Forgive me for not introducing my self," he apologized. "I am Hadji Singh, Sultan of Bangalore." As soon as the worlds left his mouth, a company of soldiers scrambled over the rocks to meet them.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" asked the lead guard.

"I am uninjured, Captain," announced Hadji. "Thanks to my friends here." He didn't even blink as the soldiers formed an escort around them as they continued down the mountain.

Mallory stumbled over a few rocks in the path and Duke scooped her up in his arms. She tried to focus her eyes as someone far off called her name, but her eyes closed and she drifted off into unconsciousness.

**************************************************

Duke felt Mallory's body fall limp and quickly picked up the pace. "Tanya!" he called. "Mal's unconscious!"

Instantly, Tanya was at his side and quickly checked Mallory out. She did a quick scan with hr Omnitool before sighing in relief and glancing at the others. "She's exhausted," announced the blond. "She'll be fine after some decent sleep."

The group continued down the mountain and when they reached the bottom, they were greeted by Benton, Race, Jessie, Jonny, and an elderly Indian woman.

"Mother, you should be resting," Hadji remarked, embracing the woman before turning to the Ducks. "This is my mother, Neela. She rules Bangalore when I am not here."

Neela gestured for them to enter the Palace. "I will show you to your rooms and send for a doctor to care for your wounded," she announced as they started down a richly decorated hall.

"Thank you, Your Highness," replied Duke, nodding his head in respect. Neela pushed open the first set of doors they came to and motioned for Grin and Duke to place their burdens on the beds.

"Your rooms are along this hall," Neela stated as Duke and Grin rejoined their teammates. She put Nosedive in the next room while Duke was across the hall. Tanya was next to Nosedive and Grin was placed

beside Duke. "I will send for the physician to tend to your friends' injuries."

"Your Highness, thank you, but we would feel better if Tanya could examine them," Nosedive said, gesturing to the blond duck. Neela nodded and Tanya entered the room with the other Ducks. She quickly examined the two Ducks before turning to the others.

"Mallory's fine," she reported in a quiet voice. "Just asleep. Wildwing has a knot on his head where he struck the wall, but he should be fine. I just wish Jellica was here so we knew how decayed the amnesia spell is."

Nosedive sighed. "Well we won't know until after he wakes up and starts talking to us," he muttered, shaking his head. "Until then, there's nothing we can really do."

Tanya and Grin left the room but Duke glanced back as Nosedive stretched out on a nearby couch. "And what do you think you're doing?" inquired the older duck.

"I'm gonna keep an eye on them," protested the teen with a yawn. Duke grabbed Nosedive's arm and dragged him across the hall to the room Neela had given the teen.

"Let Mallory and Wildwing sleep," ordered Duke. "I know how close you and Wing are, but he needs to recover in his own time." Turning, Duke left him alone and Nosedive sat down on the edge of the bed.

I'll just take a quick nap before checking on Wing and Mal, he thought as his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

**************************************************

Sighing, Tanya sat down beneath the tree outside her room, and for the first time since Wildwing had vanished, she was able to relax. A shadow fell over her and she looked up to find Dr. Benton Quest standing there.

"Mind if I join you?" he inquired. When she shook her head, he eased himself down to sit next to her in the shade. For several minutes, neither said anything before Benton glanced over at her. "I'm glad we arrived in time to help your friend, Wildwing."

"I'm just glad we found him," she replied, leaning her head back against the tree.

"Even if he hasn't fully regained his memories?"

"Yes. Even if he's still missing his memories." At Benton's amazed look, she smiled briefly. "You have to understand, Dr. Quest, that we have been living together for over a year on Earth and we've become as close as a family."

Benton leaned forward and gazed at Tanya with a curious look on his face. "What was it like on your planet?" he inquired. "And why did you leave?"

Tanya closed her eyes against the pain and took a deep breath. "Puckworld was a wonderful place to live," she began, slowly. "It was covered in snow and ice for three fourths of the year, and the average temperature was between negative forty to about fifty degrees Fahrenheit. The rest of the year was dry and as uncomfortable for us as your summer is to you."

"Uncomfortable but bearable," stated Benton.

"We didn't know any other way," she replied. "I'm not saying that it was perfect, but we were content. Then the nightmare began." Tanya turned her blue eyes towards Benton. "Our legends and myths came to life and conquered our planet. We weren't prepared to defend ourselves against Lord Dragaunus and his robots. He enslaved the unlucky one and the rest were either killed or escaped into the Resistance with what was left of the military. Wildwing and Nosedive are lucky to have each other since many families were separated and sent to either factory camps or mining camps. I lost Kenny in a hunter drone ambush." She looked down at her hands before blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Canard put us together to form a strike team and we were able to drive Dragaunus off of Puckworld and we've been here ever since, preventing him from conquering this planet and doing the same thing to Earth that he did to Puckworld."

"Astonishing," murmured Benton. "And you have been carrying on this war for the past year? With no help whatsoever?"

"Humans only see what they want to see," countered Tanya. "And we have had some help. Dr. Huggarman, Thrash, Mook, Buzz Blitzman, and various others have helped us defeat Dragaunus in one way or another."

Benton stood up and held a hand out to her. "Well, let's go inside and talk about science instead of battles, hm?" he invited. Tanya allowed Benton to help her up and together they reentered the Palace.

**************************************************

Slowly, awareness crept over him and he opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight that filtered into the room. Pain lanced through his skull and he hissed in surprise as he touched the knot on the back of his head. Sitting up, he glanced around and smiled when his eyes fell on Mallory's sleeping form.

She must have had a hard time with Phil, he thought, standing up. A slow grin crept across his face as he realized what had happened.

"Looks like Dragaunus did me a favor when he threw me into that wall," he muttered. "But next time, he's the one peeling himself off the wall." He activated the quick-change sequence and once the light had faded, he was dressed in his usual jeans and shirt with the Mask on his face. He walked over to a wash stand and poured some water into the polished bowl. Removing the Mask, he washed the dust and sweat off his face before patting the feathers dry with a nearby towel. Placing the Mask in the pouch attached to his belt, he walked over to the large windows that lead to the garden and quietly slipped out into the sunlight.

He strolled through the garden at his own leisure when he spotted Benton and Tanya heading back for the palace. Ducking behind a tree, he watched as they vanished into the palace before he made his way deeper into the garden. Finally, he came to a fountain merrily shooting water up into the air and he stared into the depths with questions running through his mind. Unfortunately, the water held no answers for him and he scooped up a few pebbles scattered around the fountain and tossed one into the blue depts.

"There is something troubling you?" inquired a soft voice.

Startled, he looked up to find an elderly Indian woman standing there with a strange blue falcon on her shoulder. She smiled at him and reached up to stroke the falcon.

"Who are you?" he inquired, more curious than alarmed. Something about this woman seemed to ease all his fears.

"I am Neela and this is Haresh," she stated with a small nod of her head.

He bowed. "Please excuse me for not realizing that you were Hadji's mother," he begged. "And you're right. There is something troubling me." At her silent gaze he continued. "Three weeks ago, Mallory and I were out on a date when we were attacked by the Saurians. The same ones that attacked you and kidnapped Hadji and his friends. They took me to their ship and I managed to fight my way to freedom. Unfortunately, because of the battle, I somehow wound up with amnesia and for the past three week, I've been trying to regain my memories with the help of Dr. Quest and his family."

"And now?" prompted Neela, sitting on a nearby bench. Her eyes never left him.

He sighed. "During this last battle with Dragaunus, when he threw me against the cave wall, I managed to regain the last of my missing memories," he confessed. "But I don't know how to return to the team. They've spent the past three weeks without me and from what it looks like, they've done rather well without me to lead them."

Neela gazed at him with a curious look on her face. "What is your name?" she asked suddenly.

"Wildwing Bouvier," he replied, glancing down at his hand where the blue jewel in his ring seemed to glow in the sunlight.

"It fits you," mused Neela with a small smile. "But getting back to your problem. How do you know that they don't need you? The young lady with red hair seemed absolutely exhausted and it probably wasn't easy for her to fill your position while the rest of the country was out looking for you." At his startled look, she nodded. "Hadji and Dr. Quest told me everything. Your friends broke into the Saurians' ship and discovered that during your battle for freedom, the one called the Wraith cast some kind of amnesia spell on you. They held a press conference and told the entire United States that you were missing and that you had amnesia. They were desperate to get you back. Miss Vanderquack even told Dr. Quest that they were happy to have found you, even if you hadn't fully regained your memories. To me it sounds like they care for you as members of a family care for each other."

He sighed and shrugged. "I suppose so," he admitted. "But how do I tell them that I've broken the Wraith's spell?" he asked, frustrated.

"How about open your beak and tell us?" suggested a new voice. Startled, he spun around to find Mallory standing there. She had a slight smile on her face and despite the dark circles under her eyes, she was one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen. "Besides, if you don't come back to the team, who's going to keep me from killing Phil one of these days?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "I guess I'm just being foolish," he remarked.

"I guess," agreed Mallory, slipping her hand into his. "Now, let's go tell the others before Duke wears a hole in the floors." He let her drag him back to the palace and his waiting friends.

**************************************************

That evening, a happy group gathered around the dinner table and chatter filled the air. Wildwing and Nosedive were dredging up embarrassing memories about each other while everyone listened in amusement.

"Excuse me, but you're the one that made a cake for Mom," protested Nosedive, his blue eyes sparkling. He turned to Mallory. "Wing started out with a recipe for a cake and he ended up holding crumbs together with three cans of icing instead."

Wildwing leveled a finger at his younger brother. "Don't force me to bring up your birthday gift to Dad that one year," he threatened, good-naturedly. Fresh peals of laughter rose from the table as Nosedive ducked his head in mock defeat.

Suddenly, Tanya's Omnitool beeped and everyone looked at her as she opened her communit to establish a link with Drake One. "Drake One's picked up some weird energy signature coming from outside of Anaheim," she reported.

"Let's move!" barked Wildwing, already rising from the table. He turned to Neela and Hadji. "Please excuse us, but duty calls." Together, the six Ducks raced out of the Palace and the humans gathered around the window as the Aerowing too off into the night sky.

Benton glanced down at his son. "You're awful quiet," he remarked, thoughtfully.

"I guess I just got use to Drake, I mean Wildwing, being around," confessed Jonny with a shrug. "Now he's back where he belongs and I wonder if we'll ever hear from him again."

Race chuckled. "I imagine that all we have to do is read the sports section of the newspaper if we want to keep tabs on him and his friend," he stated, laying a reassuring hand on Jonny's shoulder. "Now let's finish dinner before it gets cold on us." Together, they returned to the table an their conversations turned to other matters. Jonny took one last look out the window at the star covered sky and silently wished Wildwing only the best of luck before joining in on the conversations.

The End.

"At The Beginning" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis.