New Moments
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: It's been a year since Missie was sent away. A year today....and she's about to make a comeback.
WARNINGS: Violence.
DISCLAIMER: I NO OWN. NO MONEY. NO SUE.
The team sat silent around the kitchen table. Silence pervaded everywhere, nobody eating, nobody moving.
The silence was broken suddenly by a sigh, and Tanya breathed, “Today’s a year.”
No one had to ask what she meant. They knew. A year since the day her mother-in-law had taken her twin daughters away, to a time that would be safe for them to grow up in, a time where Dragaunus’ constant threat didn’t loom over their every breath.
Taking them away had been well justified –only a year and a half before that Tanya’s first child had left for the same reason, and Dragaunus had made serious threats.
The team had delicately avoided talking about the twins for the past year, but that didn’t mean they weren’t affected by them. Tanya had been more quiet, and sighed an awful lot. The rest of the team had gone easy on her and had tried to accept her Saurian hybrid husband, Tolaïna, as one of them.
Oddly enough, though the one who had taken it the hardest was Nosedive. He’d taken well to the twins, playing with them, reading to them, even staying behind from missions to watch them. Like all hybrid children they’d advanced faster than any normal duck child would, and by the time they were 6 months old they’d been running all over the Pond, and talking ion short sentences. Both of them, their first word had been ‘Diey’. Nosedive. Divey.
“Y’know,” Duke said softly, with a lost tone to his voice, “I miss the little tykes.”
“They’ll come back,” Tolaïna said gently. “Eventually. When it’s safe.”
“It’ll never be safe!” Nosedive exploded, throwing back his chair and running from the room.
Silence met his outburst, and sheepishly they returned to staring at the table.
***
Nosedive hurried down the street, hands shoved deep in his pockets.
It had been hard enough to pretend everything was normal especially today, without them talking like that. Did they honestly think they were making it easier?
He kicked a pop can along the sidewalk, then in a fit of anger, picked it up and threw it blindly, as far as he could.
“Shouldn’t do that,” a female voice said lightly. “Someone might get hurt.”
He spun angrily, ready to rap them out for telling what to do, but instead, he froze.
The female voice was a duck. She leaned casually on a telephone pole, looking completely at ease in black leather. She had pale peach feathers, long, blonde hair that oddly reminded him of his own, and blazing green emerald eyes that seemed to say morn than any voice ever could. Something about her seemed oddly…familiar.
She smiled lightly an awkward kind of smile. “Mad at someone?”
“Huh? Wha-” He stumbled over his words. A duck-here?!
“You seem mad at someone.” She shrugged. “The fact you were throwing things is a pretty good indicator.”
“Woah!” he held up his hands. “How’d you get here?!”
“You mean a duck from Puckworld on Earth?” She shrugged again. “Friends in hugh places. Or low places.” She looked thoughtful. “ See it as you will. An old friend brought me here. Said I wasn’t doing any good where I was.”
He shook his head sharply. “But who are you?!”
She smirked suddenly and detached herself form the telephone pole. “Incoming call Dive. I gotta go.”
“Wha-”he began but his comm. Beeped. He flipped it open quickly and Wildwing’s face appeared. “Nosedive we-”
“Wing!” Nosedive interrupted. “There’s another duck! Here! In Anaheim!”
“What!” Wildwing cried. “Who? Where?!”
“She’s right-” Nosedive looked up, to see a completely empty street. “Hey! She’s gone! Don’t worry Wing! I’m sure I can catcher!”
“Dive! Are you sure she-” Wildwing voice was interrupted by Nosedive slamming his comm. Shut and taking off running. He swung into an alley, sure he heard giggling, and dashed onto a side street a moment late, certain her saw a flash of blonde hair and black leather. At last though, panting and with a stitch in his side he slowed and stopped. The duck was nowhere to be seen.
“Where are you?” he demanded frivolously of the silence.
A voice whispered in his ear law and soft and sweet. “Oh Divey. Don’t you know who I am?”
“Where are you?” Nosedive yelled after turning to find there was no one behind him.
“Not there obviously,” she whispered.
“Then who are you?” He spun in circles fists clenched.
“Divey. You know me,” she sighed. “Don’t you?”
“Who are you?!” he repeated, yelling this time.
“If you have to ask, you’ll have to find out for yourself.”
Nosedive seethed, his teeth grit. “Show yourself!” He screamed.
No answer
Suddenly the voice gasped. “Run! They’re coming!”
“Who?” he demanded.
“The Saurians!”
Then as if someone invisible had grabbed his hand, he found himself running faster than he would have thought possible.
Abruptly, he was brought up short in an ally, against a brick wall.
“Opps.” The voice whispered, sounding like doom. “Uhoh.”
Nosedive spun at that thought, and found the silhouettes of Seige, Chameleon, and several Puckerdrones at the mouth of the alley.
“Ho ho,” Seige laughed. “Looks like we caught ourselves a live one!”
“Fight them!” the girls voice hissed.
“How?” he hissed out of the side of his beak. “I haven’t got any weapons!”
“Yes you do! You just have to remember!”
“Remember what?” he growled, as Seige and Chameleon exchanged glances at his apparent talking to himself.
“Remember falling form the statue of Drake DuCaine.” the voice said gently. “Remember what happened.”
Nosedive did remember what had happened. He’d climbed to the top of the massive stature of Drake DuCaine to see if he could see Wildwing. And he’d slipped. But as he’d fallen to a sure death a blue energy had surrounded him, and his fall was slowed enough so that he merely broke several bones. But oddly enough those had all been healed by the time Wildwing found him, about an hour later.
He backed up as the Saurians began to advance. “But how do I use that?” he hissed.
“You don’t need to know how,” she hissed angrily. “Just use it!”
But there was no more time for talk, because Seige suddenly lunged forward, to crush him.
Nosedive leapt out of the w2ay, and dogged Chameleon. But this wasn’t any different then what he always did, sans weapons. How was that weird thing that had happened once supposed to help him here now?
A weird sensation, a buzzing in his mind, made him spin around. Seige had drawn a blasted and was just about to fire.
Nosedive gasped, and instinctively threw his hand up in front of his face.
Seige fired! Nosedive closed his eyes.
Nosedive cried out as the blast touched his hands but there it stopped. He opened his eyes slowly, and his jaw dropped. A bluish energy surrounded his hands, and siege and Chameleon stood there, looking stoned.
He blinked and the energy disappeared. Startled, Seige lumbered back into action, firing again.
This time he kept his eyes open, and this time the was less of an accident, and more of a conscious act. And this time that energy stayed there, and as siege repeatedly fired, Nosedive just put his hands wherever he needed to stop it, watching in fascination as the energy absorbed the blasts.
At last Seige gave that up in disgust. He whipped the weapon at Nosedive in a more primitive means of injury.
It worked. Nosedive was caught off guard, and the gun slammed into his shoulder. He let out a cry, and the energy instantly disappeared.
His left arm went completely numb, but he had no time to feel sorry for himself- he had to keep moving.
Unfortunately Seige caught him off guard again, and Nosedive fell on his back when the Saurain’s tail swept his feet out from under him.
Nosedive rolled quickly out of the way and struggled to his feet.
“Going to make this difficult for yourself are we?” Seige growled, ginning like nobody’s business.
Nosedive grit his teeth, and continued to fight off both their attacks, but he was getting weaker, and he’d made a grave mistake.
He’d forgotten about the Puckerdrones.
So when a clawed hand swung down, sending him falling unconscious to the ground, he didn’t know what hit him.
***
Wildwing tried repeatedly to reach Nosedive but it was no use. “He’s probably taken it off,” he growled to himself. “I just hope he’s alright.”
***
Nosedive refused to open his eyes. ‘If I don’t open them’, he thought. ‘It won’t be real.’
But it was real. His back ached, his head ached, his mouth felt bloody, and he couldn’t feel a good part of his left side. Definitely real.
At last, afraid of what might happen if he didn’t, Nosedive opened his eyes.
And couldn’t see anything. He struggled for a while, and finally sat up, his right hand going to his face. Ahh. That would be it. He was blindfolded. He began to take it off, when he froze. Raspy, laboured breathing sounded very close to him, and a dry, raspy voice said, “I wouldn’t do that, it I were you.”
He felt clawed hands touch his face, and the blindfold was shifted, so he could se. And found himself staring into Wraith’s face.
“It’s a bandage to stop that head wound,” Wraith growled. “Against Dragaunus’ best judgment, but I told him it was my problem, not his.”
Nosedive swallowed down a scream of terror, and stammered, “H-how…Why?”
“Why?” Wraith sniffed and dragged himself to his feet. “Because it would be helpful to know how the duck mind ticks.”
“Wha-”Nosedive began, than stopped. “I don’t get it.”
“You are different from the other ducks.” Wraith grinned toothily. “Younger, more impressionable. You have powers the other duck couldn’t dream of.” He smirked. “Powers like mine. You can be swayed, I’m sure to be a powerful ally.”
“Woah! Little too Star Wars there!” Nosedive started backing up. “I will never join the dark-ahh!” He cried out in agony, and doubled over as stabs of pain went through the left side of his body. “All that from a hit on the shoulder?” he groaned, trembling.
Wraith surveyed him quietly. “I could help that of course and I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse. However, I’m not in the habit of helping enemies.”
“What about the head?” Nosedive growled. “I suppose that’s not helping?”
“It hardly does good to have your prospective apprentice die on you does it?” He straightened. “I’ll let you think about it.”
“Yeah.” Nosedive growled. He looked up suddenly and addressed that duck who’d been giving him advice. “Some help you were! Now look where being different got me.
***
“Well?” Dragaunus demanded. “Nothing yet, my Lord,” Wraith conceded, “But he’s swaying. The pain helps.”
“This had better work,” Dragaunus growled pacing restlessly. “That young duck may be our only way of getting at Wildwing. And you’ve seen what the ducks are like without their leader.”
Wraith smirked slightly. “I’ll get him.”
***
Nosedive lay, sleeping, in fitful dreams.
They were nightmares-nightmares he hadn’t had since he was a kid. Nightmares with Saurians, Dragaunus, war, death, and oddly enough, that blonde duck. They were nightmares that told him exactly what was going to happen.
And it wasn’t pretty.
He woke suddenly, sitting up abruptly, panting. “Wing! Wing!” He called out into the darkness tears streaming down his face “Wing!?!”
“Hey, hey, Dive! What’s the matter?” 9year old Wildwing hurried to his brother’s side. “Are you alright?”
Around the room, other children were waking up, and grumbling and laughing at him, but Nosedive didn’t care.
“Wing! Daunis! Daunis is coming!” He shook with a heavy sob, and tears streamed down his face. “Wing, Daunis is com’n! He gonna hurt us bad! Me real bad, Wing!” Nosedive shuddered. “He gonna hurt my back, wing, Daunis gonna hurt me! The Sauins gonna come!”
Wildwing sighed, and pushed his little brother back. “Nosedive it was a dream. Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep.”
“But they com’n; Wing they com’n!” Nosedive persisted, sleepily now.
“Of course,” Wildwing sighed. “Of course.”
Years away, the older Nosedive sat up with a speed that made him gasp in pain. Of course! Why hadn’t he remembered?!
“I knew what was going to happen,” he breathed. “Years ago. I knew about the Saurians, Dragaunus, my back…” His face clouded over. His back. A sadistic Saurian had beat him over the back with the handle of a pickaxe several times before he had been stopped by an overseer. He’d been in the infirmary for weeks over that and the beating had left odd scars on his back. Scars no one knew he had not even Wildwing.
He closed his eyes, and tears leaked out of his eyes. “Why?” he demanded of the darkness. “Why?!”
***
Dragaunus stood, Impatient, waiting. No one spoke in the silence, when suddenly the door to the command chamber swung open and Seige burst in, half-dragging Nosedive.
“Let go of me, ya’lug!” Nosedive yelled, and Seige abruptly did making Nosedive sprawl to the floor at Dragaunus’ feet.
“So this is the duck that Wraith speaks so highly of.” Dragaunus sneered “Looks like a rat to me.”
Nosedive drug himself to his knees, and glared at Dragaunus supporting himself on his good arm. “What’s it to you?”
Dragaunus un-expectly swept down to a predatory crouch, and Nosedive nervously backed away. “To tell the truth you mean nothing to me. I just want to kill you all. Wraith, however, believes there is a way we can turn you to our side so you’ll fight against you’re team-mates.”
Nosedive’s face twisted. “Never!”
“No, I didn’t think so.” Dragaunus stood. “Kill him.”
Seige grinned revealing razor teeth, and started towards dive ads Dragaunus turned his back to walk away.
Oddly enough, though, Nosedive suddenly felt the oddest feeling of calm, and struggled to his feet. A voice inside him, not the girl’s, but another, his own, the voice of him as a young child, hissed. “The weapon! It’s here! Inside! You’ve just forgotten!” Nosedive raised his right hand, and flexed his fingers.
He closed his eyes, and concentrated on that part of himself, inside.
Nosedive’s eyes snapped open and he held his hand forward. As if formoring out of black light, something long and thin began to form in his hand-and grow. Exploding out from somewhere deep inside him until he held a long double-sided, jet-black sword.
Seige hesitated, unsure what to do when faced with that.
Fighting to stay on his feet, Nosedive squared his shoulders, and held the sword at ready. At least if he was going to die, he was going out with a flourish.
Making up his mind, Seige started towards the duck again. He would be easy enough to defeat, even with that sword.
“What’s going on?” A voice suddenly said, and even the Puckerdrones and Dragaunus turned to see who had said it.
The female duck stood in the doorway, a rather surprised look on her face. Then she saw Nosedive and the sword, and her face lit up. “I know you’d find it,” she breathed. He shouldn’t have been able to hear her but he did. Then suddenly, she whispered, “Catch me, Divey.”
IT was if She’d opened a floodgate. It suddenly clicked. The mischievous green eyes, the unruly blonde hair, the giggle, the nickname, the soft voice, the awkward smile.
He staggered, and whispered her name like a revelation. “Missie.”
Thunderstruck, he sank to his knees. It couldn’t be … not his little Missie … hybrids didn’t grow that fast … it wasn’t possible …
Wraith had apparently came to the same conclusion. “Missie!? You’re – you’re back!”
“Certainly,” she said, then noticed how Nosedive wavered, the sword slipping form his fingers and slowly fading. “Divey!”
She raced across the room, hair flying, and caught Nosedive just as he was about to fall.
“Missie,” he gasped. “You’re … you’re here. You did come back.”
Her emerald eyes hardened, and she turned a furious-eye on Dragaunus. “Tough him again and I’ll kill you.”
“I never toughed him,” he pointed out, looking at her coldly. “Guards!” The Puckerdrones snapped to attention. “Kill them. Both of them.”
As the drones moved forward, she pulled Nosedive close to her and snarled, “This isn’t the end, Dragaunus. I’ll be back.”
Then she began to glow, and so did Nosedive. The drones paused, and suddenly, both ducks disappeared, just like that.
***
Tanya walked into the infirmary, and froze. Someone with long blonde hair stood at the far end of the room,, looking as though they were tending to someone on the medi-bed.
“Hey!” Tanya yelled, and startled, the person turned. It was a duck, female, and at Tanya’s appearance she looked around frantically, as though looking for an exit. “Hey! Hold on! Who are you?!”
The duck gave her a nervous look, then burst past her, and raced through the door. “Hey!” Tanya yelled after her. “Come back!”
There was a groan behind her and Tanya spun. “Nosedive?!”
He lay on the medi-bed, and she was shocked to see he was neatly bandaged, and a partially finished diagnosis of his side, which said it was numb, on the computer.
“Nosedive! Are you all right? What did that duck do to you?’
“Do to me?” he snorted. “Nothing except save my life.. Nothing much.”
***
Missie sprinted down the corridor, then turned a corner and ran smack into something as large and as hard as a wall.
“Ouch! When’d they put a wall there?’
She looked up from her new vantage on the floor, and froze. “Grin!”
“And who might you be?’ Gin intoned.
“A visitor. Just on my way out.” She leapt up, but Gin was surprisingly fast, and caught her arm.
“Not so fast. You’re not going anywhere until you talk to Wildwing.”
“Great,” she groaned. “Just what I needed.” And Grin led her politely, but firmly to the Ready Room.
Wildwing looked up in surprise as the entered and stood up sharply. “Who’s this?”
“A vis-” Grin began, but he was interrupted by Wildwing’s comm beeping.
“Yes?” He almost snapped.
“Wildwing!” Tanya looked worried. “Nosedive is back! A female duck brought him here, and Nosedive’s claiming she saved him from the Saurians!”
“Nosedive’s back?’ he sighed with relief. “Is he alright?”
“UH-Well, he’s beat up pretty bad, but-uh- I’d say he’ll be fine.” Tanya paused. “But that duck, Wildwing she took off fast! If you hurry…”
“We’ve already got her.” He fixed a steady eye on Missie, who squirmed. “Wildwing out.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So. Who are you?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, and it’s a really long story.”
He didn’t blink. “I have time. Try me.”
She sighed. “if we discuss this in the infirmary then at least Nosedive can verify my story?”
“Done.”
***
“How did you get to Earth?” Mallory asked suspiciously.
Missie sat on a biobed, legs swinging. “An old friend brought me here.” She paused. “Well, technically he’s an enemy now, and he doesn’t know I came, but that’s beside the point.”
“Who is this, ‘old friend’?” Wildwing pressed.
“Wraith,” she said lightly. “I snuck aboard the Raptor and reprogrammed the Dimensional gateway so you’d come here, not to limbo. I’ve been hiding on it for the last 3years.”
“Why?” Duck demanded. “Why not come out and join us?’
“Weeelll…” She twisted a strand of her hair nervously. “Ever heard of a temporal paradox?”
The team looked at her blankly, except for Tanya who said, “Time-travel where you go to either the past or the future, and inadvertedly run into yourself. Anne used to run that risk a lot.”
“Precisely!” Missie grinned. “I couldn’t come out because there was too big a risk for temporal paradox!”
“You mean, you’re here on Earth somewhere?” Wildwing asked slowly.
“Not anymore. I haven’t been for a year. And you know that.” She grinned mischievously.
“How could we?’ Tanya demanded.
“Yeah. We don’t even know who ya’ are?’ Duke put hands on his hips.
She smiled, and pulled herself up so she sat primly on the biobed. Then in a little childish voice, she sang, “ I’m a little teapot short an’ stout, ‘ere is ma handle, ‘ere is ma spout. When I get all teamed up hear me sout-tipi me over an’ pour me out!”
“Missie?” Tanya breathed remembering how her daughter had done that on her first birthday a surprise for her mother.
“In the feather,” she grinned.
“Impossible!” Tolaïna gasped. “How-”
“ You sent me to the past to grow up,” she beamed. “I did. And now I’m back.”
“Missie!” Tanya gave her daughter a huge hug. “We’ve missed you.” Tanya cried into her daughter’s hair.
“I’ve missed you too,” Missie replied, though less emotionally. She released Tanya, and said softly, “I-I was wondering if I was allowed to come back.”
“Allowed!” Tolaïna took his daughter’s hand and squeezed. “Of course! You must!”
“I think it’s Wildwing’s decision,” Missie said softly.
“Well..” Wildwing paused.
Nosedive, for the first time since the investigation had began, spoke up. “If you don’t let her stay Wing, I’m getting up and leaving with her.”
“Nosedive!” Mallory gasped. “What are you saying?”
Nosedive set his jaw. “She saved my life, she helped me remember things I thought were dreams, and -pardon my language- this last years been a living hell without her”
“Nosedive…” Wildwing began, but Nosedive interrupted him.
“Listen to me!” He yelled, dragging himself into a sitting position. “Remember that fall from the head of the statue of Drake DuCaine? I should be dead, Wing! But she made me remember what happened! I was why I didn’t die! And remember the dreams, Wing? The nightmares about Daunis and the Sauians!? That was Dragaunus and the Saurians, Wing! I dreamed about them when I was little! Wing I knew the Saurians invasion was coming! And Missie knew I knew that!” He took a deep breath. “Send her away, you’re sending me away. I’m going with her.”
“Nosedive,” Missie said softly, but Nosedive held up a hand to stop her.
“I’m not living with out you again.”
Missie looked helplessly to Wildwing and shrugged.
Wildwing ground his teeth. “Alright. You can stay. But you’ll be expected to hold up your end of the bargin, and be a full-fledged team member.”
“Great!” She ginned. “I can play hockey too, if that’s important.”
Wildwing smiled slightly. “then you’d better join our practise this afternoon, 4:30. On the dot.”
Missie nodded. “”Be there.”
Wildwing paused. “We-uh-we left your rooms the way they were. They’re still attached to Tanya and Tolaïna’s too… we’ll change that if you’d like.”
“Thanks,” she said gratefully. “I appreciate that.”
“Hey,” Tanya said lightly. “I’ll bring you to your room.” She wrapped her arm around Missie’s shoulder. “Okay?”
Missie smiled slightly. “Sure.”
Tanya led Missie out of the infirmary and into the hallway, Tolaïna trailing behind them. “We’ve really missed you, honey,” Tanya said. “Nothing’s been the same. We’re glad you’re back.”
Tanya hit the button to the sliding door and the stepped into Missie’s room. “Yuck,” Missie groaned. “I forgot the room was done in pink.”
She looked around the room, and stooped to pick up a soft, downy brown bear. “I remember this. Donnell.” She looked around and smiled wistfully. “It’s been along time.”
“It has,” Tolaïna smiled. “Missie -out of curiosity- what about Joy?”
“She’s on Puckworld,” Missie said cheerfully, sinking into the dusty rocking chair in the corner. “So’s Christé for that matter.”
“So you…” Tanya paused. “You know she’s your-your sister then?’
“Yep. Although we didn’t find out for centuries.” She turned until she was laying on her back on the chair her legs dandling over the back. “Anne seemed rather reluctant to tell us, as it was.”
Tanya leaned forward. “What happened to Anne? Other than the times she picked up you and Christé. I haven seen her since the wedding.”
“That would be because she’s dead.”
Missie said lightly, jumping out of the rocking chair and poking around the rest of the room. “She time travelled from the past to bring us there, so she was still alive then but she’s been dead for about 13 years now.” She picked up a figurine and tossed it lazily form hand to hand. Tanya froze but she suddenly saw that even though Missie treated it with recklessness, there was no way that figurine was going to fall. The girl seemed far too in control.
“She’s-she’s dead?!” Tolaïna gasped, staggering back a step.
Missie spun to look at him, and her face lost its diamond hard control. “I forgot-” emotionally she paused. “I forgot you didn’t know.” She bit her beak, then suddenly hugged her father. “I’m sorry. I forgot. I forgot that you still…” her voice faded off.
“It’s alright.” Tolaïna soothed, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Now is a time for celebration, not mourning. Now let’s-let’s fix up this room, shall we?’
***
Wildwing frowned as he saw Missie remove her helmet, letting out masses of sweaty matted hair.
He had never seen anyone play hockey like she did. She skated less like a hockey player and more like a speed skater, even having to put her fingers on the ice to avoid falling over when she turned. And with a stick – she used it less like a hockey stick and more like a sword! She had a strange hack and slash technique, with sizzling slap shots that left his hand sore after stopping them with the glove. She was extremely unpredictable, which was good for a hockey player.
“Missie-” he started, then paused.
“Yes?” she turned to face him cocking her head to one side. She’d taken off her practice jersey, and stood there in her gear.
He closed his eyes, then began again. “Missie, you’re a good player, a little unorthodox, but a good player.”
“Thanks,” she grinned.
“So…” he cleared his throat. “Do you mind being a back up player for us?”
Her face lit up. “Thanks Wildwing! I won’t let you down!”
***
Duke walked down the hall, whistling cheerfully when her turned the corner and ran smack dab into someone. “Whoops, sorry,” he said quickly.
“My fault,” the other said quickly, and he realised it was Missie, decked out in a sweat suit.
“Watcha doin’?” he asked, trying to sound polite, not interrogating.
She shrugged. “Though I’d get a good work out in. I have time.”
Duke checked his watch. “Mind if I join you?”
“Sure.”
They walked silently the rest of the way to the gym, and there, Duke set to bench pressing, and Missie attacked the punching bag.
Duke watched her out of the corner of his eye, watching as she punched and kicked the bag like it was a Saurian. He’d never seen anyone quite so fierce.
He abandoned the pretence of working out, and stood a short distance away from her, watching. ‘She’d a graceful fighter,’ he thought, smirking slightly. ‘A good-looking fighter.’
“Fight on Puckworld much?” he asked, breaking the silence.
She turned to look at him, soaked with sweat. “Yeah, actually. The military, the resistance. The Brotherhood.”
His eyes widened. “You were in the Brotherhood?”
“Yep.” She brushed dripping hair out of her face, and sighed. “Long, long time age.”
“Think you’ve still got it?” he smirked.
“What, you think you can beat me?” She crossed her arms, looking amused.
“Hand to hand combat,” Duke grinned, taking off his saber and grappling hook and setting them by the wall. “Remove all possible weapons.”
She paused for a moment, then from her pant waist removed a saber, and removed the necklace from around her neck. It was a silver duck mask pendent on a black cord, and she seemed to be extra careful with it.
They stood on the mats at the centre of the room, hands on hips in the traditional Brotherhood fashion, facing each other coolly.
“Rank,” Missie barked.
“Leader of the Brotherhood,” Duke said calmly. “Rank.”
“Honour Blade. Leader’s apprentice.” Missie said equally coolly.
Duke gave a low, admiring whistle. “Not bad.”
“Higher’s right,” Missie said lightly. “First hit is yours.”
Duke began to circle slowly, Missie moving with him, so they still remained across from each other. “So, who was Brotherhood leader in your time?” He suddenly shot across from the floor and slammed a punch at her chin.
His knuckles met Missie’s forearms in a block, and she said lightly. “Karien Jetfeather.”
“Hmm,” he said as he blocked a blow to his gut. “Was he a good teacher?”
“Oof!” Missie caught a glancing blow to her shoulder. “Good enough.”
“Meaning?’ He ducked under her knocking her off her feet but she gave a scissor kick that sanded him to the mats.
“Meaning he taught me all he could before he died.” Missie said as she snapped back to her feet.
“Still in the Brotherhood when he died?” Duke asked, flipping her off her feet so she landed with a painful thud.
“Yeah,” She slammed her foot forward, catching the small of his back.
“So why didn’t you become leader?” Watching as she flipped back up, and then Duke stammered his elbow into her stomach.
Missie grunted in pain, then replied, “Because Karine's first protégée, Cooper, became leader.”
“Did he?” Duke snapped his fist into the middle of her back, then knocked his knee into her gut. “What’d you do then?”
She groaned, and snapped her foot into his Achilles tendon. “Stayed. Cooper taught me everything Karien hadn’t.”
Duke snapped a kick into her chin, making her jaw snap shut. “That hurt?”
“Yes,” she growled, blood trickling out of her beak. “You mad me bite my tongue.”
She snapped her legs up rapping his jaw harder than he’d hit hers. “How about that? That hurt?”
“Not really. You didn’t make me bite my tongue.” He tackled her, trapping her in a headlock. “Ready to give up yet?”
“Not yet,” she said, clapping his head sharply so he loosened his grip enough for her to slip out.
“Aah ahh” Duke playfully scolded, catching her in a headlock, with one hand, and her hand in the other. “No escaping that quickly.”
“Forgot my legs,” she growled, kicking him in the shins.
“Did I? Silly me.” He caught and locked her legs between his. “Gotcha.”
Missie squirmed, but he was right. She was stuck. “Fine,” she sighed. “You win.”
“Right then,” Duke laughed releasing her and standing up. “Now,” he said coyly. “How’s about a kiss for the victor, sweetheart.”
Standing now, she smiled, and said, “C’mere.”
Grinning like the Chesire cat, he stepped towards her, until her fist suddenly connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling back onto the mats.
Missie smirked, then walked over to him. “My hero,” she said sarcastically, then bent over took his face in her hands, and kissed him full on the lips.
“Thanks for the practise, Duke,” she said lightly, picking up her stuff and leaving.
“wow,” he whispered grinning, then winced and tough his bruised jaw. “What a woman.”
***
“What were you tow doing? Fighting?”
Wildwing stood, hand on hips, as he glared at Missie and Duke the next morning.
Missie had a large bruise on her neck from the headlocks and was rather stiff. Duke had a swollen jaw and was limping.
“Well, yeah.” Duke admitted.
“Why?!” Wildwing asked sternly looking peeved.
“Brotherhood challenge,” Missie shrugged. “It happens all the time. It’s the traditional; method of proving a newcomer is whom they claim. We didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Maybe not,” Wildwing frowned, “But team-mate fighting team-mate is hardly good for moral.”
“Sorry Wing,” Duke apologized. “It won’t happen again.” “Yeah,” Missie agreed, nodding vigorously.
“Alright.” He sighed. “Just don’t do it again.”\
“Yes sir!” Missie saluted, then she and Duke went in opposite directions.
Wildwing headed to his quarters and fumed for a while. Sure they hadn’t meant anything and they hadn’t done any permanent damage, but it was the principle of the matter!
“’Maybe I need to explain the rules to Missie,’ he thought. ‘After all, she is new.’
He left his quarters, and went down the hall to Missie’s. It was odd to think of it that way. It had always been ‘the twins’. He knocked, and heard a muffled voice call, “Coming!”
The door slid open an instant later, and Wildwing’s jaw dropped. Missie had thrown on a rode, and though the waist was tied, it was open rather much on top. Not all the way but a little much.
He cleared his throat nervously. “Ah-Missie, your shirt…”
“Opps!” She pulled it closed, blushing. “Been so used to living with other women…” She nervously brushed hair out of her face. “Ah-come in?”
“Sure.” He stepped in, and stood there awkwardly as the door slid shut behind him. “Missie had repainted the room, and the faint scent of paint lingered. She’d done it in silver, and had remover the cradle and teddy bears, replacing them with a curtained bed set into the wall and piles of comic books and clothes.
“Mallory took me shopping,” She explained the mess, shoving a pile of clothes in the corner with her foot. “So, uh, what’s up?”
“I just thought maybe I ought to tell you the rules around here. I mean the rule you had before aren’t quit the same as what you need now…” he paused.
“Actually, Tanya told them to me this morning,” Missie twisted a bit of her hair on her finger. Suddenly, she blurted out, “Wildwing, do you think we’ll find Canard?” she blushed horribly after asking it, but it had been asked.
Wildwing paused, surprised, then said slowly. “Yes. I think we will. Why?”
She bit her lower beak. “Well ya’see.” She shook her head slowly. “I knew Canard. Well. He made me swear I’d be there when he died.”
Wildwing looked taken aback. “He never asked me that.”
“Well it’s a pretty big demand to put on a duck.” She smiled slightly. “Remember that Karai Lightfeather? Canard’s secretary at the war council?”
Wildwing smiled, a little mischievously, remember the shapely duke with a short brown bob. “Which of us didn’t?”
She smiled wishfully at his apparently nice memory. “That was me.”
“What?! That was- how?!” Wildwing cried, flabbergasted.
“Wig, colour contacts, makeup, you can make yourself look like anybody.” Missie shrugged. “I couldn’t let anyone know who I really was. Especially Canard. He thought I was dead, or worse. My presence would have changed things too much.”
Wildwing shook his head. “Crazy. But didn’t you change thing a lot as it was, reprogramming the dimensional gateway?”
She sat down on her bed and idly swung her legs. “I suppose so, but otherwise you would’ve ended up in Dimensional Limbo where Dragaunus had a lot of backup. As it is, Dragaunus thinks somebody just hit a wrong button.” Wildwing sighed. “Alright. Just, Missie?”
“Mm-hmm?” she said innocently.
“Behave yourself.”
***
Missie gasped a breath as she emerged from the water. She was doing laps in the pool, a rather relaxing occupation.
She brushed the hair out of her face, seeing immediately in front of her a pair of boots. She looked up to see Duke standing at the edge of the pool.
“Watching me?” She smirked.
Duke grinned mischievously. “You swim well. Now I have a question for you.”
“Oh?” she said lightly climbing out of the pool and grinning at his expression.
“Ah-yeah.” He gained his composure. “How’s about you and I go out on the town, a congratulatory dinner after the game tonight?”
“Expecting to win?” She grinned, towel drying her hair.
“Of course. So, what do you say?”
She cocked her head. “Well…”
***
“Well?” Nosedive demanded.
Duke shrugged. “She agreed.”
Nosedive grimaced. “I don’t know whether to be happy or not.”
“Be happy.” Duke laughed, clapping him on the back. All will be well.
***
“Hold still.” Mallory order as she tried to zip up the back of Missie’s dress. “If you keep squirming, I’ll catch all your feather in it!”
Tanya bit her lip as she played with Missie’s hair. “I think it looks all right dear, but I’m no artist…”
Missie smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “It looks great. Don’t worry.”
Missie’s hair had been done up in a curly bun forget-me-nots sprinkled through her hair. Mallory had roped her into wearing one of her dresses a red velvet sle3eveless dress.
“There,” Mallory said, sounding pleased. “now go have fun.”
***
“More wine?” Duke asked, holding forward the bottle.
“If your trying to get me drunk, Duke,” Missie said sweetly as she pushed her glass towards him, “You may as well give up. I hold my liquor well.”
“That so?” he said cordially, after filling up both their glasses.
“Yes, it is,” she said sipping her wine. “So what’s the real occasion? It’s certainly not the game.”
Duke looked up from his steak. “What, everything needs on occasion? I was just taking the newest team member out to dinner that’s all.”
“Sure,” she laughed pushing her almost empty plate away. “C’mon, you can tell me.”
He looked as music started to play, a lively, enchanting beat. “Dance?”
She rolled her eyes. “Alright, but don’t think I’m going to forget that easily.”
They danced for quit some time laughing and giggling to beat the band.
Then a slow song came on, and they danced, close. ‘Hmm,’ Duck thought as he breathed in her perfume. ‘I could get to like this.’
Suddenly a hand landed on Duke’s shoulder, and a voice said, “Unhand the girl Duke.”
Both turned to see Nosedive, dressed neatly in a tuxedo, bandages gone, though he wavered a little.
“Nosedive,” Missie sighed. “I’m not your babysitting charge anymore.”
“No,” he grinned. “You’re a whole lot more.”
She paused, surprised, then pulled herself away from Duke and threw her arms around Nosedive’s neck. “You’ve won,” she giggled.
“Took your sweet time,” Duke growled to Nosedive under his breath. “I was about ready to keep her for myself.”
Missie caught his remark, and laughed. “You set this up, didn’t you, Divey?”
He flushed a little. “Yeah…but-”
She interrupted, putting a finger to his beak. “Don’t try to explain. I understand.”
“You-you do?” He looked surprised.
Missie laid her head on his shoulder. “Nosedive, the only reason I came back is because you needed me. True, my preliminary efforts kinda…botched, but I cared enough to try, right?”
Nosedive smiled, and held her close, the slow song still playing. Perfect.
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