The light was too intense to see where they were going. Duke got a sinking feeling as the wheel shook hard in his hands.

"More power to the thrusters Dive," Wildwing ordered.

Next to Duke, the nineteen-year-old released the throttle into the maximum. In response the Aerowing shot forward with more speed as the gateway began to close in on them.

"It's closing too fast Wing!" Tanya yelled. "We're not going to make it!"

Duke glanced behind him, his gaze landing on his other half. Mallory's knuckles were white as she hung onto the chair she was strapped into. She was trying not to show fear, her entire life had bred her not to show fear, but this was different.

Duke returned his attention to what was ahead of them. Then it hit him. The Aerowing was using too much power. He reached above him with one hand, flipping switches.

"What are you doing?"

"The Aerowing is sucking too much power," Duke replied. "I'm shutting down everything we don't need."

The aircraft was thrown into darkness as the lighting died. With the new arrangements of the vehicle, it had enough power to surge forward even faster. With a blinding flash, the Aerowing shot out of the gateway.

…...

Puckworld: 2176- A week and a half later

Duke had to admit, in the time that the Mighty Ducks had been gone, Puckworld had pulled itself up by the boot straps. They even had enough of a government to arrest him on former charges from his previous criminal life.

The Aerowing had made its way out of the gateway Tanya had created after close to three years of research. What the ducks saw after the dimensional tunnel made them freeze. It was their home, the skyscrapers that had once stood in the north of Ducaine City were still being built. The cranes stretching high into the sky. Miles of what looked like tents and slums fingered below them.

…...

Before

A voice crackled through the radio. "You are classified as an unidentified aircraft. Land your aircraft at the Coy Air Force Base immediately."

Duke could feel himself losing control over the Aerowing. It was going to land and it wasn't going to be at the Coy Air Force Base. He punched a button on the radio, "that ain't happ'in. We don't have enough control."

The voice responded again. "You are classified as an unidentified aircraft. Land your aircraft at the Coy Air Force Base now!"

"Fucking idiots!" Duke snapped. "Can they not hear me?"

Suddenly the Aerowing lost all power and took a steep dive. Mallory let out a surprised scream. Tanya had been unstrapped as she moved around the side computer, trying to get a lock on communication to the unknown voice. As the craft dropped, she was thrown forward towards the windshield. Just as she closed her eyes, surrendering to her fate, a strong hand grabbed her. She opened her eyes to see Grin holding her.

"Hold on!" Duke yanked the steering column apart and pulled wires out.

"Shit, shit, what are you doing?" Dive asked, terrified.

Duke didn't answer as the wires sparked. With the spark, power returned. "It's temporary."

He looked up in time to see the ground rushing at them. He jerked the steering up just as the Aerowing slammed into a snow bank.

…...

The Aerowing slid to a stop on the frozen ground. Nosedive let out a shuttered breath and robotically shut the aircraft down when Duke didn't make a move to do it himself.

"I can't believe this," Mallory whispered. "We're alive ."

As they shakily left the craft, a blast of frigid air blew around them, stealing any bit of warmth they were used to and still had.

When the Aerowing had landed, the courtyard in which they had landed in was empty. Upon leaving, ducks appeared, staring at the Aerowing like it was a ticking bomb. Duke coughed, his ribs hurting from being slammed into the control panel after the rough landing.

Mallory grabbed him into a hug, a far tighter hug than he was used to from her. She was happy to be alive.

"Who are you?" A lead duck asked. He was tall with brown feathers.

Wildwing raised his hands in peace. "My name is Wildwing Flashblade, we're from the resistance that was formed when the Saurians took over."

"Resistance?" The duck laughed. "The Saurians left Puckworld ten years ago."

"What?" Wildwing asked, stunned.

"It's been ten years since the Saurians left."

"We've been gone ten years?" Nosedive asked. "That's impossible."

"No it's not," Tanya murmured.

"What's going on here!" A new duck pushed his way through the crowd. His uniform set him instantly apart from the civilians.

Duke recognized him. "Damn."

Mallory looked at him, "what's wrong?"

The male duck opened his mouth to address Wildwing, but paused when his eyes settled on Duke.

"Well, well, Duke L'orange. Welcome home."

…...

Yeah, welcome home alright, Duke thought, as he took in the dismal cell he had spent the last ten days in. Captain Regla Winglude had been chasing him for years. It didn't make any sense to arrest him for crimes he committed thirteen years ago; and his teammates, his family made sure the law knew it.

…...

"Put your hands on your head," Captain Winglude ordered.

"Why?" Mallory asked instantaneous.

Knowing it would do no good, Duke obeyed the duck; slowly raising his hands to his head. Captain Winglude strode forward, pulling metal cuffs from his belt. Mallory stepped in front of him, blocking contact from Duke.

"Answer me."

"He's a criminal, criminals are arrested," the duck arrogantly replied.

"He helped save this planet, your ass as it seems since you're still breathing."

"Well, you know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished."

…...

Ain't that the truth, Duke glanced down at the tin food tray. For some reason, Winglude found it irresistibly entertaining to send him empty food trays. He never knew when he was to be fed and when he wasn't. Hunger pains gnawed painfully at his stomach, but he refused to let any discomfort show.

His cell door was unlocked with the scrape of a key, letting the first shafts of light into his cell in more than four days.

"Get up prisoner, you have a visitor."

…...

Detention Room 1

Mallory fidgeted with a sharpie she had found in her satchel. It was the only object that kept a small leeway to the world the Mighty Ducks had called home up to eleven days ago. Sharpies weren't on Puckworld.

Maybe Tanya can find a way to invent sharpies here, she thought absently. The room's door opened, pulling her from her thoughts. A guard roughly pulled Duke in. Ten days as a prisoner had changed him. He looked exhausted and thinner, like he wasn't being fed, his one pupil was ragged and dilated.

She stood up and moved forward to him only to be stopped. "No contact with the prisoner," the guard commanded sternly.

She sank back into her chair as Duke took the one across from her. She tried to think of something to say, but nothing came. Finally she whispered, "I'm sorry, for everything, for this."

His stoic expression broke as the sly smile she had come to love spread across his face, "This ain't your fault kid. It was bound to happen. I guess I just hoped everyone from the law who knew about me was gone by now."

Mallory uncapped and then recapped the permanent marker with one hand. Duke glanced at her hands and then reached across the table to lay his on hers.

The guard shot away from his post near the door. "I said no contact." He grabbed Duke in a headlock and pulled back. "What part of that phase did you not understand?"

"Let him go...you're hurting him," Mallory didn't realize she was standing.

"Alright, alright, I understand," Duke choked out. The guard released him abrasively. Taking a breath, Duke motioned to Mallory to sit. "Kid sit...just sit." To distract her, he asked about the others.

"Worried about you. We're trying to get you out of here before the trial."

"Trial? I have a trial?"

"They didn't tell you?"

Duke sat back in his chair. "Communication is lax around here. They can't tell the next person when someone's farted wrong."

Mallory gave him a strange look.

"It was a joke," he added.

They were quiet for several moments. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear white."

"Tha's because I become a walking contrast. It's the prison uniform to wear the long sleeve and then the baggy ass blue pants."

For the first time during the visit, she smiled. "It suits you."

"Thanks."

"Time's up," the guard left his post again to take Duke's elbow.

Mallory stood, not wanting to leave or have him return to what ever kind of hell he had been living in for the past week.

Duke guessed what she was thinking. "It ain't so bad sweetheart."

She wanted to say she loved him, but the words wouldn't come. She stood with her mouth open, trying to will the words out, still they wouldn't come.

He mouthed, 'I know,' and left.