Title: Night Conversation
Re-write began: December 3, 2006
Re-write finished: March 26, 2008
Reason for re-write: I don't see how there wouldn't be a reason. It was short, which was the purpose and intent in the first place, but there were just too many problems, and since I've re-written the first story I've realized I've really put myself in a mess. So far it looks as if I'm going to be making significant changes to all the stories, but then again it's probably for the better. So yeah, leaving the originals up sounds really appealing in case someone doesn't care for the turn these fan fictions are going to take. Anyway, this little short didn't fit with the story line any more and I didn't like how the brothers interacted too much and I felt Wildwing needed to react a little more to that future so… yeah.
And I'll be darned if this didn't take forever to be completed. Mostly issues with some research that I had to do for some minor information, and then there was lack of time but I've been on Spring Break this week so happiness for all! Sorry for the delay, and I hope this is worth it.
Disclaimer: 'The Mighty Ducks' is a series that was created by and is copyrighted to Disney. I am using them without permission and am in no way making any profit from this story. It is purely for entertainment purposes. Any original characters belong to me unless otherwise stated.
Session 2 begin:
It was a quiet night at the Pond, the ducks asleep as Drake One quietly did its security sweeps through their underground base and topside in case of Saurian trouble. The quiet was only interrupted by the hiss of a door coming open and the following sound of footsteps entering the room. The lights came on and the person who'd entered gave a slight hiss, covering his face before saying;
"Drake One, lights dimmed please." The lights dimmed and Wildwing blinked blearily, holding a blanket with his good hand and carrying a pillow beneath his casted arm. He wasn't going to be getting much sleep tonight it seemed, so he did what he always did whenever he was plagued by nightmares. He moved to sleep on the couch. He'd been doing this for several nights recently, ever since he and his teammates had returned from a dark future. A future with no hope from Saurians, and a gigantic monstrosity that called itself Dragaunus. Funny how with each nightmare the monster only seemed to grow bigger still.
He shook his head, lifting his broken arm to let the pillow fall onto the couch before sitting down and stretching himself out, pulling the covers up and getting situated before lying flat on his back and sighing as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Nosedive should be arriving soon," he whispered to himself before saying more loudly; "Drake One, lights off." The lights cut out save for the few flashing bulbs on the computers console. The computer had complete control over the electronics in this room, which often unnerved the other members of the team, but on nights like this Wildwing fully appreciated Tanya's intelligent design. This way he didn't have to worry about falling down the stairs in the dark just to find a place on the couch. It was very nice actually. He lay in the dark, quietly questioning whether or not he really wanted to go back to sleep. It wasn't like he wasn't used to nightmares, but the intensity lately was more than he wished to handle.
He sighed, rubbing his face with his good hand before rubbing his broken arm unhappily. He probably should have taken the medicine Tanya prescribed to him for the pain, but he'd learned early on that Earth's aspirin and morphine were too much like drugs he was allergic to back on Puckworld. After the first time he'd nearly died from complications due to pain medication they had all decided to be safe rather than sorry and find him something else to use for pain relief. Fortunately they didn't have to worry about that often but unfortunately not much was available to them in that area and the back up medications Tanya had brought from Puckworld were all but nearly gone. So in the way of pain it seemed that he would just have to stick it out until they found a better alternative.
He heard the hiss of a door opening in time to close his eyes and cover them with his good hand so as not to be blinded when Drake One automatically turned on the lights again. Nosedive was home. The teen had been staying out late at night ever since Tanya had freed him from the infirmary. He wasn't allowed to go far or do much, so he mostly spent time with Thrash playing video games until the early hours of the morning. The lack of sleep was showing, but it wasn't like the two of them actually had to practice. Both of them were benched until they had Tanya's clean bill of health and until then, Wildwing was just going to have to sit and be patient. Unfortunately he wasn't very good at that, but between the safer medications (i.e. sedatives) he'd been taking and his own lack of sleep it didn't really matter. At the moment, he didn't have the energy to complain and he was sure Nosedive was thankful for it.
"Drake One, man, dim the lights will ya?" The lights dimmed at Nosedive's complaint and Wildwing uncovered his eyes to see his younger brother walking down the stairs with a small paper bag clenched in his right hand. His face was still peppered with healing bruises but he no longer sported the bandage around his head. When he saw that Wildwing had noticed him he smiled and waved. "Hey bro, you feeling okay?" Wildwing nodded slowly, Nosedive walking down and around the couch to sit on top of the coffee table.
"Yeah, just nightmares. You?" he asked. Nosedive shrugged.
"I'm used to nightmares," he said cryptically, not bothering to look at his brother but instead focusing on the bag in front of him. He reached in and pulled out a small bottle. "Here. It's called Ibu Profin, supposed to be some cheaper brand of Advil but basically the same thing. It should help some with the pain in your arm. It doesn't have aspirin in it. I checked, so it shouldn't make you sick or anything," he explained. He pulled up his legs to sit cross legged on the table and watched as Wildwing checked the ingredients. "Tanya told me this morning, or yesterday anyway, that she was going to look into ordering some stuff called codeine. Apparently she finally got permission from the FDA, I think? Or something like that anyway. But it's an alternative to morphine or something, and she said the only side effect should be that it knocks you right out." Wildwing snorted at this, holding the bottle out to his brother who took and began trying to get it open.
"Yeah, like I really need more sleep," he groused, yawning despite his grumblings and watching his brother fumble with the bottle. "So, really. How are you holding up baby bro?"
"Man, why is it only little kids can get past these child safety locks?" Nosedive grunted before he finally got the lid open with a proud grin. "Ah-ha!" he handed his brother two little brown pills, then one more as an after thought. "I don't know if it'll help but it's better than nothing," he said, watching as his brother swallowed the pills and then gave him a pointed look. "And I'm fine. Just… I'm worried about Canard."
"Why?" Wildwing asked. "Dragaunus won't have any Hunter Drones patrolling so we don't have to worry about him showing up looking like barbeque, and it's not like he's going to do anything to you." He frowned at the dirty look Nosedive was giving him. "What?"
"Are you sure you're not running a fever?"
"I'm tired. Just, talk to me so I don't fall asleep okay?" Nosedive raised an eyebrow at that one.
"Bro, it's two in the morning," he said dryly. Wildwing snorted.
"And? Just tell me what you're so worried about that you stay up all night. And I know that's why you're out late so don't even try to deny it." He was given another dirty look for that one.
"Only if you tell me what's bothering you." There was a silent stare off after that before Wildwing rolled his eyes away.
"Fine, now talk so you can go to bed," he said grumpily. Nosedive snorted and shook his head at him.
"Geez you're in a bad mood." Wildwing rubbed his eyes, weary.
"Dive…"
"Fine, okay. It's just… the whole thing is really stupid if you really have to know. I feel bad because I don't care how Canard'll end up here because I wish he wouldn't come at all. When he gets here I just know he's gonna throw me off the team." Nosedive stared down at the floor as Wildwing blinked at him, confused.
"Why would he do that?" he asked. Nosedive frowned at him.
"Think about it bro. He didn't want me on the team in the first place. The second he gets here I just know I'm gonna get benched. He didn't want me then so what's going to change his mind now?" the teen asked. It was Wildwing's turn to frown this time.
"I don't know, maybe because you're an asset to the team? You were the one to save us from the Raptor in the first place, and you've been a help to us all ever since. Look, don't worry about your position on the team, I won't let him take that from you. You've earned your spot baby bro," he said. Nosedive looked down at the floor again.
"But, what about the others?" he asked quietly. Wildwing snorted, causing his younger brother to look up at him.
"If they wanted you off the team I'd get way more complaints than the ones I always hear from Mallory about you stuffing worms in her boots," he grinned. Nosedive looked surprised.
"She complains to you about that?" he asked. Wildwing nodded.
"Yeah. I just have a hard time not telling her that I was the one who taught you that," he admitted. Nosedive grinned.
"By the way, do you have any other dastardly prankish ideas you can give me? The worms are getting old and I'm running out of toilet paper and toothpaste," he said. Wildwing shook his head.
"If I ever get so bored and am in desperate need of something to do, I'll let you know," he said, grinning. Nosedive shook his head. They sat in quiet for a moment until Nosedive spoke once more.
"Thanks Wing. I know I shouldn't worry, but… thanks."
"Anytime," Wildwing answered. He waited for the inevitable question and was surprised when Nosedive merely stood and moved to the couch that sat facing the one he was on, a short table filling in the gap at the inverted corner they made, and stretched himself out on it.
"Bro, if those nightmares you've been having are about what I think they are, then you really don't have to worry," he said after a while. "Drake One, lights off." The room was plunged into darkness, leaving Wildwing to blink in his brother's general direction.
"Huh? How's that?" he asked. He didn't see Nosedive shrug, but then he didn't have to. He knew his brother well enough to know what he was going to do. Well, most of the time anyway.
"Well. They're about the future aren't they? And you're here, and I'm here so, it's not going to happen. It's all just some huge bad dream that all of you guys had and the only thing that's going to come true is that Canard is going to come back, and according to you that's not a bad thing at all. Now is it?" Wildwing paused then smiled weakly.
"No. It's not," he whispered. He could just feel the smug grin on Nosedive's face.
"All righty then. No worries and we can both go to sleep. How's that sound?"
"You're actually-" and here Wildwing yawned. "Tired?"
"Bro, you have no idea how much energy it takes to play video games day in and day out for a week straight. Its killer," Nosedive said seriously. Wildwing chuckled.
"Whatever you say baby bro. I'll just take your word for it." A snicker was his only reply and in a few minutes of finally finding a comfortable position, which probably wouldn't last long due to the dull throbbing in his arm that would undoubtedly return to being outright painful, Wildwing finally fell asleep. And for the first time in a long while, Wildwing had no nightmares.
END