Mighty Ducks the Animated Series belongs to Disney. Nightbloom belongs to me. No money being made, these stories are purely for entertainment.
Dish Best Served Cold
A middle aged man with short black hair sat in a desk in the center of an office. The walls were decorated with frames of diplomas and certifications. Book shelves were lined with books from Erickson, Freud, Jung, and other well renown psychologists.
The desk itself was made of mahogany wood, and a small plaque reading "Dr. Gene Wagner" rested on the top.
Doctor Wagner himself was checking over some records. Each file had the psychological make up of each inmate that currently resided at the Anaheim Maximum Security Prison. These group of inmates were considered the most dangerous of Anaheim's criminals, and it was his job to find out what made them tick and if at all possible, make them more civil.
He paused at one file which was marked by a red flag. Curiosity got the best of him and he opened it up. He adjusted the glasses framing his brown eyes as he skimmed through the contents and let out a low whistle.
Prisoner 391TSHY was a former military leader turned terrorist. His minor offenses included armed robbery, battery and assault, and false imprisonment. His knowledge in stealth and military tactics kept him one step ahead of the law every time, until one mistake caused his arrest.
For reasons unknown, Jacob Shyster attempted to rob a small restaurant at a golf course, taking everyone inside as hostage.
That particular day, Anaheim's Mighty Ducks were making a promotional appearance within the vicinity. Upon learning that the place was under siege, the Ducks attempted a rescue attempt. One thing led to another and the player named "Nosedive" was the one that aided the most in apprehending the terrorist.
According to observations made by several wardens, Shyster had suddenly taking an interest to making duck sculptures and then pounding it to dust; A very unhealthy obsession and hobby.
"Seems more like a challenge," he told himself stroking his goatee. He stood up from behind his desk and walked to his office door. He opened it and poked his head into the hallway. He spotted one of the guards coming down, probably getting ready for a shift change.
"Officer Ramis?" the doctor called out, recognizing the seasoned prison guard.
"Yes, doc?" Dan Ramis responded.
"Please bring Jacob Shyster to my office."
Dan balked. "But, sir!"
Doctor Wagner raised a hand. "Don't worry about it. Just bring him here."
The guard nodded and walked towards the holding cells, muttering something all the way.
X
Grin mediated for about one second before checking Detroit's offensive line into the boards.
The thunderous roar of cheering fans could be heard throughout the arena.
Tanya skated right by, puck in her possession.
"Canard!" she shouted, before passing the puck to the team captain.
"Divert!" he shouted in return, skating towards the puck.
Through the corner of his eyes, Canard could see the defense rushing him. He was the first to reach the puck. . . and passed it.
Canard and one of the defensemen collided into each other and slammed into the floor.
Coming up from behind Canard, Nosedive got hold of the puck and darted through the opening that Canard had made for him.
He made a beeline for the goalie, the remaining defense line scrambling to reach him.
Fans jumped up, screaming in anticipation as the last seconds ticked down.
Nosedive swung his hockey stick, and the puck went sliding across the ice.
The Detroit goalie dropped to his knees.
But it was too late. The puck had gone past him.
Sirens blared as people jumped out of their seats. All of the Mighty Ducks' team skated to the center of the rink, raised their hockey sticks into the air, and shouted "Ducks rock!"
X
"And the Mighty Ducks win their first game of the season!" cheered the sports announcer.
Several inmates cheered at the announcement. A few grumbled as they handed off their wagers, in the form of cigarrettes and other small trinkets.
To the side stood another inmate, a bit shorter than the rest but well built. His dark skin grew taunt as he glared at the group. Then he resumed forming a shape out of the grey clay. The lump took a form of a head with a flat beak.
Another inmate passed by and took a look at it.
"Hey, Shy. . . you a fan of ducks?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Shyster glared at him. "I like to pound them," he said, as he suddenly swung his fist. A chuck of clay went hurtling through the air, landing at the feet of an elderly inmate.
The old man grinned. "Harold thinks that Shyster ain't no fan of hockey, nope nope, not at all, never was and never will be, heh heh!"
Inmates resting nearby just shook their heads.
X
Doctor Wagner glanced up as the man in his files was escorted into the room.
"Ah, Mister Shyster. . . " he greeted. "I'm glad you accepted to return for a second session."
Shyster remained silent as as the guard that had escorted him left the room. He then turned to the doctor. He stared for a moment, then sat down on the chair in front of the desk, hands on his lap, handcuffed. "So what kind of mind magic are you hoping to work on me, shrink," he said calmly.
Doctor Wagner frowned. "Er, well, I was hoping that maybe this time you'll have something to say. Last session you were just answering yes and no questions. I'd really like to get to know you and the only way if for you to trust me and open up."
Shyster suddenly flashed a grin. "And just what are you hoping I'd say to you?"
Doctor Wagner leaned back. "I'm curious about this current obsession with ducks? Do you have a fear of them, or a strong dislike?"
Shyster shook his head. "Oh, no. I don't give squat about ducks. But. . . "
Doctor Wagner leaned forward. "Yes. . ?"
"I'd rather not get into detail." Shyster frowned. "I know the kind of games your type plays. Like you said, you want me to trust you and treat you like a friend, while at the same time you dissect my every thought, trying to figure out what makes me the way I am. A little experiment to pass the time away. Playing head games. Well, you know what? I know how that works because I minored in psych back before heading off to the army. Doctor, I suggest you leave me alone, or you won't even live to regret it."
The doctor leaned back in surprise. "Mister Shyster, I doubt threatening me while you are confined will help your situation."
"I wouldn't say that," the former terrorist muttered with a smirk.
At that moment, the office door opened, causing the doctor to shift his eyes onto the intruder. Harold, the oldest inmate in the building, stood there, eyes blinking owlishly. "Whoops! Wrong room!"
Shyster took the opportunity to jump over the desk, hands reaching out for the doctor's throat. Both went crashing to the floor.
"Guards!" Harold croaked out, as loud as he could, blue eyes twinkling in mirth. "Guards, we have a fight, yes we do, between the doc and the big guy! Anyone want to take bets? I'd say the big guy will win."
Five men in uniforms swarmed into the office, brushing the old man to the side.
Harold laughed as he stepped out into the hall, shoving his fists into his pockets. He whistled as he shuffled down the hall.
Inside, the guards were attempting to haul Shyster away from the psychologist. Shyster struggled, and the room was in utter chaos. Everything became a mess.
A few minutes later, the guards had finally subdued the ex-terrorist. He was pinned to the floor by one of the larger guys. Among them was Dan Ramis.
He glared at the doctor who was currently sitting on the floor, glasses askew, bruises forming on his throat. "You guys always bite off more than you can chew," he told the doctor. He then ordered the others to take Shyster out.
X
"Maybe if we install a camera here," said Wildwing, pointing to a section on a diagram of the Pond.
Canard made a face. "Don't you think that you are being just a little paranoid? Next thing you know, you're going to install cameras in Dive's room!"
Nosedive snorted. "He already did!"
Wildwing gave a sheepish grin. "All right, I may be a tad over protective right now. . ."
Somewhere to the right, Duke snickered while Nosedive rolled his eyes and moved away from the two ducks. He plopped himself down on the couch that was currently occupied by Duke.
"He's just looking out for your well being, kid," said the older duck, a smirk on his face.
"Sheesh! Right now I think I'd rather face Dragaunus one on one than deal with Wing. Next thing you know, he'll stick me in a glass bubble!" Dive muttered.
"Wildwing!" Canard suddenly busted out, his voice taking a tone of annoyance. "Why don't you just stick the darn hatchling in a bubble?"
"You know, that's not a bad idea."
"Whaaahh!"
Duke howled in laughter as Nosedive's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
X
Doctor Wagner finished putting the last of his books back on the shelf. He looked around and sighed. The only thing that needed replacement was his lamp and the frame holding his diploma.
The office door opened.
"May I help you, Officer Ramis?" asked the doctor, as the guard stepped in.
Dan glanced around the room. "You haven't, by any chance, come across a set of keys, have you?"
Doctor Wagner shook his head. "No, I haven't."
"Mister Ramis," the heard a voice say. "Mister Ramis, mister officer, sir. I've got somethin's fer you, I've gots, yessiree!"
Both men turned around. There stood the same old inmate that had distracted the doctor long enough to have him attacked. In his hand was a set of keys.
"I believe these are yours cuz they sho' ain't mine, no keys allowed, nuh-uh, 'cept the library record holder keys. . ."
"That's enough, Harold," said Ramis, taking a hold of the keys. He frowned as he picked off something grey and sticky.
"Dropped it in me mush fo' food," grinned the old man. "Cleaned it up with muh spit!" He grinned proudly.
Ramis made a face.
X
Jacob Shyster lay on his back, staring at the Mighty Ducks poster on his wall. He reached for a small book laying on the sink basin beside his bunk. He opened it up.
Inside lay three small darts, resting comfortably in the hole he had carved out of the pages.
He pulled out a dart and flung it at the poster. It landed right between Nosedive's eyes. Multiple holes decorated his picture. The other ducks remained untouched.
The sound of squeaky wheels caught his attention. He sat up and saw Harold standing in front of his cell.
"Intr'sted in a book today? Got quite a selection, ya bet, quite a selection. Got yer fic, like this one 'bout alien panthers, or a fantasy world, or even one 'bout police officers but who wants that? But I also got some of them flaky self help books, like The Key to Finding Happiness. Strongly recommend it." He winked.
Shyster smirked and held out his hand. The book was passed over to him.
Once Harold moved away to another cell, Shyster flipped through the pages until a metal key fell out and landed on his bunk. With a wicked grin, he palmed the key and settled in for a pleasant nap.
X
"Aw, come on!"
"No," said WIldwing, as his little brother resorted to whining. "Neither Canard nor myself are free to accompany you. . ."
Nosedive interrupted with an exasperated sigh. "Look, bro. Ol' Lizard Lips hasn't tried anything yet, and besides, it's not like I'm going solo! Dukemiester said he'd be happy to tag along."
"That's not what I said," Duke muttered, while adjusting his saber to keep it hidden from public view. "I said 'I didn't mind you tagging along.'"
"Same thing," Nosedive quipped. "Bro, you can't just lock me up in here. It's illegal."
"Kid's got a point," added Canard. "Besides, with both Duke and Mallory with him, he's in more than just capable hands."
Nosedive flashed a triumphant grin. "See? Even the Cap thinks it's okay. And since he's the team leader, he gets the final word!"
"That's low," muttered Wildwing. He turned to Canard. "I just don't think. . ."
"Wildwing, baby birds gotta leave the nest sometime. He just needs to spread his wings. He'll come back. These two will make sure of that." Canard nodded over towards Duke and Mallory.
"Fine," said Wildwing, feeling a bit ganged up.
"Yes! You da duck!" crowed Nosedive, making Wildwing smile a bit. "You too, bro," Nosedive added.
Wildwing's smile fell a fraction.
Canard just shook his head, trying not to grin. "Just go before I throw you out."
Duke, Nosedive, and Mallory headed out.
Canard turned to Wildwing. "You'll see. Everything will be fine." He took a closer look. "Uh, is something wrong?"
"No," clipped Wildwing, before walking away.
Canard stared after him, puzzled by his friend's strange behavior.
X
"Mid day roll call!" one of the guards shouted, as inmates lined up in the courtyards. They each broke off into groups as several guards with electronic clip board walked near them, checking off prison numbers.
Several minutes later, one guard walked up to another. "Um, we seem to be missing a few inmates, sir."
"What do you mean?" the guard barked. "Have you checked the mess hall, the laundry mat, or the workshops?"
The officer nodded, looking a bit faint.
"Which ones?"
"We're determining that right now."
Their walkies made a small burst of static noise. "Warden, we have a situation. All missing inmates are Shyster and his gang."
X
"That's it, I quit," muttered Ramis, as Captain Klegghorn burst into the main office. For a short man, the captain was known to be extremely loud.
"Do you mean to tell me that Anaheim's, no, the continent's most dangerous felon and his entire gang escaped? Which of you slackers are in charge here?"
Ramis stepped forward. "I'm the Senior Warden here. And even though I wasn't on duty at the time, I will have to assume responsibility. We've already started an investigation. Unfortunately, this jail break seems to be my fault."
Klegghorn raised an eyebrow.
"I lost my keys during a scuffle with an inmate. I got them back within the same day from another inmate, one from before my time, named Harold. He's a harmless old geezer, but apparently plays dumb. He made a copy using a clay imprint of my key."
"We think he handed the key to Shyster, and their time of escape was approximately between 7 and 12," added another officer.
"Probably right after morning roll call."
"Any idea where he might be headed?"
Ramis glanced at another guard. "Uh, well, that's why we called you. We have reason to believe that he is after one of the Mighty Ducks."
Klegghorn blinked. "Oh, really? Why is that?" he asked, fearing the answer.
Ramis picked up a sheet that had been rolled up. He unrolled it and held it for Klegghorn to see.
Klegghorn closed his eyes as a migraine began to grow. He turned to the nearest officer next to him. "Get a squad out to the pond, and someone get a hold of Phil Palmfeather." Officers began to run around. "And while you're at it, get me a bottle of antacids!"
Klegghorn looked at the poster in Ramis's hands. Nosedive's face had been burned away.
X
Nosedive mindlessly chatted away, while his beak was in his newest comic book and walking at the same time.
Duke looked at him in morbid fascination as Nosedive managed to navigate his way through the crowd with barely a glance. It was almost as if he had imprinted the whole lay out of the mall in his mind.
"Like, maybe we can also check out the new Tormentor 4 movie later, too. Hah! This guy cracks me up. . ."
"You know," commented Mallory. "If you pay really close attention, you can occasionally pick out some coherent conversations in there instead of ramblings."
Nosedive lowered the book long enough to give her a look. Then he raised it up again. "What can I say? I'm a genius. My mouth just can't keep up with how fast I think. . ."
Mallory smirked as she entered a shop. Nosedive trailed in after her, still talking.
Duke stopped and leaned against the outside of the shop, nodding at a trio of young women giggling as they entered the store. A moment later, Nosedive shot out the front door, his face slightly red.
Duke started laughing.
Nosedive glared at him. "Man, you could have given me a warning," he sputtered, glancing at the store's name.
Emblazed in hot neon pink letters was Sassy Secrets Lingerie.
Nosedive leaned up against the glass window next to Duke, arms crossed. The older duck was leaning forward, holding his stomach, tears of laughter streaming down his face.
Nosedive ignored him.
X
An Asian man adjusted the shoulder strap to feel more comfortable. "Now that we're out of that place, what's our first move?" he asked, glancing at Shyster.
Shyster sharpened his knife. "First we find the alien invader that put us in jail in the first place, then we move on and get some finances."
"Sounds like a plan," said another one of the gang. "But, where do we find him?"
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," said a female voice.
Shyster whirled around. "You!"
Before him stood Nightbloom, holding her head up, eyes cold and distant.
"You're the one that paid me to hit that restaurant in the first place!"
"And your capture was failure on your part. No matter. I ended up with a satisfactory result. But as a consolation, I will give you the whereabouts of one blond duck. . ."
Shyster grinned. "Do tell. . ."
X
Wildwing sighed as he turned off Drake 1. After spending an unbelievable amount of time with Phil discussing the next place to do a bit of PR -at least the man was giving them a choice this time- Wildwing had spend the next hour going through Drake 1 trying to see if there were at least any minor disturbances that had a taste of Dragaunus on it.
So far there was nothing, which bothered him immensely. He knew that the Saurian was out there, biding his time. And the waiting was getting to him.
"Maybe I should just meditate like Grin," he finally muttered.
At that moment, his com unit buzzed.
"Wildwing," he answered.
"It's Klegghorn," came the reply. "We've got a situation."
"What kind?" asked Wildwing, fearing that something had happened to his little brother.
"There's been a break out at the Maximum Security. Shyster and his entire gang have escaped."
"Shyster?" For a moment, Wildwing blanked out.
"The terrorist the kid helped catch. He made some threats on his way to the cruiser, and apparently still harbors some extreme resentment against the kid."
Wildwing thought he felt his heart stop. "When did he escape?"
"This morning."
"So he could be anywhere nearby."
Klegghorn nodded.
"Thanks for the heads up," Wildwing said numbly.
Klegghorn switched off, as did Wildwing. He shook his head an immediately tried to contact Nosedive through his tele-com unit. All he got was static.
X
The local park in Anaheim was having both a carnival and a public display of scientific gadgets. There was a tornado simulator, an astronaut chair, and even a sensory deprivation tank.
Mallory grumbled as she struggled to get her hair back in order. "I don't understand how yours just falls right back into place," she said, shooting a look at Duke.
"It's all that gel," quipped Nosedive.
Mallory fought back a laugh as Nosedive approached them, his hair fizzed out.
"Those things are like so cool, I think even my feathers are standing on end." He glanced back to where some human girl was placing her hand on a metal ball. Almost instantly, her hair began to rise. She reached out to the younger boy next to her and touched his bare arm. The boy yelped and went running to a woman.
"MMOOOOMMMM! LINDSEY SHOCKED MEEEEEE!" he hollered.
Duke chuckled, and then frowned. "Yeah, but I hope that thing didn't completely fry our com units." He tapped his.
"I really doubt they tried contacting us at that precise moment," said Mallory.
"Well, mine seems to be working again," said Nosedive.
Their com-units beeped simultaneously.
Nosedive glanced at the screen and saw his brother. "Yo, bro! What's the buzz?"
"Dive! What happened with your com units?"
" Nothing 'cept for a bit of an electrical surge? Why?"
"Never mind. Get back. . ."
A loud explosion drowned out the rest of his statement.
X
Wildwing stared at the screen as his communication was suddenly cut off. "Dive? Dive! Duke! Mallory! Will one of you answer me?"
"I got the reading of where they were before we lost visual with them," said Tanya, staring at the computer screen inside the Migrator.
Up at the controls sat Canard and Wildwing.
"What was their last position?" asked Canard.
"North east corner of Anaheim Park."
Canard glanced at Wildwing.
"Already on my way," said the other duck, making a U-turn.
X
Nosedive peered from over some bushes. "Man, my com-unit is really screwed over this time."
"Same here," said Duke, standing behind a tree.
"Those explosive charges aren't exactly available to the public," said Mallory. "Those are more like military issued."
"Government's after us? Man! Which one of you lied on their income reports?"
"Don't look at me."
Mallory crawled over to Nosedive. "Any sign of who made that blast?"
Nosedive shook his head. "People were everywhere and all I saw was dirt."
Everything was currently quiet. There was a large crater not far from where they had been originally standing. Grass had been trampled on and trash was strewn everywhere. Abandoned snack wagons were scattered through the pathways. The sun was getting ready to set, causing the trees to cast long shadows.
Duke squinted. "If they are on that side, they have us to a disadvantage. This sun is blinding me!"
Mallory glanced around. "If we head to the rides and games section, we'll have more of a chance to give ourselves cover."
"Great idea, Mal," said Nosedive, before crouching down really low. "Shall we cover each other? I'll go first."
Mallory nodded, and held out her puck blaster. If there was someone out there, she hoped she could spot him before it was too late.
X
Hidden behind one of the ice cream wagons, Shyster reloaded his miniature bomb launcher. Holding out a small mirror, he spotted Nosedive dashing from behind the bushes, heading to the carnival section. He could also see the other two ducks "covering" him.
"Just like shooting ducks in a barrel," he muttered, aiming his launcher at the moving target. Then he paused. "No. I'd rather see his eyes when he breathes his last." He picked up a small stone and threw it at one of his other men, who was currently behind a trash can.
The asian man looked up.
Shyster put his fists together and then made a breaking away motion.
The Asian man nodded.
The red headed duck began to move. Halfway to the carnival, two of Shyster's men began to fire.
The remaining duck fired back while the girl dashed behind one of the game booths.
Shyster grinned. Now the game was about to start.
X
Mallory let out a curse as she landed on a basket full of soft balls. She tumbled to the floor. As she stood up, she began firing at the direction of the gun shots, hoping to give Duke enough cover to get his tail over.
She spotted something dashing towards her.
"Move!" she heard Duke yell.
Mallory jumped back as Duke sailed over the booth's counter and rolled on the floor.
"Where's Dive?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said.
The sounds of more gun fire caught their attention.
"I think I know where he might be."
"Duke, I think we're surrounded."
X
Nosedive was sitting behind one of the dunk tanks when the first round of gunshots were heard. He could hear Mallory curse from a distance. He peered around the edge, trying to spot her.
A small stream of water fell on his head, startling him. Nosedive looked up and saw that a small hole had appeared on the glass just three inches from where his head was. Another hole appeared and a small crack was heard. One second later, the glass cracked and the water poured out.
Nosedive let out a yelp as the water pushed him away from Mallory. A couple of seconds later, he stood up, drenched.
From the corner of his eyes he spotted two figures. Without a second of hesitation, he ran towards a House of Mirrors.
Bullet's flew.
X
The Migrator screeched to a halt.
Wildwing was the first one out. People were still streaming out of the park, and gun shots could be heard from the distance.
"Someone call the police!" one woman was screaming. Several cells were already out as people were talking about the "massacre" going on at the park.
Wildwing and Canard glanced at each other.
"Tanya, you're with me!" shouted Wildwing, as Canard glanced at Grin. The larger duck nodded and went with the team captain.
Both of them split, hoping to surround whoever was holding their comrades captive.
X
Nosedive gasped as a large figure loomed over him. A split second later, he realized that it was only his reflection off of a distorted mirror. He could here someone approaching him from behind.
"Here, ducky ducky," he heard, and for a moment, he froze in fear.
"Shyster," he whispered, recognizing that voice. He immediately thought back to the threats the man had shouted as he was being led away.
Nosedive walked even faster, peering behind his back every so often, puck blaster in hand. As he was walking, he noticed little purple arrows painted on the sides of some mirrors. They were low, as if a small child had drawn them.
Nosedive grinned as he kneeled down to get a better look. "Thank goodness for little tykes," he said, touching one of the arrows that had been initialed "FN." He stood up and began running down in the directions that each arrow pointed.
Up ahead, Nosedive could make out the light of the exit.
A frustrated scream was soon heard.
Nosedive grinned, and then ducked as glass began exploding everywhere.
"Stay where you are so I can kill you!" he heard Shyster yell.
"I don't think so," said Nosedive, diving towards the exit. He skidded out the door and landed into someone.
A large hand landed on his shoulder.
"Let me go!" shouted Nosedive.
"Relax, little bud," he heard a deep voice say.
"Grin?"
"Are you all right, kid?" Canard asked.
Nosedive nodded. "That loony terrorist is right behind me though!"
Canard drew out his puck blaster and aimed for the exit.
X
Shyster silently cursed as he checked the wounds on his arms. He had been standing too close to one of the mirrors and the chips of glass had flung back, scratching his arm.
Up ahead, he could hear the wretched duck making his escape. A few moments later, he heard voices.
Shyster narrowed his eyes. There would be no way that duck would make it through the day alive. He would make sure of that. As silently as he could, Shyster backed away and retraced his steps towards the front of the mirror fun house.
X
Mallory and Duke fired some puck blaster and then took off from their hiding place. Each one ran separate ways, hoping to be able to take out each guy separately.
Mallory ran towards the game booths sections.
She ducked under one of the tents, finding herself with cross bows. This is going to be a snap, she thought to herself, as she grabbed one. She slowly peered over the edge, spotting her follower and tracked his movements.
She slowly aimed the crossbow, remembering last minute to attempt zero collateral damage. Even if it was the bad guy.
Up ahead, Shyster's man slowed down, stopping by one of the booths. He peered over the edge and spotted nothing.
A split second later, a whirring sound caught his attention, and he found his arm immoblized against the wooden counter. Another arrow caught his shirt from his back, pinning his waist to the counter as well.
He only had time to yell before he saw the red haired duck come down on him, feet towards his face.
X
Duke leapt onto the Merry-go-round, using the wooden horses as shields. He nearly lost his balance as the ground beneath him lurched to one side. The carousel had begun to spin.
Someone jumped on board as well, and started firing. Duke tried running back but had to duck as more bullets flew from outside of the ride.
"You're gonna end up shooting me!" he heard the other guy shout. "Get on board and we'll get him from both sides!"
Great, thought Duke.
X
Wildwing and Tanya came to a stop as they spotted one of Shyster's men pulling on a lever. A bit further ahead, they saw Duke trying to regain his balance as the merry-go-round he was on started to spin.
The man by the lever started firing, but stopped at the orders of his partner that was on board the same ride.
Wildwing tackled the man as he started to head over to the carousel.
"Not so fast!" said Wildwing, as both of them landed on the floor. "Tanya, stop the carousel."
"Right!" said Tanya, running for the lever.
"Off of me, Duck!" the man growled, twisting around and throwing a punch to Wildwing's face.
Wildwing pulled his head back, only to lose his grip on the man. The terrorist wriggled free and scrambled up, bringing up his weapon to fire at the white avian.
Wildwing instinctively kicked out, sending the man's gun into the air, leaving him weaponless.
"Got it!" he heard Tanya yell.
The man let out a roar of anger as he rushed Wildwing, arms swinging.
Wildwing dodged a few blows as he threw a punch upward, catching the man underneath the ribs.
With a whoosh of air, the attacker fell back, trying to regain his breath. Tanya moved out of his way.
He leaned up against the Merry-Go-Round's lever, causing it to push back even further and break off.
Wildwing quickly looked in the direction of the Merry-Go-Round and felt sick.
The ride was picking up speed.
X
Duke only had time to glance to his left and see that Wildwing and Tanya had arrived to keep the second man from joining his partner. After that he had to duck down behind a pink unicorn.
Shots kept coming from a dragon.
Duke adjusted his puck blaster to fire the pucks as bolas. Hopefully the pucks would wrap around the bad guy and the pole, trapping him.
Of course, shooting on a moving platform that was going in circles was going to be tricky.
As luck would have it, Duke felt the ride slowing down.
Duke aimed and got ready to fire.
Then he heard a metallic clunk and the ride began to spin faster.
Duke fell forward with the jolt as his attacker sprawled onto his back.
"What are they doing?" he asked himself out loud, trying to stand up. He slowly felt his body being pulled towards the outside as the scene around him began to blur considerably.
The only thing he could see clearly was the horse he was holding onto and the wooden dragon that the other guy was trying to grab.
The man pulled himself up with one hand, using his leg to hold onto the bar from under the dragon. He raised his other arm, gun in hand.
"Oh, holy asteroids," Duke muttered, realizing that he had lost his puck blaster in the fall. "What do I do now?"
Duke pulled out his saber, unsure of just what he could accomplish with it. He glanced down at the horse and grinned. He cut down on the fake saddle grip, sending it flying towards the terrorist.
The gun flew out of his hand and off the Merry-Go-Round.
At the same time the man lost his grip and went rolling to the edge. At the last moment, he grabbed to the bottom of a pole as his feet swung out to the outside.
"Help me!" he screamed, as the velocity had picked up to the point of sending them almost flying.
"Oh, for the love of hockey," muttered Duke, as he slowly lowered himself closer to the floor. He tried to ignore the dizziness that was building up in his head as he moved from horse to unicorn, pole to pole, making his way to the terrorist.
"You're lucky I'm one of the good guys," he muttered, sheathing his saber. "I have half the mind to just let you go flying like a discus and see just how far you land."
Duke slowly slid across the floor, reaching for the man. His feet felt like lead, and his hand felt as if it were ready to just fly off.
"I can't reach," yelled the man.
"You are not even trying," growled Duke, stretching further.
The terrorist grabbed his hand and tried to pull himself back up.
Duke wrapped his legs around the pole to use both hands.
The man grabbed them both and pulled himself back up.
The man grabbed a pole with his arm. "You should have let me fall," said the man, pulling out a stun gun with the other hand.
Duke just stared.
X
"Hurry, Tanya!" shouted Wildwing, as he tied up his prisoner.
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" said Tanya, as she used her omni tool to weld the broken lever back together.
Wildwing kept glancing at the out of control Merry Go Round. He could see that both Duke and the terrorist were having trouble staying on their feet.
Smoke began to flow out from underneath.
"I'm not gonna get his fixed in time!" shouted Tanya.
Wildwing brought up the com unit to his face. "Grin! We need you at the Merry-Go-Round!"
Tanya gasped as she spotted a figure almost fall out of the ride.
"He needs to hurry," she said.
Just a few moments later, Grin, Canard, and Nosedive arrived.
"Nosedive!" shouted Wildwing.
"Bro, am I glad to see you!" said Nosedive.
"We need to stop that ride," Wildwing said.
"Think you can do it?" Canard asked Grin.
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it," Grin said.
"Er. . . is that a yes?"
"I'll most certainly give it a whirl."
Grin stepped up to the Merry-Go-Round and braced himself. He reached out and latched onto one of the other bars. The velocity of the ride dragged him in circles as well, but he put his feet down, digging them into the ground.
The smoke turned grey as the sounds of metal screeching against metal grew louder. The carousel tipped to one side as wooden horses flew, crashing to the floor.
X
Duke cursed at himself for not letting the terrorist become a human discus. He closed his eyes, waiting for the electric jolt to course through his body. At the speed they were going, he would have no time to jump up and try to grab his saber.
At that moment, the floor lurched again, this time vertically. He and the terrorist went tumbling down, along with some of the wooden horses and unicorns that had gotten loose from up top.
A split second later, he landed in a pair of strong arms.
Duke stared up at three spinning heads of Grin.
"How do you feel?" he heard Grin ask.
"Put me down," responded Duke. "I think I'm gonna hurl."
X
Grin used one of the belt straps to tie the guy down.
"Glad you could join us," said Canard, as he spotted Mallory jogging towards them.
"I've got another one tied up to the kiddie games."
"Shyster is still out there, man," said Nosedive, looking around.
"You didn't find him?" Wildwing asked, looking at Canard.
"He was after the kid, but you called Grin. Since Shyster didn't show up through the exit, and this sounded pretty urgent, we came here instead."
"So Shyster might be nearby?" Wildwing asked, looking around.
"We could always draw him out," offered Nosedive.
"No," said Wildwing.
"Why not?" Nosedive asked, a bit angry. "I caught the guy once before, don't you trust me?"
"It's not that. . ." started Wildwing.
"It's just that it's too risky," said Canard. Wildwing nodded in agreement. "But," continued Canard. "If you're really up to it, all we need is one good plan to minimize the potential foul ups that could occur."
Nosedive beamed while Wildwing glowered.
X
Shyster ducked behind one of the ticket booths. He had already come across one of his team members, unconscious and tied up to a crossbow shooter's game. He had the sinking feeling that a similar fate occurred to the rest of his team.
He heard a soft shuffling sound and stopped. He peered around the edge of the ticket booth and grinned in triumph.
X
Nosedive held out his puck blaster, suddenly wishing himself back at the Pond, nice and safe, reading a good comic, and chowing down on some sort of fast food product. Anything.
"Okay, keep an eye out, spot him, and call for help. That's all I have to do," he muttered to himself.
He looked around and gulped. Never had a carnival seemed so . . . scary.
All the game booths were packed next to each other, to the point of causing claustrophobia. He slowly stepped between them, sweeping the area with his eyes. Each way he turned, the setting sun cast spooky shadows.
"Where are the police?" he asked himself, straining to hear any sort of siren.
So far all he heard was silence.
"Okay, Dive old buddy old pal, " he murmured to himself. "It's all nice and simple. Just find the bad guy and report. No need to actually engage in com. . ."
A loud click sounded in his ear as he crouched beside a ticket booth.
"...bat," he finished, as a metal barrel touched the side of his head.
Nosedive slowly put down his puck blaster and stood up.
"Where are your friends?" Shyster asked him menacingly.
"Around, looking for you," responded Nosedive calmly, even though his heart was threatening to pump right out of his chest.
"Step out then. You are my ticket out of here."
Both Nosedive and Shyster tensed as the sounds of sirens began approaching.
Oh, great, thought Nosedive. Now they show, at the worst possible time.
"Move," ordered Shyster, pushing his gun into the back of Nosedive's head.
"Moving," said Nosedive, holding his hands up and stepping forward. "You know, for a veteran terrorist, you sure aren't smart," he suddenly said. "I mean, yeah, here you have me in front of you like a shield, but what about your back? I mean, what's to say that some of my team mates aren't behind you, getting ready to shoot."
"Shut up," growled Shyster, glancing around. "One wrong step and all the matter that fills up your skull will be splattered over all these booths."
"You certainly know how to paint a rosy picture."
Suddenly there was a flare of light, soaring over them.
Nosedive ducked as Shyster glanced upward, momentarily distracted.
Directly up ahead, Mallory lowered her own blaster and fired. A puck slammed into Shyster's chest, knocking him back a few feet, slamming into a make shift pool with rubber frogs.
Grin emerged from behind and tipped the pool over, trapping Shyster underneath.
"Let me go!" he yelled.
Canard and Wildwing emerged from behind two separate game booths.
"Well," said Canard. "That went better than expected."
"Except Nosedive wasn't actually suppose to get caught!" argued Wildwing.
"Yeah, well the kid has proven himself that he can take control of any situation," commented Canard.
Nosedive grinned, surprised by Canard's approval.
Tanya and Duke stepped forward.
"Uh, sorry about not firing the flare in time," said Tanya.
"It jammed on us," added Duke.
"At least you got it unstuck," said Canard.
Tanya and Duke stared at him. "We thought one of you guys did it."
"What do you mean?" asked Wildwing.
"It's still jammed," said Duke, holding out the flare gun.
"Grin?" asked Canard.
Grin shook his head.
"Wasn't me, neither," said Mallory, as Wildwing turned to her.
Nosedive looked faint.
Canard and Wildwing just looked at each other as the Anaheim police form finally arrived.
X
Chameleon shrieked in fear as he ran out of Nightbloom's temporary room, covering his head as flares shot around him.
Nightbloom slowly walked out with her arm extended, a small fireball floating above her palm, eyes glittering dangerously as the small Saurian joined up with his colleagues.
"I don't know what you are looking for," she said in a calm, yet deadly voice. "But know this. If I catch you searching through my personal items, I will find a spell to transform you into ducks and roast you." She walked back into the room.
"I don't know about you," said Chameleon, as he patted out a flame from on top of his head. "But I think she was furious."
In the Next Episode of Mighty Ducks. . .
Wildwing stared for a few more moments, watching Canard and Nosedive acting amicably towards each other. He then walked off in anger.
Duke watched him leave, finding himself worried for his friend.
X
Canard smiled at Wildwing. "The kid is acting much like his older self, don't you think?"
"I wouldn't know," replied Wildwing, a bit tightly, as he walked away from his team captain.
Canard stared after him, baffled by Wing's behavior.
X
""I just don't think he can handle a confrontation with Dragaunus," snarled Wildwing, vehemently.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" interrupted Nosedive, making a time out motion with his hands. "Don't you think that's my call?"
Both brothers glared at each other.