Disclaimer: The usual... Carry on.

"Ah-quack!"

"Bless you..?"

Mike watched the humanoid duck smile weakly at him. Soft brown feathered that had fluffed lightly started to settle back into place as the duck rested her head against the cool brick wall. She looked sick, and that might have been a sneeze, but he couldn't be so sure.

"-You heard me. You want to see her again, it's gonna cost you ten million in unmarked bills!" David declared with his heavy accent. "Don't call the cops!" he warned before slamming the phone onto the receiver.

"You think they'll pay up?" Mike fidgeted.

"One of them will," David crossed his arms looking triumph.

"I dunno. I mean, if she's one of their kids, wouldn't they keep a better eye on her?"

The older man shrugged. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a matchbox.

Mike stepped away from his partner-in-crime. He detested the scent of cigarettes, but that never stopped his friend from smoking nearly a pack a day.

He walked over and knelt next to the humanoid duck. It was a creepy creature. Like one of those science experiments in movies that go horribly wrong. Well, maybe not that wrong. She was cute, like a baby animal or a giant stuffed animal. But still creepy with how human-like she was.

"She didn't even struggle. I think she's sick," his concern compounded as he instinctively reached out to place a hand on her forehead. She was warmer than he had imagined. But, what was considered normal for her species? "I don't think this was good idea. Maybe we should take her back."

"Maybe you want to end up in jail?" David puffed sarcastically.

"Look, man, she was cuddling with the ice chest the whole way here. Now she's all over the wall. She's sick or something."

"Or slow?" the older man laughed at his joke.

"I'm sick, dehoe" the duck informed meekly.

The pair were caught off guard, shocked silent by the small voice. This was the first time she'd acknowledged anything since they kidnapped her.

"I'm gonna assume that wasn't something nice," David stalked over, looming over the sitting duck. "Ya wanna stay alive, ya lose the attitude. Got it, ducky?"

"My name is-"

"Don't care, ducky," he flicked his cigarette at the the pair, not caring that the ash would fall on his friend.

"I'm right here!" Mike protested, swatting ash off his coat. But his friend simply ignore him, his attention solely on their captive. Mike turned back to the duck, her eyes focused intensely on David, almost vindictively. There was a flash of something there, but he couldn't find a word for it.

"What if they come looking for her?" Mike suddenly though. "My cousin, from L.A., saids that the Ducks are always helping the cops with the nut jobs and lizard-people out there. What if-"

"Even if they do work with the cops, I doubt they'll show," David responded with an air of certainty. "Besides, they don't know where we are. And it's been a few hours since we took her. And the snow storm is just getting started. We're fine."

"They'll come," the duck hummed softly.

"What?" the older man snorted with contempt. "They wouldn't even know where to start looking. New York is huge."

"Fifty chips saids otherwise," she challenged.

"Chips?" Mike cocked his head to the side curiously.

The duck dug into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled bill. She showed it to her two captors.

David didn't miss a beat, swiping it and unfolding the bill. "Freaki' ducky's walking 'round with a fifty! Who gives a kid that kind of money!?"

"That's for lunch!" she protested, finding the strength to sit up and reach out for the money.

David stood tall, folding the bill in half and placing it in his back pocket. "Mine now," he sneered, smoke trailing out of his mouth wickedly.

The duck frowned. "Paug aras," she muttered bitterly.

"What'd I say about losing that attitude?" David growled, pointing down at the girl. He was about to take his leave, ready to relax and wait until the instructed time for the drop off when he gave the duck another like over. "What else you got on you, ducky?"

He reached down, taking her hand as she tried to slap his away. Her weak struggle amusing him.

A search of the duck revealed some sort of metal bracelets on both arms, a piece of plastic with a metal trim around it about the size of an index card, a pair of needle-like knives, a hotel key, and more cash.

David tried but failed to take the bracelets off her arms. He did, however, confiscate the two knives. "Ya can seriously injure someone with these!" He was shocked that she hasn't pulled one out on them earlier.

"We could have just mugged her!" Mike exclaimed counting and then recounting the money. "Two and a half grand!"

"Ya always carry around this much 'lunch money'?!" David made sure to place the knives well out of her reach.

The question was never answered as the front door was kicked open. With military precision, the Mighty Ducks stormed into the old house. David thought his life had come to an end when he saw the weapon pointed and discharges in his direction. Instead, he found himself bond and face first on the floor. Mike feel in much the same matter seconds after.

"That's everyone?" the large white bird questioned as he looked around, hands balled up at the side of his face.

Mike nodded enthusiastically from his place. "Yes," he managed to squeak out.

The spindly grey duck raced across the living room, putting his weapon away as he came up to the kidnapped duck. "You alright, sweet'eart?" he cupped her face in his hand. "Y're fever's gettin' worse."

"What's wrong with you!?" the redhead's voice boomed angrily. "You can't just go walking around strange cities when you're sick! Crap like this happens!" she emphasized her point by waving her hands at the would-be criminals.

"I can take care of myself," the young girl protested, swaying as she stood.

"Hump!" David groused from his place. A few of the ducks glared down at him.

With all the grace of a drunk, the little brown duck managed to walk over to David. She reached down, taking her money back before giving him a kick in the midsection. "Told you you'd pay for that."

"That was uncalled for, ducky," David complained. The kick didn't hurt at all. She was so weak and sick that he barely even felt the foot at his side.

"Hey! You call her Ducky too? She really hates that, you know," the slender blond holstered his weapon with a cheesy smile.

"Alright, looks like we're done here," the white duck declared giving the room a last sweeping glance. "Let's so. We got a game in about an hour."

"The, um, the cops will be here soon," a busty blonde came up to his side, punching something into the metal bracelet on her arm.

David startled. He looked around at the other ducks. Sure enough, they were all wearing the same kind of bracelet thing with the black disk on it that the little brown duck was. "The bracelets," he hissed to himself, realizing his mistake. That must have been how they found them so fast. She knew. That's how she knew they would come for her. He let his head drop onto the floor, utterly defeated.

"Common, sweet'eart," the grey duck knelt down, beckoning her to climb onto his back.

"Can we let him go?" the girl pointed down at Mike.

"What?" the whole room was shocked, all eyes on the young girl.

"He was really nice and he kinda sucks at being a criminal" she shrugged by way of explanation.

Mike's expression melted from shock to insult and settled on something akin to disbelief.

"Audrey, you know we can't do that," the white duck sighed heavily. "He had a choice to make, and he decided on a very poor life decision."

"Neither has Duke, and you still keep him around."

"This ain't 'bout me," Duke bit back rather annoyed.

"Fine," Audrey wrapped her arms around the grey drake's neck, he easily hoisted her up as he stood. "Can we at least make his sentence less severe?"

The white bird didn't say anything as he turned to exit, he did, however, shake his head on his way out. The rest of the group followed.

"You're crazy, Ducky."

"Am not!"

"For once, I'm gonna agree with Nosedive."

"Perhaps your illness clouds your mind, Little One."

Mike and David strained to listen to the Ducks as their voices became faint in the distance. A few beats of silence filled the air before Mike started to struggle in his bindings. They didn't budge an inch. In the distance, the two man could make out the wailing of sirens heading in the direction.

"This is the last time I follow your lead," Mike finally gave into the inevitability of jail time.

A/N: So once again, many thanks for the continued support of all the readers. And to the constant reviewers (you know who you are), your comments make me happy and help motivate me to keep going. And as always, I hope you enjoyed the read ^_^