Julia skated across the icy rink that was used for public interaction. It was early morning so not many others were around. Stopping at the foot of Drake DuCaine's statue, she couldn't help but look up and think about Nosedive.
"Why?", she asked herself taking out the heart shaped pendent Nosedive gave her and reciting the words mentally before placing it over her heart, "Why is it we must be apart for so long?"
She tried pulling herself together, but then she felt something. She turned to see another female duck step out of the shadows causing her light purple hair to flow. It complimented her dark red outfit and black boots, but the look on her face made Julia freeze. She knew too well who this was and she spelled bad news.
"I know that feeling.", the other said slyly, "You pour out your heart to someone and then fate intervenes and pulls you apart."
Julia's expression hardened as her resolve did.
"I know who you are.", she said backing away slightly, "You betrayed our kind to Dragaunus and almost killed Canard's first resistance. You have no right to be here Lucretia DeCoy."
The other smiled.
"So Canard told you about me did he? But do you know why I did what I did?"
Julia's expression didn't let up. She had a feeling that Lucretia was baiting her and the way she spoke was anything but believable.
"I'm not interested in what you have to say traitor.", she said coldly, "How you got out of Limbo, I may not know, but maybe that's where you belong."
Lucretia's smile didn't fade.
"Brave words from someone hiding her feelings. Don't you know that I can bring Nosedive-"
She was cut off cause Clyde showed up and skated in front of Julia with his saber drawn.
"Nice try DeCoy, but you're out of luck.", he said calmly, "Julia has me now and no amount of temptation you offer can take her away."
Lucretia cackled like a witch as she vanished like a mirage leaving the two alone.
"Thanks Clyde.", Julia said to him.
"Aw shucks little lady, just doing my job.", Clyde said putting his saber away, "Never thought I'd see that duck again."
Julia clutched her pendent.
"Neither did I."
/
Nosedive, Thrash and Mookie came out of the theater with Morpha right behind them in a form of a little boy only for it to shift back into it's dog form once they were back on the duck-cycles parked in the lot.
"That movie was so bogus.", Thrash said sounding disappointed.
"I agree.", Mookie stated as she adjusted her jacket, "The ending was a major snore."
Nosedive rolled his eyes.
"I know. They make the trailer sound so cool only for the real thing to be a real downer."
"That's showbiz.", Thrash said smiling, "We've seen better versions of those lizard people whenever Dragaunus' goons try anything."
Morpha seated itself behind Nosedive on one cycle while Thrash and Mookie took the other. Soon, they were driving down the night streets and on the way to the Pond.
"I'm just happy we got out of Phil's latest gig for the team.", Mookie said.
Nosedive flinched.
"Being spokespeople for a pizza that even I can't bear to smell?", he asked, "It was almost like pick your poison between humiliation or a boredom fest for the latest movie at the cinema."
They made a turn when the dashboards of the cycles began to flicker in and out for a moment, but that got their attention.
"Was that another rift opening up?", Thrash asked, "Maybe we should call the others."
Nosedive clicked his communicator only to get a loud screech that made him close it fast.
"Darn the communications are blocked."
At that moment, a couple sharp projectiles came out of nowhere and hit the front wheels of the cycles causing them to skid, but Morpha reacted fast and extended a couple tendrils to park the cycles safely before a crash happened.
"What was that?", Mookie asked.
Morpha sniffed around and then barked sharply.
"What did you find boy?", Nosedive asked as he came up to it.
Morpha took out a sharp piece of glass shaped like a ninja star in it's mouth and placed it in Nosedive's hand.
"What is that?", Thrash asked as he and Mookie came over.
"Dudes, we have trouble.", Nosedive said gravely.
/
Klegghorn raised an eyebrow.
"So you're saying you got attacked on your way back?"
The ducks had met Klegghorn as he was cruising along and explained what they had encountered.
"Pretty much Officer.", Thrash said.
Klegghorn put his hand to his chin( a thing he did when he was deep in thought).
"Well, something fishy is going on here. First Phil takes the ducks to his latest gig, but it's been over an hour since they were supposed to come back and I haven't heard anything."
Nosedive looked a little concerned.
"Big bro didn't take the mask with him did he?"
Klegghorn shook his head.
"Nah. He was going to have it polished when he got back, but when I started to suspect something, I took it along just to be on the safe side."
He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled it out to prove his point before Nosedive took it and placed it in the satchel on his belt.
"So any idea what's going on?", Mookie asked getting a bit anxious.
Klegghorn shrugged.
"Beats me. I was heading over to the last place I knew the other ducks were to see if I could find anything. My cruiser is just over there around the corner."
Morpha raised both duck-cycles and latched itself to the cruiser's top as the group came over. As they got in, Nosedive noticed a set of notes on the passenger's side.
"What's this Klegghorn?"
"My investigation.", Klegghorn said sounding a bit miffed, "So far, we got one location we need to check out."
Nosedive picked up a sheet and read it.
"Spicy and Sweet Pizzeria? That's the place the gig was getting set up right?"
Klegghorn nodded as he started up the cruiser and started driving along.
"So far, that's the only lead we got. I say we get over to the place and see if we can find some clues and hopefully some idea about what might have done it."
"Don't you mean who?", Mookie asked.
Klegghorn smiled.
"Touche."
/
Wildwing stirred as he slowly slipped into consciousness. The gig was being set up, but before anything could get underway, thick clouds of gas erupted from the walls and before any of them could react, they were knocked out. He saw the others tied and seated on nearby, but the energy bonds that were holding them were of bright purple similar to the ones Dragaunus would use.
"So. You're awake first."
Wildwing tensed. He knew that voice. He turned as Lucretia stepped out of the shadows twirling a sharp sai blade.
"Lucretia DeCoy?", he asked in disbelief, "The traitor who Dragaunus sent to Limbo?"
Lucretia smiled.
"The one and only.", she purred as she stepped closer to him, "It has been a long time, but as you can see, I've been busy in my absence."
Wildwing's expression hardened.
"How were you able to avoid Canard's aura reading? He would've felt your presence the moment you were near."
"Quite simple.", Lucretia answered pulling a familiar looking pendent out from around her neck, "I receive assistance from a very effective power source. It contains three for now, but soon that will change."
Canard by now had woken up too and was just as peeved as Wildwing looked.
"Oh it's you."
Lucretia turned his way and her expression seemed to brighten further.
"Surprised?", she asked him, "Your old resistance member back for a rerun."
Canard's expression darkened further.
"You were a member. Until you led my whole resistance into a death trap and wiped it out. I was lucky to get away with my life. Now would you mind explaining why you're doing this?"
"Vengeance.", Lucretia answered sharply, "Dragaunus would've taken over if Wildwing didn't switch the Proteus chip with a freeze puck and caused that lizard to send me to Limbo. But that is all about to change. I have an errand to run. Don't try to escape cause if you do, a special death will be waiting to spring the moment you get to the door."
Lucretia snapped her fingers and warped away instantly.
/
"You sure this is a good place to do go through our clues?", Nosedive asked.
Klegghorn had parked his cruiser outside a house in the suburbs of Anaheim and Phil lumbered still dazed.
"For a minute I thought you guys were going to leave me buried in that rubble."
Thrash and Mookie both rolled their eyes.
"Believe us when we say that we almost wish we did.", Thrash said firmly.
Klegghorn led the group to the door while Morpha carried a case in a couple tendrils and opened the front door. Inside it was pretty nice. A sofa was just under the front window with a television on the opposite of it, a narrow hallway led into the kitchen in the back with a staircase leading upward to the second floor.
"Nice place.", Nosedive said sounding a bit disappointed.
Klegghorn then led the group to a door near the kitchen that opened to reveal a hallway leading into the basement and headed down there with the ducks following. Morpha closed the front door before it followed. Downstairs there was a dark room for picture developing, a desk and a table with a couple metal trays.
"You bring your work home with you?", Mookie asked.
"When I have to.", Klegghorn answered, "Just place our findings on the table and don't disturb anything. I like things in order."
Morpha did so and Klegghorn pulled out a set of glass tubes and a few bottles of clear liquid which he placed on the table. He then reached over and opened the case. A couple bags were there, but one he pulled out and used a pair of tweezers to remove a hair from and place it in a tray.
"Good thing I had you wear those hairnets from the kitchen before we investigated."
Phil flinched and clutched his shoulder.
"Darn, that collapse must have dislocated my-"
Mookie didn't wait and with a sharp maneuver and a sharp crack, Phil groaned a bit then moved his arm better.
"Thanks.", he said.
Klegghorn looked at the hair through a microscope that he had Morpha take out and turned to Nosedive.
"Did Mookie still have that analyzer I asked Tanya to make?"
Mookie came forward and placed a small cube on the table that opened up into a computer and a pad for scanning.
"Now we'll see who's been there.", Klegghorn said placing the hair on the scanner.
A few beeps later, a name came on the screen.
"Lucretia DeCoy?", Klegghorn asked, "Who's that?"
"Only a hot duck that me and Duke once fought over back in our first season.", Nosedive answered(breaking the fourth wall as usual).
"And the one who betrayed you and almost drowned you if Tanya hadn't arrived to save the day?", Thrash asked.
Nosedive nodded.
"The very one."
Klegghorn raised an eyebrow.
"Well it looks like Ms. Traitor is back."
A loud bang rang out from upstairs. Phil yelped.
"I think that's her.", he said clearly showing he was scared.
/
Upstairs they were met with another boom that blew apart the whole front to reveal two enormous drones with what looked like a combination of a rocket launcher and a bomb catapult both ready to fire again.
"Okay, this is where you pay for my home security you giant piles of dimensional junk!", Klegghorn yelled as he yanked out his puck blaster.
The ducks got into battle gear, but Phil tried ducking behind some trash cans. The other ducks didn't care. They just lept into the fray avoiding bombs they threw only for Morpha to catch every one and send them flying back and making the drones explode. Unfortunately one bomb landed near Phil's hiding place and the resulting explosion sent Phil out of hiding and land right at the side of the others who had paused since the drones were already taken out.
"Well, that was easy.", Thrash said starting so set his nunchaku on his belt.
Nosedive's expression hardened. Something didn't feel right and the forces he felt then and there were a confirmation. At that moment, Lucretia appeared hovering a few feet in the air wearing a smug smile.
"So, the comic relief survived the demonstration.", she purred obviously ment to be for Nosedive the way she looked his way, "I missed you at the pizza themed photo shoot."
"And I don't recall you wearing that outfit when last we met.", he countered.
Lucretia rolled her eyes while not taking her smile off.
"Always quick with the quips as always.", she said before noticing the other four ducks and Morpha, "Your minions I assume?"
Klegghorn looked a little surprised for a split second.
"Minions?!", he asked before his face hardened into an expression of annoyed and angry, "Listen lady, I don't know who you think you are, but I am a once certified officer of the law in charged with keeping order around here and you're not wanted here!"
"Careful Klegghorn.", Thrash warned, "Don't poke the bear."
Lucretia placed a hand on the sai on her belt.
"Good advice.", she said, "And I'd say the other teammates are short on time."
"What are you playing at?", Nosedive asked.
"You'll see if you solve a few rhymes.", Lucretia answered, "Answer and solve fast cause short is time."
She snapped her fingers and warped away cackling leaving the group on the street in disbelief.
"So this lady is making us solve riddles just to save our friends?", Klegghorn asked.
"That seems to be the case.", Nosedive answered.
Morpha's color points turned red and it bared it's teeth like an angry dog, but Mookie petted it to calm it down before it went crazy. It was going to be a long day.
/
Julia and Clyde met up with Quasleet at home where he was working on another drone to test the prototype gateway.
"Oh hey, what's new?", he asked seeing the two enter.
"Doc, we got an issue.", Clyde said grimly, "Lucretia DeCoy met up with us earlier this morning. We think she was here for a reason."
Quasleet stopped working right then and there.
"The traitor that sold out Canard's resistance? Our friends are in dire situations indeed cause if Lucretia has a grudge, she's not going to wait to let our fellow ducks wait until she's made them suffer unbearable pain and got even."
Clyde placed a hand on his belt buckle.
"Too bad Chroma didn't tell me this was of great importance otherwise he'd have me warp over there to stop her before she got things rolling."
Julia thought for a second.
"Hey, didn't you say that I had you now that Nosedive isn't here with me?"
Clyde raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Julia looked more concerned.
"I don't think that's her style grandpa cause she's used to resolving to deception to get her way with her targets."
"And since Nosedive and you share a special connection, she'll use what I said to turn Nosedive against you.", Clyde groaned smacking himself in the head, "And I had to spit those words out of my beak without thinking."
"Don't blame yourself.", Quasleet answered, "Right now we need to find out how to help our friends before Lucretia does something really really bad."
Clyde tried calming down. Quasleet had a point and Julia sure knew the situation too.
"That communications device you made work with the communicators the ducks have on Earth?"
"It should.", Quasleet answered, "Since they have homing signals, I can get an exact location on them. But I'm going to need some time."
To be continued...