Sparks flew from the equipment as Quasleet welded together the frame for the latest capacitor for the gateway prototype.
"I sure hope this infusion of titanium and frostium works.", he muttered, "Frostium is one of the most durable materials Puckworld has and titanium is pretty good too."
After placing the final piece together, Quasleet stepped back to let the whole thing cool off and set his equipment aside.
"Now for the mechanical power cells to be prepared."
He walked over to a work table where several computer parts were scattered across the surface and some minor tools were aligned beside them. Quasleet got to work and had gotten into it when a knock came on his door.
"Come in."
Julia stuck her head into the workshop and came in followed by Danielle and Clyde.
"So how goes the latest design?", Clyde asked.
"It's getting there.", Quasleet answered, "Try not to touch anything please. These took a lot of work."
Danielle was feeling more than a bit unnerved, but also fascinated.
"You build all these things yourself?", she asked.
Quasleet nodded.
"Mostly. I get my design ideas from Tanya who visits somewhere on Earth called Electric Land or something. She talks science there with other like minded individuals and she brings those suggestions to me."
Danielle lost her fear for a minute and got curious.
"You managed to get Tanya here?", she asked.
Quasleet paused what he was doing so he could show Danielle had his full attention.
"The gateway can transport objects cause that's easy. Transporting living matter is a whole other ball game. Luckily, I'll be able to find this ASTRAK thing in Dimensional Limbo and hopefully get better data."
"ASTRAK?", Danielle asked, "What's that?"
"It stands for Artificial Storage Terminal Relocating Accumulated Knowledge.", Clyde explained, "Almost like an inter dimensional database that studies nonstop."
Quasleet dusted his hands and looked at the frame that was still cooling off.
"What time is it?", he asked.
"About four in the afternoon.", Julia stated, "You should take a breather Grandpa."
Quasleet sighed. He knew Julia was right cause his obsession with his work caused troubles and he didn't want to repeat that mistake again.
"So, what's on everyone's mind for dinner?", he asked, "I'll cook."
They all left the workshop and the lights went off shortly after the door was closed leaving the faint glow of the still heated frame as it remained in it's stand.
/
Mallory ran a hand over her slime covered arm as the ducks came back into the Pond.
"Ugh! I hope this gunk doesn't stain."
Thrash looked over to see Mallory, Wildwing, Canard and Duke come in and he put his nunchaku down.
"What happened to you?", he asked.
"Rift opened near where Phil wanted us to sell the latest brand of hot dogs.", Wildwing stated as he wiped slime off his face.
Thrash groaned.
"A rift opened up and I missed the whole thing again?"
"Hey, you think slicing an inter dimensional puffer fish with deadly spikes is a walk in the park, why not you go on the next trip?", Duke countered.
"Hey.", Canard stated firmly, "What happened happened okay?"
Thrash tried to calm down.
"Sorry. I'm just so disappointed that all this great stuff happens and I have to help Mook with the clinic set up."
Nosedive came in with Morpha and noticed the conversation.
"Whoa, who ordered a slime bath?"
Mallory looked his way annoyed.
"One of these days Dive, that big fat beak of yours is going to get you in big trouble.", she said harshly, "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to hit the showers."
Morpha extended several tendrils and slid them over the ducks. The slime fell away leaving the four all cleaned up and the slime was all on the floor until Morpha used it's tendrils as a vacuum to deposit it into the trash.
"Never mind.", Mallory stated looking much calmer.
/
Thrash and Nosedive headed off to the new clinic with Morpha right beside them.
"Thanks for offering to use Create to conjure up some fast construction.", Thrash said.
"No problem dude.", Nosedive answered, "So why do you look so down in the dumps?"
Thrash sighed.
"Ever since Mook opened her new clinic a week ago, me and her have been missing out on rift openings and helping out. I feel real bad about not being there for you guys and seeing these amazing places while avoiding danger and I...I miss the feeling you know?"
Nosedive put a hand on Thrash's shoulder.
"I know that feeling. I felt like that a few times back in our first season.", he stated(breaking the fourth wall as usual).
Morpha trotted alongside them and then tapped Nosedive's shoulder. Nosedive took out a thermos and let Morpha extend a tendril inside and drink the water that it had. At that moment, an old woman came out from an alley with a glowing rose in her hand causing the ducks to pause.
"Um, hi?", Thrash asked a little creeped out, "Can we help you?"
"Please sir.", the old woman answered sounding sad, "Take this rose in exchange for directions to the nearest homeless shelter."
Thrash took a breath.
"It's just down the street and around the corner over there.", he said as he pointed.
The old woman smiled.
"Why thank you young man.",she said sounding happier, "You are indeed a kind and generous soul who deserves this rose."
She handed it over, but Thrash didn't take it.
"Oh it's not necessary madam.", he said calmly, "Your gratitude is all I need."
The old woman's smile got bigger.
"Generous and selfless. In that case, I may offer another gift I can give you."
The moment she said this, the old woman's appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful young woman with a sparkly gown and a tiara that crowned her flowing light brown hair making Thrash, Nosedive and Morpha pause in awe.
"Because you see with your heart and not your eyes, a blessing I bestow upon you as this time flies.", she said with the voice of an angel, "For the next three months that follow, you will always find a way to ease your troubled heart."
She gave a smile and touched Thrash on the tip of his beak before she vanished away with her rose.
"How did you know she was someone in disguise?", Nosedive asked Thrash.
"I read it in a fairy tale once.", Thrash answered.
"The one where a prince turns an old woman away and she turns him into a beast unless he learn to love and earns another's love in return?", Nosedive asked.
Thrash nodded.
"Yep, the very one."
/
When they arrived at the comics shop, Mookie came out a side door to the usual one wearing a doctor's coat and carrying a clipboard.
"Oh hi guys.", she said as they came over, "Came to help out?"
Nosedive nodded.
"Just stand back and let this duck's magic get to work.", he said whipping Create out and materializing the quill, "Now for a quick clinic makeover."
A quick scribble later, a whirlwind of tools and boards came out of nowhere and engulfed the entire store. Luckily the wind wasn't blowing too hard and the ducks didn't have to move or anything. Morpha however held on to Nosedive's waist in case it blew away. After a couple minutes, the whirlwind resided, but the building looked the same as it did before anything happened excluding the second door beside the main one.
"That's it?", Mookie asked looking confused.
"Well, only one way to find out.", Thrash answered.
Going up to the second door, Nosedive opened it to reveal a staircase leading up to the second floor and an elevator beside it on another wall. Morpha walked alongside them as they got in the elevator and went up to the second floor. Once there, the doors opened to reveal a waiting room with old magazines, newspapers, and even a space where little kids could play while they waited for their turn. They went into the back to see the exam room outfitted like the infirmary back at the Pond, and Mookie's certificate was placed on the wall of an office where she would do paperwork behind a desk that served as the place where clients would pay bills and set up appointments.
"Dive, you really outdid yourself.", Mookie said beaming, "You save me and Thrash a major construction bill and gave us time for you now."
Nosedive looked unsure.
"Hey Mook, aren't you still bound by that deal you made?"
Mookie smiled and lifted her sleeve to reveal that the flowing mark that once resided there had vanished.
"Quasleet was certified to certify.", she answered, "So my exam was official and since Charyus didn't prevent anything, the deal was canceled and I don't have to get him anything anymore."
Thrash and Nosedive sighed heavily.
"That's a relief.", Thrash answered.
And then their coms went off.
"Looks like another rift is opening up not far from here.", Nosedive stated before turning to Morpha, "Hey Morpha, you think you can turn into the Migrator to get us there?"
Morpha smiled and it's color points turned yellow.
/
Wildwing drove the Migrator down the street until they curved around a corner to see huge tentacles with metal crab claws at the end and a large scaly body slither out of the portal.
"Looks like another inter dimensional thing again.", Duke stated.
Wildwing was about to give an order when a second Migrator showed up and opened fire drawing the thing's attention.
"Well there's the signal.", Mallory stated as she shifted the Migrator into battle mode.
"Guess Morpha shifted into the Migrator again.", Tanya shrugged.
The scaly body opened up at the top to reveal a giant lizard head surrounded by flower petals and rows of thorns that were white making them look like teeth.
"Okay, that's just nasty.", Duke flinched.
"I'm feeling great disturbance in my karma by this thing.", Grin said sagely.
The second Migrator then shifted into a giant battle robot with Nosedive, Thrash and Mookie inside it's chest plate operating the control panel although Wildwing doubted they were.
"Don't worry down there.", Nosedive called down, "We got this one."
"Just keep it near where the portal originally opened.", Wildwing responded, "Just be careful okay?"
Morpha gave a thumbs-up and assaulted the thing matching blow for blow while the three ducks inside it looked thrilled and having a ball.
"Tanya, can you get our matter disruptor online?", Wildwing asked.
Tanya looked unsure.
"Um, not really. See I took it off earlier today to make adjustments and forgot to put it back on before we left earlier."
Canard looked concerned.
"Well it looks like two of us need to go back and get it."
At that moment, multiple tentacles came out of the ground and the Migrator was lifted up as another of the thing came out of the ground.
"Canard, can you get Tanya back to the Pond and get the disruptor?", Wildwing asked.
Canard nodded.
"I'd like Mal to come too. For extra help."
As the three made their way to the duckcycles in the back, Duke activated Smoke causing the thing to choke and drop the Migrator. Grin then invoked Force to let it down easy as Canard and Mallory shot out the back on the cycles with Tanya riding with Mallory and headed for the Pond.
/
Morpha pinned the thing down while whipping out the crab claws that tried gripping it's robot parts.
"I don't know how long we can keep this thing busy.", Thrash said sounding concerned, "We need some kind of flame or something to make these plant, sea monster somethings more manageable."
Mookie noticed a gas truck nearby and tapped Nosedive's shoulder.
"You think you can get Morpha to use that into a flamethrower?"
Morpha must have heard her cause it sent a tendril to wrap around the truck and after adjusting a couple more tendrils to it's valve, aimed it at the thing it was fighting and sent a river of flames right at it. The thing retreated for a second and then it lashed out more.
"Looks like we only made it mad.", Thrash stated, "When are the other ducks going to get that disruptor?"
The other ducks clearly weren't having that much luck either. Grin was using Freeze to try and hold the thing in place with Duke outside using Mirror to try and cut through the tentacles, but not having much luck as the claws were clashing with the blades. Wildwing was clearly using the Migrator's weapon system, but not having much effect. And then Morpha tripped sending the truck/flamethrower flying in the air and land on the thing next to the Migrator and explode into an inferno causing it to flay around in agony. Morpha hit the ground and sent that one into the first one making them both burn up and fall into a large crater that Grin opened up and after a huge explosion, the twin terrors came back up this time as a combined form.
"Oh great. Now what do we do?", Thrash asked.
/
And then things got really chaotic. Clearly Canard could see it as he drove up the street with Tanya and Mallory beside him on their cycle while he had the disruptor strapped behind him on his.
"That is a whole lot of ugly.", Mallory stated.
Tanya flinched.
"Ugh, just looking at it is making me sick."
Canard's expression hardened.
"Then we better step on it."
They did and by the time they got close enough. They found Morpha's robot form tangled and the Migrator in a tangle of tentacles and teeth.
"Well, let's just blast this thing and be done with it.", Mallory stated.
Canard stopped her as she came over and gripped the disruptor.
"The other ducks are too close. The resulting vortex will drag them into Dimensional Limbo along with those things."
Tanya looked thoughtful.
"Well, if aimed at the right angle, the resulting matter disruption will only cause those things to dissolve leaving our fellow ducks-"
"Just fire the thing already!", Nosedive called out, "We're getting pummeled over here!"
Canard released Mallory as she untied the disruptor. Tanya did a quick calculation in the pad she took out and pointed out a series of spots before turning to Canard and Mallory.
"Hit the street lamp over there at thirty degrees on the left.", she stated.
They did and the resulting beam bounced off a mirror in a shop window and then off a car headlight and then the base of the creature which tensed and writhed in agony lashing out even more than it already was as it started shrinking. The Migrator was getting slammed until Morpha slid out of the way and got the Migrator away as well. Duke had gotten into the Migrator the moment he saw the other three show up. Slowly but surely the thing got smaller and then became nothing but a pile of smoking and bubbling goop. Nosedive, Thrash and Mookie came out as Morpha shrank back to it's dog form, but then they looked disgusted and Morpha's color points turned green while it made a sick face as a very pungent odor came from the stuff.
"It smells horrible.", Mookie griped.
Morpha put it's dog paws over it's nose as Nosedive picked it up and they ran for the Migrator with Canard, Tanya and Mallory driving the cycles back to the Pond. They banged rapidly on the door all while trying to not breathe in the foul smell, and when Duke and grin opened the door, they flopped in on the floor.
"And I thought your dirty laundry smelled bad.", Wildwing said to Nosedive as Grin and Duke got them into some seats and closed the door.
"But what are we going to do with it?", Duke asked.
Grin got into a meditative pose and the earth around the goop opened and the stuff seeped in and after a bit, the hole closed and Grin smiled.
"The earth reclaims that which must return to it.", he said sagely.
"Well spoken.", Wildwing said as he turned the Migrator around and headed back to the Pond.
They drove back leaving the stench that would eventually fade away and a brief wind blew it out of Anaheim and into the vast open sky.