Danielle was feeling more at home since she had a bed. Even though hanging with Julia and Clyde has helped her gain a bit of confidence, she still couldn't shake the feelings she had as she looked at the ring Canard had slipped on her finger and recalling the time she spent with him. She felt a presence and quickly turned to see Adam standing nearby.
"You okay there?", he asked tossing a lock of his brown hair aside from his face.
Danielle sighed.
"Canard proposed to me and I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole thing."
Adam looked surprised.
"So is this like a girlfriend/boyfriend thing or was it the proposal thing?"
"It was a little of both I think.", Danielle answered, "So how about you? Where'd you go off to?"
"The usual.", Adam answered as his folded saurian wings shivered a little, "Trying to keep a watchful eye out for Lucretia and prevent her from causing any grief."
Danielle got herself up and since she was dressed already she turned to Adam.
"So how come you don't tap into divine power or something since you're part deity?", she asked as she and him started towards the kitchen.
"Not sure.", Adam answered, "Guess it comes and goes."
At that moment, Adam snapped his fingers and there was a quick flash of light and Danielle found herself in the dining room with Adam right beside her.
"What was that?", Danielle asked a little surprised.
Adam shrugged.
"One ability that happened?", he guessed.
Julia and Clyde came in and seemed happy to see the two.
"Well, look who's up and ready to start the day.", Clyde said cheerfully.
Danielle blushed and Adam opened his wings, stretched them and folded them again.
"How goes the surveillance?", he asked.
"We'll get to that after breakfast.", Julia answered.
A loud bang went off, but Danielle had been through several of these so she wasn't as alarmed as she used to be, but she still jumped whenever it went off.
"Trash is out.", Quasleet called from the kitchen, "Breakfast is on the way."
/
Lucretia scowled as she observed her latest batch of assault weapons.
"Poison smoke balls, electronic capture nets, and a tranquilizer ray all effective, but I'm going to need something more to counter Adam and his abilities."
She then turned to notice a bauble materializing nearby and when she got closer it showed Danielle fidgeting with her hand. Looking closer, Lucretia noticed the silver band and it only made her angrier.
"So Canard has officially proposed has he?", she muttered darkly to herself, "I will find a way to wrench that heart of his and bleed it dry of all feeling like he did to me."
"Oh so short sighted."
Lucretia turned to see Charyus' astral form hovering near the entrance to her lair and looking around.
"So now the traitor is living in a hole like a mere worm. Don't tell me you're simply wasting your new power to spy on the competition."
Lucretia's expression darkened, but it wasn't her doing though. The Lady of Ruin was listening too and she wanted a say.
"Do not mock me.", she sneered speaking a different voice, "Destroying lives doesn't just happen with a wave of my hand like it did."
Charyus smiled.
"Nice to see you Varjakil. So it seems Harjuk and you have avatars that aren't the usual."
Lucretia was right in his face the moment he finished.
"This body wasn't my first choice.", she snarled, "But it was better than having Servain imprison me within the Chasm of Dread for eternity."
Charyus didn't even flinch.
"If you're planning on trying to hurt Canard, you're wasting your time and efforts. Luckily for you, I have something that could be effective to your cause."
A small gold shard materialized near him and became an amber choker. Lucretia eyed it and then back to Charyus. Before she could ask, a haunting yet beautiful song came out and when it ended, Charyus took it in his hand and held it out.
"Don't waste this echo of Siren.", he said plainly.
By now Lucretia had gained control of herself again and observed the choker as she took it and Charyus's image faded away. A scheme forming in her mind as a sinister smile came across her face.
"Well, time to visit an ally turned enemy.", she purred as she fastened the choker around her neck.
/
Danielle took a bathroom break to freshen up since breakfast ended, but as she finished washing her face, the reflection in the mirror shifted to reveal a male black feathered duck with blonde hair and wearing a blue shirt and gray pants. Danielle jumped at the surprise, but then got herself together as a memory came to mind.
"You again?"
The duck smiled.
"So you remembered after all."
Danielle grew suspicious.
"What are you exactly? A saurian? A mirage? A ruler of a domain in Dimensional Limbo?"
"None of the above.", the duck answered, "But close on the last one. But right now, Lucretia has something that is really going to hurt you and Canard's relationship."
Danielle looked surprised.
"Huh? How did you know about that?"
"I'm an inter-dimensional entity of fate. I know many things.", the duck answered.
"Fate?", Danielle asked, "As in you can alter lives just like that?"
"And make things work as I see fit.", the duck answered, "Allow me to get out of this mirror so I can be more presentable."
He did so with ease and at that moment, Julia knocked from outside.
"Danielle, you okay in there?"
Before Danielle could answer, she found herself outside with the duck right beside her giving Julia quite a surprise.
"Who or what in the name of Drake DuCaine are you?", she asked.
"I'm a friend.", the duck answered, "Are Adam and Clyde up for another trip to Earth?"
As if to answer him, Adam and Clyde showed up and looking surprised to see the new duck in the room, but they regained themselves.
"We're ready when they are.", Clyde declared.
"If Lucretia's up to something, I want to be there to stop her.", Adam stated.
The duck smiled and his eyes started to shimmer.
"So what is your name by chance?", Danielle asked before the group found themselves in the same kind of travel from Quasleet's invention.
"Theo.", the duck answered.
/
Dragaunus was certainly in a bad mood.
"Those meddling pond paddlers have thwarted just about every scheme I've thrown at them and they're still out there!"
He turned and blew a drone to bits before he calmed down. Siege, Wraith and Chameleon were nearby and they clearly were thinking of leaving until a light came into the room and dimmed to reveal Lucretia with her saurian wings folded and a smile on her face.
"Am I late?"
Dragaunus' expression didn't let up.
"What are you here for?", he snarled.
"Just a little payback.", Lucretia purred, "Where's Charyus?"
Charyus came into the room, but looked annoyed at Lucretia.
"Oh great, the Lady of Ruin's avatar pays a visit. Here to make a past foe suffer no doubt."
"You read me like a book.", Lucretia chuckled.
Dragaunus got interested.
"So where do we come in?"
Lucretia looked his way.
"I propose a set up. You keep the other ducks occupied while I snare Canard to inflict other damage."
"What exactly does that mean?", Chameleon asked nervously.
Lucretia looked his way and her eyes flashed angrily.
"Just tell me when the duck's next promotion is."
Siege came up to the panel and after pressing in a sequence the screen revealed a beach photo shoot ad. Lucretia's smile got bigger.
"So, you boys up for a little fun?"
Dragaunus smiled showing his fang like teeth, but Charyus didn't look assured.
"Just make sure Wildwing's mask comes to us unharmed and in tact."
Lucretia's fist flared.
Oh I'll bring you that mask on Wildwing's severed head on a plate."
/
Wildwing posed with the others against the backdrop as the cameras flashed.
"Why did I ever let Phil talk me into getting us to do this again?", he groaned.
"Cause it's only a running gag our show uses?", Nosedive guessed(breaking the fourth wall as usual).
Canard looked especially uneasy even after the shooting was finished. He didn't have time to wonder cause then a paparazzi came up with a ton of questions one after the other.
"Canard, is it true you have a girlfriend?"
"How does it feel to be officially engaged even with the final international game coming up?"
Canard tried blocking them out, but it all came to a halt when the lot outside went up in flames and explosions.
"Just what we need.", Mallory said smiling.
The ducks shifted into battle gear as Thrash and Mookie got everyone else to safety. Morpha used a couple tendrils to open the doors allowing the ducks to get outside. A couple large armored tanks were rolling in alongside what looked like several large drones.
"Well it looks like Dragaunus is crashing the party again.", Duke said getting his saber out.
Before anything else happened, a sound filled the air. The ducks froze cause they had a feeling what it was.
"Cover your ears!", Wildwing yelled.
A thick mist rolled in as they did so, but through the fog, Canard could barely see something. It looked familiar, but what was it? Fortunately for him, a tank fired and blew away the fog taking the sound with it and he then focused on helping the other ducks out.
"Duke Mallory, Tanya, Grin, you guys focus on the tanks.", Wildwing instructed, "Canard, Dive, you're both with me."
They fanned out and took to their targets as the fight ensued. All went well until Canard slipped and the roller sent a shot that sent him flying near some dumpsters in an alley.
"Dang it.", he muttered, "Should've seen that-"
Then Canard heard the sound again as he turned to see Lucretia walk out with an amber choker shinning.
"Hi Thunderbeak.", she purred.
Canard tried to cover his ears, but Lucretia had his arms pinned as she sung the sound again. Canard's expression was one of struggling, but then his eyes went blank and his body went limp. Lucretia had done her dirty deed and she wasn't too moved when explosions went off nearby.
"Well, that's the sign that I need to move.", she said as she warped Canard and herself away.
/
Wildwing and the ducks caught their breath as they regrouped inside.
"Everyone okay?", he asked.
Thrash gave a thumbs-up.
"We're okay."
Mookie came out with a first aid kit and started giving a once over before she looked suspicious.
"Hey, where's Canard? Wasn't he with you when the fighting started?"
"Yeah.", Mallory stated, "But then he slipped and went flying off and hasn't come back since."
Grin looked just as concerned.
"I'm feeling a very bad sense of karma in the air."
Nosedive looked thoughtful.
"Hey, didn't we hear a sound like Siren when we were fighting? I'd know that sound anywhere."
"Yeah, but who'd have that at their disposal?", Thrash asked.
Wildwing smacked himself in the head.
"Of course Charyus would go this far. Having those saurian drones and tanks to distract us and Canard would be taken without us knowing."
"I don't know.", Thrash answered, "Why would Charyus want Canard and not try and kill him here in the middle of the fighting?"
"Maybe Canard has something he needs.", Duke suggested.
"Yeah, but what?", Mookie asked.
Morpha came forward and looking pretty freaked out because it was all black and looking frantic.
"What?", Wildwing asked, "You see something?"
Morpha nodded and shifted into a version of Canard only it looked like it was hypnotized.
"So someone put a spell on Canard?", Tanya guessed.
Morpha shifted into a "Winner" sign and dinged three times before shifting back to it's dog form again.
"So who did it boy?", Nosedive asked eager to know.
Morpha shifted and then reformed itself into a version of Lucretia singing.
"So Lucretia sang a song similar to Siren and Canard was taken by her?", Wildwing guessed.
Morpha once again shifted into a "Winner" sign and dinged three times before shifting back.
"We need to get our friend back.", Mallory said firmly.
"Against a duck who's now infused with divine saurian abilities?", Mookie asked sounding doubtful, "And Dragaunus and Charyus as well?"
Wildwing didn't phase.
"That's a good duck and I'm not going to lose him to those lizards."
Phil looked nervous and tried backing away.
"Um guys, I just remembered I have a pie in the-"
Morpha pulled him into the Migrator with the rest of the ducks indicating he was coming whether he liked it or not.
/
Adam's eyes flickered as he observed the abandoned warehouse. Clyde, Danielle and Julia stood nearby although Theo had vanished before they got there, but they were not that concerned.
"She's in there.", Adam stated, "And she's got Canard under some kind of mind control spell."
Danielle looked worried.
"Can you break it?", she asked.
Adam shook his head solemnly.
"Unfortunately no, but I know how. Break the choker and the spell is broken, but she's not going to wait and have Canard stand there."
Clyde pulled out his saber.
"I've face many things Chroma sent me to fight and you can take Lucretia on. I'm sure we'll be fine. Canard cares for Danielle I know he does."
Adam nodded smiling.
"Let's do it."
And in less than a minute, they warped inside catching Lucretia off guard for a second, but then she attacked with the drones and Canard. Danielle was certainly feeling the rush and she wanted to run, but she saw Canard's expression and her fear left her. Before she knew it, in all the fighting, she had gotten Canard to the wall.
"Canard!", she screamed though tears came to her eyes, "Don't you see Lucretia is using you?!"
Canard struggled, but something must have sparked something cause the light in his eyes flickered. Adam and Lucretia were licked again, only before Lucretia could sing, Clyde sent a sharp projectile at her and Adam bumped her so that it hit her choker breaking it like glass. Canard then fell to the ground as Danielle released him and when he looked up his eyes had returned to normal.
"Danielle?!", he asked in shock.
Danielle didn't wait and grabbed Canard in a hug as the rest cleared up the drones and leaving Lucretia in the corner with Adam over her.
"Nice try sister.", he said smiling, "But you failed."
Lucretia's eyes flared and she and Adam met in the air giving off quite a light show if it weren't so dangerous. Clyde got Canard and Danielle out while Julia got the doors open. They had gotten out when the warehouse exploded and Adam landed at their feet pretty burned, but alive.
"You okay Adam?".
Adam gave a weak thumbs-up.
"I'm okay."
And then the Migrator showed up and the other ducks came out looking surprised.
"What the heck happened?", Duke asked, "We miss the fight?"
Canard smiled.
"Yep. Our team from home came and saved me."
Then Julia, Adam, Clyde and Danielle began to disappear meaning they were heading back, but before they did, Danielle and Canard shared a kiss.
"I'll be waiting.", she promised.
Canard nodded.
"So will I.", he said as she vanished with the other three and his team came over to get him to the Migrator.
