Danielle lay on her bed as she stared at the ceiling of the guest bedroom where Julia and Quasleet said she could bunk. It was near the room Clyde was sharing with Adam, but she clutched the heart pendent she often wore. A knock came on her door.

"Danielle? It's Adam."

Danielle straightened herself as best as she could before turning to the door.

"Come in."

Adam warped in and with a confused and sympathetic look on his face.

"Something wrong Danielle?", he asked as he came over, "You seem really rattled."

Danielle sighed.

"I can't believe we saw Zeral's personal warship almost arrive in orbit just yesterday.", she said, "I really hope that Canard and the other ducks on Earth can find a way to stop him. I don't want to relive that whole takeover again."

Adam could feel the bad vibes Danielle had and he seated himself beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, once Quasleet has that portal up again, we'll be ready to take the fight to him and end that lizard's vile crusade once and for all."

Danielle didn't look so sure.

"That ship can destroy worlds.", she answered, "How can we stop something that powerful and large? It seems impossible."

"I know.", Adam said, "Zeral has a way of making his opponents feel like they can't make a difference when they can. Not that I blame the rebels that he's-"

"Rebels?", Danielle asked looking interested, "Why would Zeral have rebels in his own race?"

"Well in case nobody was wondering, not all saurians agree with a mad emperor's agenda.", Adam stated plainly, "And a planet destroying machine needs to be powered by something or it doesn't work properly and if it does, it needs a long time to charge."

Danielle felt her insecurities fall away slightly, but she chose to ignore them at the sight of Adam not looking so worried.

"Hey, why not drop in on Quasleet and see how far he's getting?", Adam suggested.

Danielle felt better already.

"Sure."

Adam waved his hand and in less than a minute, they were in Quasleet's lab and seeing the portal still busted up. Danielle looked confused.

"That's odd.", she said, "Quasleet said he'd work on the portal, but it doesn't look like he's been doing that."

Adam's eyes narrowed as he picked up a notebook on a nearby desk.

"What's that?", Danielle asked.

Adam's expression grew more concerned, but that ended when Theo materialized into the room.

"Don't be deceived by what you read.", he said plainly.

Danielle looked confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?", she asked.

"Listen closely.", Theo answered, "Nightmares that once plagued can haunt and fear can mask the insecurities of most innocent thought."

He then vanished away leaving the two a little baffled. Adam placed the notebook back on the desk and he left with Danielle contemplating on what they had been told.

/

Charyus warped in with Dawnbright and Nightslash at his side. Chameleon, Siege and Wraith soon followed.

"Just our luck that the ducks were there.", Wraith said glumly.

"A bad turn I must admit, but it did give away something important.", Charyus said calmly.

Dragaunus came into the room looking both angry and concerned.

"What happened?", he asked harshly.

"The ducks got there and kicked our scales like they always do.", Chameleon answered.

Siege looked annoyed.

"Way to blow our results.", he muttered to himself.

Dragaunus' expression darkened and smoke started coming out is nostrils.

"You go investigating a portal warping that could've had a band of traitors to Zeral's cause and you dunderheads LET IT SLIP?!"

He turned and blew a drone to bits before turning to the others again. Charyus didn't look too amused.

"Relax my lord. The rebels hadn't gone very far."

Dragaunus raised an eyebrow, but smoke still came from his nostrils.

"Explain if you please.", he said harshly.

Charyus straightened himself up.

"Although the rebels were disguised, the ducks almost had them uncovered. By taking the duck's attention away, the rebels have ignored that we can track them."

Dragaunus didn't look so sure.

"Just be sure that what they took returns to me at once and it's unharmed."

Chameleon gulped.

"Um Zeral isn't going to like that."

Dragaunus fired his wrist laser at him which he barely dodged.

"Did I ask for your opinion?", Dragaunus asked.

Chameleon shook his head nervously and Dragaunus withdrew his wrist laser away before turning to Charyus.

"How soon can you track the rebels down?"

"Immediately.", Charyus answered, "Dawnbright and Nightslash will be dispatched and inform us once they're found."

/

Harzep, Gerazi and Darcel slipped into an old log cabin belonging to someone who wasn't around at this time, but Gerazi didn't look so thrilled

"Harzep are you sure this is a good place to hide?"

"Oh Dragaunus would never find us here.", Harzep answered, "Once the wards are up, we'll be in the dark and out of here before the ducks even know we were here."

Darcel gripped his blade.

"They know about us. And their mask can see through our magic.", he said plainly.

Gerazi looked his way and gave a sympathetic expression.

"They think we're with Dragaunus, but that one duck's aura could reveal that-"

"We were saurians and the others would have us quarantined before offering sympathy.", Harzep answered cutting Gerazi off, "Besides we need to let the others know that we made it out with the heir to the Annectia Seas."

Gerazi didn't look so sure, but she helped set up the communications device and the screen that came up revealed another saurian with dark brown scales and looking regal.

"This better be good."

"Lord Frazzar, we managed to obtain the egg, but ran into a complication.", Harzep reported.

Frazzar's expression grew dark.

"Don't tell me you lost it."

"No not at all.", Gerazi stated, "We just warped away and landed on Earth where Dragaunus happens to be."

Frazzar looked alarmed.

"You need to get of that planet and back to us.", he said frantically, " Dragaunus isn't going to wait and Zeral is getting his weapon prepared for another blast."

Harzep nodded.

"Will do. And I think we have help."

Frazzar's expression lightened.

"Be careful. Sauria is depending on us."

The screen went blank and Harzep took the egg out and stroked it.

"How is it?", Gerazi asked.

"Okay for now.", Harzep answered, "We need to move while we still can."

Darcel got up and into a battle stance.

"We aren't leaving. Those ducks found us."

/

The ducks tensed as they filed out of the Migrator.

"Canard, are you sure that we'll be fine if you go first?", Wildwing asked skeptically.

Canard gave the team a knowing look.

"Trust me. There is more to this band than first appearances. It would be wise to not assault right away without knowing why they're here."

Nobody said anything as they put their weapons away, but their expressions were another story. Still, Canard was in Dimensional Limbo so what else could they do? The others held back as Canard went up to the door and knocked. Slowly the door opened and Canard backed away as three saurians came out. Two were male and one was female who only came out a few feet from the door. Canard held a hand out and after a few brief moments, the male in the center took it and they all came over. Wildwing noticed a scar on their necks that looked like it was there for a while cause it was almost healed, but it faintly gave off a dark glow.

"So who are these guys?", Nosedive asked disrupting the silence.

The male that shook hands with Canard came forward.

"I'm Harzep, and this is Gerazi and Darcel.", he said mentioning towards the other two, "We're under orders to protect and deliver something of severe value and Dragaunus can't know about it."

Wildwing looked interested.

"So what's with the brands on your necks?", he asked, "You guys high ranked?"

"We're traitors.",Gerazi answered, "Zeral wants our heads on pikes to decorate his throne room."

The other ducks flinched, but Mallory only raised an eyebrow.

"How do we know you guys aren't spies sent to kill us?", she asked firmly.

Darcel's grip on his blade tightened. Thrash and Mookie saw this and looked nervous.

"Uh Mal, I don't think you should make them mad.", Thrash warned, "That male called Darcel isn't looking like you should push him."

"Wise choice.", Gerazi answered, "Never trifle with someone like him."

"What is he exactly?", Mookie asked, "A bezerker?"

Gerazi nodded.

"He's been cursed by Zarvik, the lord of madness. Very temperamental and easily driven into a blind furry. Once raging, they feel no pain and gain massive strength, but the lash out at anything and anyone around them without warning."

Mallory didn't look so timid, but Wildwing didn't pause.

"So what are you guarding?"

"One who can help end Zeral.", Harzep answered.

"What that large egg you carry around?", Thrash guessed.

Gerazi flinched as Harzep brought it out. Canard paused. Then the rebels vanished like they were mirages.

"Of course they'd use that method.", Canard said rolling his eyes.

Mallory's fist flared as the sound of retreating motorcycles was heard. Wildwing turned to see the rebels riding off down the road.

"After them!", he called out as the ducks dashed back into the Migrator.

/

Harzep felt the egg in his belt slipping, but thanks to a surge of magic, he put it back into place. Gerazi and Darcel drove beside him, but the sound of the Migrator got their attention.

"Varc, lend your servant your aid to fend off our enemies.", Harzep prayed.

A set of magical runes appeared on his arm and he flicked his wrist to cause several large vines to sprout from the side of the road and form a barrier of thorns and dense brush. The Migrator crashed right through after a large blade sliced through it. Gerazi then channeled her own magic as Darcel turned and drove right towards the Migrator.

"Sisters of Dawn and Twilight, protect my friend as his patron threatens his reason."

Darcel received faint glowing runes across his scales as his muscle mass grew and his eyes turned blood red and blank. His bezerker curse was starting and luckily his allies had a strong protective spell to keep him from being consumed completely. When he got close enough, he jumped off the bike and pounded the ground hard causing a massive shock wave to send the Migrator flying off to the side before he jumped back on his still speeding bike and drove past fast. The Migrator's sides opened and Wildwing and Mallory came out on their duck cycles with Canard and Grin riding along.

"Now we know the strength of that bezerker of theirs.", Mallory said firmly.

"His strength was not his own.", Grin said sagely, "I sensed a dark power enslaving his inner peace."

"Then we better step on it.", Wildwing said firmly.

The ducks sped up until the rebels came into view, but by then more large vines were sprouting. Grin invoked Freeze to keep them off and Canard used Sand to help out. Unfortunately then a series of falling lights came out of the blue and started hitting the road like meteors and exploding like them as well.

"Now we're dodging falling stars?", Wildwing asked totally blown away, "What's next?"

As if to answer him, a massive wall of earth and steel rose up and formed a dragon that gave a loud roar as it caused the ducks to pause. Fortunately for them, the Migrator had gotten back up and arrived to open fire. By the time they had finished, the rebels had sped up far ahead and were now nowhere to be seen. Mallory clenched her fist.

"Why didn't I just cleave them apart when I had the chance?", she asked angrily.

Canard looked her way with sympathy.

"They didn't trust us.", he answered calmly, "These were just diversions to keep us from following them not to do us in."

Mallory clearly didn't want to listen, but her expression softened up a bit as they got back into the Migrator and reunited with the team.

"Oh great, now we got another band of saurians to add even more drama to this season.", Nosedive griped(breaking the fourth wall as usual).

"Hey that Darcel almost flipped our ride into a junk pile.", Duke countered.

Thrash and Mookie could see tension rising so they moved to the back to make themselves scarce.

"What was that egg?", Thrash asked, "And why would they go so far to keep it safe?"

Mookie shrugged.

"Must be of great importance or else they wouldn't try so hard to protect it."

/

Back in Limbo, Zeral was tapping his fingers on his throne as the power gauge showed little signs of rising.

"How much longer til we have enough for another blast?", he asked harshly.

The guard at the console paused as he looked over the meters.

"A month my lord.", he reported.

Zeral sighed heavily.

"Well that's just great.", he muttered to himself, " I finally have a weapon that can finish off my foes and it has a limit to recharge itself."

He then put a claw to his chin rethinking what he had been informed.

"Is there a way of making a more efficient power source that replenishes itself rapidly?", he asked in a more calmer tone.

The same guard checked.

"It may take time, but I believe we can.", he reported, "And we have a good idea where to start."

Zeral smiled.

"Do so.", he said before he pressed a button and Dragaunus showed up on his screen, "How goes the hunt for the rebels?"

"We're doing what we can.", Dragaunus answered, "My men have been dispatched and they should be returning shortly."

At that moment, Siege warped into the room with Wraith, Chameleon, Dawnbright and Nightslash alongside them. Zeral's expression darkened to annoyance.

"Another failure I assume?"

"It wasn't our fault.", Chameleon piped up, "Charyus' acolytes here-"

"Silence!", Zeral sneered causing Chameleon to step back in fear, "I don't want excuses, I want results! Now get out there and find out where you went wrong and get back what I requested before I really lose my temper and do more than scorch your scales."

/

Charyus' magic encased the abandoned building making it look like an ordinary one as Harzep, Gerazi and Darcel settled in.

"I suppose you want us to thank you for doing this?", Gerazi asked.

Charyus looked her way.

"Not really. I'm just tired of Zeral ruling and think his time has passed, but I don't have the necessary power to officially deal with him yet."

"Does Dragaunus suspect you of helping us?", Harzep asked not trusting the former oracle.

Charyus looked his way with an understanding look.

"I do what I can. Frazzar will have his chance to face Zeral's fleet, but for now we just hang on and stay hidden til our new member shows up."

Harzep placed the egg on a pedestal in the middle of the room lined with silk cloth and gold pillows to keep the egg from the cold surface of the place it rested.

"The ruler of the Annectia Seas will not be pleased to find his heir is with us.", Darcel stated plainly, "Why keep it?"

"Because this heir will be what brings his father to his senses.", Charyus said firmly, "Seriously Darcel, do lighten up. At least Medusa and Pretorius have no idea about all this."

By now the building was looking fine on the outside, but inside, it was custom to a royal bedchamber with several sleeping mats around along with a fridge and protective wards around the wall edges. Charyus looked at the egg and placed a hand on it.

"It won't be long now your highness.", he said calmly, "Forgive us for taking you from your home, but we couldn't let Zeral tempt you to his cause."

Harzep, Gerazi, and Darcel settled on their mats as Charyus prepared to warp away.

"Remember oracle.", Harzep warned, "Nobody on the Raptor can know."

Charyus nodded and warped away allowing the trio to get some shut eye.