Chapter Nine: Controlling an Impulse
"Alright, we've given you time to rest up and recover," Wildwing started with his arms folded over his chest and a troubled look on his face, "Now it's time to talk."
He had waited for Heart to be alone, but hadn't counted on Niobe stepping into the galley looking for her. So when their leader spoke up in this manner neither was sure who he was talking to. Due to this both girls froze with sudden unease in their tracks, standing together near the door. Wildwing gave a slight chuckle and relaxed his tone a bit, "I meant you sis, and you're not in trouble from it."
Though he looked to Niobe and mentioned, "Neither are you."
Still the two didn't move much other than Heart turning around to face him. She had been trying to leave as Niobe came in. Their fellow teammates were scattered throughout their base. Tanya was tinkering with some new gear in her lab, Grin was playing a game of some sort with Nosedive after he'd pleaded for a second player, Mallory was working out, and Duke was sparring with a practice bot. So Wildwing knew it would be safe for a little while for him to confront her, or thought it would be anyway. Still he decided to go forward with his plan and asked, "How long have they been there Heart?"
Niobe grimaced right along with Heart. She glanced over at her friend to see her taking a deep breath and releasing it. Then the girl now scaled neck to toe answered, "Since the first fight with the Saurians here on Earth. I didn't want all of you to worry...especially with everything going on."
"Heart you should have told us! What if it's a spell Wraith cast on you?" Wildwing questioned.
"I don't believe it's that, but I'm also not sure what it is either," Heart replied while looking over her rather dark blue forearm, "I think they would have done something about it now if it were a spell."
"We don't know that Heart. We don't understand how his magic works, whether he's strong enough to cast such a spell or if it simply has taken time," Wildwing pointed out.
"Well..." Niobe took a shot, "We don't really know about who Heart was before she came to live with you and Dive either. It could be something entirely different."
"Regardless she should have told us," Wildwing wasn't willing to back down on this.
Heart nodded her head, "You're right...I am sorry Wing...I really just didn't want you to worry about anything else..."
"Sis, you need to not take so much in your hands alone," Wildwing now told her, easing up in his stance and tone a bit to show the worry he'd really been harboring, "We almost lost you from you acting like that!"
"Besides, didn't you think we'd be worried when we found out?"
"Niobe mentioned that," Heart admitted, "I don't know..."
"Speaking of which," Wildwing now turned his sights to their former classmate and said, "Mind shedding some light on some things?"
"I'd rather not," Niobe shyed away, showing her discomfort in spades despite her usually confident nature, "Besides it doesn't really matter."
"Are you sure about that?" Wildwing raised a brow to see Niobe nod her head.
"Look you two," he sighed, "We can't help if you don't let us. Whatever the trouble, we're a team and we'll get through it as such."
Wildwing then removed the mask to show the brotherly warmth in his eyes when confronting Heart, "I would be failing my little sister if I lost you one way or another."
"Thanks Wing," Heart's smile was genuine, though she knew she wasn't off the hook quite yet.
He looked to Niobe, "As for you I don't know what LuCretia was getting at, but I have an idea. Either way, I know I can trust you and have since you joined us back at the tower. If you were working for him you could have done us all in back in the gateway when..." Wildwing faltered before mentioning what had happened to his best friend, "When we came to Earth.."
Niobe gave a firm nod, not daring to push at his sore memories.
"We need to figure this out, maybe Tanya can run some tests when she's not busy," Wildwing suggested.
Heart nodded again, knowing it wasn't time to argue. However she did allow herself to slip away for the time being to try and ignore her scales growing stronger in place. While Niobe decided a trip to the mall with Nosedive and Grin might put her in a better mood now. It didn't take long to find nor convince him.
As they headed out Heart would see them and give a wave. Though when Nosedive invited her along as well she shook her head. She didn't feel like being stared at if her scales continued their journey up her face for whatever reason. However the response she gave was, "I just feel like staying put for today."
That didn't mean she wouldn't end up wandering the pond instead until she found the gym. Mallory had long ago gone to wash up from her workout. However she could hear a practice bot activated and lunging mechanically forward towards it's swift moving target. She watched from the doorway as Duke quickly dodged the next slash, laughing with full confidence as he did, and blocked the next blow. As he did he would catch sight of Heart watching him and gave a smile. In this split second the bot took note of the relaxed poise of Duke's form and went to strike. He managed to turn in time, but not before getting his shirt slashed into.
Heart gasped seeing this and hurried over just as Duke turned and disarmed the bot. Then with a quick lunge of his own he deactivated it with the tip of his blade jabbing into the button. Once hit it's lights shut down and the machine swordsman relaxed in it's powerless slumber.
"Guess I got side tracked," Duke chuckled as he looked to Heart, who was now standing somewhat but wasn't trying to get in his way.
Her eyes then focused on the slash in his shirt as he shrugged as if he'd barely noticed, "It's not that bad. I'm sorta used to it."
"Used to it?" Heart asked in a bit of surprise.
"Well when ya practice sword play you're bound to get a few scratches here an' there. Though I'd rather it be a bot than an actual opponent," he replied.
Heart couldn't help but take note of his more obvious scar. He noticed this and assured, "Like I said Heart, I'm used to it."
Duke tried to shift gears a bit and asked, "So why didn't ya go with Dive?"
"You heard that from down the hall?"
"Well your twin is a bit loud, an' in my old line of work ya need to be able to hear things like that," he explained with a chuckle as he set the hilt of his saber on the belt of his training gear.
"If I was on a job an' heard someone shoutin' down the hall like that-" he stopped short, catching himself as Heart looked at him with worried eyes.
"I don't need to tell ya about that Heart," he tried to withdraw.
"No, it's fine Duke, I want to hear about your...adventures?" There was genuine intrigue in her expression rather than the judgement he'd worried would be there.
"Ya looked scared there," he mentioned.
Heart was surprised to hear this, but then realized, "I think it's more so I can imagine how it might have felt to have to rely on your own instinct like that...or I guess..." she was trying to figure out how to say it, "I get scared imagining what may have happened to you now that I know you...the idea of you getting arrested or hurt..."
"Aw Heart, you're really sweet, but ya don't need to fret over that okay?" Duke smiled before adding with a light laugh, "Besides runnin' from security guards that I let play chase with me isn't as fun as the adventures I get to have now."
Heart couldn't help but smile a bit at this remark. Then she noticed the cut line in Duke's upper arm just behind where he could reach and went to look closer. He stepped back and said, "Ya don't need to do that, I can take care of it."
"You can't reach it," she pointed out.
"Never stopped me before."
This only made Heart more persistant as she requested, "Please let me help?"
Duke found himself unwilling to argue as he pulled up the sleeve of his shirt.
Heart had occassionally wondered if Duke were ever too warm in the clothes he wore in the Anaheim heat. Though now she quickly realized why he never seemed to mind. Under that one sleeve were several reminders of the life he once had and how he wanted to forget it. Dozens of old cuts, slashes, and even some gouges into his skin and feathers were left there, and she could imagine the rest of him from the throat down was just the same. His grimace told her as much and he tried to cover them again. However she quickly stopped him by grabbing his hand and then stepping around him to look at the fresh slash he'd earned in his spar.
"This is another thing I don't miss," he admitted quietly as Heart cleaned his arm with the medkit under the cabinet of the gym for such an occurance, "An' I kinda wish you hadn't seen these..."
Heart managed to refrain from brushing a hand along those scars on his arm, focusing on the one she was there to tend to. In an attempt to reassure him she said, "You don't need to hide these things from me Duke...if you want to tell me about your life before, I'll listen."
"Then you don't need to hide from me either, or us for that matter," he parried back, catching Heart off guard.
She'd known that they had all seen them when she was hurt. There was no way to hide them now.
"They've spread further haven't they?" he asked gently.
She nodded.
"Ya don't know what they're from?"
"No...Wildwing says it might be a spell, but I'm not so sure," Heart replied while finishing up the tie to the white gauze she'd wrapped around his upper arm, "There."
"Thanks Heart," Duke mentioned when he saw how careful she'd been with even this small slash into his feathers and flesh.
She was sitting beside him now still holding the medkit, clutching it as she grew nervous, "I don't know what this is...Ni mentioned it might be from my past...but I don't know what that could even be. I'm scared of having to go back to whatever it was...I'm scared of having to leave...of..."
"Hey, hey," Duke quickly rested a hand on her shoulder, "That's not goin' to happen alright? Your brothers aren't goin' to let ya jus' leave an' ya know that. You're our teammate an' friend remember?"
Heart looked up at him trying to settle the unease that had bound up her chest, "Yeah?"
"Then it'll be okay. We'll help ya figure this out," he promised while pulling her into a sideways hug with the same arm she'd just tended to.
Heart allowed a smile to slip through as she relaxed her shoulders and sank into that hug a bit, "Thank you."
"Of course sweetheart."
Meanwhile at the mall Nosedive had dragged Niobe to his usual first stop. The two chatted with Thrash and Mookie before wandering through the isles together. The smaller brown duck tilted her head when spotting a comic cover depicting turtles as humanoid teenagers dressed as ninjas. Their ratlike mentor beckoned memories of home and her clan before the invasion.
"What's the matter girly-girl?" Nosedive was quick to notice the mist Niobe quickly wiped away with the back of her hand.
"It's nothing," she tried to assure when she caught sight of someone outside the window, "...?"
Before Nosedive could inquire further she about pushed by him to dart out the door.
"Niobe!" Nosedive exclaimed while chasing after her.
Niobe was outside the shop, looking around in shock and bewilderment. Trying to see through the crowd of shoppers she realized, "It couldn't have been..."
When Nosedive caught up with her she tried to save face and said, "I just thought I saw one of our teammates and wanted to catch them."
"You've got your comm, you can check that way a lot easier?" Nosedive suggested, though he hadn't quite bought the fib.
Niobe shrugged, "Maybe I'm just hungry, I did skip breakfast this morning."
This was true, Wildwing had stopped her as she was going to get something to eat. So they started making their way to the pizzeria. Though as they started to order Niobe again glanced out the window at the right, or wrong, time. This time leaving Nosedive at the booth with an open menu she ran outside, barely excusing herself. She was certain this time that she had seen him.
"Kay?!" She called out, confusing onlookers nearby.
She scanned the strip mall and took a deep breath. Letting it go she went to walk back inside when once more his dark hair caught her eye. He was looking in a window display with bewildered eyes when she ran up to him.
"Kay!" she exclaimed while throwing her arms around him.
The drake had turned just in time to catch her in his arms, his eyes wide with surprise, "Niobe!"
"I knew I had seen you!" She said while hugging him tight, ignoring her reservations for the moment, "You came to find me to bring me home!"
"Well, that's partially true," he admitted with a sigh of relief escaping his throat.
Looking over his childhood friend he allowed himself a smile. He had been afraid he'd never see her again, and he was overwhelmed to find her rather well. However there was something of importance marring this moment, and she felt it.
"What's the matter?" Niobe asked, "Is it home? Did something else happen?"
"Well, now that I've found you it will be much easier," Kay admitted.
"What will?"
"Finishing our given mission for Lord Dragonus of course," he replied with a raised brow, "Isn't that why I was called here, to help you do this?"
"What? No, I-"
"What do you mean? He contacted me and said you were captured by the resistance and needed help disposing of them to get free. So I've been looking for a way to reach you and help you," he explained with a furrowed brow, "You were able to get free at least, so now we can work together."
"Kay, it's not like that at all-" Niobe attempted.
"You weren't captured?"
"No! They took me to be a part of their team, I got away from the Saurians when we were in the tower and have been with the Mighty Ducks ever since!" She told him.
"The what?" Kay questioned.
"Oh, that's our name here...but Kay I'm telling you the truth!" She insisted, "I'm out here because I have the freedom to do as such!"
"Niobe, you're a part of our clan, and our clan swore an alliance to Lord Dragonus, the sigil on your arm would tell them this and they'd try to dispose of you if they saw it! Now please come back with me and we can form a plan to stop them and then return home!" Kay pushed.
Niobe's head swam in confusion at all of this. She was drowning in the depths of shock by the time he mentioned going home and could barely register it. When she did her lavender eyes widened, "Wait...return home?"
"That's his promise. If we perform our task he will allow us to return home. All we have to do is finish our job from that first fight. Together you and I can wipe out the resistance and let Dragonus have this planet. As long as we can go home what does it matter at this point? We can rebuild our home and reform our clan!" Kay insisted while grasping her shoulders.
They had by now had the sense to discuss this away from the publi, ducking into an alley to continue. There Niobe resisted, "Kay, I can't do this! They're my friends, I can't betray them!"
"So you'll betray our clan instead, those that have known you since we were just kids?!" Kay questioned, "Our leader is waiting for me to bring you home! With this our home will be free as well as the clan!"
"For what price?!" Niobe finally demanded, "We would be betraying our home further by giving into this! Then what's to stop him from turning around and going back to Puck World once he's done here! He can't keep his word!"
"I'm not going back without you again! I didn't think I'd ever see you again as it is!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't-!"
As she went to leave Kay grabbed her by the wrist. With a stern, chilling look in his eyes he said, "I'm not going back without you Niobe."
With that he pressed a button on the device on his belt and they both vanished from the shopping area. When Niobe looked around her core twisted as she immediately recognized, "Why are we in the raptor?!"
A deep chuckle could be heard from behind her, and she turned in further horror to see the crimson scaled overlord looming over them, "Ah my spy on the inside, welcome back to where you belong!"
"I'm not a spy!" Niobe managed to snap back before he stepped closer and sneered.
"They must have you rather confused after being in their clutches these last few months. However I imagine you've had to hide the symbol that marks which side you belong to haven't you?" Dragonus chuckled.
"What are our orders Lord Dragonus?" Kay requested from beside Niobe with little concern in his voice, "The sooner we know the sooner we can go home as agreed upon."
"Of course my loyal drake," Dragonus assured with a growling laugh in his throat.
"Your task, is just what it was before. Slip in and wipe out those that have been a thorn in my side since Puck World! All six of those meddlesome ducks must be put out of the way, and only then will you be free to go home!" He told them before adding, "Oh, and there is a human that is with them too I believe, she is to join their fate as she joined their cause."
When he said this part he looked at Niobe and snickered, "Be lucky we found you so you can elude this and prove yourself once again."
"I won't do this!" Niobe shouted above her fear, her hands balling into tight fists.
"Is that so?" Dragonus raised a scaily brow, "You do realize your people will never accept you upon returning home with that mark on your arm? If you do this it will be erased."
"I don't care! I won't betray them!" Niobe pushed somehow, despite wanting to throw up what she hadn't eaten as she trembled.
Dragonus remained unphased by this and simply turned to the right as Wraith appeared, "Oh, I think you will...for you see, you will have little choice in the matter."
"What?!" Niobe gasped as she tried to step back, but Siege appeared behind her to hold her steady.
Wraith slithered up in his wisps of smoke and began to chant. Niobe watched as her arm bearing the mark raised up forward and the sigil began to glow. When he finished he then reached forward and placed a small device near her neck in the shoulder of her shirt. He then snickered and assured, "Now you'll have no problem complying will you?"
"What did you do?" Kay asked.
"This device will allow her to hear my commands, but no one else. When she hears them the sigil will help her follow the given orders without any problem," Wraith informed with a twisted chortle.
Niobe's eyes widened in horror to hear this.
"This is perfect!" Dragonus bellowed triumphantly, "She can get inside and tear them apart feather by feather! They will fall due to their trust in you and I will rule this miserable rock as a start of my empire!"
Kay had fallen into silence by this point, glancing to Niobe and nodding. She however refused to answer him. All she could do was hope the others were trying to find her, but then again wished that they weren't as she looked at her feintly glowing wrist before it was covered once more.
"Now," Wraith began to ensure it worked, "Go on home to the Pond and greet your so called teammates."
Niobe realized she was aware of what she was doing at least, but her body was pushed forth. She found however that she couldn't say anything to alert anyone, as though the words wouldn't come out of her beak. Instead she said to Kay, "Are you coming to?"
"That he is, I'm certain you'll need help against seven adversaries," Dragonus insisted with an amused, dark chuckle.
Kay was able to walk along freely beside Niobe as they left the raptor. He noticed her refusing to look at him as they started their treck towards her new home. Though he was unsure if were by focused command or from anger. Still he walked with her and said, "The sooner we get this done the sooner we can return home and leave this all behind us."
"I will never be able to leave this behind me Kay," Niobe managed to retort, "You don't know what you've done."
"What I had to," he said with vague regret in his tone.
Then he asked, "Now, who are we dealing with anyway seeing how we have some time to talk?"
Niobe didn't want to answer him, but knew he'd find out either way.
"Two of them were my classmates back home, Wildwing and Nosedive," she said as she realized she wouldn't be allowed to use the comm they'd taken from her.
"A shame, I know you liked them...especially the older one," Kay pondered aloud, causing the brown duck to glare at him.
"Check is there too, he might be able to do something," Niobe hoped.
"The one who left the clan? I doubt he'll raise a finger against old friends, diserter or not," Kay shrugged, "And the others?"
"A soldier from the McMallord family, and our team tech Tanya. Maybe she can get this..."she realized she couldn't finish her hope.
"Just focus on going home for now," Kay attempted, "It will make things easier."
"No it won't! They're my friends Kay! I don't want to do this!" Niobe insisted to little avail as her feet moved on without her orders.
"The last duck and the human then?"
Niobe sighed with frustration, "Heart is Dive and Wing's sister. She and I have helped each other out so much since we came here, please leave her alone! She's been through enough with Duke-"
"Duke?" Kay raised a brow as he looked to her surprised, "As in L'Orange?"
Niobe nodded reluctantly, "The very same."
"That thief masquerades as a hero now? Probably joined to save his own feathers and is no doubt causing trouble here now?" Kay replied with a soured expression, "And you say he's even done something to this friend of yours?"
Niobe couldn't deny these words, but knew it was more complicated than how he put it. She attempted, "He's claimed to have changed Kay. He joined the resistance to save our home as far as I know, and Heart seems to believe him."
"Do you though?" Kay shot back with a raised brow.
Niobe wanted to say yes, but there was some hesitation from recent events lingering in her head. Heart had clearly forgiven him it seemed, but Heart hadn't known the Duke Niobe met. He had been so sure of himself back then, and proud of his work. His breaking her heart was proof that not all of him had changed, wasn't it?
"Kay please don't-"
"I'll take care of L;Orange," Kay offered quickly.
When Niobe went to object Kay wouldn't hear of it, "My father was right to have him targeted by our clan. I'll do what I can for your human friend, but he will get no such mercy from me. He was a blight on our home and is just the same here."
"Kay, you can't do this!" Niobe pleaded, "We can't betray them like this!"
"Too late," Kay said as he looked ahead to find the Pond they drew closer to, "Get ready. We'll strike tonight when they're at ease and so we can get this done fast. I'll wait outside so they don't suspect anything and come in when you let me in."
Niobe had little choice but to enter their headquarters and act as though nothing were wrong. The others, especially a very bewildered and worried Nosedive went to greet them. The blonde threw his arms around his friend with a burst of relief, "Ni I was so worried about you! We were about to send out a search party!"
"You were?" Niobe asked while dying to tell them what had happened.
Nosedive nodded earnestly with Heart's support.
Niobe tried in vain to say anything, as though the words were pulled from her very breath by Wraith's commands over her. All she could do was hope someone would catch them and help her somehow. Though she did find she could at the very least move of her own accord for the time being having fullfilled the last main command. Even simply saying they were in danger wouldn't be conjured from her beak. So instead she remained quiet as she worried over how this would look to them after earning their trust.
"Something the matter?" Heart finally asked when she declined playing a game with Nosedive.
Wildwing was nearby, as was Duke who had been reading. Grin had settled into playing with the blonde teen once more when Dive found he couldn't pursuade anyone else. Mallory and Tanya were the only two missing, most likey doing their own hobbies to relax. Wildwing had been simply trying to relax when he heard his sister's concern to her friend.
"Nothing, just thinking," was all Niobe could admit to.
"Dive said you disappeared earlier, as though you'd seen someone?" Heart pushed carefully.
"I thought I'd seen a friend, but I think I was wrong," Niobe was able to mention with some truth, "It wasn't who I thought it was, and I should have known that."
"Who did you think it was?" Grin asked with growing curiosity.
"A childhood friend," Niobe sighed, "I was probably just a bit homesick though."
Grin raised a brow at this but seemed to let the subject change when Nosedive tried to cheer her up, "I bet a game will help!"
Niobe found herself unwilling to tell him no. Perhaps it was out of trying to show she was his friend, or maybe she was afraid of when they would all turn in for the night. If things went according to plan they wouldn't hear them coming, and then it would be too late.
Yet Niobe would find as it grew late that she couldn't keep them up forever. It would be another way or warning them and she couldn't tell them why she needed to. Gradually they each turned in, even Duke who was usually up the longest out of habit. Once alone in her own room Niobe would hear a beep from the device in her collar, "Now, to work my loyal soldier. Let your ally in and finish the task we gave you."
With that Niobe found herself creeping through the slumbering halls of the Pond. Making her way to Drake One she allowed Kay inside without much trouble at all. She found she had little choice but to draw her blade she'd readied unwillingly and followed him back to the living quarters. Yet on their way they would find three guarding the way. Niobe froze as Wildwing, Grin, and Heart met them at the center of the three split hallway.
"You were right Grin," Wildwing said with a stern look directed at their teammate.
All Niobe could do was allow her stance to grow steady and prepare for a fight. Yet her eyes desperately tried to speak volumes for her to them. Grin readied himself to block her advance. Wildwing stood with a shield being raised. Heart looked to them in confusion as her brother admitted, "I hoped you wouldn't be here sis."
"I couldn't sleep..." Heart replied while looking to Niobe in confusion, "Something felt off..."
"Heart-"
"Stand down Niobe!" Grin warned.
"What's going on?" Heart asked looking to her friend.
"That's what we're trying to find out," Wildwing stated while looking to the brown feathered duck.
Only now did Niobe realize that Kay had slipped off with her distracting the three. He'd kept in the lower lights to avoid being seen just in case and had succeeded. Still the spell kept her from giving this warning.
"Sorry," Niobe managed to say before going to strike at her former clan brother.
With that a struggle broke out as Niobe's blade whistled and whirled with grace as though she were dancing. Grin managed to back up to avoid being hit while Wildwing blocked her attempts with his shield. The metal scrapes and sparked against the plate of ice and eneregy.
Heart however was left dodging and leaping out of the way, when Niobe instead swung towards her. For she hadn't come with her glaive. Niobe realized that her friend had simply walked out into the hall just before all of this due to being restless, she could see the scales gradually creeping up the sides of her face to spir this. However as Niobe went to strike at her brother again did Heart try to stop her, "Niobe what are you doing?!"
"What I have to!" Niobe snapped unwillingly, "Now back off Heart so you don't get hurt!"
The dance of the four continued while they tried to disarm her. The slashing blade made things difficult as Niobe swung it with a growing fury she couldn't hold back. She wanted to tell them, she wanted to prove this wasn't her choice. Yet how could she? They knew now why they had found her in that tower. They knew why she'd been with the Saurians before.
Heart hopped back as the blade slashed at her stomach, flipping back before crouching down. Despite being stuck in her sleep wear, some leggings and a loose fitted t-shirt bearing their colors, she was rather agile. As Niobe reluctantly went to swipe her blade Heart swept her foot under Niobe's, tripping her. She then caught her friend by her wrist to try and keep the blade from nearing her throat, "Niobe stop!"
"I can't!" Niobe managed as she pushed further.
As the two girls struggled against the other Wildwing rushed up and grabbed the attacker, attempting to pull her back. Yet she quickly slid from his grip with her slimmer frame and spun around to swipe at him instead.
"Niobe what's happened to you?!" Wildwing demanded now, "This can't be what you were trying to do all this time?!"
As Niobe continued her attack like a puppet on strings she was now commanded not to answer by Wraith on the other side. Grin now rushed up trying to avoid her sword and knock her back a bit, albeit carefully with his much larger size. This resulted in his shoulder receiving a blow to the shoulder that he barely noticed as he rushed into her. Niobe slid back a bit until she managed to stop herself and then sprung back towards their leader.
Yet the attack was about to slice at where Wildwing's armor didn't cover his arm and Niobe tried to pull herself back. Seeing this brief resistance Heart slid under her brother's arm as he had been shielding her and caught her friend by the arm, recieving a slash in the forearm in the process. The scales however protected her from most of the metal's razor bite and she was able to grab Niobe's wrist, pulling the cover free to show the glowing sigil.
"It isn't you is it?" Heart questioned quickly.
Niobe would hear from the device, "Kill that human!"
Niobe shook her head desperately while looking to Heart with pleading eyes.
She looked to Grin, her childhood brother. Then to Heart, her recently made companion. Finally to Wildwing who looked back at her trying to understand through all of this.
"Niobe it's okay! Try to fight it!" Wildwing called to her.
Yet her body went on without her command and slashed at Heart again. This time Heart caught the blade with her other hand and felt the bite of it dig into her palm. Blood trickled down from her palm, but she didn't let go of that sword. Niobe gasped as it registered what she'd just done, but then looked into Heart's eyes with further surprise in her own.
In response something strange began to occur. The human's eyes darkened slightly in shade as energy began to spark around her in warning. Niobe stepped back in confusion as Heart darted towards her suddenly and snatched at the collar she could hear something buzzing from. Then in the girl's hand the device blinked as the voice on the other end commanded, "Rid us of those ducks, make your clan proud again!"
"Leave our friend alone!" Heart snapped with a burst of electricity running along her arms down to her hand, distorting the message on the other end a bit, "Let her go!"
"Let her go?!" Wraith exclaimed before he could deny this command.
That was all Heart needed as she held it up for Niobe to hear this accidental order. Then in an instant Heart took the device and smahed it against the steel wall of the hallway. Only then did Niobe's arm stop glowing and she could relax from her attacks. Once she saw this Heart's eyes shifted back to their natural shade and she looked to Niobe, "Are you okay?"
"H-Heart...what was that?" Wildwing asked in confusion.
Heart looked to her brother bewildered, "I saw our friend in trouble and removed the problem?"
Niobe however was just as worried seeing Heart's nature shift as it had. Even if it had been to do good, she'd seemed somewhat unlike herself. Yet there was little time to ponder over this as Niobe realized, "We need to find Kay!"
"Kay?!" Grin exclaimed, "He's here too?!"
"He's working for Dragonus, he's here to-" Niobe looked to Heart with another twist in her core as she knew, "He's going after Duke first..."
Heart was instantly gone at this. Before anyone could say anythng or do anything to stop her, she was flying down the hallway still unarmed. All the others could do was follow after her while their leader called the others for back up.
Meanwhile in his room Duke slept after a day of sparring and taking care of other such tasks to keep his skills sharp. He'd practiced with various locks in case they needed him to get into an enemy's base, crept through their own security system to test it for breeches he could tell Tanya about, and swiped a few random items to place elsewhere so their owners would find them among his teammates. Nothing important, just things they used through the day like Nosedive's video game controller and such.
So when Kay placed the device to break through the code to get in he seemed to be sleeping soundly in his bed. The drake crept through the well kept room and over to the bed, letting out a silent scoff. He raised his blade over the form, ready to let it fall, when the tip of a saber caught his attention at his own throat.
"Good to know my skills haven't dulled since bein' here," Duke said with some pride.
"Should have known it wouldn't be that easy to execute a thief like you," Kay retorted sourly.
"Execute implies I've faced a trial an' was sentenced, an' I don't recall ever havin' to stand before a judge," Duke replied before shaking his head, "I believe the word you're lookin' for is murder."
Rather than replying to this in words Kay instead turned and swung with his blade in one swift motion. Duke managed to step back in time and block with his saber.
"You think any judge would deem you innocent? How much have you stolen over the years, how many others have you hurt to take what isn't yours? You're nothing but a blight on our society!"
"Ya mean the society ya betrayed to save your own feathers, or at least your father did?" Duke bit back, digging deep.
Kay lashed out, forcing Duke to step back as he crashed his sword into a nearby lamp, smashing it to pieces.
"I liked that readin' lamp," Duke commented with irritation.
He'd asked Heart to customize it for him to encourage her hobbies, giving her a push to discover more of who she was. She'd taken the task to heart for him oddly enough depicting a vast galaxy above a range of mountains out of a fantasy novel, the sky blending into the heavens of space. As it was turned around those peeks lowered into a beach with a sea gently casting it's waves upon the short before blending back into those towers of earth and rock. Now it was in pieces on the floor at his feet.
"I don't need a trial to determine what needs to be done with the likes of you! No judge would let you go free!"
"Funny ya say that when I was pardoned," Duke mentioned while blocking another swing.
"They must have been desperate then! Do you really think anyone's believed you've changed?! If you went home they would watch your every move and wait for you to slip! It's no wonder you're hiding here beneath the mask you wear!" Kay pushed.
"An' how would they look at you an' your clan then?"
"They don't know! We did what we had to to survive!"
"Keep tellin' yourself that bud," Duke scoffed while ducking to avoid another slash from Kay's sword.
They were stepping into the hall now during their match. Duke tried to think of what to do as he glanced at Heart's room nearby. He needed to stop this guy or she might be next. Then a fear twisted in his stomach as he asked, "Have ya murdered anyone else before comin' to find me tonight?"
"No, be honored thief that you were first on my list," Kay replied with contempt in his voice.
Duke was about to laugh when he caught the last bit, "So how will ya justify spillin' their blood then?"
"I'll get to go home and leave all of this behind me!" Kay retorted, "Niobe and I can finally return to our clan and rebuild the home you abandoned!"
Duke had been trying to raise his temper to catch him acting blind, however the older drake hadn't counted on the force behind those strikes as Kay grew angrier. Like a whirling wind, unpredictable and strong, he began to knock the rogue back a bit. As Duke dodged another swing Kay would catch him in that moment by kicking him in the side, forcing Duke to fall back against the opposite wall. As the blade came at him again Duke quickly pushed himself off and to the side as the blade bit into that sheet of metal. It was now that he could several sets of boots running towards them from down the hall.
Kay managed to free his blade from the wall as he turned to face Duke again. It was now that Duke noticed the device on his opponents belt, and he recognized it all too well from those carried by higher authorities and executioners. It was a better teleporter built for traveling gateways. They were used for the most condemned of criminals he'd heard to send them where they couldn't hurt society any further. Kay noticed Duke looking at his side and smiled, "It would make things much easier, but I wanted to have the honor of ending your life myself. However your friends could be taken care of in this much simpler manner if it came down to it."
"Your so called teammates seem to be coming to your aid for some reason, this would make things much easier," he glanced at the device, "Though it's not very honorable to not give them a fighting chance...but I would like to go home already."
Duke had to think quick. The drake would be standing between the ex-thief and his teammates when they reached him. This would make it easy for him to entrap them if he so chose. He then noticed the more typical teleporter also on Kay's belt. With a smirk Duke swiftly lunged forward and hit the button with the tip of his saber before Kay registered what was happening, causing the teleportation to commence without coordinates. This howevere was enough to have their security send him out. Yet as he did the other drake lunged forward with a hand and grabbed Duke's wrist, pulling him into the transport with him, "You will not escape this justice thief!"
To Duke's luck and relief they were somehow only booted out to the roof of the Pond. He let out a short sigh before Kay's blade came flying towards him again. Duke managed to jump back and block once more.
Meanwhile back down in the hallway Heart had just come up to Duke's room when she saw them vanish.
"Duke!"
She'd nearly panicked before checking her comm and giving her own sigh before darting passed everyone to head back out towards the elevator.
"She's like a yo-yo," Nosedive tried to laugh as he had caught up and turned around with Niobe.
Niobe was gravely quiet as she watched Heart vanish ahead of them.
"Who is this guy?" Mallory questioned, "What does he want with us?"
Niobe allowed Grin to explain as she was too focused on catching up with Heart.
While on the roof Duke found himself caught in a late night summer storm and stepping back to block another slash meant for his chest.
"Ya realize the others aren't goin' to let ya back in so easily now," Duke mentioned in a taunting low tone.
"Then I'll have to finish our task another way. However I will gladly settle for taking your life first!" Kay assured with narrowed eyes fixed on the ex-outlaw, "Before you can hurt anyone else or take another thing that doesn't belong to you! I will make my father proud when I say the Brotherhood of the Blade ends with your death!"
"Ya do realize I'm not the first leader to leave, the Brotherhood will survive with or without me," Duke pointed out.
"Then I'll deal with that problem as it arises I suppose," Kay retorted dryly.
"I'd worry more about what the public will think if they ever find out the truth about you an' your clan if ya go through with this! My teammates are heroes, they're tryin' to put an end to Dragonus an' his tyranny for good!" Duke snapped.
"That may be so, but even still it doesn't erase your crimes does it? With or without Dragonus's orders, your sentence was decided a long time ago wasn't it?" Kay pushed back.
Duke focused on blocking and trying to advance. Then Kay's glare hardened as he scoffed, "Besides, who would miss you enough to consider this unjust? Who would cry over the spilled blood of a thief?"
"I can think of someone," Duke replied only to hear a short laugh of disbelief from his opponent.
"Your days are numbered L'Orange," Kay assured with a sudden lunge that Duke could only try to block as he realized he was at the edge of the roof.
He'd miscalulated where the teleporter had brought them and thought he'd had more space behind him. However one more step back and it would be a quick drop he wasn't ready for. So he blocked, entangling their different blades.
"What a shame, all that skill wasted on a thief!" Kay shook his head with a disappointed grimace that matched his father when he was much younger, "You could have been so much more than that, perhaps used your swordsmanship to aid our clan even."
"As I told your friend, I'd rather steal a few rocks than a life," Duke retorted bitterly, "Thief has a much better ring to it than murder or traitor."
The flash of anger in Kay's eyes met with Duke's hardened glare before the younger drake went to detangle their blades, kicking at Duke's already bruising side again. Before he could recover he was knocked to the side with a shove of Kay's arm, knocking him back onto the roof's edge. Duke's saber had gone flying from the force of the blow dealt to his side this time.
All Duke could do was look up and face his adversary.
"End of the line and nowhere left to run for a thief like you!" Kay bit harshly with his sword held at Duke's throat.
"Was that life of crime worth it L'Orange? Stealing whatever you wanted rather than earning it, only to have it end like this?" Kay questioned with pity in his eyes.
"Ya know when ya put it like that," Duke mused as he thought of a job he'd been on a few months before the invasion...one that had resulted in him earning something he'd never imagined he would in his line of work. He smiled and said, "It was worth every moment."
"Worth it knowing will miss another executed outlaw stripped from society?"
"Duke!"
Her voice echoed through the stormy sky they stood within there on the roof.
Duke looked over with a widened eye to see Heart gasping to catch her breath, sweat matting her bangs to her forehead from sprinting up to the roof. There she stood in her sleepwear without a weapon of any kind to fight with. There simply hadn't been time.
"Ah, the human girl that befriended Niobe. She tells me this lowlife hurt you somehow? I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," Kay said while turning back to Duke.
Duke had briefly glared at him for the insult, but found himself looking to Heart more so. She was trembling as she snapped, "Get away from him!"
Kay was ignoring her as he went to strike.
"Please don't!" Heart cried out as the wind and rain began to pick up around her.
Kay paused and looked to her with vague bewilderment.
"You realize what he is don't you? On our world he was nothing more than a thief, and now he's pretending to play hero here to do the same all over again," he warned.
Heart could barely contain how angry she quickly was becoming at hearing this remark that continued, "Just walk away and you can forget all about him as you should."
"Shut up!" Heart snapped, her usual patience long gone by now, "You don't know a thing about him!"
"What is there to know?" Kay raised a brow, "Now go away and hide so I can pretend I never saw you here with them. Then I can save you as I promised Niobe I would. Otherwise I'll have to follow orders so I can go home."
Duke knew Heart wouldn't move even without looking at her. He also saw she was unarmed and went to step closer.
"I'm warning you human, forget about the thief and leave," Kay attempted once more before warning, "Or you can follow right after him."
At this Duke took his chance as Kay was destracted, kicking the drake back a bit. Then he rolled onto his hands and knees to jump up. However Kay had recovered from the kick and was raising his blade over the drake after knocking him back onto his side.
Something inside Heart snapped with a panic as she moved without deciding. As Kay went to slash at Duke Heart darted forward and let out a burst of energy that knocked Kay back with his sword shocking him a bit, but he managed to keep it in his grip. However Heart now stood between the two drakes in a firm stance, her eyes focused on Kay in a silent warning. Energy sparked softly around her still, threatening to lash out if needed again.
"What are you? Some manner of Saurian?" Kay inquired in disbelief.
Heart shook her head while stating firmly, "No. I'm one of them!"
She placed a hand over the emblem on her shirt while refusing to move from between them.
"I promised Niobe I would try to spare you. Despite his orders to kill you, I doubt Dragonus would fret over you without the others. So stand down and let me rid us all of this criminal," Kay requested calmly.
"I will not let you kill him!" Heart said with a bite in her voice, her feet planted there on the rooftop between Duke and Kay.
"Heart, what are ya...?" Duke attempted while grasping at his cracked side.
"He hasn't changed girl! He's a thief and he always will be!"
"I'd rather he be a thief than a murderer!" Heart snapped back without wavering in her tone, "None the less I know he's changed!"
"You didn't grow up on Puck World, you couldn't understand-"
"I understand plenty!" Heart assured as the others now reached the rooftop as well to see this.
Niobe gasped in fear to see her friend standing between Duke and Kay's blade. Yet Heart didn't seem to share in this concern as she remained there.
"I'm sorry Niobe," Kay said as he went to swing, "However it seems your friend has regretably chosen her own fate."
Yet as he swung Duke quickly grabbed Heart's hand and pulled caught her as she stumbled back. Seeing her arm had been caught by the blade in the sudden motions he glared up at Kay. He quickly placed an arm around her, shielding her if Kay went to strike again. As expected Kay wasn't giving an inch as he went to strike, raising his blade once more over the thief's neck.
"Kay stop!" Niobe pleaded, "Don't-!"
As Kay's blade dropped did Heart's eyes shift once more. She looked up quickly, pulled out of Duke's grip, and slid just infront of Duke, even with an injured arm, and rushed her hand forward. A burst of energy lashed out quickly, knocking the blade out of Kay's hand this time. The opposing drake yelled out while grabbing his now burned hand.
He glared at Heart with anger and confusion, "Why are you defending him?!"
Heart had already come back by this point in mind. Hearing his question she found little reason to hide it at this point. She looked over her shoulder at Duke as he looked to her in return. He could hardly believe it when Heart then answered, "I love him."
Though some part of him had known this was possible, he hadn't believed it. He still didn't even as he heard the words. After everything from the other day...she still...looked to him the way she did. There was no doubt in her eyes, as though this was something she just knew without question, and despite everyone' warnings.
"Heart-"
Yet before Duke could reply much more to this they all noticed as Kay reached for something on his belt, "I hoped it wouldn't come to this. It's not really our way to use such measures. However I have little choice if I want to bring Niobe back home."
His hand grasped the red device before the others could stop him from flipping it on, aiming it at the two. The others would all recognize the gateway trying to pull them in, and knew they would be next if Kay wasn't stopped. Grin went to charge forward. Nosedive and Mallory took aim. Wildwing shielded them in his own charge out of panic of his own rushing forth. Niobe looked on in horror as her friend tried to perform this capture, and it grew worse as Heart's eyes darkened once more. Not seconds after admitting her feelings to Duke did she jump up with one more burst of energy. The electricity mingled with that of the ray, causing it to distort until the device had burst into shards.
However the gateway still pulled on the one nearest to it. Seeing Niobe's fearful eyes as she watched Kay nearly be dragged in, Heart still close by shoved him out of the way and blocked it from pulling Duke in instead. The energy sparking around Heart tried to protect her, but only blended with the force pulling her now, working against her. She quickly looked to Duke in the seconds she had before she vanished in the tear that suddenly erupted with her energy, pulled through to an undeterined other side possibly.
"Heart no!" Duke cried out as the portal took her from his reached out hand that passed through hers as she vanished.
"Sis!" Nosedive called out.
Yet she was gone. Though the gateway remained.
However it was not like that of limbo's doorway as they had seen just a few moments prior. In fact just before taking Heart it had shifted somehow, causing it to spark with different energy now. It also remained open where the one to limbo would have quickly closed up with her stuck inside.
"What...what do we do?" Niobe questioned while turning to Wildwing and the others.
Tanya was already scanning the doorway to figure out it's nature. By now Kay had been tackled by Grin and tangled up by Nosedive's bola pucks. Mallory kept a close eye on him while Wildwing turned to Duke, who was looking at the gateway, "We have to get her back Wing."
"I know that Duke, but don't go running in head first. It won't help her losing you too," Wildwing tried to restrain himself with this advice as well.
"It leads to another dimension, but I don't know what one. The door will close up in about an hour. If we go in we'll have to find another way back if we take too long," Tanya informed after going over her readings.
"You're sure it's not a way to limbo?" Wildwing double checked.
"Absolutely, Heart did something to change it's course," Tanya replied without batting an eye.
"Then we'll go an' get her," Duke said firmly.
"What about this guy?" Nosedive asked while pointing over his shoulder with his thumb at Kay.
"We can't really set him free, but we can't bring him along either," Wildwing said while thinking of what to do.
"We don't have much time to think this over either," Mallory commented.
"We also have no idea what's in there," Grin mentioned while looking at the doorway, "The longer we wait the more trouble she could be in."
"I'm not waitin'," Duke said as he stepped forward and quick changed.
Kay had been strangely quiet from this. Niobe looked to her friend and saw the tinge of regret in his eyes as he looked back at her and stated, "I just wanted to bring you back home."
"You know he isn't going to give us that..."
"If anything you'd be in limbo yourself right now," Nosedive commented, barely hiding his own anger in regards to Kay, "You tried to send our teammates there! Now my sister is gone to who knows where because of you!"
Kay however looked to Duke and Niobe who were both standing at this dimensional doorway now. For a moment his eyes met with hers as he said, "I didn't mean to hurt your friend. I got carried away in my father's wishes and ignored your own...please forgive me Niobe."
Niobe at first didn't answer, but then gave in and said, "I just want to get our friend back. If that means I stay here on this planet with them, then so be it."
"I...I don't agree with that...but I understand I guess..." Kay commented before shifting just enough to hit the button on his teleporter in his binds and then vanishing before they could stop him.
"Just let him go, we have someone else who needs our attention," Wildwing said to his team.
Then he looked to Niobe, "It'll be okay."
"I hope you're right," Niobe replied while fighting her impulse to just run in after her friend blindly.
What stopped her was looking to Duke who was fighting the same wish. She wondered what he was thinking after Heart had finally confessed to him. What would he have answered had he been given the chance?
After a few minutes of brief preperation, quick changing into their battle gear and readying their weapons, the group stepped through the portal before them in hopes of finding their lost teammate.