By the time the ducks arrived at the top of a large hill, they were met with yet another foot hold being overrun.

"Oh great, it's last episode's near death being the first thing shown in this episode.", Nosedive griped(breaking the fourth wall as usual).

And that was when the foot hold broke down and a large shadow rose up taking the form of a massive demon among the other demonic forces outside.

"You and your big fat beak.", Mallory said to Nosedive firmly as she drew Sword out.

As the ducks got closer, they noticed that the demon was beside Lucretia who was wearing her usual smirk.

"Too little too late ducks.", she chuckled, "I was getting a bit bored. The angel here put up a good fight, but in the end it was all for naught."

Wildwing's expression hardened as Lucretia vanished away cackling like a witch. That was when the demonic forces attacked. Everyone seemed to have everything in hand until one demon in particular pulled a grim looking dagger from it's belt and immediately got Adam's attention as it almost used it on Danielle.

"Oh no you don't!"

Adam tackled it and sent the dagger flying into a rock which broke the blade and a huge sword wielding demon took it's place. Clyde and Duke took it on with Mallory helping while the others got rid of the remaining forces.

"That...was...tough.", Thrash huffed once they finished fighting.

"Don't you...mean worst?", Mookie asked.

Phil however looked more determined than ever.

"I can't wait til I get that gold Abyssal has."

Adam smiled but then flinched and fell over.

"Adam?!", Julia asked rushing to his side with the others alongside her.

"What's wrong with him?", Duke asked.

Danielle turned him to reveal a small wound that was turning black and spreading while Adam remained limp. Canard did a quick aura read and looked grim.

"He's dying.", he reported, "That blade Lucretia had which became that demon must've been cursed or something."

"So do an aura heals and restore him.", Klegghorn offered.

"It won't work.", Canard said, "This is demonic magic and I'm afraid my aura can not undo it."

"There has to be something we can do.", Mookie said looking desperate, "We can't let him get worse."

Canard looked thoughtful.

"Well, if we got some restoration waters from Highark, it might help us disperse it enough to let it heal on it's own, but we have to keep up with Lucretia before she reaches the gates of Highark."

Wildwing nodded.

"Yeah, but Adam can't go with just one or two members."

Thrash gripped his nunchaku.

"Mook and I will ensure Adam finds that cure.", he said with pride.

"I'll come also.", Clyde answered, "Julia and Danielle could be great help too."

Morpha tapped Wildwing's shoulder looking thoughtful.

"You want to go to?"

Morpha nodded eagerly and it's tail was wagging fast.

"Guess we have our transportation.", Clyde said as Morpha shifted into an ambulance and the team got in, "Be careful out there."

Wildwing turned to the rest(Canard, Mallory, Duke, Tanya, Grin, Nosedive, Klegghorn and Phil) and in less than a minute, they were heading out again.

/

As Morpha drove across the landscape, Danielle and Mookie tried keeping Adam stable, but having no luck.

"How far is it to Highark?", Julia asked.

Morpha extended a couple tendrils so it could shrug and then retracted them.

"Actually there is somewhere you can go."

The group then noticed Theo materialize in a seated position and were startled for a second, but got over it.

"You again?", Danielle asked.

"Did you miss me?", Theo asked smiling, "Admit it, you missed me."

"Cut the jokes Theo, just tell us if there's a way to save Adam.", Clyde said firmly.

Theo sighed.

"Fine, have it your way. A few miles from here to the west is a cave and in it's depths is a fountain forgotten by the denizens of Highark. It's restoration properties are...limited, but it will be enough to save Adam here. But you better hurry, cause he's not going to make it much longer."

Theo vanished away and now armed with new information, Morpha turned west and kept speeding.

"Well that went well.", Thrash said shrugging, "I was thinking maybe this Theo dude would-"

Then Morpha hit a bump and flipped over several times while going downhill until it crashed at the bottom and bounced into the air and landed on it's wheels.

"Everyone okay?", Clyde asked when the ducks pulled themselves off the floor.

Julia came up with a dazed expression, but gave a thumbs up with everyone else as well. Adam hadn't moved cause he was strapped to his bed, but then Thrash looked outside.

"Hey dudes, I think we're there."

Morpha turned back into a dog while the ducks got out with Thrash and Mookie carrying Adam. Ahead of them by several feet was a large cave on top of a hill.

"Guess we climb?", Danielle guessed.

"Hey, it's a good way to stay fit.", Clyde said as if it were obvious.

Morpha tapped Clyde's shoulder and the ducks noticed that Morpha looked dried out.

"I'm on it.", Thrash said as he detached a water bottle from his belt with his free hand .

Morpha unscrewed the cap and dipped a tendril into the bottle where a slight slurping sound was heard and Morpha instantly looked better before taking it's tendril back and screwing the cap back on. The climb didn't take very long and the cave wasn't very deep. Just ahead was a large fountain glowing slightly, but Thrash and Mookie came forward and helped Adam get in. The fountain rocked a bit as Adam's screams of agony was heard for a minute before they died out. Adam then came back to the surface and floated there as if in a coma.

"Wow, that's some stuff.", Julia said in awe, "It's like...well like magic."

"Now we just wait and let the fountain do it's healing.", Danielle said before looking worried, "But what if Abyssal's forces find us?"

Clyde drew his saber.

"Then we'll be waiting to fend them off until our comrade is recovered."

/

Back with the others, they had just gotten to yet another hilltop except this time when they got there, they came across a huge demonic castle shrouded by darkness with faint cries of agony emanating from it and demonic forces patrolling and entire armies marching out into the great forever.

"Can Lucretia be there?", Wildwing asked.

Canard's eyes narrowed.

"She's there alright.", he answered, "Welcome to the gates of Abyssal."

"Evil stirs behind those walls.", Grin said sagely, "And our enemy commands it."

Mallory looked angry.

"When I get my hands on that traitor, I'm going to ensure she never hurts another soul again."

"Careful Mal.", Duke warned, "Lucretia is known for using our negative emotions against us and manipulates it to make us think and feel in a way that she has the advantage."

Mallory tried to calm down. She knew Duke was right and after what Adam was going through, she remembered that blind fury wouldn't achieve victory.

"So how do we get in?", Nosedive asked, "It's not like we can disguise ourselves as demons and sneak in."

Wildwing brightened.

"Dive, you got our answer."

Grin walked a bit away and pulled out some spare sets of demonic armor laying around nearby.

"Will these work?", he asked.

Canard rolled his eyes comically.

"The nine of us, with limited enchantium power against a legion of darkness with Lucretia DeCoy at the helm and the fate of the three dimensional afterlives at stake. What are the odds?"

Phil went pale.

"Guys, I'm not really good at keeping my beak shut."

"Relax Phil, just let Wing and I do the talking while you stay back and look mean."

As the ducks got into their new armor sets Phil looked a bit uncomfortable.

"It's a little tight across the chest."

"When we get back to the Pond, you're going on a diet.", Klegghorn said firmly, "You really need it."

Before the ducks could set off, a large shadow fell over them.

"What are you doing standing around?! We have a war going on here!"

The ducks turned to see a huge demonic beast fly down with a rider dressed in black and tarnished iron. The helm didn't have a face, but the voice sounded cold and demanding.

"What are you waiting for?!", it yelled, "Move it!"

The ducks hit the dirt in the direction of the castle with the rider flying off.

/

Back with the others, Mookie and Danielle kept checking Adam's condition while Clyde, Thrash, Julia and Morpha kept watch in case company showed up.

"Any change back there?", Thrash asked.

Mookie checked Adam's pulse.

"Well his heart rate is lowered to normal, but the wound still looks like it's a work in progress."

"So how's progress?", Julia asked.

"Getting there.", Danielle answered before examining Adam's face, "You think he's dreaming?"

Mookie looked thoughtful.

"I wonder what he might be dreaming about."

Morpha then tensed and sniffed the air.

"What's wrong boy?", Julia asked.

Then she, Clyde and Thrash noticed something flying through the clouds and it didn't seem friendly. Morpha quickly formed a wall and disguised it as solid rock while they could still look out. From behind the clouds, a couple demonic flying beasts flew down and landed a short distance away, but the riders that dismounted were frightening, but the ducks kept their cool.

"Anything on your side?", one rider asked.

"Nothing but waste and the dead dissolving for miles.", the other reported, "Hard to believe we lost two footholds, but kept one before those intruders showed up."

Thrash looked ready to sneeze, but Julia quickly clamped his beak shut so the sneeze was muffled, but one rider looked attentive.

"Did you hear something?"

The other cocked it's armored head.

"Hear what?"

The first rider drew his sword out and walked a couple steps in the direction of the ducks.

"Maybe it was a faint wind.", the other rider suggested.

"It was no normal wind that is sure.", the first rider said firmly.

Then he withdrew his blade and turned to his other.

"Perhaps we should head back. Lucretia's about to launch a massive spell against Highark that will surely help our side."

The riders got back on their mounts and flew off. Once they were a good distance away, the ducks caught their breath.

"Everything okay up there?", Danielle asked.

"Just a near miss.", Clyde reported, "How's Adam?"

Behind them, Danielle and Mookie both noticed Adam stir and his wound was near healed.

"Ducks, he should wake up very soon.", Mookie reported proudly.

/

Wildwing held his breath as the group slowly made it's way into the fortress. Everywhere they turned there were impish beings forging weaponry, armor or stirring vats of something dark and sludgy. Another time, they saw what looked like a huge hole in the ground covered with more sludgy muck which bubbled and with lesser demons scrapping layers off to reveal hulking demons slowly rise and set foot before them before they examined and outfitted them accordingly.

"This is beyond freaky man.", Nosedive whispered.

"Zip it over there!", an imp snapped, "We're working here!"

As they made their way to what looked like the head chamber, they were met with a couple of guards that made the hulking ones looked minor.

"State your business.", one growled.

Phil gulped, but Canard stepped forward.

"We're under orders to report to the head demon around here."

The other guard snorted and placed his razor sharp blood dripping blade to Canard's neck though the duck didn't flinch.

"Why am I detecting an aroma of purity from you?", it asked coldly.

It became clear that if they didn't answer, this guy was planning to kill them so Klegghorn stepped in.

"We just got back from outside on patrol.", he stated, "We came across-"

"Did I ask you?!", the guard yelled not moving his blade away.

Wildwing swatted the blade away and snapped.

"Listen carefully you big ugly thug, we have very important issues on our hands and we don't need to keep looking at your disgusting faces all day while Highark could have a super weapon only we know about which could turn the tide. Now you're going to let us in or so help me I will report this to the Fallen. Understand?!"

The guard smiled showing sharp yellowed teeth as he put his blade away.

"Okay, you can come in. But make it quick."

The guards parted and the doors slowly opened. The group filed in to see a large platoon of guards like the ones at the door arranged before a large throne where Lucretia sat. She turned to them and looked annoyed.

"You!", she snapped pointing their way and then to the spot in front of her.

Instantly, Wildwing was in front of her and she looked him in the eye.

"You're late.", she sneered.

The others could see Wildwing buckling, but the drake resolved it.

"We got-"

Lucretia got to her feet and gripped his windpipe and pulled his face close to her's.

"The only reason you're still breathing is that I find you mildly amusing.", she sneered before letting go, "Now get yourselves cleared up, and get back in position!"

Wildwing still gasped from his hold, but unfortunately the helm he had on slipped off revealing his face. The effect was instant. Lucretia snapped her fingers before any of the other ducks could do anything and froze them and Wildwing solid.

"So you thought you'd slip inside didn't you?", she smiled as she eyed Wildwing's mask greedily, "And it isn't even noon here. I'm going to enjoy every moment of this."

/

She reached out to grab Wildwing's mask when an eruption of light broke through outside followed by screaming which got her attention for a second, but then the guards with her turned as the door exploded and the other ducks came rushing in armed and at the ready. Even though Wildwing's group couldn't do anything, they were seeing a spectacular battle. Unfortunately Lucretia had conjured a sharp blade and was about to stab Wildwing with it, but Adam warped in front of her and took it himself. As she flung him aside, Wildwing could hear Nosedive straining to scream while noticing Julia, Danielle, and Clyde getting shocked for a second.

"Finally, my brother-"

Lucretia didn't finish her gloat cause that was when a powerful beam of light bombarded her and flung her aside. Adam stood there which made Lucretia look shocked this time.

"How'd you do that?", she asked.

"There's a little mirror image and disguise combination I know about.", Adam said smiling, "Never underestimate someone who once served a patron of trickery."

Lucretia then blew, but by then, the light had enveloped Wildwing's group and they regained movement. Even though Lucretia put up a good fight, Adam managed to subdue her enough so Morpha could restrain her.

"Why...can't I...destroy you?!", Lucretia screamed.

Canard brushed his shoulder as he sent a demon flying.

"We have something you didn't: trust."

Mallory walked over while cracking her knuckles.

"What do you recon we should do with her?"

That was when the light faded and a huge shadow erupted behind Lucretia and Morpha.

"Leave Lucretia to me."

Morpha let go as shadowy tendrils slithered out and began to wrap around Lucretia's body. Lucretia had a look of horror on her face as she strained, but couldn't break free as she was dragged into the darkness and vanished along with it leaving the group stunned.

"What was that?", Duke asked.

"Evil has caught up with our enemy.", Grin said sagely, "She dabbled with something she shouldn't have and now she has to pay the piper."

Wildwing turned to Adam.

"So that time you got stabbed outside?"

"Same trick I used here.", Adam answered, "Made myself invisible and a mirror image of myself to know my enemy."

A while later, they had made it back to Derek's family, BRAWN and Foxy, but Phil was annoyed as they got into the Aerowings.

"I've gone through what seems like heck and I didn't get any-"

He was cut off cause a huge pile of gold got dumped on him as he sat down and then vanished away instantly. Phil kept looking around while the ducks and Morpha laughed out loud.