Wild wing clutched his side as he strained to regain his footing. His team had battled Lucretia before, but this time seemed different. She seemed more determined than ever and even more frightening. Canard was straining to maintain his aura on a wound on his shoulder that had darkness seeping across it like a deadly disease.

"How fitting.", Lucretia said coyly, "The once leader of the first rebellion taken down by the greatest traitor Puck world has ever known."

Adam was down, but not out.

"Why?!", he yelled, "Why did you betray us to Dragaunus?!"

Lucretia looked his way smiling.

"Dear Adam, so full of loyalty to our race. You lack the sight I gained. Once you all fall here, I'll regain my rightful place as ruler of our world and make it a paradise for everyone."

Tanya 's expression darkened.

"You mean a paradise for yourself.",

Lucretia chuckled.

"You always could see through me Tanya, but sadly, you'll be joining Mallory and Grin in Purgatory and fated to your eternal afterlife here inside-"

An arrow flew out and exploded with light chasing away the darkness. Everyone turned to see Nosedive, Julia, Thrash, Mookie, Morpha and BRAWN all jumping off a ledge and at the ready.

"Get away from our friends demon.", Julia said firmly.

Lucretia frowned in Wildwing's direction.

"Well how fortunate for you, but this isn't over."

She warped away and Nosedive's group came over.

"You guys okay?"

Wildwing smiled.

"Just happy you guys showed up when you did.", he admitted.

Canard smiled also.

"Does Nosedive always save the day at the last minute?", he joked.

Nosedive shrugged.

"Hey, we're in the final story arc of our final season.", he said(breaking the fourth wall as usual), "By the way, where's Grinster?"

Tanya's face fell slightly.

He didn't make it.", she admitted, "There was a radiation demon after us and he..."

Adam could see this was too hard for her so he concluded what she was going to say.

"He gave his life so we'd get away and find the rest of our group."

Wildwing didn't look phased.

"We gotta find Duke and the rest before Lucretia shows up again and picks us off."

Morpha shifted into a version of the Migrator and the ducks all got in.

"I love it when he does that.", Thrash said as he buckled himself into his seat.

/

Duke helped Danielle to her feet as Clyde scouted ahead and Foxy applied extra support.

"You sure you're gonna live?", Duke asked her.

Danielle nodded.

"Sure, it's just a scratch after all."

They had just gotten to their feet when Clyde came back.

"All clear.", he reported.

Duke felt uneasy. They had a run in with a crazy lunatic and he didn't want any more surprises for a while. There came a loud thump and the ducks got battle ready. After a brief moment, Derek and his family rolled out on to the ground in front of them.

"Derek?!", Danielle asked.

Derek looked up and looked ready to freak out, but he caught his breath and relaxed.

"Are you okay there?", Clyde asked.

Rosie sighed heavily, but Snowdrop beat everyone to the punch.

"Do we look okay?!", she snapped, "We've gone off the rails, been turned into fish and almost eaten by sharks, chased by a headless horseman, and went on the longest slides in the history of ever!"

She paused to take a deep breath and looked more relaxed.

"Besides that, nothing much. How bout you?"

"We're just happy that you're okay.", Duke answered.

Benny was already looking overeager.

"Can we do it again?"

Derek gave his son a look that read 'no way' before turning to Duke.

"Any idea where we are?"

Duke shrugged.

"My guess is as good as yours."

Foxy then looked eager as Timmy came over looking happy to see it.

"Hey guys, Foxy's here."

Snowdrop and Benny came over as the adults continued to chat.

"So how do we find Wildwing and the others?", Derek asked.

At that moment, the ceiling above their heads began to groan and they dashed out of the way just in time for the Migrator to come crashing down and land in front of them, but slightly away from Foxy and the kids.

"Or he could find us.", Duke said as he noticed Wildwing and Canard at the head.

The side opened and the two groups got in and buckled up.

/

Phil felt the cold wind whip around him as he kept falling alongside Klegghorn.

"I can't believe you put yourself in harms way so Wildwing and Adam could have a chance against Lucretia like that.", Klegghorn commented though he still clung his wounded side.

Phil looked unsure.

"I don't know. I just couldn't let my most prized goalie take a killing blow.", he said before flinching and clutching his still bleeding wound in his chest, "I never thought I'd die like this."

That was when both stopped suddenly and hung over Purgatory.

"This is where we end up when we die?", Klegghorn asked.

"No."

Both turned to see Mallory and Grin nearby. Grin was in a meditative pose, but Mallory just sat in the air.

"You too huh?"

Phil went pale.

"Are you-"

"No.", Mallory answered, "We're not dead. At least I don't think we are."

Phil noticed Grin's burn marks and Mallory's charred arms and almost asked how they died but Klegghorn beat him to it.

"So how did you two end up here?", Klegghorn asked.

Grin opened an eye.

"Death wished me to sacrifice for the safety of my team.", he said sagely, "I obliged and was spared eternal rest."

"And I used Sword and Water to bring two teams together.", Mallory admitted, "Though I burned up in the process. Luckily this place restores us after a long while. How did you get here?"

"Lucretia sent us here.", Phil said regaining his focus.

"DeCoy?", Mallory asked.

Klegghorn nodded.

"Yeah, she tried to take us out but Phil here took a killing blow for Wildwing while I was impaled by those chains that duck uses against her enemies."

Mallory took in the injuries and clearly she understood.

"I just hope Wildwing and the others are okay."

"Believe in our friend Mallory.", Grin said, "His heart is strong and his mind is set."

/

Drake stood before the palace gates and took a breath.

"You think Frazzak will be on board with us?", he asked, "I am after all, the one who banished your race to Dimensional Limbo."

"That was the past.", Geoff answered, "Zeral made you rebel against him. We have sinned against our pantheon in our quest to save our home."

Darcel smiled as he gripped his blade.

"And now we have a chance to make amends."

The doors opened to reveal Frazzak and his ambassadors. They came out and Drake expected them to be a bit on edge, but they seemed calm.

"What news?", Fazzak asked.

"Zeral is on his way here.", Harzep reported.

Gerazi looked grim.

"Charyus has crafted a master enchantium that appears beyond compare and in doing so, Zeral restored Prophecy to him."

Draco didn't look worried.

"I won't let my race fall to that tyrant again.", he said firmly.

Frazzak looked pleased.

"The heir has grown in knowledge and in courage just as I wished he would."

His ambassadors on the other hand looked like they were about to panic.

"Zeral has that enchanitum?!"

"Our forces will crumble!"

"We're in for bloodshed again!"

"Enough!", Draco barked causing a silence, "Every moment we delay, Zeral is drawing close. We need to get this city evacuated immediately. Drake and my guardians will assist me in keeping Zeral at bay."

Frazzak nodded.

"Do what you have to do. I'll secure the palace."

He hurried off with his ambassadors while Drake removed his mask.

"You guys want to know why I held on to this?"

He pressed a sequence and the forehead part of the mask opened to reveal an enchantium exactly like the one Zeral had.

"How did you get that?!", Darcel asked in shock.

"Made it back when I lived in the palace and kept it secret from everyone.", Drake answered, "I just need to get close to Zeral and after our enchaintum cancels each other out, it's just him. Can you guys hold Charyus?"

Geoff smiled as his staff lit up.

"We got you covered DuCaine."

/

Lucretia clutched her chest as her injuries started to restore themselves.

"Why?!", she thought bitterly to herself, "Why can't I just kill them?!"

"It would seem you don't have the proper intent."

Lucretia looked to see Tempus shimmer near her although he looked more ghostly than the way he did to her back in Abyssal.

"I use darkness to kill two, but then they get the upper hand.", Lucretia reported still annoyed.

"And you left yourself open.", Tempus reminded, "Your vanity always was the Achilles heel. Too bad Adam was the only one who knew."

Lucretia looked enraged.

"My brother only possesses only a fraction of the power I do, I try wearing him down with that radiation monster, and still he lives!"

"You're still so short sighted.", Tempus told her, "If you recall, I bestowed this power upon you and I can take it back just as easily."

He raised his hand and Lucretia felt her new power start fading fast and the reflective surface nearby showed her true self before Zeral infused her with saurian power which made her freeze.

"Now dispose of the ducks before my fight with the Keepers concludes, and I will see to it that you keep this power, but fail and you will be sent right back to Abyssal where you will remain for eternity."

Lucretia nodded.

"Understood.", she admitted albeit begrudgingly.

Tempus smiled.

"That's what I thought you'd say.", he snapped his fingers and Lucretia's injuries restored themselves instantly, "Don't grow attached to this. If I go down, you're going down also."

He faded away and Lucretia stood up and was more than a bit deep in thought.

"I can't assault Wildwing directly and all the ducks I kill-"

She paused for a minute and then smiled.

"Of course. Why didn't I think of that from the start?", she cackled, "Wildwing wouldn't kill his own team members. He's not that cold."

She warped away cackling to herself eager to put her final play into motion.

/

Drake held Draco's hand as they stood in front of the gates with the others alongside them. Everyone else was getting out and as far away as possible. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, but then it all changed. The skies grew dark and the ground began to rumble.

"He's here.", Gerazi said with dread hanging on her voice.

Darcel gripped the hilt of his blade.

"Let him come.", he said coldly, "I can't wait to cleave that head from his shoulders to make my new headgear."

Drake looked unsure.

"I thought we agreed that I would take Zeral."

Darcel looked disappointed.

"Fine, I'll make due with putting Charyus out of his misery."

Drake smiled.

"I knew you'd understand."

That was when massive portals opened to reveal a huge warship float gracefully outward with Zeral and Charyus at the helm. Even from a distance, the group could hear him as clear as day.

"Let this day mark the end of the old way of life and the rebirth of the true ruler's eternal reign!"

The warship was followed by a bunch of others all set to do the emperor's bidding. The palace's defense came on as the ships drew close. Geoff conjured a teleportation circle and the group held hands.

"Here it goes.", Geoff said.

In a flash, they had all appeared behind Zeral and Charyus only for them both to turn around.

"I had a feeling you'd meet me here my old enemy.", Zeral said coyly.

"Enough games Zeral!", Harzep said firmly, "Our way of living is just and fair. The way the pantheon decrees it."

Zeral frowned.

"Charyus, deal with this."

Charyus smiled devilishly as the enchantium on his pendent and staff flared.

"Love to."

Darco looked unsure.

"Just him?", he asked.

Charyus walked towards the group two steps still smiling.

"And while you're at it, count these!"

Several imperial looking bodyguards came out of the floor all looking expertly trained in combat and magic.

"So DuCaine, shall we begin?", Charyus asked raising an eyebrow.

/

Morpha paused outside what looked like the Anahiem Pond and the teams got out before it shifted back into it's dog form.

"We've been driving for hours and still no sign of anybody.", Derek stated.

Adam looked just as sure.

"If I know my sister and I have a good idea I do, if she's around, nothing is ordinary."

"Yeah, she was once a traitorous spy turned inter dimensional monster doing Tempus' bidding and who knows what else.", Duke put in.

Thrash didn't look so stirred.

"One must not rush to enact judgment on one's enemies less they give the enemy an opportunity to overthrow you."

"Wow, looks like Grin has found an apprentice.", Canard commented.

Thrash smiled.

"Actually Grin and I have been doing this for several months.", he admitted, "I've had emotional issues lately and I hoped Grin could shed a little light. Guess he had the cure huh?"

Wildwing nodded.

"Yes. Yes he did."

The doors of the Pond opened and a dark wind blew out almost blowing the ducks off their feet.

"Oh good, you're here."

Wildwing frowned.

"Enough games Lucretia!"

Nosedive even took a whack.

"Are you just scared to come out of those shadows and fight us to the death?"

Lucretia then materialized before them smiling that demonic smile.

"No fighting this time. I just thought we'd play a deadly hockey game for old time's sake."

Canard frowned.

"What game?", he asked.

Lucretia's smile got bigger.

"I assure you Thunderbeak, this will be a game unlike anything your team has ever played and the stakes will be higher than you ever believed possible."

To be continued...