Dark clouds formed over Anaheim and rain had started to fall. Not much to go on that morning, but at least nothing too bad seemed to be going on. Wildwing and Nosedive came out of cinema with Canard following.
"I don't know which part more moved me. The time the alien princess rose up to fight or when the hero accepted what he was and used that to turn the tide.", Nosedive said as he tried ignoring the rain, "Man, this is messing up my hair."
Wildwing smiled.
"We'll dry off when we get back to the Pond.", he assured his younger brother.
Canard just closed his eyes and sighed as the rain fell over his face.
"This rain feels nice."
Wildwing and Nosedive were a little surprised, but then Canard willed up an aura shield that created a dome that held off the rain.
"Thanks Canard.", Wildwing said.
Canard blushed.
"You're welcome."
When they got back to the Pond and everyone was relaxing the day away. Morpha noticed the three soggy ducks and after coming over, it rubbed a tendril over each one drying off all the liquid.
"Thanks Morpha.", Nosedive said smiling.
Morpha's blue color points turned orange as it shyly looked away. Mallory was deep in a chess game with Grin, Duke was obviously working on his lock picking skill, and Tanya was doing a scan of Anaheim.
"Anything yet?", Wildwing asked her as he combed the feathers on his head down.
"Nothing yet.", Tanya reported, "Guess we have a day off."
Before Wildwing could answer, a sneeze got his attention. Phil stumbled in wearing a large blanket and obviously looking sick.
"Wildwing, I wanted to tell you that-", he paused so he could sneeze, "I'm down with a flu today so I have to postpone that photo shoot I had you scheduled for."
Grin and Duke came over and started leading Phil out.
"Okay Phil, you need to get some rest."
"I hear that soup soothes the soul as it recovers.", Grin said sagely.
As they left, the other ducks paused with the realization.
"So, we have a day off from Phil for a change.", Wildwing said smiling, "So guess we do what we like til the rain clears up."
/
Nosedive had finished the latest level on his video game console when an aroma got his nostrils.
"What's cooking?", he wondered.
He made his way to the mess hall just in time to see Canard beside the stove placing something on a plate. As he got closer, his eyes got wide.
"Are those...cookies?!", he called out.
Canard was taken a little by surprise, but he managed to hold Nosedive off.
"Hey, back off kid. These are my grandmother's cookies I'm making for the-"
"Say what?"
Canard and Nosedive turned to see Wildwing come in and notice the dark brown golden swirled cookies on the counter.
"What's with the cookies?"
"They're for a bake sale later today and I'm hoping that they get some spare cash.", Canard answered, "I just hope that-"
He paused when he noticed Nosedive had slipped away and was chowing down on the cookies like there was no tomorrow.
"Cookies...cookies cookies cookies!", he screamed as he took a pause to guzzle a gallon of milk before getting back to the cookies, "Me love cookies!"
Canard swiped the plate away which only had a few cookies leftover. Nosedive went for the plate only to be held back by Wildwing.
"What's going on in here?", Duke asked as he and the rest followed in.
Canard noticed them and grew pale.
"Oh dear. Here it comes."
The other ducks took a whiff and all of them then came over to observe the remaining cookies on the plate.
"Are those Grandmother Thunderbeak's world famous chocolate caramel swirl cookies?", Mallory asked.
Canard sighed.
"Yeah, they're for a bake sale later, but someone here already helped himself to the batch."
They all looked at Nosedive who looked apologetic.
"Hey, I'm sorry, but I really like those cookies."
"You ate three whole boxes of the stuff one time and spent the rest of the day with a stomach ache and a sugar crash.", Wildwing added.
Canard looked at the rest of the cookies and turned to the rest.
"So, who wants to help make another batch?"
/
A while later, Canard placed a whole bunch of cookies into a basket. Just the smell made most of the duck's mouths water. Canard quickly put a lid over the basket and the dazed look on the other ducks faded.
"Okay, cookies all prepared and ready for the sale.", Canard said as he placed the basket under his arm, "And I'd better get to the sale before they let out for the day."
He started off toward a cycle when Nosedive met up with him.
"Hey, mind if I come along and help out?"
Canard looked skeptical, but when the others showed up, he felt more at ease.
"Dive, I would like it very much if you don't scarf down these cookies okay?"
Nosedive gave an innocent smile.
"Oh you got it Canard. I'm not eating any cookies."
"Glad you feel that way.", Canard answered, "That's why Wildwing is coming along for back up."
Nosedive sighed, but said nothing. Wildwing however had something to say.
"Actually, we're all coming in case you need us."
Canard shrugged.
"Works for me."
As they all filed into the Migrator and started off, the rain had pause but the streets were still pretty wet. They reached the convention center and had all started in to find many stands selling all kinds of things from fudge to carrot cake. Marshmallow scones, chocolate wafers and so much more. Nosedive was instantly in awe.
"So many sweets.", he said dreamily.
Mallory groaned.
"I'm not responsible for when he goes crazy.", she told Wildwing firmly.
They reached a stand that had Canard's name on a side with an oven behind it. Grin set the bags of ingredients beside the oven while Canard placed the basket he carried on the counter with Tanya placing a sales tag beside it. It didn't take long before people got whiff of Canard's cookies and came over with huge wades of cash and a few minutes later, the ducks were up to their heads in customers.
"Give me two dozen.", one customer said handing in his order slip.
"Give me a baker's dozen.", another said.
"Can you break a hundred?", another asked.
The orders kept coming and in a couple hours, the ducks were all out and the bake sale was over.
/
After they got back to the Pond, Duke and Wildwing did a count of the profits they made.
"Seven hundred and thirty bucks solid.", Duke reported, "Those cookies were sure a hit."
Wildwing nodded.
"Yeah, it's just such a shame Canard's grandmother only made them once a year though."
Canard came back in dusting off his hands.
"Well that's that. How's Phil?"
Tanya came back in with Grin and a bunch of medicine on a carry tray.
"He's been given a sedative to help him sleep it off.", she reported.
"Phil's mind must be at ease otherwise his physical body won't recover properly.", Grin added sagely.
Nosedive came in with Morpha following and clearly looking winded.
"So, what did I miss?", he asked.
"We made seven hundred and thirty bucks off the bake sale today.", Wildwing told him, "But Canard won't make anymore."
"What do you mean he's not making any more cookies?", Nosedive asked in shock.
"It was for an occasion.", Canard told him, "If I made those cookies more than I did, then they wouldn't be very special to me."
"All the more reason to make them.", Nosedive countered, "Do you know how much we can make off these cookies?"
"Dive calm down.", Wildwing told him firmly, "This is all going into the local charity funds."
Nosedive looked crushed.
"That's a bummer."
Nobody else seemed to share his opinion.
"Well, we better deliver this right away.", Mallory stated taking the funds into a lock box and locking it up when she finished.
Wildwing nodded.
"Duke, mind taking a drive with Mal to deliver the funds?"
Duke shrugged.
"I'm up for it."
He and Mallory left leaving the remaining five ducks alone. Morpha extended a tendril to Nosedive's shoulder and placed it over it as if assuring him that it was okay. Nosedive looked over to it and smiled.
"Thanks Morpha.", he said letting it know he appreciated the comfort it was giving.
Morpha's blue color points turned yellow as it and Nosedive left.
"Well, I'm off to do some weights.", Canard answered heading off.
"I got some notes to go over.", Tanya put in as she headed off.
"My daily meditation is calling to me.", Grin said as he headed off.
Wildwing flopped on the couch looking up at the ceiling.
"Just another rainy day in Anaheim.", he muttered to himself.
/
Canard placed the weights he lifted back on the rack and rubbed his sore shoulders.
"Three hundred reps.", he huffed before taking a drink from his water bottle, "Off to crunches."
He started his sit up routine and started reflecting again. He often did this while he worked out cause it helped him think about what made him the fighter he was. This time he was reflecting on the time he found out about the Mask of DuCaine's location. It was shortly after Dragaunus invaded and Canard's rebellion met a betrayal that cost almost all their lives.
-Flashback-
Canard looked around his abandoned bunker feeling down in the dumps. All that hard work his resistance put in all coming to a crashing end when Lucretia DeCoy went rouge. She seemed so trustworthy and reliable at the time she came aboard, but her true loyalty came into the light when she led the resistance into a trap that wiped them out. Canard was lucky to get away, but the experience still haunted him.
"All my fellow ducks gone.", he sighed as he looked at the map of the surrounding area and city limits, "My work is undone, Dragaunus took out my forces, and I'm being hunted by his drones. It's hopeless."
"It's only hopeless if you think it is."
Canard lifted his head to see another duck standing by a pillar and hidden in the shadows.
"Who are you?", Canard asked.
The duck came into the light. His feathers were black as coal, his white hair reached his shoulders and his clothes suggested he got out of a prison.
"An ambitious rebel like yourself.", the duck answered slyly, "But I recovered some information you might be interested in."
Canard looked into the duck's icy green eyes and felt a little shaken, but he ignored it.
"Try me."
The duck came closer.
"There is a tomb Thunderbeak. An ancient burial ground housing an artifact of unimaginable potential. Powerful enough to overthrow Lord Dragaunus I would wager."
Something stirred in Canard's heart, but then he reconsidered it.
"Drake DuCaine wasn't real. He was just a legend and-"
Canard paused when he noticed the stranger chuckle and shake his head.
"You actually believed that the savior of your kind was a myth?"
Canard froze.
"So, Drake was real?"
"You better believe it.", the stranger said, "And luckily for you, I know where his mask is."
The stranger came over to the map Canard had nearby and Canard didn't seem so sure.
"I've tried searching for it, but it never came up."
"Because you looked in the wrong place.", the stranger said pointing to a drawing on the map, "It's actually over there."
Canard looked to where the stranger pointed.
"The Twin Beaks mountains? Nobody would build a tomb there."
The stranger's smile got bigger.
"All the more reason for Drake to build one there. Besides, what do you have to lose?"
The winds blew up snow and ice particles as the two ducks climbed the rocky side of the mountain.
"Are you sure this is the right direction?", Canard asked.
"Yes I'm sure.", the stranger said plainly, "Just keep up and don't slip cause it would be a horrible way to die."
Canard hoisted himself over to another ledge while keeping up with his companion.
"Hey, you got a name or something?", he asked.
"Cain Bloodshot.",came his answer.
Cain led Canard over several more ledges until they reached a large one that looked more like a platform with two statues of goalies carved into the mountain's side.
"Well, we're here.", Cain said proudly.
Canard didn't look so sure.
"You brought me to see a couple statues? I thought you knew where the tomb was."
Cain pointed to a circle in front of the goalies.
"Stand there if you please."
Canard felt like a moron, but he did it. The moment he did, a rumble shook the area and the mountain side between the two goalies shifted into a large door and the goalies' eyes lit up.
"Who approaches Drake's resting place?"
Canard took a breath. Maybe this was real, but he wasn't ready to say a lie and find out.
"I am Canard Thunderbeak and I wish to pass.", he said firmly.
The goalies' eyes grew narrow, but then the hockey sticks they had parted.
"Proceed. Claim nothing, but the mask."
Canard turned to Cain.
"Mind staying and keeping a look out?"
Cain smiled.
"Good idea. I'll let you know if Dragaunus' goons are nearby."
Canard took a breath and went in. After descending into a large room, he saw rows upon rows of stone statues of what seemed like hockey players of old. At the other end of the room, a large sarcophagus rested with a single goalie mask resting on top of it on a stand. Canard dashed down the hall and reached it but he hesitated. Was this really so easy? Slowly he reached for the mask and when he got a grip, he lifted it off it's stand. Nothing happened so he placed it into his satchel and started to leave, but then the stand went down and rumbling started to sound off around the tomb. Canard dashed toward the door just in time for molten lava to come crashing through the walls. Luckily he made it to the stairs, but he only got so far when the stairs gave out and he was left hanging on the ledge. Cain showed up and offered a long stick which Canard grabbed and Cain pulled him out just as the doorway gave way. They got a good distance away to be safe when Cain turned to Canard.
"Did you get it?"
Canard pulled out the mask from his satchel.
"Yep."
Cain sighed with relief and then cupped both hands on Canard's hand and the mask.
"Listen closely. Don't let Dragaunus get his hands on this cause if he does, nothing can stand against him. Understand?"
Canard nodded.
"Good.", Cain said.
-End Flashback-
Canard got off his pull ups and wiped his forehead with his towel. He recalled a gust of wind coming up out of nowhere and Cain vanished and was nowhere to be seen.
"Shortly after that, I got a new team together followed by the greatest sacrifice I made."
He shuddered as he recalled being teleported by the worm into Dimensional Limbo, but he regained himself.
"Still, I did what needed to be done. I learned in Limbo that I wasn't ment to be leader, but to ensure that the leader became just that."
He then looked at the clock which read that it was late and he started off towards his bed ready to get some shut eye. It had been a long day.
