From The Outside Looking In
By: americananime
A/N: Boredom because I'm home sick and miserable and I felt the urge to write out a story I've had in my head for a while. ^. ^' A while, meaning about six months or so.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
* * *
It was a peaceful Saturday morning as the Mighty Ducks sat down to breakfast. Nosedive was somewhere upstairs sleeping, which accounted for the peacefulness, and each of the other members of the team were quietly discussing with one another what they would be doing for the day.
Mallory was hitting the mall, Grin was going to a gym, Duke was just taking a walk, Wildwing had a press conference, and Tanya was ready to max out her card at 'Lectiric land and no sign of Dragonous had shown since the Raptor had sunken to the bottom of the ocean.
"'Bye," Mallory called, grabbing her purse and running out the door, hoping to beat the usual morning traffic to the mall. Duke left as well, taking a route out of the city. Grin took a duckcycle, and Tanya grabbed the Migrator. Wildwing was left staring down at his scrambled eggs, quietly. He knew he was almost late, but he always wanted to make sure Dive got out of bed before he left.
As his thoughts turned to the conference ahead of him, his younger brother bounced out of the elevator. "Hi Wing," He called as he flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV for good old fashioned Cartoon Watching.
"Hi Dive. I'm leaving for that conference now," Dive gave barely a nod of consent as he was absorbed into the fictional, animated world before him.
As the morning progressed, Dive's drowsiness wore on and he decided that all the good cartoons had gone off and he would swing by Captain Comics.
"Hey," He was greeted, as usual, by Mookie.
"Good morning, sunshine," He said, laughing at her messy hair and worn-out look.
"Oh, shut it, Nosedive. No, we don't have anything new since you left at closing time," She sighed, giving him a glaring look. He held up his arms in surrender, figuring that she had partied all last night and she'd brighten up after a little while.
In the meantime, he hit the arcade.
"Hi, Dive," He was greeted by his usual crowd of friends that hung around the arcade most Saturdays, and he gave them a nod and quickly made his way to the Tekken Series section. He started off with one, beating it within thirty minutes or so, and moved on to the other games, beating them in rapid succession.
Once he got bored with video games, he decided that he would go back home, because the mall became boring after the first hundred visits. He needed somewhere new to get thrills from.
When he returned home, he saw that the stadium lights were on. That was odd. He checked his watch; it was only 10 o' clock. No one else would be home and practicing at this time of day.
He walked slowly up the steps and tried the door. Locked. He muttered something about not locking the door when he left and dug around in his pocket for a key. He didn't have one with him.
With a mutter of frustration, he shimmied down the sewer, sniffing the dirty air with distaste. It reminded him too much of another place, in another time, on another world.
The sewage he had to wade through made him sick to the point of vomiting, and he wondered again why they had put the secret door in such a miserable place. All this to get into the Pond.
He punched in the security code, rolling his eyes.
ACCESS DENIED
He growled in frustration, kicking the door hard. He sat down on the little concrete walking space beside the door, trying to figure out why the door didn't accept his DNA code or his password.
It was then that he first started to worry about whom exactly was in the pond. For it not to accept his password was one thing, but his DNA code was another. Someone would have to be in there at Drake1 and change the DNA access codes.
This would mean that none of the ducks could enter if they didn't have keys. Heck, if whoever was in there really didn't want them in, their keys most likely wouldn't work anyway.
It wasn't too long before an old fear began to wash over Nosedive, partly because of his unsurity and also because of the tight space he was in.
"This little one can go to the furnace," A harsh voice called.
"Nah. He isn't worth the fuel. He'll go to the work camps, sure 'nuff."
"Look at 'em, the sissy. He's shakin' all over."
Dive still remembered the harsh Saurian voices that haunted him from his past. Everyone on Puckworld was haunted by them, yet he feared them in an irrational way, as though they were still right beside him, about to give him his death penalty.
"Not the furnace; that's only fer the ones that can put up fights. He'll break easy 'nuff."
"Yeah, But 'cording to his mark, he's got a brother out there in the system. Wouldn't do to have 'em reunited, now would it?"
"Aww, what are the chances? A million to one?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just book 'em in camp 2. He isn't worth anythin' better. Lord 'Gonus wouldn't want 'em taking up too much space."
"He's got a friend in th' Military."
"No one would think ta rescue 'em."
"True. The little one's in the camp, yeah yeah." And Nosedive had been thrown into a tiny truck, with about three other ducks his age, all crammed so close they could feel on another's breath.
He could remember the three others, them all being pressed closely together for the five hour ride in utter silence. One was a rich, white feathered duck from the southern islands, according to her tags. Another was a dark skinned rich from up north. The other two were related, and most likely to be ripped apart soon. They were poor, like Nosedive, of little account. Just brothers from the west.
Nosedive now started to rock back and forth, remembering the rough ride and the many events that had happened after it. It was frightening, and the vivid memories that went with it still made him break into a cold sweat.
But it wasn't time for that. He had to work on the matter at hand. The roof would be the next place to start trying to break in.
* * *
Duke walked quietly through the woods, trying his best to keep his senses sharp. He heard every movement and every sound that was with in a mile of him, while he himself made no sound at all. It was a game he played with himself, making sure he didn't get old or forget his training. He heard and identified each sound, from a bird to highway traffic as he walked.
It intensified his training, and kept his mind occupied for a few hours every Saturday. He did this, week after week, to keep himself on edge should anything else happen. Why was he so worried about not still having a sharp edge?
Because, as the simple facts would tell, he was paranoid. Not in an irrational way, the way Nosedive was secretly afraid of the Saurian's at any moment, but a fear that they would strike some time and that he wouldn't be ready. So he trained, and intensified himself, making him think of nothing but the task at hand for hours at a time.
Sure, it was a physical and mental strain, but the strain became less as he did this, and other, exercises regularly. Of course, these exercises had been designed for future thieves and assassins, but it would still help with any type of combat.
He heard the rushing of a stream shortly ahead of him, only a few feet, and he knew that his day's walk was almost at an end. He crept, perfectly silent, upon a small stream that flowed through the woods. He sat down, wiping the sweat from his brow in the hot California sun.
He washed his face, still keeping his nerves focused at noise around him, and then started a more leisurely stroll back towards where he had parked is Duckcycle four hours earlier. He had walked about five miles today, and his route got longer every Saturday.
Now he climbed on his cycle, pondering whether he should work out at the pond or at home today. He decided on the pond, because it would be more peaceful. He drove quickly and quietly back to town, and parked in the private parking lot for the ducks.
He raised his eyebrow when he saw through the doors that the stadium lights were on, but he just figured that it was Dive, returning early from his daily trip to the comic shop.
He walked up, and tried to open the door. Locked. That was odd; the kid usually never bothered to lock doors when he left the house. Duke fished for his key for a few minutes before realizing that he had left it lying on his dresser, and shimmied up quickly to the roof.
He was met face to face with Nosedive, who was trying to break down the door that led downstairs into the pond.
"Who's inside?" He ask. Dive shrugged lightly, trying to break it again. Duke didn't have to ask why the whites in Dive's eyes were visible, nor why the cold sweat dripped down his brow. Nosedive had been left outside and he had reason to worry.
"Calm down, Dive. You're shaking. Stop it." Duke pulled out a small lock pick, opening the door. Inside, an alarm went off, and Duke mentally scolded himself about having improved the security system just last weekend.
Nosedive and Duke looked at each other for a moment, speculating their options silently.
"You take the upper vents," Duke finally said, diving down the staircase. Nosedive watched after him, and then shook his head, climbing into the ventilation shaft that was above his head. Getting into the shaft was no problem, but it was a tight fit. Claustrophobia was beginning to take over. A minute ago, he'd willed himself to stop shaking under Duke's eye, out of being ashamed. But now he was in a tight spot and he didn't like tight spaces.
He knew what kind of noise he was making below him with the clatter, but it didn't matter because the alarm of Drake1 was the only thing that could be heard. Nosedive suddenly realized that he didn't know where he was going.
He figured he'd drop off in his room and grab some supplies, then head to the main meeting room, where the intruders would most likely be gathered.
His breath slowed, his body automatically calming him down. His eyes shut as he paused at a fork in the shaft. He would be somewhere above the main hall, and he just had to go right to reach his room ... he crawled along, trying to see the Pond's layout in his head. He was surprised at how little he remembered.
In about thirty minutes, he was staring down through the vent at his room. He yanked at the vent, trying to get it loose. It was locked. He dug around in his pocket and came out with a quarter and his comlink, which had been deactivated from the central control in the computer. Whoever was doing this knew them and knew their computer.
Dive tried again and to his surprise, the vent fell to the floor with him. He rolled onto his back, wincing when his stomach hit some sharp part of an action figure.
'I have got to clean this room up,' He thought, shaking his head and rolling to his feet. He quietly dug around in a bottom drawer, pulling out a pistol that was reserved for emergencies. Silently, he thanked Klegghorn for getting him the permit a few weeks ago.
He dug around some more, and pulled out several bullets, stuffing them in his pockets. He looked around, wondering if he was missing something. He grabbed a few other pieces of weaponry, and decided to take the back entrance to the main meeting room. He crept silently along the halls, trying to calm himself even more. He had his every muscle under his control now, but his mind was throbbing with the pain of fear.
He wondered what was more important for a moment, speed or stealth, and decided on speed. He broke out in a run towards the room, and stopped dead at the door.
A few minutes later, Duke L'Orange met him there. They looked on the door for a moment, and Dive rolled his eyes, deciding to forget everything. He pulled his pistol and shot the lock off the door.
To their surprise, it was empty and deathly quiet.
"I don't like this, Duke..."
"Head's up, Kid!" Duke yelled, knocking Nosedive over onto the computer consol as a spray of machine gun fire flew across where their heads had been seconds before.
"Duke!" Dive saw that there was a bullet in Duke's arm that was stuck there firmly. Duke's violet eyes showed a struggle within him, and then a sound resolve to come over the pain. Soon, he looked back to normal.
"Leave me here, Dive. Go into the main control room and set it back to recognize our DNA."
"I don't know how --"
"Just go!"
Nosedive left the room in a hurry, determination setting in his eyes. Duke knew he wasn't alone, and he turned slowly, facing the person that had been behind Nosedive's back the entire time.
"Siege." The large Saurian let out a growl, and swung his tail around to knock Duke over. The gray duck knew what was coming, and he jumped over it. In the process of landing, however, he fell flat on his face.
Siege laughed a pitiless cruel laugh.
"Though that you could hold us under water? I can't puttcha on the bottom of the ocean, but I can sure put you duckies on ice!"
"Please, Siege, master the pun before attempting it on an actual target." Chuckled a dark voice from behind them. Duke rolled onto his back, sprawling around and facing Wraith.
"Ahh, the thief."
"Ahh, the ugly." Duke jumped onto his feet, carefully avoiding using his wounded arm, and knocked Wraith over into the computer. He grabbed Wraith's staff, breaking it against the wall, but he was grabbed by Siege.
"Two stars for trying."
"And another one for breaking your stick." Siege chuckled. Wraith gave him a glare. Siege twisted Duke's arms behind his back, and he felt the one that had been shot break.
* * *
"PASSWORD PLEASE," The computer demanded. Nosedive hit himself on the head, trying to think of what Tanya had set the password to.
"Tannuers."
"ACSESS DENIED."
"Tanya."
"ACSESS DENIED."
"Tanyana Elizabeth Van drake."
"ACSESS DENIED."
"Puckworld."
"ACESS DENIED."
Nosedive's mind searched. What had been the name that Tanya had put in right in front of his eyes during the basic computer training she had given him? A snarl of frustration came from his lips.
"Maggie."
"Welcome, Tanya." Nosedive watched the screen as information flooded onto it. Information recently changed ... he clicked a few keys, opening several files.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. The pass codes had been changed to something in a foreign language that he vaguely recognized as Saurian, and the DNA codes matched the Saurian's makeup patterns. So all he had to do to set it back was type in current passwords and then type in the new passwords ... but what were the current passwords? He would have to type it in English, because the computer wouldn't accept commands in any other language other than that, all though it would show characters from other languages once it recognized the words.
Why did Tanya have to be so smart? Nosedive moaned as he tried to remember the bits of the language he had picked up from the rough work camp workers. He keyed in a few things, and he had soon hacked his way into the base. He didn't know how he had done it, but he had. Now all he had to do was change the main passwords back to simple things that the ducks could remember, and reset the DNA codes to fit only the ducks'.
"Type in new password please," A mechanical voice ask. Wing was the first password, into the databank of past files, and then Dive came for the master reboot base. The list of codes went on until he had completed them, and then he had to work with the DNA.
'You can do this, Dive.' He told himself as the computer pulled up a program to build the desired DNA structure.
"User one."
"Tanya." Dive tried to remember the DNA structure building that Tanya had showed him, and he soon was at it again. He remembered Tanya, and then he could guess the rest from what he knew of the Ducks' genetic makeup, and also their natural features.
"Save Changes?"
"No." Dive's voice wasn't the one that had spoken. The blond duck wheeled around on his heels, facing Dragonous.
"At last we meet alone." The taller Saurian's mouth twisted into a smirk. Nosedive pulled the pistol, trying to play brave. The shaking of his hands, among other things, betrayed him.
"Look at it, like a spooked horse." The Saurian stepped closer to Nosedive, who gripped the pistol harder and felt the sweat dripping off his fingers.
"Fire," Taunted Dragonous. Nosedive got a grip on himself, wishing like heck that his brother were here.
"Hey, Draggie, let's play a game!" Nosedive's normal persona was back.
"A game? I have no time for games, child!" Dragonous advanced. Nosedive dove under a table.
"How about hide and seek?" Nosedive smiled sarcastically.
Dragonous bent down, trying to get Dive out from under the table. Nosedive leapt over his head, doing a tumble over the floor and landing on his feet.
"What about leap frog?"
Dragonous let out a snarl, slipping as he tried to chase Dive.
'Where do I take him, where do I take him?' Nosedive wondered mentally. He twisted down the halls, not sure where he was going, until he reached the ice. Of course, that was the answer. The Saurians hated hockey and ice skating, so they'd have no grace on ice.
Nosedive took off, sliding across the ice in his boots and grinning.
"Hey, Draggie, how about some time with me, on the ice? Feel like Hockey?"
Dragonous's eyes glowed read as flame spouted from his nose.
"Do not toy with me!" He shouted, dashing out onto the ice but slipping across.
"Nope, sorry! Time to retreat and retaliate!" Nosedive flew up the stands, to Phil's office. He locked the door behind him, glad for a moment to have a breath.
He looked around, diving to the computer. Where was the file, where was it? Nosedive hit the side of the monitor. This thing was a piece of junk!
Finally, the file opened, and Nosedive quickly keyed in the code to connect with the comlinks. Wildwing's face was visible on the screen. From the background sounds and sights, he was outside of the pond.
"Dive! Why is the door locked?" Wildwing demanded, almost in a yell.
"Shut it, dude! Dragonous is back. He's in here, and I don't know where Duke is." Nosedive's face was written with panic.
Wildwing thought for a moment.
"Can't you get out?"
"Look, bro, the only place I'm going is nowhere - fast. They've got the entire place under their control. I just changed the password back, and you should be able to get in --"
"No good, Dive. Mallory's trying right now. It won't recognize her."
"The computer must have accepted Dragonous's command not to save the changes. Take the air vents."
"We're all too big. Dive, you know you're the only one that could ever fit through those things!"
"I don't know what you should do then. Do whatever you did that time with Klegghorn."
"The lower entrance is blocked!"
"Dude, do something. I'm trapped in Phil's office and I don't know where Duke is." Dive was starting to panic. His breath was shortening, and sweat once again appeared on his brow.
Wildwing had walked away from where Mallory was obviously standing.
"Get control, Dive. This isn't Puckworld. You aren't going to be taken into a work camp. It's ok."
"They'll take me! In the furnace!" Nosedive gulped for air as his surroundings began to fade slightly.
"Nosedive! Get a grip! There is no furnace!" Suddenly, there was a rattling at the door and Dragonous threw it open.
Nosedive shut off the computer, turning and forgetting all of his dignity, trying his best to get away from Dragonous. He clawed at the walls, trying anything to get away.
"I don't think you'll escape that way, you little unimportant brat." Dragonous snarled, grabbing Nosedive by the back of his jacket.
"Chameleon." The green slimy Saurian appeared out of no where, smiling menacingly.
"Yeah, boss?" He said, shifting into a mobster with a machine gun.
"I don't want him dead yet, you little cretin."
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever you say, boss." Nosedive was roughly handled, but he didn't notice. All he could seem to feel, or think about, was the cold scaly hands on his arms. He was thrown into a cage, his head hitting the bars, somewhere down in the lower levels of the pond.
"Kid." Duke's voice was soft but worried. Nosedive looked up, only just realizing that he was crying as well as bleeding.
The gray drake had crawled over to the younger one, looking him over. Duke shook his head, trying to keep the tears out of his own eyes, seeing how badly the kid was hurt.
"Wing's outside," Dive choked. At least he was thinking rationally enough to give what little information he had gathered.
"Did you change the passwords?"
"Dragonous stopped me," Dive coughed up a little bit of a red substance. Duke patted him.
"They'll get through, Kid." He turned, looking around him for something that he could use to get out of the cage. His lock pick collection had been stolen from him when Siege had put him here, and now he was going to have to be as resourceful as he had been in the old days, when he had first started out as a thief.
"Kid, you have your game boy in your pocket?" Dive looked surprised and nodded weakly, handing it over. Duke tour the back off of it, getting into the wires. A few slight changes ... he held up a small metal piece of wire, and placed it in the lock. It electicuted the security system, and a whole lot more, as the pond went dark.
"C'Mon, Dive. We need to get to a safe place." Duke picked up Nosedive, trying to ignore the pain, and ran for the secret place.
The secret place really wasn't a secret to any of the ducks, but it was a quiet place that Dive hung out when he wanted to be alone. Luckily, it would be hard to reach for any of the larger Saurians, not to mention hard to find. It was a small place that was located under Nosedive's closet. Duke ducked through the tiny space, remembering exactly how tight a space the hide out was.
He lay Nosedive down, locking the entrance to the small space. Nosedive let out a faint moan, clawing at the floor in a waking dream.
Duke didn't have time. "You'll be safe here," He whispered to Dive, climbing out and locking it behind him.
The secret ways, a series of small passages that had been overlooked during the building of the pond, served as Duke's way to the outside.
He found Wildwing, Mallory, and a troop of cops outside.
"Duke!" Wildwing exclaimed, running over to him.
"The kid's safe, but he's inside."
"There isn't any safety in there! Why didn't you take him?" Klegghorn shouted, angrily. Wildwing also had a hurt and confused stare.
"Because he wouldn't have made it two steps passed his bedroom." Duke replied, rubbing his wounded arm.
"Is he bad?"
"Other than the fact that he's going mental? Yes, he's bad."
"What's wrong with him?"
"You know." Wildwing closed his eyes, trying to shut out the image of Nosedive somewhere alone and hurt.
"Well, we've got to get in there. Why can't we just blow the door in?" Klegghorn snarled.
"Because the entire pond is proofed against any type of attack, including nuclear." Wildwing replied, rubbing his forehead.
"And you're telling me that those lizards are controlling it? How'd they get in?"
"The door wasn't locked."
"What kind of idiots leave their door unlocked?!"
"Trustful idiots. Like Dive." Wildwing muttered.
"And how'd you get out, then?"
"The tunnels I took were sealed. Siege discovered them and thought that you might get in that way. I heard him coming behind me."
"Great. So Nosedive is trapped and those lizards have nuclear capabilities at their fingertips?"
"Somehow, Klegghorn, I don't think it's the nuclear capabilities they want."
By: americananime
A/N: Boredom because I'm home sick and miserable and I felt the urge to write out a story I've had in my head for a while. ^. ^' A while, meaning about six months or so.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
* * *
It was a peaceful Saturday morning as the Mighty Ducks sat down to breakfast. Nosedive was somewhere upstairs sleeping, which accounted for the peacefulness, and each of the other members of the team were quietly discussing with one another what they would be doing for the day.
Mallory was hitting the mall, Grin was going to a gym, Duke was just taking a walk, Wildwing had a press conference, and Tanya was ready to max out her card at 'Lectiric land and no sign of Dragonous had shown since the Raptor had sunken to the bottom of the ocean.
"'Bye," Mallory called, grabbing her purse and running out the door, hoping to beat the usual morning traffic to the mall. Duke left as well, taking a route out of the city. Grin took a duckcycle, and Tanya grabbed the Migrator. Wildwing was left staring down at his scrambled eggs, quietly. He knew he was almost late, but he always wanted to make sure Dive got out of bed before he left.
As his thoughts turned to the conference ahead of him, his younger brother bounced out of the elevator. "Hi Wing," He called as he flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV for good old fashioned Cartoon Watching.
"Hi Dive. I'm leaving for that conference now," Dive gave barely a nod of consent as he was absorbed into the fictional, animated world before him.
As the morning progressed, Dive's drowsiness wore on and he decided that all the good cartoons had gone off and he would swing by Captain Comics.
"Hey," He was greeted, as usual, by Mookie.
"Good morning, sunshine," He said, laughing at her messy hair and worn-out look.
"Oh, shut it, Nosedive. No, we don't have anything new since you left at closing time," She sighed, giving him a glaring look. He held up his arms in surrender, figuring that she had partied all last night and she'd brighten up after a little while.
In the meantime, he hit the arcade.
"Hi, Dive," He was greeted by his usual crowd of friends that hung around the arcade most Saturdays, and he gave them a nod and quickly made his way to the Tekken Series section. He started off with one, beating it within thirty minutes or so, and moved on to the other games, beating them in rapid succession.
Once he got bored with video games, he decided that he would go back home, because the mall became boring after the first hundred visits. He needed somewhere new to get thrills from.
When he returned home, he saw that the stadium lights were on. That was odd. He checked his watch; it was only 10 o' clock. No one else would be home and practicing at this time of day.
He walked slowly up the steps and tried the door. Locked. He muttered something about not locking the door when he left and dug around in his pocket for a key. He didn't have one with him.
With a mutter of frustration, he shimmied down the sewer, sniffing the dirty air with distaste. It reminded him too much of another place, in another time, on another world.
The sewage he had to wade through made him sick to the point of vomiting, and he wondered again why they had put the secret door in such a miserable place. All this to get into the Pond.
He punched in the security code, rolling his eyes.
ACCESS DENIED
He growled in frustration, kicking the door hard. He sat down on the little concrete walking space beside the door, trying to figure out why the door didn't accept his DNA code or his password.
It was then that he first started to worry about whom exactly was in the pond. For it not to accept his password was one thing, but his DNA code was another. Someone would have to be in there at Drake1 and change the DNA access codes.
This would mean that none of the ducks could enter if they didn't have keys. Heck, if whoever was in there really didn't want them in, their keys most likely wouldn't work anyway.
It wasn't too long before an old fear began to wash over Nosedive, partly because of his unsurity and also because of the tight space he was in.
"This little one can go to the furnace," A harsh voice called.
"Nah. He isn't worth the fuel. He'll go to the work camps, sure 'nuff."
"Look at 'em, the sissy. He's shakin' all over."
Dive still remembered the harsh Saurian voices that haunted him from his past. Everyone on Puckworld was haunted by them, yet he feared them in an irrational way, as though they were still right beside him, about to give him his death penalty.
"Not the furnace; that's only fer the ones that can put up fights. He'll break easy 'nuff."
"Yeah, But 'cording to his mark, he's got a brother out there in the system. Wouldn't do to have 'em reunited, now would it?"
"Aww, what are the chances? A million to one?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just book 'em in camp 2. He isn't worth anythin' better. Lord 'Gonus wouldn't want 'em taking up too much space."
"He's got a friend in th' Military."
"No one would think ta rescue 'em."
"True. The little one's in the camp, yeah yeah." And Nosedive had been thrown into a tiny truck, with about three other ducks his age, all crammed so close they could feel on another's breath.
He could remember the three others, them all being pressed closely together for the five hour ride in utter silence. One was a rich, white feathered duck from the southern islands, according to her tags. Another was a dark skinned rich from up north. The other two were related, and most likely to be ripped apart soon. They were poor, like Nosedive, of little account. Just brothers from the west.
Nosedive now started to rock back and forth, remembering the rough ride and the many events that had happened after it. It was frightening, and the vivid memories that went with it still made him break into a cold sweat.
But it wasn't time for that. He had to work on the matter at hand. The roof would be the next place to start trying to break in.
* * *
Duke walked quietly through the woods, trying his best to keep his senses sharp. He heard every movement and every sound that was with in a mile of him, while he himself made no sound at all. It was a game he played with himself, making sure he didn't get old or forget his training. He heard and identified each sound, from a bird to highway traffic as he walked.
It intensified his training, and kept his mind occupied for a few hours every Saturday. He did this, week after week, to keep himself on edge should anything else happen. Why was he so worried about not still having a sharp edge?
Because, as the simple facts would tell, he was paranoid. Not in an irrational way, the way Nosedive was secretly afraid of the Saurian's at any moment, but a fear that they would strike some time and that he wouldn't be ready. So he trained, and intensified himself, making him think of nothing but the task at hand for hours at a time.
Sure, it was a physical and mental strain, but the strain became less as he did this, and other, exercises regularly. Of course, these exercises had been designed for future thieves and assassins, but it would still help with any type of combat.
He heard the rushing of a stream shortly ahead of him, only a few feet, and he knew that his day's walk was almost at an end. He crept, perfectly silent, upon a small stream that flowed through the woods. He sat down, wiping the sweat from his brow in the hot California sun.
He washed his face, still keeping his nerves focused at noise around him, and then started a more leisurely stroll back towards where he had parked is Duckcycle four hours earlier. He had walked about five miles today, and his route got longer every Saturday.
Now he climbed on his cycle, pondering whether he should work out at the pond or at home today. He decided on the pond, because it would be more peaceful. He drove quickly and quietly back to town, and parked in the private parking lot for the ducks.
He raised his eyebrow when he saw through the doors that the stadium lights were on, but he just figured that it was Dive, returning early from his daily trip to the comic shop.
He walked up, and tried to open the door. Locked. That was odd; the kid usually never bothered to lock doors when he left the house. Duke fished for his key for a few minutes before realizing that he had left it lying on his dresser, and shimmied up quickly to the roof.
He was met face to face with Nosedive, who was trying to break down the door that led downstairs into the pond.
"Who's inside?" He ask. Dive shrugged lightly, trying to break it again. Duke didn't have to ask why the whites in Dive's eyes were visible, nor why the cold sweat dripped down his brow. Nosedive had been left outside and he had reason to worry.
"Calm down, Dive. You're shaking. Stop it." Duke pulled out a small lock pick, opening the door. Inside, an alarm went off, and Duke mentally scolded himself about having improved the security system just last weekend.
Nosedive and Duke looked at each other for a moment, speculating their options silently.
"You take the upper vents," Duke finally said, diving down the staircase. Nosedive watched after him, and then shook his head, climbing into the ventilation shaft that was above his head. Getting into the shaft was no problem, but it was a tight fit. Claustrophobia was beginning to take over. A minute ago, he'd willed himself to stop shaking under Duke's eye, out of being ashamed. But now he was in a tight spot and he didn't like tight spaces.
He knew what kind of noise he was making below him with the clatter, but it didn't matter because the alarm of Drake1 was the only thing that could be heard. Nosedive suddenly realized that he didn't know where he was going.
He figured he'd drop off in his room and grab some supplies, then head to the main meeting room, where the intruders would most likely be gathered.
His breath slowed, his body automatically calming him down. His eyes shut as he paused at a fork in the shaft. He would be somewhere above the main hall, and he just had to go right to reach his room ... he crawled along, trying to see the Pond's layout in his head. He was surprised at how little he remembered.
In about thirty minutes, he was staring down through the vent at his room. He yanked at the vent, trying to get it loose. It was locked. He dug around in his pocket and came out with a quarter and his comlink, which had been deactivated from the central control in the computer. Whoever was doing this knew them and knew their computer.
Dive tried again and to his surprise, the vent fell to the floor with him. He rolled onto his back, wincing when his stomach hit some sharp part of an action figure.
'I have got to clean this room up,' He thought, shaking his head and rolling to his feet. He quietly dug around in a bottom drawer, pulling out a pistol that was reserved for emergencies. Silently, he thanked Klegghorn for getting him the permit a few weeks ago.
He dug around some more, and pulled out several bullets, stuffing them in his pockets. He looked around, wondering if he was missing something. He grabbed a few other pieces of weaponry, and decided to take the back entrance to the main meeting room. He crept silently along the halls, trying to calm himself even more. He had his every muscle under his control now, but his mind was throbbing with the pain of fear.
He wondered what was more important for a moment, speed or stealth, and decided on speed. He broke out in a run towards the room, and stopped dead at the door.
A few minutes later, Duke L'Orange met him there. They looked on the door for a moment, and Dive rolled his eyes, deciding to forget everything. He pulled his pistol and shot the lock off the door.
To their surprise, it was empty and deathly quiet.
"I don't like this, Duke..."
"Head's up, Kid!" Duke yelled, knocking Nosedive over onto the computer consol as a spray of machine gun fire flew across where their heads had been seconds before.
"Duke!" Dive saw that there was a bullet in Duke's arm that was stuck there firmly. Duke's violet eyes showed a struggle within him, and then a sound resolve to come over the pain. Soon, he looked back to normal.
"Leave me here, Dive. Go into the main control room and set it back to recognize our DNA."
"I don't know how --"
"Just go!"
Nosedive left the room in a hurry, determination setting in his eyes. Duke knew he wasn't alone, and he turned slowly, facing the person that had been behind Nosedive's back the entire time.
"Siege." The large Saurian let out a growl, and swung his tail around to knock Duke over. The gray duck knew what was coming, and he jumped over it. In the process of landing, however, he fell flat on his face.
Siege laughed a pitiless cruel laugh.
"Though that you could hold us under water? I can't puttcha on the bottom of the ocean, but I can sure put you duckies on ice!"
"Please, Siege, master the pun before attempting it on an actual target." Chuckled a dark voice from behind them. Duke rolled onto his back, sprawling around and facing Wraith.
"Ahh, the thief."
"Ahh, the ugly." Duke jumped onto his feet, carefully avoiding using his wounded arm, and knocked Wraith over into the computer. He grabbed Wraith's staff, breaking it against the wall, but he was grabbed by Siege.
"Two stars for trying."
"And another one for breaking your stick." Siege chuckled. Wraith gave him a glare. Siege twisted Duke's arms behind his back, and he felt the one that had been shot break.
* * *
"PASSWORD PLEASE," The computer demanded. Nosedive hit himself on the head, trying to think of what Tanya had set the password to.
"Tannuers."
"ACSESS DENIED."
"Tanya."
"ACSESS DENIED."
"Tanyana Elizabeth Van drake."
"ACSESS DENIED."
"Puckworld."
"ACESS DENIED."
Nosedive's mind searched. What had been the name that Tanya had put in right in front of his eyes during the basic computer training she had given him? A snarl of frustration came from his lips.
"Maggie."
"Welcome, Tanya." Nosedive watched the screen as information flooded onto it. Information recently changed ... he clicked a few keys, opening several files.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. The pass codes had been changed to something in a foreign language that he vaguely recognized as Saurian, and the DNA codes matched the Saurian's makeup patterns. So all he had to do to set it back was type in current passwords and then type in the new passwords ... but what were the current passwords? He would have to type it in English, because the computer wouldn't accept commands in any other language other than that, all though it would show characters from other languages once it recognized the words.
Why did Tanya have to be so smart? Nosedive moaned as he tried to remember the bits of the language he had picked up from the rough work camp workers. He keyed in a few things, and he had soon hacked his way into the base. He didn't know how he had done it, but he had. Now all he had to do was change the main passwords back to simple things that the ducks could remember, and reset the DNA codes to fit only the ducks'.
"Type in new password please," A mechanical voice ask. Wing was the first password, into the databank of past files, and then Dive came for the master reboot base. The list of codes went on until he had completed them, and then he had to work with the DNA.
'You can do this, Dive.' He told himself as the computer pulled up a program to build the desired DNA structure.
"User one."
"Tanya." Dive tried to remember the DNA structure building that Tanya had showed him, and he soon was at it again. He remembered Tanya, and then he could guess the rest from what he knew of the Ducks' genetic makeup, and also their natural features.
"Save Changes?"
"No." Dive's voice wasn't the one that had spoken. The blond duck wheeled around on his heels, facing Dragonous.
"At last we meet alone." The taller Saurian's mouth twisted into a smirk. Nosedive pulled the pistol, trying to play brave. The shaking of his hands, among other things, betrayed him.
"Look at it, like a spooked horse." The Saurian stepped closer to Nosedive, who gripped the pistol harder and felt the sweat dripping off his fingers.
"Fire," Taunted Dragonous. Nosedive got a grip on himself, wishing like heck that his brother were here.
"Hey, Draggie, let's play a game!" Nosedive's normal persona was back.
"A game? I have no time for games, child!" Dragonous advanced. Nosedive dove under a table.
"How about hide and seek?" Nosedive smiled sarcastically.
Dragonous bent down, trying to get Dive out from under the table. Nosedive leapt over his head, doing a tumble over the floor and landing on his feet.
"What about leap frog?"
Dragonous let out a snarl, slipping as he tried to chase Dive.
'Where do I take him, where do I take him?' Nosedive wondered mentally. He twisted down the halls, not sure where he was going, until he reached the ice. Of course, that was the answer. The Saurians hated hockey and ice skating, so they'd have no grace on ice.
Nosedive took off, sliding across the ice in his boots and grinning.
"Hey, Draggie, how about some time with me, on the ice? Feel like Hockey?"
Dragonous's eyes glowed read as flame spouted from his nose.
"Do not toy with me!" He shouted, dashing out onto the ice but slipping across.
"Nope, sorry! Time to retreat and retaliate!" Nosedive flew up the stands, to Phil's office. He locked the door behind him, glad for a moment to have a breath.
He looked around, diving to the computer. Where was the file, where was it? Nosedive hit the side of the monitor. This thing was a piece of junk!
Finally, the file opened, and Nosedive quickly keyed in the code to connect with the comlinks. Wildwing's face was visible on the screen. From the background sounds and sights, he was outside of the pond.
"Dive! Why is the door locked?" Wildwing demanded, almost in a yell.
"Shut it, dude! Dragonous is back. He's in here, and I don't know where Duke is." Nosedive's face was written with panic.
Wildwing thought for a moment.
"Can't you get out?"
"Look, bro, the only place I'm going is nowhere - fast. They've got the entire place under their control. I just changed the password back, and you should be able to get in --"
"No good, Dive. Mallory's trying right now. It won't recognize her."
"The computer must have accepted Dragonous's command not to save the changes. Take the air vents."
"We're all too big. Dive, you know you're the only one that could ever fit through those things!"
"I don't know what you should do then. Do whatever you did that time with Klegghorn."
"The lower entrance is blocked!"
"Dude, do something. I'm trapped in Phil's office and I don't know where Duke is." Dive was starting to panic. His breath was shortening, and sweat once again appeared on his brow.
Wildwing had walked away from where Mallory was obviously standing.
"Get control, Dive. This isn't Puckworld. You aren't going to be taken into a work camp. It's ok."
"They'll take me! In the furnace!" Nosedive gulped for air as his surroundings began to fade slightly.
"Nosedive! Get a grip! There is no furnace!" Suddenly, there was a rattling at the door and Dragonous threw it open.
Nosedive shut off the computer, turning and forgetting all of his dignity, trying his best to get away from Dragonous. He clawed at the walls, trying anything to get away.
"I don't think you'll escape that way, you little unimportant brat." Dragonous snarled, grabbing Nosedive by the back of his jacket.
"Chameleon." The green slimy Saurian appeared out of no where, smiling menacingly.
"Yeah, boss?" He said, shifting into a mobster with a machine gun.
"I don't want him dead yet, you little cretin."
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever you say, boss." Nosedive was roughly handled, but he didn't notice. All he could seem to feel, or think about, was the cold scaly hands on his arms. He was thrown into a cage, his head hitting the bars, somewhere down in the lower levels of the pond.
"Kid." Duke's voice was soft but worried. Nosedive looked up, only just realizing that he was crying as well as bleeding.
The gray drake had crawled over to the younger one, looking him over. Duke shook his head, trying to keep the tears out of his own eyes, seeing how badly the kid was hurt.
"Wing's outside," Dive choked. At least he was thinking rationally enough to give what little information he had gathered.
"Did you change the passwords?"
"Dragonous stopped me," Dive coughed up a little bit of a red substance. Duke patted him.
"They'll get through, Kid." He turned, looking around him for something that he could use to get out of the cage. His lock pick collection had been stolen from him when Siege had put him here, and now he was going to have to be as resourceful as he had been in the old days, when he had first started out as a thief.
"Kid, you have your game boy in your pocket?" Dive looked surprised and nodded weakly, handing it over. Duke tour the back off of it, getting into the wires. A few slight changes ... he held up a small metal piece of wire, and placed it in the lock. It electicuted the security system, and a whole lot more, as the pond went dark.
"C'Mon, Dive. We need to get to a safe place." Duke picked up Nosedive, trying to ignore the pain, and ran for the secret place.
The secret place really wasn't a secret to any of the ducks, but it was a quiet place that Dive hung out when he wanted to be alone. Luckily, it would be hard to reach for any of the larger Saurians, not to mention hard to find. It was a small place that was located under Nosedive's closet. Duke ducked through the tiny space, remembering exactly how tight a space the hide out was.
He lay Nosedive down, locking the entrance to the small space. Nosedive let out a faint moan, clawing at the floor in a waking dream.
Duke didn't have time. "You'll be safe here," He whispered to Dive, climbing out and locking it behind him.
The secret ways, a series of small passages that had been overlooked during the building of the pond, served as Duke's way to the outside.
He found Wildwing, Mallory, and a troop of cops outside.
"Duke!" Wildwing exclaimed, running over to him.
"The kid's safe, but he's inside."
"There isn't any safety in there! Why didn't you take him?" Klegghorn shouted, angrily. Wildwing also had a hurt and confused stare.
"Because he wouldn't have made it two steps passed his bedroom." Duke replied, rubbing his wounded arm.
"Is he bad?"
"Other than the fact that he's going mental? Yes, he's bad."
"What's wrong with him?"
"You know." Wildwing closed his eyes, trying to shut out the image of Nosedive somewhere alone and hurt.
"Well, we've got to get in there. Why can't we just blow the door in?" Klegghorn snarled.
"Because the entire pond is proofed against any type of attack, including nuclear." Wildwing replied, rubbing his forehead.
"And you're telling me that those lizards are controlling it? How'd they get in?"
"The door wasn't locked."
"What kind of idiots leave their door unlocked?!"
"Trustful idiots. Like Dive." Wildwing muttered.
"And how'd you get out, then?"
"The tunnels I took were sealed. Siege discovered them and thought that you might get in that way. I heard him coming behind me."
"Great. So Nosedive is trapped and those lizards have nuclear capabilities at their fingertips?"
"Somehow, Klegghorn, I don't think it's the nuclear capabilities they want."