Author's Note 3/14/02:
Hey Everyone! More Reviews for me to feast on, yay!!! Ok, in this chapter, I got a little Flashback Happy, I'm warning you now! It's the "Time Warp" all over again!...only without the Transvestites..
~Windresss
Disclaimer: To Claim or to Dis-Claim, that is the question.... Whether tis nobler to suffer the sting and arrows of a lawsuit...noble my arse, I Have no -money!!
Never Say Forever.
Chapter 3: Too Little, Too Late.
~~Two Days Ago; Mighty Ducks Headquarters~~
"He didn't call, Mall...He -promised- and he didn't call!"
A snarling NoseDive stormed past Mallory, exiting the kitchen and striding for his room. Both Mallory and Duke followed. The old thief shot the female duck a warning glance, lengthening his stride to walk alongside their youngest team member.
"Dive, maybe he's just been busy..." Duke mentally rolled his eyes, wondering why exactly he was making excuses for the duck's older brother. He may not have known WildWing Flashblade as long as NoseDive had, but he'd known him long enough to say he'd never be "too busy" for his little brother.
"...The Country could have him so...er...Enthralled...that he completely forgot to check in." 'Oh God, how pathetic was -that??-'
NoseDive's blonde eyebrows angled upward, flickering a searing gaze to the duck beside him. He could tell Duke hadn't expected him to believe it anymore than the older duck himself had. Knowing that only made him angrier. 'How could I have expected them to understand, anyhow?!' He whirled around, his voice a near bellow,
"Wing -never- forgets. Never, ok?!...Especially not when he -promises!-"
Nosedive turned, angrily jabbing out the entry code to his room, the door opening with a soft hiss. He stepped inside, promptly shutting the door behind him, blocking any entry.
Mallory threw her hands up in disgust, issuing a less than lady-like snort and stalking away. But Duke continued to peer at the locked door panel, lost in thought.
'Dive's angry, that much is obvious...but there's more.' His one good eye narrowed, '...He's scared...terrified.'
On the other side of the door, NoseDive leaned against the metal panel, his eyes staring into nothing. He swallowed the suspicious lump in his throat, murmuring hoarsely,
"Wing never breaks a promise."
*****
NoseDive opened his eyes, staring at the green, glowing numbers on his alarm clock. '2:30 AM...'
He sighed, rolling onto his side and, for the hundred thousandth time that night, thought about WildWing. Why wouldn't Wing call? Could it be he had decided that he no longer wanted to talk to his "annoying little brother?"
'-No!-' Dive sprawled onto his stomach, face pressing into the pillow. 'Wing would -never- do that....Never.' The blonde duck closed his eyes, trying to banish the worry that plagued his mind and kept him from the welcoming arms of sleep.
He didn't know how he knew...but something inside was telling him something was wrong. Not like that time he'd eaten too many triple spicy tacos, but something.... -more.- He releases a loud sigh into his pillow, wishing he could find another word for it besides "something."
Still, he couldn't shake this queasy sensation that his big bro needed him...and needed him -now.-
"I'm not going to get any sleep tonight." The sound of his own voice startled him, shattering the relative quiet of the room and hurtling him to full wakefulness. 'But now that I'm up...' the decision was that much easier to make...
"I'm gonna go get him."
~~Present Day; Underground Prison~~
The communicator slipped from nerveless fingers, forgotten as it landed silently on the muddied dirt floor.
"Dive..." WildWing breathed his name, leaning over the frail image of his little brother to wipe the sweat from his pale features. Instinct kicked in, and the leader's voice became quietly soothing, "Hey baby bro... How you doing?"
NoseDive's dilated pupils harrowed slowly, a tremulous smile curling his beak as he tried for a light tone, "...seen... better...d-days..."
Wing plastered an optimistic smile to his face, brushing the young duck's blonde hair away from his face, "You just rest, the team's almost here and then you'll be fixed good as new..." He managed a grin, eyes watching his brother's gaze slide in and out of focus. "Tanya won't let you out of the house for a century or two after this, you know..."
NoseDive slowly closed his eyes, blanching paler still, "Wing.... gotta...talk to..y..you..."
Warning bells went off in the team leader's head. How many movies had he watched with Dive where the injured hero needed to "talk" so that he could die in peace?? NoseDive wasn't going to DIE! Why would he need to TALK?? He looked down at his brother carefully, to the soft opaque of his pupils, the slow slackening of his jaw. And inside, he began to scream...
"You.... You can talk to me later, Dive...After you're back at the Pond and patched up tight, then we'll talk, ok?" WildWing fought to suppress the quaver in his voice.
A trembling hand, feathers stained red from the rusted chain, lifted to quiet Wing's protests "...no... now, Wing..." The injured duck swallowed, an agony in his voice that had nothing to do with the wound to his stomach. "...m'sorry...so..s-sorry..."
The team captain caught his little brother's hand in his own, engulfing it in his large palm. He gave it a gentle squeeze, surprise coloring his voice, "Sorry? For what, baby bro?"
"...For..." Dive struggled for an adequate word, able only to say, "..e-everything.."
WildWing's brow furrowed, his mouth opening to say something, but slowly closing again as NoseDive continued..
"..i..I-I mean...never...I jus'..." Tears pooled in the young ducks eyes, slowly escaping to wind scalding twin paths down his cheeks. His voice thickened with emotion, struggling to concentrate..
"...I...know...m'a..always a burden...t-to you, Wing...I was..in the..the way..an...an...d..I..I don'...pull my..my weight.." The tears fell harder, Nosedive's breath hitching in his throat, his beak working wordlessly, "...m..s-so...rry....s'all..my..f-fault you..wer...were.."
He couldn't finish. But WildWing -knew- anyway. Dive blamed himself for his capture by the monster...and so much more...
~~Two Years Ago; Drake Ducaine Public Park, Puckworld~~
"Canard, Slow Down!"
"Why?!"
WildWing cut him off, his goalkeeping skills serving to stop Canard in his tracks, "I -told- you why. Can't you just once wait for Dive??"
Canard's sour look took a dangerous turn, "Why do you always have to -bring- him, Wing?? He's an idiotic kid, let him go play with ducklings his own age!"
"Hey!" WildWing jabbed his gloved finger at Canard's chest, "You don't talk about him like that! I let him come because he wants to.." He ran a hand through his hair, "Geez, Canard, what -is- it with you? He's just as good as you are on the ice..."
Canard's features mottled with anger, dropping his hockey stick and grabbing Wing by his shoulder pads. He drove him back up against the alley wall, snarling beak dangerously close, "...don't you -EVER- say that again!!"
WildWing, stunned into silence, simply stared at a man he had been certain was his best friend five minutes ago. The eerie bubble of silence surrounding both figures was burst by the soft cough from a smaller, yellow-headed duck, his hockey stick held loosely in one hand.
Canard abruptly released WildWing, stepping back from him and continuing as he had down the alley. WildWing slumped against the wall, watching him go before turning to his brother.
Tormented eyes met his…then Dive turned and fled.
~~Present Day; Underground Prison~~
'Not long after that, Dragaunus's troops invaded Puckworld…and when Canard recruited me for the Resistance, he'd felt guilty enough to allow Dive to come, too...' WildWing had never thought that NoseDive would blame himself. -He- never had. Wing had blamed Canard...-still- blamed him. But never Dive...
WildWing stared at the softly shaking figure of his brother, mute with shock at the anguish he read there. 'How could he think these things? Have I truly pushed him so far away?' He knew he had, and his eyes stung with years of unshed tears for the small duck struggling to draw a breath before him, blood slowly oozing from the corner of his beak. With terrifying clarity, he realized he was losing his chance at redeeming himself with every passing moment...
"..Oh God.... please, Dive..." The Mighty Ducks' leader's voice cracked, "...Please just hold on..."
**I swear I'm not thinking up ways to torture ya'll...I swear!!! I just get smacked with inspiration of emotion and my fingers run away with me.... literally! You think my brain is typing right now? NO! Its all the fingers!**
Hey Everyone! More Reviews for me to feast on, yay!!! Ok, in this chapter, I got a little Flashback Happy, I'm warning you now! It's the "Time Warp" all over again!...only without the Transvestites..
~Windresss
Disclaimer: To Claim or to Dis-Claim, that is the question.... Whether tis nobler to suffer the sting and arrows of a lawsuit...noble my arse, I Have no -money!!
Never Say Forever.
Chapter 3: Too Little, Too Late.
~~Two Days Ago; Mighty Ducks Headquarters~~
"He didn't call, Mall...He -promised- and he didn't call!"
A snarling NoseDive stormed past Mallory, exiting the kitchen and striding for his room. Both Mallory and Duke followed. The old thief shot the female duck a warning glance, lengthening his stride to walk alongside their youngest team member.
"Dive, maybe he's just been busy..." Duke mentally rolled his eyes, wondering why exactly he was making excuses for the duck's older brother. He may not have known WildWing Flashblade as long as NoseDive had, but he'd known him long enough to say he'd never be "too busy" for his little brother.
"...The Country could have him so...er...Enthralled...that he completely forgot to check in." 'Oh God, how pathetic was -that??-'
NoseDive's blonde eyebrows angled upward, flickering a searing gaze to the duck beside him. He could tell Duke hadn't expected him to believe it anymore than the older duck himself had. Knowing that only made him angrier. 'How could I have expected them to understand, anyhow?!' He whirled around, his voice a near bellow,
"Wing -never- forgets. Never, ok?!...Especially not when he -promises!-"
Nosedive turned, angrily jabbing out the entry code to his room, the door opening with a soft hiss. He stepped inside, promptly shutting the door behind him, blocking any entry.
Mallory threw her hands up in disgust, issuing a less than lady-like snort and stalking away. But Duke continued to peer at the locked door panel, lost in thought.
'Dive's angry, that much is obvious...but there's more.' His one good eye narrowed, '...He's scared...terrified.'
On the other side of the door, NoseDive leaned against the metal panel, his eyes staring into nothing. He swallowed the suspicious lump in his throat, murmuring hoarsely,
"Wing never breaks a promise."
*****
NoseDive opened his eyes, staring at the green, glowing numbers on his alarm clock. '2:30 AM...'
He sighed, rolling onto his side and, for the hundred thousandth time that night, thought about WildWing. Why wouldn't Wing call? Could it be he had decided that he no longer wanted to talk to his "annoying little brother?"
'-No!-' Dive sprawled onto his stomach, face pressing into the pillow. 'Wing would -never- do that....Never.' The blonde duck closed his eyes, trying to banish the worry that plagued his mind and kept him from the welcoming arms of sleep.
He didn't know how he knew...but something inside was telling him something was wrong. Not like that time he'd eaten too many triple spicy tacos, but something.... -more.- He releases a loud sigh into his pillow, wishing he could find another word for it besides "something."
Still, he couldn't shake this queasy sensation that his big bro needed him...and needed him -now.-
"I'm not going to get any sleep tonight." The sound of his own voice startled him, shattering the relative quiet of the room and hurtling him to full wakefulness. 'But now that I'm up...' the decision was that much easier to make...
"I'm gonna go get him."
~~Present Day; Underground Prison~~
The communicator slipped from nerveless fingers, forgotten as it landed silently on the muddied dirt floor.
"Dive..." WildWing breathed his name, leaning over the frail image of his little brother to wipe the sweat from his pale features. Instinct kicked in, and the leader's voice became quietly soothing, "Hey baby bro... How you doing?"
NoseDive's dilated pupils harrowed slowly, a tremulous smile curling his beak as he tried for a light tone, "...seen... better...d-days..."
Wing plastered an optimistic smile to his face, brushing the young duck's blonde hair away from his face, "You just rest, the team's almost here and then you'll be fixed good as new..." He managed a grin, eyes watching his brother's gaze slide in and out of focus. "Tanya won't let you out of the house for a century or two after this, you know..."
NoseDive slowly closed his eyes, blanching paler still, "Wing.... gotta...talk to..y..you..."
Warning bells went off in the team leader's head. How many movies had he watched with Dive where the injured hero needed to "talk" so that he could die in peace?? NoseDive wasn't going to DIE! Why would he need to TALK?? He looked down at his brother carefully, to the soft opaque of his pupils, the slow slackening of his jaw. And inside, he began to scream...
"You.... You can talk to me later, Dive...After you're back at the Pond and patched up tight, then we'll talk, ok?" WildWing fought to suppress the quaver in his voice.
A trembling hand, feathers stained red from the rusted chain, lifted to quiet Wing's protests "...no... now, Wing..." The injured duck swallowed, an agony in his voice that had nothing to do with the wound to his stomach. "...m'sorry...so..s-sorry..."
The team captain caught his little brother's hand in his own, engulfing it in his large palm. He gave it a gentle squeeze, surprise coloring his voice, "Sorry? For what, baby bro?"
"...For..." Dive struggled for an adequate word, able only to say, "..e-everything.."
WildWing's brow furrowed, his mouth opening to say something, but slowly closing again as NoseDive continued..
"..i..I-I mean...never...I jus'..." Tears pooled in the young ducks eyes, slowly escaping to wind scalding twin paths down his cheeks. His voice thickened with emotion, struggling to concentrate..
"...I...know...m'a..always a burden...t-to you, Wing...I was..in the..the way..an...an...d..I..I don'...pull my..my weight.." The tears fell harder, Nosedive's breath hitching in his throat, his beak working wordlessly, "...m..s-so...rry....s'all..my..f-fault you..wer...were.."
He couldn't finish. But WildWing -knew- anyway. Dive blamed himself for his capture by the monster...and so much more...
~~Two Years Ago; Drake Ducaine Public Park, Puckworld~~
"Canard, Slow Down!"
"Why?!"
WildWing cut him off, his goalkeeping skills serving to stop Canard in his tracks, "I -told- you why. Can't you just once wait for Dive??"
Canard's sour look took a dangerous turn, "Why do you always have to -bring- him, Wing?? He's an idiotic kid, let him go play with ducklings his own age!"
"Hey!" WildWing jabbed his gloved finger at Canard's chest, "You don't talk about him like that! I let him come because he wants to.." He ran a hand through his hair, "Geez, Canard, what -is- it with you? He's just as good as you are on the ice..."
Canard's features mottled with anger, dropping his hockey stick and grabbing Wing by his shoulder pads. He drove him back up against the alley wall, snarling beak dangerously close, "...don't you -EVER- say that again!!"
WildWing, stunned into silence, simply stared at a man he had been certain was his best friend five minutes ago. The eerie bubble of silence surrounding both figures was burst by the soft cough from a smaller, yellow-headed duck, his hockey stick held loosely in one hand.
Canard abruptly released WildWing, stepping back from him and continuing as he had down the alley. WildWing slumped against the wall, watching him go before turning to his brother.
Tormented eyes met his…then Dive turned and fled.
~~Present Day; Underground Prison~~
'Not long after that, Dragaunus's troops invaded Puckworld…and when Canard recruited me for the Resistance, he'd felt guilty enough to allow Dive to come, too...' WildWing had never thought that NoseDive would blame himself. -He- never had. Wing had blamed Canard...-still- blamed him. But never Dive...
WildWing stared at the softly shaking figure of his brother, mute with shock at the anguish he read there. 'How could he think these things? Have I truly pushed him so far away?' He knew he had, and his eyes stung with years of unshed tears for the small duck struggling to draw a breath before him, blood slowly oozing from the corner of his beak. With terrifying clarity, he realized he was losing his chance at redeeming himself with every passing moment...
"..Oh God.... please, Dive..." The Mighty Ducks' leader's voice cracked, "...Please just hold on..."
**I swear I'm not thinking up ways to torture ya'll...I swear!!! I just get smacked with inspiration of emotion and my fingers run away with me.... literally! You think my brain is typing right now? NO! Its all the fingers!**