Ebony abandoned the plan of apologizing to Wing that day, as she found new
strength in Tanya who was fascinating. She never knew anyone who was as
bright, clever or darling as Tanya. She lay underneath the Duck Cycle,
cleaning under it while Tanya talked of her newest game plan.
"Then Dive would pass the puck to Duke, who would catch it on the rim
of his stick at precisely three and a quarter inch into it, right on the
ridge. That would send the puck into the air at a thirty-degree angle.
Mallory would then bat it into the net."
"Sounds like you should have played baseball with the Angels
instead," Ebony teased, but then turned serious as Tanya chuckled. "If you
could pull off those exact calculations, it would work, but don't forget,
no one shoots precisely. It's a low percentage of fail-safe, however. I
haven't seen anything you ducks couldn't pull off, so who knows? I wouldn't
be surprised if you guys saved the world one day too."
Tanya then let out a loud burst of guffaws. Ebony frowned.
"What? WHAT? Tanya? Dude, girl calm down! What? What???" She sat up,
looking aggravated, as she found Tanya clutching her sides, laughing.
"Save the world?" Tanya repeated weakly.
"Yeah, it doesn't seem that unlikely," Ebony frowned.
"Well I'm going to tell you something Wildwing won't like me telling
you," Tanya said, amidst giggles. "We DO save the world."
"You're KIDDING me," Ebony said, looking awestruck.
"Nope," Tanya said smiling. "We really do."
"Is that what that huge computer is for in the room I'm not supposed to go
in? To help you find bad guys?"
"You know about Drake One?" Tanya asked. Ebony shifted a little.
"Remember that day when Wildwing and Nosedive were fighting? I. Kind of.
disregarded the 'Stay-Out' Rule. Where did you get it?" She asked quickly.
"I made it," Tanya said and laughed at Ebony's wide-eyed shocked
expression. "Seriously. There was a place called 'Lectric Land' and they
had EVERYTHING. I was afraid you humans were primitive when we first came.
nope, far from. Anyway, I was asked to come up with a super computer for
tracking Dragaunus."
"Dragon who?" Ebony asked, fascinated. Tanya grinned.
"Our foe. Dragaunus, the evil War Lord. He tried to take over Puck World,
but the team and I chased him here."
"Dude," Ebony said, rather stoked.
"Don't be that surprised," Tanya teased. Ebony shook her head and
smiled.
"Now I understand why Wildwing's so uptight about keeping us in
check. He doesn't want Dra-what'd you say his name was? Dra-. Dragauntua?"
"Hah, hah!" Tanya laughed. "No, Dragaunus, but Dragauntua seems to
fit him too."
"What does he look like?"
"Big red lizard," Tanya replied. "Yellow eyes. Purple robes. Big."
"Oh," Ebony said, trying to formulate a picture. The best she got was
a red gecko in a purple bathrobe wearing a pair of yellow sunglasses. "Any
others?"
"Wraith, Siege and Chameleon. Wraith is. well he's Wraith. Siege is
big and stupid, round shaped and orange while Chameleon is skinny and
green, but watch out, he could put a close replica of you or even me."
"Dang," Ebony said, wide eyed. "You must have made some pretty odd
enemies then."
"Yeah, they're trouble-makers alright," Tanya agreed. "Nothing we
can't handle though."
"I should hope so," Ebony said. She finished up the last bike. "All done Tanya?" "Yep, thanks for your help. I would have been in here all day," she said, wiping her brow with a clean towel. "All right. I'm going to go take a shower. I'll stop by your lab later, okay?" "Sure thing," Tanya said, smiling. "I'm just going to tinker a bit with the Aerowing." "All right, happy.um. tinkering," Ebony said, failing to find a better word. She waved then headed off, smiling. She turned a corner and ran into Wildwing. "Sorry," she said quickly, then dived into the shower room before he could open his mouth. Wildwing looked after her rather sadly, then moved on, witnessed by Tanya who arched a brow at the exchange. *~ Wildwing stirred restlessly, trying to take a nap, but failing. He kept thinking, and his guilt kept nagging. He had sought out Nosedive and apologized, confiding in him that Ebony was no longer on Pond Arrest, and asked him for practical assistance in making him a better team player as well as a brother. He had certainly gotten the ante rage of criticisms he was expecting, and wasn't surprised when Nosedive had said the same thing Duke had: back off, loosen up and trust them. He managed to find an understanding with Nosedive who, incredibly, took it much more maturely than he had thought he would. All that was left was Ebony. The gruff apology she had said in the halls both made his stomach leap and his guilt bite, when it should have been him apologizing instead. He got up and paced, listening to the showers on the other side of his room. He heard music, of course, with guitars and synthesizers, but he also heard Ebony's melodic vocalization, which made it sound ever prettier. She was a pretty girl, he had noticed long ago. He realized his heart had been drumming when she asked him to go for a midnight ride on the Duck Cycle with her. He wondered vaguely if he asked this time, would she say yes? The track ended from the showers along with the water. He heard additional water dripping only for a second before silence. He got up and walked to the door, and out, meeting her again in the halls, dressed, carrying a CD player. Her hair was still wet, strands running down her back. She had an undeniably clean look about her. "Hello," he greeted uneasily. Seeing her looking like that made him nervous. Her gray eyes looked up at him, equally uncomfortable. "Hello," she answered, standing still. They watched the other for a few minutes, Wildwing trying desperately to think of something to say. Ebony kept her eyes lowered before she spoke. "I heard you talked to Dive," she began. "Yeah," he said before clearing his throat. "Listen Amber, I wanted to apologize for. for. my temper and the whole business about Pond Arrest. I was angry and I-" She held up a hand, silencing him. "Before you say another word, let me, or I'm never going to," she said. "The night you got hurt, I was stupid, asking the wrong questions, flat out being bothersome. I understand that you got upset with me. The mention of Nosedive made things worse, because I know how much you mean to him. I know that you and he are okay now, so, there's no reason for you and me to be at war either." Wildwing stared at her. How did she do it? She said exactly what was on her mind, with no regard as to being right or wrong and stuck up for others more than her own individual problem. "I-I suppose so," he said, rather flustered. "And I also want to say I'm sorry for causing the waves in the pond in the first place," she continued. "I forgive you," Wildwing said earnestly. "As I you," Ebony replied, a smile breaking onto her face. "Do you still not want to go on the Cycle with me?" "What?" Wildwing asked. "You know, when everybody says goodnight, we'll go riding?" She asked, winking, with a mischievous look in her eyes. Wildwing didn't know what to say. "If you think I'm asking you just to be incorrigible, you're wrong," she said hurriedly, a very faint blush coming over her face. "I want to get to know you, now that we're not feuding. If it'll make you feel any better, we'll take a cell phone and we'll ride someplace not too far away," she said quickly, trying to show him that she took his job seriously. "And we'll tell Tanya, instead of just running off." His face broke into a smile. "I like it," he said. *~ Siege watched and listened carefully. Apparently Wildwing and the girl were going on an outing. and if they could time it right, they could get her out before Wildwing would know what hit him. "We'll need to get Chameleon into the pond, or her out of it." Wraith said, stroking his gnarled chin. He fingered his staff thoughtfully. His staff was a long stake with a cracked duck skull impaled on top of the sharp end. "I know." Wraith said and began to outline the plan as simply as he could to Siege. *~ Ebony listened happily to her headphones, bopping around in the rec. room, while Tanya read, Duke lifted weights, and Mallory and Nosedive played air hockey. The team had become a bit close knit ever since Ebony and Wildwing had told them they had reconciled. It seemed that it was better than it was before. Wildwing had gone out to get them all something to eat, as none of them seemed to want to cook. The day had crept by somewhat lazily and only Tanya could know of Ebony's excitement.of her upcoming adventure with Wildwing, which she definitely looked forward to, now that Wildwing was seriously going under reform. Slowly, he was relaxing, still working hard, but at the same time, he didn't flip out when Nosedive went out and came back on time. He decided that if he were going to get cranky, he'd get cranky about curfews, which seemed to suit the team fine. "Ebony?" Mallory asked, tapping her on the shoulder. Ebony clicked off the tape and pulled down the headphones. "You have a phone call from Jack." "Oh," she said, and then accepted it. "Hi Jack." "Hi. Ebony, I need you to meet me outside the pond. There's been a problem with the album that I need to go over with you," he said. His voice sounded normal, but the way he used it was rather odd. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Yes, I have a cold," Jack replied. He sneezed right then. "Bless you," Ebony responded. "I'll be right out, Jack." She hung up. "I've got to go outside for a few," she said worriedly. "There's been a problem with the album." She grabbed a sweater to put on over her midriff and sprinted through the halls. "Hope it goes alright," Mallory commented. "Like, yeah! If something happens to that album, I'll.oooh!" Nosedive grunted menacingly. Mallory giggled. "You'd have to work on being fearsome there, Dive." "Shut your beak," Dive replied sulkily. *~ Wildwing pulled into the pond, with bags of food beside him in the passenger seat. He had conveniently borrowed Phil's car for such a matter. Resting the food on top of the hood, he was surprised to see Ebony hurdle out of the pond, apparently worried. "Ebony!" he called. She turned and looked at him. He walked over, while she looked around. "What's the matter?" He asked. "D'you see Jack anywhere?" she asked. "They said they came across a problem with my album." "That's not good," Wildwing said, looking around. He saw Jack coming towards them. He frowned slightly. Jack was remarkably excited for a normally stoic fellow. "Ebony!" Jack said, coming forward. He didn't see Wildwing. "Let me tell you about the album."
"What's wrong?" she asked, facing her manager. He started to glow a green sparkle before morphing into Chameleon who grabbed her. "Dragaunus loves it!" He laughed. Wildwing clicked a button on his communicator and ran towards Chameleon, his clothes changing into his armor, his mask into his gold battle mask. "Wildwing?!" She asked, looking at him, stunned. Chameleon moaned. "Guys! Got a duck on my hands!" He yelled into a wrist communicator best he could while struggling with Ebony. She broke away from Chameleon when Wildwing slammed into him. She ran towards the pond, trying to get to the other ducks to help Wildwing, when Siege appeared before her. "Going somewhere?" He growled. Ebony shrieked backing up out of his grasp. Chameleon morphed into a giant, sending Wildwing crashing into Ebony. Not thinking, she grabbed his wrist, hitting the communicator button and yelling "HELP!" into it. In the rec. room, the sudden shriek startled the rest of the ducks. "Wing and Ebony's in trouble!" Dive yelled taking off. The rest of the ducks followed, all transforming into their battle gear. They reached the Pond entryway, to see Wildwing shooting at Siege while Ebony stood behind him, looking out for trouble. They started forward, only to be blinded by a flash of smoke behind Wing. Grabbing both the girl and the duck, he started vanishing, Wildwing only having enough time to throw his mask to the team before they disappeared. *~
"I should hope so," Ebony said. She finished up the last bike. "All done Tanya?" "Yep, thanks for your help. I would have been in here all day," she said, wiping her brow with a clean towel. "All right. I'm going to go take a shower. I'll stop by your lab later, okay?" "Sure thing," Tanya said, smiling. "I'm just going to tinker a bit with the Aerowing." "All right, happy.um. tinkering," Ebony said, failing to find a better word. She waved then headed off, smiling. She turned a corner and ran into Wildwing. "Sorry," she said quickly, then dived into the shower room before he could open his mouth. Wildwing looked after her rather sadly, then moved on, witnessed by Tanya who arched a brow at the exchange. *~ Wildwing stirred restlessly, trying to take a nap, but failing. He kept thinking, and his guilt kept nagging. He had sought out Nosedive and apologized, confiding in him that Ebony was no longer on Pond Arrest, and asked him for practical assistance in making him a better team player as well as a brother. He had certainly gotten the ante rage of criticisms he was expecting, and wasn't surprised when Nosedive had said the same thing Duke had: back off, loosen up and trust them. He managed to find an understanding with Nosedive who, incredibly, took it much more maturely than he had thought he would. All that was left was Ebony. The gruff apology she had said in the halls both made his stomach leap and his guilt bite, when it should have been him apologizing instead. He got up and paced, listening to the showers on the other side of his room. He heard music, of course, with guitars and synthesizers, but he also heard Ebony's melodic vocalization, which made it sound ever prettier. She was a pretty girl, he had noticed long ago. He realized his heart had been drumming when she asked him to go for a midnight ride on the Duck Cycle with her. He wondered vaguely if he asked this time, would she say yes? The track ended from the showers along with the water. He heard additional water dripping only for a second before silence. He got up and walked to the door, and out, meeting her again in the halls, dressed, carrying a CD player. Her hair was still wet, strands running down her back. She had an undeniably clean look about her. "Hello," he greeted uneasily. Seeing her looking like that made him nervous. Her gray eyes looked up at him, equally uncomfortable. "Hello," she answered, standing still. They watched the other for a few minutes, Wildwing trying desperately to think of something to say. Ebony kept her eyes lowered before she spoke. "I heard you talked to Dive," she began. "Yeah," he said before clearing his throat. "Listen Amber, I wanted to apologize for. for. my temper and the whole business about Pond Arrest. I was angry and I-" She held up a hand, silencing him. "Before you say another word, let me, or I'm never going to," she said. "The night you got hurt, I was stupid, asking the wrong questions, flat out being bothersome. I understand that you got upset with me. The mention of Nosedive made things worse, because I know how much you mean to him. I know that you and he are okay now, so, there's no reason for you and me to be at war either." Wildwing stared at her. How did she do it? She said exactly what was on her mind, with no regard as to being right or wrong and stuck up for others more than her own individual problem. "I-I suppose so," he said, rather flustered. "And I also want to say I'm sorry for causing the waves in the pond in the first place," she continued. "I forgive you," Wildwing said earnestly. "As I you," Ebony replied, a smile breaking onto her face. "Do you still not want to go on the Cycle with me?" "What?" Wildwing asked. "You know, when everybody says goodnight, we'll go riding?" She asked, winking, with a mischievous look in her eyes. Wildwing didn't know what to say. "If you think I'm asking you just to be incorrigible, you're wrong," she said hurriedly, a very faint blush coming over her face. "I want to get to know you, now that we're not feuding. If it'll make you feel any better, we'll take a cell phone and we'll ride someplace not too far away," she said quickly, trying to show him that she took his job seriously. "And we'll tell Tanya, instead of just running off." His face broke into a smile. "I like it," he said. *~ Siege watched and listened carefully. Apparently Wildwing and the girl were going on an outing. and if they could time it right, they could get her out before Wildwing would know what hit him. "We'll need to get Chameleon into the pond, or her out of it." Wraith said, stroking his gnarled chin. He fingered his staff thoughtfully. His staff was a long stake with a cracked duck skull impaled on top of the sharp end. "I know." Wraith said and began to outline the plan as simply as he could to Siege. *~ Ebony listened happily to her headphones, bopping around in the rec. room, while Tanya read, Duke lifted weights, and Mallory and Nosedive played air hockey. The team had become a bit close knit ever since Ebony and Wildwing had told them they had reconciled. It seemed that it was better than it was before. Wildwing had gone out to get them all something to eat, as none of them seemed to want to cook. The day had crept by somewhat lazily and only Tanya could know of Ebony's excitement.of her upcoming adventure with Wildwing, which she definitely looked forward to, now that Wildwing was seriously going under reform. Slowly, he was relaxing, still working hard, but at the same time, he didn't flip out when Nosedive went out and came back on time. He decided that if he were going to get cranky, he'd get cranky about curfews, which seemed to suit the team fine. "Ebony?" Mallory asked, tapping her on the shoulder. Ebony clicked off the tape and pulled down the headphones. "You have a phone call from Jack." "Oh," she said, and then accepted it. "Hi Jack." "Hi. Ebony, I need you to meet me outside the pond. There's been a problem with the album that I need to go over with you," he said. His voice sounded normal, but the way he used it was rather odd. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Yes, I have a cold," Jack replied. He sneezed right then. "Bless you," Ebony responded. "I'll be right out, Jack." She hung up. "I've got to go outside for a few," she said worriedly. "There's been a problem with the album." She grabbed a sweater to put on over her midriff and sprinted through the halls. "Hope it goes alright," Mallory commented. "Like, yeah! If something happens to that album, I'll.oooh!" Nosedive grunted menacingly. Mallory giggled. "You'd have to work on being fearsome there, Dive." "Shut your beak," Dive replied sulkily. *~ Wildwing pulled into the pond, with bags of food beside him in the passenger seat. He had conveniently borrowed Phil's car for such a matter. Resting the food on top of the hood, he was surprised to see Ebony hurdle out of the pond, apparently worried. "Ebony!" he called. She turned and looked at him. He walked over, while she looked around. "What's the matter?" He asked. "D'you see Jack anywhere?" she asked. "They said they came across a problem with my album." "That's not good," Wildwing said, looking around. He saw Jack coming towards them. He frowned slightly. Jack was remarkably excited for a normally stoic fellow. "Ebony!" Jack said, coming forward. He didn't see Wildwing. "Let me tell you about the album."
"What's wrong?" she asked, facing her manager. He started to glow a green sparkle before morphing into Chameleon who grabbed her. "Dragaunus loves it!" He laughed. Wildwing clicked a button on his communicator and ran towards Chameleon, his clothes changing into his armor, his mask into his gold battle mask. "Wildwing?!" She asked, looking at him, stunned. Chameleon moaned. "Guys! Got a duck on my hands!" He yelled into a wrist communicator best he could while struggling with Ebony. She broke away from Chameleon when Wildwing slammed into him. She ran towards the pond, trying to get to the other ducks to help Wildwing, when Siege appeared before her. "Going somewhere?" He growled. Ebony shrieked backing up out of his grasp. Chameleon morphed into a giant, sending Wildwing crashing into Ebony. Not thinking, she grabbed his wrist, hitting the communicator button and yelling "HELP!" into it. In the rec. room, the sudden shriek startled the rest of the ducks. "Wing and Ebony's in trouble!" Dive yelled taking off. The rest of the ducks followed, all transforming into their battle gear. They reached the Pond entryway, to see Wildwing shooting at Siege while Ebony stood behind him, looking out for trouble. They started forward, only to be blinded by a flash of smoke behind Wing. Grabbing both the girl and the duck, he started vanishing, Wildwing only having enough time to throw his mask to the team before they disappeared. *~