Mallory sped along the lonely country road towards Anaheim, the Stanley Cup strapped securely to the back of the duckcycle. She had spent the day in the sleepy town of Sunnyville, where a mad scientist had once tried to dissect her and her teammates. But Nosedive and a human named General Doug McClaine foiled his plan. Mallory and the General bonded that day, and when the team won the Stanley Cup she naturally wanted to share her victory with him.
This visit had been much more pleasant than the last. They sat in the General's living room swapping war stories. She was fascinated with the way humans fought wars and impressed with the General's vast collection of weapons.
"Weapons don't win wars, Mallory," the General had said. "They're just the tools. Brains are the most important part of a soldier's regimen."
Mallory had mumbled something in reply, and then abruptly changed the subject. As much as she admired the General, she found that comment to be pretty naïve; after all, it wasn't a brain that that blew up the master tower on Puckworld.
BANG!!! BANG!!!
It all happened in an instant; there was a loud noise and a split second later Mallory hit the grass hard. She lay dazed for a few moments, and then slowly got to her feet. She ached all over, but there didn't seem to be any serious injuries; luckily, her armor had absorbed most of the impact.
The duckcycle was crumpled against a tree, its tires shredded. Mallory hurried over to the wreckage and examined the Cup; amazingly, it was okay. She breathed a sigh of relief and winced in pain.
Then she noticed something shiny in the tire's remains. Upon closer examination she saw it was a small metal ball with long spikes sticking out of it. She glanced over at the road and saw several more of them glittering on the pavement. Mallory instantly pulled her puck blaster; someone had set a trap, and they were probably nearby.
Something large swooped by her, narrowly missing her head. She looked up and saw a large bird circling above her, preparing for another attack. Mallory lifted her puck blaster and took aim.
"Not so fast duck!" A heavily accented voice said.
Mallory whirled around and saw a strange man standing in the highway. He had a goatee and a metal eye.
"I haf been waiting for you," the man said with an evil gleam in his (natural) eye. "You will be the first trophy in my 'Hall of Ducks!'"
"Who are…?" Mallory began, but suddenly it hit her. "You're that crackpot who hunted my friends for sport! Baron Von Licking Stamps!"
"It's Baron Von Lichdonstamp!!" The man snapped. "Since my last encounter with you ducks I haf adopted a new strategy- divide und conquer!"
He pulled out a remote control and hit a button. The bird dived, firing laser beams from its eyes. Mallory fell back as the blasts tore into the ground. She tuned and raced into the woods.
"You can't outrun mine new und improved hunting companion!" The Baron called after her. "Icharus II will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"
Mallory tore through the underbrush, weaving her way around an endless sea of trees. She could hear the bird's lasers blowing the forest apart behind her. Suddenly she burst into a clearing and skidded to a halt in front of a steep cliff. Mallory spun around and raised her puck launcher. But before she had a chance to fire the bird came barreling at her like a bullet, clipping her on the ribs. Mallory stumbled back and felt the ground give way beneath her. Down, down she fell, until she felt herself engulfed in cold, rushing water.
***************
Mallory's eyes fluttered open. She could feel the water lapping at her thighs, the soft mud against her head like a pillow. Her muscles cried out in agony. She thought hard and it all came into focus; after she hit the water, she grabbed a large piece of driftwood and let it carry her downstream. When it got shallow enough Mallory had willed herself to stand and struggle to the shore, where she collapsed.
It was dark now, but a full moon bathed the shore in an illuminating glow. Mallory tried to get up but her body screamed in protest, forcing her to collapse again.
Get up Mallory a voice said. Mallory was surprised to find the voice sounded like General McClaine's.
Come on soldier, this is no worse than boot camp. Now get up!!
Mallory slowly got to her feet. Thanks to the General's prompting, her military training kicked in. First, she needed dry clothes. She pushed a button on her com; instantly her battle gear was transformed into dry civilian clothes. Unfortunately, it caused her com sputter and short out.
So much for calling for backup, Mallory thought bitterly.
She trudged away from the shore and began to gather leaves and twigs. It was too risky to build a fire, so she created a warm nest to bed for the night. Once completed, Mallory curled up and pondered her next move. She was cut off from her teammates and had lost her weapon in the river. Worst of all, she had let the Stanley Cup fall into enemy hands. She had to go back for it. But the Baron was sure to be waiting for her, and he had the tactical advantage.
The General's words popped into her head again. Brains are the most important part of a soldier's regimen.
Mallory inadvertently snorted. It still sounded ridiculous. But then again, she had run out of options.
***************
All night long the Baron sat near the Stanley Cup and waited. That was fine by him; patience was the key. He had once crouched by a watering hole for 37 hours waiting for a black rhino to take a drink. Its head, mounted above his fireplace, was one of his most prized trophies. He loved a challenge.
Icharus II circled above, ready to alert the Baron at the first sign of the duck. The Baron knew she would return to the wrecked vehicle to retrieve the Stanley Cup. He had spent months watching the ducks, studying their every move, so he would be fully prepared this time. This time he would hunt them down, one by one, and prove he was the greatest hunter on earth…
Suddenly Icharus II let out a high-pitched sound and dove into the forest. There were several loud blasts, then another high-pitched sound, then silence.
"Icharus?" The Baron called out. He pressed the button on the remote, but the bird did not return. He tightened his grip on his crossbow and entered the woods.
Daybreak was creeping across the forest. The Baron took slow, deliberate steps; for nearly a mile he walked, electric eye whizzing, looking for any trace of movement. Then he noticed something familiar on the ground.
"Icharus!!" He cried, bending over a twisted pile of metal. "What happened to you?!"
"This!" A voice yelled. The Baron looked up and saw Mallory standing on top of a steep slope next to a tree. She let go of a large branch, slinging several rocks at him like missiles. The Baron dived behind a fallen tree and covered his head as the rocks hit the ground around him. When the barrage ended he rose up, crossbow ready. Mallory was loading up the branch with a large rock. The Baron took aim and fired.
The arrow rocketed towards Mallory. But instead of hitting her it hit the slope where she was standing and exploded. She tumbled to the ground, still clutching the large rock. Mallory threw it at the Baron, but he sidestepped and it landed harmlessly behind him.
"Pathetic," he growled. "So, duck," he said as he aimed the crossbow directly at her heart. "Any last words?"
"Yeah," Mallory gasped. "Look out."
The Baron heard an odd sound behind him. He turned around and saw a brown cloud rise from the large rock Mallory had thrown. Only it wasn't a rock at all. It was a hornet's nest.
The angry insects immediately attacked, swarming around the Baron. He dropped the crossbow and ran, the hornets in hot pursuit. His yells grew fainter the father he ran, until there was silence in the forest once more.
Mallory got up, grabbed the Baron's crossbow, and limped towards the highway.
*************
Mallory lay on her bed and looked at the Cup. Tanya had treated her wounds and ordered her to get some sleep. But Mallory only had an hour left with the Stanley Cup, and she wanted to savor every minute. The Cup was proof of her excellence as a hockey player and a solider. On both occasions she was pushed to the limit physically and mentally, and she prevailed…without using weapons. It looked like she owed someone an apology.
Mallory picked up the phone and dialed the General's number.
*************
Yay! We're halfway there! Let's hope the Cup can survive three more ducks….
