"What is taking her so long?" Demanded Dragonus, pacing near the front entrance of the Pond.
"I warned you not to trust a duck," said Wraith under his breath.
"What did you say?" asked Dragonus, leering over the old sorcerer.
"Nothing my lord,' replied Wraith, cowering in his leader's shadow.
"Hey boss, I think we've got company," announced Chameleon, shooting at a movement in the bushes. The ducks emerged and he was rewarded with a puck shot to the head, knocking him unconscious.
"He shoots, he scores," commented Nosedive, blowing smoke from the barrel of his puck launcher.
"Hey Kid, you're a really knock-out," said Duke, drawing his saber.
"One more bad pun from either of you..." threatened Mallory before opening fire on Siege.
"Siege, get Chameleon," ordered Dragonus, ducking to avoid a barrage of pucks from Wildwing and Canard, "Wraith, fall back and retreat." Within seconds all of the Saurians had diapered.
"Well, uh, that was easy," commented Tanya.
"So what, Tauny? We have to find Kristy," replied Nosedive.
"Ok. Canard, Dive, and I will check the lower level," said Wildwing, "Duke and Mallory check the stands and watch the front doors, Tanya and Grin head to the garage and check for all the vehicals. Make sure she can't escape. Got it?"
"Got it," answered the team in unison.
Canard picked his way carefully through their locker room to the elevator. They defiantly went this way, he thought, seeing the knocked over equipment.
"Dude, I bet they're downstairs," said Dive.
"Maybe bro, but we don't want to walk into a trap," cautioned Wildwing.
"Dive, stay behind us," ordered Canard before typing his code into the elevator. He and Wildwing leveled their puck launchers at the door and he pushed the last button. The doors opened right away and they came face to face with none other than Lucricia DeCoy herself.
"Wha...How did you get in here so fast?"
"Where's Kristy?" demanded Canard, ignoring her question.
"Wouldn't you like to know," purred Lucricia, taking a step forward.
"That's far enough," said Wildwing.
"Where is she, Lucricia," asked Canard, a dangerous tone to his voice.
"I could tell you," she took a step backwards, "but Kristina and I haven't finished our fun yet." She lifted a transporter out of her pocket, preparing to leave. Nosedive took careful aim and fired. The transporter flew out of her hand.
"Not a chance, dude."
"Nice shot, Dive," commented Wildwing without taking his eyes off the traitor.
"Last chance," warned Canard, "now where's my sister?"
"It doesn't matter," replied Lucricia, resorting to one last trick, "this whole place'll blow before you could find her."
"What?"
"You've got five, no make it four minutes before those bombs I just finished rigging go off, taking everyone in here with 'em." She laughed, "So what's it gonna be Canard? Lock me up or try to find your sister?"
Canard lowered his launcher, followed by Wildwing and a reluctant Nosedive. "Get out'a here and don't dare come anywhere near us again," he ordered. Lucricia took her chance and ran out of the locker room.
"Everyone, get out now," called Wildwing over their comms, "she wired the place to blow!"
"Wing, we're not leaving with out Kristy," argued Dive.
"Let's just hurry," answered the team's leader, following Canard and Dive into the elevator. While in the elevator the guys heard a loud crash from below.
Kristy had been fighting to get free, wiggling back and forth, but she pushed too hard to her right. The whole chair suddenly crashed over. Luckily, Kristy was saved from serious damage because she was still tied to the chair and couldn't fall off. Instead, she was stuck on her side, trapped against the sideways recliner.
She heard the elevator door 'swoosh' open. Oh no, worried Kristy, fearing the worst, she's back. She knew from experience that Lucricia would be angry about being interrupted, and the purple-haired duck would take out that anger on her young captive. Kristy cringed, waiting for the familiar clicking of her high-heeled boots.
But it never came. Instead Kristy heard the thunping of numerous combat boots and three voices she'd given up hope of ever seeing again.
"Kristy!" yelled Canard.
"Hey T, where are you?" called Nosedive.
"Kristy, can you hear me?" Wildwing's voice was softer, he was probably checking their living quarters. Kristy tried to answer, but couldn't due to the duck tape wrapped around her beak.
"Kristina! Are you down here?" Canard's voice was getting closer, "Come on Kriss, please be here..." he was almost on top of the overturned chair, "you have to- Kristy!" He jumped over the recliner and ripped the tape off of her arms. Kristy winced in pain, feeling her feathers being pulled out.
"Oh stars, Kriss I'm sorry," he pulled the tape much more gently off of her beak, "are you okay?" She nodded slowly. "We have to get out of here, Lucricia said the place is set to blow."
"What do you mean?" asked Kristy, confussed. "She was chassing me the whole time. There's no way she could've set any explosives."
"That liar..." Canard looked down and noticed the tear in her skirt. "What did she do to you?' he asked softly, getting an army knife out of his boot to slice through the bola ropes.
"I'm okay Canard," assured Kristy, rubbing her wrists, "you showed up before she could..." she choked back tears, "...she was going to, and if you hadn't come..."
"Oh Kristy," Canard wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Kristy returned the strong embrace, not wanting to let go of her brother. That's when the tears broke through.
Nosedive just stood off to the side watching. He'd came running back to the rec room when he heard Canard's shouting. Wildwing wasn't far behind.
"Let's give them some time," he suggested, leading Nosedive back to the elevator. Wildwing didn't turn on his comm until the door was shut.
"Hey Wing, what's up?" asked Duke, the grey duck's face was filled with signs of worry.
We found her," announced their leader, "Kristy's fine. Canard found her tied up in the rec room. They're still down there but Dive 'n I are on our way up."
"We'll meet you at the rink, Duke out."
Wildwing noticed his silent little brother, "Dive, you alright?"
"Did you see her Wing? The look on Kristy's face?"
"Yeah, but-"
"You didn't see her before, bro. Lucricia did some bad stuff to her back on Puckworld."
"I know," confessed Wildwing, "Canard told me everything. He explained why you didn't tell me."
"I wanted to," argued Dive, "but Kristy...."
"You were helping your friend," said Wildwing, putting an arm around Dive's shoulders, "baby bro, you did the right thing. Now all we can do is try to help fix what that traitor did."
"How's Kristy doing?' asked Tanya once Wing and Dive arrived at the rink.
"How do you think?" snapped Dive.
"Nosedive!" exclaimed Wilwing, "apologize!"
"It's fine Wing," said Tanya, "he's just worried."
"Hey guys, as fun as this is, could we move it downstairs?" asked Mallory,
"Yeah, Mal and I could probably help," added Tanya, "you know, duh the girl to girl talk." And with that they disappeared into the locker room, heading for the elevator.
"So, what do the rest of us do?" asked Duke. He, Dive, and Wildwing looked to Grin.
"Nothing," was his short reply.
"Yo Grinster, you didn't see her down there," argued Dive, "there has to be something we can do."
"No my little friend, it's Kristy's battle," explained Grin, "we need to let her face it."