Duke heard muffled laughter coming from his room. What the?
The door slid open to reveal two teens reeking havoc in his room. Kristy had fallen back onto his water bed, giggling at her male counter part. Dive was decked out in Duke's thieving attire, singing the mission impossible theme as she 'snuck' around the room. He froze the instant Duke entered.
"Um hi," he ventured.
"What are you two doing?" demanded Duke, "that's some expensive gear you're messing with!"
Kristy bounced herself off the bed. "Oh sorry, wrong room."
"No duh," commented Dive, slipping off the ex-thieve's dark jumpsuit, "six down, two left."
"I don't know," said Kristy, "that room with all the crystals was really pretty."
Duke rubbed his temples. "Try the last one on the right."
That's when the chaos erupted.
"What happened to my room?" yelled Wildwing.
"Who messed with my experiments?"
Kristy cringed at Tanya's words.
"I told you not to touch those," muttered Dive.
"Nosedive!" yelled Mallory from across the hall.
It was Dive's turn to cringe and Kristy's turn to gloat. "I warned you not to mess with her makeup."
"Let's go check out your room," suggested Dive.
"Could you two just get out of my room?" asked Duke.
"My meditation crystals!" exclaimed Grin.
"Right behind you Dive!" called Kristy, following her friend through the last door of the hallway.
"Quick, how do you lock the door?" asked Dive.
"I dunno, push the buttons."
"You know, I don't think this is the first time I've messed up their rooms," said Dive.
"Ya think? AH!" A loud knock startled Kristy and she jumped away from the door.
"Kristy?" That was Canard. "Kriss, I'm coming in." The door swooshed open and the guilty looks on their faces confirmed his guess.
"You two been having fun?" he asked.
"Why do you say that?" asked Dive, trying to look innocent.
"Hey Mallory," he called out the door, "Dive's in here."
"Dude, you better run," suggested Kristy.
"Eep." Was all Dive got out before Mallory was pushing against Canard, telling him to let her at the troublemakers.
"Mallory, calm down," said Wildwing from somewhere behind her.
"Wing, I am going to kill that brother of yours!" warned Mallory before storming back into her room to clean up Dive's mess.
"Whew! That was close," said Dive, "thanks for the rescue bro."
Wildwing slammed his beak shut. He'd been about to lecture his little brother when Dive said that. Wing was too excited about Dive getting his memory back to yell at him.
"What did you say?"
"Um, thanks for the rescue bro?"
"So you remember...?"
"No," Dive hung his head, "we were looking around your room and I saw the picture of us on your desk. I didn't mean to go through your stuff, but it was sitting out in the open, and..."
"Dive, it's totally fine," assured Wing, "if we're lucky it will held jog your memory."
"You didn't mean to go through his stuff?" asked Duke with disbelief. "What about my stuff?"
"And mine," added Tanya, a furious scowl on her face.
"It looked cool?" ventured Kristy.
"Okay, Kristy, Dive, here are some ground rules," said Canard, "everyone's room is private. No entrance unless invited. Got it?"
"Yep."
"Is that it?" asked Kristy.
"Oh no," exclaimed Tanya, "there are more. Like no touching Drake One."
"Who's Drake One?" asked Dive.
"It's our supper computer," she answered, "I built it and it's way too complicated for either of you...So it's completely off limits."
"Isn't that a little much?" asked Wildwing.
"No way!," exclaimed Duke. "Wing, did you see what they did in my room?"
"That reminds me Duke, are you a spy or something?" asked Dive.
"Yeah, we found all that cool stuff in your closet, but neither of us could figure out what it was for," added Kristy.
"Like this." Dive pulled out a triangular form that Duke and the others immediately recognized.
"Nosedive, no!" But Wildwing's warning was too late. Dive squeezed an invisible button and the blade flashed out, surprising the young duck.
"Whoa!" He threw the dangerous sword in the air.
"Watch out!" cried Duke, knowing just how sharp his saber was.
"Kristy!" Canard threw himself at his sister, pushing her out of the way only an instant before the deadly saber landed point down right where she'd formerly been.
"Oh, s-st-stars..." Kristy could just stare at the quivering blade, impaled on the exact spot she been standing.
"Kristy? Kristina, are you okay?" Canard waved his hand in front of her eyes.
"Yeah." She tried to rise to her feet, but her legs were too wobbly to support her. Canard caught Kristy as she stumbled. "Or not." She allowed her brother to lead her over to sit on the edge of her bed.
Duke walked purposefully over to his saber and swiftly yanked it out. "One more rule," he retracted the blade, "neither of you is going anywhere near any weapons." He looked to Canard and Wing for an argument, but got none.
"Consider it an order," added Wildwing, supporting the older duck's decision.
"No argument here," said Dive, hands in the air.
"Kristy?" prompted Duke.
"Huh? Yeah, same."
"Okay, now that that's settled I'll let you big brothers handle it from here." Duke headed for the door. "Makes me glad I'm an only child," he muttered under his breath. Wildwing was the only one who heard him and choked back a laugh.
"Hey Kristy, how're you feeling?" asked Canard, draping an arm around her shoulder.
"Better," it felt natural for her to lean into his embrace, "just a little shaken up." It was official, Kristy had decided to trust them. Especially Canard. We look so much alike, she mussed, twirling a strand of her brown hair and looking up at his familiar dark brown eyes, we have to be related. If that wasn't enough, now he just saved my life. And trusting him feels right, like I know there's no way he'd ever let anything hurt me.
"Kristy, I'm sorry, that was really dumb," apologized Dive
"No damage, no hard feelings."
Wildwing decided to try lift the depressing atmosphere. "Well, now that we've had enough excitement, who's in for a trip to the mall?"
That peaked Kristy's attention. "Shopping?"
"Bro, that's defiantly something I remember!" said Dive.
"The mall, or how to shop?" teased Canard, standing up. "Hey Wing, can I talk to you?"
They moved out to the hallway. "What's wrong?" asked Wildwing.
"I don't want to alarm the kids, but are you sure that's that best idea? The mall's a pretty crowded place."
"Exactly, we'll just be part of the crowd. Listen, I think that the Pond is going to be too overwhelming for them, and there are too many ways they could get into trouble,"
"Like in there," finished Canard. "It's a good idea though, we could all use the break."
"And with the whole team on guard they couldn't be safer." pointed out Wing. "Besides, you said Kristy wanted to be a normal kid again. What's more normal than the mall?"
Canard held up his hands in defeat. "Alright! You've convinced me!"
Wildwing pressed the button on his comm to contact everyone.
"What in the?" Kristy's voice was muffled through the door.
"Wing?" called Dive, the door slid open. "Why's this thing beeping?"
"Oh, I forgot. Those are your comms," explained Canard, "they help keep the team connected."
"Hello, any one there?" asked Malloy, her face appeared on everyone's comm.
"Oh sorry 'bout the wait," said Wildwing, "do any of you feel like hitting the mall?"
"Totally!" answered Mallory.
"Yeah, I need to check out some new equipment at 'lectric-land," said Tanya.
"Sure, I'm in too," responded Duke.
"And I need to find a new meditation crystal," added Grin.
"Meet you at the migrator in ten," announced Wildwing.
"Um Wing, what's the migrator?" asked Dive.