Disclaimer: I do not own the Mighty Ducks, or any of the characters. However I do own my characters Lis, Stealth, and Crystal. So please do not sue me.

Chapter Four

"We need ta get back ta the Brotherhood," Duke now said as he started to slowly stand up.

Lis let Duke lean against her as she helped him to walk while he limped. Yet she was quiet the whole time.

"Lis are ya upset?" Duke asked carefully.

She didn't answer him.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She looked away from him, now.

Duke was hurt when she turned her glance away from him, "Lis, we're friends. Ya know ya can talk ta me when somethin's botherin' ya."

She nodded; but she still didn't speak, or look at him.

Not too much longer, and they were still trying to get back to the lair. Then Duke winced in pain.

"What's wrong Duke?" Lis asked in concern; breaking the silence that had loomed over them for a while now.

"My leg's bleedin' again," Duke groaned as he stopped walking.

He was leaning heavily against her now and she knew that he needed to rest.

So they took cover in an alley. Then Duke sat up against the red brick wall, attempting to rest. He watched Lis, who seemed so nervous and uptight. She kept making sure that no one was coming.

"Lis, come sit wit' me; it's lonely without ya sweetheart," he said quietly.

Lis walked over to him and sat down a little away form him.

"Lis, what's wrong hun'?" He asked.

"Nothing, I just feel out of place right now," she told him, "And please just call me Lis right now?"

Duke looked slightly hurt; but then nodded. He understood that she was just feeling a bit shaken from nearly getting arrested.

"Sorry Lis; I was jus' tryin' ta help ya feel better. I didn't think that a little sweet talk would upset ya," he said in an inquired tone.

"It's not that Duke, I just need you to call me by my name right now. When you call me names like hun', it makes me think that you're playing with me; and it hurts more than you know," she told him, feeling embarrassed.

Duke looked at her slightly bewildered, but then smiled. He realized that she had developed some feelings for him, and she was confused.

"She really is a sweetheart," he thought with a smiled.

Then he leaned his head back and winced.

"Duke?" Lis asked worriedly.

"My head's been achin' for a while, I think the glass might have cut me a little or maybe the blast's sound," Duke explained.

Duke was surprised when Lis discarded the only shirt she had. She folded it, and placed it gently behind his head.

Then he looked at her mostly bare body, with a sports bra covering her. She had her arms folded over her chest. The poor girl was freezing, but she had refused to take her shirt back.

Finally giving up, Duke let himself fall asleep; leaving Lis alone for now.

While Lis, still cold, allowed herself to lay down near him. She rested her head upon his unharmed leg and curled up into a semi-ball as she drifted off to sleep.

Lis was running from three older boys, running away as an orphan and an outcast. Tears ran down her face as she raced down the sidewalk. Her bare feet pounded against the cold concrete. She was scared beyond thought as her heart beated hard on her chest.

Just then she tripped and fell to the wet, scraping her mostly bare body.

The three teens had jumped her and had torn most of her clothing off. Then she had run at the slimmest chance she had been given.

Now she was on the ground. The rain was pouring on her. Her head was spinning, and her mind was caged in terror.

That's when the boys circled around her and began to mercilessly beat on the young girl. She cried and begged for them to stop as they kicked her ribs, and just beat her to on her all over.

"Please! Leave me alone!" She sobbed.

Then the third boy hit her with a strong fist, and everything went black for her.

Lis's eyes opened to find herself in an unfamiliar room, of an unfamiliar house. She was lying in a soft warm bed, with bandages wrapped around her ribs, head, left arm, and left leg. She slowly looked to the side to find a young woman sitting in a black chair, with red velvet cushions.

"Wh-Where am I?" Lis asked.

"You're in my home, welcome," The woman spoke in a sweet angelic voice.

Lis tried to sit up, but felt her body resisting in pain. She cried out in agony as she lay back down. The woman stood up and walked over to Lis.

The woman had pretty straight brown hair and blue eyes. She was very tall with pale skin. She wore a long black silk dress that barely touched the smooth wooden floor.

Now the woman tucked the warm crimson blanket around Lis as she spoke, "You need to take it easy. You were almost killed last night. You're lucky that you collapsed in front of my house. I saw what one of the boys nearly did; but I stopped him just in time."

"You mean, he...tried to...?!" Lis exclaimed in fear.

The woman nodded, "It's alright, my dear; you're safe now."

"Who are you?" Lis asked.

"My name is Sara," she told Lis.

"My name is Lis."

Lis stayed with Sara for a month. She soon recovered, and the two became friends. Though Lis knew she could never leave that house without being put in danger. Other than to Sara, Lis was a freak and an outcast for a reason she didn't even know of.

She told Sara of this, who sadly understood the girl's situation. For Sara was a master of good magic, and she too was an outcast to others.

Sara knew she had to help Lis find a home where she could walk freely without being in so much jeopardy; though this gave her great sorrow.

That night Sara had gone to sleep with Lis quietly reading a book Sara had given her.

While Sara slept, she dreamt of a new future for Lis. In this vision, she saw a young man who would take care of her, and help her to live a free life that Lis had never endured. The young girl would no longer have to run away from pain and fear.

When Sara awoke that morning, she told Lis that she would send her to her new home. There she would find someone to help her. Then Sara placed a hand on Lis's head. Both girls were crying now.

"Thank you so much Sara, for everything. I'm sorry that I have to leave," Lis wept.

"Don't say sorry; Lis, you are meant to find and meet another new friend, who will help you to be free. When you meet him, you will no longer have to be afraid," Sara told her.

Then as the two hugged, Lis vanished.

Lis was sent to the Planet Puck World, where she spent a week without food or shelter. She was still alone, and then she met Duke. Lis now wondered if he had been the young man that Sara had foreseen. Had Duke been the one that would help Lis to be free?

Duke awoke briefly when he felt Lis tossing and turning. She was shivering as well, and Duke knew she was having a nightmare. Though now she was settling down. Yet she was still trembling.

So Duke sat up slowly and discarded his shirt. He then draped it over her revealed body, and she subconsciously pulled it tighter around her.

Duke smiled warmly at her, "She really is sweet. I wonder if she does have feelin's for me? That would explain why she's been so nervous around me at times; an' why she stays around me despite how nervous she gets."

Then he rested a hand on her shoulder, pulling her a little closer to him as he fell fast asleep again.

Duke and a young woman were surrounded by a gang of thieves. It was the Brotherhood's rival gang, and they were attempting to kill the Brotherhood of the Blade's future leader. Duke stood bravely in the dark alley, with the young beautiful love of his life standing behind him.

"Back off ya cretins!" Duke growled with his golden sabor drawn.

"You think we're going to let you live?!" One of the members laughed.

With that a fight broke out, four against one. Poor Duke was outnumbered, but with only a few scratches, he managed to fend off the four members of the rival gang. Then they retreated.

Now while catching his breath, Duke turned to the young woman with a charming, and weary smile.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" He asked her as he took her by the hand and kissed it gently.

Just then she pulled her hand away and struck Duke across the face!

Duke now felt his body jolt as she hit him; his mind was in a trap of confusion. He had saved her life, and had risked his own life to give her freedom from the Brotherhood he had brought her to three months ago. Duke had thought they were in love. Duke had fallen for her once he met her, and when a gang of thugs had tried to kill her, he saved her, and brought her to the Brotherhood. He had meant to help her escape before anyone else found out; but Falcone did. So she was forced to stay as a thief for three months while Duke formed a plan to help her escape. That's how much he had loved her; when he knew it would be dangerous, he risked everything for her freedom.

Now after all that, he had saved her, and she had hit him. Why?!

Duke looked at her bewildered, "Christina?"

"That's for all you've done to me! I never wanted to be a thief! I never wanted any thing like this to happen to me! You've ruined who I once was!" She yelled as she pulled out a dagger.

"What are ya-?!" Duke exclaimed.

With that she thrust the blade straight into the left side of his chest! Duke's dark brown eyes widened as the dagger was pulled out of his chest,. And blood began to flow from the wound. He quickly placed his hand firmly over the wound, slowly crumbling to the damp ground.

"Why? I helped ya ta escape 'cause I love ya, Christina!" He told her as he found it getting harder and harder to speak.

"And I thought I could love you, Duke; but all you are is a heartless thief! So now it won't matter if you live or not! If you actually do survive, and I ever see you again, I'll put you behind bars myself!" She shouted as she then ran from him, not bothering to look at the man she had killed, maybe not completely; but enough to destroy the heart he was so sure that he had once had.

The heart that she claimed that he didn't even have!

Duke had been found nearly dead, after trying to get back to the lair. He had been rushed to the infirmary, and was quickly taken care of. It was a miracle that he lived.

After, Duke had sworn off love for a long time. For he was convinced that he didn't have a heart, and if he had no heart; he had no love to give.

Duke awoke now, with a single tear falling from his right eye. He remembered that night, and he rested a hand over the scar on his chest. Poor Duke now found that he couldn't sleep now.

He looked down at Lis, who was waking up as well. She was surprised to find Duke's shirt keeping her warm. Now Lis sat up as she looked up at Duke. She noticed the depressed expression on his face.

"Duke, what's wrong?" She asked him with concern.

Duke looked at her, trying hard not to show her that he was trying not to break down.

"Nothin' sweetheart. Oh! Lis I mean, I'm sorry," he told her.

Lis's eyes softened when she saw how sad he looked, "It's okay Duke, you can use your charm if you want."

Duke smiled slightly, "Thanks hun'."

Lis now leaned close to him, hugging him; she had never seen him so down. To her, Duke was a mostly cheerful man. Yes, he had shown a little stress before, but this was so much more. He looked like someone had shot all the joy and usual charm out of him. She grew very worried for Duke as she hugged him in an attempt to cheer him up.

Now Duke held Lis as well when he remembered her having a nightmare.

"Hey Lis, what was making you so upset in your sleep?" Duke asked her.

Lis stiffened, and she fell silent. The only reply was that she burried her face into his chest again. Her wanting to hide from her dream taking her over.

"Lis? Honey, what's wrong?" Duke inquired gently, "Come on, ya can talk ta me about it. Ya do trust me don't ya?"

Lis nodded to his strong chest.

"Then what's wrong, babe?" Duke quested softly.

Lis's eyes widened; he hadn't called her babe before! She didn't know if she could take much more of his charm, and still hold herself together in front of him. Especially now that she knew she loved him.

Finally she sat up and looked at him as she spoke, "It was about what happened to me before I came to Puck World."

Lis pulled Duke's shirt down to reveal at least three visible scars on her body from the front. One was on the left side of her chest like his was as a long slash that went from the middle down to her heart. Then one deep stab mark was on right side. Finally the third was on her right arm.

Duke's dark brown eyes widened as he painfully looked at these brutal marks that some monster had given her. Then he nearly lost his temper when she showed him a smaller scar on the top of her left breast. Someone had tried to kill her. Though sadly, that wasn't all; as she turned around he found many slashes, stabs, and healing bruises from her neck, down to where her pant line was. All along her body were many scars.

His hands shook now as he gently brushed his fingers along the marks, till he had to respectfully stop at a certain point. Then his hand went to her shoulder where he had her turn back to him, and look up at him.

"Wh-who did this ta ya Lis?" He asked quietly with a gentle hand on her shoulder still.

She looked at the ground, trying hard to fight the tears that swelled her eyes.

"I was freak on my home planet. I don't why they thought I was so weird; but they did. So they treated me like the outcast that I've always been! I was an orphan without a home to go to, so I had to run away from home to home. Others thought it was strange that I had no one that took care of me, but instead of helping me, they tossed me out like trash, and ran me out of homes like I was an animal, or a germ! I had no where to go!"

Lis was trembling now as she continued, "These guys found me one night, trying to find a place to stay for a little while, till I was forced away again. They chased me, and when I finally collapsed onto the ground they beat me unconscious! Then they didn't stop! They left these scars all over my body, breaking every inch of me that they could. Outside and almost inside even!"

Duke was stunned when he heard that last sentence, he found the words he wanted to say fighting to stay in, "Ya mean, they...almost..."

Lis looked up at him, tears flowing freely down her face now. The tears ran down from her mixed eyes and blurred her vision; but she knew she was still looking at Duke.

"They almost destroyed me, not by death; but by so much worse!"

Lis couldn't even speak clearly anymore. She was reliving the fear of that night, and the visions of her nightmare flashed before her continuously, mercilessly. Her face was burried in her hands now as she cried. Her body shook violently, and her breathing became very ragged as she sobbed.

Duke found it hard to speak now, as though the words he wanted to say to her for comfort had been stolen. So all he could think to do, was take her in his strong arms and hold her trembling body. He carefully stroked her soft brown hair that he had tied back nicely for her earlier.

Duke had never felt like this before in his life. When he had fallen for Christina, he hadn't been able to share pain with her. He hadn't been able to show such understanding when she cried. Though for some reason now; as he held Lis as close as he could, he could feel the heaviness of his heart. He wanted to cry with her, but he had to show her that he could stay strong while she needed comfort. For she had shown him understanding before when he had talked to her that first morning she was in the lair. Now it was his turn to show, that he understood her pain. Yes, he understood more than anyone else could ever possibly understand.

Finally he dared to ask, "What happened to stop them?"

"My one and only friend, Sara, saved me from them. She let me stay at her house as her younger sister till I was fully healed."

"Why did ya leave?"

"I couldn't stay on Earth, and be free; Sara knew that as well as I did. So she used her good magic that she learned as a pure witch to send me to where she knew I would find a friend. She said that she had a vision that I would find a friend that would take care of me, and let me be free."

Duke looked at Lis. He was a little confused, but then he smiled. Sara had foreseen his and Lis's meeting; and if she hadn't saved Lis and then sent her to him; they wouldn't be friends. Both he and Lis would still be very much alone. So he thanked this unknown friend for sending Lis to him.

"I will take care of her," He thought in a solemn vow, and then said out loud to Lis, "I will take care of ya, Lis, I promise ya."

Lis's watery eyes widened in surprise, but then she too smiled as she hugged him tight, "Thank you Duke, for everything!"

Duke's heart softened as he held the young girl. He now knew so much about her; but he was still a mystery to her. He decided that he would tell Lis about his past in a little while. Though for now, he just held her; still comforting her, and making sure that she knew she had a friend; a friend that cared for her and understood her very deeply.