The parking lot at the Anaheim Pond was packed with cars as fans from all over the city filed into the stadium. There was a major traffic jam because of this as well. Everyone was hurrying to get their seats, get some concessions, or buy some Mighty Duck merchandise before the big game started.
"It's the night you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen! The final game for the Stanley Cup!" The announcer from his booth above the crowd stated. "I'm Bob Dillon and I'll be giving you live commentary for tonight's game, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim vs. the Chicago Blackhawks! We're 30 minutes from the first period and you can FEEL the excitement in the air from the crowd!" As if on cue, the crowd of duck fans cheered as they felt ready to watch the game.
However, the same couldn't be said for the Mighty Ducks. Right now, they were in the locker room, getting ready. On the outside, they looked fine, but on the inside, the ducks were freaking out a bit. They haven't much time to practice since all those attacks happened and all the public appearances Phil made them go through.
Wildwing strapped on his skates. "Are you guys ready to play?" He said cheerfully and looked over at his team.
Wildwing's smile dipped at the expressions of his team.
"Well…are we? Like can we do this?" Nosedive questioned.
"We've made it this far, what's stopping us now?" Wildwing said.
Everyone looked like they considered how they would answer.
"Sorry, Wing. I just don't feel prepared." Duke said.
"I second that." Tanya chimed it.
"Well, we can't just back out now." Mallory said. "Like Wildwing said, we've made it this far."
"Yeah, but…" Duke wasn't sure what to say.
"You guys, be honest, what's really eating at you?" Wildwing asked.
He wondered if it was about the mask or most likely Dragaunus. Then again he couldn't blame his team for being worried about whatever the tyrant was up to.
"I'm just hoping we don't get attacked during the game." Duke admitted. "I know we haven't had much time for practice for this game, but…"
"Dragaunus could attack us, he hasn't stopped sicking his new goons on us." Wildwing agreed, but he had a stern expression. "But we're always ready for him aren't we?"
The team looked at one another before nodding their heads towards Wildwing.
"So let's do this! No distractions on the ice!" Wildwing told his team. "We're gonna win this game!"
The team of ducks felt themselves motivated to play. They all put their hockey sticks in the center of a circle they formed and smiled at one another.
"Ducks rock!" They cheered.
As the ducks made their way down the tunnel leading to the rink, Canard felt his chest tense at the idea of having to play.
Wildwing turned back to his friend and said, "Don't worry, Canard. We'll win this for sure. Just watch for now, OK?"
"Yeah…I can do that." Canard said back with a smile before he followed the rest of the ducks out. The national anthem was performed and the teams took their places on the ice as the game began.
-\-
"It's the perfect time!"
"And I'm telling you we shouldn't!" Ryan and Dragaunus were arguing while the other three Saurians and Mercury watched. It was only a couple hours after Mercury and Ryan came back from wherever they went, and Dragaunus had suggested attacking the Pond or Anaheim while the ducks were playing for the Stanley Cup. But Ryan had orders from his own lord that they should not attack.
"And why ever not? The ducks are distracted!" Dragaunus's lower lip curled back.
"Lord Ashebridge has given his orders for this event." Ryan stated sternly. "If you do not wish to follow them through, you can forget our partnership and continue to fail against the ducks yourself. Over and over again." He dared while crossing his arms.
Mercury, who was feeling better than before, whispered to Chameleon, "Bet ya forty bucks one of them is going to attack the other."
"You're on!" Chameleon replied.
The air became syrupy. Flickers of smoke left Dragaunus's nostrils. He sneered. "For all my partnership with you and this Ashebridge, all you've done is repeat to me: 'it's all going to plan', or how often you say it is not the time to strike." He paused to huff out. "I've been patient long enough. The least you can do is yield to me results. Perhaps your 'Lord Ashebridge' isn't all he claims to be."
Those words from Dragaunus ended up having a fireball thrown at the Saurian Overlord. The force of the sphere pushed Dragaunus straight into the nearby wall, stunning him and leaving a slight burn mark on his slumped to the floor and rubbed his head before opening his eyes to see Ryan glaring at him, his hand smoking from when he threw the fireball.
Ryan stomped slowly towards Dragaunus and as he walked, his feet left small marks in the floor of the Raptor as if he was melting it by just walking. Ryan spoke too eerily calm. "Do you want to repeat that? Let me remind you that I can summon one hundred of my fire Rune Soldiers right here, in this very ship, to kill you and your men. My Lord's plan is following every step accordingly, and if you wish to rule the universe, it would do you well NOT to speak ill of my own lord. For he is more powerful than you think he is. And so I am." Ryan mere inches away from Dragaunus, his eyes set ablaze as he spoke and the heat radiating off him was very strong. "So. Do you. Want to repeat. What you just said?!" Ryan nearly yelled.
Dragaunus bared his teeth. His pride bled when he sucked in air and said, "No. You've made it quite clear." He couldn't risk having the Raptor in cinders. He held a hand to the cooling metal.
The heat surrounding Ryan dropped and he straightened his jacket and said, "Good to hear."
The other three Saurians were both amazed and frightened by the events that just took place. Mercury was as well, but not as much. He had seen Ryan's temper before, and it was WAY worse than what just took place.
"Mercury. Continue your work on the Mask, but please don't overdo it." Ryan instructed the younger man.
"O-Of course." Mercury said before bowing his head. He then left the room to resume his work.
Ryan then opened a gateway before turning to Dragaunus and saying, "I have matters I need to attend to with Lord Ashbridge, I will be late coming back." He then turned his back to the Saurians and muttered too quietly for them to hear, "Remember your place, Saurian Scum." And he left.
Dragaunus used the wall to support himself to stand up as his men hurried over to him.
"You alright, my Lord?" Siege asked.
Dragaunus grunted, feeling the bruise against his chest. "I'm scratched. But not down" Dragaunus gritted his teeth. Oh, he'd make Ryan pay for this in spades.
No one humiliated the Saurian Overlord and got away with it.
-\-
Ashebridge sat on a sofa in front of a large plasma TV screen. A gateway opened behind the sofa as Ashebridge reached for his pitch-black drink.
"Didn't take it well?" Ashebridge asked as Ryan walked through the gateway and it closed behind him.
"Dragaunus was quite a bit upset. But he soon saw reason." Ryan said as he stood next to the sofa Ashebridge sat on. He raised a brow when he saw that his Lord was watching the Stanley Cup finals, the Mighty Ducks versus the Chicago Blackhawks. "…You're watching the game?" He asked.
"I'm LEARNING about our enemy. And it IS quite entertaining." Ashebridge replied as he watched Wildwing block a shot to the goal. "Please. Join me, Ryan." Ashebridge patted the seat on the sofa next to him.
"I'd rather not, sir." Ryan stated. However, Ashebridge gave Ryan a look with a smirk. There was a pause before Ryan sighed and sat down next to his Lord. As the hockey game went on, Ryan slowly leaned in and laid his head on Ashbridge's shoulder. Ashebridge casually wrapped his right arm over Ryan's shoulders and brought him closer, almost as if they were cuddling. Ryan squirmed the little, but stopped soon enough.
"Too much?" Ashebridge teased.
"No…Just too sudden." Ryan said as he watched Tanya and Mallory pass to one another before Mallory scored the first goal.
"What do you think of them?" Ashebridge inquired Ryan.
"The ducks or the Saurians?" Ryan asked.
"Both." Replied Ashebridge.
"…Both are eager to win. They both have goals, but each side needs the other side to fail in order to achieve those goals. I feel like it'll be an endless loop they'll be stuck in, just like how we are stuck in an endless loop." Ryan answered.
"You're not wrong about that, but soon that endless loop will be more of a blessing than anything else." Ashebridge said before finishing his drink and temporarily moving his arm away from Ryan so he could refill the glass. When he did, he went back into the comfortable position of his arm around Ryan and Ryan leaning on his shoulder. The two of them sat there quietly watching the game, the puck being passed around, goals being scored or failed, until finally, ten seconds remained on the clock and Nosedive was about to score a goal as the current score of the game was tied, one to one. However, number forty-four of the Blackhawks had tackled Nosedive into the boards right before time was called. There was a pause as people saw that Nosedive was holding his wrist tightly and his other team members rushed over to him as the first period of the game finished.
"That doesn't look good…" Ashebridge said as he took a sip of his drink again.
-\-
Nosedive was taken to the locker room and Tanya took a look at his wrist.
"…It's not bad, but it's not good either, Nosedive." Tanya told him. "It'll be better if you sit out for the rest of the game."
"Sit this one out!? Who's gonna take my place?" Nosedive flabbergasted.
Wildwing looked over to Canard with an inquiring look. "Do you think you can do it?"
"Wh-What?" Canard looked shocked by this.
"Canard, you're the only one we can turn to for this." Wildwing said. "I know I shouldn't be asking you to do this, but we can't forfeit this game."
"But…But I…" Canard wasn't sure. He felt that he could, but he knew his skills weren't what they were on Puckworld. However, looking around at his friends' faces, Canard came to a decision and replied, "Alright, I'm in."
"Good. Wildwing smiled.
Nosedive, while not wanting to be on the bench, still gave Canard a thumbs up with his good hand. "You got this dude! Win this for me!" Nosedive said.
Canard nodded his head and gave Nosedive a thumbs up back before the team got him a spare jersey to wear for the rest of the game.
-\-
"I just received word from the Mighty Duck's manager that Nosedive will be sitting out for the rest of the game." The announcer said as the second period was about to begin. "But the Ducks do have a substitute for him. Please welcome to the ice, Canard Thunderbeak!" The duck skated on to the ice with Canard following behind. He almost lost his balance but was able to stay up on his skates as both teams skated out to the middle of the rink.
Canard's heart heaved. Screams and cheers roared in his ears. He sucked in some air and furrowed his brows. He was gonna win this. Wildwing got to his goalie post, ready to defend. The remaining ducks gathered at the center with the Blackhawks, Duke at the center and Canard beside him. Canard could feel the cold air warm up from the heated stares of his rivals. The moment the ref dropped the puck onto the ice, Duke and the opposing player fought over it before Duke claimed it and skated off with Canard trying to cover him. Duke passed the puck to Mallory who then passed it to Canard. But Canard stumbled with it a bit before losing the puck to a Blackhawks player.
Canard grounded his teeth. He couldn't let the anxiety get to him! Canard skated alongside the brute and began to fish for the puck with his hockey stick. The Blackhawks player defended the puck, sneering down at the duck. Canard shoved with all his might sending the player off balance, with that he snatched the puck and passed it over to Mallory.
Mallory took the shot to the Blackhawks' goal and scored one. The score was now two to one. Canard smiled at this. The second period went on as Canard felt better at skating and playing hockey again. He felt at home, like he was back on Puckworld. Canard, trying his luck, aimed and hit the puck to the goal but the Blackhawks goalie blocked the shot just as the timer for the period went crowd was in awe. Murmurs and cheers belting off the arena walls.
Canard felt his heart sink, already worried about the outcome for the next round.
"I guess I shouldn't have gotten cocky…" He muttered.
The ducks went to their side of the rink with Nosedive now there with an ice pack on his wrist. Duke saw the expression on Canard's face.
He patted Canard in the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry! It's two to one, we're still good as long as we keep this up!" Duke assured him.
"Duke's right. We're doing good, but let's not let our guard down." Wildwing said and the ducks nodded their heads. Wildwing then turned to Nosedive. "How are you feeling, little bro?"
"It still hurts, but I'm alright." Nosedive said.
Canard steadied his breathing to shake off his anxiety, he had to focus. "You guys are right, we can still do this." He smiled at Nosedive. "I did promise you I'd help win this, and I'm gonna keep it."
Nosedive smiled back at Canard.
-\-
After the fifteen minute intermission, the third and final period of the game started. Unfortunately, Canard had tripped on the ice and lost the puck, giving the Blackhawks a chance to score a goal past Wildwing, making the score two to two. Only a minute remained on the clock of the rink and everyone in the crowd was filled with anticipation of how the game would turn out.
"There's only sixty seconds left in the game. Mallory has the puck and passes it to Duke!" The announcer commented as he watched the game.
Duke was being hounded by the brute from before. Duke passed the puck to Tanya who zig zagged past the few oncoming Blackhawk players. Of course one tried to wrestle the puck from her. So Tanya passed it to Grin.
Grin had tried to make it to the goal but the puck had been taken from him when the brute shoved him into the plexi glass wall. The brute made off with the puck, he smirked as he almost had a good shot at the goal.
Canard was not gonna have it. His heart sweltered. His legs burned as he dashed down the ice, he jabbed at the puck. The brute looked down upon him for this, he tried to shove Canard but the brown duck backed away just to throw the brute off his balance.
The puck slid along the ice, Mallory leaped over and slapped the puck over to Canard. Canard eyed her for a moment before she signaled him to go.
He gave her a nod and rushed down to the Blackhawks' goal.
Canard skated towards the goal, and the Blackhawks' goalie was ready. Forgetting about anxiety and hesitation, Canard faked shooting left and instead shot to the right and got it past the goalie right in time as the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the period.
"Ducks score! It's over! The Mighty Ducks have won it! They've won the Stanley Cup!" The announcer cheered as did most of the crowd. The ducks all skated towards Canard and they all hugged, including Nosedive who raced onto the ice and joined his team to hug Canard as the crowd cheered with excitement.
"Looks like you kept your promise!" Nosedive grinned.
Canard wriggled a hand out and ruffled Nosedive's hair, "Heeeeyyy!" Nosedive laughed. The ducks couldn't help chuckling at the display. Pulling away from their hug. Wildwing couldn't stop smiling, his best friend would gain the confidence he needed from this.
They all put their sticks in the middle and then lifted them up, cheering with the crowd, "Ducks rock!"
-\-
The Ducks were awarded the Stanley Cup trophy right as Ashebridge turned off the TV.
"Not interested in the ceremony, Lord Ashebridge?" Ryan asked as Ashebridge put the remote back in its original place.
"No…This just made me think." Ashebridge replied.
"Think of what?" Ryan dared to ask.
"…These Ducks…They just won the greatest game in their career, yet they haven't met me, have they? Their greatest enemy."
Ryan thought for a moment. "You're right, Lord Ashebridge. And neither have the Saurians for that matter."
Though he didn't want to, Ashebridge removed himself from the sofa and from the warm embrace he and Ryan were just in. He straightened his hair and fixed his suit a bit before saying, "I think it's about time they met me."
Co-Written with PurpleReign9000
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