Chapter 3

"I can do just about anything I want."

Silence filled the room following Grace's announcement. Her demonstration had made its point. She sat patiently as her words sunk in.

"You've never come up against any kind of limit to your power?" Tanya asked. "Anything you couldn't do?"

Grace responded with a half-smile.

"Well, I've not tried everything. But all I have to do is concentrate and will something to happen, and it's always happened."

"Incredible, I've never heard of a human with such abilities before," Tanya said, sounding more intrigued than afraid as she adjusted her glasses.

But Grace looked at the other ducks and noted some wariness in their gazes.

"I understand if this makes you uncomfortable, especially with my staying here. But I've never lost control of my powers. I'm very careful about using them."

"You've had your powers the whole time you've been in our world?" Wildwing asked.

Grace nodded.

"Yeah, five years. The first year was a bit of an adjustment as my powers developed, but I've managed them for all these years. And almost no one knows that I have them."

"Well, who else knows?" Duke asked.

"I helped a few others before you. I can give you their names if you want. Last I checked, they're still doing well."

"So there are humans who are builders, healers, defenders, and energizers. You can like do all of that?" Nosedive asked.

Grace smiled.

"Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Cool! We could…"

Wildwing put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Hold it, Dive. It is amazing that you have these powers, Grace. But there's a lot to consider here. Using your powers too much might draw attention. And I'd feel better if we knew a little more about them."

"I wouldn't mind running some tests if you'll let me," Tanya said quickly to Grace.

"Sure, but my offer still stands to help others in Anaheim. You have friends who need help, right?"

"We do, but how are you going to help them without drawing attention?" Wildwing said. "I don't think we should rely on all of Anaheim to keep your secret."

"What about the sewers?" Duke asked. "If she could move about underground, no one would see where the help was coming from. Could you do that?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not," Grace said.

Wildwing considered that.

"You're sure you're ready to help a whole town?"

Grace nodded.

"And Tanya can run some tests while I do it if she wants."


The next day, Nosedive, Mallory, and Grin rode down the streets of Anaheim on duckcycles to monitor things from the surface. Below them, Wildwing, Tanya, and Duke waited in the sewers around the lower levels of the Pond with Grace.

Tanya had set up her diagnostic equipment, and she also had two water-based vehicles that could traverse the sewer tunnels. Duke was set up to drive the vehicle while Grace rode behind him. Wildwing would follow them on the other vehicle to monitor things. Grace adjusted the bracelets Tanya had designed to analyze her power output as she sat behind Duke.

"Better buckle that seatbelt in case things get rough," he said.

Grace pulled a harness across her waist and chest and fastened it.

"Ready," she said.

"Okay, we're both gonna need a shower after this," Duke said with a cough as he activated the vehicle.

"Oh, you want a spray shield?" Grace asked, and she waved her left hand towards the front of the vehicle. A transparent shield of light covered the front. Grace also gave one to Wildwing's vehicle.

"Nice, but maybe you ought to be conservin' that power?" Duke said.

Grace laughed.

"Just focus on driving, okay?"

Duke waved back to Tanya, and he hit the accelerator. They sped off, and Grace closed her eyes. She pointed her hands with the palms upward, and light formed above them. She opened her eyes, now shining brightly, and the light shot up through the concrete of the sewers.

Wildwing watched all of this from the rear, and he saw the light pass through the concrete like it was nothing but air.


On the streets above, the other ducks saw that the ground was beginning to glow starting with the path that Grace was following below, but then the light began to spread.

"We can see it up here," Mallory said into her com. "It's really traveling fast."

"Watch for people," Wildwing said back over the com. "I want to know if it's helping them."

"Come on! Let's check on Thrash and Mookie at Captain Comics," Nosedive said eagerly.

They rode off to the mall, and Nosedive started to get off his duckcycle to run inside, but Thrash and Mookie walked out of the door. The light shone around them in a dim outline, and they seemed confused. As Nosedive stepped onto the pavement, he froze and light seemed to envelop him brightly for a moment before it faded.

"Whoa! I think they just passed underneath," Nosedive said. "Talk about a recharge!"

Thrash and Mookie put their hands to their heads and smiled as they looked at the ducks.

"Dude, what's going on?" Thrash asked.

"Yeah, I like feel so much better," Mookie said.

"A cure for the sickness has been released to Anaheim," Mallory said quickly, before Nosedive could answer. "We just came to see if you two were okay."

"Totally," Thrash said grinning.

"Come on, Dive," Mallory urged. "We have to keep checking on the rest of the city."

"Sure, but I'll be back later, guys!"


Duke glanced down at the map on his vehicle. It had taken over an hour, but they seemed to have covered just about all of the sewer tunnels. He glanced back and saw that Grace was still releasing her power towards the surface. There wasn't any sign of her slowing down or tiring.

As they covered the last few tunnels, Duke steered them back towards where they had started and where Tanya was waiting.

When they reached her, they shut off the vehicles, and Grace's light slowly dimmed and diminished. Her eyes appeared normal again as she looked at the ducks.

"Did we reach the whole city?"

"Mallory is reporting that they've seen positive signs all over the city," Tanya said, sounding pleased. "And the bracelets seemed to take good readings of your power. I'll have to look over the results more in my lab."

"How do you feel?" Wildwing asked as he helped Grace onto the concrete surface.

"Fine. I could do more if it was needed."

Duke shook his head.

"I don't know how you managed it, sweetheart. That looked like a lot of work from where I was sitting."

"I can't fully explain it myself," Grace said with a shrug. "Maybe Tanya can tell us more later."

As they walked back into the Pond and started to head for Drake One, Wildwing suddenly raised a hand to halt them. He motioned for Duke to stay with Grace while he and Tanya walked on out.

"Hey, Phil," Wildwing said as he approached their manager.

"Why aren't you out at the mall or at home?" Tanya asked. "We told you to take the day off."

"Oh, hey, babes. I was gonna leave, but I'm not feelin' so good. Could someone give me a ride?"

"Sure, why don't you sit down over here, Phil," Wildwing said, leading him to a chair. Then he turned and gestured to Duke when Phil's back was turned.

Duke and Grace walked out into the main room, and Grace raised her hands as Phil sat with his back to her. In just a few moments, Phil blinked and stood up.

Moving in front of Grace, Duke guided her back to cover.

"Hey, I suddenly feel like a new man," Phil said happily. "Maybe that last cup of coffee is finally kicking in."

"Good! Now why don't you go out and enjoy yourself?" Wildwing encouraged, steering Phil to the elevator.

"Are you kiddin'? I've got publicity stunts to plan …merchandise to sell!" Phil said energetically. "I've got to get back to work."

But he left just the same, and Wildwing and Tanya sighed though they smiled.

"That was close," Duke said as he stepped out again. "Phil wanders down here sometimes. You'll have to be certain he doesn't see you, Grace."

She joined the ducks and just gave a nod in response.

"Yeah, none of us think trusting Phil with your secret is a great idea," Tanya scoffed, and then she pulled out her chip containing the data from the bracelets. "I'm headed to the lab to analyze this if you guys need me."

As she walked off, the elevator opened again, and the rest of the ducks stepped off.

"Time to turn on the news!" Nosedive said as he walked over Drake One and punched a few buttons.

"Are there already reports about what's happening?" Wildwing asked.

"Yeah, we saw reporters on our way back to the Pond," Mallory said.

As Drake One's massive screen came to life, the ducks watched news footage of reports around the city of people's recovery. Grace stood behind them, feeling a little uncomfortable but also pleased.

"There you have it. People on every block are coming out to celebrate with their neighbors and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. We still don't know how it happened, but everyone is glad it did."

The news reporter walked over to Captain Klegghorn and some other police officers to ask them some questions. Klegghorn appeared suspicious, but he couldn't help from smiling a little.

"You've changed things for the whole city," Mallory said, turning back to Grace. "It's incredible."

Grace ran her hand through her hair.

"I just did what should have already been done by others. No one needs to thank me."

Wildwing turned away from the screen in silence with a thoughtful expression.

"What is it, bro?" Nosedive asked. "We should go out there and join the party!"

Wildwing's seriousness did not lift.

"We never found out what caused that sickness in the first place."

Nosedive turned to Grace.

"Yeah, but we know someone who can totally find out! You can do anything right?"

Grace grew quiet, and she turned away from Nosedive, who watched her with surprise.

"What is it?" Duke asked as he took a step closer. "You know something already, don't ya?"

At that moment, Tanya walked into the room with a smile.

"Hey, these lab results are really interesting. You guys should come and see this!"

Her excitement faded when she saw that the others appeared distracted and Grace looked uneasy.

"Let's go and see Tanya's results, and then I'll tell you what I know," Grace said, meeting Duke's gaze.

"Tell us what?" Tanya asked.

"We'll come, Tanya," Wildwing said. "But then I want to hear what Grace has to say."

Grace gave a nod of acknowledgment and walked towards Tanya.

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Next chapter coming soon!