This is a request from a viewer. This is also one of my headcanons-where Duncan was actually leader first, before Ruby.
Set a while back, before Matilda joined the team.
Enjoy~
"All right, team, time to go." Duncan Dewey grabbed the first pack off of the rack and threw it over his shoulder.
Soon after, Flinch dashed by and grabbed the second one. With a whoop, he leaped through the door to the School Bus.
Gerdie and Heathcliff followed together, albeit much more calmly.
Ruby was the last one through. Duncan lingered for a few seconds, then jumped in after her. He took his seat and stared out of the window. Duncan tried not to let his nervousness show, but he was still worried. So far, this was probably going to be the toughest mission yet since he became leader...
Maybe even since he joined N.E.R.D.S...
.~.~.~.
"Can you go over that with me one more time?" Flinch cried through the comlink. "We have to do WHAT?"
Duncan frowned, looking around to make sure no one was listening. They were in San Francisco, and they had split up to cover more area at once. No one really liked that idea, understandably. But it was necessary for the mission. "We have to find Dr. Kveykva and arrest her before she causes any more problems."
Flinch sound impatient. "Yes, I got that part. But what did you say she is?"
"A crazy rouge scientist who happens to specialize in electricity." Ruby responded before Duncan had the chance. "It's nothing to be worried about. It just means that we have to wear more rubber than usual."
"Thank you, Pufferfish. Something like that, anyway. Now, can any of you get your GPS tracker to work? Mine's going haywire and I can't figure out why..."
"Really? Mine is working fine. In fact..." Ruby started to say, but was cut off by Gerdie.
"GLUESTICK!" Gerdie cried. "Be careful! My tracker shows that Dr. Kveykva is in your area and getting closer. Fast!"
"Thanks for the warning, Mathlete. I'll watch out for her. You said she was coming in fast, right?" Duncan said, bracing himself for a fight. "Mathlete?"
She didn't answer.
"Mathlete?" Duncan squeezed his nose to make sure that the comlink was activated. "Mathlete! Are you still there?"
Still no answer.
Feeling slightly panicked now, he tried the other agents. "Pufferfish? Flinch? Choppers? Is anyone there?"
A hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Duncan spun around, expecting an attack. But instead, he came face to face with a frail-looking woman.
"E-excuse me. But I couldn't help overhearing..." She said, "You're looking for Dr. Kveykva?"
"Sorry, I can't tell you." Duncan informed her briskly.
She laughed quietly. "It's ok! You can tell me. I am a former agent."
Duncan brightened. "Really? Okay. But I don't..."
"No one told you I was here?" She guessed. "I understand. I'll tell you why later. But for now, I know something that could help your search. Follow me," She said, beckoning with one finger. The former agent turned and started walking.
Duncan jogged to catch up. As he looked around, trying to keep an eye out for danger, he noticed something that seemed a little strange. "What's that, on your ear?" He asked, gesturing with his hand. "It almost looks like a very small pair of headphones, with the microphone unattached."
She stiffened, then relaxed and continued walking. "Just a hearing aid. I'm almost deaf in that ear. Look, there it is," she smiled, referring to a narrow, dark alleyway.
Duncan wasn't sure that was completely true. It didn't look like a hearing aid, but there were more important things on the line right now. He followed the woman into the alley. "Now, what is it you had to tell me?"
The woman compressed her lips. "Wait here," she told him, "I have to get something." She started down the alley at a brisk pace.
Duncan frowned. They were running out of time, but he accepted it anyway and turned to the opening as a lookout.
A few minutes later, there was still no sign of Dr. Kveykva or the former agent. Or anyone else, for that matter. Duncan was about to go look for her when there was a sharp pain in the back of his head. He fell...
And everything went black.
.~.~.~.
"It's not your fault."
Duncan didn't answer. He just stared at the mission chair-the one where Ruby usually sat.
"It could have happened to anyone!" Gerdie insisted. "It was just bad luck that it happened to you."
"It's my fault," Duncan said in a low voice. "I should've known. It was so obvious! And if I had just thought about it...even a little bit..." He trailed off.
"Don't say that," Gerdie said quietly, though Duncan knew what she was thinking. The mission was a horrible failure-and now Ruby was gone. It was all his fault. From what the director had told him, Dr. Kveykva had pretended to be a former agent then caught him unawares. She knew what to say because of her earpiece, which transmitted their voices from the comlink to her ears. She was also the one who messed with the GPS tracker with a magnetic pulse from a special device. She then used him as bait to lure the other agents to her. She electrocuted Ruby and fled with her before his teammates could retaliate, though they weren't sure why.
Now Heathcliff refused to talk to him. He wouldn't even meet Duncan's eyes.
Flinch was busy running laps around the school to help him calm down. He was pretty shaken up after the mission.
Gerdie said it wasn't Duncans fault, but her eyes betrayed her.
Duncan took a deep breath. "I'm going to say it, because it's true. I messed up, Gerdie. I messed up very badly. I-"
"GUYS!" Flinch yelled, making both of them jump. He sounded overjoyed. "COME LOOK!"
Duncan jumped to his feet. "Flinch? What's wrong?" He called.
He ran to where his friend's voice was coming from-
And stopped. His mouth hung open in amazement.
"RUBY'S BACK!" Flinch told them excitedly.
"What?" Heathcliff cautiously entered the room. He was too astonished to glare at Duncan.
Indeed, Ruby was standing there, a small smile on her face. She looked tired, yes, and the unmistakable scent of burnt hair clung to her, but she was alive. "Miss me?" She asked, scratching her arm. "Sorry I'm late. I got a little hung up at the police station. Apparently, there's a lot of paperwork involved when you turn a Wanted Criminal in. A lot of paperwork."
Duncan was too flabbergasted to speak. Finally, he got his mouth to move. "How did you escape? I mean, Dr. Kveykva..."
Ruby's smile grew. "It was just a little shock. More like static. But Dr. Kveykva was obviously expecting something bigger, so I played dead and hoped that she would buy it. I needed to take her by surprise. Sorry, but it was the only plan that wasn't doomed to fail."
"And you couldn't let the rest of us in on it?!" Heathcliff yelled. He was fuming with rage. "I thought you were dead! It's not like I don't care about what happens to you, you know!"
Ruby's smile faltered. She blinked slowly and looked down. "Heathcliff...I'm sorry. I had to. It was the only way."
"I'm sure there was another way," Heathcliff sniffed, but he looked less mad. "I missed you..." He said quietly, hoping that no one would hear him.
Gerdie shook her head. "I'm just really glad you're back," she admitted.
Duncan studied his teammates for a second, then took a deep breath. "I...step down."
Every eye turned to him. Some surprised, some confused. Duncan held their gazes firmly. "I got us into a huge mess, and Ruby got us out of it. She's more capable than I am to lead the team."
Ruby hesitated. "Duncan, are you sure?"
Duncan nodded. "I am more than sure."
"In that case..."
"I accept."
I did it.
And I'm not sorry.
LoL,
~Riverstone