Okay, so last chapter wasn't too bad... right? This one doesn't really have anything except... well... without giving too much away; a creepy lady in a store, and the rise of the ultimate climax! So... just stick with it. Again, I know its long... but it flows!

Warnings and Headsup!

1) this story does contain mention of abuse, and full out present day abuse. It got a little detailed in one of the chapters and though nothing is stated specifically, for those of you who are smart enough to know what 2+2 is... you'll be able to understand where the train of thought was going. I will mark which chapters are the bad ones... If you skip... you wont really miss anything important, just an awesome rescue attempt!

2) this gets depressing and a little dark... but it comes out cheerful and rainbow and butterflies in the end, I promise!

3) THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY! Duke does NOT fall in love with the OC and the OC does NOT fall in love with him! Sorry if I've made it sound like it was going in a different direction.

4) its not that good at the end... but like my last story... it gets better as it goes on I promise!

5) It may seem that my OC has a few things to realize before this is all said and done... and there are... I've tried to keep it organized... but if you have trouble basically she needs to gain self-confidence, trust, and a belief that there are heroes out there who wont fail her... kinda ties in with the whole trust thing...

6) THE END NOW READ!

Ch. 4: Making friends

Wildwing and Nosedive walked sleepily out of their room and into the kitchen where Mallery, Grin, and Tanya sat eating breakfast.

"Morning." Wildwing yawned as he walked over to the frige to get some milk. "Anyone else up yet?"

"They are not in their rooms." Grin said. "I wanted to check on them. They had an emotional time last night, but when I went to them, they weren't there."

"That's weird." Nosedive said. "Duke would never just get up and leave. I don't know about Polly, but I doubt it."

"I don't." Mallery said. "She doesn't trust us."

"She doesn't trust anyone, Mallery." Wildwing said. "But I agree. Finish eating and then we'll go check. But if Duke's gone too, then he's probably with her which means she's safe for now."

After they finished they went up to the stadium and when they walked out to the spectator box, they froze.

"Found them." Nosedive said, smilling.

Polly was skating back and forth on the ice, slamming the puck into both nets. Mallery, Grin, and Nosedive looked impressed with how well she was doing after yesterday's fall.

"Wow, look at her go!" Nosedive said excitedly as Polly made an excellent goal.

Duke was sitting a few rows down from where they stood, watching Polly skate.

"Hey." Wildwing said. "You scared us."

"Sorry, Wildwing. She scared me." Duke said, sliding a few seats over so the others could sit with him. "I went to see if she was alright, after last night's break down, I was a little worried. But she was gone when I checked, and I thought she had ran. But then I found her up here, trying to skate. She doesn't know I'm watching her."

"How'd she get so good?" Nosedive asked. "Yesterday, she could barely stand."

"She just kept working at it. Every time she fell, she just got back up." Duke explained with admeration in his voice. "Hey, listen." he suddenly looked a little uneasy.

"What is it?" Wildwing asked, looking concerned.

"She... she has good reason for not opening up to people right away. And she's had it extremely rough right from the start. Could..." he looked at Mallery and Tanya beseachingly. "Could you girls take her out and try to show her that we care?"

"Duke, you do know that she wants to go back." Wildwing said, getting scared that he was getting a little too attached to their guest. But Duke just shook his head.

"That's just the thing, she doesn't. She's all alone in her own world. She needs to know that there are people who want her; who'll except her." he looked again at the femail ducks. "Please?"

"What do we do?" asked Tanya who had just as much experience of 'girl time' as Nosedive.

"Take her out to the mall, shopping, go out to lunch, get your hair and nails done, do something that girls do. Try to get her to see that she can belong." Duke said. It was obvious that he had given it some thought. "She needs this. You have no idea how little she thinks of herself."

They all sighed.

"You realize that where this will help she will still have the anger and resentment that can still destroy her." Grin said.

Duke nodded. "But you can help with that, right? I mean, you can get to her and help her come to terms with her past."

"She will have to want to open up to me and then exept my help. You can pass the puck to a player, but it is their choice to score."

Duke nodded.

"What?" Nosedive asked, looking confused.

"I can not make her listen." Grin said.

"Sure you can. Just strap her down and talk." Nosedive argued.

"Hearing words and listening to them are two different things." Grin said. "But I see your point, Duke."

"Well I don't." said Mallery. "What if some of that anger and resentment comes at us? Shouldn't Grin take a whack at her before..."

"No." Duke said. "She needs to feel like she can trust us before she can open up. I had to make all the first moves last night before she talked."

Mallery and Tanya looked at each other. Mallery had an idea what to do, but Tanya looked completely lost.

"I'll do all the planning and most of the talking on this one." Mallery told her and Tanya looked releaved.

"How long as she been out here?" Wildwing asked, apparently he wasn't going to try and argue against what his team mates had decided.

"I came out here around 7:30 and she looked like she was just getting the hang of skating. She grabbed the puck right after I sat down." Duke said.

"Let's get her off the ice. I doubt she's eaten, and it's already a quarter to 9:00." Wildwing said.

I looked up when I heard footsteps. All the ducks were watching me. Actually they took me by surprise and I lost my balance.

"Aww, you were doing so good." Nosedive said, walking out with Grin. They helped me up, and led me to the others.

"Polly, have you even eaten yet?" Wildwing asked, unmasked concern in his voice. I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.

Duke looked at me, and I could sense his expression. "You are no cyclopse." His words rang in my head, as I took a deep breath.

"W-Wildwing." I stammered.

"Yes?" he was helping me up into the box where I could take my skates off. "I'm sorry."

"For not eating breakfast? That can be fixed." he said sounding a little bewildered.

"No, no. Not for that. It's just..." I took another deep breath. "Polly, isn't my real name."

"What is it?" Wildwing asked. He didn't torture me about not giving them my real name, which stunned me.

"Kath-Kathlene." I stammered. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you right off... I was just... after you helped me get away from those guys and after the kindness you've shown me, I figure I should repay you with letting you know my real name. It's the least I can do."

He clapped a feathered hand on my sholder. "Kathlene, we understand. It's okay. Now why don't we just get you something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry after scoring all those goals." he smiled kindly at me.

I blushed. "You saw that?"

"You bet we did!" Nosedive exclaimed. "You were unbelievable out there girl!"

I smilled weakly at him. "Thanks." I said softly.

I walked with them back to the 'headquarters' and to the kitchen where Nosedive started naming off all what they had. "I can fix you up something big if you're really hungry." he offered and I couldn't help but feel like that would be highly unecessary.

"No, no. Thank you, but... do you have any bagles?"

"My kind of breakfast." Mallery said. "I suppose you want cream cheese with that?"

I nodded. "But, I can eat something else if..." she cut me off.

"Bagles it is. How many you want?"

I stared at her then smiled. "Just one please."

As I was eating one of the best bagles I've had in a long time, Mallery was making sugestions on what we could do.

"I was thinking of taking you to the mall and getting you some clean closes to wear." she said looking at the pair of frayed and ripped jeans, oversized black t-shirt and pealing converse sneakers I had on.

"Oh, you don't have to..." I started. I didn't want them spending any more money on me, they had already paid for a dinner that I intended to pay back as soon as I got a job. I was plaining on searching for a job and hotel that day. So I wouldn't be burdening them any longer then need be. I wasn't even thinking of the fact that dragon breath might still be after me.

"Nonsence." she replied. "Besides, you might be staying here a while and we can't just let you wear the same thing every day. We can even pick you up a few nick-nacks to keep you busy." she smiled at me, and something told me that arguing with her would be fruitless. I sighed, then nodded and took another bite of my bagle.

"Tanya's going to join us. Is that okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked, surprised that Mallery was asking me. If the duck needed to go to the mall... well, as far as I knew I was still in a free country. Even if it was in a different universe, or world, or demention, or what ever it's called.

Mallery handed me a helmet as she led me to a back room where all their vehicles were.

"Hop on." she said gestering for me to sit behind her on a motorcycle. Putting the helmet on I swung my leg over the seat. "Hold on tight." she said and reved the bike. We shot forward. I redubbled my grip and put my head down. The speed, the force of power, it was a little more then I was used to. Tanya was right behind us.

It only took us a few minutes to get to the mall. At the speed we were going, I was surprised that we hadn't been pulled over.

"We're here." Mallery said, pushing the kick-stick (at least I think that's what its called) down, parking the bike.

I looked up. To my delight I could read a sign that made it perfectly clear, there was a comcic book store.

Laughing at my expression, Mallery said, "That's comic books."

"Cool." I whispered before I could stop myself.

She stared. "You read comcic books?"

I felt my face go hot. "I like looking at the pictures." she laughed. "Well, after we get you some new clothes we can go in if you want." I looked at her.

"Really?" I said, trying to hide my excitement.

"Sure, I need to pick up a request from Nosedive anyways." She laughed again as she led me to some store that looked like JC Pennies. There I tried on a bunch of jeans, and looked at alot of shirts. Mallery let me get some t-shirts and denem vests, and some new sneakers, but then she dragged me over to the more girly looking clothes.

"You'll need some of these. You never know when you're going to need them." she informed me. I looked a little uncofortable as she tossed a small skirt and strapless top at me. "You'll probably only need one or two outfits like this." she explained. "But they come in handy for under cover work."

"Under cover?" I repeated.

"Yeah. I had to crash this one party 'cause we had gotten word that the host was in danger." she said. "I hated every minute of it."

Tanya had looked just as uncomfortable as I did when we were in the clothes shop. Mallery had made her buy some 'girly' clothes too, saying that the two of us needed to get intouch with our femine side.

After we bought the clothes, and after I stopped stamering my thanks, we decided to go out to eat before we looked around for 'nick-nacks' that would keep me busy. While we did that, Tanya said she needed to get some more tools or equipment or something, and headed off to her favorite electronic store. Mallery led me through the mall, talking to me about her favorite kind of music, movies, books... weapons. She asked what I liked and I told her I prefered ulternative rock, action, fantasy, and as for weapons...

"I like things that BOOM, but I'm even more in love with blades." I told her as we walked on.

"You should talk to Duke then." she told me. "That's all he uses unless he has no other choice." We passed some store with meditation christals in the desplay window. "Oh, do you mind if we stop here? Grin needs more... whatever he uses to keep intouch with his 'inner peace'." Mallery said, stopping me.

"No." I said and fallowed her inside. I had to immideately cover my face, the thick smell of insense hit me like a speeding truck. It seemed like forever we were in there. I decided to look around while Mallery checked the slip of paper Grin had given her with the names of whatever he needed. There were alot of pretty christals and a varioty of sented candles and insense. I was examining a particularly gorgious blue christal when one of the workers approached me.

"Let me help you." the woman said kindly.

"That's okay, I'm just looking... but I think my friend might need help." I pointed to Mallery who I was sensing was getting very irritated. She kept walking up and down the isles and examining every inch of every shelf muttering darkly to herself. I thought about what I had just said. "friend"? When did she go from aquantence, to friend?

"Let me help you." the woman said again.

"I just said I'm just looking." I said again, wondering if the lady was hard of hearing.

"You need to come to terms with your inner troubles, or they will tear you apart." she told me. I backed away.

"I'm sorry." I said. "But I don't have any inner troubles. I'm perfectly fine, thank you anyways."

She grabbed my wrist as I tried to turn and walk away.

"Make peace with your enemies and you will be amazed at how clear you will be able to look at your life. You might even be able to find what you are looking for."

Before I could respond, Mallery turned the corner. "Dark blue healing christals?" she muttered. "All I see are purple healing christals. And where the hell is the sea breaze lotion for-" she looked closer at the paper. "Bringin out your inner tranquility? I swear I'm never agreeing to come here again. If he needs this stuff then he can come himself and get it." She looked up and saw that the lady had a hold on me and that I was about two seconds away from probably getting arrested for assult. "Hey!" she said walking forward. The woman released my wrist and backed off, walking into the back of the store. "Did she hurt you?" Mallery asked in concern as I stood there, shaking with shock. I shook my head.

Mallery went up to pay for the little she was able to find, complaining to the casheer how disorganized and messed up she thought the store was, while I walked out side to clear my head. I was going to have to talk to that over sized entre the moment we got back to The Pond.

"Kat, are you sure you're okay? You look extremely psycted, and not in the good way." Mallery asked as we walked on.

"I'm fine Mallery, honest. That woman just gave me the kreeps that's all." I flashed, what I hoped was a convincing smile, at her and she decided to drop it.

We came to a store that had, what I concidered, very interesting things out in the desplay case. I ran in before Mallery could stop me.

"Wow." I gasped as I saw every sized sword, dagger, pocket knife you could think of. I even saw different kinds of swords, broad, sabers, twin, sais. All there. They also had bow and arrow kits, a few hand guns, a collection of neetly carved staffs and some of those upgraded metalic staffs that can contract into an ideal storage size.

"Kat?" Mallery called. I was by the staffs.

"Mallery, look at all this." I said. I could not supress the awe in my voice. She smiled a little.

"Pick out a couple that you like." she told me.

"What?"

"We can't have you going around un protected." she told me. "You never know when Dragonis and his goons'll come after you. Or what tricks they'll use. If I were you, I'd get a sword and a staff."

"Can I get a bow and arrow kit too?"

"Can you use one?" I nodded. "Okay, pick 'em out and then we'll get you practicing on how to use them." she smiled and went over to wait at the counter as I browsed, trying out different weapons, trying to find ones that felt right to me.

When we left that place it was a little after 3:00pm.

"Should we fetch Tanya and hed back?" I asked Mallery.

"Sounds good to me. But I thought you wanted to go and get some comics."

I had almost forgotten about that place. What with the the creepy lady in the meditation store, and the overwhelming sight of all those weapons, I just felt whipped and uncomprehensible.

We whent to the electonic store where Tanya was still at, talking to a couple of other people who I guessed were other regular costomers.

"Yo Tanya!" Mallery called out. "We're leaving!"

"Coming!" Tanya called back.

We started walking back to the motorbikes. I was wondering how I was going to carry all of the packages and still hold on to Mallery when she stired me into the commic book store.

"Huh, that's funny." Mallery said. "The two weirdos who normally run this place aren't here."

She went over to a shelf and grabbed the newest addition of whatever commic Nosedive had requested. I walked up and down the isles and almost fainted from the sight of ALL of the best DC commics in the world. I decided I'd only get two, seeing how each book was only 50 cents.

Mallery paid for the commics, handing a smiling short blonde haired girl who said she was the sister of the manager who was out of town until the next week.

I was processing the whole day of spending time with Mallery and Tanya. How weird, yet nice, it was to actually of had a social experience. And they didn't treat me any different. They didn't fuss over me to stay close. Well, they did a little but that was 'cause they were constantly on their guard, looking out for Dragonis's goons. But for once, I was being, or at least it felt like I was being, excepted, for me. As we walked to the bikes, laughing about something that the manager of that electonic store Tanya was in had said, my almost perfect day was blasted.

"Hey, who's that?" I asked as a figure leaning against one of our bikes came into view.

"Hey you! Get away from there!" Tanya shouted running towards the figure who, morphed? I froze. It was that little grin guy, the one who had been shooting at me when the ducks came to my rescue.

"Chameleon!" Mallery shouted, dropping her bags and yanking out a small gun.

"Hey! Hey! Hold your fire Sweetheart!" the lizard croaked out, raising his hands to sholder hight. Tanya pulled me close and put a protective arm around me.

"What do you want lizard lips?" she asked, pointing her bracelet thingy at him.

"I just have a message for you ducks, that's all." he squeeked.

"Then give it to us." snarled Mallery, her gun still pointing at him.

"Dragonis wants to make amends. He says he can get the girl back home, it just takes a little effort on your part." an evil, slimy smile twisted on his face. "We found balerium christals on the outskirts of Nigeria. If you go get them for us, then the little brat can go home."

I thought about it. Home, where you're constantly ignored? Where you're just used and abused? Do you want to go back? A voice rang in my head.

"What... what if I don't want to go back?" I asked him.

"Then..." he trailed off, thinking. "Let me get back to you on that one." he said, then vannished.

"Err. That's so annoying!" Tanya yelled.

"What are balerium christals?" I asked.

"There a rare christal that can power Dragonis's ship." Tanya explained, leading me over to her bike, she still had her arm around me. "And if his ship is powered, then he can take over the world."

"Well, he certainly has big ambissions, doesn't he." I said, thinking of his tall figure and cold voice. "I'm guessing he wouldn't be one of those nice rullers who remembers everyone's birthday?"

"You guessed right." Tanya said shortly. "We have to get you back to The Pond right away. Mallery, push that blue botton on your bike."

Mallery obeyed and a small basket poped out on the back. We piled the packages in it and with in minutes, were hurring into the stadium.

I'm sorry... but I CAN'T STAND Chameleon! He's... just plain creepy! Anyhow... it gets better... some of Kat's past comes back to haunt her in the next chapter so keep reading! And... R&R plz!