Ch. 13: Family
A month had passed since Duck had woken up. It turned out that he had suffered some memory loss. He couldn't remember where his room was or how to work some of the machinery; but after about a week it all came back and he was once again back in his right mind, well, almost anyways. He had taken to sneaking off to the simulator whenever he thought no one was looking, trying to use his powers and 'get stronger'. The first time he had done this Tech found him passed out on the floor, the illusion of a burning building behind him. Obviously he had failed at whatever mission he had been trying to carry out. Since then Ace refused to leave Duck on his own for more than five minutes. He made sure that Slam or Lexi or someone was with him at almost all times.
Rev was out of his bandages, but Tech was still hesitant on doing anything with him until he was sure Rev was up to or close to his 'normal' speed again. He was working with him for an hour everyday to try and regain strength in his legs and arms again. Tech himself would join in on the training, making sure that his magnetic powers and regeneration powers were working fine. Only Duck was forbidden to use his powers. This did not help his mood at all.
"And so what? You guys are just going ta write me off as damaged goods and kick me out or something?" he roared at Ace when the leader once again stopped him from going down to the simulator. "How the fucking hell am I supposed to get stronger or anything if I just around on my ass all day?"
"Duck, no one else got t'eir head smashed into a wall and suffered a molecular energy blast like ya did. T'eir injuries weren't as bad as ya's." Ace explained wearily. "Ya need ta heal a little more before da docs'll let ya even start throw'n eggs again, let alone teleport'n."
Duck grumbled darkly to himself as he stomped off to his room. Ace watched, unnerved, after him. Lexi came up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ace turned to look at her.
"He'll be fine. He's just a little bitter, that's all." She said soothingly.
"Yeah, but I can't help but fear d'at he t'inks we really mean ta replace 'im. We won't let 'im use his powa's, won't let 'im do any heav'n lift'n or not'n, he really is just sitt'n round here do'n not'n on our orda's. Can ya blame 'im for feel'n like d'at?" Ace asked her, looking pleadingly into her face, wanting her to agree with him.
"No, you can't." she admitted. "But you also have to take in his health as a factor. Say we do let him go ahead and start training again, what do you think would happen to him then? We'd lose him for real, Ace, and you know that." She kissed his shoulder before walking off. He turned and raced after her.
Duck stood behind the corner, listening to what they had been saying. Tears of anger and frustration welled up in his eyes. Why couldn't he have been given Tech's healing powers or something? Why was he always the dead weight around here? If it wasn't one thing, it was another. He squeezed his eyes tightly and turned around, ready to go lock himself in his room and have a decent cry. But he had scarcely taken five steps when he ran straight into a huge, brown barrier. He looked up, clutching his bill tightly in pain and found Slam looking down at him, his arms crossed and a look of sympathy on his face.
"Come to sing to the quire as well?" Duck muttered as he tried to side step the devil who was blocking his path. "I know, I know, I can't use my powers. I need ta rest, I get it already. Just let me go back to my room where I can't be in anyone's way, will ya?" he said as more tears threatened to overflow.
Slam, who was in his 'lay back' clothes (a white t under a denim vest, jeans and brown hiking boots) shook his head. "(I'm taking you out.)" he said with a small smile.
"Out where?" Duck asked sulkily.
"(I figured we'd go to an abandon shed and train a little.)" Slam said with a conspiratorial look in his eye.
Duck looked up at him stunned. "Really?" he whispered back.
"(Go get changed, so the others'll think I'm just taking you out for ice cream or something.)" Slam grumbled with a small smile and watched as Duck hurried past him to do as he was told.
Ace was holding Lexi tightly. They were in his room, lying on his bed. She was in his lap and he was kissing her passionately. When they broke apart she froze.
"What is it?" he asked, concerned that she was having a relapse of her fear. She was getting better, but would still sometimes push him away, unable to continue do to her memory of her stepfather being on top of her. But that didn't seem to be the case this time.
"I think Slam and Duck are back." She said, listening hard. "And I think something's wrong."
They hurried out of the room and met up with Slam and Duck in the main living area. Slam was supporting Duck who seemed to be unconscious.
"Slam, what happened ta 'im?" Ace demanded as he rushed forward to help the devil carry Duck over to the sofa and laid him down.
"(He just collapsed.)" Slam grumbled. "(He wasn't using his powers, we were just using our fists…he was doing really well until all of a sudden he just fell. I didn't even touch him I swear.)" Slam was grumbling desperately, trying to make them understand.
Ace sighed heavily. "Slam, buddy, t'is is why da docs told 'im he couldn't train yet. His body jus' can't handle it right nows." He explained, trying not to get frustrated. Lexi had run out of the room the moment she saw Duck and was now running back in with Tech who hurried to Duck's side. He checked Duck's pulse and opened an eye, checking their dilation.
"Well?" Ace asked anxiously as Tech finished his examination.
"He's out cold, but other than that it doesn't seem like anything's seriously wrong with him, nothing we need to rush him to the hospital for anyways. Although I think he should remain in bed for the next day or two to recover from whatever the hell he was doing." Tech said, using his thumb and forefinger to rub stress out of his eyes. "Slam, why?"
Slam looked down, filled with shame. "(I couldn't bare seeing him like that…I thought as long as he didn't use his powers he'd be okay. I just wanted him to feel like he was improving and stuff.)" he mumbled, shifting his feet awkwardly.
"You're-heart-was-in-right-place-Slam." Rev said, walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"But he needs to rest now. That's what's best for him, not training." Lexi said. "It's not like we're undermanned or anything at the moment, since those six ass holes have been down for the count, the city's relevantly safe for the time being. You, me and Ace have been able to keep mayhem down well enough, and so there's plenty of time for him to just relax and heal. That way when we do need him, which I know we will, he'll be able to really help us. Understand?"
Slam nodded. "(Sorry.)" he mumbled.
"You're okay, big guy." Ace told him. "Come on, help me get him back to his room."
Two days later, Duck woke up to find himself starving and strapped to his bed. He struggled but to no avail. He thought about quaking out of his bonds, but just as this thought entered his mind Lexi walked in.
"Oh no you don't." she said sternly. "Do you want to pass out for another 48 hours? I'll get you free, hang on." And with that she took to releasing him from his bonds.
"What the hell is this, Lexi?" he snapped at her.
"Your little training session with Slam went awry." She explained, not pausing in what she was doing. "You passed out and we thought it would be beneficial if we made sure that you stayed put for longer than a few hours. Turns out we really didn't need to seeing as how you're just now waking up, but you know, better safe than sorry." She finished freeing him and he sat up, looking at her.
"You didn't have to bind me to my bed." He said gruffly.
"Well, given your track record, Duck, we kinda did." She sat down next to him. "You know we just want to see you get better, right? And you know that the only way you can heal, and heal fast, is by doing what you're supposed to…or not doing what you're not supposed to as the case may be." She said calmly. "We're not trying to put you down or anything, we know what you can do. You can do things not even Ace or Tech can…but in order to continue doing those things, you have to rest and heal first, okay. So please, no more trying to push it. You don't have to prove anything you haven't already." She smiled and gave him a hug before jumping up and holding out a hand. "Come on, I bet you're starving. Actually, I know you are, I can barely hear myself think over your stomach growling. I think Slam's making dinner, if you're interested."
Raising an eyebrow, Duck took her hand and allowed her to help him up off his bed. He followed her down the hall way towards the kitchen and along the way they ran into Ace who was coming out of his room.
"Duck!" he said with a wide smile. "Glad ta see ya up on ya feet again."
Duck nodded and gave a week smile. "Glad to be back on my feet, Ace." He whispered.
Dinner was good, spaghetti with meatballs, Duck's favorite. He knew Slam had fixed it to try and apologize for pushing him to far the other day, but Duck wouldn't hear of it.
"Slam, I was the one who wouldn't listen, it was no one's fault but my own. Besides, you couldn't knock me out if you tried."
Slam laughed a little at hearing that Duck was starting to sound like his old self again. After they ate they all gathered around for a movie.
"What'll it be, Duck?" Ace asked looking over at him.
"Why ya ask'n me?" Duck asked confused.
"Well, it's your turn." Ace reminded him. "Slam picked out the last one and so it's your turn to pick one out."
"Oh…right." Duck said. He looked over at the shelf of movies then back at the others. "Wanna watch a horror film?" he asked evilly.
"Don't even joke, Duck." Ace said as Lexi and Rev squeaked and put on identical looks of panic. Tech put an arm around Rev's shoulders and Ace put his around Lexi's.
"All right, all right. It was just a question." Duck mumbled as he met Slam's eyes and saw that he had a similar look of fear on his face as well. To be honest, Duck wasn't in the mood for a horror either, he just wanted the satisfaction of being able, for once, to mess with them instead of the other way around. He let his eyes scan the shelf until they landed on a perfect one. Not too scary, not to lovy-dovy, just the right amount of action. Yes, this was the ultimate movie choice!
Close to three hours later, They all stretched and yawned. It was late and they all, even Duck who had slept for two days straight, were starting to get pretty tired.
"Well, d'at was certainly excit'n ta watch." Ace said as Duck returned The Dark Knight to it's case.
"Yeah-Duck-what-made-you-choose-that-one?" Rev asked a little sleepily as rested his head on Tech's shoulder.
Duck shrugged. "I guess cause this was the movie where he realized he wasn't the hero the city needed or something, it just felt…appropriate." He mumbled.
"Duck, ya the hero we need, don't let anyone, includ'n ya own messed up thoughts, tell ya any different." Ace told him sternly.
Duck looked up at him. "I know." He whispered. "I'm really sorry for the way I've been acting and feeling lately you guys. I try not to feel this way, I really do…it's just…I don't know. I just know you guys could do a lot better, you know, have a team member a lot better than me…I guess I'm to the point where I accept you want me, I just don't know why." He was looking at the DVD cover in his hands now, unable to meet any of their gazes.
Lexi knelt down in front of him. "Does it matter why?" she asked him quietly. "All that should matter is that we want you, we need you. And I know Zadavia's told you the same thing. You're a good fighter, Duck, and a good friend. Why would we not want you?" she gently took the DVD from his grip and gave him a hug.
"Hey, buddy." Ace said clapping him on his shoulder. "I honestly don't know why ya feel'n t'ese t'ings, but ya gotta get ova d'em. We ain't eva gonna hurt ya or not'n and we know ya belong here so ya ain't gotta worry bout us kick'n ya out or not'n."
Tech gently removed Rev's head from his shoulder and walked over to Duck and looked him straight in the eye. "Go and get some sleep, Duck. You've had it rough the last few weeks and you really, now, just need to go and think through a few things, okay?" he put out his hand and Duck, nodding a little, took it, allowing Tech to help him up off the floor.
They all watched him exit the room, staggering a little from exhaustion.
"Ya t'ink he's eva gonna get ova t'is?" Ace asked Tech quietly.
"He's already getting over it, chief." Tech told him. "He's just having a hard time realizing it."
As he pulled his covers up over his shoulder, Duck thought. He thought about how they all were fussing over him to rest up and heal. He thought of how they had all reached out their hands to him, showing him that he was wanted. He thought about his feelings of mistrust towards them. Why did he have them? The memory of the dream he had experienced while under that damn fear serum came rushing back. But that was all bull. He thought. They don't think I'm useless or dead weight or anything like that. They want me around, they need me around. They said that I'm a good attribute to the team, and look at what you were able to do. You saved them. No worthless dead weight could have done that. So why was he still angry with them? Maybe it wasn't that he was angry or mistrustful to them, maybe he was angry and mistrustful towards himself. But why? Maybe because he couldn't see what they saw? Maybe because he, himself, still felt worthless. But you're not. You're fucking Danger Duck, of the fucking Loonatics for God sakes. That says quite a lot about you already. The others see it, you know they do, so open your damn eyes and see it too. You're not worthless, you've proven that how many times now?
Finally he smiled to himself as his eyes closed. Yes, he wasn't sure, but he thought he could start to see it. He was a member of the best crime fighting team in the whole damn galaxy, and if that was good enough for the others, then he supposed it would be good enough for him as well. After all, they were his family, so why shouldn't he believe them when they say they wanted and needed him?
There ya go Duck! See he's got a good head on his houlders after all! now the last chpater...whaat you've all been looking forward to and suffering through tis horrible story to get to! read on and let me know how I did!