I don't own the Mighty Ducks.
Mallory paced her cell the next day wanting more then anything to escape. But how? She and Ashley were going into another game today and it would be soon.
"Don't worry Mallory it will be okay." Ashley reassured her from her cell. Mallory smiled at her, happy to have the blond duck with her. Who knows where she would be if she hadn't met Ashley. It seemed like she had been working with Mallory for a long time now. It had to be at least two weeks.
The guards arrived to take them from their cells to the rink. Mallory wasn't feeling good about this today. Her instincts were screaming at her that something was wrong. She felt like an animal backed into a corner and the spears were coming down at her. Whatever this was she would do everything in her power to stop it... but then why did this feel so unstoppable?
Walking out Mallory noticed two things, one the ice was fixed but two, it was pinkish. Blood was stuck in the ice from the Borge that still lay below, the poor creature, rotting in the water. The blood trapped in the ice looked foreboding.
Mallory didn't have much more time to think about it as she was pushed out onto it, once again with no weapons and to make it worse, Ashley's weapons were taken from her. They had nothing to keep them on the offensive just their hand to hand combat skills. Ashley was shoved out onto the ice, she glared at the guards and skated to Mallory.
"They took my weapons. This can't be good." She took in her surroundings worried about what was to come.
Mallory nodded. "Chargg isn't playing around anymore." She looked around as well. Not even bothering to search the crowds for the faces of her team as she did every time before. They were not there.
"We stick together. Not matter what." Ashley grabbed Mallory shoulder and squeezed. Mallory looked at her and nodded, putting her hand over Ashley's. "No matter what."
"WELCOME TO THE DOME!" Chargg yelled out, causing Mallory and Ashley to jump. "It is another special surprise for these two for they will be fighting two of our previous champions. CARNAGE AND BUTCHEEERRRR!" The crowds roared loud at hearing the old champion's names.
"That doesn't sound good." Said Ashley looking around herself. "And it's as if the ice matches their names." She spread her arms out around her.
Carnage and Butcher came out onto the ice and neither were what Mallory and Ashley were expecting. Butcher was was human women who had an assortment of knives all over her. Carnage was a male duck, he walked out almost naked with no weapons on him. He wasn't even wearing skates! The only thing covering him was a strange red liquid that ran around his body like veins. They slithered back and forth like they were alive. It went down around his chest and thickened to cover his privates and legs. What was going on? They kept a good distance from the two female ducks. Carnage facing Mallory and Butcher facing Ashley.
"BEFORE WE START... he neh he. PLEASE DEMINSTRATE YOUR GIFTS CARNAGE AND BUTCHER."
Carnage went first the red liquid around his body began to shift and move, quick as lightening blades of red liquid shot up along his arms and over his shoulders. He then changed it into long whips that he could control with his mind. He slashed at an electric poll with one and cut it in half. Pulling his whips back to him he covered his whole body with the liquid and used it to lift himself into the air. Raising his open palm at them he shot sharp blades for red liquid in front of Mallory and Ashley. The blades stabbed into the ground going in deep, then melting away into little red pools. Looking closely at the liquid, Mallory released what it was. "Blood." She gasped.
Ashley looked at her then back at the puddle. "My stars! Your right!" Ashley looked a little sick from that.
Next went Butcher. The human knew how to handle knives Mallory would give her that. She mostly twilled them in her hands and used them for throwing but she had the ability to call them back to her which was the problem.
After seeing both of their... unique abilities, Mallory and Ashley assessed their situation. They walked to either other and talked it over. "This would not be a problem if we had weapons." Said Ashley.
"So who is taking who?" Said Mallory. They both looked at their opponents and then at each other. Neither wanted Carnage. "Rock paper scissors?" Suggested Ashley. Mallory stared at her a moment and Ashley thought she might reprimand her but Mallory put her fist in.
"One, two, three." Mallory went at three and Ashley went after three. "No your supposed to go after three."
"I did."
"No you didn't you went on three. Let's trying again." Ashley scolded.
"You only want to try again cause I won." Mallory raised her eyebrow.
"No! That's how it's played you go after three."
"Okay one more."
"One, two, three." Looking at their palms Mallory deadpanned at their hands. Why oh why didn't she choose scissors. "I always do this with Nosedive to when it comes to cleaning the dishes and every time I pick rock! I must be as dull as one too since I keep picking it." Mallory had picked rock and Ashley had picked paper.
"Great." Mallory muttered.
Ashley patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get through this."
Mallory smiled. "We will. Don't let her appearance fool you she could have been holding back in that display to trick you into thinking she's not as good as she is." Ashley nodded. "I'll be watching your six Ashley."
"I'll be watcher yours too."
"Alright lets do this together, try not to let them split us up." Both female ducks raised their fist and were in combat stance. The crowds seeing that they didn't have any weapons started booing Chargg.
Mallory laughed to herself. "He's not winning any points tonight."
Chargg stood and raised his hands, the crowd waited to see what he would do. "BEGIN!"
The boos were deafening. Chargg sat back down and clenched his fists.
Carnage attacked first. He grew his blood swords out of the blood on his arms and began slicing and lunging at Mallory. Mallory was quick on her feet today. Her ribs were not hurting her too badly and her wrist was healing despite the fighting. Her stitches no longer bothered her and her shoulder was as if it had never been hurt. All in all she was in the best shape that she had been in since she got here. Mallory was even able to get in a couple of good punches.
Carnage sneered at Mallory, changing tactics once he realized that she was better at hand to hand combat. He changed over to his whips and began attacking from a distance. Keeping Mallory on the offensive. She jumped and dodged his whips, they left deep cuts in the ice where they struck. One caught her on the upper arm cutting through the flesh there, blood flowed down her arm in a little crimson waterfall. People booed harder. Ignoring the cut for now she attempted to get into close combat with him but he wasn't having it.
"Afraid to get near me you coward!" Mallory yelled hoping to get him to get in her face but instead he rose up into the air on a thin column of blood and began firing spears of blood at her. Mallory had to dodge and move behind one of the electric pools to take cover. "Damn this isn't working!"
Over with Ashley things were going at least a bit better, she was able to keep Butcher in close combat and got a lot of good hits in. Butcher's face was frankly looking... butchered, but the human was still up and coming. "You are stubborn I'll give you that!" Said Ashley. Dodging another knife being thrown at her. She slide back and grabbed the knife that had just been in the ground next to her. "Now I have a weapon too."
"No you don't." She felt a pull on the handle and the knife came right out of her hands and back into Butcher's.
"Damn! This is just no fair!" Ashley exclaimed.
"No such thing a fair here bitch." She threw more knives at Ashley who had come up with a plan. "I felt the pull, it came from the handle. If I can remove a handle then I can start using her own knives against her."
Plan in place Ashley waited for Butcher to throw a knife at her. She finally did, Ashley dodged expertly and grabbed the handle. Butcher laughed thinking she was going to try the same thing again but stopped when Ashley snapped the handle off with her foot.
"Oh look at that! You can't pull it back now can you." Ashley stated, waving the knife at the human.
Mallory was still dodging Carnage, she was able to stay fairly close to Ashley but Carnage saw this and was pushing her back. Checking a couple times, Mallory was proud to see the young duck had Butcher on the defensive. She smiled but it didn't last long as she took her eyes off of Carnage for too long. He was behind her before she could dodge and his whips ran down her back, leaving a very long, very painful slash. Blood flowed heavily and Mallory jumped away to try and put distance between them.
Carnage laughed. "Time for the finale." He put his hand on the floor and blood from all corners of the ring flowed to him. Even some of Mallory's that was running down her back. It arched threw the air and flowed into a swirl that was getting bigger and bigger over his head. Mallory gasped realizing how much trouble she was in. He turning it into and tornado behind him ready to move at his command. "Are you ready?" He asked. Mallory made a run for it but he brought his hands over his head and acted as if he was throwing something at her with both hands. The blood shoot forward like a living wave and covered Mallory smashing down her with great force.
Ashley had her opponent backed into a corner. "Well looks like this fight is over." She was about to end it when Butcher laughed. "It certainly is for your friend." Ashley took her eyes off her target and saw Carnage commanding and tornado of blood that was swirling around what she assumed was Mallory. Butcher took her chance to attack, grabbed a knife she slashed at Ashley who dodged just in time and fought her off while trying to see what was happening with Mallory.
"MALLORY TALK TO ME! ARE YOU OKAY?" Ashley cried out for her friend, afraid that she was already dead.
Mallory's body was being whipped around by the blood surrounding her just when she thought she couldn't take it any more. It finally stopped. It clamped down on her and her feet left the ground. Forcing her arms out, the blood held her captive and slowly melted away from her face and neck, not leaving one drop or stain where it had been touching her. Finally she could see the lights of the arena but she was ten feet up in the air, right in front of Carnage, who grinned madly at her. "It's time to let go and stop fighting. Goodbye."
The blood move back up her neck and over her face until ever inch was covered. It wasn't letting her breath. She was suffocating!
All Ashley could see was Mallory's form covered in red her body was held still but her head thrashed back and forth. "What is he doing?" Then she realized what was happening. It had happened to her and Mallory saved her. "He's suffocating her!"
"Took you long enough!" Butcher threw more knives at Ashley, who jumped out of the way.
"I have to help her but if I do then Butcher will cut me down! What do I do!" Ashley thought about it and then she knew. Without a second thought she twisted and threw her knife hard. Her aim was true and it hit Carnage right in the temple. The moment the blade slide into Carnage's head was the moment she felt Butcher's blade pierce her back, too close to her heart.
Suddenly she was falling, Mallory felt the unforgiving ice smack her body as she hit the ground. It hurt bad. Her ribs flared pain up and down her side. "What just happened?" She looked over and was surprised to see Carnage staring lifelessly at her with a blade in his temple. "Ashley."
Mallory stood up and looked over at Ashley, she smiled but it all faded when Ashley went to her knees. Blood dripping from the side of her mouth and Butcher standing over her. "NOOOO!" Mallory race at Butcher with lightening speed. Too fast for Butcher to defend herself. Mallory jumped feet first right into Butcher's sternum and neck, the blades on her skates embedding themselves deep and finally all the way in when Butcher landed on her back with Mallory standing on top of her. The women was dead on arrival when she hit the ground with Mallory weight on her. The blade went clean through her neck and the other destroyed her sternum.
Pulling her skates out of the human that was formerly known as Butcher, Mallory fell to her knees next to Ashley. Tears streaming down her face. "Ashley, your going to be okay. Don't worry." Mallory grabbed her off of the cold floor and held her to her. Cradling Ashley's head in her lap. "GET A MEDIC!" She yelled at the guards, who just stood to the side and watched.
"I'm sorry Mallory. I didn't want you to die." Ashley coughed up blood.
Mallory was trying to hold it together. "You can't die on me either okay. You've got to hold on. Your apart of the resistance now. Your team is going to need you."
Ashley smiled at that. "Tell my family for me. I want them to know." Mallory nodded, she could barely see past her own tears.
"Your going to tell them yourself." She whispered.
Mallory grasped Ashley's hand and held it tight. "Take my dogtags." She was starting to have a harder time breathing. "Your going to get out of here Mallory. Don't stop fighting. Promise me."
Mallory nodded again. "I promise."
"Thank you Mallory." Ashley's eyes went dull and the light in her faded. When her last breath left her Mallory broke. "No you can't leave. We were going to go shopping together. Your were going to be a part of the resistance." She whimpered, tears flowing down her bill onto Ashley's face.
All was silent in the dome until the female mallard's anguished cry rose into the air. She screamed her agony out while clutching onto her deceased friend. Rocking her back and forth as if holding a child. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The crowds were silent as they watched the breaking heart of the young warrior before them. There would be no celebrations tonight, no drinks to toast with, no food to make merry over. Tonight they saw this game from what it was. Cruel murder.
…..
AN: Wow this chapter was emotional to write! Let me now if anyone felt at all attached to Ashley and if I did a good job developing her character. I was sad that I killed her off but this is an Angst. My first augst actually.
Big thank you to FishyFloat! I'm so glad you like my stories! It' good to hear that they are being read and that there had been improvement in my writing! For while I thought nobody actually liked them and was thinking about quitting but you have spurred me on! I really appreciate your review! Thanks again! Big hugs! :D