"Boobies, there you are, gosh I've been searching everywhere for you….Oh." Phil stopped in a mid sentence, his eyes on the new duck. "Who is this-wait wasn't she here before?"

"Phil, not now," Wildwing growled. He turned to block her from his view, along with Grin and to Wildwing's surprise, Mallory. "She's not in the best of shape," he added quietly.

"Well I can see that," Phil struggled to see over Wildwing's 6ft 2 frame. "What happened to her? She looks like she needs a hospital."

Behind the group, she stared frozen at the weirdly shaped alien speaking to the leader-Wildwing. What kind of planet was this? Phil…what an odd name.

"We were about to ask when you interrupted," Mallory folded her arms.

"Well ask away, I'll keep quiet, hurry up." Phil shooed them to her bedside.

Unconvinced, the trio turned back to the girl in the bed. Wildwing opened his mouth to speak but Mallory nudged him and gestured to her face. With a sigh, he pulled the mask off, deactivating it.

"Um-you've been here about two weeks…" he paused, trying to figure out himself what his point was. "Do you have a name?"

She didn't answer right away. Finally she whispered something. Wildwing strained to hear her. Almost like she knew they hadn't heard her without looking up, she repeated herself. "Airika."

"Okay Airika, do you know how you got here?"

She shook her head.

Wildwing glanced at Mallory for help. She simply stared at him, waiting.

"Well, I've decided to release you from the containment unit. You can have your freedom here." He ignored Mallory's noise of disbelief. "But I have a rule. You aren't allowed within 20 feet of our computer. You'll know it when you see it. If you break that rule, we will return you to the unit and I won't be so lenient."

She didn't act like she heard him. Duke was leaning against the wall, one elbow propped up on his arm. He studied her. She was so broken. Being in the Brotherhood, he knew when he saw a person with a broken spirit. And this girl fit the bill. He looked away.

"She won't be ready to walk around for a few more days." Tanya looked up from a chart.

"She can take as long as she needs."

He's saying that so they don't have to worry about me.

With that the ducks filed out until it was only Tanya, Airika and Duke left. "Are you going to go get ready for the game Duke?"

Duke shot Tanya a glare, one she didn't understand. "And whose gonna be with her to keep her company?"

Tanya flinched a little. "Uh-well-uh, I was thinking we could leave her here, it'll only be a few hours at the most."

Duke tsked. "Tell Wing I'm staying with her."

"Duke-" Tanya began, shocked. "We need you."

"And what do you think she needs?"

Tanya simply watched him, then she clipped Airika's chart back to her bed. "Alright. I'll tell Wing." She glanced at Airika. "I'll be back as soon as the game is over."

Duke stared after her for a few minutes and then drew up a chair next to Airika. "I'll be back in ten minutes, okay?" He clicked on a TV and left the remote by her side before disappearing.

Ten minutes Later

She didn't have long to ponder where he had gone. It hit her he was the one who had given her his blood for the transfusion. Duke, his name is Duke. The hospital room's door opened, granting entrance to Duke, who had a bag in his hand.

"Time to get you acclimated to human food. It takes some getting used to, not gonna lie." He sat down next to her, pulling a table on wheels towards her.

"Why are you doing this?" Even her voice startled her.

He slowed his work of pulling platters out of the bag. Then he shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? You don't pose a threat kid, at least I hope you don't."

She shifted on the bed. "I don't know what threat you are referring to. Is this a test? Are you testing me?"

He stopped again. "Test?" He asked; confusion etched in his tone and his expression. "No, this isn't a test." He laid a platter in front of her. "Who did this to you?"

She knew he was gesturing to her battered face. "I don't remember," she lied. She remembered every punch that landed on her from Siege's bucket sized fists; she just didn't want to acknowledge it to herself and certainly not to Duke.

He dropped it, she was happy he did. They ate in silence. Being away from Lord Dragaunus, the food wasn't terrible. If she pretended enough it almost looked like a Puckworld dish. Almost. The Lord is going to be so angry I'm missing.

"Do you want to watch anything?"

She glanced at him. Is that a joke? She shook her head. He flipped the channel to a game, not just any game, hockey.

"These aliens play hockey?"

Duke grinned, she liked it when he smiled. "Well if I could get away with it, I'd tell you that we created a hockey sensation on this Planet but yes, these aliens play hockey too."

She turned back to the TV, her eyes zeroing in on five players.

"We play professional hockey on the side and help out with crime." He answered her unasked question.

"You're on TV?"

"Most times. Not tonight though…I'm with you."

She considered him for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face. Then she looked down at her food.

"You must have played on Puckworld."

She felt her face redden. "No," she murmured. "I didn't."

"No?" He sat up straighter. "Why not? It was a past time of everyone's as far as I know."

She glanced at him, all traces of any progress he seemed to have made vanishing in her eyes. "I wasn't allowed. I-I wasn't good enough."

He sat back in his chair. "Someone tell you that? Doesn't sound like you talkin' sweetheart."

She clammed up immediately. She said too much already. Stupid, you're stupid. "Thank you for the food." She laid down, turning over so she wouldn't see him. Feeling the tears sliding out of her eyes, she shut them and tried to sleep.

…...

The place where the ducks lived was huge. A few times she got lost, scaring her; but she always wound up in the Rec room where the large master computer Wildwing had warned her against was. Skirting around the device like it was a ticking bomb, she turned and was startled by the fiery red-head of the group-Mallory.

"I wasn't near the computer, I swear." That was it; they were going to throw her back into the containment unit.

"Obviously," Mallory snipped. "I don't think you could throw a ball and hit it from this far away." She sighed, letting her hands fall to her side. "Look, you're new and you look like one of our enemies, I don't trust you."

Airika didn't say anything. She looked like one of their enemies? Lucretia?

"But Wildwing asked me to take you shopping, so here I am. He's lucky I like him."

"But aren't you two together?" It was out before she knew it. Reddening from embarrassment, she looked away.

"I suppose we are," Mallory murmured. "Anyway, come on. Let's get you some clothes."