ANAHEIM MALL

Mallory didn't know what to think when Airika nearly jumped out of her skin over the automatic sliding door at the mall. She waited in between the two while the girl simply stared at the doors opening and closing, wide eyed.

"Oh for heaven's sakes, it's not going to eat you." She reached out and grabbed Airika, pulling her into the mall. "So, do you have anything in mind that you'd like to wear?"

Airika casted her eyes down at herself, she was wearing an old pair of pants that Mallory hoped would fit the girl. Apparently she was skinnier than previously thought as they hung on her and an equally baggy- ass sweatshirt. "This is fine…" She whispered.

Mallory raised an eyebrow. "The hell it is." She sighed. "Fine, we'll browse around."

The two wandered the first level and then meandered to the second level. As they passed a hair salon, Mallory glanced at her charge's head. The girl's hair was atrocious, matted and dull. "Come on." She towed her inside.

….

Every so often Mallory peeked over the edge of her magazine to see how the hairdresser was coming along. At first the pink hair dyed girl simply stared at Airika's head, most likely thinking what the hell and from her expression was attempting to ignore the battered state of the girl. But then she started to work at the mats, ignoring all else, earning soft whimpers from her client. Thirty minutes stretched into an hour and then an hour and a half. Sighing, Mallory threw her magazine into the chair next to her and got up, leaving the salon. She wandered around the second floor, every once in a while checking on Airika whose hairdresser was still in a battle over her hair. It wasn't until noon chimed from the food court and she found a decent store for clothes that she returned to the salon.

Airika was sitting in her abandoned chair, her hair was dry from poor maintenance but matt-free, flowing over her shoulders in a feathered style. She really was pretty if she could lose the look of sadness on her face. Of course she is, she looks like that damn traitor….

Mallory paid and thanked the women for taking on the daunting task and hurried Airika over to the store.

"Do you like this?" She held up a sleeveless top.

Airika bobbed her head silently.

Mallory sighed, "you don't."

"I'm sorry…I know you're trying." Airika looked almost terrified.

Mallory shrugged, "no need to apologize. You can't hide behind oversized sweatshirts and baggy pants though."

Airika looked away to a summery skirt. Mallory tilted her head, watching her. "Do you want it?"

The girl let go of it immediately and shook her head; she quickly wandered off. Malloy rolled her eyes. What ever happened to this girl, she was a frickin basket case. She took the skirt off the rack and hid it in her basket.

In the end, Mallory managed to get Airika to pick out seven different outfits, along with shoes. It had been tough but silently, Mallory was satisfied. "Well we'll get something to eat and then go home."

Airika waited at a table while Mallory ordered two sandwiches; on second thought, she added a side of macaroni and cheese. Best fatten the girl up, she was a stick.

They ate in silence, Mallory watching her every once in a while. No surprise Airika inhaled the food before Mallory was even done with her sandwich.

"So do you have any siblings?"

Airika glanced away from the indoor carousel. "A sister."

Mallory tried hard not to narrow her eyes. I knew it. "I come from a family of all boys… What's her name?"

Airika didn't answer; instead she turned the tables, fast. "You said I looked like an enemy of yours…what did they do?"

Mallory paused in a mid drink, slightly taken back. She hadn't expected that. "Stole from us and aided another enemy. She betrayed us to him… leading us into a trap that almost killed us. We would have died if Tanya didn't rescue us."

Airika watched her with an unreadable expression, and then she said, "Lucretia…my sister is Lucretia DeCoy."

…

"Her sister is Lucretia DeCoy…I told you we couldn't-"

Wildwing put a hand up. "Let's hear her side of the story."

"I don't care for her side," Mallory griped.

"I do. And as leader of this team, it's in the fine print that I stay objective." Wildwing took a step towards his irate better half. "Listen, Mal, just hear her out. She doesn't seem to pose a threat, she's beaten down if anything."

Mallory sighed. "Fine. Let's go.

Wildwing smiled, touching her cheek. "We'll be alright."

Mallory took his hand in hers. "I know."

…

The two walked into the Rec room where Nosedive was sitting diagonal to Airika, staring at her with an odd look on his face. Tanya noticed and reached around Grin to poke him, giving him a I-don't-think-so look.

Wildwing glanced at a not-so-keen Mallory and then Duke who was lounging in the shadows, acting as if he wasn't bothered by the recent revelation, maybe he wasn't Wildwing didn't know. Then he turned his gaze to the girl-Airika.

"I think you owe us an explanation."

She looked up at him for a split second and then back at her hands.

"I don't think she owes us anything Wing, she ain't Lucretia, obviously," Duke said hotly.

"Stow it L'Orange," Mallory snapped. Then she turned to Airika. "Start by telling us how you look exactly like her minus the hair."

Airika simply started at her like she was nuts. "She's my sister."

"So plastic surgery."

"No." For the first time, her tone changed, almost annoyed. "She's my twin."

"Twin?" Tanya sounded fascinated. "But-uh-we don't have twins…."

"Ducks who mate with ducks don't have twins," Airika murmured. "Our father wasn't a duck."

"Raptrin," Duke muttered from his spot in the shadows. Airika nodded.

"Alright." Mallory recovered faster than the others from the shock. "How'd you get here?"

Airika fiddled with her fingers. "I've been here a long time. I don't know how long because I've never been outside the Raptor before now."

"You've been on the Raptor this whole time?" Wildwing repeated stunned. "Dragaunus has been here almost a year like us."

"I guess. I'm his property."

Malory folded her arms. "What did he do, catch you when DeCoy got here?"

"Lu gave me to him on Puckworld." Airika whispered.

Wildwing felt his stomach flip. What kind of person would give their sibling over to someone like Dragaunus? Airika reached down to her booted foot, prompting Mallory's hand to fall on her weapon. But the girl merely took it off and then her sock. She raised her foot so that Wildwing could see the sole. Tattooed on her foot was a Saurian inscription that glowed neon green.

"It's a tracer. He knows I'm here. And it says property of the Overlord."

"Tanya." The blonde duck snapped to attention. "What would it take to get that out?"

"Don't bother."

Wildwing glanced back at Airika. "It'll cripple me if you try to take it out. It's called hectate, it's in every fiber of my foot. To get it out would be to amputate my entire leg, possibly more."

Angered that his every option except turning her out was being thwarted, Wildwing rubbed his beak. But he wasn't going to do that. Dragaunus was toying with them without even being here! He wanted Wildwing to kick her ass out on the curb and he wasn't going to give Dragaunus what he wanted.

"Well, if you want to you can stay here with us."

Airika silently watched him. "I don't expect-"

"Don't." Wildwing put up a hand. "It's no problem Airika. We have a few extra rooms that can be easily turned into bedrooms."

"Yeah." Nosedive chimed in. "And strapping dudes who can help turn those extra rooms into bedrooms."

Mallory rolled her eyes. Airika didn't seem to know how to respond to that comment.

Duke cleared his throat loudly, "anyway. "Grin, Dive…let's get on that strapping project."

Wildwing watched the trio's retreating backs. Then he put a hand on Airika's shoulder, still taken back by how bony and weak she was. Lucretia did this. To her own sister. "You'll be safe here with us. Dragaunus won't be able to get near you."

She stared into his eyes with the sad expression he was becoming used to seeing. "I'm not afraid of the Lord. But you should be."

He felt chilled by her words. What the hell did that mean? He let go of her and glanced at Mallory and Tanya who both looked uneasy. "Stay with her," he muttered into Tanya's ear and left the room to help the others with Mallory in tow.

…..

It was close to thirty minutes later when Tanya came running. "I can't find her."

"What! What do you mean you can't find her?" Mallory dropped her end of the dresser, causing Nosedive to balk awkwardly. "Did you leave her?"

"Well-uh….for only a minute, I swear."

"Cripe Tanya, no offense but your minute is longer than our minute." Mallory ran out of the room, tapping into her comm to the others. "Guys, Airika's missing. Meet us in the Rec room."

"Where did you last see her?" Nosedive asked, trying to keep pace.

"The uh-Rec room. I asked her if she was hungry, she nodded…at least I think she uh-nodded." Tanya trailed off.

"For the love of the universe Tawny, keep focused. What happened!?"

"Well I went to get her some string cheese, something I could grab quick and come right back to her. She was gone when I got here."

The four guys ran into the room.

Tanya wilted upon seeing Wildwing. "I'm sorry Wildwing. I didn't mean to lose her."

"Forget it, we just need to find her."

"And what, drag her back like Dragaunus would? Maybe we're overreacting." Duke was by far the least concerned.

"You'd think that," Mallory snapped. "If her story is true then why would she disappear? I think she's guilty of lying or something."

"We split up," Wildwing said. "Tanya, Dive and Grin, take the Galley, and bathrooms. Mal come with me and Duke."

Mallory snorted. "He just left."

"What?" Wildwing turned around to see Duke was nowhere to be found. "Fine, you and I will take the hangar and the rest of the Pond. Let's go."

"Wait."

Wildwing turned to Tanya, who looked sheepish. "If we find her, then what?"

"Don't spook her and don't drag her back here, just act normal." The ducks nodded and then took off.