Thirty stitches it took to close the wound. Concerned with Airika's seemingly inability to put on weight, the doctors decided to keep her overnight. They tried in vain to send the Mighty Ducks home but staunch refusal mostly on Duke's part to leave, allowed them to more to a spacious room where chairs were brought in.
Around four in the morning Duke started to feel the waning of his caffeine high, replacing it with dog tiredness. Saddled with the creaky chair, he carefully leaned forward and folded his arms on the bed and laid his head down. Just when he felt himself slip into sleep mode he heard the nurse walk in with the blood pressure trolley clattering beside her. He resisted a groan. Sitting up he saw Airika was awake, her eyes glittering in the dark room.
"Hello dearie," the matronly nurse cooed quietly.
At first Duke thought nothing of it until Airika suddenly recoiled away from the nurse, her eyes widened in fear.
"No."
"Kid, it's o-" His assurance died when his exceptional eyesight zeroed in on the nurse's slightly green tinged skin. "Shit." His hand closed inside his jacket for his saber. "Wing!"
Next to him, Wildwing jerked away, the rest of the team quickly following suit.
"Oh no!" The nurse-or rather Chameleon gushed mockingly, throwing his gangly arms out in front of him. Then he made a grab for Airika while simultaneously activating his teleporter. Reacting before he thought things through, Duke dove over the bed at Chameleon, knocking the Saurian back away from Airika. The two of them smashed into the floor, before he could recover Chameleon disappeared in a flash of green light.
"We need to get her out of here." Tanya's normal yellowish countenance was pale. "They'll be back and who knows if we'll be able to stop them."
"She's right Wing," Mallory piped up. She grabbed Airika's folded clothes. "Get out, Tanya and I will dress her."
….
Wildwing felt himself wearing a hole in the floor outside the hospital room as he paced, but he didn't care. He needed something to do and pacing was as close as he could come to doing something productive. He didn't understand why Dragaunus had sent Chameleon of all Saurians to get Airika. Yes, the Saurian could shape shift into anyone but he was also the stupidest. The door opened, interrupting his thoughts. Airika came out, balanced unsteadily on two crutches Tanya and Mallory. Steeling away his emotions, he said, "Let's go."
…..
A few days later
"So you get to spend some quality time with the Diveman and Grinster." Nosedive appeared in the Rec room, carrying his gaming console, a few controllers and more than a few games.
Grin cracked an eye open from his place of mediation. "Where are the others?"
"On a secret mission." The teen busied himself with hooking up the console to the TV.
Absently, Airika rubbed the handle of one of her crutches. "You don't need to sit with me."
"Whatcha talking about A, of course we do…gotta keep you company. Otherwise you'll get lonely." Nosedive plopped down between her and Grin on the couch.
She stared at him serious, and then she said, "I don't get lonely."
Nosedive may have been a joker almost 24/7 but he knew when to stop. "Everyone gets lonely Airika."
She looked away, her eyes drilling into the Tv where the game menu appeared. Nosedive let a smile creep onto his face. He bent down and then held a controller out to her.
"Wanna learn something new?"
…
"Oh god, he wrapped you into that?" Mallory was first to enter the Rec room and see Nosedive gallantly letting Airika win at the racing game.
"Whaddya mean let me wrap her into this, she's a natural."
Airika flushed, "you're too nice."
"Nah, you are," Nosedive flashed her a smile.
"BOOBIES!"
Airika nearly dropped the controller. Nosedive groaned loudly. "Really Phil?" He hit pause on his controller and then shut the TV off.
"Listen, I got a promo down at the mall for tomorrow."
"No."
"What?! No listen, hear me out." Phil was undeterred. "Mal, you might even reconsider. It's for Buzz, you know how his guardian enrolled him into college-seeing as the kid is a freakin genius-And well he's doing a fundraiser for Phi Beta Kappa…."
"What the hell is Phi Beta Kappa?" Nosedive interrupted. "Is that some kind of cult?"
"It's a high honors society," Tanya answered slightly miffed. "Don't you listen to Buzz at all? He showed us the letter you moron."
"Of course I listen to him," Nosedive snipped back.
"-Anyways," Duke said loudly. "Phil we really can't, not this time."
"We have Airika now and-" Wildwing began.
"Don't put your lives off for me."
Everyone's eyes fell on her.
"If it means something to this-child…then go."
Wildwing opened his beak to say something, anything, but the words failed him. She really was so different from her selfish, self-centered bitch of a sister.
"We'll just bring her along," Nosedive shrugged like it was a closed deal. Duke glared at him vehemently. "What?"
Duke turned and stormed out of the room.
"What's his deal?" Phil asked.
"Funny you should ask," Wildwing sighed. "I'll go talk to him."
...
Wildwing found Duke out on the roof, sitting comfortably on the other side of the fence he and Grin had set up a few weeks back, his legs dangling over the side of the hockey rink building. Carefully climbing out over the fence, he sat down next to the older mallard.
Duke didn't look at him but shifted a little, tell Wildwing he wasn't pleased by his arrival.
"What's going on Duke?"
"Nothing." The duck's retort was sharp.
"Doesn't seem like nothing."
"The safest place for Airika is not to go gallivanting all over Anaheim. It's to stay here in the Pond, Dragaunus can't touch her here."
"I know that." Jeez, is that all he's worked up over? Wildwing wondered. Then it hit him. "You like her don't you?"
Duke stood so fast Wildwing almost missed his movements. What was more he was surprised the duck didn't lose his balance and topple off the building. "I'll be back later." He disappeared down the roof hatch, leaving Wildwing with verbally unanswered questions. Just for grins he tried his comm to see where Duke was going, but saw almost instantly the duck had shut it off. Sighing again, Wildwing glanced up at the moon. It was going to be a long night.
…...
Next Day
Airika found herself sandwiched between Grin and Wildwing. The mall was crowded, making the normally relaxed atmosphere of the Mighty Ducks tense and Airika drew in on it immediately. Next to her Grin's usual unfazed attitude was replaced with an alert watchful eye. On the other side of Grin sat a skinny blonde haired kid who's magnified eyes due to his glasses kept sliding back to her. Every time she caught him staring at her, he would whip his head in the other direction.
At some point Mallory offered to go get food from the food court and asked her if she would like to go. Just when she started to say yes, Wildwing interrupted.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"God Wing, it's a hundred yards that way."
"You heard what he said Mallory," Duke snapped from his lounging position set away from the group, facing towards Airika.
Mallory swiveled to look at him. "Thanks L'Orange. I'm not deaf."
"Could'a fooled me."
"Enough," Wildwing hissed. "I'm going with you."
Airika had stopped listening; she caught sight of someone in the mass of people walking away from them. She stood up abruptly and awkwardly due to her self-inflicted foot injury. "I have to use the bathroom."
Duke stood. "I'll go with her."
Mallory tsked. "You're a guy, I'll go with her."
"I have my period," Airika added, reddening from embarrassment at uttering the lie. They all thought she was ashamed to admit it. The effect was instant as it was an immediate turnoff to the males of the group.
Duke slid back into his seat. "Yeah, you go with her."
Walking with Mallory towards the restrooms, Airika found herself disappointed that the person had vanished. Well at least she did have to pee. Mallory was silent all the way to the bathrooms before she blocked Airika's way. "You don't really have your period, do you?" Wilting at being caught, Airika couldn't meet Mallory's emerald eyes. "Genius."
"What?" She glanced up to see Mallory grinning and then unblock her way.
"Ingenious to get the guys off your back."
"Oh." She walked by her to go into the restroom while Mallory waited outside.
The bathroom was tiled with large mirrors reflecting her. Oddly silent except for the Pit Pit of her crutches, she chose the large stall so she could move more freely. No sooner had she sat down then a green flash materialized none other than her sister. Lucretia DeCoy.
The female duck clamped her hand down over her sister's beak, silencing any possible cry for help. "Miss me you little spoiled bitch?"
Airika began to shake.
Lucretia sneered once Airika's eyes began to roam over her, confused and then questioningly. "Like it?" Now we're really twins. I better pass off as you after starving myself and losing my beautiful hair." She let go of her sister. "What's with the crutches? You fall down a flight of stairs? No, I suppose I wouldn't be that lucky."
"I want the hectate out."
Lucretia stopped fluffing her hair. "You tried to cut it out, didn't you? You stupid cow." She fell silent when the restroom door opened.
"You okay Airika?" Mallory called.
Lucretia kicked Airika when she didn't immediately respond. "Y-yes. I'll be right out." They heard the door close.
"Y-yes, I'll be right out," Lucretia mimicked. "Get up." She yanked Airika up and slapped a teleporter bracelet on her wrist. "See you soon."
The bathroom stall was kicked in before Lucretia had a chance to press the button to send her twin to the Raptor.
"Going somewhere Lucretia?" Mallory asked, her blaster that had been concealed somewhere on her that Airika hadn't thought possible, was pointed at them, mainly Lucretia.
"Mallory, how sweet, you remember me."
"Awe, and you remember me. I'm touched." Mallory feigned happiness. "Now get away from her before I incinerate that perfect hair of yours."
Her eyebrows raised at the threat, Lucretia put her hands up, palms out like she was giving up and took a step back. "Hey now, no need for this. I miss her, that's all. We're family after all."
Mallory scoffed. "The hell you are. I think she's done with you, personally."
Lucretia growled something unintelligibly. "I'm not finished with you." In a flash of green light, she was gone.