I only found out about Whumptober on October 1st, so here's something I've had laying around for a few years. I never really planned on sharing it; this is my own guilty pleasure cause I do so love beating up poor Wildwing. But, with a little extra polish, I think you guys will enjoy it too. This one story covers numerous prompts, including number 15 (I'm fine) and 27 (Let me see). The next chapter will have more prompts, which will be listed when I'm finished editing that part and post. Enjoy some heavy whump!
"Siege, Chameleon!" Dragaunus bellowed. He stood next to the massive view screen of the Raptor, studying a map of Peru. Wraith hovered next to him, mist floating around the ground while he leaned on his staff as if it were supporting him, despite his feet being several inches off the floor.
The door opened and the massive enforcer entered, followed by the skittering of the pathetically small in comparison shapeshifter.
"What?" Siege demanded.
"You rang?" Chameleon shifted into Lurch from The Adam's Family and bowed before shimmering back to his normal form.
"I have managed to locate a magical artifact deep in the rain forest that will aid us in our conquest of this planet."
"I helped," Wraith muttered quietly.
"You three are to go obtain it at once."
"That's a big area you've got circled there," Seige said, looking at the map. "Where is it exactly?"
"Yeah," Chameleon said, "This looks like the Proteus Chip all over again. I ain't spending hours in that sand to get a whole buncha nothing."
"It's a rain forest, ya twerp," Siege corrected. "There ain't any sand, just a whole lotta bugs."
"Yummy!"
"What's this thing do exactly," Siege asked.
"It is The Cube of Prurent. It's said to contain the power to grant whatever the holder most desires, but only once. I intend to study this cube and find out what powers it, bending it to my will so it will give more than one," he sniffed disdainfully before finishing, as if the word were far below him, "wish." He turned his back to them and continued while pacing. "The problem is it is guarded by a band of warriors, sword to protect it at all costs. They appear and vanish without a trace."
"Sounds like teleporters," Siege grumbled.
"Or magic," Wraith said, finally resting his feet on the floor and standing next to his fellow generals.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure they won't be immune to technology. Science bested Dimensional Limbo and it will best whatever fools are there now." He waved dismissively. "Now, go!"
"As you wish," Chameleon said, temporarily taking on the form of the Dread Pirate Roberts. He, Siege, and Wraith vanished in a haze of green.
"What does Ol' Lizard Lips want in the middle of the rain forest?" Duke asked, guiding the Aerowing over the general area where Drake One had indicated teleportaion energy a short time ago.
"I don't know," Wildwing said, "But it can't be good."
"There's nowhere to land," Tanya said, looking at the nearly impenetrable wall of green before them.
"What about there?" Mallory pointed to a clear, stone covered mountain top in the distance.
"That'll take hours of hiking," Nosedive said. "They'll be gone by the time we get there!"
"Duke, get us as close to the canopy as you can," Wildwing directed. "We'll rappel down and take on the Saurians, then you go land on that mountain."
"I'll catch up as fast as I can," Duke agreed, flying in a tight circle and dropping altitude before coming to a stop. The Aerowing's jets blew the tree branches violently aside, creating a hole for the team to drop down to the ground in, sliding down ropes. As soon as their feet touched soil, he pressed the button to reel up the ropes and headed straight to the bald mountain.
Wildwing, Nosedive, Tanya, Grin, and Mallory fell in single file with Tanya in the lead, marching towards where here Omnitool's connection to Drake One showed the teleportaion energy had originated.
Tall trees blocked the sun, leaving the ground level in deep shadow. Birds and insects chirred and the ever present humidity clung to their feathers in a heavy coating of moisture. Thick leaves covered the soft ground, making walking difficult with no clear path to follow. Giant tree roots and massive plants blocked the way. And then they came to where the Saurians had obviously been searching for something. The barren earth stood out in a dark, rusty red contrast to the surrounding greenery. Several holes had been dug, many of them deep enough that even Grin couldn't have reached the top without assistance if he fell in. Foliage lay in smoldering piles where it had been recently blasted with lasers, the dampness of the jungle the only thing preventing them from having caused a forest fire.
"Watch your footing, team," Wildwing cautioned.
"What were they looking for?" Mallory asked, bazooka held at the ready.
"I have no idea," Tanya said.
"Duh," Nosedive pointed to a hole. "Buried treasure! They're just to dumb to know where to find the X."
"Not all treasure glitters, or is hidden," Grin said, following his friends. He scanned the trees, searching out any hidden foes.
Mallory knelt next to some crushed ferns and felt one of the fronds. She pushed the plant aside and found deep, saurian footprints.
"They went this way," she called.
Wildwing took the lead and they followed. It wasn't long before they found Siege and Chameleon arguing next to a dozen drones while Wraith stood on the other side of the demolished area and directed another several drones on where to dig. The drones all had shovels and were focused on digging as deep and as fast as their mechanics would allow.
"Fire!" Wildwing yelled, not waiting to see what they were after.
The ducks opened fire, taking the Saurians by surprise. Laser blasts screamed through the jungle noise, chasing off birds and silencing insects. Instantly, the drones began firing back. Wraith teleported away.
"Get them!" Siege yelled, unholstering his own laser cannon and firing back.
"Yipes! I'm outta here!" Chameleon bolted into the jungle, instantly blending into the green.
"Graaaaaah!" Wildwing screamed as pain ripped through his unprotected abdomen. Burning fire seared its way through his left side, eating part of his uniform along with a good chunk of flesh as the well-aimed laser blast hit home. Collapsing to one knee, he activated his ice shield and hid behind it, his left hand filling the hole in his torso.
"Wing!" Nosedive instantly reacted to his brother's cry of pain, firing back at the hunter drone that was trying to murder them. His shot landed, exploding the mercenary machine.
The young mallard moved next to his sibling, taking cover behind the shield and firing around it to protect them both. All they had to do was survive. The rest of the team would take out the remaining drones. After that, they could regroup and figure out where to go from here.
The rest of the Mighty Ducks didn't waste any time in clearing the surrounding jungle of their mechanical foes. Grin's fists crushed the drones while Mallory's puck bazooka rarely missed it's mark and Tanya's Omni-tool burned its own holes through the red robots.
Siege vanished in a green haze as he too teleported away.
"Shit," Mallory growled as she blasted the last one. "Still no sign of that shape shifting creep." She scoured the surrounding foliage for hidden dangers.
"Wing?" Nosedive lay a hand on the armored shoulder. "You okay, bro?"
The few short, jerky nods he gave in response were negated by his clenched teeth and labored breathing. With some effort, the white drake pushed himself back to his feet, hand still on side.
"What happened?" Tanya demanded as she approached.
"Lucky shot," Wildwing managed after a moment. Pushing the pain away, he focused on his role as leader. This jungle was dangerous and he had to get them back to the Aerowing. "Anyone else hurt?"
"Negative," Mallory replied after a quick glance at her comrades.
"Let me see that." Tanya tried to gently move his hand away from his side, but Wildwing pulled away and turned his back on her.
"Hey, what'd I miss?" Duke said, running up, sword at the ready. "I heard waponfire."
"I'm fine," Wildwing took a step back from Tanya. "Duke, how far is the Aerowing?"
"Couple miles back thatta way," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "But it's all uphill. I had gravity to help with running here." He was a little winded, but not enough to interrupt his words.
"Duke, you take point," Wildwing said, moving towards where Chameleon had run off. "Mallory, I want you bringing up the rear."
"We still don't know what those lizards were doing out here," Tanya replied, refusing to move. "And you need medical attention!"
"The first aid kit's on the Aerowing," the leader reminded everyone. "Unless someone has medical supplies on them, there's not much we can do." He considered his options and didn't like any of them. They could press on and find out exactly what the Saurians and hunter drones had been digging for. They could abandon the mission and make the trek to the Aerowing, patch him up, and hope they weren't too late when they returned. Or, he could split his team, leaving half here to find out what Dragaunus was up to and half to take him for medical treatment. Splitting up was a bad idea; they'd need everyone's skills to figure out what the Saurians were up to this time.
Duke reached into one of the pouches on his shoulder and removed a roll of bandages. He held it up, pointedly staring at Wildwing.
"Fine." Relenting, the white drake sat on a nearby rock.
"Thank you." Tanya gratefully took the bandages from Duke and knelt by her injured team captain. She hissed in sympathy as he removed his hand, exposing the singed hole. Blood seeped around charred flesh and feathers. One good thing about laser burns was that they almost cauterized themselves; the downside was how easily they could get infected. The raw, crimson wound was bigger than Tanya's hand, at least four inches long. His green uniform was singed and melted into the flesh at the edges. Removing it would likely cause more bleeding, something she most certainly did not want to do.
"Just, stay still," the makeshift medic directed. She pressed one end of the bandage above the wound and began wrapping it around his torso, sealing it off from air and bugs. The white cloth was barely long enough to cover the laser burn.
Wildwing hissed as the fabric came in contact with his burning side. Clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, he remained still.
Nosedive crouched next to them, concern plain on his features. Any jokes he might have made to lighten the situation died before they entered his consciousness.
Finally, Tanya finished. She stood, staring down at her leader.
"That won't last for long," the blond tech told him. "You're still bleeding, but not enough to, you know, be dangerous just now. You have to, uh, take it easy, or you could risk making it worse."
Wildwing stood once more, right hand wrapped around his torso to grasp his bandaged side. Taking a deep breath, he gave the order he felt was best at the moment, even if he didn't like it.
"Tanya, you and I will go back to the Aerowing. The rest of you, go find out what they were digging for." Now for the truly hard part. Reaching up, he removed the Mask and held it out to Duke. "You might need this."
"No," Duke refused. "I'm not taking that."
"No way, bro," Nosedive adamantly broke in. "I'm not leaving you like this. Duke, Mallory, and Grin can check out those holes."
"A force divided is easily conquered," Grin rumbled.
"No offense Tanya," Mallory added her opinion, "But you'll need help when you get back to the Aerowing."
Mutiny. That's what this was. Wildwing had removed the Mask and now his team was refusing to obey him. He should have kept that blasted thing on and trusted in its symbolic power to give his words weight. The energy to fight them just wasn't there, and so he relented. Placing the sacred object back on his beak, he continued in his capacity as leader. He scanned the surrounding area with the Mask.
"There isn't anything here." Turning a small circle, he scanned their surroundings. A red outline of Chameleon bolted towards the west and a glowing beacon shone in front of him. The Mask displayed a warning, indicating whatever the energy source was, it had the force of a ten ton nuke. "But there's something giving off a massive energy reading that way." Instead of returning to the Aerowing, he started towards the pulsing light only he could see.
"Bad idea," Nosedive muttered, following closely.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Duke followed as well. He pushed ahead, taking the lead as previously requested.
The rest of the team followed, making sure to stay close to each other as they moved single file through the dense forest.
Verdant growth gave way to a razed clearing. Tree stumps and boulders dotted the rocky hillside. Rusty, charred earth scarred the once lush glen. Abandoned shovels and a massive pile of dirt sat at the base of a three hundred foot tall overhang. Wide steps dug into the ground led to a massive hole big enough to fit the Migrator in.
"What could they hope to find here?" Mallory muttered as she emerged from the humid jungle. A light breeze could be felt only because of the lack of trees.
"The Mask will tell us." Wildwing lifted his hands to either side of his head, focusing on the disturbed soil. His vision shifted to red as the mystical object scanned for what was below the surface. Pulsing waves of energy radiated outward. "There's something buried about ten more feet down. It's got an unusual energy signature I don't recognize."
"Ten feet?" Mallory didn't sound pleased. "That'll take at least an hour!"
Wildwing groaned and swayed slightly, his vision momentarily going dark. Nosedive's steadying hand held him upright. The blackness receded to just the edges of sight and he could see his brother's furrowed brow and worried eyes studying him.
"Then I suggest we get started." Duke strode over to one of the fallen shovels and picked it up, then headed to the deepest part of the pit. He thrust the shovel into the dirt, stepping on it to drive the blade deeper before dumping the soil into a basket sitting nearby. "I'll fill this basket and we can take turns digging."
"Many hands make light work," Grin said, also picking up a shovel to help.
"You sit," Tanya ordered Wildwing, pointing to a nearby stone. She glared at him, brokering no argument, before joining Mallory in helping to haul out the quickly filled basket.
Wildwing knew his energy was slowly fading. The pain in his side had changed from a searing burn that overwhelmed the senses to a cloying, throbbing bite that ached with each breath. Sitting sounded like the best thing he could do for now.
Nosedive's piercing stare demanded his attention. Burying the outward signs of the agony he was in deeper than whatever was giving that strange energy signature, he tried to comfort the younger Flashblade.
"It's not that bad. Go help dig."
Nosedive sat, remaining silent.
"Dive, we'll get out of here faster if you help."
"No."
Damn that stubbornness. When they butted heads, it was really a matter of who got bored first or who overpowered the other one before either would give up. This did not bode well for Wildwing and he knew it.
"Nosedive, please."
"No."
Sighing, Wildwing decided not to join this battle. If Nosedive wanted to stay by him while the others dug, then so be it.
Time seemed to crawl for the injured leader as his team worked to retrieve whatever it was Dragaunus had been after. He allowed his eyes to close and he drifted, waiting until they found it. The pain receded and he floated in that pleasant realm between awake and asleep. Thoughts of home, skating on a frozen lake, and snowball fights with Nosedive and Canard filled his mind. It was almost like he was back there. Part of him knew this wasn't real, but another part delighted in the escape.
A sick knot forming in the pit of his stomach pulled Wildwing from his dream world. Eyes flying open, he looked around. Instinct screamed of impending danger. Something wasn't right…
His team was still digging. A quick scan proved they were very close. Nosedive still sat on the ground, watching him. The world was quiet except for the sounds of shovels scraping soil. It was that silence that had put him on alert. What had happened to the birdsong and droning insects?
A sharp cracking sound echoed from behind them, causing the leader to rocket to his feet and turn, shield raised. Bullets started flying from unseen assailants, his armor and shield the only thing that kept him alive.
"Whoa!" Duke shouted as one of the lethal projectiles buried itself in the ground near his feet. He dove for cover, hoping the rocks would prevent him from getting killed. Mallory and Tanya quickly followed suit.
"The hell with this," Grin threw down his shovel and ran straight towards the jungle, heedless of the danger. "My inner peace has been disturbed enough for one day!"
Perhaps it was good karma, or maybe it was the fear of a seven foot tall, three hundred fifty pound, irate duck charging at the shooters, but no bullets hit him. The massive drake entered the forest, intent on finding whoever meant them harm.
Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Wildwing fired his wrist gauntlet blindly, providing cover for his teammate. Mallory's puck bazooka gave backup from a distance.
"Tanya, get whatever's buried!" Wildwing ordered as he and Nosedive backed up towards their teammates.
Tanya dove into the hole and finished scraping away the last of the soil, retrieving an ornate, golden box about the size of a large book.
"Got it!" she shouted in triumph, holding it up.
"Then let's get out of here!" Wildwing shouted, offering the protection of his shield to the rest of the team as he reached them.
The bullets stopped flying as quickly as they had started, leaving the wary ducks to make their escape unassaulted. Grin returned from the jungle scowling. He hadn't been able to find whoever had been firing at them.
Using the Mask to scan the surrounding forest, Wildwing was also unable to find any traces of their attackers. How could they just appear and vanish like that? There were no traces of teleportation energy, so they weren't using Saurian technology. At least, it wasn't any Saurian technology they were familiar with. There had to be some other explanation, one that he couldn't currently comprehend.
"Let's get back to the Aerowing." He tried to sound confident and in control, but the command came out tired.
"Good idea," Mallory agreed. She cradled her puck bazooka, reluctant to return it to the holster on her back.
Duke led the way, cutting a path through the treacherous terrain for them with his saber. Grin's gargantuan form plowed through the rough path, widening it for the rest to follow. Tanya came next; she constantly studied the golden box, trying to figure out how to open it or deduce its purpose. Wildwing followed, plodding doggedly forward, trying to keep up. Nosedive slowed his pace to his brother's. Mallory brought up the rear, her puck bazooka at the ready to defend from any attack.
Nosedive didn't like the way Wildwing swayed as he walked, never really keeping a straight path. Sheer force of will kept his brother upright, putting one foot in front of the other. Blood had soaked through the bandage, painting an obvious path of his passage as leaves that brushed up against it took on a coating of the viscous fluid. Wildwing's breathing was becoming more erratic, his once tall stature slumping under the weight of exhaustion. Head hanging, he stumbled and almost fell.
"Bro?" Nosedive lunged forward, catching the injured duck before he went down.
Wildwing's eyes were closed, his weight heavy as Nosedive held him up. Clearly in agony, the white drake didn't try to regain his footing and hung off his sibling, half conscious. The youth gently lowered his kin to the ground, turning him so he lay on his back and not on his side.
"Just… need," Wildwing gasped. "A moment to… rest." He fought for breath, pain showing through the golden mask covering his face.
"Tanya!" Nosedive nearly screamed. The three ducks in front of him turned and rushed back when they saw their downed leader. Gently removing the Mask, Nosedive searched his brother's face, fearing he'd see resignation to death. Instead, he saw determination and barely disguised anguish.
She was at his side almost instantly, the mysterious box forgotten as she assessed her captain's condition. Deft fingers removing the blood soaked bandaging, Tanya gently prodded at the edges of the now slippery wound, inspecting it closely.
"This is not good," she muttered, head shaking slightly. "You must have torn it open more when we were attacked." She wadded up the soaked bandages and pressed it into the wound, keeping pressure on it. "We've got to get you back to the Aerowing, fast. Before you, you know, uh…" Her words were lost as she choked up, refusing to finish the sentence.
"Before what?" Nosedive demanded, fear evident.
"Before he bleeds out." She forced herself to continue, "It's, well, it's slow now. But, much more physical activity is going to make it worse."
"Then we'll build a litter," Mallory suggested. "There's plenty of trees and vines around."
"Good idea," Duke agreed. He instantly began cutting a vine hanging from a nearby tree.
Without saying anything, Grin walked over to some bamboo and snapped it at a joint near the bottom. After breaking off several pieces, he lay them next to Wildwing and made sure they were long enough.
"Nosedive, keep him calm," Tanya directed.
"Don't think that's a problem," he quipped, sitting next to his brother and holding the bandaging in place so Tanya could join in with building the litter.
Wildwing forced a half smile and lightly lay his own hand on top of the one stopping the bleeding. He'd given up on trying to talk, instead focusing on breathing and staying conscious.
They quickly had a carrier built, each duck adding their own contribution to acquiring or connecting materials. Under Tanya's careful direction, Duke and Nosedive gently lifted Wildwing onto the stretcher. Grin may have been the strongest, but he wasn't selected to help carry; he was too tall. Instead, Nosedive carried the end near Wildwing's feet so he could watch his sibling as they trekked back to the Aerowing and Mallory carried the end near his head. Duke needed to carve their path through the forest and, despite her own considerable strength, Tanya walked next to them and kept pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding.
The going was far to slow for everyone's liking. Rough terrain, a dense forest, and hostile locals did nothing to soothe their raw nerves. Wildwing's lack of protest at being carried didn't sit well with them either. He was a proud drake and not one to willingly accept such assistance unless absolutely necessary.
"Any idea what that box is?" Mallory asked as they navigated a steep bank above a river. She was trying to distract them, keep their minds on the mission and not on their slowly fading leader.
"Not really," Tanya replied. "It could be some sort of weapon. Or an energy source. Or something completely alien. I won't know until I can have Drake One analyze it."
"Pandora's box," Wildwing muttered, half joking.
"Only Hope was left within her unbreakable house. She remained at the bottom of the box and did not escape," Grin paraphrased.
"Uh, okay." Nosedive rolled his eyes, not in the mood for his enigmatic friend's riddles.
"Do not give up hope," Grin clarified. "Pandora's box released all evils into the world; but, it also contained hope."
Nosedive met the pained gaze of his brother for a moment and considered the words. He hadn't even begun to give up hope. If there was one thing he'd learned from both Wildwing and his time in the slave camps, it was to never give up.
"Don't worry, big guy," he promised. "I won't. Wing can make it through anything."
"Heh," Wildwing half laughed, half coughed. "Survived… growing up… with you." His eyes drifted closed, his breathing more shallow.
Tanya reached a hand to his neck, checking the pulse. It was weak and far too rapid.
"How much further?" Mallory asked, clearly growing tired from the burden she carried.
"Trade me places," Tanya suggested.
"Okay," Mallory nodded. "Hold up, guys!"
Duke stopped, as did Grin.
"Okay, down," Tanya directed. Mallory and Nosedive both slowly lowered Wildwing to the ground, keeping him level.
His head lolled to the side, mouth slightly open, as the earth took his weight from the ducks. The battle for consciousness had been lost, despite his most valiant efforts.
The two women quickly switched places, not wanting to waste precious time on something as silly as tired arms.
"And up," Mallory ordered, taking over giving commands for the litter bearers.
"Shouldn't be too much farther," Duke hopefully said once they were on their way again. He found what appeared to be a game trail. Deciding to take the risk of running into a predator in exchange for the increase in speed, he led them down the worn path.
The trail wound ever upwards and east. It was taking them in the right direction, but hopefully not by way of going over a mountain. Darkness soon started crawling upon the ducks. Shadows deepened as trees blocked out the failing light of the setting sun.
"Going to be rough doing this in the dark." Duke knew he could see the path well enough, but the others might have problems once the light was gone. "How's he doing, Tanya?"
"Not good."
"Think you can do anything for him if we stop for the night?"
"We're not stopping," Nosedive insisted. "I don't care if we have to crawl. We're getting him back to the Aerowing tonight."
"Well, I could, maybe, cauterize it." She shrugged. "But he's already lost a lot of blood. He needs a transfusion, soon."
"There's a cave up ahead," Grin spoke up. "We should stop there."
"No." Mallory agreed with Nosedive, for once. "We can't risk the delay."
"We don't have any flashlights," Duke reminded them.
"I do on my omni-tool," Tanya proudly declared.
"I have a good vibe about that cave," Grin insisted. "I suggest we investigate it."
"If we could build a fire, I could, uh, try to stop the, um, bleeding," Tanya relented.
Mallory sighed, but understood the importance of halting the slowly leaking flow coming from Wildwing's side.
"I can get a fire going pretty quick," she offered.
"No," Nosedive insisted. "He's my brother, so I get to make this decision. We're getting to the Aerowing as soon as possible."
"Be reasonable," Duke reprimanded. "If we don't do something for him soon, we risk loosing him. This could give us a chance to get to the Aerowing."
"Sometimes, one must stop to continue moving forward."
"Don't get all zen on me, Grin," the teen snapped. But, they did make a good point. Hating himself for it, he gave in to his peers. "Fine."
The cave was spacious and covered in a sandy floor. Its position on the hillside gave them a little more light than they'd had in the forest, but not for long.
Mallory and Duke disappeared into the jungle once more while Grin sat at the mouth of the cave, communing with the energies of the area. Tanya and Nosedive watched over Wildwing, both hoping for that fire to get started soon.
The redhead reappeared first, her arms full of wood. She made short work of arranging the wood into a small pyramid, filling the inside with twigs and leaves. Tanya was surprised to see her retrieve a flint stone and small, steel plate from the bottom of her bazooka holster. Mallory hadn't been lying; she had the fire going in about a minute.
"You carry flint and steel with you?" Nosedive asked, just as surprised as Tanya. "Wouldn't it just be easier to use matches or a lighter?"
Mallory snorted her derision at the idea.
"Matches can get wet or broken. Lighters run out of fuel. This will never fail. And, yes, I do always have them with me. Building a fire has saved my life on more than one occasion during Special Forces missions."
"We'll have to wait for Duke to come back," Tanya lamented as she stared at the flames. "I'll need his saber to heat before I can cauterize that wound."
Nosedive flipped open his comm and checked Duke's location on the autotracker. He was by the river. Adjusting the settings, he saw they were at least another two hours hike from the Aerowing. How had they gotten so far from it so quickly earlier today? Oh yeah, running for their lives as Hunter Drones attacked them.
"Don't bother waiting." Bending down, Mallory pulled a knife from her boot and handed it over to Tanya.
"You're just full of surprises today, aren't you?" Nosedive commented as he eyeballed the short blade.
She shrugged it off and crouched next to the fire, poking at the base with a long stick to help the flames grow hotter.
Tanya put the sharp blade on a stone that was almost in the fire, waiting for it to heat up enough to burn.
"Hey, Wing," Nosedive softly spoke to his brother as he sat by his head. He gently lifted Wildwing's head into his lap, cushioning him from the hard ground. "Hang in there, kay? We're going to try to stop the bleeding."
The lack of response was far from comforting.
Silence filled the cave as they waited. Grin eventually stood and began walking around the inside of the cave, inspecting the walls carefully. He hadn't spoken once since they had come here at his insistence.
Duke's dark form finally reappeared as the last light faded from the sky. His maroon uniform was soaking wet from the thighs down, as were his arms. He carried two small fish, already gutted and skewered on sharpened sticks.
"What'd you do?" Mallory joked. "Stand in the river and catch those with your bare hands?"
"Yeah," he casually nodded, setting the fish near the fire so they could cook.
Finally satisfied with the bright glow of the knife Mallory had hidden in her boot, Tanya pulled it from the flames, making sure to grip the still-cool handle.
"Grin, Duke," she got their attention. "I'll need you two to hold him down."
"Ooh, boy." Duke did not like the sounds of that, but knew they really had no other choice. Even when unconscious, an injured duck would thrash about and potentially cause themselves more harm when hot metal was pressed to an open wound. He'd seen it with his own eye, unfortunately.
"Duke, you hold his legs down. Grin, put your hands here," she placed one in the middle of Wildwing's chest. "And here," and the other on his hip. "Don't push down too hard; just keep him from moving."
Kneeling, she placed her knee on his upper arm, pinning it to the ground. The ripped shirt was pulled up, exposing his bloody side. Bright red blood glistened on white feathers in the dim firelight.
"Okay," the team tech took a deep breath, steadying herself. She glanced at Nosedive, who was still at his brother's head. "I'm sorry, Wildwing," she apologized as the burning hot steel was pressed to his side.
Wildwing reacted instantly, his body going stiff and arching upwards. Screaming echoed off the cave walls, amplified by the confined space. He fought against his teammate's restraining hands and failed. The scent of burned flesh and singed feathers filled the air and Tanya repositioned the blade, sealing the lower half of the wound as well as the top.
Once she was sure the bleeding had stopped, Tanya removed the blade and cast it aside, hating what she had just done. Those burns would become scars that would take take a very long time to fade, if ever.
The white drake lay still once more, panting and gasping, his body trembling with shock from the smoldering assault.
Nosedive leaned over his brother, silent tears streaming down his face as he whispered comforting words, hoping to soothe his pain. Lightly, he rubbed the side of his beak against Wildwing's, unashamed at the public display of affection.
Using the flashlight on her Omnitool to inspect her work more closely, Tanya nodded once and pulled the damaged shirt back into place.
"The, uh, bleedings stopped." Checking his pulse, she wasn't surprised to find it racing, albeit erratically. "I think that should do it."
Duke checked on the fish and was satisfied to see it flake easily under the tip of his saber.
"Dinner's ready," he muttered. Two small fish to share between five ducks. Truthfully, he wasn't that hungry, not after what they'd just had to do.
Divvying out the fish to each teammate, he tried forcing himself to eat.
"Come on, Wing," Nosedive whispered. "Remember how to do this?" He held a bite-sized piece of his fish next to his brother's beak. "Just open, chew, and swallow. Easy."
"Nosedive." Mallory got his attention. "Let him rest."
"He needs to eat," he insisted. "More than the rest of us. I've gotten him to eat before and I'll do it again." He once more turned his attention to his brother, holding the fish near his nose. "Smell that? Duke caught it, just for you. Come on, open up," he gently coaxed.
To everyone's amazement, Wildwing actually opened his mouth a little and accepted the food. Nosedive slowly and carefully fed him as much of the fish as he'd eat. There were only a few bites left for himself, but he didn't mind.
"Here," Duke handed over half of his portion. "Not hungry."
"Thanks." Nosedive gratefully took it. The fact that Wildwing had actually eaten lifted his hopes. He'd never doubted that Wildwing was fighting to live, but seeing signs of life was a relief.
"I suggest we get some rest, then we can continue on at first light." Mallory stood and walked to the mouth of the cave. "I'll take first watch."
"I do not think a watch will be required," Grin's deep voice rumbled from the darkness near the back of the cave.
"You ready to go now?" Nosedive asked, confused.
"Yes. But not the way we came in."
Curious, Tanya got up to see what Grin was talking about.
The gentle giant was standing near a large boulder easily four times his size. Cracks in the wall surrounding it could have been man made or natural; if they were man made, they were expertly disguised. He stared at the sandy floor, deep in thought.
Tanya was intrigued by the unnaturally geometric orientation of the cracks. Bending down next to Grin, she inspected the ground with her flashlight. Deep grooves were filled with the red soil, but it looked like there was something hidden underground.
"Uh, guys," she called out. "I think Grin found some sort of secret entrance."
"Yeah?" Duke joined them, eager to explore the possibility for himself. "Maybe this is how whoever attacked us disappeared so quickly."
"Underground tunnels?" Mallory looked puzzled. "That doesn't seem very likely."
"Maybe," Duke said. Turning around, he stood next to the Flashblades. "But, ya never know. Dragaunus is involved in this somehow and it's never smart to underestimate him." He stared at the Mask peeking out of the pouch on Wildwing's hip. The leader had offered the Mask to him earlier. He knew what it would mean if he took it. That responsibility wasn't something he wanted, but he couldn't let the team down. They needed someone to take charge in their leader's absence.
"He's gonna be fine," Duke promised as he crouched next to Nosedive and reached into the pouch. "I'm gonna give this back the moment he wakes up; but, we need it for now, kid."
The glare Nosedive shot at Duke was nearly as deadly as the wound in Wildwing's side. Still, he knew that Duke was right and didn't protest. It hurt, knowing that his brother was already so far gone that the former thief had to step in and take his place. But, if that's what it took to get the medical treatment Wildwing needed so badly, he was willing to let it happen.
Holding the sacred object in his hands and studying it for a moment, Duke took a deep breath and placed it on his face. It instantly flashed from white to gold as the Mask sensed his brain waves and activated. Pressing his knuckles to his temples like he'd seen Wildwing do, Duke scanned the stone wall. He wished he was surprised by what he found, but he wasn't.
"There's stairs behind that boulder," he explained calmly. "Looks like they lead to some sort of underground bunker. Mallory, you're with me. Tanya, take care of Wildwing. Grin, guard them. If we don't come out in half an hour, you four high tail it outta here and get back to the Aerowing."
"What about me?" Nosedive asked, unsure of what Duke wanted from him. Orders had been given to everyone else.
"Just keep on what you've been doing, Dive. Wing needs you and I don't want you leaving his side."
Grimly nodding, Nosedive accepted the order.
"Now, what you say we do a little exploring, Mallory?" Kicking at a hidden panel near the ground, Duke activated the switch that slid the boulder to the side, granting them access to the underground. Holding his saber at the ready, Duke stealthily merged with the shadows and vanished from sight.
Mallory apprehensively glanced behind her, assuring herself that her teammates would be fine. Turning off the safety on her puck bazooka, she followed the acting leader.