Fledge let himself into Tanya's house quietly. He wasn't due back for another three days from a friend's house, but he felt his place was by his new friends' side; if he could even call them that seeing as he was a kid and they were all adults.

He had begun to wish that Duke and Mallory were his parents, even forgetting they weren't most times. However, reality always checked and he was slapped painfully in the face that he wasn't even the least bit related. But at times like the night Denisa had chased him and Asher, resulting in him getting swiped by the car, Fledge let himself believe that Mallory cared about him as much as she did Asher. Her face had certainly betrayed some type of emotion as she surveyed his injured arm that night.

"Fledge?"

He was jerked out of his thoughts to see Tanya and her huge counterpart, Grin, his name is Grin, sitting on the couch.

"Are you okay? You're home early." The blonde female stood up, her eyes on him, concerned. She's another one who either genuinely likes me or a damn good liar.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he murmured, "I-" Don't say it, "I-" Don't say it, don't admit it. "I wanted to be here..." he finished awkwardly.

"Fledge," Mallory appeared from somewhere.

Maybe this was a mistake.

"Are you alright?"

I should have stayed at Lyght's house. They're surprised to see me because I'm not supposed to be here.

"I'm fine," he repeated, taking a step back. "I can...go-back, if you want me to."

"No, no, no, I just- I wish Mornna had called me to say you were walking home."

He shrugged.

She came forward and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "did you eat?"

"Yeah," he lied. He hadn't, but the surprise the adults had shown at him walking through the door made him feel like a heavy burden.

Why can't you be my mother?

"Hey," Asher appeared. "It's about time you've appeared."

Fledge gave a small smile. "Thanks," he frowned, "what's with the pink on you?"

A look of horror flickered across Asher's face as he glanced down at himself, "oh, this?" He pointed to a few small splotches of hot pink on his hand. "Marker."

Fledge didn't know that he bought that explanation, especially since Tanya and Mallory glanced at each other; but he didn't push it.

"Come eat Fledge," Mallory moved to the kitchen.

"I-I'm f-"

"Don't lie to me, you need to eat."

He shut up, half happy she had pushed the issue.

…...

The Brotherhood of the Blade

"You know this is frickin' suicide right?"

"Then go in there, and be a good little Blade member and tell them I'm here." Duke was finding himself on a short fuse.

Drebeer gave him a glare, "I wouldn't sell out my brother."

"Then shut up."

Drebeer stood up abruptly and kicked open the hidden entrance door, leaving Duke. Duke, more annoyed, followed him, picking his way among the strung-out Blade members who were either cooking a drug or drinking.

"Why do you have to be such a dick?"

"Why do you have to be such a priss?"

"I asked you first," Duke shot back.

"Go to hell L'orange, being my little brother won't stop me from kicking your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," Duke scoffed, he missed Drebeer become really still.

The older black duck suddenly whorled around and tackled Duke, driving him to the ground. The two rolled around, Duke threw Drebeer off hard enough to sling him into the side wall. The impact barely fazed him as Drebeer used the momentum to kick Duke in the ribs, slapping him into the opposite wall.

All around, Blade members were hymning and hawing over the two as they went at it.

"Hey!"

"Knock it off!"

One was sober just enough to realize who the two were in their midst. "Hey! It's L'orange and Drebeer...Tell someone quick!"

No one moved since they were too enraptured in the fight.

Duke stood up slowly, feeling a good sized bruise forming on his ribs and his back, "okay-Ar-"

Drebeer attacked him again, driving the two against the second entrance door, unfortunately someone hadn't shut it properly, resulting in it swinging open on the two.

Duke had enough time to utter, "oh shit," before he and Drebeer tumbled down the stairs.

…...

Duke didn't bother trying to move once he hit the bottom. Next to him, Drebeer groaned in pain as he came to.

"Who was the f***ing moron who didn't shut the door?"

"I don't know," Duke replied sluggishly. "Did you have to kick me so hard?"

"Had to be believable."

"Did you break anything?"

Drebeer was gasping now, "I don't know...drake, I'm too old to fall down a flight of stairs. How about you?"

"I haven't bothered trying to move."

"Are you two done?" A female voice asked.

The brothers looked up as much as they could without being in serious pain to see Denisa, standing, amused with her arms crossed.

"Denis-a, I'll carve your tongue out with a spoon if you say another word," Drebeer groaned.

She laughed, "I'd like to see you try..." Then she grew serious, "are you okay though? Those were a lot of stairs."

"The room hasn't stopped sp-" Drebeer stopped talking as he passed out.

Duke pushed himself up feeling burning pain in his arms and back, and crawling over to Drebeer.

"Arren, wake up." He shook his brother who remained still.

"Is he breathing?" Denisa's voice became high pitched in concern.

"Yeah, he gave himself a concussion, I think." Duke looked up at her, "who left the door open?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I didn't."

"Well, well, thank you Denisa," another voice interrupted her.

Boron appeared with Ceberus and a small group of Blade members behind them. Boron's eyes were hatefully stuck on Drebeer.

Duke glanced at Denisa who properly looked mortified. She turned to him, "Duke, I swear I didn't-I didn't tell them anything!"

He found himself stuck, wondering if she was another Lucretia DeCoy or if she was telling the truth. Then he realized Lucretia never looked completely apologetic even after she was caught. Denisa wasn't acting.

Boron jerked his head to someone behind Duke and Denisa. Duke jumped a little when he heard something make connection with Denisa's head. She fell, also unconscious.

"You stupid moron," Boron simpered. "Why come back? You knew this would happen once you set so much as a tail feather here."

"So I would know exactly who is running this half-assed gig," Duke forced a laugh. "And typical, you pick the city drunk as your assistent."

Boron's face twisted in rage before becoming blank as the same someone who hit Denisa, wrapped a wire around Duke's neck, almost cutting off his air supply.

"Care to repeat that?"

"Go to hell Boron..."

Boron grinned evilly, "no Duke, that's where you're going."

…...

1 Hour later

Duke didn't know where he was going since the black interior of the hood dominated his sight. But when he felt the vehicle stop, he was dragged out with Drebeer who had woken up at some point. Led through some kind of doorway, he was roughly sat in a chair and tied tightly to it; at the clap of hands the hood were yanked off.

Drebeer was sitting across from him, looking as mystified as he.

"Welcome to my humbled abode," a gravelly voice greeted in the shadows.

"You do this to many of your guests?" Drebeer asked sarcastically. Duke knew that was his way of masking his fear. Arren Drebeer was afraid.

"Only to you," the voice answered. "Duke, you're looking rather well...And this must be your brother."

The figure shifted in the dark shadows, moving to Drebeer, running a dried crusty finger down his face. Drebeer flinched, trying to jerk away.

"Who the hell is this?" Drebeer demanded.

Duke couldn't answer him, he didn't know, though the mannerisms were familiar.

"Allow me to introduce and reintroduce myself..." The figure stepped into the poor light. Duke found himself staring at a duck who was so deformed, it was unreal to Duke that the duck was still alive.

"Recognize me?" The duck whispered in Duke's face.

Drebeer sat as frozen as Duke, unable to look away.

"No," Duke answered truthfully.

The duck's destroyed features twisted in contempt as the meaning of Duke's words sank in.

"Mox Corp ring a bell?" Ceberus blurted out.

The duck's face became enraged as he glared at the duck. "Shut your f***ing mouth!"

"Mox Corp-Melyin?"
Drebeer cocked his head and returned his gaze to the duck, understanding now who he was.

The duck slowly turned to Duke, "happy Duke L'orange? You did this to me. I didn't die in the building collapse."

"Well that's obvious," Drebeer muttered.

So fast, Duke almost missed it, Melyin whipped around, his hand swiping Drebeer across the face. Drebeer's head snapped around.

Melyin's attention was already back on Duke. "I had everything and then you, a lowly criminal, just strolled in and destroyed everything. And now what, you got a girl and kid...and life has treated you well, hasn't it?"

"It's to make up for the shit I had to deal with as a kid," Duke snapped, "you'd know that Melyin, you were part of the shit."

Melyin's smile reminded Duke of a jack-o-lantern on the human's Halloween holiday. "Well I have you now...and your psychotic brother as a bonus.

Melyin leaned down.

"How's your boy these days? I heard something about a monolor."

Duke felt his blood pressure spike, "that was you?"

"No offense Boron, but Spaulding isn't the brightest ball in the sky. He needed a little guidance...but of course, Regla Winglude, the duck who has nine lives like you interrupted that."

Duke was shaking in anger.

"You can go," Melyin ordered Boron and Ceberus.

"Uh- wait, you said-" Ceberus began.

Melyin glanced at him annoyed, "oh I did promise didn't I?" He faced Duke bored, "alright, where's Fledger Patel?"

"I don't know."

"Ye're lyin'!" Ceberus snarled.

In response Melyin kicked Duke in the knee. Pain exploded in his kneecap and numbness traveled up and down his leg.

"Where is Fledger Patel?"

Duke swallowed, preparing himself to take the hit for the kid. His silence earned him another kick to the kneecap, this time he heard a crack.

Drebeer strained against his bonds, his face concerned.

"Did you hear that?" Melyin whispered in Duke's ear as he bent over in agony. "That was the sound of your knee breaking."

"I know," Duke grated. Melyin was close enough to make Duke gag from his rotten breath. Duke head-butted Mox in the face. The duck howled in pain as Duke was sure his face was sensitive now that he looked like a deformed scarecrow.

In staggering, Mox grabbed a metal pan off the table and slammed Duke across the head with it. His vision darkened, slowly winking out as he struggled to remain conscious.

"Duke...Duke...DUKE."

He opened his eyes to see Drebeer yelling at him. Everything was muffled to him.

"Answer me, are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he replied thickly. "Where's Mox?"

"He went into a backroom...he's planning to torture us."

Duke's head felt heavy, and his face was hot where the pan had hit him. "We have to get-"

"Ah, you're awake," Mox returned, pushing a tray on wheels filled with wicked looking devices. "Good. I've been dying to use these on someone...they've always been used for the dead, I'd like to try them on the living."

Duke was instantly reminded of the corpses he had stumbled across at Mox Corp before it was leveled.

"We'll start with you, Arren is it?" Mox pulled a small bladed knife off the tray and lightly brushed Drebeer's arm.

Drebeer tried to yank his arms out of the bonds but they were too tight. He ended up breathing rapidly, caught and unable to remove or fight back.

"Leave him alone, you don't need him,"Duke called out.

"See you just proved Arren does need to be here, what else would motivate you besides family?"

"Don't listen to him Duke," Drebeer replied. "He has as much of a screw loose as he did that night his pretty face went away."

Mox viciously stabbed into Drebeer's arm with the knife, leaving it embedded in his forearm. Drebeer barely reacted. Duke knew Drebeer had been through much worse when they were kids.

"We're gonna have so much fun," Mox said dreamily.

…...

Next day

Mallory woke up on Tanya's couch, where she had stayed waiting for Duke to return. Seeing the couch empty, she felt disappointment, followed by concern.

Glancing at the time and then the window, she saw it was still way before day-break. She laid down, hoping he would walk through the door at any minute.

Her wish was interrupted by the sound of a scream.

Jerking up right, she sprinted to the guest room where Asher and Fledge were, nearly colliding with Tanya and Grin who were both still half asleep. She threw the door open and saw Asher trying to calm a panicking Fledge who had backed into a corner.

"Move," She pushed Asher out of the way and grabbed Fledge into a hug as he attempted to fight her off.

"NO! NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! NOOOO!"

His strength threw her off balance, making her land on her back, still holding him.

"He's asleep mom!" Asher was saying over and over.

Sleep, he's sleeping. She rolled so he was on the floor and started shaking him awake. "Fledge, wake up...you're dreaming, wake up."

He finally came to, slowly and drained, gasping for air. He started crying; she pulled him upright and hugged him as he shook against her.

"It's okay," she murmured. "You're safe, it's okay."

Asher breathed a sigh of relief. He knew for a fact Fledge hadn't been at Lyght's for a week. He had been skirting around the city, living under bridges and in ice shacks. Fledge hadn't slept over a friend's house except for his, since the kid had a night terror and lost his bladder control at Rogo Fliper's house.

The pain and humiliation kept Fledge from ever going over another "friend's" house. Asher, Emilia and Lyght were the only ones who never harassed him about it. Even still Fledge never had the courage to sleep over anywhere unless it was Asher's house; for some reason they had a stronger bond than Fledge and Lyght did.

…...

Duke woke up some time later, aching from the up-right position he had slept in. Glancing around slowly, he saw first light was seeping though the dirty ragged window curtain. Drebeer was already awake, maybe he had never fallen asleep. The knife Mox had left embedded in his arm was gone, and Duke saw it was under his palm, where he was carefully working it against the rope.

Once it was frayed enough, Drebeer jerked his arm hard, breaking the bonds. Stiffly, he stood and went to Duke, cutting his own bonds.

"He left ten minutes ago, let's go."

"No, this is too easy Arren," Duke didn't move since his leg still tinged in pain. "And my knee's broke, how am I gonna walk? You go."

"No, I'm not leaving you," Drebeer hissed, "you're a f***ing idiot, all this heroic self-sacrifice you do, drake. It may work on your girl, but it doesn't work on me."

"Arren-"

"Get your ass up Asher, now."

"No." Duke shook his head. He didn't expect Drebeer to yank him up, which he did.

"I'm not leaving without you."

"Yes, you are."

Drebeer glared at him and then knocked his legs out from under him, groaning slightly as he picked Duke up to carry. "You can give me a f***ing medal when this whole thing is done."

Duke didn't answer at first, "this is really awkward."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Drebeer shouldered a door open, it's rotten hinges breaking. The two found themselves outside. Making no noise, Drebeer followed the wall of the house and made a beeline to the neighboring destroyed house.

"I think I can walk," Duke struggled to get Drebeer to put him down. Carefully, his brother lowered him to the ground where Duke's leg collapsed on him. He grabbed onto Drebeer's shoulder to steady himself.

"Maybe not?" Drebeer gave him a smile, surprisingly a sad one.

"Yeah..." Duke focused over Drebeer's shoulder and saw a figure with a large sharp shiny object. He yanked Drebeer forward, the blade missing Drebeer by nano-meters, the axe burying in the wall of the rotten structure.

Mox tugged it free, "going somewhere?"

Drebeer tackled him before Duke could stop him, his assassin skills bleeding through his tactics as he attempted to subdue Mox.

"Arren!" Duke felt stabbing fear. Something bad was going to happen, he knew it.

Mox flipped Drebeer over his head, the black duck landing on his back. Mox half stood, his murderous glare on Duke, who paced away. Mox rushed him, the axe posed to swipe Duke across his chest.

A body jumped between them at the last second, taking the axe for Duke. Duke fell back with Drebeer collapsing on him. Shock froze Duke for half a second before he sat up, not even noticing Mox disappearing around a corner. The axe was buried in the middle of Drebeer's chest.

His brother's breathing coming out in short spurts as he whimpered in pain.

"Arren," Duke brushed his fingers down his brother's cheek, "why the hell did you do that?" He felt anger, anger and grieve.

"Don't thank me," Drebeer gasped, his humor still strong.

"I can get you to Tanya, I have to leave the axe in."

"No, let me die..."

"Arren, you never listen to me so I'm returning the favor. I can't lose you. We can fix this."

Drebeer's eyes were glazing over, "I'm cold...I'm dying."

Duke felt a chill at his brother saying he was dying so matter-of-fact. "We can fix this."

…...

Tanya hadn't received many shocks at 8 dm in her life, but she felt twenty years lift off her lifetime when she opened her door to see Duke bloodied and him supporting a even more injured Drebeer.

"What happ-?" Her question died when she saw the hilt of an axe buried in Drebeer's chest. "Oh my god."

"Is it Duke?" Mallory asked from somewhere in the house, she rounded the corner in time to see Duke lose the strength to stand. He sank to the porch floor, dizzy and throwing up.

She pushed past Tanya and embraced him, his hand weakly coming to a rest on her arm. "What happened?"

"He needs help..." Duke didn't answer her. "Tany-" He passed out, his head thumping against the porch floor.

…...

Two days later

Duke had never felt so drugged in his life, though he had been once when Mox had him in his clutches as a kid; but then again, Duke didn't remember that. Apparently Asher had come in the scene as he passed out, horrified at the sight of his father and uncle both bleeding to death froze him. And his mother, shaking Duke, telling him to stay with her.

They both earned a trip to the Ducaine city hospital, Duke was beginning to wonder if the hospital should just make their own separate room, ready when ever needed.

Drebeer went into the operating room under a false name, to protect the fact that he was a career criminal for the Brotherhood. He died on the operating table only to be revived minutes later as they were about to call the time.

The axe had splintered his ribs, causing fragments to puncture his lungs; on top of that, he had three hundred and eighty-four stitches and four staples to close the gaping hole.

As for Duke, he only fractured his leg, his knee had never been kicked by Mox though it had and still felt like it He was the luckier of the two.

…...

Looking over, Duke watched the breathing pump as it went up, up, up and down, down, down, pushing air into Arren's battered lungs. In the two days that they had been here, he hadn't moved, not twitched or anything.

Duke wanted him to sit up and at the very least insult him, so Duke could insult him back. It wasn't supposed to be like this, Drebeer was supposed to be the strong one, the one who never got hurt and poked fun at Duke.

Sitting there now, Duke found himself wondering, is the blood going to ever come out of his feathers?

No amount of shutting his eyes could erase the blood matting Arren's black and greying feathers as it seeped and trickled around the axe.

The techs had had to take the axe out in parts, soldering it to pieces. If they had just yanked it out then there would have been even more damage and Arren wouldn't have woken up again.

Wildwing had wanted to know what happened, forgetting for a moment he hadn't acted as leader of the Mighty Ducks in a very long time. Mallory properly pushed him down a few pegs and told him to wait.

Duke didn't know if he had it in him to explain what had happened. Neither Drebeer or himself had ever thought their actions would put them right into the clutches of Mox. Their original plan had been to take one of the drunken ducks hostage to gain access into the Brotherhood and then find Timberr. The mock fight was to add confusion.

Speaking of Mox, Duke still couldn't get over the fact that he hadn't died in the building collapse. In Duke's personal opinion, death was better than being that physically scarred.

Feeble movement made Duke shift his gaze to his brother. Short whimpers and groans emitted around the breathing apparatus as Drebeer slowly woke up. Stiffly, ignoring the pain, Duke pulled a wheelchair towards his bed and lowered himself into it, taking care to not yank the tubes from his arm. He rolled himself to his brother's bedside.

His eyes still glazed from high doses of medication, Arren watched him blankly as Duke took one of his hands. It was cold.

"Arren?"

He didn't answer, Duke wondered if he couldn't or didn't want to. Then, "I'mth, still, alive?"

Duke almost missed the question as the duck's words were muffled around the tube in his throat and his voice was weak.

"Yeah, can't get away that easy," Duke teased softly.

Drebeer didn't respond, and Duke was interrupted by Mallory and Regla as they entered the room.

Several emotions flicked across Regla's face as he took in the sight of Drebeer. Duke knew that despite the two's animosity with each other, neither Regla or Drebeer ever wished the other harm.

Mallory sat in a chair by Duke and reached for his hand, he barely felt her touch, he had felt numb since watching Mox almost cleave his brother in two.

"Duke," Regla was calling his name, the first few calls, Duke had missed. "You need to tell me what happened."

"No."

Drebeer seemed a little more awake as his eyes traveled between Duke and Regla.

"Duke-" Mallory began.

"I'm not saying anything about it."

"You're just going to let them get away with this?" Regla was quickly changing roles from a friend to cop.

"Yes."

In a sudden flare of pain, Drebeer shifted and moaned softly. Duke watched in concern as the black duck's eyes rolled up in his head and he fell unconscious.

"I'll get the nurse," Regla murmured, he backed out of the room.

Mallory waited until he was gone before she turned to Duke. "What is with you? We're concerned about you...just tell him the tru-"

"He never died Mal," Duke blurted out a little louder than he had planned.

"Who?" She asked confused.

"Who do you think?" He rolled away from her, guilt pinging him when hurt clouded her eyes. He took a breath, his eyes returning to his brother's closed ones. "Mox."

The hurt rapidly disappeared, he knew she was hiding it for later. Instead, realization followed by horror appeared on her face.

"Mox is alive," he repeated.