One week later

"I can't believe it's still around." Canard couldn't take his eyes off the last Aerowing of the resistance he had taken right before the resistance base was bombed. In a sense, he knew it was stealing, a grievous crime against the military. Had he not taken the plane, it would have been gone-obliterated from existence like the rest of the past.

Tanya gave a shy smile. "I found a good lawyer."

"Why?" Nosedive stopped pacing and stared at her. "I mean, why did you need a lawyer?"

Tanya looked up at the plane. "The military. You remember they confiscated it right after we returned. I found out by word of mouth they were going to melt it down."

"Melt it down?" Nosedive echoed furiously. "For what?! Why would they even consider that as an option?"

She shrugged. "For whatever they deemed fit. More twenty years have passed since the invasion. This plane is a dinosaur compared to what they have now." She straightened her glasses. "So legally its mine." Stunned silence followed her statement. Only Grin showed no emotion having known all along.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Wildwing asked, impressed. "We never heard about it from you or the news."

"I wanted to remain anonymous." She folded her arms. "I went to the first museum I could find and gave it to them. No brass in their right mind would risk public outrage if they pursued taking away a piece of history from kids."

"So, they can't touch it?"

She shook her head with a smile. "No. They can't." She gestured for them to follow her.

…..

Asher stared at the large plane in silent awe. He learned about the history of the Aerowings in school, the first one ever built was during Drake Ducaine's time, but he never realized his parents flew in one, let alone Tanya owning the last plane in existence.

"What are you doing?" Drebeer had tagged along and glanced behind them to see what the security guard was doing at the end of the long hallway. Sleeping on the frigg'n job, go figure.

Tanya paused after ducking under the rope corralling the plane. "I need something from a storage unit."

"You can't just go onboard."

Regla shot him a look. "A career criminal and you're worried about boarding an airplane in a museum?"

"In broad daylight?" Drebeer snipped. "Yeah, I am a little worried."

"Are you two done?" Mallory had her arms crossed as she observed them over Asher's head. She didn't wait for an answer and instead followed Tanya under the rope and disappeared into the plane.

'Wanna?" Dive's eyes lit up.

"Wanna what?" Asher still didn't feel right. The last two days he had spent in bed, sleeping. Normally his parents wouldn't have condoned him wasting his days in bed, but his cold-turkey quitting of the anxiety pills was taking a heavier toll than even Tanya had expected. He had spent the previous night hugging the toilet.

"Go on board." Dive was watching as Regla was the last to climb the ramp. He glanced sideways with a smirk. "C'mon."

…

There was more space than he had expected inside. Lockers sat bolted to the left wall with shelving units underneath. A large side counter computer with several monitors made up the right side with a large door sat next to it. A gouge in the metal wall made him pause in his study of the surroundings. "What's that from?"

The adults paused; Canard stared at the split metal as mystified as Asher. Nosedive answered. "An Axe accident."

Canard narrowed his eyes at the reply. "Axe accident?" He repeated. "How was that an accident? It's right next to the secondary fuse box." Asher noticed his dad's face as he exchanged knowing looks with his former teammates.

Mallory sighed. "The Saurians. They did mind control on a…friend of ours." Nosedive snorted in disbelief loudly, earning a look from her as she continued. "He lost his shit when we were in the air, and tried to bring the plane down. He got as far as missing the fuse box with his axe before Grin restrained him."

Tanya nervously straightened her glasses before stooping down and pulling a panel loose in the floor.

Drebeer paced in a partial circle behind everyone. "How much shit did you hide in this thing? You have that coffee collection that's lasted over a decade…what else?"

Tanya reached into the hole and pulled what looked like a belt with eggs on it. Nosedive bent down.

"Grenades? You made grenades and you hid them in here?"

"I didn't have any use for them…" She murmured. "I was bored a lot you know? Especially after Drake One was built."

"Drake One?" Canard half turned from his study of the main controls, his hand on the thruster handle.

"It was a super computer." Tanya answered absently, her gaze far off. "The best thing I ever made from scratch." Then she snapped out of it, her tone turning business-like. "The red eggs are strong enough to level buildings, the other ones just make little booms."

Drebeer picked up another belt, feeling its weight. "Good."

…

Recognition dawned on Lex Goodall's face as he saw Drebeer, Ches and Jenner all sitting in the corner of the large kitchen, yet he said nothing at first. "I suggest making copies of these. The chief won't be happy if he finds they are missing. It was hard enough smuggling them out of the precinct." He laid a large tube down on the table and watched quietly as Regla opened the canister and pulled maps free, the edges frayed and singed; his eyes twitched.

"These aren't ours."

"I know. They're Saurian, but it's all we got."

"You're telling me in the last twenty years we've never once mapped any of the old camps?"

"Do you want to be the one to do that Regla, be my guest." Lex glanced towards the Blade members again. "No one wants to go in those places, it's too depressing. I wouldn't want to go in there. Cripe, there's still bodies in the crem-"

"Lex-" Regla interrupted sharply, his gaze stuck on Asher and Fledge who arrived on the tail end of the duck's rant. The look on Asher's face told Regla the kid hadn't missed the information about the bodies. Shit. He laid the maps out, using coasters to keep the paper from folding up. "Odessa…" He flipped to a new one. "Larcen, Klap… Where's Mordri?"

"You sure you didn't pass it?"

Regla glanced up. "I'm sure… there were four camps, there's only three here." In the corner Drebeer tensed, his hand sliding into his coat.

"That canister is all we got for the camp maps, it should be in there." Lex picked the casing up to look inside. He paused. "Is there still the element of surprise for this whole thing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Drebeer growled.

The cop immediately returned the glare. "What are you suggesting criminal?"

"Well I don't know cop, there seems to be a lot of information leaking out of this house-" The black duck snapped.

"Hey!" Mallory stepped forward to make her meaning clear. "There will not be a beat down in the middle of my kitchen. We're all here for a common goal; let's keep it that way, shall we?" In response Lex backed off, though Drebeer didn't relent in his staring. Mallory continued, hoping her words would snap him out of it. "Denisa told me Blade members are everywhere. What if there are members loyal to Flyght working in the precincts?"

"That's ridiculous, everyone gets a background check and has to submit for a new check every year."

"Is it?" Duke murmured, his arms across his chest. "Not if Blade members are running checks on Blade members."

Lex turned to look at Ches. "Nice."

Ches kept his face neutral. "Don't look at me."

"What's the point of leading a band of criminals if you can't keep your flock in check?" Lex snapped.

Ches shrugged. "I'm old, what more do you want from me?"

"Bullshit you're old." The duck grumbled.

"Fine, so the Mordri map is missing." Regla said a little loudly to stop the argument as he straightened. "Which means we're going to be about 85% blind going there. I only know the area around the crematorium."

"No, you won't." Fledge spoke up, realization dawning on his face. "Hold on." He disappeared, and didn't leave everyone too long to wonder what he meant before he returned. He pulled a beaten book out of his bag, flipping to the back and then tore out two pages. He held them out to Regla. "Our history books, they probably aren't as detailed as those, but they got most of the information on them.

Regla put the two pages side by side, an academic recreation of the camp coming to life. Fledge was right, it wasn't as detailed as the Saurian maps; but it was a lot more detailed then he thought would have been in a school book. "Thank you, Fledge…" He studied it. "I know when you were there Duke, your surroundings were less important, but do you happen to remember what hut you were in?"

"Block 4, hut 10." Drebeer murmured. "Duke was a little indisposed." He added with a smirk and earned a sour look from his younger brother.

"Good." Regla ignored the brotherly banter. "We can use the crematorium to our advantage."

"Won't that put us in a problematic situation if there's a horde of them and they cut us off in the building? We'll be stuck with no way out." Canard voiced the mutual concern in the room.

"We'll do it." Ches sat up straighter in his chair, he glanced at Duke. "You in or would you rather be more personal?"

"I can do both." As he answered, he missed Mallory's worried expression.

"It can't just be you guys up there." Wildwing argued. "That's not fair."

"There's a lot of things in life that aren't fair." Ches replied. "We're more agile than you, no offense."

Lex snorted. "With a walker, I'll bet." He muttered.

"How do you expect we get anywhere near there?" Nosedive asked skeptic. "The place has to be crawling with loyal assholes by now. It's going to be nearly impossible for a whole band of us to get anywhere close without someone seeing us."

"Stakeout." Drebeer answered. "In different areas around the camp….and I suggest we switch it up with who we work with too."

"Why?" Lex asked suspiciously.

"Since we have two sets of siblings here dumbass." Drebeer didn't hide his hostility. "If shit goes south and suddenly we're found out, it'll protect bloodlines instead of wiping out an entire lineage." Lex glowered, but otherwise said nothing. "And-" The black duck added. "It might help clear the air between some of us."

"Yeah, you're included in the some of us." Lex snapped, he didn't get a reaction out of the black duck; instead Drebeer stood.

"What are we waiting for?"

…

Mordri

Abandoned Invasion work camp 4

"God, this place is such a shithole." Drebeer hissed. Next to him Grin and Canard exchanged amused glances.

"I don't know about that Arren, this place has a nice view. Look, there's even a backyard." Drebeer cast the tan duck a side look.

"Considering that area was once one of six firing squad stations, I'd have to agree. There's definitely enough room." The black duck kept his pace strong, leaving Grin and Canard behind in silence.

"I'm an asshole."

"No, you're not." Grin rumbled as he glanced behind them. "Let's not lose him, I don't think he's used to having partners.'

"Yeah, no wonder half the time Jenner looks shell shocked." They turned the corner of the chain link fence to see Drebeer pulling himself awkwardly up into a tree. He saw them coming.

"I hate getting old." He grumbled.

"I think it has more to do with you still healing from a piece of stehl splitting you apart than getting old." Canard climbed onto the branch in no time and bent down to help pull him up; Drebeer didn't take his extended hand at first. "Arren…" The black duck glanced up silent, then took Canard's hand and let him pull him up.

The tree was large, curved around towards a rotted part of the enormous guard post spanning the circumference of the camp. They made sure to keep down as they chose a spot that wasn't rotted out; the last thing they needed was to fall through the wood and alert anyone to their presence. Next to Grin, Drebeer groaned slightly as he slid down with them onto his stomach.

"You going to make it?" Grin asked.

The black duck breathed a laugh. "Considering I no longer have a sternum made out of bone but with metal, and its negative ten degrees out, I think I'll make it." Canard reached into his pack and poked Grin with a blanket.

"We're going to be here a while."

…

"Come to bed Asher." Mallory found her son standing at the window.

"I don't want them to get hurt." She paused in pulling his blanket and sheet back.

"They won't be."

"You sure about that?" His question was so soft she almost missed it. She sighed and crossed the room to stand by him at the window, she put an arm around him. She decided not to lie. The house was decidedly quieter with almost all of its occupants out.

"No." She admitted. "But we can hope." She gently steered him to bed.

He got into bed before glancing up at her. "Mom, can Fledge stay?"

She blinked, caught off-guard by the question. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know… he doesn't have anyone. He likes it here." Before she could say anything, soft foot padding echoed in the doorway; Fledge appeared, stopping in his tracks when he saw them.

"Oh… I can come-back." He turned to leave.

"Fledge." He slowed upon her calling his name. "You don't have to leave, come on." She gestured for him to come back which he did so, slowly. Once they were situated she shut the light off and cracked the door. Duke sat in the shadows of the stairs that continued up to the third floor of the house.

"Wouldn't be a bad idea." He murmured.

She took his hand on her way by, towing him into their bedroom. "Patterrn may be a shitty excuse for a parent, and if I could, I'd gladly kill him myself for what he's done to Fledge; but we can't just take him, there's laws."

"Not in the Brotherhood, there ain't." Duke sat. "Mal-" He sighed. "Ches asked me if I'd want it back."

"Want what back?"

He looked up at her. "The Brotherhood."

"To what? Run it?" His words were hard for her to understand for some reason. He nodded. "What did you say?"

"Said I'd think about it." He reached for her hands, pulling her closer. "It all depends on you."

She didn't know what to say. There was a time she felt disgust at knowing she had to rely on a known thief, a Brotherhood Blade member of all criminals. Her disgust was so bad, she told Canard she couldn't go through with the Resistance mission. He had told her he understood her sentiment, but the fate of Puckworld was too important compared to her personal feelings. He promised her she'd never have to look at Asher Duke L'Orange again, once the mission was over. If only. Draganaus got away, Canard was lost and she wound up on an unfamiliar planet with the one person she expressed reservations about. By their third year she and he were involved as she no longer cared he was an ex-criminal. Now, she looked the other way; she had no leg to stand on when it came to her caring about him being a Blade member anyway, not when her own father was the leader of the Brotherhood. She had no right to tell him what to do. "It's up to you. It's your life."

"It's your life too, you and Asher's." He murmured. "If you tell me no, I won't be upset… I'm not sure I want it anyway."

"I don't know." She admitted.

He gave a slight smile. "Me too."

…

"It's been a long time since I've sat in a cop vehicle." Jenner touched the door to see if there was a handle, Regla guessed his actions.

"Those types of vehicles irritate me, too much bitching from the criminals about their waves of claustrophobia due to not being able to get out of the car by themselves."

"That's the excuse they used?" Nosedive laughed. "You're kidding me." In the front passenger seat, Ches shook his head in amusement.

"I've heard it all." Movement ahead of them stopped Regla from continuing the conversation; he picked up binoculars and focused on the three people, thankful his SUV was black and blended in with the alleyway. Ches sat forward.

"Who is it?"

"Well, from the beautiful mugshots sitting in my console I'd say one of them is Cerberus Patterrn. Think he's in AA, he's walking in an amazingly straight line."

Ches snorted. "Cerberus doesn't even know what AA stands for."

"Where's Boron?" Jenner asked. "They're never separate."

"Maybe he forgot to look both ways and a bus hit him, and Patterrn was too wasted to notice." Nosedive had leaned forward too. "Would you get in trouble for walking to the aid of a murderous piece of shit, instead of running?"

"I'll blame my fatigue." Regla picked up a radio. "Got three males heading into Mordri, one of them is Patterrn." It took a moment but then a reply came through.

"We see them. They're going to Mox's humble abode."

"More like Mox's cesspit, I like that b-" The correspondence cut off in the middle of Drebeer's added commentary, Regla rolled his eyes.

"Make sure Arren doesn't do anything stupid."

"How can I? I can't feel anything from the ass down." Drebeer's complaint was valid, even with the car's heater going Regla could still feel the icy wind blowing through the cracks of his window and door.

"You know you guys should probably make your way to us, it's like negative ten out."

"We got Grin with us." Canard said. "Don't know he'll fit, no offense." In the backseat Jenner and Nosedive looked at each other and then the space between them.

"They will if we sit in the way back." Nosedive tapped Jenner's shoulder. "C'mon."

"There's room." Regla said. "Dive's always thinking of you."

Within ten minutes three shadows appeared, one hulking compared to the two smaller males. "We should have chosen a different frigg'n night." Drebeer was visibly shaking as he climbed into the backseat. "Where's the heater in this thing?"

"It's on as high as it'll go." Regla glanced over his shoulder. "You should flex your fingers, get the circulation going again."

Drebeer shot him a look, about to say something biting but then seemed to think better of it.

"Um guys…." Nosedive was staring out the windshield. "You're sure we can't be seen, right?"

"Right it's too dark in this alley, why?"

"Good." The blonde duck sounded for once frightened. "Because we're being stared at." Everyone faced forward to see he was correct, a lone duck was standing outside the entrance, looking in their direction; though so far, there wasn't a reaction from them.

"Ches…." Drebeer didn't blink as he stared at the visible female duck.

"I know." The older duck murmured.

"What the hell? She checked out okay…" Drebeer was stunned, unlike his usual self.

"Who is it?" Regla was becoming annoyed with the code speak.

"Denisa." Ches answered. "She's a Blade member…I don't get why she's running with them again."

"Was she playing us?" Canard asked. "Mal's birth certificate could have been a ploy to get us to let our guard down with her. Cripe, what did she hear?"

"Nothing, I kicked her ass out after that fiasco." Drebeer grimaced as he flexed his fingers again. "Despite everything, I still didn't trust her. Didn't trust Mallory to not try to kill her again too, she was too fired up over Ash and Fledge."

"I don't like it when I got people staring at me like this." Nosedive continued.

"That makes six of us." Canard muttered. "Shit. We can't leave now until they leave, if they even do."

"Too bad we didn't bring one or two of Tanya's eggs, we could blow away Mox's shanty-shack, get rid of all of them in one shot." Jenner shifted. "I can get their attention on me-"

"No." Drebeer snapped. "No one is going anywhere without one of us with them and with as fucking cold as it is outside, I can guarantee you no one plans on going outside."

"It makes the most sense." Jenner was undeterred.

"Jenner." Drebeer twisted around to make his point clear. "Shut up."

"It's not your responsibility Jenner, to put yourself in danger for the rest of us." Ches chimed in.

"What is she doing? Acting like a lookout?" Nosedive grumbled. "How can she just stand there when these three were walking like they had sticks up their butts?"

Canard turned to look at him. "Really?"

"It's true."

"I'm tempted to just go, regardless of her standing there." Regla's hand itched above the gear shifter. "I can easily ditch this vehicle at the precinct and claim there's some rattling noise in the engine, that'll keep the techs busy for a few days and keep it off the road so there's no chance of one of them seeing it."

"They'll buy that?" Ches asked.

Regla grinned. "If they want to keep their jobs, they will." He looked forward just as Denisa wandered out of sight, back into the camp compound.

"If you're going to do it, it's now or never Regla." Grin was unusually tense.

"This thing turbo charged?" Nosedive asked.

Regla turned the ignition. "We're about to find out."

…..

"Where's Regla?" Mallory had come downstairs to make sure all the lights were turned off when everyone returned.

"Went back to the precinct to switch out vehicles." Canard answered as Wildwing appeared from the basement. "There's a chance we could have been spotted."

"What do you mean spotted?" Tanya had joined the conversation too without anyone seeing her descend the steps. "How?"

"Denisa, the one who brought Mal's birth certificate to her." Drebeer was intently interested in Mallory's reaction to his words, which she showed none to.

"I thought she was-" The redhead paused. "She played us?"

"We don't know yet."

Exasperated disbelief flooded her face. "Regla went alone?" She started mentally naming everyone she saw.

"No, your dad went with him."

My dad. Someone else's verbal acknowledgement of Ches being her biological father still felt odd to her.

"At least he's not alone."

"They should be back soon." Canard's reassuring words helped a little.

"I'm going to wait for them." She started for the couch but Drebeer stepped in her way.

"We will. Get some sleep."

She considered arguing with him, though she knew it was hard to ever win an argument against Arren Drebeer.

"There's no need to worry." Grin closed the distance between himself and Tanya. "Come Mallory."

She wanted desperately to stay up, just to see them with her own eyes come home but knew she wasn't going to win, so she gave in and followed Grin and Tanya upstairs. She paused on the landing. "Text me. I don't care what time it is."

Drebeer gave a jerked nod.

….

"Who is she?"

Streetlights played across Ches Longtale's face as they headed to the 495 Precinct, he took a breath. "Her mother took refuge with us during the Invasion, at the time it didn't really matter who was a Blade member and who wasn't. She never left and eventually started doing heists for us…She's never been a problem, she was even thankful when I overturned the previous leader's rule of all children of members are automatically members themselves."

"That why Asher's not wandering the Brotherhood halls right now?" Regla kept his eyes on the road.

"Partially why." Ches murmured. "He's seen a different life, he needs to follow that path. The Brotherhood is a last choice in my opinion. Mallory's fought hard to shelter him from the bullshit and her efforts should be rewarded." The older duck fell silent, then he hit Regla unexpectedly with a question. "What's going on between you two?"

"Excuse me?" Regla abandoned his attention of the road. Ches was watching-gauging him calmly.

"It may go over the heads of the others, but I'm not blind to see there's something between you two. Whether Duke knows, suspects and is ignorant, I don't know."

Regla returned to staring out the windshield. "I don't know what you're-" He paused and then sighed heavily. "Duke disappeared for a year after his supposed execution and I was fucked up from the bomb that blew up my car…she was fucked up for a long time. Stopped living. Stayed in bed all the time. Thank god for Tanya or Asher would have been neglected…. we were both available when we needed someone most.

"Its good Duke came back when he did."

"Why?"

Regla glanced at him again. "Because I-do love her and something might have come of it; but it's not supposed to be me and her, it's her and Duke. I get that."

"Not many have your restraint."

Regla didn't reply as he turned into the cruiser lot. "How well known are you to 495?"

"To a technician, not very." Ches gave a slight smile as Regla rolled his eyes. They got out, the biting cold instantly stealing whatever warmth they might have had in the vehicle. Regla led him to a side door where two technicians were on duty, one dozing in a chair. Normally Regla might have shaken him awake but he didn't bother. It was too cold outside for him to care.

"I got vehicle 21543 outside, I'm going to leave it here. There's something in the engine rattling."

" 'sure it's not icicles?" The sleeping technician had awoken, stretching feebly. "Or the engine contracting?"

"That's for you to tell me." Regla tapped a clipboard on the desk. "Mind if I sign out a new vehicle?"

The sleepy duck gave a comical shrug. "You're the pseudo-commander, boss."

"I'll take that as a yes." Regla muttered, scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Regla Winglude." The cream duck paused, several emotions crossing his face as he slowly turned to see who greeted him. Ches stayed rooted to his spot by the door, partially shadowed as another officer came towards them. The new duck glanced at the techs. "Don't you both have work to do?" There was a muffled 'yes sir' as the two ducks were quick to find something to occupy themselves. The duck smirked arrogantly. "Who's your friend?"

"Father of a friend." Regla answered shortly. "She asked me to take him home. He wandered away from the nursing home again."

"Nursing home?" The duck sized Ches up. "He looks awfully good for someone whose suffering from dementia as you're implying."

"Comes and goes."

"I bet." The officer sneered.

"Do you have a point to this discussion Tyr?" Regla snapped. "I'm on a tight schedule."

Tyr studied him, the amusement fading to a cold disposition. "I'd be very careful if I were you Regla. Word is you're in cahoots with the Brotherhood."

"Is that so?" Regla feigned disinterest. "Nice to know people ignored Commander Talone's order of no gossiping."

His words incited the other duck; Regla stood his ground when Tyr got beak to beak with him. "It should have been me. How long were you out with your little booboo's? Almost a year? A year of sitting on your ass doing nothing-"

"I suggest getting out of my face before I rearrange yours and make you less appealing to the floozies you pick up." It was an effort to keep his tone calm, as Regla held the other's gaze.

"Flok!" The yell of his name instantly made the duck attentive. Lex Goodall appeared, his gaze sweeping from the techs guiltily looking away after listening to the argument, to Regla, Flok and lastly, Ches. "Didn't the Commander ask you to go file paperwork related to the Donnal case?"

"Typical." Flok hissed. "Your partner in crime comes to save you." He turned to leave, but was grabbed by Goodall and slapped into the side of a vehicle.

"Your rank is below ours Sergeant, that means you show us some fucking respect. You get me?" Flok's feathers darkened with what Regla could only guess was barely contained rage; but he nodded to which Goodall let him go. They watched as he stomped away and disappeared back into the precinct. "I've been meaning to write his ass up, it'll be his third strike. I'll happily do the honors of throwing him out into the street."

"He's not worth the effort." Regla clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks."

Goodall nodded, his attention returning to Ches who had come out of the shadows to stand by Regla. "You got a lot of balls old man, walking into this place willingly."

Ches made a face.

Goodall jerked his head. "Go, before someone else comes down here."

"Thanks." Regla gestured for Ches to go outside first; he pushed the door open showing two uniformed rookies-two ducks Ches instantly recognized as part of Boron's posse, holding weapons.

"Shit." He yanked the door shut just as they open fired, denting the door with ammo. "Go!" He shoved Regla back. The duck had had enough injuries to last him a life time, Ches didn't need Mallory killing him if the cop got another thing wrong with him. Quickly, he began cataloging his surroundings. The techs were gone. Good, two less to worry about. It was only them in the garage.

"The hell was that?!"

Ches kept his pace up. "Two of your rookies, they aren't loyal to you, that's for damn sure." He stopped in his tracks to face the cop. "What do you think that was Winglude?"

"How big is this fucking organization of yours?" Goodall demanded.

Ches glanced at him, exasperated. "Bigger than previously thought." The door across the way was kicked open, a volley of bullet spraying around them. The three ducked behind a vehicle, jerking away when chips of metal spat out. "Give me your gun." Regla froze, unsure.

"Why?"

Crystalline irises landed on him, slightly unnerving the cop. "I didn't become the Brotherhood leader by being totally passive." Still Regla hesitated. "They're going to kill us Regla, now is not the time to hesitate." The cream-colored duck shut his eyes and handed over his only handgun.

Ches waited, the traitorous Blade members were quiet in their footsteps, but not quiet enough. He scoffed. Obviously, Duke and Arren weren't your teachers. He rolled under the vehicle and out the other side just as the two found Goodall and Regla.

"Where is he!?" One was yelling. Ches rounded the front of the SUV, pulling a rope loose from his coat and didn't wait as he wrapped it around the closest duck's neck, snapping it. The remaining Blade member had enough time to recover and brought his weapon around, managing to fire off a few bullets before Ches pistol whipped and then roundhouse kicked him, throwing him back into the wall, out cold. He raised his weapon-

"Ches." He didn't relax his trigger finger, but he waited. "Leave him." The command surprisingly irritated him for reasons even he didn't know. He debated ignoring Regla, but then relented as Goodall passed him and put the unconscious duck in handcuffs.

He handed Regla his gun back. "Let's get back to Mallory's before the next welcoming committee shows up."

….

Ches made a beeline for the bathroom, shutting the door. Reaching into his coat, he touched his side, near his fourth rib. This is going to suck. His hand came away, stained red. It had been a while since he had to dig a bullet out of himself and he knew he wasn't going to be disappointed. He searched the drawers as quietly as he could, looking for tweezers, anything.

"Ches?"

He paused. "Yes?"

"Can I come in?"

Damn it. He opened his mouth to say 'no' but the word wouldn't come out. He groaned and sat down on the toilet. "Yeah."

The door opened slowly as Mallory appeared; her hazel eyes jumping on the floor. He glanced down and saw the small crimson droplets. Shit. She shut the door. "Where are you bleeding?" Her question was soft.

"I can handle it."

"And I'm asking where you're hurt."

Despite the pain he couldn't help smiling. "You and your mother are one in the same."

She came forward and began pulling out various supplies. "I doubt it. She's lied to me and apparently a hypocrite to boot."

"You have every right to be angry Mallory, but I have to ask you not to insult her." She didn't respond as she motioned for him to stand.

"Sit in the tub, it'll keep the bleeding contained to one spot. He wanted to argue, tell her he could fish for the bullet himself; at the same time, he didn't want to spend the ten extra minutes looking for it when she could probably find it in half the time. He pulled his coat and shirt off, forcing himself to show no reaction as his muscles stretched around the bloody hole in him. He sat as she asked and waited as she took a pair of hemostats and an antiseptic solution. His skin burned when the solution washed down his side, but that was nothing compared to the pain once she began poking for the bullet, and the instrument dragged the antiseptic into the wound. "It looks like it may have ricocheted instead of being a direct hit." She pulled the fine nosed hemostats free. "I see it, hold on." She pushed the hemostats into the wound again, opened them slightly and then pulled it free, this time holding a flattened slug. She laid the piece down on the lip of the tub and dribbled more of the solution onto the wound. "Who shot you?"

"Doesn't matter now, they're dead."

"You killed them?" She asked surprised.

"Like I told the cop, I didn't rise to the rank of leader of a notorious gang by being passive."

She returned her attention to her work. "I didn't think you had it in you." She finished with the bandaging and stood, putting the supplies away.

"Thank you."

She faced him. "Sure." She glanced at her watch. "You should go to bed, it's four in the morning."

He snorted. "Shouldn't you be taking your own advice?"

She gave him the first genuine smile since meeting him. "I am."