Not the Same Duke Anymore

by Duck5R0ck

A little bit more mature look at the dynamics of the Mighty Ducks team: Duke l'Orange struggles to repair trust with his team after he went undercover as a thief to foil Falcone's plans to steal the world's largest jewels. But after meeting a oddly familiar human, he realizes that there is more strength within him than he ever thought possible. More to come; feel free to critique.

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: A new brotherhood

As Duke quietly wondered the dark suburban streets, following the towering glow of Puck City in the distance, he began to regret his decision to leave Canard.

Canard was the only real friend Duke had at the moment. Perry, Henna, and the entire Brotherhood had betrayed him. They no longer knew what it meant to be a Brother. Respect, fealty, and autonomy of thought—all these things defined a Brother and made him an integral member of the mob.

But Henna—damned Henna—had corrupted the Brothers' vison. She had brought in more hatchlings, defenseless children, to mold, corrupt, and employ into her service. She truly was the most dangerous and powerful mobster on Puckworld, and now that Duke was out of the picture, there was nothing holding her back from absolute control over her dominion and anyone else's that might stand in her way. She had to be stopped.

But how? thought Duke. I can't just go barging into the secret layer, wielding whatever weapons I can find. I'm just one Duck.

Suddenly, Duke stopped in the street and ran back towards the Thunderbeaks'. He stood in front of Canard's bedroom window and looked for a quiet way to scale the house and tap on his window. However, before Duke could start his decent, he looked up and saw the light turn on in Canard's room. Canard quietly opened his window and looked down at the grey duck.

"I knew you'd be back!" he whispered from above.

"Come with me! I need your skills and your knowledge of the Puck underworld. I need your…brotherhood," Duke trailed off.

"I thought you'd never ask!" replied Canard. C

He shimmied down the side of the house with some acrobatic ease and pounced as softly to the ground as an owl. He had a backpack strapped tightly around him and dark clothes to help camouflage his snow white feathers in the night.

"We are a team now," said Canard softly. Duke extended his hand for a handshake, and unlike Wildwing, Canard gratefully accepted.

They ran off for Puck City, unsure of what they might encounter ahead of them, but each indebted for the other's bravery and companionship.