Chapter 12: Alliances

…

When Canard and Duke finally reached Puck City, it was daylight. Detective Thunderbeak would have all of his troops after the duo by now. Soon, Duke would be known as a duckling-napper; his face on wanted posters for the first time in his life.

"What now, Duke?" Canard said as they slowly walked toward the poverty-stricken side of the city. An arrow tram rumbled above them, dropping bits of debris into the coffees they had bought at a local bakery—one known to have no cameras or affiliations with the Brotherhood.

"We need to find weapons, maybe even allies within the mob," Duke replied sleepily.

"I could be your liaison. You could point someone out to me and…"

"Kid, no offense, but you are the chief detective's duckling. I'm not willing to risk your identity or safety if I don't have to," Duke interjected.

"Then why did you ask me to come?"

Duke couldn't answer that right away. There was something about the kid that he was drawn to, something that reminded him of true brotherhood. He felt like he could actually trust Canard, despite the affiliation with the chief detective and the Puck Police. That gleam of rebellion in the young drake was admirable and he had to admit that Canard would make a great Brother of the Blade.

Duke whipped a long piece of hair out of his face and eye before he realized that his feathers were still their long, distinctive grey color and length.

"I need to get rid of this hair!" he said, trying to change the subject.

"You wear an eyepatch. You really think your hair is going to give you away?" Canard replied sarcastically, taking a sip of his warm coffee.

"Ha, ha. I guess you are right, kid. We are both pretty handsome ducks. Now, we need someone trustworthy—on the inside. Someone no one would expect," Duke said, scratching his mandible methodically.

"How about me, old chum?" came a very familiar voice from down a dark alley.

"Perry!" Duke said in disgust as he instinctively stood in front of Canard to shield him.

"Easy, old boy. I didn't come here to fight you or turn you over…again," Perry replied, still hiding in the shadow of the alleyway.

"Humpf, still lurking in the dark, huh there? Even after what you did for her, she still won't let you play in the sun?" Duke taunted. Perry's expression went from one of poise to that of snubbed. He ruffled his feathers and stepped confidently into the morning light.

"It's Falcone, now," he proclaimed, touching the saber attached to his belt.

"Falcone, huh? Well, whoever you are now, just tell us what you want and I might not wring your neck," the mallard threatened.

"Pa-lease, Duke, in broad daylight?" he chuckled. "And in front of the kid? It's not at all becoming of you. Besides, I am now the second in command of the Brotherhood. My brothers would come looking for me, just as I have come to you, my brother," Falcone said innocently.

"Oh, yeah? What about you holding me down, drugging me, and…?" he trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. He looked down at the ground and instead said softly, "Some brother you are!"

"I knew they wouldn't cage you forever. I was the one that arranged your…disposal. They had nothing on you. I knew they would either release you or, at the very least, let you out on bail. And now you're out! I'm so clever, I can hardly believe myself," the raptor mused.

Duke snorted in response and said nothing as he stood between the falcon and Canard.

"Duke, you have to know, I know you are the true heir to the Brotherhood. Everyone knows this."

"Okay, and…?," Duke hissed.

"Let me put it this way, I would much rather serve you than that foul hen. I know you and we are the best at what we do. We are a team."

Something in the way Falcone spoke surely made him sound sincere, but Duke still wasn't totally convinced. He looked back at Canard and Canard only shrugged in response.

"I swear, old boy, she made me do it. I had to play my part. I would never hurt you. You saved me all those years ago. I would never willinging harm you. She has hurt me just as much as she has you…"

Somehow, I doubt that, Duke thought as he rubbed his temple. After what he did to me? How can I ever trust him again? If he was my true brother, he would have fought for me–protected me. No, this is a ruse. But, he is my man on the inside. I wonder who will be conning whom here?

"Alright, Perry…" Duke sighed reluctantly.

"Falcone," interrupted the peregrine.

"Alright Falcone, what did you have in mind?"

The falcon led the two young mallards to a small corner bar in a district controlled by the Brotherhood of the Claw. Duke knew the area to be out of bounds for not only him, but also the rest of his Brotherhood. He wondered if anyone would recognize him. When they entered the dive bar, Duke and Canard witnessed all manner of low life: drunken, sniveling, and disheveled birds. There was even a rare female parrot with a full red tail exposed under a short dress to excite and serve the meandering cocks.

"Now, now, old boy, don't judge these birds too harshly. They belong to a brotherhood just as we do, except that they are not keen on Henna's power within the Blade. They are willing to follow the rightful heir of the Blade if only to see Henna's reign end."

"Hmmm…you don't say," Duke muttered, stroking his underbeak in thought. "How do I know they wouldn't overthrow any opposing leader's reign?"

"Duke," Canard said with a slight hint of fear in his voice, "Falcone is telling the truth. I know the Blade has been slowly encroaching on the Claw's territory. My dad told me so at dinner a few weeks ago."

"I guess I didn't know how powerful she was…or is becoming. I knew she was aiming to expand her territory, but to what extent? She never really led on," Duke whispered in reply.

"Ah, Leatherbeak! Wingstrap! So good to finally meet you in person, old boys," exclaimed Falcone suddenly as he walked up to two weathered and fierce looking ducks.

"It's Henna's young eyas," said the duck with a piece of leather wrapped tightly around his upper beak. Duke and Canard immediately noticed each wore a set of sharp, metal claws that strapped onto their hands with worn pieces of suede. One calculated swipe and they could slice right through their throats.

"Puh, he's no more than a child," replied what must have been Wingstrap, dismissing the peregrine with a wave of a clawed hand.

"Gentlemen…" Falcone said as if he hadn't heard the insult, "I'd like you to meet Duke L'Orange, the only heir of Dukard L'Orange." He gestured towards the grey duck to come forward. Duke hesitantly strode up to the two gangsters, trying not to let on that he was secretly terrified of the seasoned crime lords.

"The Prince! Great DuCaine! I never thought I would see the day!" exclaimed Wingstrap.

"Sirs, I am here to broker a treaty," said Duke, trying to sound as assertive as he could.

"Little Prince, our services are at your disposal. We want Henna dethroned. We want the mutual respect and fair play between our Brotherhoods that was once so sacred under your father's rule. We will help you restore what is yours," said Leatherbeak. Wingstrap nodded in approval as his companion spoke.

"Well, we need to catch that duck, make sure she never returns," said Duke.

"Agreed, but how do we do that?" asked Leatherbeak.

"By doublecrossing her during a heist," interrupted Falcone.

Duke stared sharply at Falcone, both knowing full well she did not participate in heists anymore. She had her trained thieves, Duke and Falcone included, conduct all of her work for her.

"What do you have in mind?" Wingstrap asked, literally clawing at the table with his long metal knives.

"I happen to know that Henna has been in contact with…" Falcone paused and glanced around the bar, ensuring no one was eavesdropping, before inching closer to each member of the group. "...the last Saurian overloards," he whispered.

"What?! That's insane. No one has heard from them for over one hundred years!" said Wingstrap, a little too loudly.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Falcone scathed. "Do you want this entire establishment to hear?!"

Wingstrap sat back dejectedly and glanced at Leatherbeak with a look that suggested he did not believe what he was hearing.

"I can assure you all, it is true. And they are planning a return to Puckworld."

Duke could feel the heat of anger radiating in his face. He didn't know if this was another lie or if Henna and Falcone really had been in contact with those overgrown lizards. And what if they had? He couldn't allow the Brotherhood or Canard to become involved in an interplanetary war with the Salurian empire. Those coldblooded dinosaurs were tyrants, fascists, slavers…everything Puckworld stood against. No. This was too dangerous. But Duke said nothing as Falcone continued; he had to know exactly what Falcone was up to.

"I believe they have harnessed the technology to not only communicate with Henna, but they may also be able to escape dimensional limbo. Henna intends to help them…for a piece of the action, of course."

"Of course," muttered Duke. The peregrine shot Duke a disdainful glance but continued.

"How do they intend to get out of dimensional limbo? Assuming we believe you…" asked Canard.

"She believes she can somehow send them an energy puck to power their dimensional portal. She intends to steal it from the powerplant on this side of Puck City, your side." Falcone made a gesture at Letherbeak and Wingstrap. "If an energy puck were to be stolen in this sector, the Brotherhood of the Claw would be to blame and the entirety of the Puck Police, Puck Secret Service, Puck Homeland Security, maybe even the Puck Army, would gather and work to retrieve that energy puck, shutting down your operations in no time."

Duke could not believe what he was hearing, and yet, there wasn't a single shred of hesitation in the falcone's voice. There was a part of him, a large part, that knew some of this had to be true.

"Okay, so, what's the plan to shut down this heist?" demanded Wingstrap.

"I have a plan," Duke responded sternly. He happened to notice Falcone sit back and grin to himself, as if the bird of prey expected Duke to come up with all of the answers. But for once, Duke knew he had to take charge of this situation…before his world, Puckworld, fell into the wrong hands.