A Linked Hour and Contemplations

This is a pointless little fiction I wrote because I was not allowed on Internet that day and I was having severe withdrawal symptoms. :) There is no action, just a series of small, minor events. I'm sorry to say that, although most of the Ducks have something to say, Tanya never got a word in edgeways.

Duke sat on the edge of the Pond roof, rocking back and forth slightly, looking out over the dark streets of a night-enshrouded Anaheim. No, it wasn’t all dark; most of the office buildings still had their lights on, and late-night drivers zapped along the roads. It looked, at that moment, like home, although the weather was better. It didn’t snow all the year round in California.

He did miss the snow, however. It was predictable, but every so often he’d look at a television screen, of the young humans in anorak’s sliding down snowy slopes in winter, or of white Christmases, and wish they could at least visit Puckworld again.

His team-mates felt the same, especially Nosedive; he’d had friends whom he’d left behind, unlike Duke. A thief in the Brotherhood had those of an acquaintance, sometimes lovers - but not for long - and almost always rivals, but never close, close friends.

Marriage was rare indeed, although married couples amoung the Brotherhood members weren’t so uncommon; he-himself had never had the time, oh, sure, he’d had plenty of opportunities, a few had even followed him to Earth... he chuckled at this... but never had he got around to marriage. Perhaps he was frightened of making a commitment? He wasn’t sure, but what he did know was that he’d always shied away from the prospect.

Even in his mind he didn’t like to dwell on the subject. He shook his head slowly, and then looked down as a car pulled into the parking lot. Ah, Phil and Mallory had returned from the calender shoot. Duke chuckled evilly; Mallory had been pressured into going, yet it had been surprising enough that she’d agreed at all. The chance of getting a free wardrobe of dresses, however, might have swayed her.

Nosedive would have a feild-day over this. Duke grinned, and then swung himself back onto the roof; enough contemplation for one night, he really wanted to see how this all turned out.

Mallory slammed the Pond doors in Phil’s face and continued down to the locker room. Oh, but Phil was going to get it for this. He’d said dresses, not freaking bathing costumes! However, she’d took it in her stride, but if she caught so much as a glimpse of that calander anywhere on the property of the Anaheim Pond there would be hell played out. The elevator opened, but Mallory didn’t walk in. She looked around behind her and found Duke sitting on the bench.

“Good night?” he asked.

“No,” she replied. “I’m certain Nosedive conspired with Phil over this, he couldn’t have thought up the horrors all by himself.”

“That bad?”

“I’d like to see you in a bathing costume!” Mallory growled, and then snapped to a blank face. “Not literally, of course.” She turned away and walked into the elevator. To her annoyance Duke followed her.

“So there’s no way that you’ll let the team see..?”

Mallory didn’t let him finish.

“No,” she said in a steely voice. “Not while I am still alive, and I plan to live for a very, very long time.”

“Heh, I’m hoping the same for myself, but ya never really know, do you?”

“This from you? I thought you were the “All for One and One for All”, optimistic person?”

“Hey, everyone thinks like this sometimes.” Duke smiled. “Even me.”

Mallory was going to reply but the elevator slowed and she looked up as the doors opened. She caught a glimpse of blond hair, heard a young voice say,

“Say cheese!”

And then a flash of light blinded her as Nosedive took a photo.

Wildwing heard the yells and a picture formed in his mind; his baby bro being chased by a furious Mallory. He sighed. Ever since he’d allowed Nosedive to buy that camera he’d been snapping shots of every one of them, usually when they least expected it. Last time he’d taken one of Mallory was when he’d leapt into her room, snapping the photo, and then realised he’d just caught Mal with no clothes on.

Mallory’d had the film destroyed. She did it personally. Nosedive had complained bitterly to him about it, because what he called “Some of my best shots” had been on that film; Wildwing rather hoped he hadn’t been talking about that one of Mallory.

He closed his eyes, leaning back on the couch. It had been an easy week so far, not a shimmer of teleportation energy anywhere, but that was not always good. It usually meant that Dragaunus was up to something big, and definitely unvirtuous. But he also knew that the best thing to do was grab some rest while they could; despite this, Tanya kept on with her experiments, and they all kept up the monitoring of the city.

Rest might be needed, but laziness was fatal.

The running footsteps became louder and suddenly Nosedive burst through the doors, leaping up onto the couch beside him. Wildwing’s eyes snapped open as he heard a familiar click, and Nosedive sniggered.

“Got you bro!” he crowed. “Our team leader sleeping, there’s one for the photo album!”

“Dive, would you quit leaping around the place? Where’s Mallory?”

“I left her behind around the rec room,” Nosedive replied, clapping his hands together. “This camera is the coolest thing around! Just another couple of shots and these will go in for developing.”

“Why not let Tanya do it?”

“Uh, well, I... don’t think she has the time, ya know?”

“You have a few of her?”

“Only two, only two. One with her hair down... Wing, did you know Taunny’s a babe under those glasses?”

“Dive...” said Wildwing, warningly.

Nosedive laughed. “Right, right, I’ll say no more. See ya later bro!” He bounced off the couch and rocketed out of the room.

Someone had been feeding him sugar and cola, Wing was almost certain of that. He lay back again, sighing for the second time in five minutes. He was reminded of a phrase from a book, describing a character called “Tigger” - “Because, however much you liked him, you couldn’t deny it - he did bounce”.

It didn’t really suit, despite Nosedive’s “bounciness”, because Wildwing, as his brother, loved him and didn’t mind the occasional bounce. He couldn’t vouch for the others, of course, especially Mal. He smiled, shaking his head. He was comparing his brother to a fictional character, where was the sense in that?

The lounge door opened and he lifted his head.

“Oh, Grin, hello. I thought you’d gone to your quarters?”

“I felt uneasy and restless. I am not tired.” Grin cocked his head. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I’m getting there, friend, I’ve migrated a few millimeters toward the doors.”

“Such a slow pace will not get you very far,” his friend said stoically.

“Too true.” Wildwing stifled a yawn. “You know, I might take your advice, after all, we do have hockey practice in the morning, and a game at 7:00”

Grin nodded slowly, smiling as Wildwing pulled himself up off the comfiness of the couch, and struck out determinedly for his quarters - and the nice warm nest waiting for him there.

The End