The door slid open and a tall slim girl practically danced in.

"You found it?" he asked quickly, relief in his voice.

She grinned cheekily up at him. "Of course I did! Ye of little faith…" She fished around in her pockets, and produced a folded up piece of very old paper, her dark brown eyes sparking with triumph. She handed it to him, and he unfolded it eagerly, peering at what it said. A slow smile spread across his beak.

"You," he told the grey feathered female "Are amazing."

"All part of the service. So when do we leave?"

"We?" Canard was honestly surprised. "Sorry Steph, this mission isn’t one for you."

She put her hands on her hips defiantly. "Hey, I got the map! Why shouldn’t I come?"

The grown duck spread his hands in a gesture that pleaded for cooperation. "Stephanie, you’re only twelve."

Stephanie copied his pose. "I can fit into smaller places than you.&quplaced it in a small satchel at his hip. "Let’s go. There’s a tyrant to crush." he said gruffly as he started back down the solid hallways.

***

"Can I…may I put it on?" Stephanie asked at one of their rest periods on their way down the mountain. Canard considered, then handed it over. She carefully placed it on her face, and she tried to give Canard the same feeling he’d given her. He just smiled, and she handed it back, disappointed.

"Ready to keep going?" he asked. She nodded.

***

Canard patted Stephanie’s back as they stood before the General. "I couldn’t have done it without her." he said with pride. Stephanie flicked back her short brown hair with satisfaction.

"Well done, the two of you." the General smiled. "Canard, is your team ready?" Canard made a small noise in the positive. "Good. You six must leave tomorrow. Dragaunus tightens his grip on Puckworld everyday."

Stephanie glanced up in surprise. "Going? Where are you going?"

"I’ll tell you later." said Canard.

"Why not…?" She started to speak, but received two disapproving looks, so she kept silent.

***

Stephanie tried not to cry as she watched Canard and his strike force head out to get the Areowing. In the end she didn’t. Resentment and fear for Canard rumbled inside her. Resentment becausot;

They tried to stare each other down for a long moment. Canard threw his arms in the air and started to stalk out of the room. "Beaten by a kid…" he muttered as he left.

***

Stephanie was infinitely glad to see the top of the mountain. The trip up had been long and hard. So far, the map to Twin Beaks was perfect. She scrambled up the last of the rocks, and turned to look at the view of the places she’d come from.

The Invasion had torn the landscape in parts, burnt forest, burnt city. But for the most part, the land was simple bush and scrub.

"You like gawking at things from high up?" Canard teased from behind her. She abruptly turned and started walking towards the small opening in the rock. He shrugged, and quickly caught up with her.

***

The ancient tomb was simple; a tunnel cut into the rock face. Both the ducks were slightly disappointed in the lack of traps to overcome, but neither mentioned it.

After ten minutes of walking into the increasingly stale air, they finally came to a large hollowed out area.

There, on a simple pedestal of rock, was the Mask Of Drake DuCaine.

Canard approached carefully with reverence. He lifted the Mask of it’s place, and put it on his head. It activated, and glowed gold from his face. Stephanie took a sharp step back in shock and fear as he turned back to her, looking like a stranger. Seeing her discomfort, he removed it and e she couldn’t go with him, when the other teen did. And fear because she’d been in the compound long enough to know when there was a large chance that a mission could fail.

She sighed as the last back disappeared out the door, and turned to go. The General fell in step beside her. She looked up at him. "Are they going to come back?"

The General steered her towards the canteen. "Of course. They have the Mask."