"I don't know, Mal, I think I like the green one better," Lila said, sitting on the edge of Mallory's bed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Mallory sighed, tossing the gold dress aside and holding the green one up to her. Lila smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but a wailing siren ripped through the Pond, and the clothes were forgotten in an instant. The two reached the Ready Room a heartbeat behind Duke. Nosedive was already standing behind Tanya, and a few seconds later, Wildwing joined them, water still dripping out of his hair. Lila smiled slightly and ducked out of the room for a moment. She grabbed a clean dish towel out of the kitchen and ran into Grin on her way back.

"What do you want, Lizard Lips," Wildwing was demanding when they arrived. She realized with a start that Dragaunus's image was plastered across their viewscreen, an evil grin on his face.

"Your complete and utter distruction, of course," the warlord snarled, "But barring that, I'll settle for your Mask and your oath that you will return to Puckworld and never lift a feather against me again!"

"And why should we do that," Wildwing glared, folding his arms.

"Allow me to introduce you to some new accquaintances of mine," Dragaunus waived behind him, and the image shifted. All seven ducks gasped as a group of adult ducks came into view. Siege shoved one of them forward.

"Dad!" Mallory cried, her face a mask of complete horror.

"Sweetheart!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide. Quickly they narrowed again. "Mallory, whatever he wants, DON'T GIVE IT TO HIM."

"No!" Mallory yelled as he was roughly shoved out of view. Siege grabbed a woman by the wrist and pulled her forward.

"Mally, honey, listen to your father," the woman said, glaring at the lizard before he pushed her to the side as well.

"Mom!" Nosedive and Wildwing cried at the same time as he pulled another duck forward.

"I'm okay, boys," she said, her blue eyes flashing. "Stay away, you hear me!" Again, she was roughly shoved aside. A broad-shouldered grey duck stepped forward on his own, his eyes so like Wildwing's that even without Nosedive's moan Lila would have known him for the boys' father.

"Whatever you do, son, don't give into this maniac," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. Siege shoved him hard, and he went sprawling in front of his wife and Mallory's parents. A large woman was next, and Grin sucked in his breath sharply. She didn't say anything, just looked at him and gave him a barely perceptible nod before being dragged off. Lila had never seen the big duck so close to tears.

And she had a horrible feeling she knew what was next. Even knowing, she wasn't prepared.

"Mamma," she whispered as a couple with joined hands stepped forward quickly to avoid Siege's ungentle handling. "Daddy!" Her eyes filled with tears.

"We're okay, Lila-belle," her mother said calmly.

"Don't worry, we'll get you free," she cried.

"You know better than that, Lila Marie," Deke LaGlace frowned sternly. "Not at the cost of others." Lila forced herself to straighten.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Good girl," he managed to say before Siege shoved them aside as well. Her aunt and uncle, Tanya's parents, were next.

"It's okay, T-bird, everything's going to be okay," was all Champ Vanderflock was given time to say. Tanya could only make a small choking noise.

Dragaunus appeared once more, his smile triumphant.

"When and where," Wildwing asked heavily, closing his eyes. Draguanus smirked.

"At this address," the transmission light beeped, "In two hours."

"If anything happens to them," Wildwing opened his eyes and looked directly at Dragaunus, his tone so cold it froze Lila's blood, "I WILL kill you. That's not a threat. It's a promise." Dragaunus grinned almost lazily at him before cutting the transmission. Lila felt her knees buckle and she sank to the floor, putting her head in her hands.