"I do not believe this" Duke said, looking at the eerie looking Aerowing that was in front of them.

It was covered in various designs done in spray paint.

"I don't believe what im seeing either Duke" Nosedive said as they tried hailing the ship.

"looks like we got another visitor from a different dimension" Mallory groaned.

"nh-huh" Tanya said "Drake one say's its one of ours.....ah...you know...one from our Puckworld" Tanya explained.

"An` I know who it belongs to" Duke said, starring at the ship that just hovered there in the clouds.

"well you better speak up Duke, cause whoever's in it ain't listenin`" Nosedive said.

"meaning?" Grin asked and Nosedive rolled his eyes.

"whoever is on the ship is not responding to our hails" Nosedive repeated slowly, making fun of Grin.

"give me da mike" Duke said, Wildwing gave it to him and Duke put his fingers to his beak, pressed the talk button and made an ear piercing whistle into the mike for about two minutes. Everybody covered their ears.

"what was that for?!" Mallory demanded as there was an abrupt noise in reply from the channel.

"whoever the hell you are im a gonna kill yah when I get back ta base.....dat better not be you Macavity" a harsh, girlish voice came out of the speaker.

"Walker, havin` a nap eh?" Duke answered in reply.

"Duke?...im gonna kill yah" the voice answered, Duke only chuckled, laughing off the threat.

"we tried hailin` you for the past 5 minutes Walker"

"I had da box goin` plus I was just comin` outta a concussion" the voice replied "waita minute....your freakin` dead!"

"you wish" Duke laughed into the mike "listen. We're gonna dock in a sec. Try ta clean up that junkyard you call a cockpit will yah?"

"don't go complainin` mac, I just got trashed by a saurian.....I hope tah hell it's dead back there" the voice replied "sure smells like it...wait...dats only last months tuna sandwhich" Duke looked totally disgusted.

"yah didn't have to tell me dat Walker" Duke said in joking reply as Nosedive piloted their Aerowing to dock on top of the other one.

"so who you wit? scanners say you got 5 others with yah, plus you said we" Walker's voice replied.

"you hear of Canard's Strike Force? the 7 ducks that chased Dragaunus off the Puckworld?" Duke

asked as the ship shook a little as it completed the docking sequence.

"yeah, yeah. But there's only 6a you in there and if im where ever the hell dis is, somebody else probably came before me too" the voice said.

"well...we lost Canard on the way here, he's not dead though, he's just in limbo. But I'll explain that later. Everybody else is with me though. Our leader is Wildwing Flashblade" Duke said

"funny...Dad sez that military....whatever it is...Mallory MacMallard would probably be the leader if Canard was gone like all the saurians he killed boasted" Walker said.

"whatever it is?" Nosedive repeated looking at the insulted Mallory.

"dey wanna know why you refered to Mallory as a whatever it is" Duke said while desperately motioning for Mallory to leave her weapons.

"Dad sez MacMallard's not a he...so what else is there?" Walker asked.

"he still hasn't told you your not like the others in the crew eh?" Duke clenched his eyes tight in strain, pinching the bridge between his eyes.

"course I ain't. I gotta be at least 10 years younger den the rest of `em" the voice replied. Duke twitched in pain and anger for some reason "so..you gonna come in here or wha? I ain't goin` up there"

"we'll be down in a sec...I gotta tell `em some stuff about you first"

"sure, sure" the channel went dead.

"I can't believe he hasn't explained the birds and the bees to her yet" Duke groaned.

"what are you talking about?" Tanya asked.

"listen to me carefully. Walker, is a girl. When she two, she and her parents were living on a space station. Walker's parents were accidently killed, and the leader of the Space Pirate division of the Brotherhood, took Walker under his wing to honor her parents. The only thing is, there isn't any other girls in the Space Pirate division. An` since they didn't know anythin` about raisin` a girl, they raised her to be a boy" Duke explained slowly to them.

"what are you saying?" Grin asked, confused like everybody else.

"I think what he's sayin` is that Walker's a girl but she don't know it" Nosedive said.

"exactly. Imagine your a girl being raised in a highjacked space station with 50 men. Not one of them tells you your a girl, there ain't any other girls there, and your to young to know the difference" Duke told Mallory and Tanya. Who were even more confused.

"you know how Tarzan was like before he met another human, he thought he was an ape?" Nosedive asked, they nodded "it's like that with Walker except that she thinks she's a boy"

"and Mallory and Tanya are the first girls she's seen since she was just about 2 years old" Duke said "you still have time to explain the differences though"

"this just might be fun Mallory" Tanya said "acting like mothers without the agonizing pregnancy" Mallory had to smile.

"im looking forward to the challenge" Mallory said "but how old is Walker?"

"maybe 14 or 15 now. They aren't sure how old she was when they took her in" Duke said.

"and she's flying an Aerowing? all by herself?" Nosedive asked.

"she's been flyin` it since she was 7 Dive. Dad's taught her all he knows" Duke said "and that's a lot" they climbed down the vertical tubular staircase into Walker's Aerowing. They were greeted by a shapeless girl leaning against the doorframe, she was totally black, even her beak which was only a tone lighter then her feathers. She was dressed in a blue tanktop, dark grey gym pants, a dark blue cap on backwards on her head and a large gruesome Tangler at her side. (Tangler=a Scoby-Doo sized, dog like creature. Ferocious is nature. Has no fur, only a thick black hide which can withstand a laser blast. Its eyes are only one color and it has large, raptor like teeth and remarkable strength.)

"ahhh!!!" Nosedive screamed, the first one down after Duke "get back up there bro!" he yelled, pushing Wildwing back up who kicked him to the floor by accident.

"what's his prob?" the girl, Walker asked, looking at Nosedive like he was crazy.

"oops...forgot to tell `em `bout Reev" Duke chuckled, petting the Tangler.

"that things tamed?" Tanya asked.

"sure. Reev was with Walker when they took him" Duke said.

"Duke. Im havin` a hard time as it is dealin` with the whatever they are's back at the base. Call me a he or him again and im gonna go crazy. We merged with the Puckworld Alliance Space Protection Program. The first thing they did when they found out about me was send a complete crewa...what Jox called women...for permeant stay at home. I just about killed myself tryin` ta cope" Walker said.

"so....you know your a girl?" Mallory asked.

"sorta....I still call our body types whatever they are's" Walker said. She was obviously wounded, confused and hurting. Grin couldn't tell weither she hurt more mentally or physically.

"you said somethin` `bout a saurian" Wildwing said.

"yeah....I checked, but the whatever they are is gone. Personally I think Reev ate it" Walker shrugged and winced in pain.

"you mean it was a girl saurian" Tanya said, Walker shrugged again and just about collapsed from pain. "come on. Where's your medic bunk? Your banged up pretty bad" Tanya braced her. Reev whimpered, following along side worriedly into the cockpit. The place was a mess.

"geez....this place is worse then Dive's room" Wildwing said and quickly covered his beak as Nosedive glared at him.

"ha ha" Nosedive said sarcastically.

"it is my room" Walker said, sitting down on the bunk with Tanya and Mallory's aide "and now that I can see it clearly....it's actually cleaner then what it was when the whatever they are saurian teleported in here and we got into a fist fight" Walker stated in a weak joke.

"somebodies going to have to fly this ship back to the Pond" Tanya said.

"It's my ship" Walker said, wincing as Tanya felt her arm.

"your not flying anything, your arms fractured, and you've a gash in the side of your head. There's danger of you falling unconscious" Tanya said "I've got to get you to our Infirmary and patch you up Walker"

"ah can fly `er wit one arm" Walker said, attempting to get up.

"oh no you don't. Listen to the doc" Duke forced her back onto the bunk.

"ah...this don't look like the Aerowing we got" Nosedive said, looking at the dash board.

"you haven't upgraded her have you?" Duke asked, looking at the controls as well.

"not really....it's like what dad's got. Nothin` different from the last time you flew it that'll interfere" Walker said.

"rest up kid. I got this ship Wildwing, an` Tanya 'll have ta stay here wit her. You guys get back inta our Aerowing and lead the way" Duke said, sitting down in the pilots seat.

~~In the Ponds Infirmary~~

"Walker? Where did you get this tattoo?" Tanya asked her, helping the young girl adjust her arm sling. There, on Walker's right shoulder blade, was a small rosebud tattoo.

"I don't know. My adopted father said I had it on me when he found me" Walker said "Duke hasn't told you how I got adopted did he?"

"Yeah. He did" Tanya said. Walker used her free arm, which had its wrist in a bandage, to take out a sports wallet(one of the ones with velcro on it) and tried to open it "do you want some help?"

"No thanks" Walker said while biting one edge of the velcro strip and tore it open, set it across her knee and took out three cards. Two were scratched with age and were ID cards of a married couple. The women was Talay Torbay, and the man was Zimra Torbay, which stated that the couple worked on a Space Station within the Puckworldian Alliance.. The third was a damaged ID card, scratched with age like the first two, of a little child that looked like Walker. The card was damaged bad enough that you couldn't see the first or middle name, the last name was Torbay as well. "As far as I know, Talay and Zimra were my real folks. Nobody knows I got that cards....nobody but me an` you now anyways.....so don't tell Duke, k?"

"They aren't your real parents" Tanya was teary eyed, she sniffed, her voice was choaked up and full of emotions "they adopted you..."

"What's wrong with you?" Walker asked.

"You look just like your father" Tanya said, holding Walker's cheek in her hand, Tanya hugged her, crying.

"I don't look anythin` like Zimra" Walker said, managing to squirm out of the hug as Wildwing came in with Mallory.

"Tanya? What's wrong?" Mallory asked. Tanya was in tears with joy.

"What did you do Walker?" Wildwing growled, not trusting the kid.

"nothin` but tell her who my folks were. She got all emotional an` said that they weren't my parents and that they adopted me" Walker shrugged and winced in the pain shooting from her shoulder.

"Talay and Zimra Torbay?....but aren't they the ones you said adopted?...." Mallory asked, looking at the cards, then at Walker "oh--my--god" Mallory stated with pauses in between.

"What's going on here?" Wildwing demanded.

"Come here" Mallory told him, pulling him down to whisper in his ear "that kid on the table's birthname is Spirit Corby Vanderflock. When Tanya was 15, she had a kid by her 21 year old University Proffessor Tyler Kione. Her parents forced her to give up Spirit even before she hatched to Talay and Zimra Torbay, who sent Tanya a picture and letters about how Spirit was doing. Tanya requested that they put a tiny rosebud tattoo on Spirit's right shoulder blade which they did. Talay and Zimra lived on a Space Station with the Puckworldian Alliance. When Spirit was 3, the station was attacked by Space Pirates, the Torbay's killed in an accident, and the Space Pirates took Spirit to honor the deaths of the Torbay's. Tanya told me what she knew about half a year ago when I caught her crying in the lab" Mallory whispered to him. He stood back up and just stared at Walker, scanning the confused teenager with the Mask which confirmed it. The DNA matched for her to be Tanya's daughter.

"Duke.....is dat what dey mean by PMS?" Walker asked Duke. The entire team had been informed about the truth of Walker's origin's. Duke didn't answer Walker's question "what's the matter with dem Reev?" Walker asked her pet Tangler who whined softly with its head in her lap as they sat on the couch of the Rec Room.

"Are you ok Tawny?" Nosedive asked "if this is how you took it, how's she gonna take it?" he pointed over his shoulder at Walker.

"Im ok Nosedive. Im just so happy" Tanya began to cry again, Grin let her cry on his shoulder.

"Soon as im healed we're gonna go find the Space Lanes eh Reev?" Walker asked.

"No!!" Duke, Mallory, Nosedive and Wildwing exclaimed at once.

"I mean...." Duke started

"we mean...." Mallory corrected him.

"We mean you can't" Nosedive said.

"Why?" Walker thought they had all gone crazy.

"It's too dangerous" Wildwing quickly said.

"Dat line ain't gonna work" Duke looked at Wildwing seriously.

"Tell me one good reason why I can't go an` find someone on the Space Lanes to buy a star map off of" Walker said.

"Sweety....I suggest you sit back for what im going to tell you" Tanya said, sitting next to Walker who looked at her strangely, but sat all the way back on the couch cautiously "your name...isn't Walker....It's Spirit Corby Vanderflock"

"oh--k" Walker said sarcastically "somebodies been putting the gas in your Aerowing for way to long" only Duke got the joke.

"No. And im not crazy. Sit back and listen to all of what I have to say" Tanya said "when I was 14, I was in university. And my Robotic's teacher was a 20 year old drake named Tyler Kione. We fell in love at first sight. At first it was only casual dating, which lead into a romance. Just after I turned 15. I laid an egg. In that egg, was you. My mother and father said that having a child would destroy my life, and before you had hatched, they put you up for adoption, because I was to young according to the law to have any say in it. Talay and Zimra Torbay, two of my colleauges who couldn't have their own children, adopted you. They let me name you Spirit, and I managed to convince them to put a tiny rosebud tattoo on your right shoulder. My mother and father brought Tyler to court for loving a minor, and they won. Tyler went to prison and would of been released 2 days after the Invasion hit. Talay and Zimra landed a job on a Space Station. And when you were 3, the station was attacked by Space Pirates. Talay and Zimra were accidently killed and you were taken to honor their deaths. You've been with the Space Pirate's ever since" Tanya explained to Walker.

"Reev, im dreaming, ain't I?" Walker asked the Tangler who whimpered and placed his paws on top of his head over his eyes "ok....im not dreaming" Walker slouched back on the couch. Shocked.

"I understand if you feel angry or confused......but your my daughter......and I want to have at least some influence in your life.....please.....please say you'll stay here with me" Tanya begged Walker, who will now be known as Spirit, softly.

"Promise you won't make me get rid of Reev, or get angry if I vanish every few days without a warning, an` you won't make me give up my Aerowing?" Spirit asked, calmly petting Reev.

"Tell me where one of us where your going first and how long it'll be before you come back" Tanya said gently.

"I'll tell you where I went afterwards....but I'll tell you how long I'll be gone before I go" Spirit said "and don't try to force me to wear a dress?"

"I wont" Tanya said, winking to Mallory who winked back.

"Hold it. Staying here means you have to go to school" Duke said.

"You gotta be kiddin`. I haven't had a day of schoolin` in my life" Spirit retorted.

"Have you heard of the MiB?" Nosedive asked.

"Yeah. They're an annoying cop agency I've heard of on other planets" Spirit said.

"They'll be teaching you. They teach me" Nosedive said.

"I guess I'll stay then...." Spirit said.

"Good. But they'll have to teach you in whatever language your must fluent in. You can't read English very well can you?" Duke said. Spirit shook her head.

"Whatever language?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah. Wal....Spirit's fluent in a bunch of language's that can't be found on Puckworld. You know those coffee addic's in the MiB headquarters?" Duke asked them.

"Those orange foot tall buddies that are always talking 2 miles a minute because they drink a lot of coffee?" Nosedive asked.

"Yeah. She can talk in their home language....and those really small guys that have to go around in mechanical suits because their less then four inches tall. She can talk their language" Duke said.

"Duke...believe me...if they find out what I've done for my adopted father, they'll lock me up for good" Spirit said.

"you don't have to worry about it. Your not going to do anything like that again. Your Spacewings are clipped. You can still fly, but you can't leave Earth's Stratosphere" Duke said "and all you can't be blamed for what you've done"

"an` how the hell am I gonna explain Reev ta dem?" Spirit asked.

"watch your tounge young lady. I won't have none of that language" Tanya scolded her and she shied away and gulped.

"yes mum" Spirit replied almsot instantaniously.