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The Hawkins had suffered tremendous damage from the surprise attack. Mickey's crew had done more than just save him, as they had ransacked the ship for any goods and as a result turned the ship into flying rubbish. The A.R.M.Y. pilots had arrived too late to do any help at all. The Hawkins was forced to stay at Alcatraz and get repairs until it could fly again. Smaller ships and planes from both the N.A.V.Y. and the A.R.M.Y. were sent in to get the stranded girls and return them to headquarters. Minnie and her few friends were the last to leave, since Minnie was yanked into Amelia's chambers for a discussion as to what happened. Clarabelle, Millie, and Daisy tentatively waited outside of the doors, wincing every so often when they heard harsh words flow through.

It was a bright and early morning as the three friends waited for the fourth, trying to guess what lay in store for her. Millie kept fidgeting, walking back and forth in circles."Ooooh, I hope the captain isn't too mad at her." She whined, fumbling with her fingers. "How was Minnie supposed to know the yo-yo could do all of that? A weapon and a signal jammer?"

Daisy leaned against a wall, rubbing her arms. "Yeah, but everyone knows you're supposed to take away everything a pirate has except his clothes. No exceptions." She looked towards the door with uncertainty. "But… she is probably going to take her anger out on Minnie. The Captain loves this ship, it's her pride and joy. Those guys did a real number here."

Clarabelle sat on the railing, looking out to the island. "I'll say! I've never heard of a ship that could go on water and air… and underwater."  With the third description all three girls nodded grimly. Large vessels were either strictly for air or water, although there had been rumors to combine the two in the future with enough advances in technology. However, a ship that could actually go under the water wasn't even imagined in the furthest fairy tale. How had a bunch of thieves gained access to technology that even the smartest members of the government didn't have blue prints for?

Before they could mull over the matter any further, the door creaked open, and the friends stood up straight to greet Minnie. "Okay, everyone…" Daisy whispered. "Smiles! We're here to support her!"

Minnie's face was ghastly pale, as if she had survived an encounter with death itself. Her steps were fragile as she walked out, quietly closing the door behind her. When she looked up, she was greeted by the three fakest smiles she had ever seen before, and she had seen some terrible plays in her life. "…You've been here a while, huh." Her voice sounded tired, and she hung her head in shame.

The smiles drooped, and Daisy pulled Minnie into a comforting hug, cooing. "Oh, sweetie, it'll be all right! She's just mad about her ship, that's all… let's get going, the planes are waiting for us." She held Minnie's hand and began to walk, the taller friends behind in tow. "You and I have a few days on leave waiting for us when we get home, and you'll have your engagement party, and by the time we're back on duty, the Captain will have forgiven you."

Clarabelle cleared her throat, looking away. "Not unless that party lasts a million years…" Daisy shot her a glare, and the cow shrugged. "What? I'm just saying, this isn't going to end well, and not anytime soon either. The only way she'd ever even consider promoting you now is if you brought in Mickey yourself."

"And that's what I plan to do." Minnie suddenly was standing up straighter with that declaration, her strength returned. "I'm going to make that… that wretched, awful, horrible pirate pay for what he's done to me! I'm the laughingstock of the entire N.A.V.Y., and it's his entire fault!"

Millie timidly raised a hand, trying to smooth matters helplessly. "I wouldn't say laughingstock…"

Minnie went on, storming right towards the planes were docked, fists clenched so tightly that Daisy had to yank her hand away in pain. "I'm going to find him, and I'm going to arrest him, and I'll tie the noose around his scrawny neck personally!"

Daisy rubbed her slightly injured hand. "Minnie, I'm sure we all appreciate the enthusiasm, but how are you going to find him? No one knows where he and his crew will strike next, and since his ship can go just about everywhere, no one can even guess where he's hiding. And all that frowning is going to make so many wrinkles."

Minnie made a 'hmph' noise, refusing to let something like logic cloud her anger. As they approached the door to the plane, Clarabelle stepped in between Minnie and Daisy. "Minnie… if you really want to go after this guy…" Minnie looked upwards, while Millie was silently flailing her arms and trying to signal whatever Clarabelle was doing was not good. "Me and Millie can try and look into him while you two are on leave. When you come back, we can let you know what we've learned… I bet a moron like him is going to move quickly and make another heist as soon as he can."

The offer brightened the mouse up, and she gave Clarabelle a hug that was returned in full. "Oh, thank you! That would really help me out!" Eyes shining brightly with hope, she held Clarabelle's hands and addressed all of her friends. "I should have listened to you all, and never let him mess with my head. But it won't ever happen again, I promise. You girls are my real friends." Despite Millicent still voicing this was a bad idea and Daisy getting impatient to board the plane, the girls all came together for a group hug, giggling and assuring Minnie she would get her man. Despite all of the fighting they typically went through, this foursome did care for each other very deeply. No matter how badly Minnie tended to screw up, they always came through for her, offering support and sympathy.

"It's a shame, though." Daisy commented as they finally went on board and found good seats. "The little guy was kind of cute."

Minnie sat down quickly, crossing her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daisy. He was the ugliest man I've ever seen in my life. He was so short, with a huge nose, and he smelled horribly." Millie and Clarabelle sat down as well, the four of them side by side – Daisy, Minnie, Millie, and then Clarabelle.

Clarabelle leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the over. "Short, tall, big nose, no nose, Daisy will date just about anyone." She counted on her fingers. "How many boyfriends are you up to now? Five?"

Daisy smirked, fixing up her hair, ready for the newest argument. "Jealous much?"

As the usual argument began, Millie noticed in the rows ahead, a few newspapers were being passed around, as the plane began to rumble and signal it was ready for takeoff. Millie managed to gently take one as it was passed their way, and opened it up between her and Minnie, giving the two of them an excuse not to be involved in an argument that had now somehow turned into which was better, fur or feathers.  Minnie had been so preoccupied with her duties concerning Mickey that she hadn't caught up on outside news at all. Several of the headlines suck out at her as they flipped through pages together.

Kingdom of America's coronation date for Barnaby 'Big Bad' Wolf officially stated : March!
Scrooge McDuck declares 'Pirates won't stop progress!'  Business merges are on the way!
Valentine's Day approaching fast, Prince Edward of Britain declares search for perfect bride!

Minnie settled in her seat as the plane began lift off, looking satisfied. "What a relief! I thought this disaster would be big news, but it's not even mentioned in passing! Maybe it really wasn't so bad after all."

"That's last week's edition." A red deer in a seat ahead of her quipped, sliding another paper in between the seats. "This is this week's, we got it from the pilots."

Minnie took it with hesitance and the giant words on the front page were the same as a slap to her face.

Mouseketeers Captain escapes! Could rookie be to blame?

"I'm not a rookie!" Minnie suddenly shrieked, nearly tearing the paper in her hands. "I just haven't been promoted yet! And how can they say this is my entire fault? What about their ship? Where's that in the stupid article?"

Millie raised an eyebrow as she also began to read out loud. "'Inside sources say the rookie was deceived by the captain's charm, wit, and songs…' Inside sources? Who would have talked about this to the press?"

Even the argument was stopped by this question, as Daisy, Minnie, and Millie all carefully began turning their heads to Clarabelle who had suddenly gone quiet, looking away and playing with the bell on her neck. When it was impossible to ignore the hard stares on her back, Clarabelle cleared her throat, trying to point to the window. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"  The stares became glares. "…Well. Um. You know, once the pirates were gone, the radios could work again, and they were calling everyone, and – and Minnie you're supposed to stay in your seat during a plane ride!" It was too late, Minnie was already leaping out of her chair to try and strangle her dear friend, barely being held back by Millie. "Oh, they were going to find out eventually! I told them a good version!"

"How is calling me a rookie a good version?!" Minnie flailed in Millie's grip, kicking about. "How was any of that the good version?!"

Clarabelle held up her hands in slight defense. "I never said you were a rookie! I just mentioned you've been here for years but still haven't earned the pants yet!"

"How did that even come up in conversation?!" Minnie only eased down her fighting when she realized her flailing might be harming Millie, and had to settle herself for being hugged tightly by her friend. "My parents read this paper! Mortimer probably reads it too!"

"Not to mention half of Britain." Daisy chirped, watching the entire fiasco from her seat and hoping for Minnie to throttle Clarabelle. "So, being gossip queen of the N.A.V.Y. wasn't good enough, and you have to be the gossip goddess of Britain?"

"I think everyone is exaggerating." Millie said quietly as she rested her chin between Minnie's ears, trying to share some comfort. "It'll be yesterday's news by the time we get back to base. And since you two have a few day's leave, I don't want the last things we say to each other to be a fight. When we're all back together, we'll just work that much harder together to help Minnie out. Okay?" Dissatisfied mumbles of 'okay' came from the other girls, and Minnie allowed herself to be snuggled by her canine friend for the duration of the trip.

To keep further arguments from happening, Daisy took Minnie's newspaper, and tried to entertain herself by reading.

Vigilante group strikes again! Are Justice Ducks friend or foe?

~*~

At that same day and moment, Donald was trying to answer that question for himself. He had left his small house to grab some lunch, and just as he was crossing the street, a carriage had ridden up right behind him, yanked him inside, and speedily run off. Donald yelled and tried to fight, until he recognized the pair of arms that had forcibly tugged him inside. He stopped and stared in surprise. "Drake Mallard?"

The reason he was so surprised, aside from the kidnapping, was that Drake wasn't exactly dressed like he was during their first meeting. Now his outfit was dark purple, with long sleeves, gold buttons, and a flowing violet cape that seemed to be twice his size. Drake pushed Donald onto the opposite seat, and began adding on additions to the costume – a fedora and an eye mask. "No need for civilian names here. When you see me like this, I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the white chocolate when you ordered dark. I am…" He took some of his cape into his hand, and covered half of his body with it. "Darkwing Duck!"

Donald did a quick check and found that the doors were locked, much to his worry. "… Okay? Look, whoever you are now, why did you just yank me off the street? I was getting lunch, and I'm starving!"

"Justice can fill the stomach of any man!" The skeptical look Drake received prompted him to actually explain. "I can't just call you and tell you we're having a meeting. Enemies can be listening in at any moment, so we have to use the element of surprise to our advantage!"

Donald put his hands over his growling stomach. "A meeting? So I can finally meet the other Justice Ducks?"

Darkwing nodded, now trying to unfurl himself from his own cape and becoming instead more tangled in it. "They're already at our headquarters. Have you decided your alter ego name?"

With this chance to show off his brilliance and creativity, Donald perked up, sitting up straight and smiling brightly. "You bet I have! And it's the best name you'll ever hear!" He cleared his throat, hoping to go for the same dramatic tone Darkwing was doing for his introduction minus the silliness. "PK, the Avenger!"

For five seconds, there was silence save for the horse's hoof beats. Darkwing had given up on detangling himself when he finally spoke, deadpan. "Really. That's the best you could come up with?"

Donald's face fell, but more out of anger than sadness. "Hey, what's wrong with it? I think it sounds pretty awesome!"

"PK The Avenger?" Darkwing repeated, pulling out a small book from underneath his seat. "What are you avenging? And what does PK stand for?"

Donald refused to answer logic he didn't have answers for. "And what's so great about Darkwing? Your wings aren't dark, they're mauve!"

"Mauve is plenty dark." Darkwing opened the book, grumbling as he tried to change the subject. "I don't have time to argue about a name that sounds like it was picked by poking random parts of the dictionary." Donald went quiet around there. "I need to brief you before we arrive. You thought it was weird that a single pirate went after a useless section in your uncle's museum, right?"

Donald settled back in his seat, trying to remain serious for the subject at hand. "You told me that this group… Mouseketeers, right? They were paid to do that job."

"They were paid for one item in particular that they failed to grab." Darkwing turned his small book over so that Donald could see in the inside. Taped on these pages were scraps of paper with that same messy handwriting from the notebook Donald had read in the museum. "The notebook of Doctor Thatch."

"Never heard of him." Donald squinted his eyes, struggling to read what was being shown off, but the book was flipped back around before a single letter could be understood.

"You wouldn't. He's been presumed dead for over forty years." Darkwing resumed flipping pages. "He went on an archeological dig with a small team off the islands of what used to be Italy. They never came back. Rescue teams were sent in, but no one could find any trace of them, save for these notebooks, and the only one that wasn't ripped apart is the one your uncle has. Our organization has been searching for the remains of the other notebooks to try and find out why his team disappeared, and exactly what they were searching for in the first place."

The line of reasoning didn't make that much sense, and Donald leaned forward, trying to see more of the book. "If no one knows what this doctor was rambling on about, why does the person who paid the Mousketeers want that notebook so bad?"

Darkwing closed his book, and looked toward the window as the carriage began to slow down. "I have my own theories… but you know how these stories go. A missing bunch of important geeks, tattered notebooks, and pirates, that's bound to lead to something fun!" He rubbed his hands together eagerly, standing up once the carriage had stopped. In that moment, he looked more like a hopped up little boy ready to play cowboys and Indians than a vigilante for justice. Donald figured it was too late to leave now.

~*~
The moment Minnie returned to the Kingdom of Britain, she quickly bid her friends a temporary farewell and raced to catch the next carriage to her parent's humble farm. The engagement party was going to be the very next day, so there was little time for relaxation. There were dresses to fit into, guests to R.S.V.P. with, and there were newspaper to tear apart with righteous fury with every time she saw Mickey's picture on them. Her parents never said a word about what they had learned, and Minnie was grateful. She felt maybe after the party she could explain everything to them in full. Right now, Minnie's mother had gotten sick again, and the less stress for her, the better.

The party was held at Mortimer Rodawn's mansion, and was filled to the brim with his guests. He and his friends were ones who inherited their vast fortunes, instead of working hard for their money like Minnie's family. It was because of these differences that Mortimer and those whose company he shared often carried around a superior attitude with them. Since the day was sunny, the party was held outside in his massive garden, and Minnie did her best to be comfortable. Though there were some points and whispers to and near her about Mickey's fiasco, there was a whole different reason why this party was so uncomfortable for her.

The more she stared at her engagement ring, the more it looked like a shackle  instead of a piece of jewelry. Minnie rubbed it back and forth, hoping the uncomfortable feelings going through her weren't showing up on her face. As she cast a quick glance at her friend, it became apparently that they must have been showing, because they were being copied by Daisy. She had arrived at the same time as Minnie, and had stuck to her friend like glue in an attempt to survive the ordeal. The two stared at each other for a small while, before the duck forced a smile, and lightly touched the mouse on the shoulders. "Come on, perk up." She chirped, trying to be cheery. "No one's supposed to be frowning at their own engagement party."

"Sorry." Her own smile tried to come, but it lasted only for a few seconds, spotting her future husband, Mortimer, laughing it up with his own snobby friends. "I'm trying, really."

"I know he's not the greatest catch." Daisy tried to word her sentiments carefully, patting her shoulders. "But it's like you said… he'll take good care of you, and his money will make sure you want nothing at all."

Except freedom, Minnie thought bitterly, but instead just nodded. She didn't want to admit Mickey was right about this arrange marriage and her real feelings over it, but being here in this crowded garden filled with people who could faint at the thought of breaking a sweat made her want to groan. It was the exact opposite of her proud and exciting N.A.V.Y. life. Taking a breath, she was about to thank Daisy for her comfort, when she noticed Mortimer making his way over. Both ladies immediately straightened their backs, with wide, agonizing smiles across their faces.

Mortimer was a very tall mouse, always towering over his fiancé. He had a sickly thin body, giant front teeth, and was always dressed in the latest fashions, because heaven forbid anyone catch him wearing clothes a normal person could afford. Even though he was usually smiling and laughing, this did not make him a pleasant man, for those smiles and laughs were usually at someone else's expense. Right then he reeked of cigars, and the noxious fumes spilled out as he spoke. "Mind if I borrow my little lady for a dance?"

"Of course not." Daisy was very quick and very eager to begin backing away, offering a sympathizing grin to her friend. Minnie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her friend's escape, and instead politely curtseyed to her fiancé before taking his arm and following him to the dance floor. A large section of grass had been killed and paved over with white marble tile, almost looking like a chessboard. Minnie tried not to make any obvious connections to being a pawn. There were already several couples out dancing, but they backed away respectfully when the rodents made their way in. As they danced, his grip was, as always, far too tight on her, and his dancing, as always, was atrocious, and his leering, as always, was clearly noticeable. Occasionally, Minnie would look around at the other people attending the party. They were high society people, talking of future parties, of wasting money, and mocking those below their statue.

Grinding her teeth, Minnie's mind tried to think about the positives of her engagement. This would make her parents happy, and she had always wanted their happiness. Marrying him would make her financially secure, and her life had always been a penny-pinching one. It might even earn her some respect with her fellow females in the N.A.V.Y, and she needed that now desperately.  The only problem was that she could not stand him. Maybe being able to endure him was something she would learn how to do in marriage. Arranged marriages always worked out, she figured, since if they didn't, people would stop arranging them.

"Mortimer, old boy!" One of his friends called out, waving from a lower section where grass still lived, one drink sloshing in hand. "I've got five gold that says you can't hit the twenty yard mark!" In the backyard, a target shooting contest had been created, and a group of men were drunkenly shooting their pistols at further and further bull's-eyes.

"Ha-cha-cha, you think so?" His bride instantly forgotten, Mortimer casually pushed Minnie aside, heading right for the backyard, pulling out an elaborately large pistol from his coat pocket. "You're about to lose five gold!" Judging from the pistol's shine, he had never used it too much, and it was just another thing to show off.

As the men laughed at their game, Minnie stood there, now allowing her deep set frown to remain on her face. A fine man, pulling her away from Daisy just to abandon her for a dangerous game! She rubbed her temples, trying to put her annoyances behind her. After all, this was going to be her future, she had better get used to it. She never said she was going to love him, but who needed love? She was better off without it. Love had made a fool out of her, and could no longer be trusted. Better to live a life as a bored trophy than a hurt lover. As she tried to smooth away lines of anger from her face, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"May I have this dance, turtledove?"

That voice! That nickname! It couldn't be, all logic and common sense defied it! She turned around at once, and a silent scream died in her throat as she saw who it was. Mickey was standing right there, decked out in a bright blue suit and cocky frocks, having somehow managed to blend in with the other high society men.  All of his grime and smells had been washed away, and even his posture was positively perfect. He looked like another one of Mortimer's business associates, and had Minnie not spent a month hating and loving him, she would have believed he was. The smirk on his face became bigger seeing her face pale.

"You… you… you!" Was all she managed to spit out, pointing at him in shock. This wasn't happening. She blinked hard, but he was still there.

"I'll take that as a yes." He took her hand and hip, and at once began to resume the dance Mortimer left off. Minnie's body reacted instinctively, fitting the steps and movements to the music, but her face was still one of shock. She looked around hoping someone else was seeing this. No one appeared to have taken notice of the extra guest, nor recognized his features from wanted posters and newspapers. She was on her own for now.

"What are you doing here?!" At the very least she managed to hiss low, not trying to get anyone else's attention. It might be best that no one recognized him.  A pirate in the mist of this party would create a panic in this foppish crowd, and what if the blame was traced to her again?

"I thought this was an open party." He too kept his voice low, but it was still loaded with amusement. He was easily able to slip in and out of pirate dialect and a normal speaking matter, flip flopping whenever she was close enough to hear."Miss me?"

She glared fire, and pulled one hand away – "You're under arrest!" – and reached down to try and grab the gun from her belt… which… wasn't there. She froze, remembering that Mortimer had told her to dress 'like a normal girl', which meant she hadn't been allowed to bring her gun, her handcuffs, or anything from her N.A.V.Y. uniform. She was dressed as a proper woman of society, not as one ready to fight.

Mickey didn't mind, resuming taking her hand. "I haven't broken any laws." He led the dance again, swiftly and casually. At another time, Minnie would be surprised at how well he could dance, given the fact he was a pirate and such scoundrels wouldn't know anything about proper dancing. His grip was gentler than Mortimer's, treating her like an equal instead of something to show off on the floor. If she didn't want to strangle him, she'd find this very romantic.

"You have a record!" Her grip tightened, hoping to cause him some pain, but he never flinched. He had planned this and there was no doubt about it. Looking back, she had told him about this future party plenty, so perhaps some of this was her own fault. The question of why he came was still unanswered.

"I haven't broken any laws today." He grinned, and the playfulness she had once admired in him now made her angrier. He was treating this like some kind of game. If he thought he'd win this round, he had another thing coming! Just what the thing was, she didn't know, but she'd think of something. There was no way she'd let him get away with whatever he was planning.

"That won't last long, I bet." She searched him with her eyes, trying to pick up on his real intentions. He was a pirate, and she was a private, that was as far as the relationship went now. So what possible reason was there for him to crash this party? Maybe he was there to humiliate her more. Maybe he was there to try grabbing some money from the party guests.  Maybe he was there for revenge since she was the one who captured him. "Whatever you're up to, I won't let you get away with it."

"Well, if ye really gotta know…" His arm suddenly slithered around her waist, pulling her in so close that their bodies touched, causing her face to blush deeply. "I'm after the treasure here." At the sudden rush of body contact, all of their memories together crashed together.  The songs, the jokes, the smiles, the touches, they flooded her mind, and she became soft in his arms. Their dancing came to a slow stop, and they stood in place, staring at one another.  His expression was something she had only seen once before, when he had tied her up and cradled her in his arms. She couldn't quite place it, for no one had ever looked at her this way before. It was sweet and a gentle, a kind of happiness laced with…. With something, what? Longing? Needing? Or perhaps that dreaded, awful, horrid l-word?

Once she managed to grab a hold of her senses – and scolded herself for getting flustered– she shook her head hard enough she could have sworn an earring flew off. "There's no treasure here!" aside from what the guests were wearing and flaunting, there was no big item being shown off. This wasn't like the museum, where grabbing anything meant a lifetime of fortune. The things here were useless for a pirate's hands, like a giant ice sculpture of Mortimer and silverware made from whale bones. Not even Mickey would be this desperate for money.

"Oh, but there is. And not only am I gunna get it, I'll be gettin' it fair and square." With a wink, he suddenly stepped back, letting her go entirely. "Just ye wait and see. Mortimer's gunna hand it over on a silver platter." He brushed a finger past her cheek, and then began to stroll towards the backyard, whistling a catchy tune.

Minnie was ready to chase after him, but stopped herself, a new idea forming. Grabbing her dress in both hands, she ran as fast as her high heels would allow getting back to Daisy, and nearly tackled the other woman down in her panic, as Daisy had been sampling the widespread buffet. "Get inside and call Clarabelle and Millicent!"

Daisy nearly spat out the fresh drink in her hand, startled by the request. "What?"

Minnie grabbed Daisy by the arms, practically shaking her. "That pirate's here! Mickey! He said he's going to steal treasure from here!"

"What!" Daisy repeated, in a higher pitch, looking around for the intruder, doing the same instinctive grab for her gun and the same realization when she found it gone.

"Hurry, go, go!"Minnie pushed the duck, looking back at the backyard. "I'll keep an eye on him, go call for help!"

"Right, right!" Daisy turned around and headed straight for the interior of the mansion, taking her friend for her word. There was no way Minnie would lie about something this important, and Minnie just wasn't the type to be insanely paranoid. No pirate ever traveled alone, either, and the need for reinforcements would have to be soon. As for Minnie, with that solution settled, she retreated to the backyard at once, almost tripping over the grass as her heels got stuck in the dirt. To her horror, Mickey was already shaking hands with Mortimer, laughing and talking with him, with the worst British accent she had ever heard.

"I say, old bean." Mickey gestured with one hand towards the placed targets. "Word has it that no one, absolutely no one, can be a better aim than you." Once again he had slipped out of his pirate dialect, and carefully moved his mouth so that his gold tooth was never shown. No, it was more than that, as Minnie paid careful attention to Mickey's mouth – he had worn a cap over that tooth! He had done everything he could to blend in.

Mortimer's ego inflated, and he stroked his gun lovingly. "Who am I tell anyone otherwise?"

"I would pay to see that sort of thing in action… in fact!" Mickey pulled out a small pouch, silver, and tossed it up and down in one hand. "What's say we have a rousing good competition? We both take a few shoots, and whoever hits the middle closest, wins?"

"If you want to lose your money that badly, I'm more than happy to take it from you." Mortimer grinned, and shook Mickey's hand again, sealing the deal. "Let's start it off with twenty yards!"

Minnie managed to catch up, and tugged on Mortimer's arm, trying to interject. Mickey was an excellent aim, he never missed, as she remembered that clearly from fighting him and from reading his reports. "Wait, Mortimer, don't, he's a-" But she was shoved backwards, with him not even sparing her a glance.

"Not now, can't you see the men are busy?"He brushed down his sleeve, and then took aim at the already established target. With one eye closed, he held up his pistol, took him, and let the bullet fly. It shone in the air, landing directly in the red of the middle. He blew the smoke off the top in pride, as his friends cheered wildly, clapping loudly in his victory. "Think you can do better?" Mortimer offered the gun to Mickey, who nodded respectfully.

"It's certainly worth a try." He copied Mortimer's exact movement, right down to the eye, and fired. He hit the outermost circle, which was way off. As the friends went into mocking whoops of laughter, Minnie stared at the target, stunned. Surely something that close was easy picking for Mickey! Why had his aim been so off? Puzzled into silence, she watched Mickey, who looked like he was taking his defeat calmly. "I guess no one is as good as you, old bean." He emptied part of the pouch, putting several hold pieces into one of Mortimer's pocket. "However, I've been known to be a sucker for punishment… what's say we try for fifty yards?"

"I say you're about to lose more gold!" Mortimer shook a fist to his companions, who began to chant his name. With a wave of his hand, small servants raced out onto the grass, placing a fresh target mark further away to the destined place. The pistol exchanged hands once more, Mortimer posed once more, fired once more – due to the distance, it did not hit exactly the middle, but fared close to the red dot, hitting the closest circle around it. When the pistol was Mickey's, he fired, this time just barely scratching the outermost circle. He merely bowed to all of the insults and guffaws lashed out at him, everyone pointing out what a fool he was and how terrible of a shot he was. Minnie was so confused by this display that she forgot about warning Mortimer.

This just wasn't making any sense to the maiden, as she watched more of Mickey's gold hit Mortimer's pocket. Surely that first battle between him and her hadn't been pure luck. She knew he was a good shot, far better than Mortimer.  Mortimer only did these target practices to show off, which was the motivation behind  almost everything he did. He had never been properly trained and had never seen a day of combat. So why was Mickey faltering here? What could be causing his aim to be off so radically? What did this have to do with treasure? Nothing was making sense, and it made Minnie's head spin.

"You truly are a man among men, Mortimer." Mickey felt safe enough to use the name, arms crossed, and one finger tapping his elbow. "Why, nobody could beat you… but how about one more game? One hundred yards?"

Mortimer heartily slapped Mickey on the back, nearly causing the smaller mouse to fall over. "I've never met anyone who liked losing as much as you do! But my friend, you're all out of cash!"He grabbed the silver pouch right out of Mickey's hand, and dumped it upside down to prove how it lacked. "Do you want to look like a moron for free?"

Mickey chuckled quietly, waiting for the other men to stop laughing before continuing. "True, true… then, let's say… oh, I don't know…" As he pretended to come up with an idea, his eyes drifted towards Minnie. "Since you have taken all of my money… why not wager something of yours for a change?" Mortimer snatched his gun back, and then twirled it in his hand, a soft struggle in his mind. It was clear on his face that he did not want to give up anything, yet his pride would not allow him back down. Mickey jumped onto the mental argument, leaning forward with his arms behind him. "Unless you're afraid…"

Minnie wondered how Mickey knew just the right button to push Mortimer, as the tallest mouse jerked in place, and crossed his arms. "Afraid? Don't be ridiculous! I was just… wondering what to wager."

"If I may offer?" Mickey lazily waved a hand towards confused Minnie, as if noticing she was really there for the first time. "If I can beat your mark, your lady marries me instead?"

Minnie jolted to attention immediately, gloved hands clenching. "Excuse me?!" Was this his aim? To humiliate her all over again?

Mortimer hesitated for the smallest of seconds, and the deal was cinched in his mind when he saw a hint of a smirk on Mickey's face.  He tossed the pouch over his shoulder, and called out to his servants. "One hundred yards!"

"Mortimer!" Minnie tried to get in his way, flailing in an attempt to get his attention. "Are you insane?! I'm not some trophy!"

"Will you relax?" The fiancé grabbed her by the shoulder, tightly as always, and roughly shoved her until she was behind him. "A good woman is seen, and not heard." Though she continued to protest, she was drowned out by the other men applauding Mortimer, as the new target was set up. "Winner gets the girl, huh? I'll even wrap you up in ribbons for you!" Ignoring the glare his future was wife was boring into his back, he took aim, and fired instantly. This time, he only managed to hit the outermost circle, almost missing the target entirely. He just shrugged it off, convinced it was as good as it was going to get, and placed it in Mickey's hands. "All yours, kiddo."

Mickey took a deep breath, and wiped imaginary sweat off of his brow, his arm waving as if the gun suddenly became ten pounds heavier. "I suppose if I miss, I become the laughingstock of the entire party… that would be an utter travesty." With an overly dramatic sigh, he held up the gun. "But I made my bed, it's time for me to lay in it…" Then, suddenly, his fake smiles shifted, curling into the familiar smirk Minnie knew all too well, eyes glinting as his posture changed. "… And with any luck, she'll be in it with me."

As his arm quickly lashed out, Minnie recognized the stance he was taking, from her first fight with the pirate, and all the pieces became together. Blood draining from her face, she tried to reach out to grab him, but Mortimer blocked her away. "No, no, no, don't let him fire!" She yelped, desperate, ignored. "Don't let him fire!"

It was too late, and the bullet screamed sharply in the air, smacking right in the center of the target, shattering all of the circles wrapped around it. Dead silence filled the party, all eyes on the decimated target, and then on the victor, who twirling the weapon in his hand. "What do you know?" He chirped, looking straight at Minnie. "Guess I win, and the bride is mine." He reached to take Minnie's hand, but before he could kiss her knuckles, he was yanked away hard at the elbow, Mortimer snarling as fierce as a demon dog.

"You cheated!" The taller one growled, fingers tightening their grip. Mortimer could be very petty, and hated to be shown he was anything less than what he thought he was.  "You must have cheated! I'm the best shot there is!"

"It's your gun, how could I cheat?" To prove it, Mickey pointed it right at Mortimer's head, right between the eyes. "Aren't you a man of your word? We agreed she'd be mine if you lost. Everyone heard you."

"You - !" Mortimer moved to punch Mickey in the face, but the smaller mouse was already out of his grip, putting a foot in Mortimer's stomach and knocking him down. Just as fast as he'd done that, he put an arm around Minnie's waist, holding her close.

"So, honeymoon, what are your ideas?" Mickey leaned his face in close, trying to plant a kiss on her cheek.  Before she could yell at him for treating her like a prize or slapping him – she couldn't decide which first – the sound of sirens took over all of the sounds. All heads arched upwards, as the sun was blocked out by several small air ships, long ropes descending from each and every one. Women of the N.A.V.Y. began sliding down the ropes, weapons in hand, looking for the one they had been called to arrest. The party-goers began to yell back and forth, demanding to know why the N.A.V.Y.  had suddenly appeared to invade their party.

Mickey took one good look at the organized chaos, and released his hold on her, stepping backwards. "Oh well… these stuffed shirts were becomin' a real headache." His dialect easily slipped back into casual pirate speech, unbuttoning his jacket. "Best take the treasure and go." With a toss, his outfit was off – revealing, somehow, his normal sea dog wear right underneath. He stuck two fingers in his mouth, and produced a whistle pitched enough to shatter several wine glasses.

"Oi, oi, cap'n, we hear ye plenty." One of Mortimer's 'friends' chuckled as he stepped forward. As Mortimer stood up, more men stepped forward, and it became readily apparent to him that several of these party-goers weren't on the guest list, and had just wandered in. One tossed Mickey his hat, and another fired into the air – and then, the world was confusion.

Hidden pirates sprang out from every nook and cranny, and the naval women began their chase. The real party-goers yelled in terror, running this way and that, their valuables snatched right off of their bodies. Tables were upturned, food was thrown, and Minnie lost sight of her pirate in the mess. She tried to look for him, but was forcibly turned around by not only Daisy, but Clarabelle as well, both looking distressed. "Thank goodness you're all right!" Clarabelle got down on one knee, holding Daisy and Minnie's uniforms and weapons in her arms. "We came as fast as we could… hurry, you girls have to change."

"I don't have time!" Minnie snapped, yanking her skates right out of the cow's hands, tossing her high heels aside to jam her skates onto her feet. "He said he's taking his treasure and going! I have to go after him now!"

Daisy looked at Clarabelle, and  then back to Minnie, perplexed. "What treasure?"

"I don't know!" Minnie yanked a fresh gun out, looking around wildly. "But I'm not letting him get away this time! He's mine!"With those final two words, she yanked off her outermost dress, not having time to change into the uniform, so it was to great surprise to them when Minnie began running off, in only her petticoat and under-things. Her feet became fast, and she heard his insanely high whistle again, coming right from the mansion. She spotted him on the top of one of the lower windows, and he caught her looking. He winked, and motioned to her with one finger, an enticement for her to come after him. With a click of her heels, her skates emitted steam, and she was already running up the mansion's walls, sliding once the steam was built up enough.

She caught up with him soon enough, but he was already running and jumping, using the entire mansion as an obstacle course. She tried to fire at him, but he dodged every shot. Even worse, with every miss, he would look behind, and stick out his tongue like a child. It only served to make her angrier and more determined, and they chased along the rooftops, zigzagging around multiple chimneys. When he jumped to land on a balcony, she stopped her movement, trying to aim at him when he became still. "Where's the treasure!" She barked at him, still not clear exactly what he stole.

He wiggled his eyebrows, enjoying the game. "Tellin' me ye don't get it already?"

"Answer me!" She jumped off the roof, and landed on the balcony, where the pirate had already kicked the windows open, seemingly vanishing. She ran inside the building, expecting the chase to resume itself. What she didn't expect was to suddenly be grabbed by the arms, and deeply kissed right on the mouth.

Her first kiss and it was taken by a pirate. She'd be enraged, if she wasn't absolutely stunned stupid.

He held her firmly there, almost able to feel the heat radiating off her rose-red cheeks. Only when he was wondering if she was remembering to breathe did he finally pull back, cradling the girl in his arms. "Yer the great treasure there's ever been." He murmured, soft, deep, right into her ear, letting her lean on his shoulder. "Mark my word… one day, I will steal ye away." He placed a thumb on her chest, directly over her rapidly beating heart. "And I'm going to make ye my bride." He cupped her still reddening cheeks in his hands, and kissed her forehead silently.  She hadn't said a word, and couldn't. Her brain could still hear him, but aside from listening, it had shut down entirely. Her arms slumped at her sides, weapon dropping onto the floor. He wore that same expression again, that odd mixture of longing, needing, happiness, and that word that began with l that could not possibly be true.

More sirens blared, and so he released her once more, turning right around, and running off into the endless hallway. As always with his heists, no one would be severely harmed, though many things would be stolen.  As for Minnie, her mouth still slightly agape, she loudly hit the floor face first with a rather loud THUMP, and it would be quite the while before she found the mental strength to move on.

Did he just propose?

End of Chapter Five.

Description
The Hawkins had suffered tremendous damage from the surprise attack. Mickey's crew had done more than just save him, as they had ransacked the ship for any goods and as a result turned the ship into flying rubbish. The A.R.M.Y. pilots had arrived too late to do any help at all. The Hawkins was forced to stay at Alcatraz and get repairs until it could fly again. Smaller ships and planes from both the N.A.V.Y. and the A.R.M.Y. were sent in to get the stranded girls and return them to headquarters. Minnie and her few friends were the last to leave, since Minnie was yanked into Amelia's chambers for a discussion as to what happened. Clarabelle, Millie, and Daisy tentatively waited outside of the doors, wincing every so often when they heard harsh words flow through.

It was a bright and early morning as the three friends waited for the fourth, trying to guess what lay in store for her. Millie kept fidgeting, walking back and forth in circles."Ooooh, I hope the captain isn't too mad at her." She whined, fumbling with her fingers. "How was Minnie supposed to know the yo-yo could do all of that? A weapon and a signal jammer?"

Daisy leaned against a wall, rubbing her arms. "Yeah, but everyone knows you're supposed to take away everything a pirate has except his clothes. No exceptions." She looked towards the door with uncertainty. "But… she is probably going to take her anger out on Minnie. The Captain loves this ship, it's her pride and joy. Those guys did a real number here."

Clarabelle sat on the railing, looking out to the island. "I'll say! I've never heard of a ship that could go on water and air… and underwater."  With the third description all three girls nodded grimly. Large vessels were either strictly for air or water, although there had been rumors to combine the two in the future with enough advances in technology. However, a ship that could actually go under the water wasn't even imagined in the furthest fairy tale. How had a bunch of thieves gained access to technology that even the smartest members of the government didn't have blue prints for?

Before they could mull over the matter any further, the door creaked open, and the friends stood up straight to greet Minnie. "Okay, everyone…" Daisy whispered. "Smiles! We're here to support her!"

Minnie's face was ghastly pale, as if she had survived an encounter with death itself. Her steps were fragile as she walked out, quietly closing the door behind her. When she looked up, she was greeted by the three fakest smiles she had ever seen before, and she had seen some terrible plays in her life. "…You've been here a while, huh." Her voice sounded tired, and she hung her head in shame.

The smiles drooped, and Daisy pulled Minnie into a comforting hug, cooing. "Oh, sweetie, it'll be all right! She's just mad about her ship, that's all… let's get going, the planes are waiting for us." She held Minnie's hand and began to walk, the taller friends behind in tow. "You and I have a few days on leave waiting for us when we get home, and you'll have your engagement party, and by the time we're back on duty, the Captain will have forgiven you."

Clarabelle cleared her throat, looking away. "Not unless that party lasts a million years…" Daisy shot her a glare, and the cow shrugged. "What? I'm just saying, this isn't going to end well, and not anytime soon either. The only way she'd ever even consider promoting you now is if you brought in Mickey yourself."

"And that's what I plan to do." Minnie suddenly was standing up straighter with that declaration, her strength returned. "I'm going to make that… that wretched, awful, horrible pirate pay for what he's done to me! I'm the laughingstock of the entire N.A.V.Y., and it's his entire fault!"

Millie timidly raised a hand, trying to smooth matters helplessly. "I wouldn't say laughingstock…"

Minnie went on, storming right towards the planes were docked, fists clenched so tightly that Daisy had to yank her hand away in pain. "I'm going to find him, and I'm going to arrest him, and I'll tie the noose around his scrawny neck personally!"

Daisy rubbed her slightly injured hand. "Minnie, I'm sure we all appreciate the enthusiasm, but how are you going to find him? No one knows where he and his crew will strike next, and since his ship can go just about everywhere, no one can even guess where he's hiding. And all that frowning is going to make so many wrinkles."

Minnie made a 'hmph' noise, refusing to let something like logic cloud her anger. As they approached the door to the plane, Clarabelle stepped in between Minnie and Daisy. "Minnie… if you really want to go after this guy…" Minnie looked upwards, while Millie was silently flailing her arms and trying to signal whatever Clarabelle was doing was not good. "Me and Millie can try and look into him while you two are on leave. When you come back, we can let you know what we've learned… I bet a moron like him is going to move quickly and make another heist as soon as he can."

The offer brightened the mouse up, and she gave Clarabelle a hug that was returned in full. "Oh, thank you! That would really help me out!" Eyes shining brightly with hope, she held Clarabelle's hands and addressed all of her friends. "I should have listened to you all, and never let him mess with my head. But it won't ever happen again, I promise. You girls are my real friends." Despite Millicent still voicing this was a bad idea and Daisy getting impatient to board the plane, the girls all came together for a group hug, giggling and assuring Minnie she would get her man. Despite all of the fighting they typically went through, this foursome did care for each other very deeply. No matter how badly Minnie tended to screw up, they always came through for her, offering support and sympathy.

"It's a shame, though." Daisy commented as they finally went on board and found good seats. "The little guy was kind of cute."

Minnie sat down quickly, crossing her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daisy. He was the ugliest man I've ever seen in my life. He was so short, with a huge nose, and he smelled horribly." Millie and Clarabelle sat down as well, the four of them side by side – Daisy, Minnie, Millie, and then Clarabelle.

Clarabelle leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the over. "Short, tall, big nose, no nose, Daisy will date just about anyone." She counted on her fingers. "How many boyfriends are you up to now? Five?"

Daisy smirked, fixing up her hair, ready for the newest argument. "Jealous much?"

As the usual argument began, Millie noticed in the rows ahead, a few newspapers were being passed around, as the plane began to rumble and signal it was ready for takeoff. Millie managed to gently take one as it was passed their way, and opened it up between her and Minnie, giving the two of them an excuse not to be involved in an argument that had now somehow turned into which was better, fur or feathers.  Minnie had been so preoccupied with her duties concerning Mickey that she hadn't caught up on outside news at all. Several of the headlines suck out at her as they flipped through pages together.

Kingdom of America's coronation date for Barnaby 'Big Bad' Wolf officially stated : March!
Scrooge McDuck declares 'Pirates won't stop progress!'  Business merges are on the way!
Valentine's Day approaching fast, Prince Edward of Britain declares search for perfect bride!

Minnie settled in her seat as the plane began lift off, looking satisfied. "What a relief! I thought this disaster would be big news, but it's not even mentioned in passing! Maybe it really wasn't so bad after all."

"That's last week's edition." A red deer in a seat ahead of her quipped, sliding another paper in between the seats. "This is this week's, we got it from the pilots."

Minnie took it with hesitance and the giant words on the front page were the same as a slap to her face.

Mouseketeers Captain escapes! Could rookie be to blame?

"I'm not a rookie!" Minnie suddenly shrieked, nearly tearing the paper in her hands. "I just haven't been promoted yet! And how can they say this is my entire fault? What about their ship? Where's that in the stupid article?"

Millie raised an eyebrow as she also began to read out loud. "'Inside sources say the rookie was deceived by the captain's charm, wit, and songs…' Inside sources? Who would have talked about this to the press?"

Even the argument was stopped by this question, as Daisy, Minnie, and Millie all carefully began turning their heads to Clarabelle who had suddenly gone quiet, looking away and playing with the bell on her neck. When it was impossible to ignore the hard stares on her back, Clarabelle cleared her throat, trying to point to the window. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"  The stares became glares. "…Well. Um. You know, once the pirates were gone, the radios could work again, and they were calling everyone, and – and Minnie you're supposed to stay in your seat during a plane ride!" It was too late, Minnie was already leaping out of her chair to try and strangle her dear friend, barely being held back by Millie. "Oh, they were going to find out eventually! I told them a good version!"

"How is calling me a rookie a good version?!" Minnie flailed in Millie's grip, kicking about. "How was any of that the good version?!"

Clarabelle held up her hands in slight defense. "I never said you were a rookie! I just mentioned you've been here for years but still haven't earned the pants yet!"

"How did that even come up in conversation?!" Minnie only eased down her fighting when she realized her flailing might be harming Millie, and had to settle herself for being hugged tightly by her friend. "My parents read this paper! Mortimer probably reads it too!"

"Not to mention half of Britain." Daisy chirped, watching the entire fiasco from her seat and hoping for Minnie to throttle Clarabelle. "So, being gossip queen of the N.A.V.Y. wasn't good enough, and you have to be the gossip goddess of Britain?"

"I think everyone is exaggerating." Millie said quietly as she rested her chin between Minnie's ears, trying to share some comfort. "It'll be yesterday's news by the time we get back to base. And since you two have a few day's leave, I don't want the last things we say to each other to be a fight. When we're all back together, we'll just work that much harder together to help Minnie out. Okay?" Dissatisfied mumbles of 'okay' came from the other girls, and Minnie allowed herself to be snuggled by her canine friend for the duration of the trip.

To keep further arguments from happening, Daisy took Minnie's newspaper, and tried to entertain herself by reading.

Vigilante group strikes again! Are Justice Ducks friend or foe?

~*~

At that same day and moment, Donald was trying to answer that question for himself. He had left his small house to grab some lunch, and just as he was crossing the street, a carriage had ridden up right behind him, yanked him inside, and speedily run off. Donald yelled and tried to fight, until he recognized the pair of arms that had forcibly tugged him inside. He stopped and stared in surprise. "Drake Mallard?"

The reason he was so surprised, aside from the kidnapping, was that Drake wasn't exactly dressed like he was during their first meeting. Now his outfit was dark purple, with long sleeves, gold buttons, and a flowing violet cape that seemed to be twice his size. Drake pushed Donald onto the opposite seat, and began adding on additions to the costume – a fedora and an eye mask. "No need for civilian names here. When you see me like this, I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the white chocolate when you ordered dark. I am…" He took some of his cape into his hand, and covered half of his body with it. "Darkwing Duck!"

Donald did a quick check and found that the doors were locked, much to his worry. "… Okay? Look, whoever you are now, why did you just yank me off the street? I was getting lunch, and I'm starving!"

"Justice can fill the stomach of any man!" The skeptical look Drake received prompted him to actually explain. "I can't just call you and tell you we're having a meeting. Enemies can be listening in at any moment, so we have to use the element of surprise to our advantage!"

Donald put his hands over his growling stomach. "A meeting? So I can finally meet the other Justice Ducks?"

Darkwing nodded, now trying to unfurl himself from his own cape and becoming instead more tangled in it. "They're already at our headquarters. Have you decided your alter ego name?"

With this chance to show off his brilliance and creativity, Donald perked up, sitting up straight and smiling brightly. "You bet I have! And it's the best name you'll ever hear!" He cleared his throat, hoping to go for the same dramatic tone Darkwing was doing for his introduction minus the silliness. "PK, the Avenger!"

For five seconds, there was silence save for the horse's hoof beats. Darkwing had given up on detangling himself when he finally spoke, deadpan. "Really. That's the best you could come up with?"

Donald's face fell, but more out of anger than sadness. "Hey, what's wrong with it? I think it sounds pretty awesome!"

"PK The Avenger?" Darkwing repeated, pulling out a small book from underneath his seat. "What are you avenging? And what does PK stand for?"

Donald refused to answer logic he didn't have answers for. "And what's so great about Darkwing? Your wings aren't dark, they're mauve!"

"Mauve is plenty dark." Darkwing opened the book, grumbling as he tried to change the subject. "I don't have time to argue about a name that sounds like it was picked by poking random parts of the dictionary." Donald went quiet around there. "I need to brief you before we arrive. You thought it was weird that a single pirate went after a useless section in your uncle's museum, right?"

Donald settled back in his seat, trying to remain serious for the subject at hand. "You told me that this group… Mouseketeers, right? They were paid to do that job."

"They were paid for one item in particular that they failed to grab." Darkwing turned his small book over so that Donald could see in the inside. Taped on these pages were scraps of paper with that same messy handwriting from the notebook Donald had read in the museum. "The notebook of Doctor Thatch."

"Never heard of him." Donald squinted his eyes, struggling to read what was being shown off, but the book was flipped back around before a single letter could be understood.

"You wouldn't. He's been presumed dead for over forty years." Darkwing resumed flipping pages. "He went on an archeological dig with a small team off the islands of what used to be Italy. They never came back. Rescue teams were sent in, but no one could find any trace of them, save for these notebooks, and the only one that wasn't ripped apart is the one your uncle has. Our organization has been searching for the remains of the other notebooks to try and find out why his team disappeared, and exactly what they were searching for in the first place."

The line of reasoning didn't make that much sense, and Donald leaned forward, trying to see more of the book. "If no one knows what this doctor was rambling on about, why does the person who paid the Mousketeers want that notebook so bad?"

Darkwing closed his book, and looked toward the window as the carriage began to slow down. "I have my own theories… but you know how these stories go. A missing bunch of important geeks, tattered notebooks, and pirates, that's bound to lead to something fun!" He rubbed his hands together eagerly, standing up once the carriage had stopped. In that moment, he looked more like a hopped up little boy ready to play cowboys and Indians than a vigilante for justice. Donald figured it was too late to leave now.

~*~
The moment Minnie returned to the Kingdom of Britain, she quickly bid her friends a temporary farewell and raced to catch the next carriage to her parent's humble farm. The engagement party was going to be the very next day, so there was little time for relaxation. There were dresses to fit into, guests to R.S.V.P. with, and there were newspaper to tear apart with righteous fury with every time she saw Mickey's picture on them. Her parents never said a word about what they had learned, and Minnie was grateful. She felt maybe after the party she could explain everything to them in full. Right now, Minnie's mother had gotten sick again, and the less stress for her, the better.

The party was held at Mortimer Rodawn's mansion, and was filled to the brim with his guests. He and his friends were ones who inherited their vast fortunes, instead of working hard for their money like Minnie's family. It was because of these differences that Mortimer and those whose company he shared often carried around a superior attitude with them. Since the day was sunny, the party was held outside in his massive garden, and Minnie did her best to be comfortable. Though there were some points and whispers to and near her about Mickey's fiasco, there was a whole different reason why this party was so uncomfortable for her.

The more she stared at her engagement ring, the more it looked like a shackle  instead of a piece of jewelry. Minnie rubbed it back and forth, hoping the uncomfortable feelings going through her weren't showing up on her face. As she cast a quick glance at her friend, it became apparently that they must have been showing, because they were being copied by Daisy. She had arrived at the same time as Minnie, and had stuck to her friend like glue in an attempt to survive the ordeal. The two stared at each other for a small while, before the duck forced a smile, and lightly touched the mouse on the shoulders. "Come on, perk up." She chirped, trying to be cheery. "No one's supposed to be frowning at their own engagement party."

"Sorry." Her own smile tried to come, but it lasted only for a few seconds, spotting her future husband, Mortimer, laughing it up with his own snobby friends. "I'm trying, really."

"I know he's not the greatest catch." Daisy tried to word her sentiments carefully, patting her shoulders. "But it's like you said… he'll take good care of you, and his money will make sure you want nothing at all."

Except freedom, Minnie thought bitterly, but instead just nodded. She didn't want to admit Mickey was right about this arrange marriage and her real feelings over it, but being here in this crowded garden filled with people who could faint at the thought of breaking a sweat made her want to groan. It was the exact opposite of her proud and exciting N.A.V.Y. life. Taking a breath, she was about to thank Daisy for her comfort, when she noticed Mortimer making his way over. Both ladies immediately straightened their backs, with wide, agonizing smiles across their faces.

Mortimer was a very tall mouse, always towering over his fiancé. He had a sickly thin body, giant front teeth, and was always dressed in the latest fashions, because heaven forbid anyone catch him wearing clothes a normal person could afford. Even though he was usually smiling and laughing, this did not make him a pleasant man, for those smiles and laughs were usually at someone else's expense. Right then he reeked of cigars, and the noxious fumes spilled out as he spoke. "Mind if I borrow my little lady for a dance?"

"Of course not." Daisy was very quick and very eager to begin backing away, offering a sympathizing grin to her friend. Minnie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her friend's escape, and instead politely curtseyed to her fiancé before taking his arm and following him to the dance floor. A large section of grass had been killed and paved over with white marble tile, almost looking like a chessboard. Minnie tried not to make any obvious connections to being a pawn. There were already several couples out dancing, but they backed away respectfully when the rodents made their way in. As they danced, his grip was, as always, far too tight on her, and his dancing, as always, was atrocious, and his leering, as always, was clearly noticeable. Occasionally, Minnie would look around at the other people attending the party. They were high society people, talking of future parties, of wasting money, and mocking those below their statue.

Grinding her teeth, Minnie's mind tried to think about the positives of her engagement. This would make her parents happy, and she had always wanted their happiness. Marrying him would make her financially secure, and her life had always been a penny-pinching one. It might even earn her some respect with her fellow females in the N.A.V.Y, and she needed that now desperately.  The only problem was that she could not stand him. Maybe being able to endure him was something she would learn how to do in marriage. Arranged marriages always worked out, she figured, since if they didn't, people would stop arranging them.

"Mortimer, old boy!" One of his friends called out, waving from a lower section where grass still lived, one drink sloshing in hand. "I've got five gold that says you can't hit the twenty yard mark!" In the backyard, a target shooting contest had been created, and a group of men were drunkenly shooting their pistols at further and further bull's-eyes.

"Ha-cha-cha, you think so?" His bride instantly forgotten, Mortimer casually pushed Minnie aside, heading right for the backyard, pulling out an elaborately large pistol from his coat pocket. "You're about to lose five gold!" Judging from the pistol's shine, he had never used it too much, and it was just another thing to show off.

As the men laughed at their game, Minnie stood there, now allowing her deep set frown to remain on her face. A fine man, pulling her away from Daisy just to abandon her for a dangerous game! She rubbed her temples, trying to put her annoyances behind her. After all, this was going to be her future, she had better get used to it. She never said she was going to love him, but who needed love? She was better off without it. Love had made a fool out of her, and could no longer be trusted. Better to live a life as a bored trophy than a hurt lover. As she tried to smooth away lines of anger from her face, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"May I have this dance, turtledove?"

That voice! That nickname! It couldn't be, all logic and common sense defied it! She turned around at once, and a silent scream died in her throat as she saw who it was. Mickey was standing right there, decked out in a bright blue suit and cocky frocks, having somehow managed to blend in with the other high society men.  All of his grime and smells had been washed away, and even his posture was positively perfect. He looked like another one of Mortimer's business associates, and had Minnie not spent a month hating and loving him, she would have believed he was. The smirk on his face became bigger seeing her face pale.

"You… you… you!" Was all she managed to spit out, pointing at him in shock. This wasn't happening. She blinked hard, but he was still there.

"I'll take that as a yes." He took her hand and hip, and at once began to resume the dance Mortimer left off. Minnie's body reacted instinctively, fitting the steps and movements to the music, but her face was still one of shock. She looked around hoping someone else was seeing this. No one appeared to have taken notice of the extra guest, nor recognized his features from wanted posters and newspapers. She was on her own for now.

"What are you doing here?!" At the very least she managed to hiss low, not trying to get anyone else's attention. It might be best that no one recognized him.  A pirate in the mist of this party would create a panic in this foppish crowd, and what if the blame was traced to her again?

"I thought this was an open party." He too kept his voice low, but it was still loaded with amusement. He was easily able to slip in and out of pirate dialect and a normal speaking matter, flip flopping whenever she was close enough to hear."Miss me?"

She glared fire, and pulled one hand away – "You're under arrest!" – and reached down to try and grab the gun from her belt… which… wasn't there. She froze, remembering that Mortimer had told her to dress 'like a normal girl', which meant she hadn't been allowed to bring her gun, her handcuffs, or anything from her N.A.V.Y. uniform. She was dressed as a proper woman of society, not as one ready to fight.

Mickey didn't mind, resuming taking her hand. "I haven't broken any laws." He led the dance again, swiftly and casually. At another time, Minnie would be surprised at how well he could dance, given the fact he was a pirate and such scoundrels wouldn't know anything about proper dancing. His grip was gentler than Mortimer's, treating her like an equal instead of something to show off on the floor. If she didn't want to strangle him, she'd find this very romantic.

"You have a record!" Her grip tightened, hoping to cause him some pain, but he never flinched. He had planned this and there was no doubt about it. Looking back, she had told him about this future party plenty, so perhaps some of this was her own fault. The question of why he came was still unanswered.

"I haven't broken any laws today." He grinned, and the playfulness she had once admired in him now made her angrier. He was treating this like some kind of game. If he thought he'd win this round, he had another thing coming! Just what the thing was, she didn't know, but she'd think of something. There was no way she'd let him get away with whatever he was planning.

"That won't last long, I bet." She searched him with her eyes, trying to pick up on his real intentions. He was a pirate, and she was a private, that was as far as the relationship went now. So what possible reason was there for him to crash this party? Maybe he was there to humiliate her more. Maybe he was there to try grabbing some money from the party guests.  Maybe he was there for revenge since she was the one who captured him. "Whatever you're up to, I won't let you get away with it."

"Well, if ye really gotta know…" His arm suddenly slithered around her waist, pulling her in so close that their bodies touched, causing her face to blush deeply. "I'm after the treasure here." At the sudden rush of body contact, all of their memories together crashed together.  The songs, the jokes, the smiles, the touches, they flooded her mind, and she became soft in his arms. Their dancing came to a slow stop, and they stood in place, staring at one another.  His expression was something she had only seen once before, when he had tied her up and cradled her in his arms. She couldn't quite place it, for no one had ever looked at her this way before. It was sweet and a gentle, a kind of happiness laced with…. With something, what? Longing? Needing? Or perhaps that dreaded, awful, horrid l-word?

Once she managed to grab a hold of her senses – and scolded herself for getting flustered– she shook her head hard enough she could have sworn an earring flew off. "There's no treasure here!" aside from what the guests were wearing and flaunting, there was no big item being shown off. This wasn't like the museum, where grabbing anything meant a lifetime of fortune. The things here were useless for a pirate's hands, like a giant ice sculpture of Mortimer and silverware made from whale bones. Not even Mickey would be this desperate for money.

"Oh, but there is. And not only am I gunna get it, I'll be gettin' it fair and square." With a wink, he suddenly stepped back, letting her go entirely. "Just ye wait and see. Mortimer's gunna hand it over on a silver platter." He brushed a finger past her cheek, and then began to stroll towards the backyard, whistling a catchy tune.

Minnie was ready to chase after him, but stopped herself, a new idea forming. Grabbing her dress in both hands, she ran as fast as her high heels would allow getting back to Daisy, and nearly tackled the other woman down in her panic, as Daisy had been sampling the widespread buffet. "Get inside and call Clarabelle and Millicent!"

Daisy nearly spat out the fresh drink in her hand, startled by the request. "What?"

Minnie grabbed Daisy by the arms, practically shaking her. "That pirate's here! Mickey! He said he's going to steal treasure from here!"

"What!" Daisy repeated, in a higher pitch, looking around for the intruder, doing the same instinctive grab for her gun and the same realization when she found it gone.

"Hurry, go, go!"Minnie pushed the duck, looking back at the backyard. "I'll keep an eye on him, go call for help!"

"Right, right!" Daisy turned around and headed straight for the interior of the mansion, taking her friend for her word. There was no way Minnie would lie about something this important, and Minnie just wasn't the type to be insanely paranoid. No pirate ever traveled alone, either, and the need for reinforcements would have to be soon. As for Minnie, with that solution settled, she retreated to the backyard at once, almost tripping over the grass as her heels got stuck in the dirt. To her horror, Mickey was already shaking hands with Mortimer, laughing and talking with him, with the worst British accent she had ever heard.

"I say, old bean." Mickey gestured with one hand towards the placed targets. "Word has it that no one, absolutely no one, can be a better aim than you." Once again he had slipped out of his pirate dialect, and carefully moved his mouth so that his gold tooth was never shown. No, it was more than that, as Minnie paid careful attention to Mickey's mouth – he had worn a cap over that tooth! He had done everything he could to blend in.

Mortimer's ego inflated, and he stroked his gun lovingly. "Who am I tell anyone otherwise?"

"I would pay to see that sort of thing in action… in fact!" Mickey pulled out a small pouch, silver, and tossed it up and down in one hand. "What's say we have a rousing good competition? We both take a few shoots, and whoever hits the middle closest, wins?"

"If you want to lose your money that badly, I'm more than happy to take it from you." Mortimer grinned, and shook Mickey's hand again, sealing the deal. "Let's start it off with twenty yards!"

Minnie managed to catch up, and tugged on Mortimer's arm, trying to interject. Mickey was an excellent aim, he never missed, as she remembered that clearly from fighting him and from reading his reports. "Wait, Mortimer, don't, he's a-" But she was shoved backwards, with him not even sparing her a glance.

"Not now, can't you see the men are busy?"He brushed down his sleeve, and then took aim at the already established target. With one eye closed, he held up his pistol, took him, and let the bullet fly. It shone in the air, landing directly in the red of the middle. He blew the smoke off the top in pride, as his friends cheered wildly, clapping loudly in his victory. "Think you can do better?" Mortimer offered the gun to Mickey, who nodded respectfully.

"It's certainly worth a try." He copied Mortimer's exact movement, right down to the eye, and fired. He hit the outermost circle, which was way off. As the friends went into mocking whoops of laughter, Minnie stared at the target, stunned. Surely something that close was easy picking for Mickey! Why had his aim been so off? Puzzled into silence, she watched Mickey, who looked like he was taking his defeat calmly. "I guess no one is as good as you, old bean." He emptied part of the pouch, putting several hold pieces into one of Mortimer's pocket. "However, I've been known to be a sucker for punishment… what's say we try for fifty yards?"

"I say you're about to lose more gold!" Mortimer shook a fist to his companions, who began to chant his name. With a wave of his hand, small servants raced out onto the grass, placing a fresh target mark further away to the destined place. The pistol exchanged hands once more, Mortimer posed once more, fired once more – due to the distance, it did not hit exactly the middle, but fared close to the red dot, hitting the closest circle around it. When the pistol was Mickey's, he fired, this time just barely scratching the outermost circle. He merely bowed to all of the insults and guffaws lashed out at him, everyone pointing out what a fool he was and how terrible of a shot he was. Minnie was so confused by this display that she forgot about warning Mortimer.

This just wasn't making any sense to the maiden, as she watched more of Mickey's gold hit Mortimer's pocket. Surely that first battle between him and her hadn't been pure luck. She knew he was a good shot, far better than Mortimer.  Mortimer only did these target practices to show off, which was the motivation behind  almost everything he did. He had never been properly trained and had never seen a day of combat. So why was Mickey faltering here? What could be causing his aim to be off so radically? What did this have to do with treasure? Nothing was making sense, and it made Minnie's head spin.

"You truly are a man among men, Mortimer." Mickey felt safe enough to use the name, arms crossed, and one finger tapping his elbow. "Why, nobody could beat you… but how about one more game? One hundred yards?"

Mortimer heartily slapped Mickey on the back, nearly causing the smaller mouse to fall over. "I've never met anyone who liked losing as much as you do! But my friend, you're all out of cash!"He grabbed the silver pouch right out of Mickey's hand, and dumped it upside down to prove how it lacked. "Do you want to look like a moron for free?"

Mickey chuckled quietly, waiting for the other men to stop laughing before continuing. "True, true… then, let's say… oh, I don't know…" As he pretended to come up with an idea, his eyes drifted towards Minnie. "Since you have taken all of my money… why not wager something of yours for a change?" Mortimer snatched his gun back, and then twirled it in his hand, a soft struggle in his mind. It was clear on his face that he did not want to give up anything, yet his pride would not allow him back down. Mickey jumped onto the mental argument, leaning forward with his arms behind him. "Unless you're afraid…"

Minnie wondered how Mickey knew just the right button to push Mortimer, as the tallest mouse jerked in place, and crossed his arms. "Afraid? Don't be ridiculous! I was just… wondering what to wager."

"If I may offer?" Mickey lazily waved a hand towards confused Minnie, as if noticing she was really there for the first time. "If I can beat your mark, your lady marries me instead?"

Minnie jolted to attention immediately, gloved hands clenching. "Excuse me?!" Was this his aim? To humiliate her all over again?

Mortimer hesitated for the smallest of seconds, and the deal was cinched in his mind when he saw a hint of a smirk on Mickey's face.  He tossed the pouch over his shoulder, and called out to his servants. "One hundred yards!"

"Mortimer!" Minnie tried to get in his way, flailing in an attempt to get his attention. "Are you insane?! I'm not some trophy!"

"Will you relax?" The fiancé grabbed her by the shoulder, tightly as always, and roughly shoved her until she was behind him. "A good woman is seen, and not heard." Though she continued to protest, she was drowned out by the other men applauding Mortimer, as the new target was set up. "Winner gets the girl, huh? I'll even wrap you up in ribbons for you!" Ignoring the glare his future was wife was boring into his back, he took aim, and fired instantly. This time, he only managed to hit the outermost circle, almost missing the target entirely. He just shrugged it off, convinced it was as good as it was going to get, and placed it in Mickey's hands. "All yours, kiddo."

Mickey took a deep breath, and wiped imaginary sweat off of his brow, his arm waving as if the gun suddenly became ten pounds heavier. "I suppose if I miss, I become the laughingstock of the entire party… that would be an utter travesty." With an overly dramatic sigh, he held up the gun. "But I made my bed, it's time for me to lay in it…" Then, suddenly, his fake smiles shifted, curling into the familiar smirk Minnie knew all too well, eyes glinting as his posture changed. "… And with any luck, she'll be in it with me."

As his arm quickly lashed out, Minnie recognized the stance he was taking, from her first fight with the pirate, and all the pieces became together. Blood draining from her face, she tried to reach out to grab him, but Mortimer blocked her away. "No, no, no, don't let him fire!" She yelped, desperate, ignored. "Don't let him fire!"

It was too late, and the bullet screamed sharply in the air, smacking right in the center of the target, shattering all of the circles wrapped around it. Dead silence filled the party, all eyes on the decimated target, and then on the victor, who twirling the weapon in his hand. "What do you know?" He chirped, looking straight at Minnie. "Guess I win, and the bride is mine." He reached to take Minnie's hand, but before he could kiss her knuckles, he was yanked away hard at the elbow, Mortimer snarling as fierce as a demon dog.

"You cheated!" The taller one growled, fingers tightening their grip. Mortimer could be very petty, and hated to be shown he was anything less than what he thought he was.  "You must have cheated! I'm the best shot there is!"

"It's your gun, how could I cheat?" To prove it, Mickey pointed it right at Mortimer's head, right between the eyes. "Aren't you a man of your word? We agreed she'd be mine if you lost. Everyone heard you."

"You - !" Mortimer moved to punch Mickey in the face, but the smaller mouse was already out of his grip, putting a foot in Mortimer's stomach and knocking him down. Just as fast as he'd done that, he put an arm around Minnie's waist, holding her close.

"So, honeymoon, what are your ideas?" Mickey leaned his face in close, trying to plant a kiss on her cheek.  Before she could yell at him for treating her like a prize or slapping him – she couldn't decide which first – the sound of sirens took over all of the sounds. All heads arched upwards, as the sun was blocked out by several small air ships, long ropes descending from each and every one. Women of the N.A.V.Y. began sliding down the ropes, weapons in hand, looking for the one they had been called to arrest. The party-goers began to yell back and forth, demanding to know why the N.A.V.Y.  had suddenly appeared to invade their party.

Mickey took one good look at the organized chaos, and released his hold on her, stepping backwards. "Oh well… these stuffed shirts were becomin' a real headache." His dialect easily slipped back into casual pirate speech, unbuttoning his jacket. "Best take the treasure and go." With a toss, his outfit was off – revealing, somehow, his normal sea dog wear right underneath. He stuck two fingers in his mouth, and produced a whistle pitched enough to shatter several wine glasses.

"Oi, oi, cap'n, we hear ye plenty." One of Mortimer's 'friends' chuckled as he stepped forward. As Mortimer stood up, more men stepped forward, and it became readily apparent to him that several of these party-goers weren't on the guest list, and had just wandered in. One tossed Mickey his hat, and another fired into the air – and then, the world was confusion.

Hidden pirates sprang out from every nook and cranny, and the naval women began their chase. The real party-goers yelled in terror, running this way and that, their valuables snatched right off of their bodies. Tables were upturned, food was thrown, and Minnie lost sight of her pirate in the mess. She tried to look for him, but was forcibly turned around by not only Daisy, but Clarabelle as well, both looking distressed. "Thank goodness you're all right!" Clarabelle got down on one knee, holding Daisy and Minnie's uniforms and weapons in her arms. "We came as fast as we could… hurry, you girls have to change."

"I don't have time!" Minnie snapped, yanking her skates right out of the cow's hands, tossing her high heels aside to jam her skates onto her feet. "He said he's taking his treasure and going! I have to go after him now!"

Daisy looked at Clarabelle, and  then back to Minnie, perplexed. "What treasure?"

"I don't know!" Minnie yanked a fresh gun out, looking around wildly. "But I'm not letting him get away this time! He's mine!"With those final two words, she yanked off her outermost dress, not having time to change into the uniform, so it was to great surprise to them when Minnie began running off, in only her petticoat and under-things. Her feet became fast, and she heard his insanely high whistle again, coming right from the mansion. She spotted him on the top of one of the lower windows, and he caught her looking. He winked, and motioned to her with one finger, an enticement for her to come after him. With a click of her heels, her skates emitted steam, and she was already running up the mansion's walls, sliding once the steam was built up enough.

She caught up with him soon enough, but he was already running and jumping, using the entire mansion as an obstacle course. She tried to fire at him, but he dodged every shot. Even worse, with every miss, he would look behind, and stick out his tongue like a child. It only served to make her angrier and more determined, and they chased along the rooftops, zigzagging around multiple chimneys. When he jumped to land on a balcony, she stopped her movement, trying to aim at him when he became still. "Where's the treasure!" She barked at him, still not clear exactly what he stole.

He wiggled his eyebrows, enjoying the game. "Tellin' me ye don't get it already?"

"Answer me!" She jumped off the roof, and landed on the balcony, where the pirate had already kicked the windows open, seemingly vanishing. She ran inside the building, expecting the chase to resume itself. What she didn't expect was to suddenly be grabbed by the arms, and deeply kissed right on the mouth.

Her first kiss and it was taken by a pirate. She'd be enraged, if she wasn't absolutely stunned stupid.

He held her firmly there, almost able to feel the heat radiating off her rose-red cheeks. Only when he was wondering if she was remembering to breathe did he finally pull back, cradling the girl in his arms. "Yer the great treasure there's ever been." He murmured, soft, deep, right into her ear, letting her lean on his shoulder. "Mark my word… one day, I will steal ye away." He placed a thumb on her chest, directly over her rapidly beating heart. "And I'm going to make ye my bride." He cupped her still reddening cheeks in his hands, and kissed her forehead silently.  She hadn't said a word, and couldn't. Her brain could still hear him, but aside from listening, it had shut down entirely. Her arms slumped at her sides, weapon dropping onto the floor. He wore that same expression again, that odd mixture of longing, needing, happiness, and that word that began with l that could not possibly be true.

More sirens blared, and so he released her once more, turning right around, and running off into the endless hallway. As always with his heists, no one would be severely harmed, though many things would be stolen.  As for Minnie, her mouth still slightly agape, she loudly hit the floor face first with a rather loud THUMP, and it would be quite the while before she found the mental strength to move on.

Did he just propose?

End of Chapter Five.