A Crack In The Glass

by BlueMoon264ever

Summary:

After getting sent to another dimension where everything is pure chaos and destruction, Scrooge and Drake will have to work together to figure out a way to get back to their own universe before their doppelgängers do any lasting damage.

Will they ever find a way out alive, or will their universe become just another Negaverse?

Notes:

Its finally here folks! I truly hope you enjoy the story I don't even remember why I wanted to write :)))

I suck at English so I apologize if there are some errors, also I don't own Ducktales or any of the characters. Obviously.

Chapter 1: Prologue

The large robot was quickly catching up to him; lasers were being shot in his direction. Negaduck had managed to dodge most of its attacks, all except for one that resulted in him currently missing a chunk of his left arm. The pain was unbearable, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle another wound before passing out.

That was if the murderous Gizmoduck didn’t make roast duck out of him first.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

A few more lasers went off, but Negaduck was lucky enough to dodge them this time. His hideout was still too far away, and even if it wasn't, he didn’t want to risk the chance of the robot or anyone else finding it. The empty streets did him no good either, as there wasn’t any good hiding place.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Negaduck took a sharp turn into an alley as lasers flew dangerously over his head. Unfortunately for him, the robot was still hot on his trail.

There weren’t many options left, or maybe, there were no options at all.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

The duck took another sharp turn into a different alley, but this time a laser had managed to tear a hole through his black cape that skimmed his leg in the process.

Negaduck felt as if his lungs were on fire along with the rest of his body, but he couldn’t give up now. Maybe he could find a hiding spot after all, perhaps create a diversion, or even-

His eyes grew wide in horror as he stared at the end of the narrow alley; he was running straight towards a dead end.

"Son of a duck…," Negaduck muttered as he began to hyperventilate. He looked around desperately in search of anything or anyone that could help him, but deep down, he knew it would take a miracle to save him from the fate that awaited him.

Once he reached the end of the passageway, Negaduck pressed his back against the wall while tightening his grip on his bleeding arm.

“What do you want, Gizmofreak?!”, the supervillian exclaimed before gritting his teeth. The large robot slowly approached him as if to taunt him; it knew he was done for. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

This was it. Negaduck thought as he shut his eyes and braced for whatever was about to happen.

"That's enough, Gizmoduck. We don't want to hurt oor new friend too badly now do we?", a stern voice spoke up, immediately causing the large robot to lower his defenses. 

“It’s alright, lad, ye can open yer eyes now. That is unless ye want to keep me waiting?”

Negaduck cautiously opened his eyes and shuddered at the sight. The robot had moved to the side to reveal the duck he wished he never had to meet.

If the rumors in the street had any truth to them, Negaduck easily preferred to be killed by Gizmoduck.

“... McDuck?”, Negaduck questioned, to which the old duck rolled his eyes in response.

“Nae, it's the goddamn tooth fairy. Of course it's me ye- sigh - Please, just call me Scrooge. After all, you’ll be helping me wi' something from now on”

“What the hell do you want with me? And why would I ever want to help the duck who sent his walking oven to kill me?”

“I’ll explain everything once we get back to my headquarters”, Nega Scrooge paused before a wicked grin formed on his beak, “As for you second question, I believe I have something that belongs to yeh”

With that, the old duck took a picture out of his coat before showing it to the villain. In the photograph, there was a girl with green eyes and dark red hair. She was wearing a pink dress along with ballet flats of the same color. However, she was tied up to a chair and her small beak had been taped shut.

Negaduck gulped before looking back at Nega Scrooge who was still smirking at him.

“How about we head back to my office now? I’m sure we can work something out”.

Chapter 2: A Family Problem

Summary:

It’s been a year since the defeat of Bradford Buzzard, but things are far from okay in McDuck Manor. Hopefully, Webby’s 14th birthday helps to clear the tension in the air.

*The following story is a dark fic based on the now canceled Ducktales 2017 and the supposed Darkwing Duck reboot started in 2020. Any possible continuity errors should just be accepted as being a part of an alternate universe.

(Haha an alternative universe within a story about alternative universes. Funny haha.)

—————————————————————

One year later…

After frantically looking around his room and making sure he was no longer dreaming, Scrooge finally allowed himself to let out a small sigh of relief before plumping back down onto his bed. The old duck stared blankly at the ceiling as he waited for his heartbeat to settle down all the while cringing at the feeling of his feathers drenched in his sweat.

It had been a year since the defeat of Bradford Buzzard, yet Scrooge continued to have nightmares relating to the incident. He felt a little silly to be so… unnerved about someone who was now just a normal vulture. Now that he thought about it, how could there be “normal” animals and talking animals at the same time? Wouldn’t it be weird for an anthropomorphic bird to own a regular bird? Speaking of, wasn’t there a peacock living somewhere on his front lawn right about now?

“Ugh”, Scrooge groaned as he covered his face with his hands while simultaneously shaking his head; he really didn’t need nor want another reason to gain new nightmares, let alone a headache this early in the morning. He rubbed his eyes harshly in an attempt to forget about his previous thoughts, which managed to work a little too well as his eyes began to sting from the rough treatment.

Knowing that going back to sleep was not an option, the old duck slowly got up from his bed, wrapped his red robe around himself, and stumbled towards the bathroom.

The moment Scrooge turned on the light and looked at himself in the mirror worked as a clear reminder of how little sleep he had gotten these past couple of months. He had developed bags under his bloodshot eyes; his once neat feathers were completely ruffled, and he looked awfully pale. Well, as pale as a Pekin duck could be anyways.

“... Bless me bagpipes” Scrooge quickly turned away from the mirror as vivid images of the nightmare he had just woken up from came rushing back into his mind. The horrified cries of his family still rang vividly in his ears. That was at least before they were cruelly silenced by Bradford plunging his sword into their chests and letting their limp bodies quietly fall onto the ground in front of him. Not to mention the way their cold dead eyes stared up at him in resentment, as if trying to tell the old duck it was all his fault.

It all felt so real… too real.

Scrooge rubbed harshly at his eyes once more, this time in an effort to stop the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. He had been suffering from sleepless nights for the past three months or so. Every night he would experience horrible nightmares about his family getting injured in unspeakable ways, which only became worse as time went by.

One night he recalls being attacked by Magica De Spell who then slowly dragged his family into a burning pit of some sort, another night it was Glomgold who had managed to lock his family in his own vault that was quickly filling with water, then that very next night he was forced to watch his family get beaten to death by the Beagle boys while the laughter of Ma Beagle rang loudly in his ears.

Scrooge felt miserable, and it terrified him.

He hadn’t felt this way since… The Spear of Selene.

Scrooge blinked a couple of times before repeatedly spraying his face with some cold tap water in another attempt to forget about the thoughts currently running through his head. They had just been nightmares, and he’d be damned if Scrooge McDuck would let some nightmares get under his feathers.

Though, deep down, a small part of him knew they had already succeeded in doing so.

After drying his face with a small towel, the old duck began rummaging through his drawers in search of his comb. The least he could do right now was fix the mess he once called his feathers.

Scrooge was muttering a few insults to himself about the way he looked in his reflection, but stopped when he felt a small and unfamiliar object brush against his hand.

Curious, the old duck pulled out the object and immediately regretted it.

He stared down at the small pink mustache comb that lay in his now trembling hand; the thought he was trying so desperately to avoid hit him like a pile of bricks just like it had done so many times before:

He was a father now.

He was the father of a brave, creative, brilliant and overall amazing daughter whom he had ignored for the first ten years of her life.

The trillionaire sat down on his bathroom floor, feeling lightheaded. Out of all the challenges he has faced in the century he’s been alive, he never thought this one would surpass them all. He really didn’t like to think about it. Somehow, the creation of Webby terrified him more than the nightmares he was having.

Now that he thought about it, when had Bradford stolen his DNA? It could have happened anywhere after all! The office, the money bin, his house, his study. Scrooge felt a familiar chill run down his spine at the idea: that man had taken advantage of his trust and used it to make a child of his against his will.

Scrooge drooped his head into his hands with a groan as he felt a headache coming along. He couldn’t help but feel unnerved at the idea of Webby literally being a younger version of himself. Could that mean she’d make the same mistakes he once did? Lose what he lost? Would his Webbigail grow up to be alone like he did?

The more Scrooge thought, the worst his headache became. Bless me bagpipes, is this what goes through every parent's mind? Is it normal to want to place yer child in a wee bubble and lock them away in a secure place to ensure they’d never have to go through the bad things you once did, but at the same time feel undeniably guilty for stopping them from spreading their wings and finding their own place in the world?

No, he was probably just being dramatic. Again.

The only thing Scrooge was indisputably sure of was that he wanted to be a father; a good father. He had always wanted little ones to call his own, but his quest for financial stability always seemed to get in the way.

Not anymore. The old duck thought. I can’t change the past, but I can still secure a good future fo’ Webby. It’s the least ah can do for being so… well, me.

“Birthday, birthday, it’s my birthday for me only! Oh, and any other duck that happens to share it with me!”, Webby's sudden announcement was heard all over McDuck Manor; almost making Scrooge choke on his own saliva.

Oh my god. It was Webby’s birthday.

He had completely forgotten.

So much for being a good father. Scrooge cursed at himself as he quickly got up from the floor and began to brush his feathers as neatly as he could. The last thing he needed right now was his family worrying about something as silly as his problems, if you could even call them that.

Today was all about Webby, and he was going to make sure his daughter was aware of it.

******

“That’s it, young man, you’re grounded! I thought I told you to keep your schemes in line”

“But I was keeping them in line! I did what I did because I wanted to get Webby something nice for her birthday!”

“That isn’t an excuse. Remember the last time you tried to do something for a quick buck? You almost obliterated your family out of existence!”

‘This isn’t like last time! Why can’t you see that my ideas can actually be good for once?”

Scrooge could hear the dispute before he even stepped out of his bedroom, but was unsure as to how to address it. Not that he would’ve gotten a good idea anyways as the throbbing in his head became worse as he walked down the stairs; closer to his furious niece and even angrier nephew.

“I can’t keep letting you get away with these tricks, Llewellyn. Now go to your room! You won’t be going to Webby’s birthday party and that’s final!” Della exclaimed as she pointed a finger to the staircase.

The green duckling’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re grounding me again? Jeez, doesn’t anyone learn from their mistakes? With my luck, I’ll probably get killed while you all go out and celebrate!” Louie put his hoodie over his head before running past his uncle and up the stairs towards his room. Before he disappeared into the corner however, he turned back to glare at his mom.

“Why couldn’t you just stay up in space? I didn’t even want a mom in the first place”

It was Della’s turn to widen her eyes, a small gasp escaping her beak. She stared up at the now empty stairwell with glistening eyes, but she contained herself once she realized her uncle was now just a few feet away from her.

“Is.. uh, evry’hing okay?” Scrooge asked softly as he held a hand to his head: the throbbing had eased, but it was definitely still there.

“I.. I’m not sure. Louie has become a lot more rebellious this past year, though I should have expected that since I did plan on calling him ‘Rebel’ in the first place” Della said before shaking her head, offering a small smile to her uncle. “But that's not important right now. Let’s try and focus on your daughter's special day, I’ll be having a chat with him once we get back” Della finished with a small nudge to Scrooge’s arm before making her way into the dining room where the noise appeared to be much louder.

“Phooey…” Scrooge muttered as he forced himself to follow after his niece despite the objections in the form of throbbing pain in the left side of his head.

Once in the room, Scrooge had to avert his gaze from his family eating happily at the table as flashes from his past nightmares lingered in his mind.

“Good morning, dad! Are.. Are you okay?” Webby said as she tilted her head to the side in curiosity. Despite the old duck’s best efforts to hide the effects of insomnia, his dark bags and bloodshot eyes were in no hurry to cooperate.

Scrooge winced at the high-pitched voice of his daughter, but forced a smile nonetheless.

“Good morning, Webby darling. Are you excited for yer birthday party?”

“Is that even a question? Of course I am! Funso’s will forever be my go-to place for parties! The staff is great, the games are awesome, the food is a bit questionable-“

The old duck sat down on his chair and rubbed his eyes once more. He hadn’t meant to disregard Webby, but the pitch of her voice felt like it was stabbing directly into his brain.

*Rumble Rumble*

Scrooge’s eye gave a light twitch at the sound coming from his stomach: he hadn’t eaten a full meal since his last nightmare about a week ago that involved Donald getting blown up right in front of him. The feeling of his nephew’s warm blood slowly trickling down his body still makes the old duck’s face twist with sadness and disgust.

He smiled politely when Duckworth placed the plate of pancakes in front of him, but held back a gag as he took a small bite and forced it down his throat.

Scrooge didn’t know if it was the migraine or his nightmares that were ruining his appetite, and he was too weak to care.

“Your tea, sir” Beakley’s soothing voice brought Scrooge back to reality. In front of him was his usual nutmeg tea. Perfect. Just what I needed. The old duck thought as he brought the cup up to his beak and gave it a light sip.

“Are you alright, sir? You look very pale and your eyes seem irritated. Do you need me to get you anything?” Beakley asked as she looked down at Scrooge with pity.

“Nae, I’m fine Beakley” the old duck lied with a smile, “I’ve just been.. stressed with Webby’s party” Scrooge whispered those last two words towards the taller duck.

She smiled and patted his back, leaning down to whisper back: “You’re doing just fine, Scrooge. You have to remember that we are all in this together. Whatever you’re worried about, you can always count on us to help”.

“Ms.Beakley!” a cry caught everyone’s attention. Huey was trying to balance multiple plates of pancakes in his arms, and it was obvious he wouldn’t make it to the table.

“Oh Huey, what did I tell you about helping in the kitchen?” Ms.Beakley hurriedly made her way towards the duckling and took all of the plates from his hands. While everyone else was distracted with Huey, Scrooge found the courage to look up towards his family.

Maybe he should be telling his family how he truly felt. How miserable he had been since the incident with Bradford. No… since the Spear of Selene. All of the emotions he’s kept locked away, and finally owning up to his mistakes-

“Mom, think fast!” Dewey yelled from behind Scrooge as a pancake went flying across the table, which in turn made the startled old duck drop the hot liquid right onto his lap.

Della acted quickly and caught the pancake with a plate midair. “Nice try, Turbo, but your mom has always had impeccable reflexes. Remember that one time when I saved you from getting hit with a missle, Uncle Scrooge?”

Della’s question went unheard as the old duck got up from his chair and quickly made his way outside where the water hose was. The pain eased as Scrooge pointed the running hose to his legs, all the while muttering something in Scottish that is best left unwritten.

“Uh… Uncle Scrooge?”, the red duckling tugged gently at his uncle’s coat.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

“Good morning, Huey. What can I help ye with?”, Scrooge said with a fake smile.

“Well, I uh, I had a question about something… it’s been in my mind for a while, but I didn’t know when it would be a good time to ask”

An’ after I just got burnt by boiling hot tea seems like a good time to you?

“Ah have been asked just about everything and anything ye could think of, so just say what’s on your-“

“Are you biologically a female?”

Scrooge stared blankly at the duckling who was anxiously tugging at the feathers of his hand, actually managing to pluck one or two.

“Oh god, that was terrible. I’m so so sorry, I just- I know this is very personal and very inappropriate to ask. It’s just that I’ve been wondering ever since we found out that Webby was your clone and I figured it was better to ask when there weren’t other people around and–”

“Huey, just stop. No.” Scrooge replied, genuinely bewildered. Based on his nephew’s face, he guessed he wasn’t the only one. “Why do ye ask?”

The red duckling took a deep breath before pulling out his junior woodchuck guidebook from under his cap and opening it to a page Scrooge couldn’t see from where he was standing.

“According to the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook; a clone is an organism or cell produced asexually from one ancestor or stock, to which they are genetically identical. We know that Webby is your clone, and that you both share the exact same genes”

“… Aye?”

“If Webby’s the exact copy of you - or supposedly an exact copy…”, Huey said slowly, making Scrooge raise an eyebrow.

“How come she’s a girl, and you’re not?”

And hello migraine.

Scrooge shrugged as he turned off the water hose, ignoring the fact that the top half of his legs were bright red. “I don’t know, lad. Maybe something went wrong during the cloning process.”

“But that’s the thing: nothing could’ve gone wrong! At least not by accident! Someone must have changed the Y chromosome for an X chromosome on purpose, but I can’t seem to figure out why.” Huey said while writing something down in his guidebook.

“Cloning is already a complex process in itself, so I don’t get why F.O.W.L would make the process even harder as well as spending who knows how much on resources.”

The old duck was admittedly curious at first, but the throbbing sensation in the side of his head was quick to throw that away and replace it with unbearable pain.

“Look, Huey, ye should probably have a chat with Gyro about this sort of stuff if you’re really that interested. Go back inside and finish yer breakfast, okay? I’ll join you in a moment.”

“But-“

“Hubert please, I don’t… Ah don’t want to hear another word about this. Not right now.”

“But Uncle Scrooge-“

“AH SAID ENOUGH!” Scrooge yelled as he turned to his nephew who, in turn, cowered away from him; his brow furrowed and his bloodshot eyes had somehow become redder than before. Huey had never seen his uncle so angry before, and it terrified him. After a moment or so of silence, Scrooge was slowly met with the feeling he’d known so well before:

Guilt.

“Right- You’re right, I’m just being intrusive at this point. I’m sorry, I won’t bring this up again”, Huey blinked away his tears as he put his guidebook back into his cap. Defeated, the red duckling left for the slide door while fighting back a sniffle.

Scrooge sighed and rubbed his eyes once more, he would have to apologize to Huey later. Right now though, he desperately needed something to get rid of his migraine.

“Uncle Scrooge, mom says we leave for Webby’s party in like 5 minutes or so!” Dewey yelled from the dining room window. “Oh and Launchpad’s driving!”

Great. The old duck thought with a frown, yet tried to remain positive. He promised he would make Webby’s birthday one that she would never forget, and he wasn’t about to let his mood ruin her party.

Besides, what’s the worst that could happen at a child’s birthday party?

Chapter 3: Birthday Squabble

Summary:

Scrooge and Donald have a bitter reunion at Funso’s Funzone, but an emergency phone call from Darkwing regarding Webby’s birthday cake would be the last and final strike for the old duck.

Notes:

AAAAAAAA omg I love how everything is turning out!!! This story has been on my mind since summer began and I’m just so happy to be going through with it!

Enough about me, I hope you like this chapter and continue to support this fanfic <3

Absolutely everything.

The car ride had been dreadful: the family had to stop by a gas station to get Scrooge a couple of paper bags because he kept getting nauseous, Launchpad managed to consecutively crash into five streetlights, which surprisingly didn’t damaged the engine, Dewey had been blasting remixes of the happy birthday song ever since they got in the limbo and had everyone sing along to them, and Della kept blowing an air horn right into Scrooge’s ear every time he started to fall asleep.

Once inside of Funso’s, the old duck was struggling to keep his temper under control; the flashing lights of the games, the constant screams from joyful children, the pain in his reddish legs and the pulsing pain in the side of his head overwhelmed the old duck more than he ever thought possible.

The only thing that was stopping Scrooge from tearing every feather off his body was the smile plastered on his daughter’s beak. Her last birthday had gone so wrong in so many ways, but this time, things would be different.

He hoped so at least.

That got him thinking, albeit reluctantly, about what Huey had said earlier that morning.

Why was Webby a girl if she was his clone?

Surely there must have been a reason, but what? Did it even matter anymore?

His daughter didn’t seem to mind, and perhaps that was for the best: the less she knew about how she was created, the better off she’d be. If only Scrooge could say the same thing for himself.

“Heya Uncle Scrooge! Long time no see”

Flashbacks of the nightmare immediately came back to haunt Scrooge’s mind, making him shiver from the feeling of blood running down his face that no matter how many times he showered he would never get rid of the sensation nor the smell.

That putrid, dreadful smell… oh god, he was gonna throw up again wasn’t he?

He had already thrown up twice in the car and once here when Dewey innocently offered him a burger. Needless to say, the blue duckling had also lost his appetite.

He turned his head and offered his nephew a fake smile, though not without taking a few steps back first.

“Donald, it’s so good t’see you! How’ve ye been?”

“I’ve been great! Daisy and I are in the process of adopting May and June. I also managed to get my dream job as an accountant, and best of all, my anger management problems are under control now! Well… somewhat. The girls have been helping me, and I couldn’t be happier. But how about you, Uncle Scrooge, how have you been?”

Scrooge stared at his nephew in awe, he was sure his life would’ve been pretty similar to his own considering how much bad luck he has.

He tightened his grip on his cane, but only slightly.

“Oh I’ve been.. uh, I’ve been good”

“Really? You look exhausted and- and is that a scald in your legs?” Donald asked with concern.

“What? No, nae of course it’s not!”

“Then what is it? It looks pretty bad-“

“Donald, am fine. I can take care of myself” the old duck crossed his arms defensively.

“History says otherwise” Donald replied with a playfully grin, making Scrooge’s eye slightly twitch in irritation.

Perhaps with irritation as well now that he thought about it. Just how many times had he rubbed his eyes today?

“Mr.Dad! Mr.Dad! Look how many tickets I won!”

“No, Dad, look at mine!”

Both ducks turned their heads to the two ducklings that were running full speed ahead towards them while pulling two trash bags full of tickets.

“That’s my girls! I’m so proud of both of you. You should also show Daisy, I’m sure she’ll be just as proud as me”

“Yeah! Mrs.Mom is gonna be super impressed!” June said, a wide smile forming on her beak.

“Not if I impress her first!” May replied with a grin.

After a quick embrace with their adoptive father-to-be, May and June took their bags and left in search of their adoptive mother-to-be.

“Are.. ye and Daisy…?” Scrooge spoke up, making Donald’s face flush red.

“Yes- well no, not yet. It’s still too soon to ask, but I’m planning on it” Donald replied before looking at one of the tables where Daisy, May, and June were eating away at their burgers.

How? That was the only question in Scrooge’s mind.

How did Donald get so lucky? Donald of all people!

Scrooge knew it was wrong to be resentful towards his nephew. After everything that had happened the last 4 years or so, saying Donald had earned a break would be the understatement of the century.

To be fair, Donald had always been good with children. He took care of Della’s for 12 years, so it’s no surprise that May and June were far from a challenge.

Guilt built up inside of Scrooge once more as he remembered the night of Della’s disappearance; he had kicked Donald and the unborn eggs to the curb without so much as a second thought, yet here they were.

Despite having all the odds against him, Donald was able to raise 3 healthy children without the help of anyone. And now, he would get to do the same with the twins.

Guilt soon turned into jealousy.

How did Donald get a better life than him? How does Donald know exactly what to do or say when it comes to children? How was his nephew taking better care of his daughters than he was?!

That’s right… May and June were technically his daughters too. Or… would they be Webby’s?

Jealousy then became anger.

It wasn’t fair.

Donald had everything Scrooge wanted.

It wasn’t fair.

A bride-to-be, a healthy family, a simple life.

It isn’t fair.

Yet he controlled himself. It would be ridiculous to blame Donald while also interrupting Webby’s party due to his own pride and ego.

*Ring Ring* *Ring Ring*

“I think that’s your phone, Uncle Scrooge” Donald said as he pointed to his uncle’s left pocket.

“Reit… yeah, it is. Give me one moment” Scrooge mumbled before pulling out his phone and stepping a few feet away from his nephew.

Shakily, he brought the golden phone to his ear.

“Who’s ‘is?”

“McDuck? I have some bad news”

“Purple guy, am having one hell of a bad day, so I doubt whatever ye have to say will be worse than what I’ve had to deal with today”

“It’s about your daughter’s cake. The bakery messed it up and now they’re asking for double the original price to redo it”

Scrooge could feel his composure shatter the moment Darkwing finished his sentence.

That was the last strike.

The universe could mess with Scrooge all it wanted: it could take away his entire fortune, his sanity, and even his life, but he drew the line at his daughter.

“Where are you? I’d like to handle the matter personally”

“I’m gonna send you my location, you.. know how to check that right?”

“Of course I do! How old do ye think I- actually please don’t answer that. I’ll be there as soon as I can” Scrooge ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket while quietly cursing at himself.

“Are you okay, Uncle Scrooge? Who was that?” Donald peered from behind his uncle, a worried look painted across his face.

“That Darkwing guy called, he said the bakery messed up Webby’s cake and are charging him extra to make it again”

“You mean Darkwing Duck? Why was he calling you about that”

“Because I asked if he could personally deliver the cake as a surprise for her… how could I’ve forgotten?” Scrooge muttered nonchalantly as he tried walking past his nephew, but to no avail.

“Then let me go with you. I may have my anger under control, but that doesn’t mean I can’t let it out once in a while” Scrooge could tell Donald was trying to lighten his mood whilst Donald could tell it wasn’t working.

“Jus’ stay here with your family, you’d only be another problem I’d had to deal with”

“Another problem? Uncle Scrooge, what’s gotten into you? I’m only trying to help you. Look, I know what it’s like to want your child to have an amazing birthday-“

“Oh of course ye know what it’s like! Believe me, we all know you threw away 12 years of yer life taking care of someone else’s eggs”

Donald's eyes widened in disbelief at the comment, a frown slowly formed on his brows.

“How could you say that about the boys? I’m proud of every moment I spent with them, and the same goes for May and June”

“Would you just stop talking about the kids! I know you do yer best, ye always do! I’m so sorry some of us aren’t as experienced as you are” Scrooge pushed past his nephew and started walking towards the exit, but he followed anyway.

“Is that what this is all about? Uncle Scrooge, it’s okay to not understand the whole father thing at first. I didn’t understand it either! It took years for me to get the hang of it and I’m still learning- ack!”, Donald was interrupted by Scrooge’s cane hitting him hard on the head. The younger duck looked at the older one with confusion and was met with anger.

“I don’t need your help! I don’t need anyone’s help! I’m Scrooge McDuck, an’ I’ve dealt with things you’d only see in yer nightmares! So why don’t you just stay here and look after another set of kids who aren’t yours? That is if they don’t leave you for a father that they can actually comprehend”, Scrooge spat before walking out of the establishment and into the parking lot.

Donald didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go after his uncle and demand an explanation, but on the other hand, maybe… maybe he just needed a moment to cool down.

Breathe in, breathe out. Donald reminded himself.

He did look worn out, and the stress about Webby’s cake had probably only added gasoline to the fire.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Even so, his uncle’s words had reopened a scar Donald desperately wanted to forget. He didn’t want what happened with Della to happen again, so maybe he should follow Scrooge and try to talk things out-

“Babe, are you alright? What the hell is wrong with your uncle?” Donald turned to see his girlfriend hurriedly walk over towards him.

Just breathe…

“I’m okay, Daisy, don’t worry… wait, oh no, did anyone else see what happened?”

“I’m not sure, but that sounds like a probable bet. You two were being pretty loud after all. Thankfully, none of the kids were near this area”, Daisy replied as she pulled out the ice pack from May’s lunchbox and applied it gently against the bruise forming on Donald’s head.

“I’m glad no one got bothered. But… I don’t think I can say the same for Uncle Scrooge”

“Well of course not, he hit you!”, Daisy said as she guided Donald to a nearby table, then resumed talking. “What got him so upset anyways? Did you tell him that I’m-“

“No,” Donald answered quickly before sitting down, “We both agreed that it wouldn’t have been right; at least not right now. I think this had something to do with him being stressed about being new to the whole father thing”

Daisy seemed to be in thought as she replaced the ice pack for her hand. She caressed Donald’s cheek before offering him a small smile.

“While it’s still not an excuse for taking it out on you, I can see why he would be in a bad mood. This is Scrooge McDuck after all, and by the stories you’ve told me, getting him to open up won’t be an easy task. Just let him blow off some steam, then talk to him about it okay?”

Donald smiled and placed a soft peck on Daisy’s knuckles. “You’re right, as always”

Daisy let out a chuckle before intertwining her fingers with her boyfriend, “Come on, I think you’ll really like the burgers they serve here”

Donald nodded and stood up to follow his girlfriend to their actual table, but not before looking back one last time at the entrance of Funso’s. He knew his uncle’s meltdowns were… a force to be reckoned with, much like his own, but he had to trust he wouldn’t do anything irrational.

But this was Scrooge McDuck, and deep down, he knew something was bound to go wrong.

He would soon wish he had listened to his conscience.

Chapter 4: Regret And Revenge

Summary:

An enraged Scrooge arrives at the bakery ready to demand an explanation for his daughter’s now ruined birthday cake. Little did he know, pastries would end up being the least of his worries.

Notes:

This is when things start getting good; I'm such a sucker for angst. >:))))

I hope you enjoy the chapter! More coming soon!! <3

Scrooge tossed the money at the taxi driver before getting out of the car. He began to dial Drake’s phone number on his flip phone as he walked across the street towards the small bakery.

“Mr.McDuck, are you here yet?” Drake asked through the phone.

“Aye, I’m right outside, where are ye?”

“I’m in the storage room trying to talk some sense into the bakers, maybe you’ll have more luck than I did” replied Drake before coughing.

“Just hand tight, Drake. Are ye alright?”

“Ignoring the headache these people are giving me, yes, I’m fine. But you don’t sound too good, are you alright?”

“Don’t worry about me, Drake, worry about the individual who messed up my daughter’s cake..” Scrooge replied solemnly before hanging up the call.

The old duck was fuming at this point. He had been suffering in silence for a whole year nonstop and this was just the excuse he needed to punch someone in the throat.

******
Scrooge busted through the bakery’s door, looking around curiously before walking towards a large metal door in the back of the store.

“Hey Drake” the old duck whispered into the phone, slowly opening the door.

“Yeah? What’s up?” Drake answered quietly, imitating the older duck’s tone.

“How come it’s so dark in here? Isn’t it usual business hours right now?” asked Scrooge as he illuminated a small part of the large storage area with his flip phone, raising his cane up just in case.

“The owner bought a nicer store just a couple days ago. He moved most of his stuff there but the bakers made the finishing touches to your daughter’s cake here before it got ruined. At least that’s what they told me” Drake replied.

Scrooge tried to cough quietly into his arm, dust and filth was practically covering every surface of the room.

“This place doesn’t seem very clean. Ye sure he moved out just a couple days ago?” the old duck asked as he inspected another part of the storage room, but this time Drake didn’t say anything back.

Something wasn’t right.

“Drake, are you there lad? Keep talking to me so I can find-“

“You shouldn’t have come here, McDuck” a deep voice came from the other side of the phone, making Scrooge stop dead in his tracks.

“What?” That was the only word Scrooge could mumble as he frantically looked around the dark room, his eyes having somewhat adjusted to the darkness.

“Argh!” Scrooge exclaimed as he quickly turned around and blocked what seemed to be a sledge hammer from hitting him in the head with his cane, the sudden attack making him accidentally drop his flip phone.

He couldn’t see his attacker’s face, but a silhouette of what seemed to match Darkwing’s pulled back the hammer to swing at him again.

The old drake was able to get out of the way just before the sledge hammer was brought down with brute force, which had successfully shattered his flip phone.

“Drake, what the hell has gotten into ye?” Scrooge yelled, nervously backing up into a few boxes while holding up his cane in defense.

“Oh no, McDuck, you got it all wrong” the assailant said solemnly as he stepped closer to where Scrooge was while dragging the sledgehammer against the concrete floor.

“What do ye want from me ye moldy old codger? Ah’ swear if this is the IRS again-“ Scrooge muttered before being interrupted by his attacker.

“Don’t take this personally, McDuck, this is just strict business. I’m sure a duck such as yourself can understand” the assailant let out a maniacal laugh as he lunged towards Scrooge with his sledgehammer raised high in the air.

Scrooge had managed to dodge just in time before the sledgehammer was brought down into one of the wooden boxers behind him which had luckily gotten stuck in the very hole it had created.

The old duck took the opportunity to run back towards the metal door he had previously entered from, just to find it had been locked shut. Without a moment more to waste Scrooge frantically felt around for something heavy enough to break down the door. He knew there was no point in calling out for help as the concrete walls would block out his pleads, plus the street was practically deserted when he got there.

“Hold still, you measly bird! I promise not to break the majority of your bones!” Scrooge held out his cane in front of him as he navigated as far away from his assailant as he could while desperately looking around for another means of escape. The only sound he could hear was that of his own heart pounding loudly in his head like the insistent drumming of the rain beating upon a window pane while the only coherent thought he had in his mind was to find the real Drake and get the hell out of that storage room.

The faster Scrooge ran, the more confused he became. He had bumped into several things already and couldn’t remember where he had originally come from.

His whole body was screaming at him to slow down; even the adrenaline pumping through his veins couldn’t make up for months of restless nights and lack of nutrition.

It really hurt to breathe…

How was he going to get out? Was he gonna die? What would his family do? Was Drake even here? Why didn’t he take Donald with him? Why did this have to happen today of all days?

WHY DID HE NEVER FUCKING LISTEN?!-

SMASH!

Scrooge’s thoughts were interrupted by the assailant’s sledge hammer colliding hard against his stomach, causing the old drake to fly back into a wall, slam his body against it, and finally flop down onto the concrete floor.

Scrooge tried to take in a sharp breath, but found himself unable to. He opened up his beak to inhale, much like a fish out of water would, yet nothing came in nor out. The pain on his back, the abrupt cut off his oxygen and the ringing in his head worked together swiftly to completely disorient him.

“There, now wasn’t that fun?” the attacker taunted as he tossed the sledge hammer to the side and walked over to the agonizing duck who was trying to crawl away, just to be picked up by the neck and dragged to what seemed to be a table with a large silhouette of a cake on its surface.

“Sorry for the inconvenience, McDuck, but I’m afraid you’ll be missing out on your daughter’s birthday party. Don’t worry, you’ll learn to deal with it… I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time” the assailant said as he climbed up onto the table while keeping a firm grip around Scrooge’s neck.

“Nghh… gnahh…” grunted the old duck as he squirmed against his attacker's grip, but to no avail.

Suddenly, a bright beam of green light flashed up into the roof of the storage room which finally allowed Scrooge to take a clear look at his surroundings. It wasn’t anything special by any means; just dusty wooden boxes stacked up in rows with a few cooking supplies like pots and pans scattered around on the floor. Surprisingly enough, the top of the cake seemed to be emitting the vibrant green light.

“Agh!” Scrooge let out a grunt of discomfort as the grip around his throat tightened, which was then followed by a muffled whimper as he was lifted up into the air.

That was when the old duck realized he was finally face-to-face with his assailant.

“Quackerjack, take off McDuck’s hat and coat and give it to… our boss”, Negaduck muttered those last two words as if they were poisoned, his grip on Scrooge’s throat somehow becoming tighter than it already was. For some reason, the doppelgänger was wearing Darkwing’s suit along with his iconic purple hat and mask.

The old drake tried gasping for air as his face slowly became a bluish tone and his vision started to blur. He tried kicking, scratching, and even biting, but that didn’t stop the jester from approaching him and hesitantly did as he was told. This eventually left Scrooge in just his old white muscle shirt.

“Is that seriously me? Hmph! What ah disgrace”, a voice from behind the jester duck caught everyone’s attention. Because of it, Negaduck loosened his grip on Scrooge’s throat which finally allowed him to cough and take in air once more.

Weakly, Scrooge turned his head towards where the source of the familiar voice was coming from and his eyes immediately grew wide.

He was looking at himself.

One major difference however was that the impostor had a large scar across his right eye.

“Here you go, boss, the clothes you wanted..”, Megavolt said quietly as Quackerjack handed him the clothing with trembling hands.

The other Scrooge took off his wine colored coat before snatching the red one. His top hat, which had a golden dollar in the middle, was discarded for the simple black top hat. Even his eggplant colored spats were changed for the black ones.

“Who…?” Scrooge asked shakily, convinced he had begun hallucinating due to the lack of oxygen. It certainly didn’t help that Negaduck had resumed the tight grip he had on him just mere minutes ago.

“Negaduck, make sure that wannabe doesn’t refer to me. And you two other idiots, bring that humongous hooligan over here” the doppelgänger ignored Scrooge and motioned towards two figures hidden behind some large boxes.

Soon afterwards, Liquidator and Bushroot carried a knocked out Drake Mallard towards where Negaduck was standing. The poor duck had bright purple bruises all over his face and body, not to mention the trickle of fresh blood running down the left side of his head.

Negaduck grinned maliciously and he too grabbed Drake by his neck, making sure he dug his fingertips into the unconscious duck’s skin as deep as he could. Scrooge felt the same treatment being done to him, and he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Soon enough, the old duck finally lost consciousness.

“Toss’ em into the Negaverse or whatever ye call it, and make sure they can’t come back” the doppelgänger said nonchalantly.

“What about my side of the deal, Scrooge?”, asked Negaduck.

“That’s boss to ye, smart mouth. Toss the good for nothin fakers into the damn cake, then we’ll talk”, Nega Scrooge replied as he dismissively waved his hand and walked out of the storage room.

The fearsome four cowered away from Negaduck as his face turned red and smoke started coming out of his ears. He glared down at both ducks on either of his hands which had started to shake uncontrollably. Rage pulsed through his veins as his breathing became uneven and the thoughts in his head suddenly getting too overwhelming to bear.

“Take a dive, both of you!”, Negaduck yelled before raising Scrooge and Drake over the open lid on top of the cake before letting go of their necks, causing the two ducks to plummet down into the luminescent portal inside before slamming its lid shut.

An uncomfortable silence followed soon after, the only sound in the room being Negaduck’s ragged breathing.

“So…”, Megavolt spoke up shakily, “Can we… Are we allowed to go now?”

“Yes, you insufferable lackeys.. your part of the deal is done. Now get out of my face before I shoot you all so far up your asses you’ll be tasting gun powder for months” Negaduck muttered before stepping down from the table, pushing past Bushroot and the Liquidator, and making his way out of the storage room.

But not before clicking something on his watch.

The moment Negaduck was out of the bakery, the fearsome four took the opportunity to let out a long and relieved sigh.

“Wow… that’s the nicest thing he’s ever said to us” Megavolt said with a smile.

“Think he took those anger management classes you recommended?” the Liquidator asked.

“Definitely not. Common guys, let's get out of here. This place gives me bad deja vu”, Quackerjack motioned and the group too began walking towards the metal door.

“Do you guys think McDuck and Darkwing will be okay?”, Megavolt asked, to which he and the three other accomplices laughed.

“In the Negaverse? Ha! If the story Negaduck told us is true, they’d be lucky to just get their organs stolen” replied Quackerjack with a devilish grin. Just before closing the metal door, they all looked back at the cake with a black expression before closing it shut once more.

******
“Ugh… what the- holy mother of Scotland!” Scrooge yelled as he suddenly became aware of his surroundings.

He was falling, that much he was sure of. He just didn’t know where or how for that matter. His dread only became worse as he spotted Drake, still unconscious, just a few feet up from where he was.

The old drake used all his strength to pull his friend down towards him and held onto him as if his life depended on it.

Round and round they went down the seemingly never ending portal, managing to avoid falling objects like grandfather clocks or bathtubs by a mer stroke of luck before finally being ejected out of the portal and up into a dark red sky.

‘Ahhhh!” screamed Scrooge as he and Drake began plummeting down onto the street below.

As if on instinct, the old duck wrapped his arms around Drake’s waist in order to protect him from the ground that was quickly inching closer. Tears welled up in his now shut eyes as he tried to be prepared for the impact.

Memories of his life began flashing through his mind at a unbelieveale speed; his parents, his friends, his nephews, his younger nephews, his daughter…

I’m sorry. Was the last thing Scrooge could think before meeting the ground with a shuddering splat.

******
Negaduck got into the driver’s seat of the green automobile where Nega Scrooge was waiting for him in the passenger seat with a blank expression on his face.

“Took yer sweet time, Negaduck. If we don’t hurry, we might be late to pick up this world’s Gosalyn” Nega Scrooge said as he tried covering his scar with some of his feathers as best as he could.

Negaduck could feel his grip on the steering wheel tighten.

“You better keep your part of the deal,” Negaduck said coldly while placing a copy of the jeep’s key into the ignition lock cylinder. He was about to turn the key but stopped when he felt a sharp, cold metal pressing against his neck.

“And ye better stop testing my authority, ND, I would hate to go through with me threat. After all, it would be a shame to mutilate such a pretty little face like hers” Nega Scrooge had pressed a button on the side of his cane which allowed the wooden shaft to switch to a blade. He pressed the shank harder against Negaduck’s neck, drawing a bit of blood.

“Or should I say, DW” Nega Scrooge taunted as he withdrew his blade before switching it back to a wooden shaft.

Negaduck fought the urge to snap the old duck’s neck knowing it would do him no good. He let out a shaky sigh and turned on the ignition, ignoring the small cut on the side of his neck as he began driving towards Drake Mallard's house.

Chapter 5: Cheater’s Deception

Summary:

Nega Scrooge and Negaduck carry out their plan in the Mainverse. Meanwhile, Scrooge and Drake wake up somewhere without any recollection as to how or why.

Gosalyn stood outside on the porch with a Darkwing Duck orange gift bag in one hand and her brand new phone in the other.

Drake had bought it for her a couple of weeks ago seemingly out of the blue. He said that it would be an easier way to contact her whenever she was at the orphanage. Launchpad and Drake even took her to customize the case to her liking.

Not that she was complaining, it was quite the contrary. Though the hero had installed some parental controls that the duckling wasn’t really a fan of.

Who the hell blocks ‘Monster Trucks’?

Nonetheless, the gesture was appreciated. It was also worth mentioning that Drake had finally bought himself a house which Gosalyn was facing her back to at the moment. She was glad Launchpad had convinced him to get a proper place to sleep that wasn’t the floor of the Darkwing Tower or the backseat of the Ratcatcher.

“Jeez, Darkwing, where are you?” Gosalyn whispered to herself as she looked down at her phone, the time being 11:27 AM.

It was true the hero liked to be “fashionably late”, but this was getting ridiculous.

He had unexpectedly left the house in a hurry without saying where or why, but he looked… hopeful? Gosalyn had wanted to follow him, if only she hadn’t been asleep at the orphanage.

The duckling played back the security footage of Drake in his costume eagerly running down the stairs and out of the house, letting out what was now the 5th chuckle when he accidentally tripped over the rug on his way out.

What could’ve gotten him so excited in the morning? He hadn’t even prepared his usual cup of coffee, so it must have been really important.

Maybe it was an actual crime of some sort; not much had happened since Owlson became mayor, only minuscule crimes like robberies or pick pocketing and even those were painfully boring. He had noticed Drake being uncharacteristically upset because of it, or what she thought was the cause of his mood anyways.

Whatever the case might have been, Gosalyn only hoped it hadn’t been too important that he would’ve actually forgotten to pick her up.

Screech!

The sudden noise worked to get Gosalyn’s attention; a green jeep had parked just a few feet away, nearly missing her.

“What the duck, Drake? We were supposed to be at Webby’s birthday party an hour ago! And whose car is this, hasn’t Launchpad fixed the Ratcatcher yet?” Gosalyn exclaimed as she approached the driver’s side window, getting on her tiptoes to see into the car.

“Good mornin, Gosalyn. I hope ye don’t mind me riding along with Drake and ye. Ah’ thought it would be a much better surprise for me Webbigail”

“Mr.McDuck? No that… that’s fine. Oh god, what happened to your eye? That wasn’t there the last time I saw you” Gosalyn pointed at Nega Scrooge’s scar in his right eye.

“Oh… it’s that noticeable huh? Don’t worry, lassie, this is just somethin’ I got in one of me adventures” Nega Scrooge replied with a smile which was enough to reassure the duckling.

“Get in, Gosalyn” Negaduck spoke up, his face covered by Darkwing’s purple hat.

Gosalyn gave her crime partner a weird look before opening the back door and sitting behind him.

“Put your-“

“Yeah, yeah I know I’ll put my seatbelt on” the duckling interrupted as she quickly put on her seatbelt before going back to her phone.

Negaduck looked at the rearview mirror sheepishly, his stomach twisting and turning with what he hoped wasn’t guilt.

Why did they have to look so much alike?

But they weren’t the same, and he had to remember that.

With that thought out of his head, he turned on the ignition and sped off into the street.

“You know, I thought you old people were supposed to drive slower. If you keep going past the speed limit the cake might end up doing a backflip” Gosalyn said without looking up from her phone.

Two annoyed sighs would be the only response.

“You… you did pick up the cake, right?” Gosalyn asked as she looked over to the two ducks who were giving each other irritated looks.

Of course, they had to have forgotten the cake.

******

“That’s odd, Uncle Scrooge should have been back with the cake by now” Huey mumbled as he worriedly looked around the establishment. The place was now full to the brim with guests, yet Scrooge was nowhere to be seen.

The red duckling swallowed harshly at the memory of his uncle snapping at him back at the Manor. He had been feeling guilty for upsetting him, so he wanted to make sure everything would go according to plan.

So far, it wasn’t going as smoothly as he had hoped.

“Hey Hue, have you seen Uncle Scrooge? I’m going to jump out of a window if I don’t see a cake in the next minute” Dewey said as he approached his brother, his beak covered in what seemed to be Cheeto dust.

“No I haven’t, which is exactly the reason as to why I’m pacing around like an idiot. My schedule says it’s almost time to cut the cake” Huey replied, anxiously biting down on his pencil.

The blue triplet blew a raspberry. “Relax, man. I’m sure Uncle Scrooge is probably just walking around looking for some loose change or something. Besides, I bet we’ll be getting cake any minute now”

“Anyone care for some cake?” a voice announced from behind the two siblings, causing Dewey to grin at his older brother. “Told you so.”

“I apologize for the delay, everyone. Uh… traffic was terrible” Negaduck said as he walked over to the duck family, setting the cake down on a large wooden table in front of them.

“Sure, blame traffic when you ran over five stop signs and a rose bush to get here” Gosalyn mumbled, placing the orange gift bag along with the other gifts.

“Oh. My. Gosh” both Huey and Dewey mumbled as their eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

“Uncle Scrooge got Darkwing Duck!” Dewey exclaimed as he pushed past his older brother, getting the attention of everyone else.

Negaduck gulped as he saw 30 to 50 children run towards him at full speed, knocking him to the ground and engulfing him for a group hug.

Nega Scrooge walked into the play place with a fake smile while nodding politely at the ducks who greeted him.

The sight of his family made the old duck feel rather uncomfortable.

They seemed so happy… and he loathed it.

“Uncle Scrooge, we thought you’d never- Gasp! What the duck happened to your eye?” Della said as she ran over to her uncle and reached out her hand towards his scar which he grabbed swiftly before stroking.

“I’m alright, just ah’ lil accident that happened while getting the cake. It’s quite funny, really” Nega Scrooge replied cheerfully, catching Della off guard.

“Ca sobody ge me a han peas? Mm sufucaing hear!” Negaduck’s words were muffled as more and more ducklings joined in on the group hug.

“Dad, you made it!” a squeaky voice said, getting the attention of both Della and Nega Scrooge.

“Oof!” Nega Scrooge groaned as Webby jumped into his arms for a hug, knocking them both to the ground.

“Sure you’re like five hours late but who cares! And you brought Darkwing Duck! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best dad ever and forever-“

Nega Scrooge looked at the duckling with bewilderment, a slight twitch of his eye indicating his irritation. Despite being told by Negaduck that this universe was different from his own, he certainly didn’t expect it to be this different.

The smile in his other daughter’s beak made the old duck’s stomach twist with disgust.

He wanted nothing more than to push her away and drain the happiness from her eyes just like he had done in his world.

He wanted to make her feel unworthy of having his blood run through her veins and shatter any hope that might be left.

He wanted nothing more than to make her aware of how much of a burden she had been to him and hear the sounds of her broken cries just outside her room that would be music to his ears.

But he couldn’t make a scene in public.

Not yet. He would have to wait.

That’s what made it fun anyway.

“It’s no problem, Webby darling. I’m just doing what any good father should; make his little girl feel special on her special day. Now run along now and enjoy ye party” Nega Scrooge interrupted as he got up from the floor and gently nudged Webby to the side, patting her head before motioning her towards Negaduck who was desperately trying to crawl away from the children.

“Well someone’s in a much better mood now. You were so grumpy in the car ride here” Della said with a grin, placing her hands on either side of her waist.

“Yeah, Mr.McD, did something happen on your way here?” Launchpad asked as he helped a breathless Negaduck up from the floor, fixing his squashed hat before gently placing it back on his head.

“Indeed. Despite you all giving me a bit of trouble this morning, I’ve decided to look past it and just enjoy the occasion” Nega Scrooge replied with a smile. He had no idea what they were talking about, but he seemed convincing enough.

“Common people, we were supposed to sing happy birthday and cut the cake I don't even know how long ago! If we get behind on the list any longer we won’t have time to play the party games I’ve organized in strict alphabetical order!” Huey spoke up, waving his clipboard in the air.

Nega Scrooge struggled to keep himself from rolling his eyes at the red duckling; he didn’t think it possible he’d prefer the other Huey over this one.

“I apologize Huey, but I really need to talk with Uncle Scrooge about something” Donald said as he approached his uncle who wore an amused expression.

“Lead the way, nephew” Nega Scrooge said with a neutral tone as he followed Donald to a corner of the establishment, finally rolling his eyes when his back was turned to the rest of the family.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me!”, Huey exclaimed, throwing his clipboard onto the floor before stomping away to an empty chair.

“Alphabetical order? Why the duck do you organize party games in alpha- oh forget it you’re Huey, of course you’d do that”, Dewey said, scooting away from his older brother.

******

Donald stopped walking when he was close enough to a corner before turning to look at his uncle with a mixture of sadness and frustration.

“We have to talk”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?” Nega Scrooge retorted, his facade immediately dropping.

The younger duck frowned, yet kept his composure. “Look, I don’t know why you hit me earlier today, but I know you must have some sort of reasoning behind it. Keep in mind I said reasoning and not an excuse. Uncle Scrooge, I… we need to talk. Like, actually talk. There are so many things I learned in my therapy class, and one of them is that ignoring our issues is not an effective way to forgive each other. Our family has serious communication issues, and I apologize in advance for bringing this up during Webby’s party, but this is important. So please… just be honest with me: what’s been going on since I last saw you?”

To be completely honest, Nega Scrooge hadn’t understood a word coming out of Donald’s beak. The Donald from his world spoke normally in comparison to this one, and he found it absolutely hilarious.

“Donald, lad, I’m sorry”, Nega Scrooge began before bursting into laughter, causing Donald’s eyes to widen in confusion. “I- I can’t understand a single thing you just said”

This only worked to infuriate the younger duck. “What do you mean you can’t understand me? You know perfectly well what words are coming out of my mouth. Look, this isn’t funny- stop laughing at me!”

Nega Scrooge’s laughter only got louder, tears coming out of his eyes. “You.. oh my goodness you sound so stupid! I can’t.. I can’t take you seriously”

The younger duck felt a sharp pain in his chest; had his uncle made fun of his voice again?

Scrooge knew that topic was strictly off limits; it had left way too many painful memories in Donald’s mind, and his uncle had promised he would never cross that line.

He had broken that promise twice today.

Donald couldn’t find it in his soul to get upset. He just… couldn’t.

The betrayal he felt in his heart was too much for him to focus on just one emotion. He didn’t want to fight with his uncle, not again; if he didn’t want to talk, then they wouldn’t talk.

“I see.. fine, don’t say I didn’t try to fix this” Donald muttered before pushing past Nega Scrooge and making his way towards the nearest bathroom while the laughter of his uncle rang loudly in his ears.

******

Negaduck had managed to escape the crowd of children and was currently hiding under a table to prevent being tackled again.

It was odd. When he was… Darkwing, no child had ever approached him asking for a hug or an autograph. But now? He was being searched by a stampede of children who wanted nothing more than to see their hero.

Hero… no, that didn’t sound right. The word left a bitter taste in Negaduck’s tongue, and swallowing his pride was even worse. It was too late to go back now.

Stupid Dorkwing and stupid little brats. This day can’t possibly get any fucking worst-

“Hey DW!”

“Ah!” Negaduck yelled and kicked Launchpad’s face on instinct, making the large duck fall back onto the floor.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you want to give my position away?” Negaduck whispered angrily, all the while making sure the purple mask wouldn’t fall from his face.

“Oh, heh, sorry DW. What are you hiding from anyway?” asked Launchpad as he rubbed the sore spot on his cheek.

“More like who; it’s the br- children. I uh… I got overwhelmed is all” Negaduck replied with an impression of Drake’s voice. He had forgotten about who he was supposed to be impersonating.

The larger duck frowned sadly before looking around. Once he made sure no one would see him, he pulled out a stress ball from his jacket and joined Negaduck under the table.

The villain looked at the other duck with confusion. It took a few seconds, but Launchpad eventually found the words he was looking for.

“It’s okay to be overwhelmed. I mean, you haven’t interacted with many people this past year, and especially not all at once” Launchpad paused before offering the stress ball to Negaduck.

He reluctantly accepted it, so Launchpad continued.

“You don’t have to go out there if you don’t want to, it’s perfectly okay to… well, not be okay. We can head out the back so we can talk about it if you want, or I can keep you company right here. Maybe you even want me to leave, and that’s also okay. I just wanted you to know that.. I’m here if you need anything” Launchpad said with a smile, placing a reassuring hand on the other duck’s shoulder.

“Uh… thanks” Negaduck was dumbfounded at the sidekick’s words. “I kinda do wanna get out of here, if only there was some sort of reasoning for my sudden departure-“

“Guys! My phone is getting an alarm from W.A.N.D.A that there’s crime happening in St. Canard- and why are you two even doing down here?” Gosalyn interrupted as she too had gotten under the table, looking back and forth at the ducks with confusion.

Launchpad blushed whilst Negaduck let out a relieved sigh; finally, a reason to get out of this place.

“It doesn’t matter anymore! Common, get me the heck out of here” Negaduck replied as he wrapped the black cape of the costume around himself and hid behind Launchpad.

Gosalyn was the first to get out from under the table, looking around before motioning to Launchpad.

The larger duck clumsily followed the duckling while trying to hide Negaduck behind him, getting particularly nervous as children walked by in search for the hero.

Eventually, the group made it out of the establishment through the back.

“Ugh, finally! Now that we have some real crime on our hands, all we have to do is gear up at the tower and kick some evil butt!” Gosalyn exclaimed, turning back to the two older ducks with a determined look on her face.

“Lets”

“Get” the larger duck continued.

Goslayn and Launchpad then turned to Negaduck expectantly, their smiles wide.

Everything was going according to plan, and soon enough, he’d get his revenge.

But he’ll go along with it, for now.

“Dangerous” Negaduck finished with a smirk; he had always been good at playing the part.

******

“Mr.McDuck! Common, wake up!” Scrooge’s eyes slowly opened at the sound of the voice. It took a moment, but his vision cleared just enough to make out the outline of the person.

“Drake? What… how did you get here?”

The vigilante let out a relieved sigh, then helped the old duck up from the floor.

“I could ask you the same thing, but I have a feeling you might not know yourself”

Scrooge nodded as he held onto Drake for support; he couldn’t feel his legs and everything was spinning. Looking down, he noticed his right knee had been bandaged with some sort of cloth.

There was blood. Not a lot, but there was a noticeable stain.

When did that happen?

“You were bleeding when I woke up, so I tried looking around for something to put pressure on the wound” Drake replied as if reading Scrooge’s mind.

The vigilante didn’t look too great either; a dark purple bruise on the side of his head was the most noticeable injury, but a few cuts and smaller bruises were still very evident amongst his now dirty white feathers.

Scrooge also noticed that Drake was out of his costume and that the black shirt he was wearing was covered in dried up blood.

“Are you alright, lad? Is that..”

“Thankfully, no” said Drake “And it’s not yours either”

“Then where did it-“

“You don’t want to know” the vigilante answered quickly, his voice low.

“We have bigger problems than that” Drake said as he looked around the dark alley they currently found themselves in.

Despite the red glow of the moon above them, neither of the ducks could see much more than the outline of certain objects such as garbage bags.

However, the smell didn’t go unnoticed.

The stench of the alley was almost too unbearable to withstand; rotting garbage, animal waste, motor oil, wet cardboard, vomit… and blood.

Scrooge swallowed the urge to puke before turning to Drake who was looking around nervously.

“Where are we? This doesn’t seem like St.Canard” the vigilante said softly, more to himself than to the old duck.

Scrooge shut his eyes tightly and tried to think back on what had happened after arriving at the party; he remembered yelling to Donald about something, then leaving soon after.

But where had he gone? Surely not home, he couldn’t do that to Webby.

He wouldn’t have, right?

But where had he gone then? And why was Drake suddenly with him?

He couldn’t remember.

“I don’t know, but staying here won’t give us any more clues. We’re not dead, so that’s a start. All we gotta do is get back to Webby’s birthday party and hope that the others can help us figure this out” said Scrooge before letting go of Drake.

Looking around, he saw what looked to be a broken pipe sticking out of a garbage bag. Reluctantly, the old duck pulled it out and slowly put his injured leg onto the pavement.

It hurt, but he could move it.

“Right” Drake agreed and followed behind Scrooge to the exit of the alley, making sure the old duck didn’t accidentally hurt himself more than he already was.

“What the-“ Scrooge mumbled as he looked around the deserted street and up into the dark red sky. What he originally mistook for clouds were actually black puffs of smoke coming from a factory a good few miles from where they were.

“This… this can’t be Duckburg…” Scrooge said nervously as panic soon began taking over both duck’s minds.

“Where the hell are we? How long were we out for?”

“I’m not sure on either of those questions, but I bet this has something to do with Magica or another one of my ridiculous enemies. We have to find my family, they’re probably worried sick” the old duck replied as he began making his way down the street.

Drake grabbed another broken pipe from the garbage bag before following after Scrooge.

But not before looking back at the rotting arm of what once resembled a duck that poked from out of the dumpster.

Chapter 6: The Beginning Of A Nightmare

Summary:

Scrooge and Drake try to remember what happened to them, and are met with a chilling surprise.

Notes:

I apologize in advance for being inactive for so long, but I needed time to think as to how I wanted to format my fanfic in a way that would be most enjoyable for you all.

Thank you for being so patient, and I hope you enjoy the reading!

“How long were you up before me?” Scrooge asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Both ducks had been walking for at least an hour or so, and had finally been able to determine that they had woken up in St.Canard.

Well, in a dumpster located in St.Canard.

Because of this, and the fact that Duckburg was a 4 hour drive at most, both ducks agreed that the next best course of action would be to go to Darkwing Tower and see if Drake could fix up the Ratcatcher.

“I don’t have my watch with me, but I’d estimate a good 5 minutes or so” replied Drake as he looked around the seemingly deserted city – it appeared to be empty, abandoned even.

But why? How? When? What? Who?

St.Canard was quiet nowadays, sure, but never this quiet. Someone would have been driving by in their car at a ridiculous speed, a couple of people would be drunkenly heading back to their home after a long night of partying, or even the barking of dogs would’ve been heard by now.

Yet there was nothing.

Their surroundings weren’t of much help either.

All of the houses and stores they had passed by were either locked or evidently deserted, not to mention the fact that they hadn’t encountered a… living person since they had left the alley.

Unfortunately, the smell didn’t get any better; mold and decay being the most evident.

“Are you feeling alright, Mr.McDuck? No offense, but you look worse than I do”

The old duck sighed. “None taken, and no, I am anything but okay.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Just family squabbles, don’t worry about it” Scrooge replied coldly, which had let Drake know that it was best if he dropped the subject. Thankfully, the old duck would do it for him.

“… Do you remember anything.. about why we may have woken up in a dumpster?”

It was Drake’s turn to shut his eyes as he tried to think back on how he could’ve possibly gotten himself in this situation.

With a sigh, the vigilante opened his eyes once more before he began to speak:

“Well, I remember waking up and getting ready for your daughter’s birthday party, but an alarm from my phone alerted me of something going on in a bakery… or was it a candy store?” Drake trailed off before continuing. “The ratcatcher was in maintenance so I had two options; get a taxi or run all the way there”

“Which one did you end up choosing?”

“The first option, but asking for a ride while wearing the suit was more awkward than I thought it be”

Silence would linger amongst the ducks once more as they continued to walk, but not for long.

The vigilante looked down at himself and finally noticed what could potentially be a clue, causing him to stop in the middle of the street:

“What the? Hey, where is my suit? I know for a fact I was wearing it when I left home”

Scrooge had stopped and turned to look at Drake.

“Would there be any reason as to why you would take off the suit?”

The vigilante shook his head. “No, not unless Drake Mallard was needed, and my memory distorts when I’m still in the taxi.“

Just when Drake had finished his sentence, the sound of pleads and cries for help suddenly seemed to echo around the two ducks.

“Where did that come from?” Scrooge began looking around before his eyes landed at the corner of the street they were currently standing in; there was a duck with a brown suit cowering away from what appeared to be drones.

Said drones were large, probably the height of Drake and Scrooge combined,
and their structure looked to represent a duck’s head with some sort of guns on either side of their metallic beaks.

The vigilante was about to take a step forward to investigate the dilemma, but the old duck stopped him by pressing his makeshift cane to his stomach.

“What are you doing? We have to help him” Drake said as he frowned at the old duck.

“We can’t even help ourselves at the moment. Besides, we don’t know what those things want with that man anyways” Scrooge retorted before returning the glare.

“I have to help him, you would want someone to help your family if they were in-“

“Don’t you dare bring my family into this. You don’t even have a clue about what it means to be a part of one”

“Oh yeah? Well at least-“

“NO, PLEASE! GET AWAY FROM ME! I JUST GOT OUT OF WORK, HAVE MERCY!”

“Code violation number 30074; no citizen is allowed in the street after curfew. Failure to obey this law is punishable with immediate termination”

Both ducks spun their heads at the screaming that followed soon after, and their hearts dropped into their stomachs:

The drones had begun shooting at the powerless duck at unimaginable speed until he was practically unrecognizable.

The only thing left being his once brown suit now torn and tainted a crimson red.

“Subject eliminated. Cleanup crew is required at 15th Duck Street immediately” both drones turned and flew away in opposite directions, but not before flashing a gold symbol with the letters ‘McD’ on their backs.

Silence.

It had all happened so quickly, yet so slowly at the same time.

Both ducks froze at the gruesome scene that had just happened a few feet away from where they were, all color drained from their already white faces.

The blood of the man slowly painted the once beige corner of the sidewalk, a few remaining feathers blowing away into the red sky, never to be seen again.

“… We have to find the others. Right now..” Scrooge struggled to get his words out, and Drake could only nod in agreement.

However, before they could even take a step forward, the same drones were now hovering just a few feet away from them.

“Code violation number 30074; no citizen is allowed in the street after curfew. Failure to-”

Neither duck would let the drones finish, not after witnessing what they had.

Despite the aching in their still sore bodies, both ducks gathered every ounce of strength they had and began to run as fast as they could towards Audubon Bay Bridge.

The drones stopped mid sentence and began chasing after the ducks, already firing away at their guns.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

“Requesting backup at 15th Duck street; we have a fugitive on the run. I repeat, we have a fugitive on the run”

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Both ducks rounded a corner with lightning speed just as the next set of rounds were shot at them.

That was close, too close.

Scrooge struggled to use his now swollen ankle, cringing every time it made contact with the pavement.

Drake wasn’t doing any better; a horrible migraine had seemingly begun out of nowhere and was doing wonders to distract him.

But they pushed on.

Both ducks had different reasons to fight against the excruciating pain they were in, but their current goal remain the same:

Getting away from those drones.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

The next set of lasers work as a way to bring the ducks back to reality, this time they sounded much closer than before.

Scrooge dared to look over his shoulder:

They were keeping up with them.

The drones were just a few feet away, easily gliding through alley after alley, corner after corner.

Closer. They were getting closer.

Scrooge’s mind reeled and he whipped his head forward trying to go faster.

They had to turn another corner.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

The old duck’s webbed feet caught under one of his legs and he nearly fell. He scrambled his legs and took off again.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

“What the hell do we do?! There’s no way we can outrun those buckets of bolts!” Scrooge yelled as he caught up to Drake, whose expression was just as mortified as his own.

“We’re almost at the tower! Just a few more- AGH!” The vigilante let out a painful yell as one of the lasers hit him directly in his left shoulder, which had torn off the skin completely.

Scrooge’s eyes widened at the severe damage done to the vigilante; the wound had begun to bleed and would get infected if not treated immediately.

Drake was biting down hard onto his bottom beak to stop himself from passing out; the tear felt as if it were on fire, and he could do nothing but to let it burn away at his hope.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Another laser was fired at the vigilante, but this time it had only skimmed against his right hand.

Drake’s stomach hit his heart inside of his throat as his lungs began to burn. His mind was reeling and the haze was growing.

They both felt it: they were about to die.

Those drones were about to kill them and there was nothing they could do about it…

Both duck’s eyes widened as they turned the last and final corner.

‘The bridge!’ Their minds screamed and adrenaline began pumping through their veins once again.

Both ducks raced down the street as fast as they could, trying desperately to ignore the looming presence of the threats behind them.

They had to make it! They were right there!

Just a few more steps and they could climb up! It was so close!

They were going to be okay! They were gonna make it!

Woosh!

One of the drones was suddenly in front of them, blocking access to the bridge.

Both ducks gasped and quickly turned around to run the other way, but were horrified to find the other drone blocking that path as well.

They were cornered.

There was no escaping them now.

The ducks pressed their backs against each other and held up their pipes in defense, ready to fight to the death if it meant there was even the slightest chance they would get to see their families again.

“GET BACK YOU BLOODY MACHINE!” Scrooge exclaimed as he swung his pipe in the air, being caught off guard when the drone actually backed off.

‘What the?’ He thought. The drone was now just hovering in place, as if it was waiting for something.

The old duck turned to look at Drake who was also yelling and swinging at the drone, yet this one showed no intention of lowering his guard.

Swiftly, he grabbed the vigilante’s wrist and began running towards the bridge once more.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

“There is no way we can climb up the wires in time! Is there any other way to get into your hideout?” asked Scrooge as he looked back at the one drone who hadn’t given up the chase just yet.

“Underwater! There is an entryway underwater!” Drake replied as he pointed at the edge of the deck.

“Then get ready to jump!”

The old duck let go of the vigilante’s wrist as they both picked up their pace.

They both knew it was insane to jump off the edge of a bridge, especially if said edge was a good 200 feet from the water, but what choice did they have?

If the fall didn’t kill them, the drone behind them would be more than happy to finish the job.

They could choose between something that is rarely a good idea; jumping off a bridge, and something that is never a good idea; letting a drone shoot you to ashes.

Not having to think twice, both ducks took a deep breath…

And jumped.

Chapter 7: Table For Three

Summary:

Negaduck, Launchpad and Gosalyn go to investigate the multiple crimes happening at St. Canard, but the fearsome four are planning something much worse than simple misconduct.

Notes:

Guess who had to take a PSAT yesterday and has no confidence in their performance whatsoever and is currently having an existential crisis?

Haha I regret living.

So here, have a bit of a longer chapter to make up for my absence.

“Finally, we’re here! Took us long enough” Gosalyn exclaimed as she jumped over the last step of the staircase and ran towards W.A.N.D.A.

“Don’t blame me! Launchpad was the one who made us stop every 30 minutes so he could go to the bathroom” Negaduck retorted while giving the pilot a side-glare.

“Gee, DW, I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have drunk that much punch at the party eh?”

The villain rolled his eyes at the nickname; he remembered that night like it was yesterday, the night he became someone else… someone worse.

It actually felt rather uncomfortable to be surrounded by things that reminded him of what he used to be and stand for.

It’ll all be worth it. Negaduck reminded himself. Just stick to the plan and everything will fall into place.

“Thankfully, it only took like two and a half hours to get here, and that’s only cus Drake was stepping on the gas. I’m actually surprised the cops didn’t pull us over”

“That’s probably because they’re dealing with this” W.A.N.D.A. answered as she showed three security footages up in her screen:

Quackerjack had seemingly manipulated toys of all shapes and sizes to attack unlucky citizens who happened to be outside of their homes.

The Liquidator was holding the workers of St. Canard Water Works hostage in the facility.

And Megavolt was going around the city through the unity pole cables, but it was unclear as to why he was doing so.

“Hold- hold on, are those…” Launchpad trailed off as he stared at the screen in disbelief.

“The fearsome four! But.. but how? We sent them back to their dimension-“ Goslayn’s stopped mid sentence, her eyes growing wide with realization.

“Unless…”

“Unless what?” Negaduck asked with fake curiosity as he leaned against the keyboard.

“Unless there is another machine, portal, or whatever we don’t know about! If we find it, we could find a way to bring my grandpa back!” The duckling beamed with excitement and began flapping her arms enthusiastically.

“That’s good,” Negaduck mumbled with a grin. All according to plan.

“Wait a minute, where’s Bushroot? It’s supposed to be the fearsome four, not the fearsome three” Launchpad questioned as he scratched his head.

“His whereabouts are unknown, but you can worry about him later. Right now, the police are once again asking for your help in capturing these lunatics” W.A.N.D.A informed. “Gizmoduck is also on his way here to lend you a hand.”

The pilot cringed at the sound of the superhero’s name and looked towards the masked mallard in the hopes that the news wouldn’t frustrate him more than he seemingly already was.

Apparently, it hadn’t affected him in the slightest.

Gosalyn jumped out of the purple chair and turned to face the male ducks. “Then what the heck are we sitting around here for? Let’s go!”

“And on what exactly? The car just ran out of gas and it be pretty stupid to go on foot” argued Negaduck as he crossed his arms. “Plus, didn’t you say the Ratcatcher was under maintenance right now?”

“Well… there’s a reason for that”

Both ducks turned to look at the pilot who was nervously fidgeting with the zipper of his jacket.

“Which is what? You decided to be lazy and put it aside?” Negaduck snarled.

Launchpad’s eyes went wide before he put his hands up in defense. “What? No! No, no of course not! It’s just that I.. well, it was meant to be a surprise…”

“What kind of surprise?” asked Gosalyn impatiently, yet intrigued at the same time.

“It’s easier if I just show you” the pilot replied as he motioned the shorter ducks to follow him.

Gosalyn went first, and Negaduck reluctantly followed.

Launchpad swallowed, hard. Drake didn’t appear to be in the best mood at the moment, then again he hadn’t been in the best mood for a while now.

He knew something was bothering the caped crusader, if only he could figure out what exactly.

Was it the low crime streak?

Was it the Ratcatcher?

Was it the loan he would have to pay back because of his new house?

Was it… Gosalyn?

Perhaps it was a combination of everything, or perhaps it was neither of those. Launchpad wasn’t sure.

The only thing the taller duck was sure of was that he hated seeing Drake so bummed out, and he could only hope that this surprise would cheer him up, even if just a little.

“Drake, do you remember what the original Darkwing Duck used in his TV show besides the Ratcatcher in order to move around?”

The villain felt himself gulping once more; this trail down memory lane was seriously starting to annoy him.

Yet he thought about the question, carefully.

Memories of the set, the costumes, his stunts, the props, other actors, the adrenaline pumping through his veins every time he said his lines…

It all seemed so distant now.

“… The Thunderquack” he finally answered.

“What’s the Thunderquack?” the duckling asked just as Launchpad had stopped in front of something large covered by a black tarpaulin.

“This” the pilot answered before grabbing one of the edges of the tarpaulin before yanking it off and letting the material fall onto the floor.

“Wow…” Goslayn mumbled at the sight of the purple plane; it was shaped in the face of a duck, Drake’s to be more precise, and both shades of purple used to distinguish what would be the feathers from the beak worked together perfectly.

If he had been able to keep the mantle as Darkwing Duck, Negaduck swore he would have fainted by now.

“Since you were working from your new home, I decided to take advantage of it and start building this beauty here. I know it doesn’t look like it did in the TV show, but I thought it be pretty cool if it was your face sculpture instead”

“I think you meant ‘face structure’, Launchpad” Gosalyn said as she carefully grazed her hand against one of its wings.

The pilot let out a small chuckle before turning towards Negaduck who was yet to move from where he had been standing.

With a nervous gulp, Launchpad approached the villain.

“So… Do you like it? I tried to make it look as good as you- I mean, wait, no scratch that. What I meant to say is that your face has a really nice shape and I thought it look better on the plane- oh god no that’s worst-“

“It’s fine.”

“…What?”

“I said it’s fine. It’s not great or anything, it’s just… fine” Negaduck replied coldly before walking past a confused and somewhat heartbroken Launchpad.

It was just too much for him to bear — to remember the glory days would mean to accept the fact that what he is doing is wrong… and it is.

He knows it is.

“Keen gear! You really built this, Launchpad?” The voice of Gosalyn echoed from inside the Thunderquack.

“Uh, yeah, but it’s not that big of a deal..” the pilot answered solemnly before putting a smile on his beak. “But hey! At least we have transportation now!”

“We should separate”

The pilot almost had a heart attack.

“What?! Why? Was it something I- Oh! You mean like to go after each villain by ourselves… wait, but you said separating was a terrible idea” Launchpad said as he watched Negaduck grab a few extra gas bombs.

“You’re letting us go by ourselves? Do you mean it?” The duckling asked with excitement all the way from the back seat of the Thunderquack.

“Of course! After all, I’d hate to put all our attention on one villain while the other two continue to terrorize or even kill innocent citizens. We wouldn’t want that now would we?”

“I suppose not…” The pilot said unsure. “But what if someone gets hurt and needs backup? I don’t want Gos or you getting hurt-“

Negaduck groaned as quietly as he could and walked over towards Launchpad, offering the taller duck a fake but convincing smile.

“No one’s gonna get hurt, big guy. Besides, we’re crime fighters! Our duty is to protect the citizens of St.Canard with our lives, and most importantly.. we have to figure out a way to bring Goslayn’s grandfather back”

“But didn’t you-“ Launchpad began before getting his beak closed shut by Negaduck’s hand. “Alright then, let’s get dangerous or whatever”

“Woohoo! Let’s take this bad boy for a ride and get my grandpa back!” Gosalyn exclaimed from where she was sitting.

Negaduck let go of Launchpad’s beak and got into the Thunderquack’s copilot seat.

With a small frown, Launchpad followed and sat down on the pilot’s seat.

“I’m gonna give The Liquidator a little visit. Who do you wanna go after, kid?” Asked the villain as he handed the duckling some of the gas bombs he had grabbed.

“That clown dude. He seemed to be the leader of the group since we last saw them, so he could have more information about how they got back to this world” Gosalyn replied before putting said smoke bombs in her jacket.

“Guess that leaves you with Megavolt, big guy”

Launchpad nodded slightly, turning on the engine of the plane. “So what’s the plan, DW?”

“Each of us is gonna spy and perhaps even fight a bit with our bad guy, then we’ll meet back at the tower to put our new found information together and figure out where Bushroot is,” Negaduck explained, “and Gosalyn’s grandfather, of course- Ack!”

Negaduck froze at the duckling who had suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in surprise.

“Thanks Darkwing, you’re the best..” Goslayn said before letting go and sitting back down in her seat.

It had been something quick, but meaningful.

Something small, but noticeable.

That sentence… that stupid fucking sentence got to him.

It wasn’t fair. It truly wasn’t fair.

He knew life had always liked to mess with him; getting him all hopeful and excited, then shattering his dreams right in front of his eyes.

And it had done it again.

“… let’s just go” the villain mumbled as he tugged harshly at the feathers of his hands, which was something that had not gone unnoticed by the pilot.

Hesitantly, he reached his large hand towards Negaduck’s smaller one and gave it a light squeeze.

What the hell was happening?

There was so much support, so much love…

How utterly repugnant.

He wasn’t Darkwing anymore, he was Negaduck for crying out loud! The fiendish terror, the skunk that pollutes the air, the walking nightmare that flaps in the night!

And most importantly, the future ruler of the Negaverse.

Swatting at the taller duck’s hand, Negaduck grumbled: “I said lets go, Launchpad. This city won’t be saving itself”

With one last look of sorrow, Launchpad hesitated before turning on the brand new Thunderquack.

******

“I’ll see you two later,” Gosalyn said before looking directly towards Negaduck. “And thanks… for keeping your promise”

“No problem, Gos. Now go get ‘em”

The duckling offered him a smile in return before sliding down the rope of the Thunderquack and onto the toy store’s roof below.

She waved her hand, put her hoodie over her head, and slid into one of the many vents before disappearing out of sight.

“Alright, drop me off at St. Canard Water Works” Negaduck said as he leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes.

Launchpad’s frown had only gotten more and more prominent ever since his last interaction with the caped crusader, and for the first time, the pilot had had enough.

He had to fly all the way to Audubon Bay, so he would have more than enough time to get some answers.

Hopefully anyways.

After flying a mile or two away from the toy store, the taller duck cleared his throat to gain the smaller duck’s attention.

“Is something wrong, DW? You haven’t really been acting like yourself today”

“I’m perfectly fine, Launchpad. Now keep quiet and drive the plane”

The pilot bit at his bottom beak; he wished he would be better at comforting the people he cared for.

“…Does it have to do with the idea of adopting Gosalyn?”

Negaduck’s eyes shot open at the question. Now this is interesting.

“Why would you think that?” The villain replied with a question of his own, hoping to get more information about the topic.

“Isn’t that why you bought the house in the first place? You told me you hated the fact that she lived in the orphanage all by herself… because in a way, it reminded you of yourself.”

Oh yeah, this is definitely interesting.

“You want Gos to find her grandfather because you don’t want her to end up… like you, or doing the things you had to do in order to survive. I get that you want to see her happy, Drake, but don’t you think it’d be better for both you and her if you just told her how you felt?”

Negaduck, for the first time, didn’t really know what to say.

He thought about the version of Gosalyn he had met in the Negaverse; she was probably the most annoying person he had ever had the displeasure of meeting, and even then she had somehow managed to get on his good side despite his hatred towards children.

But this wasn’t his Gosalyn, and this certainly wasn’t his universe.

Not anymore.

“No offense, Launchpad, but I think it’d be best if you kept your beak in your own business”

“But it is my business, Drake! You’re my best friend and I want to make sure you’re alright-“

“I am more than okay, you oversized ostrich, but it’d be ten times better if you could just do as you’re told. Do you think you can manage to do that, or is flying a plane without it exploding too difficult for you to understand?”

It was now Launchpad’s turn to be at a loss for words.

In the time he had gotten to know Drake, never did the caped crusader act hostile towards him.. or anyone really.

The pilot had noticed that the smaller duck spent a lot of time in his new house, which at first seemed perfectly normal due to him just moving in and everything…

But was there something else? There had to be.

Drake Mallard was the most sweet, lovable, and determined duck Launchpad ever had the luck of befriending, and he was not about to let his friend go through whatever he was going through alone.

People had done that to him more times than he could count, but he could never do that to Drake…

Or anyone really.

“Well clearly there is something bothering you, and I don’t know think you should be going out fighting criminals like that”

“Well clearly you’re not listening, and you’re not exactly high up on my friend list for me to actually consider what you’re saying” The villain grumbled before getting up from his seat and pressing the button that opened the windshield of the cockpit.

Launchpad‘s eyes widen in both confusion and terror, managing to grab Negaduck by his cape just as he stood on top of the control panel. “DW, what the heck are you doing?!”

“Leaving. I can’t stand your annoying voice and the annoying commentary that comes with it! You go search for Megavolt, and I’ll walk to St.Canard’s Water Works. Capisce?” Negaduck kicked at the pilot’s hand so he could grab onto the sides of his cape before swiftly jumping out of the plane.

The villain glided down from the sky and onto the chaotic street below; people were running away from Quackerjack’s toys while the police desperately tried to hold them back. He would’ve loved nothing more than to enjoy the scene before him, but Negaduck knew that time wasn’t on his side.

It never had been.

The villain reached into his cape and pulled out a small black radio. After making sure it was on, he brought it up to his beak:

“Liquid, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, boss! Are you at the facility?”

“Unfortunately, no. The stupid pilot was seriously getting on my ass feathers and I needed to clear my mind”

“So how exactly are you gonna get here, boss?” The Liquidator asked.

Looking around, Negaduck spotted a cop car not too far from where he was standing. Two police officers had climbed onto its roof to prevent some metal chattering teeth toys from chomping their legs right off.

A wicked smile formed on Negaduck’s beak as he brought the radio closer to himself.

“Let me call you back, water boy. I think I just found my new ride”

******

Gosalyn kicked at the grille of the vent a couple of times before it actually came loose, catching it just in time before it fell onto the ground below.

The duckling let out a small sigh of relief as she placed the grille to the side and gracefully jumped down from the air vent.

Looking around, she noticed she was currently standing inside one of the many custodial closets in the toy store.

There were brooms, mops, buckets, paper towels, and trash bags, but no murderous clown.

Gosalyn walked towards the door and cautiously pushed it open; the toy store appeared to be empty, but there was unmistakable screaming just outside said establishment.

Common, Gos.. do it for grandpa…

Pulling out her trusty crossbow, Gosalyn took a deep breath before finally walking out of the custodial closet.

She looked around, carefully, making sure to keep her finger on the trigger.

She had to find that clown.

He was her lead, possibly her only lead.

The duckling had never lost hope, not even after she destroyed the Ramrod. She knew her grandpa was smart and was probably just taking a while to come back because he needed help or got held back somehow.

CRASH!

“What the-“ Gosalyn muttered after she took cover behind one of the many toy aisles that adorned the shop.

The sound had come near the front of the store; it was probably one of the large windows that showed the display of toys to the ducks that walked by outside.

I have to check it out, someone could be in trouble… or worse.

Gosalyn debated with herself for a few moments before slowly poking her head from behind the aisle, only to regret it not soon after.

Quackerjack was suddenly standing at the front of the store with broken shards of glass at his feet, a large cartoon mallet on his right hand and a small black radio on his left one.

The clown’s unsettling grin stretched from cheek to cheek and his grip on the mallet became just a slight tighter.

As he looked around the toy store, Quackerjack uttered a phrase that made Gosalyn’s blood run cold.

“…I know you’re in here, little ducky”

******

“It’s probably just the stress getting to him, Launchpad..” the pilot tried reassuring himself, “Drake didn’t mean what he said… he couldn’t have”

The pilot had been talking to himself for the past half hour or so, debating whether or not the argument with the masked mallard was possibly his fault.

He wanted nothing more than to turn around, find his best friend and apologize for adding more stress onto his shoulders. But Launchpad knew better.

Seeing how the caped crusader had reacted, the pilot had come to the conclusion that doing what he was told would be the best option.

Besides, an angry Drake Mallard was truly a force to be reckoned with.

Swallowing his doubts and his nerves, Launchpad took a deep breath as he concentrated on his task: finding Megavolt.

That would be easier said than done.

Just down below, St.Canard started to look more like a store after Black Friday rather than a city, and the many police helicopters in the sky weren’t helping much either.

There was no way the pilot would be able to distinguish Megavolt from where he was, but going down wouldn’t help much either.

Common Launchpad, think for once in your life! Drake and Gosalyn are counting on you to do your part. So, think, where could Megavolt be hiding?

Megavolt likes electricity, and he usually hangs around places that have electricity… That’s it! There’s a high chance he’ll be at St.Canard’s Power Plant! That place is full of electric stuff.

Now more focused, Launchpad turned the Thunderquack in the direction of the power plant in the hopes his theory was correct.

…I hope Drake and Gos are alright

******

Negaduck burst through the doors of the water facility. He took his time to stretch his legs before calling out to his temporary ally:

“Liquidator! Get your liquid ass over here!”

“Look, it’s Darkwing Duck!”

“He’s come to rescue us!”

The villain turned to his right and saw a group of workers who had seemingly been locked inside a small security office. Their faces were full of joy, relief, and hope.

Negaduck grinned at the chance to reveal his return, but why ruin the fun so soon? They think he’s Darkwing, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

“Oh I’ll save you alright” Negaduck mumbled just as The Liquidator appeared from behind him.

“Darkwing, watch out!” One of the workers called out in a panic.

“Are the subjects in position, boss?” The mutant asked while also staring at the workers.

“They should be. Make sure to radio bolt guy and the clown just to be sure. This pathetic excuse of a city will be you guys' playground starting tonight, just like we agreed.”

Chapter 8: Unlucky Ducky

Summary:

The Duck family returns to the Manor after a long day of celebration, and a certain green duckling is the first to fall victim to Nega Scrooge’s twisted mind.

Time had passed so slowly for the old duck, but he didn’t care. He opted to distract himself with the thoughts of how we would break and tear his other family apart.

Would he gaslight them? Would he gatekeep them? Would he pin them for murder? Oh there were just too many exciting choices.

The old duck couldn’t remember the last time he felt so good, so content… so alive.

There was just something about bringing people despair that brought a genuine smile to his beak. It’s just something that he has never been fully able to comprehend. Not that it would make a difference anyways.

Ever since he was a duckling, hatred seemed to naturally run through the veins that pumped at his cold black heart.

One instance he had always been particularly fond of was when he almost succeeded at drowning both of his sisters in a river.

Almost.

That was one of the few moments he actually felt happy.

Though you could add hearing the odd voice of this Donald’s world to the list.

And now, Nega Scrooge was practically buzzing with delight when Della announced that they would be heading back to the Manor in a few minutes.

“Hey lassie, one quick question” The old duck asked.

“What’s up, Uncle Scrooge?”

“Where’s Louie? I haven’t seen the lad anywhere”

Out of everyone in his family, Nega Scrooge probably hated Nega Louie the least.

Sure the duckling was annoying and his outfits were ridiculous, yet none of that could compare to his willingness to become a ruler through somewhat lawful means.

Though Nega Scrooge would be lying if he said he wasn’t flattered that his green nephew was trying so hard to become like him.

“Don’t you remember? He’s grounded at home. I was actually meaning to talk to you about it”

“What is there to say?”

Della looked around the mostly empty establishment before taking a seat next to her uncle. After a small sigh, she began to speak:

“I’ve noticed that Louie has become more and more distant, but I have no idea why. I know that I made a terrible mistake by choosing adventures over my children, and I know that it’s going to take a while for them to… fully adjust to me. I just.. I was just wondering if maybe you’d talk to him? You have more in common with him than I do, and I know he really looks up to you.”

What a perfect opportunity. Nega Scrooge thought to himself. He had been having a hard time choosing who we would unleash his darkest desires to, and Louie seemed to be the perfect fit.

“Of course I’ll talk to him, Della. That lad is sure to get better once I’m through with him”

That seemed to relax the female duck. “Thank you, Uncle Scrooge. You have no idea how much weight you just took off my shoulders”

“Don’t mention it. That’s what family’s for, right?”

“Right,” Della agreed before getting up from her seat. “Alright, I’ll go see if the kids got everything before we head back”

“Take all the time you need,” Nega Scrooge said with a smile as he watched his other niece walk towards the play area.

When Della was finally out of sight, the old duck let out a long and annoyed groan. Dealing with his own flesh and blood back in his universe was tough, but here, it was outright exhausting.

Especially when it came to Della.

Nega Della, actually.

It was a shame really; died from her own gullibility. That day, he was able to kill two birds with one stone.

In more ways than one.

“Hiya dad! Wow.. I still can’t believe I’m saying that out loud” the moment of peace was shattered as soon as Nega Scrooge heard his other daughter’s voice from behind him.

The old duck tightened the grip on his cane before turning around to look at the smiling duckling who had taken a seat next to him.

So… this is what my mistake looks like in this universe eh? Nega Scrooge thought as he looked at Webby with a blank expression on his face. I never would have cloned myself if that stupid heron hadn’t taken the Papyrus in the first place.

Good thing I was able to deal with her in the end.

“Uh… dad? Are you feeling okay? You've been acting pretty strange for a while now” Webby asked with concern, unknowingly, at her other father.

“I’m fine, Apr- Webby” Nega Scrooge quickly corrected himself. It had been quite a surprise to see that his unworthy clone had a name different from the one he originally gave her. Did the other version of him give it to her? Or worse, did she name herself?

“Oh, uh.. if you say so. Hey dad?”

“What is it?”

“… thank you, you know, for the party? I know you don’t really like this place after what happened with the mustache comb, but I appreciate the fact that you went through the trouble just to see me happy. And… I love you”

The duckling had finally found the courage to tell her father those three little words. She had been wanting to for a while, but was unsure if the time was right.

Nega Scrooge hadn’t been paying any attention to the duckling, that was until she said those words.

It got him to think back on his childhood. Back when he was somewhere around her age.

His parents and him never got along, not even once. They loathed him, and he loathed them. That’s just how things were.

His father Fergus was cruel and his mother Downy was no different, probably one of the many reasons he turned out the way he did.

As it is expected, Nega Scrooge never told his parents that he loved them, and neither did they to him. It was a strange and unfamiliar word that didn’t sound right in… what had Negaduck called it? Ah yes: The Negaverse.

Good thing he also dealt with them.

“You’re right, I don’t like this place one bit. Ye know, I’ve got a headache from all those noisy kids you invited”

Webby seemed flustered and lowered her head in response. “Sorry..” she whispered.

“But that’s what a good parent does; deal with the consequences of their children’s reckless actions” Nega Scrooge said with a smile as he patted Webby in the head, which messed up her hair in the process.

The duckling felt awkward after the interaction, but decided not to say anything about it out of guilt.

“Boy, I’m soooooo stuffed right now” Dewey, who had somehow managed to stain his shirt with what looked to be a mixture of cake and Cheetos, groaned as he walked towards the entrance of the establishment, Huey following close behind.

“Is that everyone?” Ms.Beakley asked as she walked alongside Della.

“Should be. It was nice that the workers let us stay a bit late, but I guess we should thank Uncle Scrooge for that”

The old duck offered a convincing smile. “It was no problem. I had to give up quite the amount to get this party to be perfect, so I hope you enjoyed it… Webby” he made sure to put emphasis on the name.

“I did! And thank you for doing so” the duckling replied just a bit too quickly.

“Then we best be off. I couldn’t find Launchpad anywhere, but I suppose he left with Darkwing and the girl” Ms.Beakley said “and he was kind enough not to take the limo”

“I’m driving!” Della exclaimed as she took out a spare set of keys from her pocket and bolted out of the play place.

Webby stood up from her seat and went to reach for Nega Scrooge’s hand, but stopped when she noticed a scar that hadn’t been there before.

“When did you get that? Are you hurt?” She worriedly asked him.

That little “reminder” had happened quite a while back, more specifically when he was around 10 years old.

His first real crime.

Oh the rush he felt as he gouged out that man’s eyes. It was something he, once again, just couldn’t explain.

But he wasn’t to blame, of course. If the man hadn’t tried to trick him with that American dime, he would probably still be alive today.

It wasn’t like anyone cared either. In The Negaverse, it’s either you or them. If you don’t have the guts to make a decision, the other person surely will.

Again, that’s just the way things worked.

And that’s exactly how he liked it.

“Oh, this? Just something to remind me of my beginnings, my darling” Nega Scrooge replied solemnly before pushing the duckling to the side and joining the rest of the family outside in the parking lot. “And you’ll find out why soon enough”

Now confused and worried, Webby hesitated as she followed her father out of Funso’s, making sure to keep some distance between the both of them.

Something was off, but she couldn’t tell what or why. It’s probably just the headache he got, Webby, stop being so dramatic.

Yet the duckling couldn’t help herself. When she sat beside her father in the limo, a feeling of dread seemed to overwhelm her out of nowhere. She looked up at him and stared at the scar across his eye; it didn’t look as if it had recently been done, no… it looked as if it had been done more than a few years ago.

Had her father always had that? There’s no way she wouldn’t have noticed it before. The wound must have been pretty deep if no feathers were able to grow over it.

“What are you staring at?” The old duck questioned with a frown, which brought Webby out of her thoughts.

“Oh! I’m sorry, dad! It’s just that.. well, your scars? I hadn’t noticed them before I suppose”

“And I suggest we keep it that way” Nega Scrooge leaned towards the duckling and whispered the phrase. Webby felt a shiver run down her spine at the menacing tone. She looked around the limo to see if anyone had taken notice of the sudden threat, but there was no such luck.

Though one thing worth noting was that when her father had leaned down towards her, she was able to see another scar, this one seemed to go around his neck as something had been wrapped around his throat for far too long.

Something felt wrong. Very, very wrong.

“I can’t wait to tell Louie what he missed out on, though I wonder what he’s doing right about now?” Dewey spoke up just as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Probably on his phone. I asked Duckworth to keep an eye out on him and to make sure he didn’t try anything” replied Della, she too having buckled herself and turned on the engine.

“Are you feeling better, sir? You certainly look better than you did this morning” Beakley said as she looked at the old duck through the rearview mirror.

“Oh I’m feeling more than just better, Beakley. I’d say I’m feeling quite… keen”
Nega Scrooge answered, a smile forming onto his beak just as the limo began to back up and drive out of the parking lot and into the dimly lit street.

******

There was no time to waste. Lives were on the line and he had to do something about it.

Fenton, more precisely Gizmoduck, had been flying as fast as he could the moment he received a call from his mother.

We need backup, pollito, my officers can’t fight against these muñecos endemoniados for much longer.

I’m on my way, Mamá. Lock yourself in the cop car and wait for me to come get you.

Are you crazy? I’m not gonna lock myself up while there’s people out here who need help.

Porfavor, Mamá, you can’t help anyone if you’re hurt. Just stay in the car, I’m almost in the city.

That’s not what being a cop is about, Fenton. I’m going to do my job and if it takes my life then so be it. I just called you to let you know that I love you, pollito. I’ll see you when you get here.

Fenton couldn’t exactly complain though; he was just if not more stubborn than his mother, which was exactly the reason as to why he was going over 200 mph.

I’ll have to thank Dr.Gearloose for modifying the Gizmo suit’s velocity later. The intern thought to himself as he began to descend into St.Canard.

“What the-“ Fenton mumbled as he stared at the city below him with both terror as disbelief: there were frighten people running away, buildings and cars burning to ash, murderuous looking toys,
and some strange looking vines beginning to grow from under the cement.

Not wanting to waste another second, Fenton practically threw himself into action and began to fire at the metal chattering teeth and explosive mechanical dolls that got in his way.

Knowing there was no way he could take all of the threats down on his own, the superhero called up the only person who could:

“Suit, call Darkwing Duck!”

******

“You know.. I’m really starting to regret chugging down that 2 liter soda” Dewey groaned as an annoyed Huey dragged him along the wooden floor of the manor towards the kitchen.

Thankfully, the drive back hadn’t been too unbearable. It was probably because everyone was way too tired after partying for as long as they did.

Looking around, Nega Scrooge noticed a few large paintings adoring around the fireplace:

One was the other him looking at the camera with a frown.

Another was what used to be his house; Castle McDuck.

And the largest one, the one just above the fireplace, was of the other him holding a pickaxe in one hand and a bag full of gold in the other.

So the other me went into the mining business eh? How pathetic.

The old duck restrained himself from rolling his eyes and continued to look around for anything else that might have changed or given him clues as to what this version of his family was truly like.

He didn’t exactly trust Negaduck’s info.

“Louie’s upstairs in his room. Give him a visit whenever you’re ready” Della said, her head poking out of the dining room’s door. “And… tell him I’m sorry about today. I don’t want him to end up doing something that he might regret later on, just like I did”

“Don't worry your pretty little head, lassie. I’m sure the next time you talk to Louie he’ll be much, much different” Nega Scrooge replied with a smile.

The female duck smiled at him before disappearing back into the dining room where the sounds of someone vomiting could be heard.

Probably Dewey… that nobody.

Nega Dewey was the next duck he hated more than his clone and his niece; like mother like son he had supposed. So useless and pathetic. A true disgrace to the McDuck name.

He was fun to mess around with though. You could whisper a simple “boo” to his ear and the duckling’s scream would be heard across the continent.

As he climbed up the stairs, Nega Scrooge continued to take in his surroundings. Surprisingly, not much had changed, that was unless you didn’t count some missing blood stains here and there.

And of course, the fact that the other him was not married to a certain blond duck.

My Star of the South. Nega Scrooge couldn’t help but to reminisce about his beloved wife. So beautiful and pure, and one hell of a voice too. Very obedient. To think an angel like her fell for a creature like me; not like she had much of a choice.

Nega Scrooge remembered that night as if it was yesterday:

The tavern was full to the brim with drunken old miners just begging to be pickpocketed. He had gotten quite a good deal, even managing to find a golden nugget in one of the miner’s pockets, but there was no amount of money that could compare to the beauty of Nega Goldie.

What a performance, if only the bruises hadn’t been so noticeable that day.

Maybe that angel could have been spared from me. But then again, I was the one that saved her that day.

The old duck let out a small chuckle at the memory. Shaking his head, he returned to the task at hand.

There would be plenty of time to recall the better days.

To make the old duck’s luck even greater than what it seemed, the room the triplets shared had stayed the same; it would have been a total nightmare having to find it otherwise without looking suspicious.

Muffled sobs could be heard just outside the door. Nega Scrooge carefully pressed his ear against the door and grinned at the duckling’s weeping. It had been a while since he’d gotten to enjoy the cries of someone, and to say he was ecstatic would be a serious understatement.

With a gentle knock to the door, the old duck called out:

“Louie, is it alright if I come in?”

The sobbing had stopped but was replaced with a few sniffles. After a few moments, the green duckling was able to reply with a simple ‘click’ when unlocking the door.

Nega Scrooge immediately noticed the irritation and puffiness in Louie’s eyes, despite the duckling’s poor attempt to hide his face inside his hoodie.

“Hello, lad, can I speak with you for a moment? I could come back later if you preferred”

Without looking up from the floor nor uttering a single word, Louie moved to the side so that the old duck could step into the room. Once inside, the green duckling shut and locked the door once again.

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but I do want you to listen to what I’m about to say alright?”

Louie nodded before sitting on his bed.

“…Your mother told me about the little incident that happened in the morning. I don’t exactly trust Della too much seeing how she can be very.. overdramatic. Do you want to tell me your side of the story?”

It took a few more sniffles before Louie nodded his head once again.

Slowly, he began:

“..I began rebuilding Louie Inc. a few months ago; I still don’t know what I want my company to focus on, but I do want to make it a reality. Since I don’t get an allowance and working is boring, I decided to start completing some surveys for quick cash. I’ve got a good amount of money stacked up, and since Webby’s birthday was coming up I thought I could use the money to buy her something nice”

Another sniffle. The old duck was quick to pull out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to the smaller ducky with a soft smile. Louie mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ before taking the tissue and blowing his beak.

“When I told mom I was leaving for the store, she asked me who’s money I had supposedly stolen. I told her the truth, and she just started to yell at me. But I didn’t even cheat anyone off of their money! This is the fairest way I’ve earned cash and she still isn’t satisfied!”

Louie finished with a voice quiver, quickly biting down on his bottom beak to stop himself from crying.

“I just want her to be proud of me, Uncle Scrooge. I just want to be like you guys… I wanna feel like I’m part of this family and not just some asshole who ruins it for everyone”

Wow this kid’s got issues. Nega Scrooge thought. Perfect for manipulating.

The old duck joined the duckling as he sat beside him.

“Louie, you are not an asshole and you certainly don’t ruin anything for anyone. It always amazes me that your mother doesn’t realize just how much potential you’ve got”

“I don’t have any potential, Uncle Scrooge. I’m just a greedy good-for-nothing-“ the duckling’s voice began to quiver once again, and in response he was engulfed in a hug.

Louie instinctively returned the gesture and proceeded to sob onto Nega Scrooge’s chest. Deep down, the green duckling was embarrassed for showing this much weakness, but he ignored it and instead chose to snuggle into the warmth that radiated off who he thought was his uncle.

“Do not speak of yourself that way, Louie. It truly breaks my heart seeing you like this, and I thank you for trusting me enough to talk about what you’re feeling” Nega Scrooge gently began to stroke the duckling’s head feathers, “It is completely valid that you feel this way, especially since it was your mother you put you in such a mood”

Louie sniffled quietly, gripping onto the red robe of Nega Scrooge. “Was- was it my fault?”

“Oh goodness lad no” the old duck said as he pulled away slightly and gently tilted Louie’s chin upward so he’d look him in the eyes.

“The only thing you’re guilty of is having such a terrible woman for a mother. I told Della that it was reckless to leave you at home by yourself over something so small, but you know her… always has to have the final word in everything”

The green duckling let out another sniffle, but this time a small grin started to form on his beak.

“It’s such mediocracy; she won’t forgive your supposed mistakes yet you are expect to forgive her for leaving you behind without so much as a second thought”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her!” Louie suddenly exclaimed, “I wish I could show her that I can actually do something right.. that my ideas could actually work if she just gave me another chance…”

Nega Scrooge couldn’t contain his wicked smile any longer; he had done it once again.

“Then why not do just that?”

Louie looked up at his uncle in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Your mother and brothers treat you like a criminal, a nuisance, a worthless child that didn’t deserve to be born” he whispered every insult ever so slowly, making sure to engrave them into the duckling’s mind. “So why not show them what you’re capable of?”

Louie seemed to be deep in thought after listening to the old duck. He was taken aback by the word choice, not to mention the change in his uncle’s usual demeanor. But, at the same time, he… liked the change. Finally, someone in his family had begun to understand him.

He felt safe with his uncle, more than he ever did with anyone. It was as if something was emitting off the old duck and slowly pulling him into the darker corners of his mind.

Suddenly, some things didn’t seem so ‘wrong’ anymore.

“..How do I do it?”

“Do what, lad?” Nega Scrooge asked with supposed obliviousness.

“How do I become like you?”

That was exactly the answer he was looking for. His smile grew even more as he placed a hand on Louie’s shoulder.

“You have much to learn, Llewelyn. The most important lesson however, is that you can’t get to where I am today by being ‘fair and square’. You’ll run your company your way, that is of course as long as I get to help out my favorite nephew”

Louie didn’t even have to think about it. With a firm shake to Nega Scrooge’s hand, the green duckling smiled with determination: “I think the word you’re looking for, is partner.”