"Sorry, I must have heard that wrong… What did you say?"

"Got lightbulbs in your ears Sparky? I said, 'I can't wait for the holidays.'"

The electric rat tilted his head, his brow furrowed further. "That's what I thought you said, but that can't possibly be right." Megavolt scratched the side of his helmet, stopping mid track with the others, who, like him, couldn't believe their ears. They stopped lugging their stolen bundles; sacks filled with money, jewelry and other easily pawnable items, stolen recently from the wealthy outskirts of Duckburg and stared perplex at their leader who continued down his path as if there wasn't a thing out of the ordinary with his declaration.

"Beware of false advertisement! Some imitations lack the pure concentrated hatred of the real name brand Negaduck!" Liquidator chimed in; and almost immediately regret crossed his watery features when Negaduck turned to leer at them.

"Oh you guys know Negaduck," Bushroot jittered. "He's probably got something awful up his sleeves."

"Awful? More like fun!" Quackerjack interrupted, pushing aside the plant duck. "What is it Negsy ol' pal? Gonna poison the city's water supply with chainsaws? Or, or maybe drop explosive guard dogs from the sky?"

The masked duck looked away from them as he slightly adjusted the sack over his shoulder. "Nothing on a big scale this month, gonna be more personal. I'm going to make someone's holiday one they'll never forget."

It was close to 9:30pm when Neg's webbed feet softly landed on the rooftop of the Mallard household. He was always careful to make sure they would find no trace of him around their home, it would complicate too many of his goals. His feet found purchase and he crept over towards the far end where Gosalyn's window was; bright with her computer monitor's glow and the hazy 60 watt bulb from her ceiling, but mulled by white curtains that blocked clear view. He could hear her inside the room, and it sounded like she wasn't alone.

"But dad, you saw he was the one who started it!"

"I don't care WHO started it, young lady! That doesn't give you the right to attack someone with a hockey stick!"

"You didn't hear the things he said! Besides, I was only going to knock that stupid smug smile off his face!"

"That certainly isn't what the referee, your councilor, and the principal thought! Suspended Gosalyn! and right before the holiday break!"

"I hope this isn't going to reflect negatively on this Christmas pay off… I mean, it's so close to the end of the year, is it really fair to take the last few days into account…"

"Not another word!" Drake slammed his fist angrily on her desk, her laptop rattled angrily. This made both Gosalyn and Negaduck flinch at the sudden, unexpected outburst. "You really did it this time Gosalyn, his parents are threatening to SUE the school and US for what happened!"

"He chipped a tooth when he hit the ice! He's faking all the rest, watch tomorrow when I get to school he'll be perfectly fi.."

"You're NOT going tomorrow, remember? You're suspended, I'm banned from any future events because apparently arguing in defense of your kid is some grand offense to the high council of JERKS in the Parents Teachers Association. You have no idea how embarrassed I was; me! Darkwing Duck, being thrown out of a hockey game because of his own daughter!"

There was a prolonged moment of silence, and Neg's began to wonder if the conversation had moved to another room when he heard a quiet whisper "I'm sorry dad." Followed by a soft sniffle, and he found himself feeling an awkward emotion at the sound of the girl's tears. His face dropped slightly, and there was tight tension in his chest.

"Oh, honey, no… no, I'm sorry…" Drake's footsteps could be heard and the springs of Gosalyn's bed squeaked. "I'm sorry, honey… You know I don't mean anything by that… It's just… It's just difficult sometimes to be the parent of such a spirited teenager."

"I know…" she whispered back with another sniffle. Neg's closed his eyes and imagined her stubbornly trying to hold her mask of bravado. Her tears wiped clean with her forearm and now she leered at the floor; upset she expressed weakness. "I'm sorry dad… It's not like I'm going to see him again anyway…his stupid team won; his high school'll be playing against the Duckburg Gizmoducks next week."

There was another moment of silence between her and Drake. The sneer on Neg's face returned as he imagined the scene in front of him; Darkwing struggling to subdue his injured ravenous ego enough to comfort her and say…

"Well, I hope the Gizmoduck's flatten those creeps and win."

"Me too, dad."

There was shuffling and the springs on the bed squeaked again. "Look, we'll get through this like we do everything else, alright? I mean, we're two of St. Canard's greatest heroes. If a danger like the Negaverse can't tear us apart, then what's a jerk with …ulp… a fifty or so lawyers gonna do?"

"I'm personally more worried about what Ms. 'Oont-var-did-jour-mothear-teech-you?' is gonna say when you bring it up tomorrow…"

"You know we're supposed to talk about family events that concern either one of us in therapy." He pled defensively back. "Besides, if you think I might exaggerate any of the details, YOU make her one of those video logs she keeps telling you to do whenever you're feeling overwhelmed."

"Oh like you're doing what you were told Mr. Nearly-Splatters-On-A-Weekly-Bases. You're supposed to be doing it too."

"Darkwing Duck cannot burden those he protects with such problems they can't fix. It's just a heroes weight to carry." He shot back with his air of confidence restored. Gosalyn snorted bitterly; her guilt ebbing into frustrated anger.

"Dad, that isn't fair."

"That's unfortunately how it is till you're an adult young lady." He chided, followed by a loud affectionate smack of his beak against her cheek. She laughed; the sound had only the slightest traces of concealed unhappiness, but it was enough to catch Drake's attention. "It's already right around the corner Gos, isn't it enough I don't have S.H.U.S.H. incarcerate you at night in a maximum security underwater cell to make sure you don't follow me around as Quiverwing? Cut me some slack."

"Alright dad, alright…" she conceded. Drake didn't question why she gave up quickly, and seemed relieved that the argument was over. Negaduck knew at once why she chose to withdraw; she was hiding her late-night adventures out into the city. He had stumbled across her before, engaged in the battle against the riff raff of the streets. He knew all about it, what self-respecting stalker wouldn't?

Besides, an extra set of eyes on her would help keep her safe until he was ready to claim her.

"Okay hun, record that blog like your therapist wanted then head to sleep. I'll be out patrolling the streets for denizens of the darkness with Launchpad. We'll talk about punishment tomorrow morning."

The door slammed shut and Gosalyn sighed. "I was hoping he'd forgotten that part."

Negaduck waited patiently as the shuffling sounds in the house ceased in all the rooms but Gosalyn's, she was alone now and if there was a moment for him to strike, it'd be soon.

He heard her shuffle a chair and sit on it with an exasperated thump and sigh, then heard the tip of her finger against a microphone boom. She was about to start that stupid blog her father told her to do.

Oh… this could be fun. Negaduck thinks, a vicious grin forming. Maybe I could leave Darkwing a nice little clip of me taking away his precious little…

"It's not my fault I want him to suffer."

Negs blinked, his focus derailed on his plans utterly. He listened intently. "He's not a good person, guys a creep and the world would be better off without someone like him."

"I know it's harsh," Gosalyn admitted rather uncomfortably. "I know dad wouldn't like me saying that. It probably sounds like something a psychopath would say… But there's some people who seem to get all the breaks in life while being complete and total creeps to everyone and everything they've ever met. That's who Donovan Pennington is."

Pennington? Of Pennington's Pillow Palace? Thought Negaduck The number one distributer and manufacturer of prized possession pillows in all of St. Canard and Duckburg? Those snooty elite's with their unending demand for soft silkened pads to rest their precious gemstones and number one pocket change on.

"He didn't have a family either, and lived with me at the St. Canard Downtown Orphanage, he's a year older than me, but he was big and he wasn't afraid to push people around. As usual only I was tough enough to try and stand up to him. He used to make everyone's life awful and the people in charge just turned a blind eye to it, guess it was just easier that way. He would tell me, after fights I usually lost, how nobody would ever want a tomboy like me. I don't behave like a girl should, I like weird things, and I'm clearly bad luck… why else would everyone I love keep dying?"

Teeth clenched down hard, the glare in his eyes furious. This… felt like a new experience almost. This feeling of indignation on behalf of ... someone else. Had it been his Gosalyn…

NO. None of that matters anymore.

"Of course, I know now that he was just full of it. Back then I wasn't so sure… It caused me a lot of sleepless nights and I know I cried like a wimpy baby a few times too, but that's not important.

Anyway, one day this rich wife and husband come in - you could tell they were loaded from their fancy outfits and snooty upturned noses - they wanted a kid, and picked him because he looked the healthiest and strongest of all of us.

It was a weird day; on the one hand everyone was happy to see him go; no more torture, no more annoying bossy jerk to piss all over us… On the other… of all of us there HE got picked? Oh who am I kidding? I should just say 'between me and him', they picked Donovan? He's the one who gets to go home with a mother and a father and live a rich carefree life? While everyone else was celebrating him going away, I was also dealing with the fact that I just saw the most horrible person I've ever met get rewarded."

Negaduck heard her mouse click and realized she had paused the video to compose herself. He wished he could see in, see what expression was on her face. He wanted to believe it was anger, just like it should be. Finally, another click and she continued. "We saw him and his family on TV sometimes because of charities they'd do. He always looked so happy and I'd just seethe with anger and look like the jerk for it."

"A-Anyway… So yeah, I had a history with this guy. It's not just like some random idiot taunted me into a fight. I didn't think I'd ever deal with him again, and to see he's part of an opposing team I have to play against just really pissed me off.

At first I thought it might be therapeutic, maybe see if he's changed and if not, whup his butt at the game to feel better about it. Second he realized it was me, he just kept on taunting, and mocking me. Swapping play positions to make sure he was always in my face. He made fun of my family, about how I had two dads and how I'm still this confused little brat that'll never amount to anything more than a … a 'bitch and troubled sociopath'. The jerk even went out of his way to mock my favorite super hero and all the times we've ever worked together, uhm, coincidentally of course. Like none of it mattered, like I was still some useless child and my involvement was on some creepy groupie level with Darkwing. Said some really disgusting things…" Gosalyn trailed off again uncomfortably.

"He just pushed me, alright? He pushed me too far and before the puck ever hit the ice for the 2nd play, my hockey stick was against the side of his helmet, then his face and then his fat lower lip. I'm not proud of that, okay? I'm not happy I lost my temper so hard I went bogus on someone who doesn't even have an ounce of training to defend himself. I just wanted to make him hurt just like he made me hurt.

Now his stupid family is threatening Dad, the school is furious and everyone is angry at me… If I had just managed to keep my temper, maybe things…"

Negaduck stopped listening and hmm'ed quietly to himself; he was re-evaluating his choice for this season. Oh, Darkwing was always number one for him, and he wanted to ruin that miserable losers holiday in the most nightmarish fashion.

But maybe this year…

Maybe this year he'd shift someone else to the top of his naughty list and get her just what she's always wanted.

It took little research to find out where the Pennington's lived. Heading into the northern parts of St. Canard were home for those who lived well above their needs, and it was no surprise when their address landed them dead in the center of it. Negaduck knew this part of the town particularly well from previous crimes of theft, kidnapping and those occasional bouts of just craving wanton destruction on something of value.

Their home was secluded from the streets, the property lined with well-trimmed privacy hedges and a black steel gate. There was a single security guard who seemed to watch the front attentively only when he noticed he was being scrutinized by the lady of the house, a blond haired duck of stern expression. Negaduck knew the guard wouldn't be a problem; they probably weren't paying him enough for the kind of fun he'd bring to the table if he was discovered.

Past the well-kept lawn were a few bare oak trees close to their beautiful Dutch Colonial home; pale red bricked with white wooden trim across the two floor windows and elevated porch. The roof was high angled leaving plenty of storage space in the attic, and covered in decorative multi-grey shingles that tried to imitate the sense of randomness found in nature.

Place smacked of warm holiday cheer as the young boy Donovan ran by in a thick green and blue jacket; he was every bit the duck that Gosalyn had described; bulky, smug, and taller than most boys his age. He had dark brown hair, cut stylishly short and freckles along his cheeks. He ran across the yard with surprising speed and following him was his pet, a disgustingly noble looking wolf dog hybrid; it's coat a rich white with black splotches across its torso, legs and face.

When the boy stopped, Negaduck narrowed his eyes to see his facial features; a lazy expression of someone who didn't have a care in the world, of someone who expected everything to be handed to him now that he was on top.

Oh, these were the best people to fuck with.

From across the street, in a neighbor's yard Negaduck watched the boy issue orders to his dog. Unquestioningly his pet obeyed, rolling on its sides, sitting up straight, offering it's paw to him. The boy seemed pleased and would hug and pet him and begin to play again. The masked duck's binoculars refocused on the child and saw his genuine happy expression, and Negaduck couldn't help but grin himself.

Shadows played along the lawn as the rolling clouds covered the night's half moon. Snowfall was beginning to roll into St. Canard just in time for the holidays and all the shenanigans planned with them. The guard outside the Pennington's estate was reluctant to do his rounds across the edges of the property and that suited Negaduck just fine. Across a nearby tree he bound over the privacy hedges and landed softly on the lawn to the far west of the home. He stayed motionless for a moment, making sure nothing was alerted to his presence, before he stood to his full height and chuckled. He adjusted his cape to conceal his vibrant yellows and red and headed towards the back of the home.

Walking slowly down the narrow path between the property fences he searched for signs of the dog and found the dog house nestled near the back door. The dog was nowhere to be seen, and he thought maybe the animal slept inside. He took two more steps, before a rustling behind him caused him to whirl just in time for the dog to be punched aside into the adjacent wall of the house. Neg grinned viciously when he heard the satisfying smack of the beast's head strike the red bricked corner.

The beast was dazed and struggled to get on its feet, when Negaduck quickly muzzled it with a belt loop and threw his entire weight onto it. The dog yelped in pain as part of its front right leg twisted awkwardly on cold grass. Before the dog could make a second noise, the determined duck clamped onto the belt with his teeth, pulled awkwardly to expose the canines throat and wretched it up with his free left hand. His right hand, already numb from the cold and wrestling around on the floor reached into his pocket and pulled out exactly what he wanted. He let the belt go.

"Who's a good boy?" he whispered excitedly, his heart pounding from the excitement. "Who's a good doggie?" He slid the sharpened razor cleanly across the dog's throat, the hot spurt of blood arcing and splashing along the bricks and grass. The dog struggled a moment, but was ignored by the duck who sighed contently; the warmth of the gore helped heat his numbed frozen fingers. He dropped the dog's carcass and examined his handiwork, pleased. "Even knows how to play dead."

Everything came together soon after Negaduck's first intrusion onto their homestead. As expected, the family didn't take the demise of their pet well. The response was apparently to up security and alert the police to question any possible suspects.

The first house they went to was the Mallards and while Negaduck hadn't really planned for this, he soon discovered that luck was again on his side. As it happened, Gosalyn, that idiot father of hers and his incompetent sidekick had attended a late night projected screening of "Pelican's Island: The Holiday Coconut Miracle". Several people saw Drake "buddying up" with Herb who manned the protector and made sure the image stayed sharp on Drake's house. Alibis confirmed, the police apologized to the Mallard family and left. With no other suspects who may have a personal vendetta against the family, they turned to financial motives and the trail led them cleanly away from the truth.

He waited several nights, studying the home and the new protection around it while he got his next plan thought out. They had fired the idiot previously on guard duty and hired a team of three. Their attire was formal and seemed to imply they knew their business. Reaffirmed of their safety, with no other threats seemingly on the horizon, the family reverted slowly back to normal.

It was on a Friday, around 3 in the afternoon that he had another opportunity to get into the home. They had gone off in the car with two of their bodyguards driving behind them, leaving only one.

The remaining guard stayed inside the gate and close to the front door, it was a cold day, but his visual range was quite clear. With the porch roof above his head he wasn't able to see Negs once again use the nearby trees to his advantage. With a quick swing, he found just enough balance on the roof to allow him to reach the window he wanted. A pile of snow dislodged from under his foot and rolled onto the porch roof with a noisy flump moments after he had safely hurled himself inside. If the guard had inspected the noise above him, Negs didn't know. All he did know is he heard no sounds on the wooden porch to indicate the guard was about to come into the house.

A nearby family portrait caught his attention, the trio standing together with smiles and assurance that the future was bright and wonderful.

Grinning, Negs went about his plan.

Soft, puffed white drifted picturesque through the skies above St. Canard as the evening approach on Christmas Eve. It had been several weeks and the results had been better than Negaduck had expected.

He had destroyed their personal possessions; focused on photo albums, pictures, things that seemed important to them identifying themselves as a family unit. He focused on the wife's possessions in particular; he painted an image of fury, of a jealous outsider who hated her life with her family. He left messages cryptically written in their rooms that implied the utmost desire to destroy what they had.

Even now he smiled, a sip from his nearby cup of cocoa helping fuel that grin's strength. He really wished he had seen the reaction of the brat when he saw "PLAY DEAD BOY!" written along his bedroom walls in his adopted mother's red lipstick.

Expectedly, the wife came to the obvious conclusion; her husband had cheated on her with some other woman and now the deranged mistress had returned. Negs watched from afar, as the personal trust problems of the family spilled into the public with an uproar. The spotlight was now on them; police watched their home for signs of unscrupulous individuals, while mistrust inside continued to escalate into its own danger. The boy watched helplessly, unsure of whom to side with, did he believe his father who swore he hadn't cheated on his wife despite so much overwhelming circumstantial evidence, or did he sympathize with his mother whose heart was destroyed by the wanton lusts of a powerful man?

Police surrounded them constantly now with words they hoped would reassure them. Unaware, or simply unable to give them the privacy to talk things through. Nerves were frayed, emotions were on edge and the festive holiday décor around them seemed only to mock them and not comfort.

It was a thing of beauty, how easily lives can be toyed with.

Negaduck blew on his cup of chocolate gently, the piping hot liquid cleared its surface of bubbles and froth and he took another sip. The room was dark, save for the faint moonlight from the window he idled from. He had wished he would have had more time to dangle the Pennington's longer over their growing pit of suffering, but Negs knew the power of cementing memories with holidays and he wanted to have his gift ready for Gosalyn. He was going to destroy that boys life for her.

Which, led him back to this cold office room where thankfully, he had a warm cup of chocolate to help inspire him. He turned his attention away from the window and headed out the dilapidated room, the door groaned open and Negs felt a shiver run up his arms as the bottom ends screeched along the worn metal floor platform.

The noise inspired a terrified yelp from the trio down below. Bound separately in tight yellow polyester was the family Neg's had spent so much time elegantly disassembling. The father had moved from his assigned spot, Negs could only assume to try and reach something that would help them escape. With a sigh, Negs walked towards the man who laid on his side. His jutted beak had been bound closed with the same type of rope that disabled the rest of his body.

"Well, look at what we have here!" Negs boomed cheerfully, his voice echoed in the emptiness. The old yellowed lights on the ceiling barely allowed for any real illumination. "Someone who thinks he's a unique little snowflake who doesn't have to follow the rules like the rest of the family." He bent forward, pretending to have difficulties hearing the man's pleas, Negaduck grinned. "What's that, pal? Can't understand a thing you're saying."

Without ceremony, he unbound the knot that gagged the father. He sputtered and coughed with sweat pouring down his face. "Please please let us go! We have money, we're more than capable of working something out!"

"Oh, I'm sure we could, Mr. Pennington. I'm not an unreasonable sadistic psychopath." Negs tilted his head with a smile at the look of relief on the man's face. "Here, hold my chocolate while I think about what I want." Negs tilted the mug over and sent the steaming hot liquid onto the man's head. He heard the wife's muffled scream only faintly from the roar the man let out; his face contorted in sheer agony as steam bellowed from his angry red, burned skin. Feathers dropped out from the focus points of the burns, angry welts already began to form. Once the chocolate was gone, he hurled the cup towards the remaining two, who cried out in fear when it burst to pieces beside them. "Getting the message, folks? There's NO way out of this until I decide there's a way out!"

He snatched up the father by the collar and dragged him back to the others. With a furious growl, he hurls him beside his wife who, despite hours ago wished her husband dead, stared and wept for his burnt face and the agony he was in. "We're gonna play a game. You love games, don't you Donovan?" he crooned, white sharp teeth gleamed as the boy blanched at being directly addressed. "We'll play this one game, and it's a really simple one, kid."

Negaduck flicked open the same straight edge he had used on the dog and waved it in front of the boy's face. "Life's full of choices kid. Consequences to actions, decisions…indecisions. It all comes back in one way or another." He flicked the razor across the boys face; the rope that had him gagged fell off. "You're about to have to make a real nasty one. You see, I'm going to kill one of your adopted parents." The boy's eyes widened and he trembled while he shook his head frantically. "Oh yeah, it's happening. No way around it, but here's the good news; you're going to get to pick which one gets to die. Oh, I know," Negaduck stood up and pressed the straight edge sideways to his chest, eyes closed and a confident smile on his face. "How absolutely generous if you, Negaduck. But kid, there's a catch!"

He walked back to the parents, his hand lightly stroked the soft feathery cheek of the boys mother who simply wept in sheer terror. "You see, you only have 30 seconds to make that choice kid, if you can't do it… well." His grin returned, his eyes focused straight at the boy. "I'll kill them both."

"30 seconds punk," He cackled. "Starting now."

Negaduck watched the boy with utter delight; tears streamed down his face in torrents as he babbled and begged. Donovan's words were slurred and panicked, high pitched and practically incoherent, and Negaduck joyously mocked him. "You're wasting time boy brat, twenty seconds left before I paint the floor with either your mothers guts or your father's brains! Choose!"

Donovan screamed, "I don't know! I can't! You can't expect me to-"

"Fifteen seconds!"

"Stop! Please you can't do this to them!"

"Don't you know who you're being FUCKED by kid? I'm the worst thing that could happen to you, I'm the disaster you hope never even LOOKS in your general direction! I'm the REAL curse that's going to take all of your loved ones away! Five seconds!"

"Please!"

"Four seconds!"

"I can't decide! I can't!"

"Three seconds!" Negaduck pulled the wife's head back by the hair, straight edge posed above her neck's frantically pumping main artery. Her husband was struggling beside him and Negs landed a swift kick to his face to silence him.

"I..I…"

"MAKE A CHOICE KID, OR I'LL LEAVE YOU ORPHANED."

The boy wailed, broken and maddened. Negs readied himself for the coup de grace; eager to feel that rush of satisfaction, when a shot rang out and the straight edge flew from his hand. Sharp pain pierced his fingers as the end of a gas canister smashed his thumb and index before bouncing off.

"I am the terror, that flaps in the night!"

"No!" Negaduck roared, "Not right now!"

"I am the mislabeled expiration date on your first holiday Eggnog!" Darkwing swung in from the side, his webbed foot aimed straight at Negaduck's jaw. The impact sent the yellow cladded duck sailing across the warehouse. The world spun as Negaduck lifted his head from his laid position, he cussed and glared in Darkwing's direction; the hero had untied Negaduck's captives. The moment their ropes were loosened, the Pennington's fled and Darkwing blocked Negaduck's path. "I am Darkwing Duck!"

"YOU, are a constant source of annoyance!" Negaduck growled. "Can't even take the holidays off to be with the kid, eh?"

"Who do you think encouraged me to look deeper into this atrocious act against acclaimed cushion creators?" Darkwing smirked, clearly amused at the growing rage on Negaducks face. "I don't know why you've taken an interest in tormenting these people Negaduck, but your reign of terror has ended!"

The two lunged at one another, fists thrown, and being blocked almost identically. The sharp sting of quick jabs and cuts were ignored through the heated push. "Says you, you miserable excuse for me!" Negaduck growled. "I'm sick of you, I'm sick of everything you represent!" Darkwing's response was to grin confidently, which spurred on Negaduck's rage. The purple clad duck stepped back from the clumsy swings his furious doppelganger threw. "Tough cookies Negsy, Darkwing Duck will always be here to stop foul evil do'ers like yourself!"

"Even at the cost of your daughter's happiness?" Negs retorted.

Darkwing froze, a look of confusion flittered across his's face, before his expression went furious. "So, I thought it was a coincidence this family got picked for your corrupt holiday celebrations." All pretense of humor was gone from his features. "I don't know how you've been watching my number one fan, Negaduck, but her fathers not going…"

"Cut the act, Drakey." Negaduck taunted, his grin returned upon seeing Darkwing's face blanch from his tremendous realization that Negaduck knew more than he had previously let on. Negs nodded encouragingly at him. "That's right, Dipwing, put all the pieces together."

"How long have you known?" Darkwing whispered.

"Longer than you'd like to know." Negaduck lied, the truth was he had only recently put the pieces together himself; after the first time Darkwing went to the Negaverse he discovered that his own haunt, his lackeys and most importantly HIS Gosalyn had been exposed to his purple double and that's where the interest had begun; just how much was similar in their lives? Negaduck had done only a small amount of investigation before the problems in the Negaverse began with Scrooge. "You got quite a little girl, Darkwing." Negs crooned. "I'm sure she hasn't told you all the exciting escapades we had breaking out of that lab, but I'll say one thing." He winked, a lewd smirk crossing his beak. "I saw a lot of untapped potential in her. She just need to get rid of useless baggage like YOU!"

Negaduck renewed his attack; taking the distracted Darkwing by surprise. Negs felt his throbbing hand wrap around Darkwing's turtleneck before both stumbled to the ground in a struggle for dominance. "I'm going to take her away from you, one way or another Darkwing! I'll do things for her you won't." Negs rolled back on top of Darkwing before he began pounding the purple duck's face with his fist. "And THAT'S what all this is about! That brat messed with her, he needed to be shown what happens when you mess with the wrong people!"

Darkwing's right hand managed to catch Neg's fist on it's fourth time down, with his other hand he reached to Neg's forearm and twisted violently clockwise. Negaduck howled in agony before he was uppercutted by his nemesis. Darkwing loomed furiously over his temporarily immobilized foe, simply glaring with malice.

A period of silence stretched between the two before Darkwing spoke again, his voice calmed but cold. "So, you did all this for her? As some kind of payment for her saving your worthless hide?"

Negaduck didn't respond immediately, a low chuckle escaped him. "You really don't know what you have, do you?" the sneer of disgust on his face made Darkwing feel ignorant and inferior. "You're an idiot, and now that you know it's me, and you know what I know… I think you'll be stepping away from this investigation and letting me walk."

Darkwing shook his head. "I must have hit you harder than I thought Negaduck if you think I'll turn a blind eye to this."

"You will for your daughter's sake."

In a flash Darkwing was on him again, his fist poised to beat him down once more, Negaduck continued confidently. "Do you want her to know all this suffering was caused on her behalf? I mean, the police and the news reporters will want to know why I've spent all this time and care in utterly destroying their happy family. She may have some…lasting emotional damage that therapist you have her seeing can't fix." He smiled, again immense enjoyment crossed him as Darkwing realized even further the information Negaduck had. "Not to mention if I let slip how truly special your number one fan is to you, well… that would cause even more problems for her with other baddies, wouldn't it? Heh…"

"What's to stop me from beating you to death so none of that gets out?" Darkwing whispered, and for a moment Negs saw the exact expression on Darkwing's face as he saw on his own every day.

Oh, this was getting exciting.

"Because you'll have to kill me, and then, you'll lose your moral high ground. All that respect and justice bravado will wipe off you and she'll see the monster you're hiding after all." Darkwing's hand trembled slightly, his look of rage slowly ebbed way to an expression of resigned indignation and slowly his fist lowered.

Darkwing stood and watched Negaduck do the same and casually dusted his yellow jacket clean of the dirt and grime they had rolled together in. The tip of Negs beak was bleeding but he seemed oblivious to the pain, relishing his manipulation over DW. "I think I got my point across to that brat. He's not going to be living a carefree life ever again. You even provided the perfect way for me to escape. This is the start of a new relationship between us, Darkwing." Negs turned his back to Darkwing and headed for the exit. "You have something I want, and your grasp on it is slipping. It's only a matter of time."

"Stay away from her, Negaduck." Darkwing warned, shameful at his impotency to stop his doppelganger threats. He was caught between the desire to lunge after Negaduck and to stay rooted in place for his sake of his daughter.

The manic laughter that escaped into the night was drowned by the roaring winds outside, despite the setback… it seemed Negs still got to give his gift to Darkwing, a Holiday that would last in his mind forever.