Duckworth's Worst Fear
By: Pearlyduck
Author Notes: This is a "what you didn't see" type of fic based on the Ducktales episode "Nothing to Fear." We were able to see Scrooge McDuck's and the boys' fear get worse and worse, but we didn't see how Duckworth's fears grow. This is an idea I had of a possible Duckworth backstory, or at least part of one. I wonder why this hasn't become a thing yet, it so seems like something that should be a thing.
Disclaimer - I don't own Ducktales or any of their characters.
Duckworth watched as the limo drove up into the driveway, it looked like the downpour was back at full force once again. So much for the lull in storm he had enjoyed since Mr. McDuck left for the Money Bin. It was odd, one would have thought that being alone in the big mansion after such a morning would have been nerve wracking. But as the rains calmed, Duckworth actually felt better. It's so strange how the weather could affects your emotions. Now however, the trepidation he felt this morning came back roaring back-mirroring the storm that raged against the house.
"The limo is pulling up and I'm pulling out" Duckworth shouted as he made his way back to his hall closet. Once the door was closed he could hear Mr. McDuck and boys coming in and talking loudly. He leaned back against the far wall and sighed in relief. It doesn't sound like the limo monster came in with him.
"Limo monster," he thought to himself grimly. If he didn't see it with his own eyes he never would have believed it. Of all the creatures why did the limo have to take the form of a cat. He hated cats. Well, hate might not be the best word, feared would probably be better term to use. It all stemmed from a recurring nightmare from his youth. "You're a grown adult, and you're in a closet hiding for a limo monster like a child" Duckworth berated himself "Get a grip on yourself" He hated feeling afraid, heavens knows he spent far too much time as a boy afraid. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the awful memories. A knock on the door brought him back to the present. Probably Mr. McDuck or one of the boys looking for him as Duckworth opened the door.
He gasped and tried to slam the door closed when he saw who it was….it was most definitely not Mr. McDuck or the boys. It was someone he hoped never to see again. An almost mirror version of himself. Only the figure before him was dressed as a hooligan and sported a five O'Clock shadow instead of his own clean shaven muzzle. Unfortunately, he was not able to close the door fast enough as he was grabbed and dragged out from the closet
"Come out dear Brother", growled a voice he knew all too well as he was pushed to the ground. "I got a bone to pick with you"
"Jasper" cried Duckworth has he cowered on the floor. He couldn't believe it, standing above him was his sadistic identical twin brother.
"I broke out of the jail you put me in and now I will make sure you pay" Jasper taunted as he kicked him in the ribs. Duckworth rolled over onto his stomach and he tried to push himself up only to feel himself be pushed down. One of his arms was yanked behind his back and twisted. A familiar twinge of pain shuddered through his arm. "Say it" Jasper growled in his ear.
'This can not be happening' thought Duckworth as he gritted his teeth through the pain. He felt his arm twist and a sudden rush of fear overwhelmed him. In spite of himself he found himself saying the phrase he hated most in the world "Uncle, brother uncle"
"That's a good brother" mocked Jasper, as he let go of Duckworth, who now free was able to scrambled to his feet. Duckworth stared wide eyed and horror stricken as he watched his brother evaluate the items in the McDuck Mansion hallway. "Well well my dear brother, you seem to have hit the jackpot. I do believe there is a small fortune here for the taking. You will be helping me steal it won't you"
" I certainly will not! I have no interest in assisting you in your criminal lifestyle and I will never betray the trust Mr. McDuck has placed in me." Duckworth stammered as firmly as he could.
"This Mr. McDuck trusts you even though you have a criminal in the family or have you neglected to him about me" Jasper questioned.
"There is no need for me to explain. You are a bad apple, every family has a black sheep"
"So you wouldn't mind if I have a chat with him" as Jasper headed towards Mr. McDuck's study.
"I wouldn't give you the pleasure" stated Duckworth as he sidestepped Jasper barring him from the study. Suddenly, the study door opened behind Duckworth as Mr. McDuck opened the door.
"What's this" asked Scrooge as he looked at the two men before him. "Burst me bagpipes, I'm seeing double"
"I'm a crook who's after your money, I got my brother here, to case your joint for years, now under cover of this storm we're finally going to steal you blind" Jasper explained matter of factly as he put his arm around a horrified Duckworth. Duckworth quickly pushed the arm off his shoulder.
"No! Lies, Complete utter nonsense" Duckworth stated quite resentful of the implication
"Which one is the lie, that I'm your brother, I'm a crook, or the one where you never told your employer about me?" Interrogated Jasper.
"Duckworth is this scoundrel your kin?" Scrooge asked.
"Yes, but I haven't had anything to do with him in decades."
"Haven't had anything to with me, yet here I am. Very suspicious for you to never have mentioned me, huh"
"Yes, very suspicious" agreed Scrooge. Duckworth stared he couldn't believe that Mr. McDuck was agreeing with his lying brother. This was like a nightmare.
Duckworth fell to his knees in front of Mr. McDuck. " Sir, you have to believe me I'm not planning any scheme to steal from you and I want nothing to do with that scoundrel either" Duckworth pleaded.
"Maybe so but if there was nothing you should have told me the truth long ago. I don't want ye here anymore"
"But, sir"
"Don't but sir me, get out of me house and away from me family" Scrooge shouted before returning to his study and slamming the door behind him. Duckworth just stared at the doors, the words stung and he felt liked he was just slapped across the face. For years he has saw himself as part of the McDuck family, his heart broke that he could be so easily tossed aside, and it brought tears to his eyes. He never thought there would be a time when he would lose 's trust and be dismissed in this fashion.
He was still on his knees staring at the door when he felt a tube press against the back of his head. He heard a telltale clink of metal. "Now for me to put you out of your misery" hissed Jasper
Tears began to roll down Duckworth's face. 'What use is it, he tried to run once before and now he lost the trust of his closest friend'. He closed his eyes bracing for what was the come, but it never came. There was a loud clap of thunder and the rain outside suddenly stopped. Slowly Duckworth opened his eyes, surprised that he was the only person in the hall. He could hear and the boys cheering in the back yard. Huh? I thought Scrooge was in his study. Duckworth tentatively got up, went to the nearest door, cracked it open, and peered out. and the boys were definitely celebrating something, their hands were joined as they danced amongst the puddles.
"Sir?" Duckworth asked from the door as he opened it wider.
"It's alright now, Duckworth. The lads and I faced our fears defeating Magica de Spell's fear cloud. I don't think you will be seeing your limo monster anytime soon."
Duckworth sighed in relief as his shoulders relaxed as if a huge weight was lifted. "It never happened, it was all an illusion." He said to himself.
Life at McDuck Mansion could go back to normal, he could go back to his chores but what said about how he and the boys faced their fears struck a chord. Perhaps he should follow their example and face his fears as well. He doubted he would ever really see his brother again nor did he wish too. However, there was one fear he could face and it was long overdue for him to tell Mr. McDuck about his wayward brother. Duckworth went to the kitchen closet, with his decision made up and the todays fear evaporating like the rain outside. Right now there was more pressing priorities, like once they come in there will be mud floors to mop.
Later that Evening
Duckworth lightly rapped on the door of Mr. McDuck's study.
"Come in" He heard his employer answer from within. Duckworth steered the last of his lingering nerves as he entered. Scrooge McDuck looked up from his papers as the door opened. "Ahh, Duckworth, are the lads giving you trouble going to bed?" Scrooge asked.
"No Sir, despite the frightful day they went right to sleep"
"That's good, I was concerned they wouldn't want to go to bed for fear of nightmares. Hopefully them facing their fears today, will keep them away"
"Sir, I actually wanted to speak to you about today, if I may trouble you for your time" Duckworth asked nervously.
"Duckworth, if this is about hiding from the Limo Monster, there is nothing to be embarrassed about, Magica's spell tricked everyone, myself included." Scrooge reassured the butler
"I do appreciate that, Mr. McDuck, however, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about. While you and the boys were conquering your fears outside, I was experiencing my own worst fear, and it's high time I face it….or at least part of it." Duckworth stated nervously, as he came deeper into the room. Taking a cloth from his back pocket he started to dust one of the many priceless objects in the room absentmindedly.
"Go on Duckworth, anything you say here won't leave this room" Scrooge said encouragingly as he leaned back in his chair giving Duckworth his attention.
"Mr. McDuck, I never told you much about my family or my life before coming into you employment. It was a life I wanted to leave behind me never to think about again. However, today made me realize that, one can't will away memories from the past." Duckworth put back his cloth and took a seat on the couch.
"I have a brother, an identical twin brother, actually he fits the cliche of evil twin to a tea. He was exceptionally cruel to me as a youngster. I was always frightened of him and what he could do to me. It wasn't until it was almost too late before I stood up to him."
"Duckworth, all siblings fight, I can't tell you how often myself and my sister Hortense went at it when we were young. There were times I was quite intimidated by her when I was a young lad." Scroogled offered taking a seat next to Duckworth place and hand on his shoulder.
"Sadly, this wasn't normal sibling rivalry, when we were small we had a family cat, my brother took enjoyment out of tormenting the poor creature. One time I walked in on him "playing with it", I still remember the cat's howls of pain. That memory caused more nightmares than I could count. I knew what he was doing was wrong but I was always too scared to tell anyone. I thought maybe if I had the courage, that if I said something or if I did something to intervene, maybe I could have saved that helpless animal." Duckworth paused as he hung his head.
"Our parents never suspected anything was unusual, my brother told them that the cat just ran off, my wardrobe consisted of long sleeved clothes. When our parents passed, life in the family house went from bad to worse. My brother charmed the judge who presided over our case, leading the courts to decide that my brother would be the sole executor of their estate. I never could understand his ability to persuade anyone to do what he wished. Once he had the power to influence the judge and controlled the bank accounts, I was trapped there for a long time, a prisoner in my own home. I did try to run away in the beginning. I wanted to make my own life away from him but my escape attempts failed." Duckworth shuddered and shook his head trying to shake away the memories.
"It wasn't the cooking, cleaning, and chores that bothered me. I wasn't running from that, it was his constant abuse that plagued me" Duckworth got back up, took out his cloth again and went to dust one of the ledges of a bookcase facing away from Scrooge.
"Eventually, my brother took up a life of crime, goodness knows why, he had more than enough money. It started with petty theft but it escalated quickly, Scotland Yard became involved and started to investigate him. That's when he started making me do "errands" for him. At first I was just happy to be out of the house, I was shut away for so long, but I couldn't stand the guilt. I didn't want to be a criminal and I didn't want to be like him. I knew that my brother wanted me to be his fall guy. I was completely willing to be accountable for what I've done but I wasn't going to let him use me as a scapegoat for his crimes. During one of those errands I turned myself into the police. I pleaded with them to put me to jail. I was already a prisoner, where did it matter where I was, at least I would be free from my brother in there." Duckworth wiped his eyes with the back of his gloved hand before sitting back down on the couch.
"As it turned out, I didn't have to go to jail. A detective took an interest in me, he was so kind. If it wasn't for him I don't know what would have happened to me. He invited me to his home and in time I told him everything, the years of abuse by my brother, all the crimes I witnessed him commit, and the virtual enslavement I was kept in after our parent's death. He helped me find the courage to testify against my brother which put him behind bars. After my brother threaten me during his sentencing, this detective took it upon himself to ensure my safety. He arranged for me to attend butler school here in America." Duckworth stopped and looked over to Scrooge McDuck.
"I'm so sorry Mr. McDuck, I should have told you this a long time ago. I never meant to lie to you, frankly this is just not something I'm comfortable speaking about.
"I can see why you wouldn't bring it up and you were never under any obligation to tell me anything of your personal life, so no you didn't lie. Duckworth, we all have time in our lives that we would rather keep private. It's nothing to be ashamed or feel dishonest about. "Do you feel better now that this off your chest?" Scrooge asked
"Yes, sir, I do" Duckworth sighed, relaxing his shoulders as the day's tension fell from them "Facing one's fear is akin to removing a cumbersome burden that you didn't realize you were bearing" he mused. He got up from the couch, the day's events were now catching up with him and he felt awfully tired as he stifled a yawn.
"That's good, happy to hear it. If you ever need someone to talk to you know I'm always here for you, old friend, now go get some rest, Duckworth. It's been a long day and it's getting late" Scrooge watched as his trusted butler left the room.
Scrooge sighed. He often wondered about Duckworth's past, but never felt it right to pry, now that he knew he wished there was more that he could do comfort the poor lad. Duckworth, didn't care much about money and he wouldn't accept a raise even if he did. This would have to take some thought. In anycase, something that will have to wait for another day, he had reports to finish.