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Quiverwing Quack blinked. The room was unfocused, hazy. All she could see were the outlines of shadows and light.

What had happened? The last thing she could remember was riding alongside Darkwing on the Ratcatcher, on nightly patrol. They had seen the rising smoke from the department store and gone to investigate. You secure the upstairs, I'll take the downstairs, he had told her. She had made her way to the third floor before the impact. A sudden whiff of chloroform. And then, blackout.

Was she dead?

"Hello, kiddo."

If she was, she was most certainly in hell. The voice that reached her in the dark was unmistakable.

"It's been awhile. And here I thought you were hiding from me."

The yellow and red hues of Negaduck's costume came sharply into focus. Quiverwing tried to move her arms, but found, unsurprisingly, that they were fastened around her back.

A physical escape was obviously not an option, at the moment. She decided to attempt bravado.

"I've got no reason to hide from the likes of you, Negajerk."

"Oh, you don't, do you?" he leaned in close to her, so close she could smell the stench emanating from his feathers. He smelled like Darkwing, if Darkwing spent his time in musty basements and smoky bars. She squirmed in the ropes that held her. One hand she could almost wrench free, and she was already using it to reach for her arrow gun. "Relax, and drop the hero schtick, Gos. No need for that, right now. All I want to do is have a little chat."

"I'm not interested in chatting with you," she growled, and in a swift motion, had freed her hand and trained her arrow gun on Negaduck. Unfortunately, he countered just as swiftly, and knocked the gun out of her hands with a metal grapple. He seized the gun and used the barrel to land a quick hit to her gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"You know, I'm not big on conversation, either. How's about I talk, and you listen?" Quiverwing went limp as he pulled her head back and secured her arms tightly with more rope. "Before that do-gooder father of yours arrives, and I'm sure he's due any moment now, I've got a proposition for you," he released her head. "I know you've been following me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Gosalyn. I've seen you. You've been trailing me for weeks—even in the rare instances I haven't been committing a crime. Been studying my every move. If I didn't know better, I might say you have a little crush on me."

Quiverwing winced. "Don't flatter yourself. Once I knew you were back in town, I knew I had to help Darkwing monitor you."

"And you're good at what you do. You've tracked me places that even the best can't track me. Even that lucky imbecile Darkwing Duck," he sat down in a chair across from her. "But I know you, Quiverwing. Little Miss Mischief. A closet advocate of senseless mayhem and destruction. After all these years, you've never gone off of my radar. You have a darkness inside of you and you always have."

"The only darkness in me is my hatred for criminal scum like you."

Negaduck raised an eyebrow. "Fortunately, I know that isn't the case," he took off his hat, and began to fiddle with the brim. "Your tendencies would far be more appreciated in my hometown. Which is why I'm offering you a special educational opportunity—a little vacation in the Negaverse."

"What makes you think I'd ever go for that?"

He cackled. "Whose arms do you imagine holding you at night? Whose image do you retreat in to when you're alone and drifting off to sleep? Why, none other than the image of dear old Dad," he leaned forward and hissed. "My image."

"Stop," Quiverwing closed her eyes, squinting them tightly shut. "What—how do you know that?"

Negaduck smiled and closed his eyes. "Call it a feeling," he snapped his fingers as Quivering frowned. "Or, to illustrate my meaning in a way that you might be able to understand…"

A tall, thin female duck wearing a rose-colored gown emerged from the shadows and stood beside Negaduck. What the deuce? Quiverwing thought. She hadn't noticed her in the room before. Then again, a lot of the room was still unfocused. Whatever gas Negaduck had used on her, she sensed she was still under its effects.

The first thing she noticed about the female duck was her hair-the long, red ringlets. And then her large, piercing green eyes and the uncanny realization that she was practically looking into a mirror.

"Who are you?"

The female duck smiled warmly. "I'm Gosalyn Mallard."

Negaduck gestured toward Quiverwing. "Gosalyn Mallard? Meet Gosalyn Mallard of the Negaverse, formerly my ward. Currently…" he pulled her on to his lap in a motion that was decidedly not fatherly. "Well, I don't know what to call it." He leaned in to Quiverwing, "Do you?"

"Disgusting," she spat at him.

Negaduck threw back his head and laughed maniacally. "That's pot calling the kettle black."

"Like hell it is!"

"Isn't it obvious?" He ran a hand down his Gosalyn's leg. "You're enjoying this more than you'd care to admit." He leaned in and whispered deliberately, punching each word. "You crave his touch."

Quiverwing swallowed, hard. "They're just thoughts. Everyone's entitled to their private thoughts. They don't mean anything- I'm not a freak."

Negaduck chuckled and sat back in his chair. "Remember, kiddo-the Negaverse exists as a dark mirror for your universe. But there's nothing in it that exists without some kernel of truth in yours." He motioned to his Gosalyn, who wrapped her arms around his neck lovingly. "As much as I hate to admit, I'm a derivative of Darkwing. A highly superior derivative, but a derivative nonetheless. A little piece of me has always existed in him. And that means, what I feel,.." he stroked Nega-Gosalyn's cheek. "…on some level, he does, too."

Quiverwing's eyes widened. "No-he's not perverse like you."

"Perverse like us, you mean," he clicked his tongue. "I must say though—facing him right now will be mighty awkward for you. Knowing what he has the potential to feel. Knowing what you do feel," he pressed her further. "I'm giving you the chance to explore your dark side, Gosalyn—scot-free. You'd be a fool to turn me down. My Gos, as you can see, is just as sweet as can be, and is more than prepared to take over your role as the Quiverwing Quack. No one, not even your dear old man, will be any the wiser."

"Fat chance of that," Quiverwing scoffed, though her voice was wavering. "No way weakly webfoot over there can handle my job."

Nega-Gosalyn stood and donned Quiverwing's bow and arrows, presumably stolen from her while she was blacked out. Loading the bow with a knife arrow, she aimed it at Quiverwing's midsection. Before Quiverwing could think, the ropes binding her were sliced clean with dangerous accuracy, and fell in a heap at her feet. She stared slack-jawed at her counterpart.

Negaduck stood and looked at her, eye to eye. "One week. With me. In the Negaverse. No requirements, no tests to pass, no strings."

"What's the catch?"

"None. Consider it a free chance for a more well-rounded education." He cupped her chin. She scowled, yet did not move away from the touch of his hand. "And think about it this way—if you're with me, you can make sure your precious Darkwing is safe from any of my schemes."

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't," he shrugged, and flashed a grin. "But hey-you trusted him."

Nega-Gosalyn kneeled before her. "May I have your mask?"

"Gosalyn! Are you all right?" Darkwing's voice reached her in the darkness.

She placed a hand on her head. "I-I'm fine, Dad. I was fumbling around in the dark and knocked some things over. Got hit on the head—must've blacked out for a few," she let him help her up, smoothing out the wrinkles of her cape. "I didn't find anything."

"Neither did I. Never mind that, now." he wrapped her in a hug. "I'm just relieved that you're safe. I got worried when I couldn't find you! Are you sure you're all right?"

"Never better," Quiverwing smiled warmly.

"Welcome to your St. Canard."

Gosalyn looked over the dark version of her hometown. Pillars of rust-colored smoke rose above the St. Canard Tower. She glanced hesitantly at Negaduck, standing by her side. "So…I'm here. What now?"

"Now…," he paused, taking her in with his black eyes, "…it's time for your first crime."

FIN