Dedicated to a friend and a Mentor. Thank you for your ideas and guidence.
Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck™ or any character, location or event associated with that said show.
Prelude to Boom Comics The Duck Knight Returns
Upping the Ant-e
They first appeared on the kitchen windowsill. Squeezing through an impossibly small gap in the corner of the frame. Little black dots which may have been mistaken for spilt coffee specks or borer holes in the grain had they not been marching with a purpose. Even had someone been home they may have thought little of little creatures. Indifference at best, a can of bug spray at worst. Soon though, their increasing number would demand attention and action.
They entered the household. One by one. Two by two. Three by three.
Under the front door and in through the upstairs bedroom window.
Four by four. Five by five.
They gained entry through the plumbing. Crawling out of the kitchen sink and shower drain.
Twelve by twelve. Seventeen by seventeen.
A black caprice armoured swarm moved to secure key areas of the house. Every exit was surrounded with the door latches jammed. The alarms were disabled. The swarm chewed though the internal wiring of motion detectors and thermal devices. Bug spray was confiscated. Phones, mobile or corded, were lifted by light feelers. Potential weapons such as kitchen knives were removed from the equation. The fuses for various rooms were disabled.
Fifty-three by fifty three. Eighty-one by eight-one.
In the closet of the upstairs master bedroom they confiscated his uniform and favoured weaponry. It was coup for the army to secure these items early and deny him. However, the operation was not all sugar cubes. Master was uncomfortable with their inability to locate the primary target. He was not in the kitchen. He was not in the bedrooms. He was not in the laundry, the bathroom, the basement, the garage or any of the closets. He was not in the roof crawl space, or the under house space.
One-hundred and thirty-three by one hundred and thirty-three. Two-hundred eleven by two-hundred eleven.
With the premises secure the creatures formed parade ground ranks atop benches, shelving and tables. Several disabled the locking mechanism on the front door, ready for the master's entry.
A duck pushed the door open and strode inside. He may have arrived from Mars. Short. With ball antenna set on springy wires fastened to his head. Armed with a ray gun. He spoke with a high voice and lisp that was out of this world. Reminiscent of another fictional duck-like alien (and almost universally hated character) from a popular prequel science fiction series.
"Where is he my little ant friends. Where is Darkwing Ducky?"
The antenna affixed helmet he wore allowed his words to be interpreted by his army and his army's reply, inaudible by the Duck ear, to be interpreted by him.
"Not here? Owh!"
Master criminal and inventor, Lilliput, sighted a family picture of Drake Mallard, Gosalyn Mallard and Launchpad on the mantelpiece. He lashed out, smacking the frame with the butt of his ray gun. Its sudden escape from the mantel, the grasp of gravity, the soft crack of glass; he considered breaking more items.
"Months of agonising over revenge and he isn't even home. How ruude!"
He scuffed the carpet with the tip of his clown sized boots. Chagrin he never thought to watch the Darkwing's movements and assumed he would be home during the day.
"Well, what do we do now my insect army? Return later? Stay here in ambush?"
A clattering in the kitchen led him to the answer. He followed the sound to its source, both hands on the ray gun held out in front of him and ready. His army of ants forming up behind him.
In the kitchen an ill-disciplined brigade of his ants had begun to loot cupboards and the fridge looking for anything sweet to the taste.
"D'ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh! We're meant to be exacting revenge here! Not empting the fridge."
The ants counter-argued.
"Yes. I did promise you all the sugar you could ever want."
And the ants added….
Lilliput sighed. "Alright. I have decided we shall wait him out. Turn the power back on. I want to watch some TV." He shook his head, defeated. Sometimes the key to leading an army was to issue orders likely to be obeyed. To follow rather than command, least he would have to deal with mutiny. The ants would have as the ants demanded.
"Here." He took a container of Ice cream from them and placed it on the bench. Set the dial on his ray gun to 'enlarge'. A blue zap and there was enough melting triple chocolate fudge ice cream to feed an army of millions. Of ants.
Even Lilliput's mouth watered at the concept.
"Prison food was no five star restaurant, no siree. I suppose a snack break couldn't hurt. I want to fry up some real burgers."
Author's Note: Sorry about the recent absense folks. Computer issues. Bad. Duck Knight and KPM2 remain on hold.