A/N: This is an AU that's been playing in my head for a while now. It's been made only for entertainment! Hope you enjoy.
It was just another morning, like every one which had passed during the last five years.
On a secured room in an old building, music notes coming from a toy piano echoed through the empty halls. A few years ago, the same halls were filled with kids running and shouting, playing tag with each other for most part of the days, but those days over, as only one kid remained there with his take carer.
Someone then entered the building, an old woman in her early sixties, with her long skirt dragging lightly over the broken tiles of what used to be her own 'Adoption Center'; the vibrant yellow of the walls were turning gray as generations of kids passed, and there were weeds growing over the dusty windows. Most parts of the building were shut down and never opened again, with only one room still being in use. The lady headed to that room, guiding herself thanks to the music she recognized so well, and opened the wooden door.
The last kid in her care, was like no other in the slightest.
"Miss Gertrude, you returned!" The young, black mallard child smiled and stopped his play, looking up at her with his light blue eyes. Gertrude smiled faintly and took a seat near him. "...Did anything happen?" He asked worriedly; it wasn't common to have the lady leaving him in the orphanage for longer than a few hours. She sighed and looked at him.
"Yeah... I had no luck trying to locate another family for an interview." Gertrude had been struggling, trying to find a home for this one child ever since he came in. "And the government is still on me, asking when I'll be closing this place for good every time they see me."
"T-that's bad..." He seemed afraid. "Can't they be... patient?"
The lady took him in her arms and set him on her lap, rubbing circles on his back to calm him. "It's been at least two years, Dante. The government is desperate to get its hands on this place to build another skyscraper, or whatever the hell they want." She scowled lightly. "But I have been telling those greedy men that as long as you remain here, I will not hand them this place."
Dante looked up at her, and hugged her, hiding his face on her purple shirt. "...I'm sorry."
"Hm?" She looked down at him. "Why are you apologizing? This is hardly your fault..."
"I-If it wasn't by... 'this', I would have been adopted, and you wouldn't be pushing yourself-"
"Now stop right there." She cut him and made him face her. "This is NO ONE's fault, you hear me? Not mines, not yours, or anyone's. It's something that happened, and we'll get through it, no matter what."
The young mallard eye's watered a bit. "And if... we don't?"
Gertrude looked at him sadly. Even if it wasn't her case, she knew how much it affected him; all those couples who came to see him and turned him down, all those kids that bullied him after the first incident, and even the two years after that, he was still here with her as his only support. It wasn't surprising to believe he was losing all hope of ever finding a new, permanent house.
"Don't think like that." She said softly, still rubbing circles on his back. "It's only a matter of time... we've come so far now, and I still have a few contacts, we only need to stay determined and don't break. Understood?"
"...Yeah." He sniffed and cleaned his eyes with his sleeve.
Gertrude pat his head. "...What were you playing right now?" She asked, trying to change subjects. Dante looked up, and his smile came back.
"Oh, I was playing a song from the book you gave me yesterday!" He got off her lap and walked towards the piano, picking said book and reading it. "It's called... 'Glad you came'."
"It's a pretty nice name." She smiled. "Mind if you play it again for me to listen?" Dante grinned and left the book where it was, and read the first couple of notes as he positioned his fingers on the white and black piano keys.
Once again, the music that came from the room echoed in the halls as it started to play. Gertrude smiled warmly as she saw him playing, thinking how happy she would be if he ever got to play in a big stage, with a real piano. Dante had always had a liking for the instrument ever since she got him into a small theater show, where the ballerinas danced along every note that was played by a man in the grand piano they had. After the show, he begged her to have a piano on his own, and she decided to get one for him for his 'Birthday'.
Seeing him enjoying it, made her know that every coin she saved to buy it was worth it.
It was the sudden jump he made that took her out of her thoughts, and just as she was about to ask him what was wrong, she saw how his hands glowed with a vivid orange light.
Dante seemed panicked, so she quickly got to his side and crouched behind him. "Dante, are you OK?"
"Y-y-yeah." He stuttered watching his glowing hands, but the glow died after a short while. He sighed in relief as he inspected his hands. "I, I was worried I would end up blowing the piano..."
"Well, that didn't happen..." She said, seeming concerned. It had been a while since his powers showed up like that, and it worried her because she thought he had learned to keep them under control, or mostly. "Are you sure you're OK?" She asked again, thinking that maybe there was something bothering the boy.
But the young mallard only shook his head quietly. "I'm fine now, don't worry." He let his arms fall to each of his sides. "...Would it bother you if I stopped playing, for now?"
Gertrude sighed softly. "Of course not." She stood up after caressing his head. "How about we watch TV?"
He looked at her and then at the clock. "Uh, it's still not time to watch my cartoons."
"We can watch something else instead." She shrugged. "I need to see the news to see what's going on lately." Dante nodded and decided to follow her to the old TV that was over the table in the same room. They settled down in the sofa and turned it on, and after some static frequencies, the news reporter lady came to view.
"We interrupt our broadcast to give an important message to those living in the western area of Acmetropolis." Gertrude blinked and payed attention, that's where they lived. "A robber had escaped from the police after a shooting held in the Bank. A chase is currently being held by Ace Bunny, the leader of the Loonatics. We warn you to stay indoors as the robber is armed and dangerous-..." Gertrude stood up.
"Stay here."
"Huh?" Dante looked at her alarmed. "W-where are you going? The lady said we had to stay indoors!"
"And this lady says she wants to go outdoors." She turned to Dante. "If this brat makes his way into this place, I would never forgive myself, and I will not expose you to such danger." The young mallard seemed scared, but Gertrude, after she made sure he was well hidden, headed outside anyways. Powers or not, he was still a kid, and she was not risking his security.
Making her way outside, she heard the upcoming commotion and hid behind a tree at the entrance. From far away she saw how two vehicles made their way quickly through the neighborhood. The flying motorcycles shifted from one side to the other, as the robber tried to outsmart the Loonatics' leader to don't get caught, but the bunny showed not signs of letting the other take the upper hand.
"Ya bett'a quit runni'n!" He called, and avoided a bullet that was shot towards him. "Nice shoot, but now's my turn!" Gertrude had never seen, or heard about these Loonatics guys. She believed it was just another security team the government had contracted.
So when she saw how the Looney's eyes glowed yellow and fired a laser to the other motorcycle, she was shocked and frozen in her spot.
The robber's motorcycle spun out of control and crashed against the pavement right in front of the abandoned orphanage, and Ace quickly moved to where the man was. He jumped out of his vehicle and checked the man, only to find he was just unconscious. "Well doc, I t'ínk ya ain't getti'n away any time soon." He took the weapon away and handcuffed the robber, as the sirens of the police's cars reached them.
Gertrude kept watching from her spot, still in shock of what she just saw as Ace gave the police his report and handed them everything.
"The police department thank you for your assistance." The captain tipped his hat at Ace, who just nodded before they left. He was about to do as well, but from the corner of his eye he saw the lady behind the tree, and his first thought was that maybe she was injured.
"Ma'am?" He made his way towards her, and Gertrude snapped out of her state. Ace frowned at her in concern. "My name's Ace. Are ya alright? Did ya get hurt?"
Gertrude looked at him, trying to process what had happened, and what she had seen. This young adult Looney had powers. That's all she could make out of the situation.
And that was also the only thing she needed.
Standing upright, she shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
He seemed relieved and smiled lightly. "Well d'ats great news, for a moment I thought-"
"But I could use your assistance." She cut him.
Ace looked at her, and blinked, but he answered. "Er, sure ma'am, what's da problem?"
"My name is Gertrude." She introduced herself, and then showed the Loonatics' leader the building. "And I wouldn't call it a 'problem'... more like, a favor." Not wanting to reveal this just yet, she started to walk back into the orphanage, and Ace took it as a signal to follow the woman. It was a quiet walk for a few minutes, until he decided to get straight into the point.
"So, what's d'is... 'favor'?" He questioned as he looked at her. "Ya need help with d'is place? Seems ta me like it's gonna need a good fixi'n..."
But she shook her head. "No, this place can't be helped now." But instead, she asked him something back. "I'm afraid I haven't heard from you, or the 'Loonatics', care to explain this old lady what you're part of?"
Ace raised an eyebrow at her, it sort of surprised him that the lady hadn't heard about them, considering it's been two years since the group was made. "Eh, d'at is mostly classified. But in short, we are considered... 'Heroes'." He explained.
"And those powers of yours, are you the only one that possesses them?" She inquired.
"Nah, each memba' of our team has 'em." He turned to her, seeming a bit wary. "Any reason for ya interest?"
Gertrude smiled lightly. "Ah, just had the need to know." They were reaching the room she was meaning to bring him to. "Well, I believe I will have to tell you about this favor I need from you, mister Ace." She turned to him, and the bunny stood in front of her.
He looked at the door questioningly. "I would like ta hear d'at, yeah."
"For starters, do you happen to know where you are?"
"Eh... nah, I thought d'is was some dumped place."
Gertrude shook her head. "Half-right, but this place is actually an orphanage."
Ace caught up quickly, and for a second he was shocked. "H-hold on, ma'am, you're not telli'n me d'is favor of yours is actually-?"
"Let me finish." She held up her hand, silencing the Looney. "Yes, I was about to ask you to take a child under your wing-" Ace opened his mouth, and she cut him. "-because he's been here for at least five years, he's the only kid left here, and no one is daring enough to adopt him."
"..." He seemed a bit nervous, true was, he wasn't sure how he would deal with this. "...Why not? What's up with him?" He found himself asking.
She looked at him. "He's exactly like you. He's a Looney..." Ace seemed confused. "... and he also possesses powers."
"Wait, what?"
A/N: And there you have the start of this AU. Truth is, I don't know how far this one will get, but next chapter will come along surely. And yeah, Danger Duck is called 'Dante' in my AU, and I'm planning something with his name.
Also, if you wish to see fanart of this AU, or ask me things about it, please do so at (dreamingbuttons . tumblr . com !)
~DreamerAwaken.