Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, LaunchPad, or any Disney character.
Something More. Part 1
Darkwing sat on the ledge of Darkwing Tower gazing down over the city below.
It was a late September evening, the air was crisp and the clear blue sky was fading into the twilight colors of sunset. It had been an unusually peaceful day all in all.
Darkwing would have enjoy the serenity, but not this particular night. It was an anniversary of a time he recalled with a heavy heart.
DAAAD!" a high pitch squeal broke through the tranquil silence. Darkwing startled and jumped to his feet in surprise. Gosalyn came bounding out of the tower onto the ledge to her father. "DadCanHonkerSpendTheNightWithUsTheMuddlefootsAreGoingToA
QuackerwaresConventionAndHonkerDoesn'tWantToGoBecause
TankAlwaysSealsHimInOneOfTheMegaSuperSizedContainers
AndLeavesHimThereSoCanHeSpendTheNight?" She managed to blurt out in a single breath.
Darkwing stared at his adopted daughter blankly, for a moment, as he tried to sort out what sounded like a scrambled code in preteen gibberish.
After a few seconds without an answer she asked impatiently "Well, can he?"
"Uh,...sure ..I guess." he finally replied, uncertain of what he had given permission for.
She grinned and chirped "And can we order a pizza?"
"I guess"
"And rent a Scary movie?", she added looking hopeful.
"Now wait a minute Little Missy...", Darkwing said with a stern voice.
"Please, oh please, Dad!? I won't get anything too scary ..honest. Maybe just something like Revenge of the Zombified Mutant Mummies ...you know, the classic stuff." She looked at her father pleadingly.
Darkwing gave a surrendering sigh and nodded "Alright ....as long as it doesn't give Honker nightmares ..like that last movie you rented." He said pointedly.
"Cool, thanks Dad!" she cheered throwing her arms around her father for a quick hug before adding "Uh, I'll need some money for the pizza and movie," she said holding out her hand with a grin.
Heaving another sigh Darkwing pulled out his wallet and handed her $20.00. With a quirky smile and the $20.00 clutched in her fist she spun about and charged off again
as quickly as she'd come. Darkwing smiled wearily to himself as he watched her go. That kid had him wrapped around her little finger – and knew it!! But now his mind settled back to the pondering of that time past. He perched himself back down on the ledge, allowing his thoughts to drift back to another time, years before. He had not been a crime fighter for very long and his work, so far seemed in vain.
As daybreak drew near, the masked mallard returned to his hideout after yet another day of thwarting small time crooks and hoods. As he entered Darkwing Tower, he removed his fedora and cape, allowing them to drop to the floor as he walked. He flopped down in front of his wide screen television, his mask still covering his face. He sighed heavily doubting rather or not it was all worth it.
He would capture petty criminals and street thugs only to have them back on the streets in a matter of days, taking up where they'd left off.
The best Darkwing had done was to scare a few young hoods straight – or out of town. The system is just one big revolving door he thought. He wasn't all that sure at times if he should stay a crime fighter. Perhaps there was another way to make a difference, a way that actually mattered ....at least to the media! They never took notice of him. A guy running around in a mask and cape, fighting crime and nobody noticed. It just wasn't fair.
With that, he picked up the remote and flipped on the TV. Same old same old. "Cops catch bad guys, good Samaritans saves family from burning house, two young Private Investigators crack smuggling operation that had police baffled for years." Darkwing watches as the two young men praised for the deed try to get by the news crew as reporters flock around them," Darkwing scoffed. "They run from the reporters when I can't even get recognized for my valor!" The news report continues " some weirdo who thinks he's a cross between Batman and Zoro goes running around streets at night beating up on street punks and gang members ....." "Oh Yeah, great, just great! Well, they noticed me anyway!"
Drawing a ragged breath, he flipped off the television and stood wearily to his feet. He didn't feel like breakfast this morning, he just wanted to get some sleep.
As evening approached, the disheartened hero pulled himself from his bed. Grabbing a cold sandwich and a soda from the frig., he again found himself in front of the television. His mind wandered as he sat listening to the new report as usual. Maybe he should give up the idea of being a vigilante crime fighter. Who'd care! No One!
Shaking the thought from his head he tried to focus on the new report. A reporter was telling of a kidnapping situation at the water front. "One of this countries most renowned Scientist has been taken prisoner in a Lab on the outskirts of the city. Police are helpless to act as night begins to fall. We do not yet know what the criminals are after as no ransom demand has been made." Darkwing felt a rush of energy. That could be it! Maybe this would be his break. Night was his time! "I have a scientist to rescue, criminals to foil and a chance to be on the 10:00 news!!"
Little did he know that he was not the only one interested in rescuing the abducted scientist.
As night fell, Darkwing pulled the RatCatcher up behind some brush a couple of hundred yards away from the laboratory grounds. He'd have to go the rest of the way by foot to keep from being spotted. He made his way through the woodland around the Lab so not to been seen by the police that were posted all around the building. He found a blind spot in the shadows where he could enter undetected by the cops or the crooks inside. He slipped quietly in through a small window in the back of the building.
He crept stealthily through the dark room unaware he was being observed from above.
On a cat walk over head, two men watched him carefully. "He doesn't look like one of their henchmen ..not in that get-up." The smaller of the two whispered as he crouched low to avoid being seen.
"He's not. I think he's that costume clown that's been reported running around playing superhero ... Darkwind ... Darkwing Duck." The taller one crouching next to him answered.
"Eh, then he's one of the good guys, So to speak?"
"So to speak. Lets just hope he doesn't throw a monkey wrench into our works." He paused and studied Darkwing moving furtively through the shadows. "Hmm, he's had some sort of training, Martial-arts perhaps."
"Then maybe he actually knows what he's doing?"
"Maybe," at that moment Darkwing managed to stumble over his own two feet falling against a Lab table full of glass beakers. The table crashed loudly to the floor. "Then again.." the man moaned as he and his partner pulled away from the rail of the cat walk, to avoid being seen by the henchmen that were bound to come looking into the racket.
"Oopsy," Darkwing said to himself as he scrambled behind a computer console as he heard the sound of running footsteps coming in his direction.
He watched from his hiding place six men entered, carrying weapons. One of the henchmen pointed to the mess of shattered glass and broken wood that had been a table a moment before. "Somebody is in here ..and they're not getting out alive!"
"I AM THE TERROR THAT FLAPS IN THE NIGHT!", came a voice from nowhere. There was a puff of blue smoke in front of them "I AM THE NIGHTMARE THAT ALL CRIMINALS HAVE...." The smoke cleared to reveal a masked duck in purple garb " I AM DARKWIIIING DUCK!" The thugs stood momentarily in shock before gaining there senses and opening fire on the masked duck.
Darkwing nimbly sprang into the air somersaulting backward to the cover of the console. This was definitely not what he had hoped for.
One of the henchmen moved toward the console, Darkwing saw him. As the man jumped behind the console ready to shoot, he found there was no one to shoot. He didn't have a chance to figure out what was going on for a figure leaped from the shadows kicking him backward into another henchman.
Before any of them could fire Darkwing bound into the middle of the group and started kicking and punching. He was doing quite well fighting them, but as usual his ego got in the way. He got careless and one of the crooks managed to blind side him with the butt of his gun. Darkwing now lay unconscious on the floor.
The crook smiled as he lowered his gun to Darkwing's head and started to pull the trigger. Without warning and arrow whistled through the air, striking the floor at there feat. On impact, the arrow exploded into a brilliant flash of light. When the flash was gone, so was Darkwing. The henchmen stood around in a state of confusion for a moment before the leader said "Apparently, the purple buffoon isn't alone! Spread out and look for them, who ever they are! Take care of anybody you find! I'm going back to keep an eye on the old scientist."
to be continued....