this is going to be a complete rewrite of the original pilot of the show, but with drake and gosalyn's roles reversed (plus some other changes). and with any luck, i'll actually finish it! i have most of it plotted out in my head... now i just have to write it. for more on this au, check out my "quiverwing quack au" tag on my main tumblr (also odd-gelato)! though, because it's been a while since i came up with this, some of the information in the tag will be a little outdated in regards to this fic.

Prologue: In Which a Murder is Witnessed

One year ago

Doctor Ana Mallard was having a quiet night in with her grandson. Ever since he'd officially come into her custody a couple of months ago, she'd made sure she was always home in time for dinner. It was hard, especially with the Ramrod project now wrapping up, but young Drake needed her now more than ever. She wanted to make sure he knew that she'd always be there for him.

Drake was happily chattering about his favorite superhero show between spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, Ana nodding along and making impressed noises at the appropriate intervals, when she heard the lock on the front door rattle and click. She reached across the table and grabbed Drake's hand, her strained expression silencing him immediately.

Multiple footsteps tapped in the foyer, and she slid out of her chair, tugging Drake along behind her as she crept out of the dining room. She waited until she could tell what direction the intruders were going, then headed up the stairs. On the second landing was a closet, and she opened the door and directed Drake inside. "It's going to be okay, love," she whispered. "Just stay in here and keep quiet."

Drake pressed his ear to the door as soon as she closed it, straining to hear what was going on outside. There were a few moments of quiet, and the sound of a few people running up the stairs and past the closet. A muffled argument broke out down the hall, which quickly turned into a scuffle. The struggle got closer and closer, and then his grandma cried out, followed by a series of thuds and a sickening crack.

After a brief silence, someone said, "Eh, old folks fall down the stairs all the time."

Another, more nasally voice asked, "But weren't you supposed to get the code first?"

"This geezer can't be the only one who knows it," was the dismissive reply. "C'mon, let's make sure the job's finished."

Before they could move, sirens began to wail in the distance. The first voice cursed. "Mouth! Didn't you disable the security system?"

"I-I thought that was Hoof's job!"

"You idiots! Ugh, she looks dead enough. Let's scram before the fuzz get here."

Drake waited until their footsteps vanished, and then he burst out of the closet. His grandmother was sprawled at the base of the stairs, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle. He descended the stairs in a haze and collapsed to his knees beside her body. Hesitantly, he put a hand to her cheek. She was still warm, but her eyes were open and lifeless.

Doubling over, he screamed and screamed until his throat felt ragged. He screamed until he was empty and raw, until the police showed up and bundled him in a blanket.

In the end, he couldn't find the words to tell them what really happened, and Doctor Ana Mallard's death was declared an accident.