"I didn't tell 'em anything, Dad, I promise," Quiverwing says, curled up in her father's lap, clutching her stomach as though it's nothing but some bad nausea.
"I know, I know," he does what he can to calm her. She's living up to her superhero name. "It's okay, sweetie."
He knows it's too late to be thinking of this, but however endearing it was for the citizens of St. Canard to see him fighting alongside a little fireball of a kid, this could never have been safe for her. Yes, she could always handle herself better than most kids her age, but he should never have let her talk him into letting her join him officially. She couldn't have known better. That was his job. And somewhere else, he did it.
Somewhere else, she holds out until an ambulance can arrive. She's taken to the hospital and makes a slow, but full recovery.
Somewhere else, she gave in. In return, they spared her, satisfied with the knowledge she'd given them. She bawls and apologizes profusely. Her father just kneels down and wraps her up in a hug that seems to last an absurdly long time. They'll figure it out from here.
Somewhere else, she escaped. Bolted the second she heard "Cute kid" from that voice that was all too similar to Darkwing's. The same one that, here, was going to echo through his memories for the rest of his life. "Let's fix that."
Somewhere else, it was him. The way it should have been. Gosalyn is torn to shreds, but eventually, she turns back into something mostly resembling her old self. Here, Drake has no such luck.
Here, it's over within seconds. He kneels there for quite a while. He doesn't know how he's supposed to get back up, or move at all, or breathe. But, in time, he realizes he has no choice. She would never stand for him resigning himself to the feeling that his world has become a washed out version of itself. In time, he stands up and slings a sheath around his shoulder, continuing what he started while trying to ignore the feeling of a phantom limb at his side.
Here, he's still Drake Mallard, but no longer a father. Still here to defend the city, but no longer Darkwing Duck.
