"Launchpad, will you stop eating!?" screamed Darkwing, knuckles white as he clutched the Thunderquack's dashboard.
"Heh, sorry DW, but you just can't go on a case on an empty stomach" his jovial sidekick replied.
"Yes" responded Darkwing, through gritted teeth, "but you can't go on a case if you crash while eating!"
"Relax DW, when do I ever crash?" replied Launchpad. Closing his eyes as the Thunderquack did another double somersault, Darkwing fought back the sarcastic response that was on the tip of his tongue. "Just – focus on getting us to the crime scene" he replied. "In one piece" he added under his breath.
With a violent jolt, the Thunderquack slammed into the floor, staggering upwards as the landing struts deployed too late.
"Heh, see DW, no problems with the flight!" declared Launchpad.
"Yeah…. Right…" replied Darkwing, still dazed after the flight. Shaking his head, he dashed inside the bank, followed closely by Launchpad.
Bursting into the bank, gas gun drawn, Darkwing scanned the darkened room. "Our courageous crimefighter carefully crawls forward, using caution and cunning to close upon the crook" he muttered as he crept forward. Gathering his cape about him, he drew a smoke canister.
"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the bounced cheque you just weren't expecting! I am – what?" Darkwing's heroic intro was cut short as he saw whom, or more precisely what, was robbing the bank. In amongst the piles of gold and stacks of money flitted round steel balls, each with 2 small protruding metal rods, wrapped in bronze wire. Electricity sparked off them at random intervals, occasionally hitting another one and causing it to pause for a moment as the electricity coursed through it. Some of them had claw-like arms instead of the antenna, and were manhandling the money onto a trolley.
"What – how?" Launchpad had arrived behind Darkwing. "DW, what are those things?" Not wishing to appear ignorant, Darkwing struck a heroic pose.
"Villains, Launchpad, most malevolent miscreants. Suck gas, evil-doers!" With that, he took aim with his gas gun, but before he could fire, one of the strange creatures turned round, letting a burst of electricity loose straight at Darkwing. Hitting the cartridge, the electric beam caused the gas cartridge to detonate, leaving Launchpad and Darkwing choking in a cloud of gas as the creatures abandoned their work, fleeing with whatever money they had already loaded onto the cart.
Waving his arm madly in an attempt to clear the air, Darkwing finally managed to stop choking. As the smoke cleared, it revealed the room, devoid of electric creatures – and a substantial amount of money. Pulling the corners of his hat down in frustration, Darkwing turned to his trusted sidekick. "Launchpad, start up the Thunderquack. There's only so far they can run."
"But DW, heh, they're pretty small" replied Launchpad. "How are we going to find them?"
Biting back another comment, Darkwing thrust his sidekick towards the window. "Heh, oh yeah, it's nighttime" replied Launchpad, as he watched the occasional electric flicker in the black, moving away from the bank.
Rocketing after the strange creatures, Darkwing gazed down through his binoculars. "Launchpad!" he exclaimed. "They're heading for the train station!! Quick, set down here!" With a bone-shaking crash, the Thunderquack landed (in a loose sense of the word). Jumping out, Darkwing gave a shout of surprise as the train started to pull away, the windows glowing yellow, small shapes sparking inside as they floated about. "Get the Ratcatcher!" shouted Darkwing, already running after the train. "Meet us at the next station!!"
Feet pounding on the ground, gravel being thrown up, Darkwing dived after the train, managing to grab a rail just as it started to speed up. With a monumentous effort, he hauled himself aboard, coming face to face with two of the strange floating balls. "Hah! You picked the wrong duck to mess with", he growled, taking up a basic Quack-fu stance. Lashing out at the closest one, he jumped up in shock as 10,000 volts flooded through his body. Pulling himself up, he grabbed the metal rail for support, an idea suddenly flashing into his head. With a grunt, he strained at the rail, pulling until the veins stood out on his face. But the metal railing remained stalwartly in place. "Alright, you metal miscreants!" he declared, turning round. "Let's see just how connected you two are!" With that, he hurled his gas gun at the two creatures. The weapon hit them dead on, connecting the two creatures for an instant through the metal body of the gas gun. Blue light erupted everywhere, sparks flying, an electric buzz filling the air. Fried, the two metal balls collapsed to the ground, motionless. "Yep yep yep" grinned Darkwing, retrieving his gas gun, "another shocking performance from the masked mallard!" Bounding down the carriage, he headed for the engine.
"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the passenger who is never satisfied with the highly priced return fare! I am…. Darkwing Duck!" So saying, with his trademark smoke dissipating, Darkwing jumped down from the roof of the carriage, landing in the engine. Drawing his gas gun, he aimed at the shadowy figure of the driver. "Suck gas…. Megavolt!?"
The weasel-like figure in the yellow jumpsuit turned, jumping in surprise at the sight of Darkwing.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed in a high-pitched voice. "Get off my train!!" With that, he launched himself at Darkwing, the two of them wrestling on the floor, Darkwing's gun forgotten. Darkwing was the superior fighter, but Megavolt had a wiry strength that allowed him to keep Darkwing at bay as the two grappled. Darkwing rolled over, pushing Megavolt's head against the metal floor, his grasping hand finally closing on his gas gun, pushing it against Megavolt's head.
"Relent, evildoer!" he crowed, but before Megavolt could reply, two hands grabbed Darkwing, lifting him bodily off the train, and hurling him onto the embankment. He got a glimpse of some kind of metal monstrosity, multi-armed, with a single blue eye, accompanied by a shadowy figure standing on the roof, before the speeding train sped out of sight.
"Heh, where you been, DW?" asked Launchpad as Darkwing, costume torn, covered in dust, staggered into the station. "I was waiting for your signal to follow the train!"
"Never mind the signal, Launchpad!" exclaimed Darkwing. "Back to the Thunderquack! Give chase!"