Scrooge could barely hear the footfalls of his housekeeper over the bleat of the alarm that had sounded through the mansion. Normally, he wouldn't have been as fervent to get to the potential break in if it weren't for who he had left in the other bin. The alarm was a signal that one of the rooms had been damaged and the potential danger was already sending worst case scenarios through his head.

They shot around another corner before barreling into the storage room just in time to see Louie struggling to drag an unconscious Della through the doorway. The elder duck didn't have time to question his nephew as a crazed roar erupted from the bin, sending the green-clad duck in a heap over his mother's prone form.

Scrooge dropped by the boy's side just as Beakley slammed the vault door shut. Good. They could deal with what lay inside once they had more information. His first priority were his kids.

Louie was visibly shaking, tears running down his cheeks as he clung to Della. The woman lay motionless under him, eyes wide and face slack. The pupils had been replaced by an odd green glow that left him feeling sick.

"Louie?" Scrooge needed answers, fast, and the only one who could supply those was quickly losing a fight with shock. "Listen to me, lad. Louie!" He took the boys face into his hands, forcing him to look away from his mother. "What happened?"

His head began to shake back and forth, his mouth moving soundlessly as more tears fell. Scrooge watched as Louie took in a shuddering breath and finally wheezed out a choked, "I don't know."

A hand came to rest on his shoulder and Scrooge turned to see the concerned stoicism on the elder woman's face. "We should move." Her words were emphasized as something heavy slammed against the vault door, sending tremors through the old house.

With a nod, the old adventurer pulled his nephew up, prying the small hands from the leather flight jacket. He didn't struggle, simply burying his face into the red fabric of his coat. Beakley bent down and easily lifted his niece, who was still so frighteningly still and they quickly made their way out towards the mansions infirmary.

They were met by the other two brothers, Webby and Lena, all four wearing looks of concern, the boys' immediately changing to shock and fear at the sight of their mother and brother.

"What happened?" Huey was the first to ask, keeping stride with his great-uncle. Dewey had gone to Della, grabbing the hand that hung from her side.

"I'm not sure of that just yet, but it appears we have a monster in the other bin." Scrooge shifted his charge as Louie seemed to cling to him tighter.

"What's wrong with mom?" Dewey's question. sent an ache through the old duck's chest. He didn't have an answer that would suffice. This was something new.

"I don't know," was all he could offer before adding, "but we're goin' to find out."

OoOoOoO

Louie's head hurt.

Whether it was from his previous injury or the overwhelming fear and grief, he didn't know, but the questioning look from the group surrounding him wasn't helping. A steady arm was draped over his shoulder and he leaned into Huey, welcoming the comfort his eldest brother brought. Dewey hadn't left their mother's side, sitting on the opposite hospital bed from his own.

The sight of his mother falling towards him flashed through his mind, the pain and fear crystal clear in the images. Another set of tears slid free as the question was asked again.

"Louie, please," uncle Scrooge urged, gently. "What do you remember?"

A squeeze on his shoulder from his brother let him relax just the slightest, finally finding his voice. "W-we were scanning the- the files…" He took in another stuttered breath. "Mom wanted to explore."

"Did you open any of the doors?" The elder duck asked, most likely expecting the small nod.

"J-just the ones we knew wouldn't be dangerous as long as we didn't touch anything." Louie offered as clarification.

"Which room did the monster come from?"

He couldn't answer that, his mind blanking on the information other than the concerned urgings of his mother and the crash that followed. Instead, louie reached into his pocket and withdrew his cellphone. The entry was still open and he handed it to his uncle.

For a long moment, no one moved, waiting to hear what Louie had offered.

"Webbigail," Scrooge called without looking up to find the duckling in question. She wasn't far, already giving a subdued 'yes' as she came to stand beside the billionaire. "Do ye still have the images from the temple walls? The one we just explored."

Webby nodded, she and Lena quickly leaving the room, followed closely by the younger girl's grandmother. As the mansion rumbled again, Louie could understand why. He didn't want to be alone, didn't want any of them to be on their own if that thing got out, but even with his family around him, it wouldn't do anything to stop the monster from taking them too. It was unbridled fear that wouldn't be helpful if things went south, but he couldn't find the energy to care. They hadn't seen what he had witnessed.

Within no more than a minute or two, the girls were back, printed images placed on the mattress of his bed. They showed the chipped paintings, the metal and stone relic at the center. It had looked like the figures around it had been worshipping, much like many of the treasures they had found, but as everyone became aware of what had spawned from it, the figures now looked as though they were cowering in fear. This thing had been hidden away, on the lowest, deepest level in the temple. The population that had once lived there wanted this thing to stay hidden from the world.

Scrooge, Webby, and Lena were the most qualified to interpret the pictures, frowning as they looked over each one. Webby was the first to voice her confusion.

"It's a warning. Why didn't I see that before?" Her brow furrowed and Louie could see the disappointment.

"Not your fault, lass. I realized, but did'nae consider there could be somethin' hidden inside." Scrooge continued his study of the pages. "Lad?" He turned to the green-clad duckling. "Did ye get a good look at the creature?"

He nodded. Of course, he'd seen the whole thing once his mother had picked him up. He could do little else but stare at the blob as it sped over the floor with a swiftness that something that size shouldn't be able to accomplish. It was a nightmare of tentacles that reached for him with a hunger he could never comprehend. And it had done something to Mom.

"Louie? Breathe!" Huey's concerned voice broke through his terror and he inhaled air that felt too thin, but still helped to clear the images. It was all so draining and he wanted desperately to wake up and realize this was all some bad dream.

"I know this is difficult, lad." His uncle soothed, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Do you see it in any of these pictures?"

He didn't want to look, but a quick glance at Della told him he had to do something to bring her back. Finding the nearest page, the young duck took in the figures and the painting of the stone relic. Nothing appeared that looked like the creature. The second picture, however, held the relic and what looked like a sun poised just above it. Louie knew better, though. It wasn't a sun. People didn't cower from the light. He let his finger fall on the image for a second, stealing it back as though simply touching the picture could cause him harm.

Scrooge and Webby instantly started looking over the page, Lena peering over the smaller girl's shoulder and Louie could see pieces seeming to click into place. Huey pulled his brother back into a protective hug, acutely aware of how badly the situation was affecting the youngest of the triplets.

"I… I remember this." Lena spoke, hesitantly. "Back when- well, before…" Scrooge offered an expression of understanding, nodding for her to continue. "Magica wanted me to look into ways to incapacitate you." She still didn't seem comfortable talking about her past, but the information was necessary. "Its known as the Buscador de almas… Soul Searcher."

"Do you know how to help Mom?" Dewey asked, the tension apparent in his voice.

Lena shook her head, "Magica abandoned the idea. It was going to he too difficult getting it to come after Scrooge. It can't be controlled."

"Do the images tell us anything else?" Huey tried to get a good look at the one Louie had indicated.

The elder duck's bill dropped into a frown before he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Somehow, they were able to trap it in that artifact. If only it mentioned how." He placed the image back on the bed and turned to the middle child. "We'll figure this out, I promise." They all knew he meant it, but Louie wasn't sure it was a promise Uncle Scrooge could keep.

The floor and walls shook briefly as a larger crash than before sounded through the hallway towards the other bin. No one had to put words to what had happened.

It was out.

The panic that took hold of him was immense and all Louie could think to do was run. If it weren't for Huey's grip on his shoulder, he might have done just that. Cooler heads won out, Beakley scooping up Della as Scrooge motioned for the kids to follow.

"We need ta get outside," the elder duck instructed, already peering out into the hallway. "I can lockdown the mansion remotely, trap this thing until we can figure out how ta deal with it."

This thing had broken through reinforced steel. What else could his uncle have that would stop it from breaking out and going after them and the city? These were questions that plagued the youngest triplet as he ran with the group on legs that didn't quite feel like his own.

And the wall behind them exploded, shards of wood and plaster pelting them as they stumbled. Huey fell with him, Louie wrapping his hand into the red fabric of his brother's shirt as adrenaline burned through him. They were back up just as the creature tore into the hall.

Too fast…

There was no way for them all to make it to the next bend, the tentacles already reaching out to drag the mass forward.

Blue filled his vision as hands pushed Louie, who still had a hold of his eldest brother. Fear for Dewey spiked, mingling with the need to run, but as he turned to make sure his brother was following, another figure stood in the way of the monster.

When had their uncle moved?

Louie's mind was screaming, even as he watched the glowing appendage find purchase on the elder duck's arm, the same pained expression flashing over Scrooge's face before his eyes glazed over, changing to the translucent green.

"Go!" Beakley was shouting over the glee of the monster. She reached past the terrified triplets, effortlessly pulling her employer over her shoulder opposite Della. "Get out-"

It only took a second. One second for the creature to take the agent, the three figures crumpling as Beakley succumbed to the Soul Searcher's touch.

Now, it wasn't just the sight of seeing his uncle and mother fall, but also the strangled cry from Webby as she called out for her grandmother, Lena forced to shoulder the smaller girl as they ran. There was nothing the could do. If they stayed, the monster would have them. That thought did little make the pain in his head and chest lessen.

Outside was easier said than done, the group scrambling down the second floor hallway towards the stairs. Louie could still hear the monster, its garbled roar bouncing off the walls. Their feet pounded over the carpet, breaths coming out in short bursts as fear continued to surge through them.

They were alone.

Even if they made it out of the mansion, what then? They didn't know how to lock down the place. They couldn't run fast enough, far enough. If he could just stop and think. Stop the blaring sirens in his ears that screamed they were about to die, maybe he could figure something out.

But life with his uncle didn't always work that way.

The stairs were behind them now as they ran, but a shudder above them forced the young ducks to stop as it was raining shrapnel. The ceiling was falling, blocking their exit as the monster landed and sent a deep rumble through the foyer. Chunks of woodwork slammed into the floor, forcing the triplets to take cover against the right wall, Webby and Lena no longer visible to the green-clad duck.

"Run!" He heard Lena first, followed by the sound of a door slamming.

Louie tried. His feet were skidding over bits of debris and he fell, a banister shattering just as a tentacle swung out. Dust and grit filled his lungs as he found purchase, running after his brothers who were sliding into the TV room. Dewey slammed the door behind him as Louie ran inside.

"What d'we do?!" Huey gasped out, kicking open the kitchen door as they tried to put more distance between them and the monster.

"Just keep going!" Dewey cried, his arm linking with Louie's, who was having difficulty keeping up. "We need a place to hide!"

Hiding. That sounded like the obvious solution, but the 'what ifs' were running through his head. What if it escaped? What if it didn't need to see them to find them? What if they never found a way to stop it? What if they'd lost their mother and uncle forever?

The questions weren't helping, tears falling as the three boys ran through the connecting hallways, the sound of the monster crashing through the rooms behind them. They were back on the second floor before Louie could register the dull thumping that grew closer with each of their foot falls. The late evening sky streaked by in the windows that lined the hall, a dark representation of the nightmare currently over their lives.

A growl behind them was the only warning he got as his middle sibling jerked to a halt. Louie wanted to scream at him to keep running. This was not the time for his excessive need to be brave in the face of danger.

But every word died in his throat as he was spun by the sudden stop. Dewey's motionless form hung suspended from the creature's grip, his usual defiance replaced by the empty expression.

He wanted to scream and he heard one, but whether it was his own or Huey's it was too difficult to tell. Louie couldn't move. All he seemed capable of was the gaping, tear streaked face that stared at the monster that was taking his family away. He was watching it lift one thick tentacle to strike, a sense of desperation radiating from its glowing flesh.

Hands wrapped around his arms, trying to pull him up from his stupor. He knew he needed to help. Huey was risking his own life to save him, but the monster was moving too fast.

As if to prove him right, the tentacle came down, slamming into both of the ducklings with enough force to knock the air out of Louie's lungs. He got the briefest glimpse of red, a glowing appendage wrapping around his brother before the youngest duck collided with glass.

And then, he was outside, falling with the shards of broken glass and splintered wood. Away from his brothers. Away from the monster. The stars in the cloudless sky twinkled, oblivious to the trauma going on below them.

Water cushioned his fall, but invaded his nose and mouth as he crashed into the pool. His lungs still hadn't recovered from the monster's attack and with arms that felt heavy and legs that wouldn't listen, Louie slowly sank into the cool waters. The last thought to cross his addled brain before the darkness clouded his vision was of his uncle Donald and how he wished he could just curl up into those protective arms that had always promised to be there.