Chapter 4
Not long after everyone went inside, Webby came out of the kitchen with a lemonade pitcher in hand and a bright smile on her face. She greeted everyone and started to chat. She peppered Gosalyn with questions about "girly" things such as makeup, fashion, and whether she was still interested in dolls. Gosalyn's answer to the last was "never got into them..."
Webby just replied "Oh, I see," and changed the topic. She nattered to the point that she nearly put Gosalyn to sleep, but one cool thing she did was show Gosalyn how to work the Wee system. Gosalyn immediately picked out a game and stayed busy for about twenty minutes, taking out virtual enemies on the TV screen with the handheld controller and motion-sensing mat.
Webby cheered for her and even teamed up with Gosalyn in a tennis game. They both scored against their virtual opponent and together won the "tournament." They celebrated by bumping fists and telling Launchpad and Drake all about their success. Both adults smiled.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie were back on their phones, pretending to be engrossed in their games, but they had been secretly watching Gosalyn's progress. Huey feigned indifference but Louie was impressed. Gosalyn and Webby had soundly beaten his record and tied with Huey's.
Mrs. Beakley came into the room shortly after that and announced lunch was ready. Scrooge said there was no point in wasting hot food waiting for Donald and Daisy since the storm had likely slowed them down.
The group sat down to a comfortable spread big enough to fill Launchpad up but simple enough to appeal to most tastes. Drake was especially appreciative that none of the entrees were spicy.
Webbigail kept up light chatter about the classes she was taking at school and how good her grades were. Of course, any mention of school and grades made Gosalyn sink sulkily into her seat. Same with the triplets.
Scrooge tried to encourage Gosalyn to talk about her interests, but she answered his questions as briefly and vaguely as possible. It wasn't hard for her to talk, but it was hard to keep up a cheerful outlook when her mind kept wandering back to St. Canard. Gosalyn spent most of the time toying with her food, wondering what Honker was doing at the moment with his family. She started imagining a crime wave sweeping across the city without Darkwing and Quiverwing Quack out there to protect it and got swept up in the momentum of her mind.
Drake noticed Gosalyn's unusual reticence and he cleared his throat to catch her attention. Once he had it, he changed the subject to sports, which Gosalyn would have been game to, but Webby didn't give her much of a chance to respond.
The topic of sports reminded Webby of the teams she played on and she talked about everything she did. Gosalyn and the triplets let her go on about Duckburg's minor league baseball team, swim team, hockey team, and softball without interrupting, even though all four of them could have added to her narrative with their own stories.
Launchpad tried lightening the mood with self-deprecating jokes and wild stories about his adventures, but the laughter that ensued was halfhearted at best.
The triplets spent most of the time texting each other under the table and Gosalyn had found herself wishing for Honker's company.
Although Drake had told Launchpad, and through him Scrooge, that he wanted to wait until after the show before letting Gosalyn open her presents, Scrooge got up from the table to retrieve his present for her. He insisted she open it now in order to cheer her up. He missed seeing her smile just as much as Drake did. His gift was a coin collecting folio, which in Scrooge's opinion was a grand gift. To Gosalyn, it was a waste of space.
Drake found it insulting to have yet another reminder of McDuck's wealth shoved in his face, but he politely, if a little stiffly, thanked Scrooge. Afterwards, he asked Gosalyn if she wanted to go out and play ball. She readily agreed and they pulled on their galoshes and raincoats to go out.
Launchpad and Scrooge stayed inside and chatted for a bit, watching Drake and Gosalyn play catch. Scrooge was about to ask Launchpad about Drake when he noticed Drake climbing a tree. He rose from his chair to press his beak against the window.
"Blow me bagpipes...what does he think he's doin'?"
Drake was in the oak tree to retrieve the baseball from a bird's nest. He found it easily enough and tossed the ball back to Gosalyn. However, as he started climbing back down, his boot (which he had neglected to take off before climbing) slipped off the bark and Drake lost his grip.
"DW!" Launchpad yelled, racing outside. Scrooge was just a step behind him. They were both too far away to offer any help.
Drake twisted, trying to catch himself on tree limbs as he fell. He managed to snag a couple, but none of them were thick enough to support his weight. He hit the ground...right in the middle of a mud puddle.
Launchpad grimaced, pitying both Drake and himself and Gos. Drake already had a fierce scowl on his face, promising a nasty temper tantrum later...if he didn't explode now...
Gosalyn fought back a giggle.
Poor Drake was splattered with mud and he had leaves and twigs sticking out all over him at odd angles. He looked like he was wearing a costume.
He irately wiped his hand down his face, clearing away the debris but leaving a smear of mud on his beak resembling a mustache. Gosalyn chuckled even more.
"Are ye alright, Laddie...?" Scrooge asked, carefully schooling his expression into one of neutrality.
"I'm fine..." Drake said, his voice strained and just barely polite. He tried to stand but slipped and fell backwards, getting more mud on him.
Launchpad wordlessly helped him up, knowing from experience it was better to keep quiet than to try to say anything. Drake was as tense as a bowstring and ready to snap at anything.
Scrooge started to say something, but Duckworth came to the rescue with a towel and a sponge in a bucket.
"Here you are, Sir..." the butler said politely as he proffered the bucket and held out a tray for Drake's messy raincoat.
It took Drake a moment to understand but he tugged off the coat and laid it on the tray, taking care not to slop mud on the butler's spotless suit. Drake quickly rinsed off his face and hands and gratefully thanked Duckworth for his consideration.
"You're quite welcome, Sir," Duckworth replied, unfazed as always. "If you will, I shall provide you with one of Mr. McDuck's spare robes and put your clothes in the wash..."
At the reminder of the rest of his attire, Drake looked warily over his shirt, searching for a stain. His smile returned. The coat had protected his clothes. All he saw was a bit of dirt on his collar.
"Nah," Drake responded to Duckworth's suggestion, waving his hand airily. "I'll pass. But thanks for the offer, Pal..." To Gosalyn he added. "Come on, Gos. Playtime's over."
"Ah, nuts..." Gosalyn pumped the air with her fist. "And just as I was getting warmed up..."
They were met at the door by the triplets, who immediately turned back to their phones and feigned disinterest. Gos smirked as she passed them, tossing the muddy baseball in the air and catching it.
Drake, Launchpad, and Scrooge continued past the kids without a glance. Gosalyn hung around a second longer, tossing the ball higher. Louie couldn't resist anymore.
"Hey, that was some toss there, Kid..." Louie complimented.
Gosalyn smiled smugly. "Which one? The one that would have scored three home runs or the one that went out of the ball park...?" she prompted.
Drake glanced warningly at her over his shoulder.
Gosalyn smiled sweetly and stopped tossing the ball.
Duckworth paused beside her and held out his hand. She stared at him in confusion before figuring out what he wanted and grudgingly handing the ball over. He firmly thanked her and took it back to the garage.
Louie watched all this interplay before answering Gosalyn's question. "Well, all of your tosses were pretty good..."
"For a 'girl'." Huey taunted, but Louie elbowed him. Huey looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"Louie's right," Dewey volunteered. "You'd make a swell catcher on a baseball team...How are you at swinging?"
"Better than most..." Gosalyn smiled at her fingernails. It wasn't a brag so much as a statement of the truth.
"Quackeroonie!" Dewey looked a little astonished. "So, do you play on the softball team at your school...?"
"No, that's for 'girrrls'," Gosalyn said sarcastically. She smiled smugly. "Besides, I'm much too busy with basketball and soccer...I also play hockey in the St. Canard Minors League and baseball...Oh, and I'm really good at track and field..."
"Quackeroonie!" Louie and Dewey echoed. Dewey continued. "Gosh, you sound like us when we were in the third grade. How old are you now?"
"Eleven..." Gosalyn frowned, wondering where this conversation was taking her.
"Ah, forget it!" Huey waved his hand dismissively. "We did way more than any other kids back then. By the time we turned eleven, we'd been around the world several times!"
"Well so have I!" Gosalyn put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah right..." he said over his shoulder.
"Try me...!" Gosalyn grabbed Huey's shirtfront.
He pulled out of her grasp and straightened his clothes. "Alright, fine. What were you doing when you traveled 'around the world several times,' huh?"
Gosalyn smirked and proudly put her hand on her hips. "I was accompanying a world-famous crime fighter on a few missions to SAVE the Planet!"
"Heh, yeah right!" Dewey laughed, waving his hand mockingly. "And who's this 'world-famous crime fighter,' any way? Gizmoduck?" he chuckled.
"As if..." Gosalyn rolled her eyes. "He's a nice guy and his suit is supercool and all that, but he's no big deal compared to a 'real' superhero."
"Who?" Dewey and Louie asked in unison, wide-eyed.
"Darkwing Duck..." Gosalyn regarded her fingernails.
There was a moment's pause when all any one heard was their own breathing and a clock ticking. Huey and Dewey started laughing.
Louie giggled half-heartedly, still looking a little starry eyed. Unlike his brothers, who simply watched the news on TV and online, Louie kept a scrapbook of heroes. His section on Darkwing had more coverage on his mistakes than his heroics, but Louie remembered a few incidents where Darkwing really had saved the world. Including a very interesting article on an interview with Uncle Scrooge regarding St. Canard's sentinel. His attention returned to his brothers.
"Darkwing Duck? He's only the worst superhero ever!" Huey snickered around his hand.
"He is not!" Gosalyn snapped.
"Seriously," Dewey chuckled. "That dude doesn't even use a real gun! All he's got are some whacked out moves and a sidekick, and even then he barely catches anything... Except a headache...!"
At that, both boys started chortling.
Gosalyn inched toward them threateningly, her teeth gritted together. She wanted to throttle Huey and she could have kicked Dewey for missing the point. Darkwing used cutting-edge technology (when he read the instruction manuals...) and minimal force to accomplish his missions. That didn't deserve mockery. She knew better than almost anyone what Darkwing went through to keep St. Canardians ignorant of the danger lurking in their streets. She forced her hands to unclench and tried countering the boys' argument with the first thing that came to mind.
"Oh yeah! Well let's see Gizmoduck take down the 'Fiendish Organization of World Larceny' all by himself! Darkwing goes up against the worst psychopathic scum in the world and he always comes out on top!" With a little help... Gosalyn added to herself.
"Ha!" Huey waved his hand. "Gizmoduck could clean up your town in a day and pound Darkwing into the pavement with his pinkie finger!"
Gosalyn rolled up her sleeves.
"Whatcha gonna do now, Twerp?" he jeered at her. "Teach me some of Darkwing's 'world famous' moves? I already know how to trip over my own feet! Hahaha!"
"Alright, you asked for it!" Gosalyn pounced on him, throwing hooks and punches at him. Huey managed to block most of her moves, but she got a wild haymaker in on his stomach and a couple of hits to his face. Dewey and Louie hauled her off of their brother.
Huey gasped and sat up. Gosalyn smiled smugly and crossed her arms. She thought she had gotten her message across loud and clear. That is, until Huey smirked maddeningly at her. He stood up and brushed off his arms as if the beating had amounted to nothing.
"Hmph, is that all you've got? You're lucky you're a girl. I wouldn't hold back if things were more even."
"And you're lucky you're just a jerk! If you were a real villain, I'd have mopped you all over the floor!" Gosalyn snarled.
"Chill, guys!" Louie exclaimed, still holding onto her arm. "Uncle D will be here any minute and we don't want Uncle Scrooge to see us fighting."
"Why not? Afraid he'd sic Gizmoduck on you?" Gosalyn mocked Louie, pulling out of his grip.
"Nope. Uncle D is way worse than a hundred Gizmoducks when he loses his temper..." Louie replied, backing up a step to give Gosalyn some space.
"Yeah? Well you don't want to see MY temper 'cause I'm just getting warmed up!" she retorted.
"Easy..." Dewey cautioned her. "Why don't we call a truce..." He glanced meaningfully at Huey.
Huey rolled his eyes. "Fine." He grudgingly held out his hand to Gosalyn.
"First, take back everything you said about Darkwing!" She said tartly, glaring at him.
"What!" Huey drew back his hand in surprise. "Why? All I said was the truth!"
"Take it back! You have no idea what it's like being a superhero!"
"Yeah, like you do? You're just a kid!"
"I've personally been on most of Darkwing's missions and I back him up when he gets in a bind!" Gosalyn said with a combination of fury and pride.
"You...?" Dewey and Louie asked in unison.
Gosalyn realized she might have said too much. She backed up a step and tried to explain, hoping it wasn't too late to do some damage control.
"Just small stuff," she said. "Like throwing a trashcan at the villain's back or hitting one in the back of the head with a fly ball..."
"Huh..." Louie said. Dewey looked thoughtful.
"See, that just proves my point!" Huey exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Darkwing is just some nut job in a mask and cape! If he were a real hero, why would he need your help?"
Gosalyn wanted to punch him again, but his words sank in. She swallowed hard before answering. "Just because he's a hero, it doesn't mean he's invincible. Even Gizmoduck needs help sometimes..."
"Yeah? Well if Darkwing's so great, how come St. Canard is still overridden with wackos? The dude's been fighting for what, almost a decade now? And nothing's changed, has it?" Huey asked pointedly.
I have! she wanted to scream. He's made all the difference in the world for me and I can't even tell them!
To the boys, she said. "Oh yeah? Well St. Canard has more buildings, businesses, corporations, and people than Duckburg! Look at Gizmoduck's record! He's been defending your uncle's money bin for, what, half a decade? He's still fighting the same handful of wackos. How many times have the Beagle Boys escaped jail? Huh? How does that look on Gizmo's record?"
"Whatever," Huey said with a dismissive wave and a yawn. "There's no point in arguing with you if you can't be reasoned with. Come on guys," he called over his shoulder as he left the room. "Let's go play some basketball..."
Gosalyn clenched her fists. She would have loved to vent her frustration in a game but she certainly wasn't going to stick around these stuck up jerks any longer than she had to.
As he started to walk past her, Louie paused and looked at Gosalyn questioningly.
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" she replied testily.
"Get into a fight with our brother...Why does Darkwing Duck mean so much to you?"
Gosalyn sighed. She couldn't tell him even part of the truth without giving away a painful part of her past. With the adrenaline wearing off from the fight, she didn't feel like explaining her history to a stranger.
"Ask Launchpad who his hero is and why..." she said tiredly.
Louie took her up on the offer, going over to shake Launchpad's arm.
"Hey Launchpad! Who do you think is the greatest superhero of all time?"
"Huh...?" Launchpad straightened in his chair, looking like he'd just awakened from a nap. He asked Louie to repeat his question while rubbing his head. "Oh, that's easy. Freddie Ferret!"
"Who?" Dewey asked as he peeked in the room to see what was holding Louie up.
Louie waved his hand at Launchpad. "Never heard of him..."
Launchpad went on to explain why he loved the comic book character while Gosalyn shoved her hands in her shirt pockets and sulkily left the room.
"Thanks a lot, Launchpad..." she muttered sarcastically to herself.
She caught a glimpse of Huey through the living room window, shooting hoops. She glared at him and muttered.
"You can thank Darkwing that you're not dead ten times over...That's how many times he's saved the whole world. If you knew how close Calisota came to being wiped off the face of the planet or mutated beyond recognition, you'd think twice before criticizing Darkwing."
She flopped down on the couch and crossed her arms. She would have liked to teach that Huey a lesson he'd never forget but she had promised her dad she would behave. And she was a guest in Mr. McDuck's house. Right now she needed friends more than she needed a punching bag...
She sighed and wrapped her hands around her knees, wondering where her dad was at the moment. She started to get up and go look for him when she heard footsteps upstairs. She hurriedly changed her mind and switched on the TV and the Wee console, giving herself an excuse for not hanging out with the guys and getting mind-numbing entertainment in the meantime... Too bad there were only two games for this thing... She glared at the selection.
Scrooge had informed her that all of these cool things were free prototypes from his new electronics merger, which let his nephews test-drive new games before they were publicly released. Before, Gosalyn had thought it was an ideal setup, but now, as she discovered yet another glitch in the game controller, she wished she had something more reliable on hand. Like a ball of some sorts...
She looked around the foyer and the study. Where was her dad and Mr. McDuck anyway?