"I hate when I do that," Megavolt groaned, stopping dead in his tracks, as the alarm loudly blared.
Him and Gosalyn were making their way up the winding flight of stairs that led to the lighthouse, and Megavolt had once again forgotten about the ankle-level beam positioned half-way up. This was right after cautioning Gosalyn to watch her step, too.
Gosalyn couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, that must get annoying after awhile."
"Well, I'm kind of used to it by now," Megavolt admitted, with a sheepish grin.
They reached the large room, and Megavolt hurried to his computer terminal and disabled the alarm. "What's even more annoying," he said, chuckling, "is when I forget the access-code that shuts it off. Good thing I finally found the foresight to write it down; you might say it really saves on my electricity."
He turned around and, to his chagrin, immediately remembered the complete mess. "Oh, uh... sorry about this. I, um, forgot to pick the place up this morning."
"Hey, you should see my room. Dad always says it would take a bulldozer to get in," Gosalyn laughed. She could tell, though, that there was more to the state of the room than he was letting on; almost everything, especially, the electronics and filaments, had obviously been deliberately destroyed and melted down. She was surprised the computer station remained intact. But she bit her tongue from asking what happened; she could tell he was embarrassed enough, as it was.
"I guess you don't get much company," Gosalyn said a touch awkwardly.
"Well, that's the way I always liked it," Megavolt mumbled, shrugging. "A villain, as a general rule, particularly values their privacy."
He slapped a hand to his helmet, as though suddenly remembering something important. "And that would, of course, explain my total lack of hospitality here. Please, make yourself at home while I get you that ice for your neck. And can I get you anything to drink?"
Gosalyn carefully seated herself upon the couch, which was in somewhat-adequate condition at best. "I'm fine, thanks, Meg- I mean, Elmo," she politely replied. This was getting weirder and weirder, by the minute! But she didn't feel the least bit threatened, or altogether uncomfortable; mainly confused as heck.
The lighthouse was, for the most part, all one room; the appliances and furniture he owned had always been neatly located in different areas, though he never really kept more than the most basic necessities. The only separate room was a tiny bathroom, which Megavolt had installed shortly after he took over the place. He walked over to what was left of his icebox and, with slight difficulty, removed a pack of ice.
He returned to Gosalyn, and handed her the ice-pack. She thanked him, pressing it gingerly against her neck.
"Um, Elmo? Can I ask you something?"
Megavolt seated himself beside her. "Sure, Gosalyn."
"What exactly did stop you from using your electricity against those creeps?"
Elmo did not hesitate in answering. "Because I no longer wish to hurt anybody; not even those who may actually deserve it... and oh, they did." He closed his eyes and bent his head down, releasing a deep puff of breath. "I'll be totally frank with you- I don't want to be a villain anymore."
"Seriously?" Gosalyn exclaimed, staring at him. "Um, ok, wow... what brought this on, all of a sudden? Just yesterday, you were the same Megavolt I've always known."
Megavolt nodded, his eyes still shut. "Yes. But, if you can believe it, your words last night really had an affect on me. They made me see myself in a way I've never imagined. You made me realize, for the first time ever, that these powers have nothing to do with how I could've lived my life. But I was originally so blind with rage, and a desire for revenge, that I didn't care. All I could think about was destroying everybody who had ever made my life hell in high-school, especially those who caused me to obtain my powers in the first place. I mean, I knew it was just a freak accident, but I didn't stop to consider that, the consequences of my actions, or any such logic and reason. That afternoon in the science-lab, from the instant I touched that door-knob and- quite literally- got the shock of my life," he reminisced in a horribly strained voice, "Elmo Sputterspark, the ambitious young genius who always dreamed of nothing more than utilizing his vast knowledge and intricate theories on the electro-magnetic spectrum to invent fresh, new methods for the world to harness and use electricity- oh, the possibilities were endless; so many of my discoveries wasted, because of my sheer blindness- well, anyway, he died right then-and-there. It was the strangest, most disorienting experience, like a total stranger took complete possession of my mind. I didn't know who I was anymore, I didn't know or understand anything! All the pent-up pain and rage from a lifetime of rejection, humiliation, and bullying came undone, and I ultimately lost all control of my senses. I never even tried to fight it, fight for control of my will." Megavolt's voice broke severely, as he concluded.
"Is that when you... well, when you lost your memory?" Gosalyn asked quietly.
Megavolt nodded. "More-or-less, except for all the suffering I've ever endured. And that was what fuelled the fire within me. I concentrated hard on those memories, which had always included a deep desire for the strength- both physically and within-to take a stand, to stand up for myself. And as time went on," he added, "the more electricity I absorbed over the years, my memory-loss became worse, and I became more and more mentally-unstable. My brain is like a horribly fragmented hard-drive, beyond repair. It's gotten so bad, I have difficulty remembering and concentrating on even the simplest things! And- AND I'M SICK OF LIVING LIKE THIS!" he suddenly screamed, all-at-once leaping to his feet, causing Gosalyn to flinch.
He snarled, his voice full of self-loathing, "I initially turned to a life of crime, not for monetary gain, but for power. I wanted people to fear me, for once. I wanted to be the one in total control. Nobody would ever mess with me again, not unless they wanted to feel the wrath of the reborn, new-and-improved Elmo Sputterspark- Megavolt." His fingertips sparked automatically.
"It wasn't worth it, was it?" Gosalyn gently asked, after a moment for two.
Megavolt shook his head, sitting back down. "No," he whispered. "But... powers or no powers, is the Elmo deep inside really back? Or am I just fooling myself? Saving your life was the first non-evil thing I've ever done since I took on this identity and life-style. It was like finally awakening from a long and confusing nightmare. But can I really change back, or has Megavolt been a part of me for too long now?"
He was sobbing now.
Gosalyn said nothing, but found herself putting her arms around him in a tight hug. After awhile, he hugged her back and they remained in each-other's arms for the next few minutes, as though two dear friends, while he wept.
An immense flood of lights from Duckburg, far off in the distance, brilliantly illuminated the eastern skyline. Across the river that stretched all the way to the neighboring city, the ever-consistent beam of the lighthouse caressed the surface, casting ghost-like streams of silver before winding around again. But what completed this scene were the billions upon billions of sparkling diamonds against the dense, almost velvet heavens.
"Keen gear," Gosalyn breathed, sitting next to Elmo upon the roof.
Megavolt's expression was distant, and his voice was a combination of profound sadness and contentment. "I come up here every night."
"Really?"
"Mmm-hmm. Nothing else in the world fills me with greater peace and security, not even my collection of luminaries. But these..." He smiled as he swept a hand out before them, indicating the memorizing view. "These are the real lights."
They were both silent for several minutes, before Gosalyn spoke up. "What do you think about when you're up here?"
Megavolt frowned reflectively. "Well, mostly I just let my mind go blank, into almost a state of mediation. But sometimes I try to remember my old life... the actual good times, the days that really mattered."
Gosalyn looked up at him. "Does anything ever come back to you?"
"Well... that's kind of hard to say. Most of the time, it's just a bunch of vague, fleeting images all jumbled together, with only a spark of familiarity to them. But sometimes, if I concentrate hard enough, one image stands out slightly above the rest." He took a deep breath. "A woman, about middle-aged. And the really interesting thing is, I occasionally have dreams about that same face. Actually, it's not quite so much a picture in my mind's eye, but an extremely intense feeling of deja vu," he softly explained.
"Do you think she could be... your mother?"
Megavolt's voice was almost inaudible as he replied. "Yes," he said. "I do."
He shifted his weight. "You know, when I got my invitation to the high-school reunion, that was the first time in so long that I'd heard of the name Elmo Sputterspark. And that's when the origins of Megavolt all came back to me... but nothing else."
He whispered rhetorically, "Why?"
"It's Darkwing Duck!" Gosalyn exclaimed as they drove down that same street.
Darkwing was pacing back and forth in front of the theater, looking as worried as could be. Launchpad seemed to be trying to offer calming words, but from what Gosalyn could tell, it didn't seem to be having any effect.
"So it is," Megavolt said, not sounding surprised. He did, however, seem relieved.
The car pulled up to a halt in front of hero and sidekick, and Gosalyn got out.
"DW, look!"
Darkwing whirled around. "Gosalyn! Where were you? Do you have any idea how out of my mind with worry I've been?" he cried, half-furious, half-relieved.
"I'm fine, Da- er, Darkwing," Gosalyn quickly told him. "You'll never believe it, but Megavolt-"
"Megavolt?" It was just then that Darkwing noticed the car, with Megavolt standing outside.
He whipped out his gun immediately, and aimed it towards the electric rodent. "I was an idiot to let you go the other night! So help me, if you've harmed so much as a hair on this girl's head-"
"No, Darkwing! Megavolt didn't kidnap me, he rescued me! Do you think he'd just drop me off like this, if I was a hostage?"
There was a long pause. "Um... wait, what?" Darkwing blinked. "Run that by me again?"
Gosalyn explained exactly what had happened, and even gave a description of the two men. As she talked, Darkwing was dead-silent the entire time, his expression slowly ranging from a number of different emotions. Launchpad looked like he was going to faint.
He finally turned to Megavolt, looking every bit as shook-up as he felt. "Megavolt, I... I don't know what to say," he said quietly, when he somehow managed to find his voice again. He sounded as though there was a bone lodged in his throat. "You... you saved her life. You were there for her when I should have been, but wasn't. Oh, God, I- if you hadn't of been around..." He trailed off, a shudder ripping through him. "I can't... I can't thank you enough. I'll never forget this, Megavolt. If there's anything in my power I can do for you-"
Megavolt shook his head. "All I can say, Drake, is that you are a very lucky guy. And she's just as fortunate."
Darkwing, Launchpad, and Gosalyn all gaped. "What... what did you call me?" Darkwing slowly asked, stunned. "And how did you know that she-"
Megavolt just winked and smiled, before getting back in his car. He turned to face Gosalyn. "You take care of yourself now, Gos."
"Sure thing, Elmo. And thanks again."
"Hey, it's me that should be thanking you, kiddo," Megavolt replied. He waved, and drove off.
Darkwing stared after him for a long time, even long after he was out of sight. "I don't believe it. I just don't believe it."
He bent down and hugged Gosalyn tight, tears filling his eyes. "Oh, Gos, sweetie, I'm so sorry I lost track of the time tonight! I failed, both as a father and hero. When I think about what almost happened-" A choked sob escaped him.
"Dad, don't," Gosalyn chided him gently. "You heard Megavolt. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful figure in my life, hero or not."
"He was right on both counts, then," Darkwing said, smiling.
Launchpad spoke up, then. "But, uh, what are you going to do about him knowing certain information about you, DW?"
Darkwing sighed. "I don't know, Launchpad. But honestly, I'm not too worried about it. Not now, anyway."
Gosalyn looked at her father. "Dad," she said, "we need to talk. Is Morgana home from visiting her relatives in Transylvania yet?"
"I think she said she'd be back by next week. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was hoping she'd have some kind of spell for restoring memory. You see, it's like this, Dad..."
