Not to soon after that they found themselves in a very colourful family hotel specifically designed for families with small children, in stack contrast to the trios mood the rooms were painted in cheerful strong happy colours, such as yellow, spring green and princess pink, there were pictures of smiling people everywhere, cute teddybears in the room.. it was so typically Launchpad.
"Owned by my old boss McD" Launchpad had explained in the reception. "So I can always get a discount, he kind of rather gives discount cards to his places than a raise if he can help it."
"And why on all places would you ask to get a discount to this place?" Darkwing had to ask looking around.
"It's cheerful and they have a great buffet." Launchpad had shrugged.
Now Darkwing was standing up in the hotel room looking out of the window.. Gosalyn and Launchpad sitting on the bed, none of them really knowing what to say, Darkwing eyed the streets which some-how looked rather empty at the moment.
Gosalyn at last stood up to wander over and stand by her fathers side, looking out with him at the grey dark streets of saint canard. "Darkwarrior." She whispered.
Darkwing didn't respond he didn't even move.
"How can he be here?" Gosalyn asked. "How can you both be here at the same time?"
Darkwing blinked, then furrowed his brows as his eyes slowly shifted over to Gosalyn. "You know something about this mess I don't." It was not a question, but a flat out statement. "You've seen him before."
Gosalyn sighed and then nodded. "Remember when Quackerjack and Megavolt was powering up the time top to try and use it for the first time."
"Yeah." Darkwing responded. "It didn't work."
"It did work." Gosalyn explained. "I was with them, and we arrived in a future where you thought I had run away.. and you.. erh well, well you were always a little obsessed with crime fighting but there.. erhm."
"I was Darkwarrior duck." He looked wide-eyed at her. "A complete maniac, not me." He turned to the window looking out. "A complete nutcase"
"He is not evil." Gosalyn tried to assure. "He just wants what is best for the city, he wants to protect."
"By taking down normal citizens with missiles?" Darkwing asked. "Would you call that protecting?" Darkwing asked suddenly seeing at least a dusin of bots sporting his own face and red- eyes flying past right outside of the window, quickly Darkwing pulled over the drapes to get them out of view. "I need help, no I need to be put down, I have become a nutcase!"
"No dad what are you talking about?" Gosalyn asked. "It's Darkwarrior we are talking about not you."
"What is the difference?" Darkwing asked. "Who would have known I had it in my to become that?" he asked gesturing out. "It's all me."
"No dad, we are going to stop it, you wont become him." Gosalyn stated surely. "I mean now you know you can just be a little more aware and you'll make sure never to do any of that then it will never happen, no sweat."
"Well sounds like an awfully nice and simple solution but aren't we forgetting one single thing?" Darkwing asked his voice sounding slightly desperate, he himself looking beyond anything Gosalyn had seen him before, he genuinely looked scared.
"What?" Gosalyn asked.
"He's still here." Darkwing made aware. "If I didn't become him he wouldn't be here at all."
Gosalyn opened her mouth, only for no sound to come out of it at all.. that was one hell of a good point, then she cleared her throat and shook her head. "So your just going to give up?" she asked annoyed. "You can't do that! You're the terror that flaps in the night! You never give up! Come on, Dad! Get out and challenge that fiend!" she started pulling his sleeve.
"Gosalyn no."
"We set our own fates, show that maniac who's boss! Come on dad!" she kept on puling.
"Please Gos." There was a hint of begging in Darkwings voice.
"Be the champion! The hero! The hero everyone needs, show them what your really worth! Be in control! Protect the city!"
"Gosalyn shut up!" he ripped his arm out of her grip and looked very mad at her.
Gosalyn looked wide-eyed at him.. her dad had been made at her on many occasions, but never likes this! And he had certainly never ever told her to shut up.. not like that, also Launchpad looked beyond shocked.
"You think I don't wan that?" Darkwing asked in his genuinely angry voice that went way deeper than just a simple irritation. "Go out and kick some feathery butt and call it a day?" he asked. "Just stop him from ever exist in the first place? I don't want to become him! I don't have the slightest desire! But what-ever I do it could end up becoming the very step on the road to becoming him! And how can he even dare to try and take you away?" Darkwing asked Gosalyn. "I would never do that if I knew it would make you unhappy! I don't want to be him." Darkwing sat on the ledge of the bed drawing his hand to his forehead the angry air completely leaving him and left Darkwing in a state devastation as he spoke quietly. "he wanted to kill you Lp, as if he just thought you were an annoying nuisance and criminal, like you were the enemy even though you didn't do anything.. He even talked about maybe.. Maybe killing you to Gos.. for what you did to prevent ultimate justice or something.. Gosalyn." He looked pleadingly at her. "I would never ever do that.. I don't want to even think it." His eyes turned to Launchpad. "Neither to you."
"Hey." Launchpad addressed him in his usual friendly tone placing a friendly hand on Darkwing shoulder. "No sweat, I know that DW."
"Sure thing." Gosalyn crawled up on the bed to sit beside him. "I know you would do anything to keep me safe, it's myself who's the trouble when it comes to being safe." She cracked the joke.
However Darkwing didn't smile at all. "Then how did Darkwarrior even exist in the first place?" he asked and then looked out of the window. "Why is he still here?"
"Dad." Gosalyn leaned against him. "You might want to know.. he spend the entire day with us without doing anything at all, he even took us out to dinner after the hockey game.. I thought it was a bit odd you didn't talk much.. he didn't talk much, he just looked like he was enjoying the moments, now why would he do that you think?" she asked in a slight yet forced smile. "Why would he take the time to just.. be with me instead of taking me at ones?" she asked knowingly. "And.. back when I was in the future.. he got to the conclusion I was criminal material and should be killed because of it.. but he couldn't.. he couldn't do it, neither can he now." She finished.
Darkwings face didn't even twitch for a moment there was silence. "He shouldn't even have been thinking about hurting you in the first place."
Gosalyn dearly wished she knew what she could say to that, but there was nothing.. Absolutely nothing to say, never before had she felt so useless and on the same time she had the sense that it had never been more important that she did the right thing, said the right things that if she did something wrong now everything could be screwed up and still she didn't knew what to do other than to stick with her father and stand by his side through thick and thin as she had always known she would.
She just felt so terrible. "So what do we do know?" she asked.
"First of, keep him away from you at all cost." Darkwing told sternly. "He shall not touch you, he shall not even see you, ever again."
"But.. that would just break his heart." Gosalyn told. "Maybe.. if I just talked to him, I could get some sense into him."
"Gosalyn, no" Darkwing said at ones. "That is much to dangerous, I wont allow it."
"But dad." Gosalyn started.
"Gosalyn!" Darkwing grabbed her shoulders and turned her around so he could look directly into her eyes. "look at me!" he demanded. "I know you have a bit to much a mind of you own and not necessarily do what you are told, but now you need to promise me, very seriously, don't go after him!" he looked into her eyes. "Promise me that Gosalyn!"
"But.." Gosalyn swallowed.
"Just do it." Darkwing demanded.
"Dad I know there's good in him." Gosalyn pleaded. "I know behind all of it, he is still Darkwing Duck not Darkwarrior.. he's.. my dad.. like you.., and I know if any-one can bring that out in him it's me, please Dad, I don't want him to be so miserable, I want him to be all right."
"Gosalyn if you don't swear to me I am forced to basically chain you up some-where, I know you to well." Darkwing hopelessly swallowed. "And I don't want to do that, especially not now."
Hopelessly Gosalyn looked into her dads eyes, the blue shining in desperation and was begging of her, and then at last her head dropped. "All right." Gosalyn murmured. "I promise I wont go after him, I promise to stay hidden."
And you could almost fell how the tension just left Darkwings body as he deflated and sank together. "Thank you." he whispered and then fell backwards down on the bed.
"So there's no plan?" Launchpad asked confused.
"To stay hidden." Darkwing responded. "Maybe if we went far away.."
"It's not like you to run." Gosalyn commented in a bitter tone. "Not like you at all."
"It's less like me to even consider fire a real gun." Darkwing ashamed closed his eyes rolling over. "Be a dear and let me be.. I need to think." he muttered.
"But." Gosalyn almost began.
"Shh." Launchpad hushed at Gosalyn. "You know.. there's a great soft-ice buffet downstairs, why don't I treat ya to some?" he asked. "You can eat as much as you want! of all kinds of flavours."
"I'm really not in the mood for ice-cream" Gosalyn muttered.
"Just give him some space." Launchpad whispered in a voice so low that Darkwing could barely hear it, and then at last as in a act of mercy, they left.
Only for Darkwing to wish immediately they would come back so he wouldn't be alone with his thoughts and all these awful emotions, he felt so lost at current time.. and so exhausted.. mentally and physically, it seemed to wash over him.. all though it didn't dull down the emotions or his thoughts just one bit.
"MEGAVOLT!" Darkwing called out to his arch nemesis. "Hand in those light bulbs and stop this silly charade!" he demanded as he chased the rat over the roof tops of saint canard.
"Never!" Megavolt shouted back. "You may catch me now and again, but you are never going to make me stop! So it's your fault that the city fries!" he laughed as he stood on top of a building, all around him flames, all around him people who screamed in horror.
"Then I stop you." Darkwing assured pulling his gas gun.
"As if that silly thing could ever stop me?" Megavolt asked. "please."
"Look again." Darkwing smiled as he assuredly held a real gun. "Bye Megsy." he laughed as he pulled the trigger, it felt so right it felt so great... finally he was in control, finally he was...
ARGH! Darkwing woke up, and then gaped for air, his heart was racing, his backbone tingled as he shook.. What a dream.. he murmered raising up from his grey bed in his lair.. though.. it seemed so big now.. so empty.. the wind was cold and brushed over Darkwings feathers.. it was so incredible quiet, as if a pillow had been laid over all the sounds. "Launchpad?" Darkwing called out looking around for any signs for life. "Gos?" he asked. "Where are you?" he asked feeling a sense of terror forming in his chest. "Don't tease me like this, come out where I can see you." he begged. "Please! I don't want to be alone.. I hate to be alone." he begged. "Tell me I'm not alone.."
"Dark..."
Slowly Darkwing turned around and suddenly saw.. a tall beauty in a red witch gown.. "Morgana?" he asked and relief washed over him. "Morgana thank god!" he reached out to her. "I'm so happy to see you!" but as he thought he would be able to brush her with his hand.. she was gone, only to stand further away, in the middle of the room. "Morgana?" Darkwing tried hopelessly. "What?"
"You tried to kill me!" Morgana hissed. "You did kill me! just because I was a criminal, why Dark why?" she asked. "I did better, and I never harmed any-one even when I was a criminal!"
"Morgana I would never do that!" Darkwing exclaimed. "Please! I would never hurt you."
"Then what do you call this?" Morgana asked pointing at her chest, where there quite obviously was a bullet hole, bleeding turning Morgana more and more pal.
Suddenly Darkwing looked down in his hand, and discovered he was holding the gun ones more, and it was smocking from the freshly fired shot. frightened Darkwing threw away the gun and then looked at Morgana, who looked back at him with such hurt, such anger.. and so much disgust. "Morgana i'm sorry!" he pleaded. "I'm!" he took a step towards her, only to trip, confused Darkwing looked down to discover. "LAUNCHPAD!" he exclaimed by the big massive body.. and the red that left it.. from the bullet hole. confused Darkwing looked at his hand and there it was again.. the gun. "ARGH!" Darkwing yelled throwing the gun as far away as he possible could.
"You can't run this time.." a voice sounded.
"Who's there?" Darkwing asked standing up looking around. "Who are you?" he asked.
"This is not just about being a comic book hero and call it a day." The voice continued.
"COME OUT AND FACE ME!" Darkwing shouted raising his gun, to suddenly realise what he did and for a third time, tried to throw the dreaded object away. "WHO ARE YOU?" he yelled out in the air. "Why do you taunt me like this? Gosalyn!" he swirled around. "Gosalyn where are you? Where are you?" but the room remained as empty as before.. only.. it wasn't a room.. it was a roof top, and he had view of the city, of people running around screaming in terror.
"I'm sorry!" A citizien Darkwing didn't know crawled at his feets. "It was a one time slip up, don't hurt me."
"But i." Darkwing hopelessly looked at the man. "Why would I hurt you?"
"Arghh!" The man screamed as if Darkwing had just signed his death sentence, and before Darkwing know what had happened, crime bots had come and taken the man by the sleeves to fly him off the building. "NOOO!" the man screamed. "Give me another chance! just one chance!"
"NOO!" Darkwing ran for the man. "PUT HIM DOWN! DON'T HURT HIM!"
"Why not?" a voice whispered. "The man deserved it.. he was a criminal."
"No!" Darkwing grunted. "I don't deliberately punish people or hurt them.."
"you all ready did."
"That's different!" Darkwing yelled up in the air. "I was in the middle of a fight! my opponents were able to defend themselves! It has always been in the moment, and I never meant for people to get hurt!"
"Really?" the voice asked.
"Yeas..." Darkwing whispered all though.. he didn't quite fell it. "Stop this!" he demanded trying to supress the tears. "Why wont you face me?" he asked. "What have you to hide... who are you?"
"Why darkwing, why wont you face your inner self? why do you hide me away..." the voice sounded right to Darkwings left, and Darkwings head snapped around to where he faced a large food tall mirror, and in it he saw his own reflection... himself, wearing spicked shoulder patches, heavy black boots, and had intimidating red eyes. "I am you." the mirror image spoke directly to him.
"ARGH!" Darkwing sat up straight.. ones again in a bad, his heart racing so fast, flop sweat dripping from his forehead.. fear stricken in his chest, quickly he tried to slap himself ensuring he was awake as he felt the pain, and first then did he start taking his surroundings in.. it was dark around him.. it would have to be in the middle of the night.. Darkwing had fallen a sleep wearing his costume and had.. suddenly he discovered a lump laying close to him, Darkwing looked down and discovered Gosalyn also fully dressed, had snuggled herself into his arms while he slept, now though she had begun shaking, Darkwing had accidentally frown away the blanket some-one had laid over them, out the window Darkwing thought he could see the light of a crime-bot flying past.. in search of them.. he wouldn't be able to hide for-ever, slowly Darkwing wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her even closer and away from the crime-bot, reaching for the blanket to cover her.. get her out of sight, and make her stop shaking.. while he himself, tried to figure what he should do.. Gosalyn was right.. it was not like him to run, he never had believed in running away.. and neither was it the answer now, but how.. how could he stand up to this? how could he possible over-come something like this.. work smarter not harder.. but how.. how? He had never felt so scared before.. well, maybe one or twice, when he had thought Gosalyn was in mortal danger.. it was only a small comfort to have her so close right now, but a comfort none the less, and he just tried to gather strength from that knowledge.. trying to figure it all out.
