Longer Days Pass

Chapter 10

The pain in his chest seemed to be getting worse, which at the time, he didn't think was possible. The fight that had ensued outside the hospital earlier that day had left Drake sore and tired. Unwillingly, he wasn't able to do much other than sit around on the couch and doze off. Launchpad said nothing to this and neither did Gosalyn, as she went off and hung with Honker, but not before giving her father a kiss on the forehead.

"Get better soon, dad" she whispered, then scampered off to the glass back door and went to the Muddlefoots.

Launchpad, seeing Drake passed out on the couch, found it his job to clean the dishes. He thought he did a good job. He only broke one glass.

When he had finished washing the dishes, the pilot walked back into the living room, where he found Drake still sleeping, his hands folded over his stomach, his head turned a bit on the pillow that was behind him. Launchpad frowned. He hated seeing Drake like this. There was a time when you never saw Drake Mallard, known to be Darkwing Duck to the criminals of St. Canard, to be this tired and frail. He would never show it, or at least, try not to. But now it seemed he was always like that. Tired, weak, frail. And he hated it terribly.

He cleared his throat as he moved to sit down on the edge of the couch that Drake wasn't occupying. "What's wrong, LP?" The question caught him off guard, for he had assumed Drake was asleep. He flinched and then regretted doing so.

"Oh, you know, DW…I'm just worried about you and what all has been going on…"

"I'm just as worried, Launchpad, I assure you. It may look as though I'm attempting to take a nap, but I'm doing more than just that! What I want to know is…" continued Drake, his mind switching over to Darkwing mode. "Is it possible that Negaduck could be suffering from the same thing I am…."

Launchpad shrugged. "Well, it certainly is possible, DW, I mean just look at the recent events. He's been hitting the hospitals and he's kidnapped two doctors. I'm saying he could very easily be suffering the same thing."

Drake nodded, pushing himself up a bit against the pillow behind him on the couch. "I wonder if Negaduck is aware of what is going on…."

Launchpad sighed, seeming to deflate at this. Drake saw this and gave him a questioning look. "He's probably already noticed DW. I mean, let's face it, you weren't exactly at your best out there today…."

Drake looked affronted by this, but said nothing. He wasn't about to deny it; he knew it was true. "I just hope he's too ignorant to do anything about it…." muttered Drake, looking away and making sure not to meet Launchpad's gaze.

-----

The little pastel bakery that was on the corner of the street in St. Canard contrasted greatly with Negaduck's mood as he stormed inside, ignoring the happy customers and going straight for the back room. He needed to get out of the Posiverse and think for a little while. He just couldn't take it anymore.

The pain in his chest was not making any of this any easier. He felt enraged and wanted to make people suffer for his pain, not caring if it was their fault or not. He sat in his chair, glaring at the world before him, thoughts of his pain and those he wanted to hurt going through his mind. It was then that little Nega-Gosalyn walked in through the front door, a few school books in her delicate hands. She peered into the front living room and saw that Negaduck was sitting in his chair, glaring.

"What are you looking at, you little brat!?" he snarled at her when he caught her gaze. Nega-Gosalyn jumped with a gasp and scampered up to the safety of her room. "I thought I told you to stop going to school! And you better not be doing your homework!" screamed Negaduck from his chair, knowing that that was precisely what the little duckling was going to do.

Launchpad walked into the house not very much longer, nearly slamming the door down with his heavy boots as he kicked at it. Over his shoulder he carried a bag full of loot, which he took over to Negaduck and dumped it in front of the evil tyrant.

"Here's all the loot you wanted me to steal, Negs….Stole it just for you" he said roughly. Negaduck regarded the loot carefully, liking what he was seeing. The sight before him was even possibly great enough to help the pain in his chest by allowing him to think of something else.

It wasn't for a few minutes afterwards did Launchpad's words finally sink in,. He tore his gaze from the sparkling loot before him on the ground and looked up at the tall, built duck and gave him a securitizing stare. "What did you just say?"

It was rare to see Nega-Launchpad scared, but he looked at Negaduck with a look of slight fear and panic as he leaned from foot to foot, trying to figure out what to say next. "Well…ummm…" he scratched the back of his head.

"Did you not here me right, idiot!? I asked you, 'what did you just say!?'" growled Negaduck, getting impatient.

"I….I said I stole it just for you….." he finally managed to say. He looked around himself, looking like a mouse caught in a trap.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean!?" roared Negaduck, still sitting in his beaten down chair.

Launchpad looked from side to side and then he frowned, anger setting in. He looked at Negaduck square in the eye. "You know what? I'll tell you what it means! It means that this entire time I've been trying to show you how much I enjoy bein' with ya!" he grunted and spat down on the ground, having every intention to continue. "But of course ya don't even take notice! And after that one night I just can't help feelin' the way I do!"

Negaduck listened to Launchpad's brief speech and his scowl grew even more deep. "Are you implying what I think you are implying!? You….ugh…..You actually have feelings for me!? What the hell is the matter with you!? Get of out my sight BEFORE I DECIDE TO BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOU!!!" At this point, Negaduck had risen from his chair and was now screaming at the top of his lungs. Launchpad's eyes widened as he backed away, knowing that staying anywhere near Negaduck when he was this pissed off was the worst of ideas. He was out the door a minute later.

The searing pain in Negaduck's chest just seemed to intensify all the more as he sat back down with a grunt. He scowled down at the loot that Launchpad had brought in for him, almost feeling that it was now tainted with Launchpad's absurd confession.

He sat back in his chair and considered what the villainous pilot had said to him and his thoughts couldn't help but go back to his heroic 'twin' and his sidekick. Negaduck's wheels began to turn and realization soon came across his features. "Bloody hell…." he whispered, a look of horror, disgust, and shock on his face.

-----

Screams could be heard in the shopping mall as all the costumers and shoppers tried to flee for their lives. The busy mall and all those who were in it had not expected their peaceful shopping day to be ruined.

A nasally cackle let out through the air which echoed off the walls of the mall. "That's right, everyone run and scream. Get out of my way. Either that you'll face the wrath of Megavolt!!!"

Blue electricity and energy sparked on the top of his plug hat, his hands glowing as he rubbed them together. "Soon I'll be able to rob this grocery store in a matter of minutes!!" he hollered to no one. No one was left for him to be talking to since everyone had run away from him when he entered the mall. He threw his arms up in the air, waiting to hear more screams, but when he heard nothing, he looked down and blinked. "Boy, I was always told grocery store shoppers screamed the most…."

He continued to walk around the mall, glancing in all of the stores that he passed by. Then, something clicked in his brain. "Wait a minute….." he narrowed his eyes, wondering why he was seeing all these different stores instead of seeing aisles of groceries. "Hmmm…….did I leave the stove on?" He stopped glaring around him and scratched underneath his helmet.

There was suddenly the sound of someone clapping coming from behind Megavolt, which made the rodent jump in the air a bit and flip around, his hand ready to electrify whoever it was, particularly Darkwing Duck. Megavolt frowned, waiting for the person who was clapping to finally come out.

"My, my, Megavolt. You certainly are the dumbest that they come by… " snickered Negaduck as he came out from behind the corner that led to more stores. He looked up and around the architecture of the mall. "Haven't you managed to figure it out yet, dimwat? This isn't the grocery store, this is the St. Canard shopping mall. Honestly, before you know it, you're going to start thinking jail is the bank…."

Megavolt sneered at Negaduck's jibes, balling his hands into fists. "Oh! Who asked you!?" he demanded.

Negaduck narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?" he asked. Megavolt gulped, knowing he should never have said that, especially to Negaduck, of all people.

"Nothing" he muttered quickly, hoping that the evil mallard would let it slip.

"That's better…" sneered Negaduck, slowly walking up to the rodent. "Now, my question to you is….why aren't you at the warehouse helping the others watch after the two doctors?"

"I came here to get some food" replied the villain.

"You mean you meant to go to the grocery store…" he looked around the mall some more. "Because as I've already told you, this isn't thee grocery store.."

"I know that…." mumbled Megavolt, knowing that he was caught in the mistake of thinking that this was the grocery store.

"Oh, I'm sure you do…." rumbled Negaduck sarcastically. He then crossed his arms and shifted his position, ignoring the pain in his chest. "Changing the subject, have you ever happened to have noticed the relationship between Dipwing and his sidekick?"

Megavolt thought hard for a moment, taking a few steps over to where the bookstore was having a sale and had a table of clearance books. He picked up one of the cook books that was laying there and started skimming through the pages. Negaduck just tapped his foot on the marble floor impatiently. "Well…..They are hero and sidekick and they are almost always seen together when they try to foil my plans…"

"Yes, yes, I know that!" snarled Negaduck. "But have you noticed anything about them that might resemble a little bit more than just a hero/sidekick relationship?"

Megavolt's head was now completely invisible due to the way he was holding the large cookbook in front of him. "Well…." Negaduck could hear him flip a page. "I'm pretty sure they're best friends…..if not, they're hell of good actors…."

Negaduck sighed, not getting what he wanted. The rodent he was in company with had such a short attention span. "Do you think they could possibly….I don't know…..Be a thing?"

"A thing?"

"Yes, a thing."

"Well, everyone is a thing."

Negaduck raised an eyebrow, confused. "What?"

"Yeah, I think they are a thing" Megavolt finally clarified. He brought the book down from his face and closed it, setting it back down on the floor. He had an incredulous look on his face. "You mean you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what!?" demanded Negaduck, getting angry.

"They're together….Anyone who's worked against them can see that. I mean, I know Quacky and the guys know about it. We talk about it every now and then. It's really kind of funny….not to mention weird. We make fun of them for being so sissy…" This made Megavolt laugh.

"What are you laughing at! You four together are the largest sissy's I'VE ever met…" he told Megavolt. He then cleared his throat. "So you mean to tell me, that they are together….as a couple?"

Megavolt nodded, picking up another book. "Yeah, they're together and again, if they're not, then….they sure are hell of good actors…"

Negaduck placed a hand under his chin, trying to comprehend what he should do with this new bit of information. It certainly was news to him. But after hearing what Launchpad had to say about him, Lord Negaduck, and what he thought about the two of them being together, he couldn't help but wonder if this universe's Launchpad thought the same thing about Darkwing. He sharply turned his attention back to Megavolt. "Why haven't any of you told me this!?"

Megavolt was looking at a book upside down when he asked this question. "Many reasons…" He flipped the book around properly, only to tilt his head to the side. "Firstly, we figured you had noticed and already knew and decided not to take action. Secondly, we were afraid that you'd blow our heads off if we brought it up. Thirdly….I don't know. We just didn't think you'd care…." he shrugged.

Negaduck smirked. "Oh, yes….." he said dangerously. " I care…."

Megavolt looked up at him, a bit puzzled. "You do?"

Negaduck gave him a grinning sneer, walking up to the rodent and wrapping an arm around him, making Megavolt drop the book and give him a feared look, gulping. "Oh, yes. I care….. Because this new piece of information is so very enlightening…. In fact, you could almost say that this new piece of information is……inspiring…" He cackled at his own words.

Megavolt just watched him warily, desperately wishing the nasty criminal was not so close to him and his arm around his neck. The yellow clad duck let go of Megavolt and walked a ways in front of him, his fingers pressed up against each other in front of him. He clicked his tongue. "Darkwing will not know what hit him now that I know his secret…. I KNOW he's found a doctor that has been helping him. And according to Kerch and Rufener, the two of them have worked together to make me some medicine to help with my pain. So, I can only hope…." he grabbed one of the books that was on the table of books beside Megavolt, picking it up only because it was a small child's comic book; a Darkwing Duck comic book. He brought out a lighter from inside his pocket, flipping it on and watching the flame dance before him. "……….that Darkwing has been protecting his doctor carefully…." he brought the flame to the comic book's pages., watching it slowly start to burn. "For it wouldn't be nearly as fun if he wasn't…." The pages were now half inflamed with fire. "And as for our two heroes and their….relationship…." He dropped the comic book to the floor and watched as it became nothing but ashes. He didn't finish his sentence, instead, just let the remains of the comic book at their feet make his point clear.

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter was so short, but I wanted to post this and let you all know I haven't given up on it. J