It's been tricky keeping this story interesting, I'm using a lot of different ideas (most of which came up AS I was writing this story) so i hope you guys are enjoying its versatility. I'm really trying very hard to make this story great because I know there's some incredible DW fan fictions out there and I'm doing my best to stay at the level. I've got plenty of surprises and chapters on the way though I might take a bit longer for making chapters due to summer school but I'll do my best to keep them coming at an even pace. Until the next update, I hope you guys: enjoy!
Reunions
The nightly winds felt cold and chilling as ice as Taurus Bulba stared endlessly into space near the thundering waterfalls that crashed down beside him, the white and blue colors of the water flooding rapidly before his glaring eyes. So many memories washed over Bulba's mind like knives, digging into his mechanical cranium and dumping piles of hateful memories of Darkwing duck. The defeat Bulba suffered from Darkwing ate away at his soul like a cancer, devouring everything inside and left nothing but emptiness. Bulba could see nothing but Darkwing's face.
Bulba curiously stretched his hand out to the water, watching as the icy cold water washed over his red and orange metallic claw. The water trickled down his steel arm with little reaction from the cyborg bull. Taurus growled hatefully as he was unable to feel anything from these hands.
That nauseating, worthless, costumed son of a bitch! Thanks to him, I am doomed to live for eternity without ever being able to taste, touch, or smell anything in this world. My once perfect flesh and blood body has been reduced to a rotting carcass, sitting inside a hollow shell of steel and microchips. Every splash of water is a painful reminder what that insignificant speck of worm shit stole from me…but soon…soon, he will know the true meaning of SUFFERING!
A sudden noise startled Bulba, he turned from his waterfall daze to see Lilliput, and Cement head returning from their mission, apparently it was a success. Gosalyn and Launchpad remained unconscious in the villains grasps. The two goons tossed Gosalyn and Launchpad to the ground, sprawled right before Bulba's orange iron feet.
"Magnificent, absolutely magnificent, I take it there were no problems in acquiring these two?" Bulba asked, eagerly rubbing his steel claws together.
Lilliput shook his head, "No siree boss; these dopes didn't know what hit them. The little girl was a bit harder to catch because fly boy here gave her a head start."
"But she was no match for either of us, you know what I mean? How Darkwing ever put up with these two is beyond me," Cement head said, bragging slightly.
Bulba chuckled as he looked at Gosalyn, "Yes, I unfortunately remember too well how spirited this little brat is. Personally I think she's much more tolerable when she's unconscious."
Taurus blinked curiously at the strange yet colorful costume Gosalyn seemed to be wearing, he picked up her cape and examined her green mask and elf like shoes.
"Ha, judging by this ridiculous outfit I'd say little Gosalyn Waddlemeyer has been playing super hero just like her phony father, how droll. A lot of good it did her," Bulba said as he dropped Gosalyn back to the ground.
"So what should we do with these two boss, you want us to rough em up some more?" Cement head said with an eager smug smile.
Bulba shook his head, "No, they must not be harmed so that fool can show up and see that they are all right. That way he'll devote his attention completely towards me, and I'll break him apart piece by piece right in front of his pathetic family. Only then can we end their useless lives. Until then, tie them up and put them off to the side for now…oh…and don't forget to gag them."
Lilliput and Cement head nodded and began tying Gosalyn and Launchpad up together with binding wire, securing gags firmly across their beaks and putting them up against the stonewall. Bulba smirked as he clicked his left arm cannon into a blaster, listening to its engine hum as he locked onto his targets.
"Okay, all done tying up the prisoners boss, now what should we do?" Lilliput said; smiling as his goofy ant antennae bobbed.
BANG!
Bulba launched a large missile at his two "former" henchmen; the missile exploded and unleashed a blinding sea of gray fog and fumes. Lilliput and Cement head gagged and wheezed, feeling their lungs fill up with the mysterious gas. Taurus Bulba laughed as he watched Lilliput's eyes roll to the back of his head as he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Cement head gasped for air as he held his throat, "You cough…you…you dirty stinking rat!"
Taurus Bulba simply laughed, "You stone faced simpleton, what did you think was going to happen? I've gotten everything I needed from you and that ant obsessed nitwit, there's no need for me to keep you around anymore."
Cement head collapsed to the ground with one final failed gasp for air, creating a colossal thud as his body dropped like a ton of bricks. Bulba approached the villains, removed his own batch of binding wire, and began tying up Lilliput and Cement head.
"Awwwww, don't take this personally gentlemen, it's just my nature. Besides, you two should be honored to have the privilege of working for the greatest criminal mastermind to ever walk the planet. Take pride knowing you have served a greater purpose…mine," Bulba said.
The cyborg bull tossed Lilliput and Cement head as if they weighed nothing towards Gosalyn and Launchpad, Bulba smirked at seeing how easily he had taken care of his former goons. Bulba turned as his mechanical sensors detected life forms slowly approaching his location.
Taurus Bulba frowned, "One of them is Darkwing duck but I detect…two people approaching. Seems that meddlesome mallard didn't bother listening to my letter, I told him to come alone. However, I detect no radio transmissions or police scanners so whoever is with him is not affiliated with the police or SHUSH. No matter who else is involved I cannot allow he or she to interfere with my master plan so I think it's time I take my plan to the next level immediately."
Darkwing and Honker continue to climb the rocky trail, their webbed feet quietly slapping the rocky path as they listened to the sound of running water. The heroes knew they were close. The costumed hero turned behind and raised a single finger to his beak, whispering "Shh" to Honker as he turned forward and removed his gas gun. Darkwing rushed to the edge of the waterfall cliff and leapt out of the shadows to make his presence known.
"All right robo horn head come out and show your ugly mug. It's no use hiding, I live in the darkness and I know you and your half wit, second rate villain goons are somewhere plotting to ambush me," Darkwing said as he aimed his gas gun in circles.
Darkwing turned his masked eyes to the entrance to the cave in the waterfall and gasped at what he found. Launchpad and Gosalyn unconscious and tied up but even more shocking was seeing Lilliput and Cement head; also unconscious and tied up!
Darkwing swallowed hard, "Or then again…maybe not."
The lumbering shadow of Taurus Bulba spilled across the rock ledge ground like a circling vulture; Taurus Bulba entered the light and growled bitterly at the sight of Darkwing duck.
"Dear me what have we here, Darkwing duck ready and waiting for my arrival? How annoying and unexpected," Bulba sneered with a roll of his eyes.
Darkwing blinked in confusion, "Now hold up just a minute there pal what do you mean unexpected?" Darkwing pointed at Bulba, "You were the one that dragged us all out here."
Bulba yawned and examined his claws, "Yes but I didn't actually think you'd have the spine to actually show up. Truth be told, I was expecting you to chicken out and skip town until this whole mess blows over." Bulba sported a large, smug grin, "That is how you usually operate isn't it chicken wing?"
"Coming from the sideshow freak who spent all his time acting like a yellow bellied, second rate puppet master, I find that completely laughable," Darkwing angrily snapped back.
Taurus Bulba growled and pointed to Gosalyn and LP, "Well then let's see how funny you think this is. I have your so called 'family' and sooner or later I WILL kill them, the only question is whether or not you'll be dead before you can see it happen. I've waited a long time for this Darkwing and I will do anything to make sure I have my revenge."
Darkwing angrily glared, "Let them go you mechanical monster; I'm the one you want they have nothing to do with this!"
"Wrong, they have everything to do with this," Bulba shouted as his face turned bright red. "All my life I have endured humiliation by being defeated by the likes of you, no one could stop me until you came along and mucked things up. I had the perfect cover and I was incapable of being defeated or detected, yet you somehow continue to ruin everything I try to accomplish."
Darkwing watched and focused on Bulba's eyes trying to tune out all of the villainous psychobabble he was jabbering on about, all the while watching Honker secretly work in the back. Honker was trying to untie Gosalyn and Launchpad while Darkwing kept Bulba occupied. Darkwing was half hoping that Bulba would become so red that his circuits would overload and he would burn himself out again, though it appears that was unlikely.
"One way or another I am not leaving this cliff until I see you down on your knees begging for your life Darkwing Duck," Bulba screamed as he angrily charged forward. "Now is your time to die."
The superhero quickly dodged to the side and stuck out his webbed foot, slamming into Bulba's orange metallic legs and tripping the bull face first into the ground. Taurus quickly stood up and roared as he swung a massive forearm at Darkwing's face and missed. Darkwing smirked and countered by jumping up and smacking Bulba in the jaw with a spinning jump kick, Bulba gasped as he slowly stumbled back.
Darkwing duck grinned, "Not today bovine breath, it's not my day to die just like it wasn't my time back when we first fought on top of that skyscraper that blew up."
"Skyscraper, back when, first fought?" Bulba stared blankly at these strange statements.
Darkwing shook his head, "Playing dumb may come naturally to a slob like you but it's not going to save you."
Taurus Bulba angrily growled, "What in blazes are you talking about you stupid duck? When we first met there wasn't any explosion and I certainly don't remember fighting on any skyscraper."
"Whoa, whoa, wait a second how could you not remember? It was a huge…exploding…big…thing…remember? We fought tooth and nail, the gravity rod was overloading, I barely survived and you were blown to hamburger bits until FOWL revived you," Darkwing said, frantically confused.
"I was humiliated by you Darkwing and that to me is the only thing that matters now, so cease your babbling and get on with it," Taurus said as he snorted from his bull snout.
Darkwing paused for a moment and scratched his mask, "I can't believe it I just can't believe it. Could it be possible that Bulba forgot about everything before this, is he fighting on blind hatred and confusion alone?" Darkwing was completely baffled by this, "Maybe that frying pan brain of his has finally scrambled his circuits off the deep end."
Darkwing's curious thoughts were violently interrupted as Bulba rammed full speed ahead and tackled his horns under Darkwing's armpits. Distracted by his own confusion, Darkwing had no time to react as Bulba bull rammed him right into a stonewall. The hero cried out in pain as the muscular force and sharpness of the stonewall grinded into his spine. Bulba ground his iron toes into the Earth in order to crush Darkwing against the wall. Darkwing's arms were pinned but his hands were free enough to reach one of his pockets, removing his gas gun and blasting Bulba.
Swirls of dark purple smoke engulfed Darkwing and Bulba, his lungs wheezed and gagged on the smoke fumes as he was forced to release Darkwing. Blinding white knuckles crunched into Bulba's jaw as Darkwing hit him with a fast and furious uppercut. Taurus Bulba stumbled back and held his throbbing jaw, left vulnerable and open for Darkwing to strike Bulba in the chest with swift kick then strike his face again with a jump kick. Bulba staggered in swirling steps of dizziness, slowly skidding to a halt with his feet. Darkwing lunged forward with a karate chop.
Raising his steel orange claw, Bulba blocked the chop and used his other arm to grab Darkwing's throat and hurl him across the rocky ground like a ragdoll. Darkwing and Bulba quickly leapt back onto their feet and regained fighting poses.
"You know this may just be my concussion talking here, but when I struck Bulba's fist I could have sworn that it felt soft and mushy…kind of like…flesh. My hand isn't really sore and if that thing was really made of metal it'd be hurting like Hell right now," Darkwing thought to himself.
Taking a small mental break, Darkwing took this time to curiously run his masked eyes up and down Bulba's body. He didn't know what he was looking for or what he was expecting to find but something about this just didn't seem right. Bulba's body looked exactly as Darkwing remembered it, every cyborg implant, every patch of dark fur, every twisted glare and crooked smile, he even smelled like the long horned bastard but still…something didn't feel right.
Bulba let loose a twisted echo of laughter, "What's the matter duck, has the futility of this fight finally sunken in and you now realize how completely powerless you are against the great and mighty Taurus Bulba?"
Not all the bragging and taunting bothered Darkwing, in fact he hoped it would continue. The longer Taurus continued to boast, the more time Honker had to sneak into the back and untie Gosalyn and Launchpad. Honker had just finished untying the hostages when suddenly Gosalyn's sleepy eyes stirred awake.
Gosalyn blinked in her drowsy state, "Huh what, Honker? Where are we?"
Taurus Bulba turned around and gasped, "Meddling little brat! I knew there was something about this that didn't smell right."
Honker gasped as he desperately tried to push Gosalyn and Launchpad back onto their feet so they could escape, but Gosalyn was still out of it and Launchpad STILL had not awaken. Bulba snorted steam from his nostrils as he angrily charged towards the young boy. Darkwing gasped and leapt onto Bulba's back and shoulders, trying to strangle him by wrapping his arms around Bulba's throat. The crime boss roared and elbowed Darkwing in the gut and forced him off his back.
"You're dead you rotten little slippery book worm," Bulba angrily snarled.
Honker swallowed hard, "Couldn't we just settle this with a polite conversation or something?"
Furious beyond words, Bulba charged and swiped at Honker but missed the small boy as he ducked and crawled between Bulba's legs. Taurus turned around and grabbed Honker by his skull; he flipped his red glasses forward and stared right into the boy's terrified little eyes.
"I bet you think you're really smart don't you little boy?" Bulba asked, "Well my IQ is three times higher than everyone in my class so…I'd say yeah that's about right" Honker said with a nervous nod. "Then let's see if you're smart enough to learn how to fly!"
Taurus Bulba punted Honker like a football off his knee and hurled him violently towards the edge of the waterfall cliff, Darkwing gasped and leapt into the air to try to catch him. Darkwing grabbed and missed, Honker's horrified eyes widening as began to plummet over the edge.
"Oh no you don't" Darkwing said stretching out his arm and snagging Honker's wrist just in time.
Honker was now dangling off the edge of the cliff just mere moments away from possibly falling to his death in the thunderous, icy waterfalls. Darkwing bit his lip as he fiercely tried to hold on as long as he could.
"Ugh, owe let me go, stop it you're hurting me," Gosalyn frantically shouted.
Darkwing's eyes widened with dread and horror as he turned around and saw his beloved daughter in the clutches of that mechanical mad man. Taurus Bulba had locked his bone crushing forearms around Gosalyn's neck and was tightening his grip around her throat, causing her to choke and squirm.
Bulba looked at Gosalyn and laughed, "What fortuitous fortune this is! Were it not for your daughter's so called 'spirit', she would have stayed asleep and probably would never have felt any pain at all." Gosalyn angrily jerked and twisted. "Now it looks like I'll have to move things along a lot quicker and kill the little rodent, immediately!"
Darkwing pleaded to Bulba, "NO please don't, don't hurt my baby little girl!"
Taurus Bulba simply chuckled, "That's right she really is your precious little child isn't she Darkwing? I mean you are not her biological father but you did raise her, teach her, and give her a nice home and enrolled in school. I can only imagine how close the two of you have become and how utterly horrifying it would be if some tragic accident were to befall her."
"Cut the torture and get to the point you walking stack of twisted road kill, what do you want in exchange for Gosalyn's life?" Darkwing angrily demanded.
Honker gulped hard as he still desperately tried to hang on.
"Exchange you say? Now that sounds like a good idea, so then here's the deal Darkwing if you want to save your daughter's life then it's very simple…drop that little boy," Bulba snickered.
Darkwing and Honker gasped in cold-blooded horror.
Taurus Bulba continued his twisted proposal, "It's as you said an exchange, one child's life for the other. You get to choose who will die; either you let that boy go and let him plunge to his watery grave or you save him and Gosalyn's neck will be snapped like a toothpick…the choice is yours."
To be continued……