Chapter 11
Gosalyn skulked the sidewalk, darting back and forth in a widening circle until she found the next scale. She squinted periodically at the surrounding shadow, making sure no one was stalking her, but her attention was mainly focused on the clues.
Traipsing across Duckburg on foot was tedious at best, as the buildings were spaced comfortably away from each other and the mansion was on the other side of town. Still, Gosalyn was used to being on the move. It was the quiet that was bothering her...
On any given night in St. Canard, there were cars moving through the streets, honking, braking, and revving up their engines. Add to that music drifting from store fronts, barking dogs and yowling cats, barges pulling into the bay, construction crews, overly-loud stereos, and the constant murmur of voices, and the city almost had a voice of its own.
Duckburg, by contrast, had few cars out at this time of night. Stereos were turned off or way down. The sidewalks were deserted. And the only people in the stores and museums were security and cleanup crews... Gosalyn almost wished for a construction crew just to add some ambient noise...
It also smelled different here... St. Canard smelled of factories, vehicular exhaust, sulfur (from the subway), motor oil, water, hot dogs, hamburgers, bread, grease, and whatever else the stores and restaurants were selling. Duckburg smelt...not exactly clean, but much more open. The ocean was close enough to add that distinctive briny smell, but there was no fish or oil smell. The only time she caught a whiff of motor oil was around a gas station.
A van came down the street and Gosalyn ducked into the shadows to avoid being seen. The driver was in too much of a hurry to notice. Gosalyn wondered where he was off to.
Meanwhile...
Donald was ready to start jumping up and down, shaking his fist. He'd gone to the bank Uncle Scrooge had mentioned and saw that it had closed an hour ago. He drove to the next closest bank and encountered the same problem. Only the drive-throughs and ATMs were open. There were only two other banks in Duckburg and those were owned respectively by Scrooge and Glomgold. Donald wouldn't be able to go in there without drawing attention and that was precisely what his uncle was trying to avoid.
"Doggone it..." Donald threw down his hat and stomped on it. "Of all the dirty, rotten, lousy luck...Just a small favor, huh? Phooey!"
As he collected his battered hat and walked back to his van, he caught a glimpse of motion near the rear of the vehicle.
"Huh? What was that?"
He stooped down to peek under the car's carriage, wondering if a cat or dog had darted under there. He was pretty sure he'd seen a long tail...
"Hmmm..." he scratched his head. He climbed in and shut the door. Just as he started to put the keys in the ignition, something poked him in the head.
"Now what?" he muttered impatiently as he turned his head. He came face to face with a pair of big beady yellow eyes. "Wak!"
"Sstart the car!" Camille leaned over from the back seat, prodding Donald with a gun barrel. "And take me to Gyro Gearloosssse..."
Overcoming his fright, Donald glared at her in the rear view mirror.
"What for? I don't know any Gyro..."
"Figuressss," Camille scratched an itch on her arm with her free hand, muttering to herself. "I alwayss get the brave onessss."
She poked Donald's head even harder and hissed in his ear slit. "I have no patience for your sstalling tacticssss. Your uncle was at his housssse earlier. I have no need of you, but I wasss willing to simply ssteal your car. If you inssissst on being difficult, I shall have no choicssse but to shoot and dispossse of you later..."
"Shshshshoot...?" Donald stammered.
He started up the car obediently. Then he spun the wheel, swerving the vehicle wildly through the parking lot, giving Camille a wild ride in the backseat. She tried to protest but he backed the van into a lamp post and jumped out, running and screaming down the street.
Camille staggered out of the van and shook her fist at the fleeing form.
"You fool! No one can outrun Camille the chameleon!"
A couple blocks away, Gosalyn perked up.
"Keen gear! Sounds like a chase! Quiverwing Quack gets her first solo act!" Gosalyn thought excitedly as she started running toward the screaming victim. As she got closer, she realized that voice sounded familiar... Was that Louie's uncle...?
"Wawawawawawawa! Help! Help! Somebody, help! She's try-ing to kill me! Wa-ah-ah-ah-ah!"
"That is Donald!" Gosalyn thought as she sped up, glancing around the neighborhood. Surely someone in one of these houses or a night watchman in one if these businesses should have heard Donald's screams by now and called the police... What did it take to catch attention in this town?
Four more strides and Gosalyn caught sight of Donald's familiar blue and white shirt under a street lamp. He was running full speed, but something was gaining on him. Before Gosalyn could vocalize a warning, the fast-moving blur overtook Donald and tackled him to the ground. His shrieks pierced the air.
Some lights came on in the surrounding residences and Gosalyn muttered "It's about time."
Drawing the fishing net arrow out of her borrowed quiver, Gosalyn paused to make a dramatic entrance.
"Hold it right there, you fleet footed fiend!" she raised her voice to challenge Donald's attacker. "I've got an arrow aimed right at your head, so back off the duck or prepare to be skewered...!"
Camille sat up. "It can't be...," she stammered. "Thiss isn't even your sscity!" She looked across the pool of light created by the overhead lamp and squinted at Gosalyn, shielding her eyes with her hand.
Donald, encouraged by the fact that he wasn't alone anymore, took a swing at Camille's jaw. She stood up before his fist connected and his momentum rolled him onto his stomach.
"Oof!" He pushed himself to his feet and spun around to face his opponent. "Why you! I oughta...!" He hopped up and down, punching the air threateningly.
"Don't worry, Mr. Duck, I've got you covered!" Gosalyn said in a deep confident tone. She jogged over and launched a flying webkick at the mutant.
Camille swung her tail at her. Gosalyn ducked, feeling the scaly appendage swipe her hair, knocking her hat off. She quickly raised her bow and fired the net arrow at Camille, ensnaring the mutant and bent to retrieve the hat.
"Whoa! Who are you…?" Donald shielded his eyes to look her way. He spotted her exposed red hair and gaped. "G-Gosalyn...?"
Gosalyn palm-slapped her face. Great. Two minutes into her first solo rescue and already she'd blown her secret identity.
But before she could answer, another voice boomed over her shoulder, making her jump and drop her bow.
"Yeah, pain in da neck, ain't she?" A tall, horned figure stepped out of the same van Gosalyn had seen speeding by her earlier. She recognized that nasally accent without needing to see the voice's owner. Taurus Bulba's lead lackey and a dangerous thug in his own right...Hammerhead Hannigan.
Louie jogged along the sidewalk, uncomfortably aware of the hour and the fact that, for one of the few times in his life, he was alone. He didn't have Huey to follow or Dewey to devise a plan. Uncle Scrooge was probably reading and not even aware that he was missing two house guests yet. And Uncle Donald was in town somewhere.
Louie dreaded running into him. The last thing he wanted was for his uncle to yell at him for being outside. It was only eight thirty, but the sun had disappeared behind the clouds half an hour ago and it was dark out. Plus, Louie was out here, looking for a little girl he had somehow lost track of in a matter of seconds.
That Mallard kid sure was quick on her feet! She might only be a few years younger than him and his brothers, and perfectly capable of looking out for herself, but neither one of his uncles would accept that excuse as a reason for him to let her run around the streets alone. He...
Louie was jolted out of his thoughts by the most horrible sound in the world...his Uncle Donald's terrified cry!
"Uncle D!" he turned in that direction, just as Gosalyn had. As he ran, he fumbled for his phone, getting ready to call the police and Uncle Scrooge. "I sure hope Gosalyn went back for help...I just wish I knew where she was!"
As Louie closed the distance toward them, Gosalyn gulped and chuckled nervously.
"Eh heh, fancy meeting you here..." she stammered as she turned around.
She had grown a few inches since they'd met, but Hammerhead was still ginormous! If anything, he looked like he had gotten bigger! His chest and shoulders were broader than she remembered and, even though the tan goat was still wearing his characteristic pinstriped suit, his scowl was meaner and tougher. (A.N. It seemed to me H.H. was bigger in the episode "In like Blunt.")
"Yeah, I could say da same thing about you, girlie..." Hammerhead put his free hand on his hip, still staring at her. He might have been fooled by the mask and hat if she'd kept quiet, but seeing her fear and hearing her familiar voice were enough evidence for him. He waved a gun in his hand. "Hand over the arrows and I'll go easy on ya, Shorty. If ya know what's good for ya, you'll come along quietly..."
"Hehe, qui-et-ly..." Gosalyn chuckled nervously. "Why didn't I think of that...?"
Hammerhead held out his free hand for the weapons and Gosalyn extended her bow like she was going to cooperate, secretly reaching under her cape. Then she jumped up in the air, slamming Hammerhead's face with the metal flashlight.
"Yeah right!" She yelled fiercely, swinging the now-bent flashlight into one of his knees. "Like I'd ever listen to you, Hornhead!"
As Hammerhead hopped around, clutching his injuries and yelping, Gosalyn landed a kick on his other shin for good measure. Hammerhead's yelping increased in volume and ferocity, adding some inarticulate words in the jumble. Donald pointed at the unfortunate goat and doubled over laughing.
Gosalyn smiled smugly and twirled one of her arrows in her fingers.
"Yep, yep, yep... That's three points for the home team..."
"Perhapssss, but you forget. He'sss not alone...!" Camille's voice sounded from behind Gosalyn.
Gosalyn spun around to face her opponent, but all she saw was an empty net lying under an empty pool of light on the sidewalk. Everything else was in shadow. Gosalyn aimed her bow at the shadows, but couldn't distinguish anything moving amongst the bench and the nearby trash can. The bus stop shelter a little ways down the street was empty, as were the cars parked on the curb.
Gosalyn heard movement and spun to face it. Hammerhead had taken opportunity of the distraction to duck out of sight as well. The only person she saw was Donald, who paused in the midst of brushing off his sleeves. He blinked and looked around, clearly wondering where the villains had gone.
Gosalyn studied him for a moment. It wasn't like Hammerhead to run and hide... He was a fighter, and he didn't mind taking hostages. So why was Donald, a perfectly good hostage and potential leverage over the police, still standing here with her and not with the bad guys...?
She bared her teeth and stomped over to the duck, poking him in the stomach with her arrow.
"Alright, hands up and let me hear you say 'cheese!'" she demanded.
Donald started. "Huh? Whats'dabigidea!"
Gosalyn lowered her arrow in chagrin. That first syllable was proof enough that he really was Donald.
"Sorry Mr. Duck," she sighed. "Did you see where that shape-shifting mutant lizard duck with yellow eyes and hissing voice ran off to?"
"No, but..." Donald's eyes widened and he pointed over Gosalyn's shoulder. "WAAHHHH!"
Gosalyn spun around with her arrow notched, ready to fire, only to have a huge fist seize her by the jacket and hoist her in the air. Camille was back in her giant form, leering down at the tiny heroine with a grin.
"You should have kept your beak out of other people'sss biznesss!" Camille growled in her face.
Donald overcame his initial fright and rolled up his sleeves threateningly.
"Oh, no you don't! I'll fix you!" he muttered threateningly.
He jumped on the chameleon's arm and clawed at her thick fingers, trying to free Gosalyn. When that failed to loosen Camille's grip, Donald resorted to biting her arm. Camille yelped and abruptly transformed, sending both ducks tumbling.
Gosalyn rolled to her feet and scrambled to set up her bow again when something slithered around her ankles.
Camille wrapped her new python body around both ducks and hissed in Donald's face.
"Where iz the formula!"
"I don't have it!" Donald yelled, slamming his fists on the scaly head.
Gosalyn aimed a superglue arrow at Camille's head, intending on stopping her from transforming again when the bow was yanked out of her hands.
"Hey!" she protested, looking up to find Hammerhead grinning at her.
"Thought I'd left ya, huh, Squirt? I hates to break it to ya's but neither one of you joiks is going home tonight!"
"Yeah?" Gosalyn scowled up at him. "Well neither are you creeps!"
She pulled back her fist and gut punched the goat. Or at least she tried to, but his muscles were too thick for her to land anything more than a bruise... On her. She flinched and shook her hand.
Hammerhead laughed.
"How do ya like that for poetic justice? Gotta taste of yer own medicine! I've been woikin' out since I saw youse last..."
Gosalyn squeezed out of Camille's grip. The chameleon hardly paid her any attention as she had Donald head locked in her coils.
Donald was still kicking and pummeling the unamused mutant with his fists. With Gosalyn out of her grasp, Camille transformed back into the thug.
Donald paled. "Uh oh..."
"You can sssay that again!" Camille grabbed his legs with her free hand and body slammed him into the pavement.
Louie found the source of the noises in time to see his uncle treated like a rag and a big goat grabbing for Gosalyn. He fumbled in the messenger bag he was carrying for something he could throw to distract the bad guys but all he had was the flashlight and the evidence bag. A lot of good those would do him...
He patted his shorts pockets and retrieved a lock for his bicycle, his cell phone, his old slingshot, and a few marbles. Plus some other odds and ends like his wallet, a melted candy bar, and some lint... He looked at the marbles and remembered a time Huey had used marbles to take down a bad guy. He loaded the slingshot, aimed carefully, and fired.
The marble bounced off of Hammerhead's horn, getting his attention long enough for Gosalyn to kick him in the gut. He dropped her and she dropkicked his ankles, knocking him off his feet.
In the meantime, Louie's second marble pelted Camille in the eye and his third rolled under her feet, tripping her. Donald flew out of her grasp, squawking, and landed on Hammerhead's chest. Hammerhead glared at him and Donald smirked and waved his hand nervously.
"Ha, ha... Hello..."
"Goodbye!" Hammerhead head-butted Donald, sending him somersaulting into Gosalyn just as she was aiming her glue arrow at Camille again. The arrow went wide and both ducks ended up sprawled in a heap.
Hammerhead put his hands on his hips and grinned.
"Well ain't that a pretty picture? Hehe." Camille smirked as well. Hammerhead noticed her and pointed at her. "You! Agent C. Keep an eye on these joiks 'till I get some rope..."
"Az you wishhhh..." Camille dipped her head in mock humility. When Hammerhead went to his van, she turned to the ducks again and picked both up by their collars. She held Donald out in front of her face. "I'll give you one last chancsse to sssave yourself. Give me the superpower formula Scrooge gave you, and I will let you, and the girl, go."
Gosalyn squirmed. "Don't listen to her, Mr. D! She's lying!"
"Quiet!" Camille snapped, shaking Gosalyn and wrapping her hand around the girl's torso.
Gosalyn pushed against her and continued her protest.
"She won't let either one of us go! And besides...!" She turned her head to face Camille square on. "That formula doesn't work anyway!"
Camille chuckled, surprising both of her captives.
"Oh I know... I wassss there when Gizzzmoduck had hisss...accident. And I heard Mr. Gearloosssse explain the aftereffectsss to McDuck."
"If you knew all that, then why do you still want the formula?" Gosalyn asked with a hint of sardonicism.
"Becaussse, little one, I can sssell it to FOWL as is and employ Mr. Gearloossse's talents for a new, improved version. Why wait for FOWL's ssscientistsss when the original inventor could make me the most powerful villainessss of all!" Camille closed her eyes and basked in her mind's image.
Louie snuck closer and signaled to Gosalyn.
She saw him and nodded.
He had one more marble in his hand and he aimed it at Camille. As she straightened and looked ahead, she saw Louie just a split second too late. The marble hit her in the eye. She reflexively reached for her face, dropping her captives once more.
Gosalyn rolled to her feet while Louie grabbed his uncle's wrist, pulling him away from the mutant. They didn't get far before running into Hammerhead. Gosalyn launched a web kick at him to give Donald and Louie time to get away. Hammerhead opened a loot sack and caught Gosalyn in it before she could correct her forward motion. He tied up the end and slung her into the back of his van.
Donald stopped.
"Wait!" he told his nephew, pulling his wrist out of Louie's grasp. "We have to help her!"
"No Uncle Donald! He's too powerful!" Louie protested, grabbing for Donald's arm.
Donald ignored him and boldly faced off the goat, holding up his fists and hopping up and down.
"So! You wanna play rough, do ya...?"
Hammerhead laughed at the puny duck's threat.
"Whatcha gonna do? Talk me to death?"
"BRRRARARA!" Donald shrieked his outrage and jumped on the goat, pounding him with all the strength and fury he had in his wrists. He even bit Hammerhead's ear, which certainly got his attention, but the villain wasn't overly impressed. When grabbing for the duck failed, he waited until Donald wore himself out and grabbed him by the throat.
"I gotta hand it to ya, duck," he smirked in Donald's face. "You gotta lotta spirit. But spirit don't pay de undertaker..."
Donald sighed wearily, too tired to object as Hammerhead tied him up and threw him in the van.
"Wait! I was going to get the formula from him!" Camille protested, having returned to her usual shape.
"Ah, don't worries about it. FOWL will send their eggheads to pick through the duck's car. I'm on my way to pick up de inventor..."
"NO!" Camille ran over and clutched his sleeve. "You can't! That was my idea!" Realizing she had just given away a crucial part of her own plan, Camille gulped and tried to backpedal. "I mean, FOWL sent in the troops to apprehend the inventor already. We just needed the formula!"
Both heard a small gasp and turned their heads.
Louie gulped. He was standing just a couple yards away. Too close for comfort. He grinned sheepishly, waved "hi," and ran.
"Shouldn't we ssstop him?" Camille asked wonderingly.
"Ah, who cares about de twerp? He won't be able to do anything. We'll be outta here before the cops can even send out a dispatch. Now, you can do what ya want. You can ride wit' me, or you can vamoose, but I'm getting outta here now."
Camille glared at him.
Hammerhead snorted in reply and climbed into the driver's seat.
He had the Waddlemeyer girl and the duck with the formula the guys from FOWL wanted. And in return, he would get more than his fair share of profit. He'd make sure of it as he had a little pull with one of FOWL's High Command...a vulture by the name of Aloysius Sharp with a cousin named Phinny. Once Hammerhead got Aloysius' and Phineas Sharp's repayment for sparing "Phinny's" life and doing the dirty work here, he was going to buy himself an island. Preferably on an island that wasn't owned or run by conmen like the Sharps.
Some dumb kid blundering on the scene now wouldn't make a lick of difference.
Everything was falling into place...