Long Live the Evil Triplet

Chapter 25

Triggers and Goals

Louie stared down at Asha's burned body. His anger boiling over. The heat from the fire just added to the heat on his face.

"Damn it!" Huey exclaimed as he paced around the fire.

Louie's head shot up. He had never heard Huey cuss before. It was so unlike him, and being eleven-years-old would cause a stern slap from Ms. Beakly and a mouth washed out with soap. Louie thought he'd be the first to cuss, but Huey proved him wrong.

Huey pulled out his woodchuck guide book and flipped through the section about fires. "Always have an exstinguisher around in case of fire," Huey read out loud and rolled his eyes. That's not a rule, it's common sense. "If a fire breaks out and no fire exstnguisher is avaiable, throw flour, or oats onto it. Never out a fire with a blanket, or water, that only fuels the fire..."

He glanced over at his brother and Asha.

Asha groaned, and forced her eyes to open. Louie looked back down at her with concern and worried eyes. Asha's heart lifted at the sight of him, but it quickly died down when she no longer felt Luis within him. Tears swelled from the corner of her eyes.

He was gone.

Luis.

He would never be able to switch back now. Never be in the form with her again. She had wanted to at least enjoy a day together. Luis had only been in this form a day, and Asha hadn't even been here for a day for it was still dark outside, the sun yet to come up. Asha wanted to feel the sun, the ultiment light. She wanted to feel that with him.

Now, that was gone.

Asha choked back a sob.

"H,He's gone. It's he?" She whispered.

"Yeah. He, He told me to say sorry, and that he'll wait for you." Louie told her.

Asha sat up and yelped in pain as the burning erupted through her. Damien was telling her to hurry on with it. His orders. Or else he'd burn her from the inside out.

"D,Don't tell," She said, through gasps of pain. Louie's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he knew Damien was still hurting Asha. He held onto her close to his chest and Asha clinched his green sweater hoodie tightly, trying to hold herself up. "Please, don't tell anyone about Damien. S,Stop trying to break the curse further..."

Asha screamed again and slumped against him, breathing hard.

Louie looked at Huey helplessly.

Louie didn't know what to do at this point. Didn't have a shred of cleaver idea to get them out of this. Asha was trembling against him, and Huey was panicking as he started to mutter random facts about fires under his breath.

Louie closed his eyes.

He started to feel something inside him, it wasn't Luis, it was a different feeling. He was so use to feeling like he didn't fit it, always got what he wanted because he was the baby, now. Now, he felt powerful, more, more confident in himself.

He opened his eyes and looked back down at Asha. She was looking at him, with pleading eyes.

"It'll be okay, Ash." Louie whispered to her.

Louie didn't know if it was because of the fire, or the way he said her name but Asha's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red.

"C,Can you tell me what kind of power Luis had?" He asked. "I, I feel like he's trying to help me in a way. I, I feel strange..."

Asha gave him a small smile.

"Hypnosis." She told him, barely in a whisper. "He can control the way people think, hear, and feel," she paused as her voice wavered, "at times he can even control inanimate objects like -." She stopped.

"Fire." Louie breathed.

"But -." Asha said as Louie sat her down. "There's a catch, like all of us, there's always a catch..." She paused, and put a shaky hand up to his cheek and gently rubbed it with her thumb.

Huey stopped muttering and stared at them.

"What's the catch?" Louie muttered, his eyes not leaving hers. He wondered what Asha's catch was, and heaven forbid Huey's alternate ego they have yet to met. Louie shuddered at the thought, and wondered just how bad their situation was.

"You'll loose part of your memory." Asha answered him.

"Memory?" Louie asked. That explains why when they watched Luis's memory he didn't seem to remember most parts of it. Asha nodded and put her hand down from his face.

"The more powerful the object or person you hypnotize, the most memory you loose." Asha explained.

The burning inside Asha was slightly still there. She needed to watch was she said, she knew Damien wouldn't aprove of what she was telling Louie. She's knew she'd pay for it later, but she couldn't let Louie go through this without knowing.

Louie stood up slowly and turned to face the fire. He knew this was what he had to do. Knew this is what Luis was trying to help him out in.

"Louie. Think about what you are doing!" Huey said, frantically, his heart thudding against his chest. He grabbed Louie's arm but he quickly yanked it away from him.

"I am, Huey. For once, I am!" Louie shouted at him. "T,This is the only way..."

Louie stared into the fire for a long time until the fire stopped it's usual movement of flickering and hissing at them. Louie could feel Luis trying with all his might to push out his power to Louie, no matter what happened with Luis.

Louie had a sinking feeling that Luis will take the blow for this. He'll loose most of the memory, not Louie. Louie didn't want that, but he had no choice in the matter. It was Luis's will power after all.

The fire moved in command of Luis's power through Louie. It parted itself making an archway. Louie couldn't take, move, or even let Huey know to move it for fear he would loose concentration. He'd just have to wait until Huey came to his senses and got the message.

Huey stared at him.

He was also seeing Louie in a new light. He seemed more determined, more willing, and something else Huey couldn't put his finger on. Louie's sudden outburst made it clear to Huey that this was indeed Louie, not Luis. Luis would never have had helped them like this.

A grunt and a groan came from Louie with a hint of urgency in it making Huey blink. He looked at Louie's sweaty face and saw his eyes glaze over his head. Huey got the message and quickly grabbed Asha who groaned loudly as Huey's grip rubbed agains her burns.

"Sorry." Huey muttered as he dragged her literally out of the line of fire. Louie rushed out afterwards just as the arched wall closed in on itself. Louie would have willed the fire to die out and turn into ash but he already pushed his limits. He didn't want to pass out again for the second time that night.

"You, watch out for each other," Louie instructed Huey. "I'm going after Damien."

"NO!" Asha wailed loudly.

She forced herself to ignore the pain and ran at him. Hugging him tight.

"Please. D,Don't confront him. He's far worse then any of us..." She said.

Huey noticed that Asha's labored breathing became very fast She was terrified of Damien. Huey hadn't forgotten that Asha was suppose to be evil. He didn't let up his gaurd around her. He had a funny feeling that Asha was hiding something.

Something important.

Louie glanced over at Huey who only stared back. Huey didn't know if he should mention to Louie what he thought of Asha. Asha seemed all together when they first met. Calm, poised, and ready for anything. Now, she acted like a scared little kitten who was afraid of its own shadow. Did something snap inside Asha when Damien came into the picture?

"Huey," Louie said, suddenly, getting an idea. "Call your pet. I got an idea." He told him.

Huey's made a sour face.

"Tanner isn't my pet." Huey muttered as he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly making Louie stare at him.

"Tanner?" Louie smirked at the name.

"What? It's his name when he isn't a wereduck." Huey informed him. "They don't stay a wereduck all the time. Louie." Huey told him.

"Wait," Louie said, "does that mean I have a wereduck for a brother now?" Louie asked, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"I wouldn't go that far." Huey grumbled as a howling could be heard in the distance, then shortly after the wereduck busted down the front mansion doors, skidded to a stop beside Huey and wagged its tail like a puppy begging to be scratched. Huey rolled his eyes and ignored the beast as it nudged Huey's arm with it's snout as it wined.

"Doesn't seem like it." Louie pointed out as Huey gave in and scratched the beast behind it's ears. The wereduck panted and let his tounge hung on the side of his mouth. Louie pulled Asha close when he noticed his razor, sharp teeth that had blood stains on them. He hadn't thought about the fact that the beast would have held a grudge at the one duck who pratically killed his entire pack.

"Just, tell me your idea, I hate to think about what Damien is doing right about now..." Huey said, nervously glancing passed them up the stairs. He wondered where Damien was headed, then, he thought the obvious.

Scrooge McDuck.

Why must everything in their lives happen because of him? Uncle Donald had been upset with his Uncle right befroe they came to live with him. Huey was beginning to see why.

"Tell your pet -." Both Huey and the wereduck snarled at him. Only making Louie smirk at them. "your friend." Louie corrected himself. "If I can ride him."

Huey blinked then did as he was told by a series of grunts, whines, and barks. Louie rolled his eyes. Yep. Huey was the leader alright.

The wereduck whined at first but with one sharp look at Huey he crouched down and inched towards Louie uncertainly. His eyes darted from him to Asha as his upper lip curled into a snarl. Asha narrowed her eyes at the beast and slowly let go of Louie as he was able to mount him. Louie steadied himself.

"Wonder what Webby would think," Louie said, grinning over at Huey, "about one of us riding an actual wereduck." He said.

Huey rolled his eyes. Asha narrowed hers. She hated wereducks. Had a great pleasure in killing most of them just awhile ago.

"Okay, boy." Louie said, scratching Tanner behind the ears. "Let's go." He ordered.

Tanner sniffed the air, growled low, then bounded up the stairs three at a time. His kolepesh held out at arms length as if ready to behead someone.

"Okay," Huey said, once Louie had disappeared up the stairs and he was alone with Asha. "What are you really up too?" He asked her.

Asha had been staring after Louie but her head slowly turned to smirk at him sending a chill down Huey's spine...

Damien was just about to enter Scrooge McDuck's room when he was pinned to the door by huge paws. He grunted and squirmed as he turned around to face Louie on top of the wereduck. Louie's eyes blazed into his.

"This ends right now." Louie snarled at him, and the wereduck snapped it's jaws at Damien who only rolled his eyes and laughed.

"This is just the beginning. Lou-Lou." Damien said.

Louie stared at him. Only Luis got to call him that. He started to build up his strength to concerve his power again. He didn't care if he lost his memory.

Damien snickered.

"So, I see you found out Luis's power and how to use it." He said.

Louie remained silent. The wereduck pressed his paws deeper on his chest. Cutting off his wind pipe. It both excited Damien, and terrified him at the same time. He couldn't wait to get back to his games with Asha...

Maybe he can play those games with Louie too, somehow.

He grinned at the thought of that.

"I've got some information for you, Louie. I suggest you hear me out." Damien told him.

Louie stared at him, then sighed.

"Fine. You have five minutes." Louie snarled at him. He had the wereduck loosen his grip on Damien and he was finally able to breath.

"You may have ended your curse with Luis, but that's only the beginning. Asha and I won't be that eaisly to break. Not when our triggers keep us here and we have a nice firm grip on our counter parts." He smiled at Louie.

Louie could tell he was enjoying this.

"W,What triggered you?" Louie finally asked. "What could Dewey have possibly surrender to you for?"

"Like I'd tell you?" Damien asked. "I'm having too much fun in this form of reality that I don't plan on leaving it any time soon. Neither is Asha. I have something I need to take care of for my mistress, then, I can mess with Asha as much as I -."

Louie slashed his kolepesh near his brothers head making Damien actually jump.

"You are to leave her alone." Louie snarled at him.

Damien stared at Louie.

"She's got you completly fooled!" Damien said, "Asha is just as ruthless as I am, if not more so. Let me ask you something, why do you think Asha was triggered? What is her goal here? Luis's goal was to protect you while also trying to get the number one dime. We all know how that turned out." Damien snickered.

"W,What are you talking about?" Louie asked, his heart thudded hard against his chest. Had Asha been playing him this entire time? Has his feelings for Webby clouded his mind for who Asha really was?

"A certain someone, mention to Webby that she wasn't a part of this family." Damien replied a bit to gleefully. "Then, when Mom showed up it was like a slap in the face."

Louie's heart sank.

"None of you bothered to correct him afterwards did you?" Damien said. "Webby had kept it inside, her all this time. Mom coming back triggered Asha to come out of her."

His stomach hurt, and his chest tighten with guilt. He was loosing his will power now.

"What's Asha's goal?" Louie asked finally, dreading the answer. "S,She's not going after Mom, is she?" He asked, fearfully.

Damien shooked his head.

"No. That was Luis's goal and only his. We each deviced our own goals that fit our counter parts inner desires." He explained. "Asha isn't just going after Mom. She's going after -."

Suddenly they both heard Huey scream.

Tanner the wereduck whirled around, letting go of Damien completly and knocking Louie off. The wereduck snarled and was about to rush to Huey's aide, he suddenly burst into flames. Louie watched as the beast howled loudly in pain as it turned to nothing but bone and ash in front of him. Damien looming over Louie with a wide grin on his face.

"Not so tough now are you?" Damien hissed, leaning close to his face. Louie cowered up against the wall, staring into Damien's gleaming gray eyes. "I'm sure Asha's done told you, but just in case..."

Louie felt a slight burning across his feathers. He started panting as if he had been running the entire time.

"Don't tell a single soul about me, stop trying to break the curse. Trust me when I say that if my hold over Asha breaks, then you will have a lot more then me to worry about. So I'd stop trying to protect her." He told Louie.

"B,But W,Webby. She, She feels what you do to her. Don't she." Louie stated, weakly. The burning started heating up, like he a boiler put on high. Louie could barely breath at this point.

Damien's grin widen.

Louie's heart nearly stopped. He couldn't, He couldn't stop protecting Asha, even if she has plans her own, he couldn't do that to her. Not to Webby. Dewey would never forgive him, let alone forgive himself if anything else bad was to happen to her.

Did she really think she wasn't a part of this family?

Huey screamed again making Louie scramble to his feet and make his way back down the stairs.

"Oh, and Lou -Lou." Damien said, making Louie freeze with one foot on the steps. He turned to star at him. "I'd stay away from fires. They're dangerous." He warned, and winked at him.

Louie gulped as he watched Damien open Scrooge McDuck's room and shut the door quietly behind him.