"I'll see you soon Fenton," Gandra said as she boarded a helicopter with some SHUSH operatives that had shown up at the crash site. He was a little hesitant to let them take Gandra away so soon after she'd been released from FOWL's imprisonment. He hadn't even known that SHUSH still existed at this point. Gandra, apparently, had known that or at least wasn't surprised by it as she didn't seem particularly suspicious of them. Ludwig Von Drake had confirmed their identities as SHUSH agents and they had promised that Gandra would be dropped off at home with a full pardon after being debriefed. Fenton wasn't sure what useful information they expected to get from her now that FOWL had been defeated but it didn't seem like the agents were untrustworthy. Also one of the agents had shown significant interest in Gandra's bioelectric enhancements so there was a very real chance that this debriefing might end up turning into some kind of pitch meeting. As much as he wanted to spend more time with her, he understood that Gandra's experiments had rarely received positive attention from those without very dark moral compasses. This could be a big opportunity for her if she was lucky and it wasn't like they couldn't spend more time together later.
So with nothing to do Fenton found himself processing the day's events while watching Launchpad work on fixing up his airplane. He had offered to help but Della had stopped him. She told him that when it came to jury rigging the Cloud Slayer (he could've sworn the plane was named Sun something the last time he checked), it was best to just let Launchpad do his thing. Apparently a scientific approach to fixing the plane would just get in the way. Then Della had gone on some tangent about chewing gum and a gerbil. He liked the woman but she could be pretty odd at times. He supposed he would be odd too if he spent a decade on the moon.
"Hey Gizmoduck," Fenton's musings were interrupted by a familiar purple hero. "You got a minute to talk?"
"Of course Darkwing," Fenton replied. "And you can just call me Fenton right now. There's nobody in earshot and honestly most of the people around here know my identity anyway." Honestly Fenton didn't care much which name Drake called him. He just wanted to make sure the purple hero didn't randomly forget his identity.
"Right..." Darkwing said a bit awkwardly. "So this has been a pretty crazy adventure right. Who'd have thought we'd end up raiding FOWL twice in one day?"
"It has been pretty eventful. I'm just glad that we saved Gandra and everything worked out in the end."
"I still can't believe Steelbeak turned out to be the biggest threat out of all of Bradford's minions. I mean I knew he was a tough fighter. He led the team that stole the Solego circuit plans from me after all. But I was pretty sure I could have taken him if they hadn't caught me off guard. I didn't really expect him to suddenly turn himself into a supergenius. That intelliray or whatever was pretty terrifying. We're lucky Launchpad was able to take him out..."
"Honestly he's pretty lucky that happened too," Fenton replied somberly. When his tone was met with a confused look from Drake, he elaborated. "I took a moment to examine the ray before you passed it along to Mr. McDuck. I have to admit I was curious about what kind of technological innovations went into such an amazing device, even if it was being used for evil. Turns out not much. The ray's abilities aren't really based on science at all. It's actually just a conduit for the mystical abilities of a gem known as the Third Eye Diamond. It was mentioned in that long memo Huey sent us before the raid as one of the missing mysteries that weren't accounted for."
"It was good of him to send us such comprehensive intel but to be honest I kind of skimmed that part. I was more concerned with the information about FOWL's agents and the items they were confirmed to have, than the information on items they might have." Drake said bashfully. He should've been more thorough but they'd only had a few days to prepare for the raid and the kid had sent them a textbook's worth of information.
"I don't blame you. I didn't memorize the whole thing either," Fenton lied. Memorization had always been a talent of his and he'd spent hours going through all of Huey's notes with a fine toothed comb looking for anything that might help him find Gandra. "The diamond's entry stuck out to me though. Apparently it can grant anyone who uses it unparalleled cognitive acumen, but the civilization it originated from only used it on people for the most extreme of emergencies. This was because increasing someone's intellect to such a degree tends to come with some major side effects. Historical records suggest that the civilization the gem came from actually collapsed due to the actions of one of the gem's users who went completely insane while retaining his enhanced intelligence."
"That sounds bad," Darkwing said in an unsettled tone. "Is Steelbeak going to be ok?"
"Like I said he got lucky," Fenton reassured him. "There's definitely going to be some consequences but it shouldn't be too bad. He was only under the gem's effects for a short time before we turned him back to normal. His normal intelligence is pretty low which also works in his favor. The gem amplifies the subject's existing intelligence. Higher natural intelligence means stronger results but also stronger side effects. That's also why the animal test subjects shouldn't be in any danger. As for Steelbeak... best case scenario his symptoms will be something totally innocuous like talking in his sleep. At worst he might suffer from some mild memory issues."
"That's disheartening. But it does explain why none of the higher up FOWL agents chose to use the ray on themselves. Will those who were zombified also have issues."
"Nope. According to Finch's notes the long term effects only occur in those with enhanced intelligence."
"Well that's a relief at least... Listen Fenton I didn't really come over to talk about Steelbeak. I mainly wanted to apologize for how I treated you while you were in the Gizmoduck suit."
"Oh? That's really not..."
"I already apologized to Launchpad but he said there was no need. Actually he seemed confused as to why I was apologizing to him in the first place. Even after all those horrible things I said about him to his face when I didn't know he was Gizmoduck. Typical Launchpad am I right? That guy is way too forgiving."
"What horrible... wait, you think Launchpad is Gizmoduck?" Fenton exclaimed, bewildered.
"There's no need to keep up the act Fenton. I already figured out that Launchpad was the original Gizmoduck and that he's been training you to replace him so that he can spend more time fighting crime in St Canard with me and Gosalyn. Honestly I'm kind of embarrassed I didn't see it before. The way Gizmoduck flies should've been a dead giveaway. Not to mention, who else but Launchpad would use pies as weapons. That's clearly a reference to the Svaco-650 pie gun from episode 20 of Darkwing Duck."
"What's wrong with how Gizmoduck flies?"
"I wouldn't say anything's wrong with it. I mean it kind of saved us today against Steelbeak."
"Right," Fenton sighed, deciding to drop that particular subject. He debated correcting his friend about Gizmoduck's identity but decided against it. This was close enough to the truth, and frankly, he was pretty sure that any attempts to explain would only make Drake's misconceptions worse.
"At any rate it must be pretty uncommon for someone to figure out your identity Fenton. Honestly I'm still having trouble believing it"
Fenton had a whole list of people who had figured out his identity but he could see Drake's point. "Yeah, I guess I don't really come off as the heroic type do I?"
"What? No I just meant because you're so likable and smart. It's hard to connect my mental image of Gizmoduck with you. I still don't know how Launchpad managed to fake such an annoying persona..."
Fenton actually chuckled at that. He used to be pretty insecure about the fact that society seemed to value Gizmoduck so much higher than it valued Fenton. So even though his friend's hatred of Gizmoduck had been grating, it had always been kind of nice to know that one of his few friends who had seen Gizmoduck and Fenton as seperate people had decided that Fenton was the superior one.
"You not seeming heroic is definitely hogwash by the way," Drake added. "Even without the suit, you always seemed like a hero to me. My trio couldn't have done half of what we did without the gadgets you made for us. And you and Gyro are the only ones with a chance of getting Dr. Waddlemeyer back. My gymnastics aren't really much of a help on that front."
An awkward silence followed. While Drake's tone remained encouraging and supportive, Fenton could tell that last fact still bothered him. Drake wasn't dumb by any means. He didn't seem to have any trouble performing maintenance on any of the tech Fenton had sent him and some of that tech was very complicated. But even with above average intelligence, Darkwing was neither a genius nor a scientist. No matter how hard he tried, and Fenton could attest that the man had tried very hard, understanding the Solego circuit and by extension the Ram-Rod was firmly beyond him. Fenton could still remember how Drake worked himself half to death trying to comprehend the complex multidimensional science needed to locate and retrieve Dr. Waddlemeyer while also trying to deal with a quartet of actual comic book villains. It wasn't enough. Any sane person could've predicted that it wouldn't be enough. The Ram-Rod involved cutting edge metaphysics. Darkwing never stood a chance of understanding it without gaining enough knowledge to earn multiple doctorates. Determination really was Darkwing's core personality trait. Nonetheless Fenton knew it still rankled the man that his effort hadn't brought Gossalyn any closer to reuniting with her grandfather.
"It's like you said earlier Drake," Fenton started, breaking the silence. "Just because we're heroes, doesn't mean we have to do everything alone. You can trust me and Gyro to get Gossalyn's grandfather back. Our progress may be slow but it's there. I'm pretty sure Gyro is literally the smartest duck in the world. If he can't handle this then nobody can." Fenton immediately wished he'd worded that last part better. The idea that retrieving Dr. Waddlemeyer might be impossible wasn't really something he thought Drake needed to hear at this point. Luckily it seemed like Drake didn't take it that way.
Darkwing smiled at Fenton and gave him a nod. "You're right Fenton. No point in dwelling on things like that. Anyway I think I've said everything I wanted to, It was nice talking to you Fenton."
"You too Drake. Don't be a stranger!"
As Darkwing walked off, Fenton was once again left alone with his thoughts. This had been one of the most intense days he'd ever had but now that it was over, he found himself marveling at how much things seemed to have changed for the better. Webby had found out she was the clone daughter of Scrooge McDuck, which was an odd turn of events but she seemed happy about it. FOWL was no longer an issue as all of its major players had been captured, erased, or, in Bradford's case, turned into a bird. Gandra was back and free to live a normal life without FOWL's interference. And now Drake finally knew his identity and no longer hated his alter ego. All in all this had been a pretty amazing adventure. And he was happy to know that they had many more adventures to come.
Drake sat in his headquarters staring pensively at the recovered Selego Circuit plans. He still didn't understand them at all. How could something like this cause so many problems. It had been a few hours since his talk with Fenton but the man's words were still replaying in his head. As far as Drake knew, Gyro really was the smartest man in the world. He was a genuine polymath and a leading scientist in more than a dozen barely related fields. Fenton was no slouch in the intelligence department either. So it stood to reason that if they couldn't save Dr. Waddlemeyer then no one would be able to. At least, that's what Darkwing thought before. But today he had met someone who might have been even smarter than Gyro, albeit only briefly. Steelbeak had managed to completely alter the effects of the intelliray to give it a totally new feature on the fly. If he could do that with the Third Eye Diamond then what could he have done with the Selego Circuit or the Ram-Rod.
Slowly Drake's gaze turned from the plans to the ray lying on the table next to them. He wondered how long it would take SHUSH and Mr. McDuck to realize that he hadn't passed the device along to either of them. Hopefully the McDucks would be too busy processing the day's revelations and Shush would just assume they had the ray. At least until he was ready to return it. He picked up the raygun and pondered his decision one last time. He knew using the ray would be dangerous. But if he let a little danger keep him from saving Gosalyn's grandfather then he wasn't deserving of Darkwing's name. Hopefully he'd be able to find a solution fast and only have to deal with minor side effects. If not then he'd just have to power through and face whatever consequences came his way. With his mind made up Drake adjusted the gun's setting and raised it to his head.
"Let's get..."
BANG
Darkwing's catchphrase was interrupted by an arrow knocking the ray out of his hand. It clattered across the floor, dented but not broken. He turned slowly to find Gosalyn glaring at him with her crossbow in hand.
"Hey Gosalyn," Drake started, trying in vain to keep his tone casual. "What are you doing here?"
"I came over to see if you wanted to do something to celebrate our most successful mission yet. The better question is, why the hell were you pointing that thing at yourself. It uses the Third Eye Diamond as a power source right? Don't you know that thing causes brain damage!"
"Ok did everybody but me read that kid's whole memo? It's like a hundred pages long and five of them were about the time he pretended to be Steelbeak's past self in a magical simulation!"
"Actually I listened to the audio version he sent us. Kid's voice was made for radio. It's somehow boring in person but weirdly enthralling when recorded."
"He made an audio version!? When did he even have time to do that?"
"Quit trying to change the subject! It sounds like you do know about the gem's side effects so why the hell were you about to use it?"
"Um, well, I..." Darkwing struggled to think of an excuse that would placate Gosalyn, but before he could she noticed the Selego Circuit plans on the table.
"So that's why?" Gosalyn said solemnly. "You wanted to use the ray to understand the Ram-Rod and get my Grandfather back. It's a nice thought but I'm not about to watch you give yourself a mental handicap just to help me."
"Ok yes that is my plan, but you're making way too big a deal out of this." Darkwing argued. "Sure the ray has some side effects, but I only need to use it for a few minutes. I'll be fine."
"If it's really that simple then why don't I use the ray instead?"
"Absolutely Not!"
Gosalyn stared Drake straight in the eye. "You have no idea how long it would take to find a solution and you have no intention of letting me turn you back to normal before you do," she accused.
Drake didn't really have a retort for that. "You're right," he admitted, "I don't really know how bad the consequences will be. But I promised you when we met that I'd help you save your grandfather, and with that ray I actually have a chance to do it."
"And you just assumed I'd be ok with that!?" Gosalyn was almost screaming now. "You seriously thought that getting my grandpa back would make up for whatever messed up thing happened to you?"
"Gosalyn, trust me." Darkwing pleaded. "Whatever happens I can deal with it."
"I do trust you. I trust you to fight bad guys and supervillains because I know that no matter how many times the world punches you in the gut, you'll get back up. But this isn't something you can just get back up from. This isn't something I'm ok with."
"Gosalyn, Waddlemeyer is your family. You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine."
"You're my family too!" Gosalyn shouted, shocking Drake. "You and Launchpad are all I have. I think of us as family. After everything we've been through, I thought you did too. But if I'm wrong, if you just see me as some random girl that you pity or feel responsible for, then go ahead and pick up that ray gun."
"Gosalyn, I..." Drake faltered as he met the girl's gaze. Her eyes were brimming with tears but they were completely unwavering. He looked down. What was the right thing to do here. He obviously didn't just see Gosalyn as an obligation. He cared about her. He'd never thought too hard about it, but he really did see her as family. That was why he wanted to help her so much. But if he did end up irrevocably damaging himself in the attempt would that only make Gosalyn feel worse? And what if he did go through with it and still failed to retrieve her grandfather. That would destroy her. Could he really take that risk?
"I'm sorry Gosalyn," Drake said, meeting her eyes again. "You're right. I do think of us as family. If you're not okay with me using the ray, then I won't. We'll find another way to save your grandfather."
"Good," Gosalyn said in relief before pulling Drake into a hug. "Glad to see you aren't a complete idiot..."
Her words were dismissive but Drake could feel her tears dripping down his arm. He was sorry he'd put her through this, but he was glad he finally understood just how close their relationship was. It made him wonder if he should maybe make it official, and adopt her until her grandfather returned. He tried to brush the idea aside. That was probably something to think about and discuss when their emotions weren't running so high. He couldn't really get the thought out of his head now though. He'd never really thought of himself as a parent before but he had to admit that Gosalyn was everything he could ever want in a daughter. She was smart, loyal, brave, kind, compassionate...
"For the record, if you had tried to pick up the ray gun, I would've shot you in the arm..."
And also a little scary sometimes. As a Darkwing fan he kind of saw that as a bonus.
"Duly noted Gosalyn"
AN: This chapter was way longer than any of the other ones so far but I think it came out good. It originally started as two seperate ideas of Darkwing apologizing to Fenton and Darkwing considering whether to use the intelliray to help bring back Waddlemeyer. They kind of just melded together into one story and I hope that didn't feel unnatural. On an unrelated note it irks me that we still don't know whether the Darkwing reboot will be a spinoff of this or a completely new iteration. Makes it harder to mourn this franchise properly when I don't know if it will return in some form. We've only got a couple more of Huey's podcasts before Ducktales 2017 is truly dead so that's kind of a bummer. By the way for anyone reading this who hasn't listened to those podcasts you should definitely check them out. You can find them on the Disney XD youtube channel and even though they're not as long as real episodes and don't have visuals the writing quality is still up to par with the series. Seriously if you love the series enough to read this fanfiction then you will definitely enjoy those videos. The only disappointment I've got from them is that they don't seem to be set post-finale.