The little android parrot's artificial tear-ducts (how ironic that they were technically artificial, but the emotion that triggered them was very much real) were already going right to work as he desperately cried out to Akita, "Please, don't hurt him anymore! I surrender! Just promise you won't hurt him!" His protective hold around Gyro did not let up, merely tightening.
"Boyd, no!" Gyro croaked.
"I hardly think you are in any position to make demands of me, 2-BO," Akita coldly told him, not lowering the knife-taser. "Don't forget who is the master here." His sharp canines became prominent over lips curling into a cruel smirk. "But I am glad you are at least sensible enough to see reason. In any case, as I said, his fate is really in your hands. Now, I will permit a brief goodbye."
Boyd turned to Gyro, taking a quivering breath. "Dad," he murmured, likewise unable to keep his voice smooth or steady, despite his obvious efforts, "I'm so sorry. Just like you would give your life to keep me safe, that's what I have to do now. When you find your family, you'll do anything to protect them. It- it's ok though, really. Because he'll never take away the love we have for each other! And even more importantly, Tobio loves you. I know he'd do the same."
A short, choked gasp flew from Gyro's lungs.
He remembers…
Tobio, NO! This is the third time I've failed you! This is the third time I've lost you! I can never protect anyone I love!
My poor Boyd… his only fear is for me. He's trying so hard to be strong for ME. I can't even take him into my arms one last time.
Boyd climbed onto his lap so that they could get closer, taking great care to avoid his injury, and learned deep into him. Gyro nuzzled Boyd's cheek again, their flow of tears like two rivers meeting, then kissed the top of his head.
He softly began to sing Tobio's old lullaby. "I'll make a wish for you-"
"-And hope it will come true-"
"-That life will just be kind-"
"-To such a gentle mind."
"And if you're losing your way-"
"-Remember me this way-"
"Remember me this way."
With a fervent sob, Gyro whispered, "Oh, Boyd, I swear on my life- to both you and to Tobio- that I will find a way to set you free again! Forgive me, my son. I'm so very, very sorry."
"I know you will, Dad," Boyd told him earnestly. "And you don't have anything to be sorry for, I promise. The time we've had together has been the happiest I've ever known. I'm so thankful we found each other again. Thank you for everything. Thank you for my life."
Gyro was hit with a potent reminder of Tobio's final words on his death-bed: "Thank you for everything. I love you, Dad…"
Suddenly, Boyd was thrown into great convulsions, static rippling off him, as if he were being electrocuted. He collapsed right to the floor, offline.
Horrified, Gyro whipped his neck to face Akita, who held up another tool- a remote kill switch.
The evil scientist extracted a tiny device from his pocket. "I realize you removed my programming from 2-BO. Well, no matter. Once I plant this chip into its neural net, it will be back under my control. It made its choice, intern. It would rather become a mindless weapon of death and destruction to keep your worthless self safe."
"NO!" Gyro wildly thrashed with all his might in a last-ditch attempt, but the bonds restricting his wrists and ankles seemed to only somehow grow tighter as he did so. "LET HIM GO! I'M THE ONE YOU WANT! YOUR GRIEVANCE IS WITH ME!"
The smug, devious grin never left Akita as he pocketed the chip. "But first, intern, let us take care of some unexpected business. The computer detected a breach in my old lab several minutes ago. The intruders thought they had cleverly disabled the security system. But like I told you so many years ago, I designed the system to fool any and all hackers. Only I am able to completely shut it down; otherwise, it is virtually hack-proof. I can still see their every move, and they are none the wiser."
He indicated the moving red dots on the screen amid the intersecting pattern that represented the underground maze. "Computer, enhance and display real-time image."
Gyro's eyes widened upon seeing who it was, a cocktail of fear and hope blooming in his chest. "Fenton! Huey!"
"I see 2-BO didn't come alone. Well, your friends are too late. And I know just how to greet them. No doubt they are lost…"
If the endless twists and turns made navigating the tunnels extremely difficult for Gizmoduck and Huey, hindering their progress, then the tears blinding them both as they viewed Gyro and Boyd's final interaction made it impossible.
An enraged growl vehemently bubbled up in Gizmoduck's throat, erupting into a scream that hollowly echoed throughout their surroundings. He shouted again, this time a Spanish curse. "NO! We promised Boyd! I promised Gyro! DAMN YOU, AKITA!"
"We have to keep going!" Huey croaked, rubbing his eyes dry. He pumped his small legs furiously, pushing himself even harder alongside Gizmoduck, dispelling the remaining tears. "No matter how dark things look! That's what you taught me, Fenton! That's what you taught Boyd! Because that's what a hero and a friend does!"
Gizmoduck breathed a heavy sigh. At last he said, thrusting a note of confidence into his tone to help sustain him, "You're right, Huey. I won't deny that I've never felt so helpless or so hopeless, but all we can do now is everything we can. We take down that bastard and make him turn Boyd back! I'm not going to pull any punches!"
He had barely finished saying this when Boyd suddenly gave a horrible series of jolts on the tablet's screen, before they lost all visual.
The two stopped dead in their tracks. "Boyd!" Huey shrieked.
"Stay strong, Huey," Gizmoduck urged him, sounding very much like he was speaking for himself too. He picked up the Junior Woodchuck and positioned him on his back. "Let's go!"
They pushed on. "All right, I think we're heading in the right direction," said Huey. Being a natural panicker at the best of times, it was no easy feat to stay calm when so much was on the line. But he had been in some pretty tough spots before. Everything would be ok. He had to have faith!
Suddenly, Gizmoduck said sharply, "Incoming figure detected!"
"What? Who?"
"I can't be sure yet. But be on your guard."
In a moment, Huey could make out somebody sprinting towards them in the distance, their footfalls pounding out an anxious rhythm. They were still too far away for their face to be seen, but Huey knew that lanky form anywhere. "Is that- but how?" he gasped.
"Gyro?" Gizmoduck cried, not quite daring to believe it.
The pair wasted no time racing to reunite with him. "Gyro, I can't believe this! How did you escape?" Gizmoduck felt delirious with relief and joy at seeing his dear friend here, safe. The waterworks began in earnest again. "This is- this is too good to be true!"
He paused, sobering. "But Boyd… is he-"
"Akita let me go," began Gyro breathlessly. "He said I wasn't important, now that he has 2-BO." His next words poured forth with utmost urgency. "I saw you coming on his monitors. There's no way I'm any match for him. I was forced to leave poor 2-BO behind until we get help! He's probably placing him back under his control as we speak!" He started forward, quickly motioning for them to follow. "We've got to hurry, intern! We need to enlist the aid of Inspector Tezuka and the entire Tokyolk police force!"
But Huey said sharply as Gizmoduck proceeded after him without another word, "Wait a minute. How did you get here so fast? How did you find your way in this network of tunnels? What happened to your injury? And since when do you call Boyd and Fenton '2-BO' and 'intern' anymore?"
And Gizmoduck froze in his tracks. He fixed his sights squarely on Gyro, beak tightening.
Gyro spun around and snapped, "Kid, we don't have time for this! Don't you understand everything that's at stake here?"
"What's my name, Gyro?" Huey coolly demanded.
An exasperated laugh. "Seriously?" Gyro said. "You're beginning to get on my nerves."
"Access x-ray scan!" said Gizmoduck.
Seconds later, he yelled, "Huey, look out! That's a robot!"
A downright disturbing grin flashed across the imposter's face. Its eyes glowed blood-red. "Looks like you found me out, intern."
With inhuman speed, Huey was snatched away from Gizmoduck. "What'll it be?" the android taunted, using the duckling as a shield. "Come after the brat or go after 2-BO and Gearloose? If you choose the former, you can find us at the top of Tokyolk Tower."
It bolted then, Huey crying out, "Fenton, don't worry about me! You've got to save them!"
Gizmoduck could only watch as the machine was out of sight in seconds. Even at top-speed, he didn't stand a catch of catching up. He let loose with another curse. If only he hadn't been such a fool! If only he'd acted much sooner!
An alert went off on his armor. "Attention, all units. Disturbance downtown, in the form of a flying, weaponized male child of mechanical nature."
NO! I'm too late!
Wait a minute. If Gyro is still in Akita's secret lab, I can track his heat signature! Why didn't I already think of that? And if Akita is still there too, then so much the worse for him!
Fifteen minutes later, Gizmoduck broke right through the door to Akita's control room (as opposed to using the automated access panel). He wasted no time entering the eerily-lit environment, all weapons armed, ever-vigilant for the cunning, ruthless older scientist.
"Fenton!"
Gizmoduck's focus instantly pinged in the direction of the one voice he longed to hear more than any other. "Gyro! Oh, thank goodness you're safe!"
He was at his side in a flash, untying him. "Are you all right?" he asked, helping him to his feet.
"No, Fenton," said Gyro, his voice crumbling and hollowed-out with grief, and Fenton could have kicked himself for such a foolish question. He badly shook. "G-g-gone… lost to me again! The chip… his n-neural net…"
Gyro collapsed to his knees, heaving a torrent of gasps. He sounded like he was going to be sick. Finally, he gave in to a tortured cry and pounded a fist against the ground. "BOYD! IT'S NOT FAIR! MARK MY WORDS, AKITA, I WILL RESTORE HIS INNOCENT MIND AND MAKE YOU PAY ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL!"
"Make that we," Gizmoduck told him. He touched a firm, reassuring hand to Gyro's uninjured shoulder. "I swear to you- you are not alone, my friend. Not now, not ever! You and I are a team."
Gyro went still. He didn't respond for several seconds. Finally, like a wilted flower responding to the rejuvenating rays of the sun, he drew in a long breath and slowly raised his head. There was a look to him that Gizmoduck had not seen since their adventure in the city when he was dead-set on his ignorant course to permanently deactivate Boyd for the greater good, only it burned thrice as intently.
"Yes. We are." He rose, fists clenched at his sides as Gizmoduck immediately set to work tending to his wound; thank goodness the suit came with everything including first-aid equipment.
Once it was cleaned and bandaged, Gizmoduck said, "I was afraid it was much deeper. That'll do for now, but you're still going to a hospital when this is all over." It wasn't a request.
Impatiently waving away his concern, Gyro said crisply, "Listen, you didn't take out his security feeds. He's programmed them to make it only look like a hacker had disabled them. I saw everything on-screen. Akita sent that robot doppelganger to keep you busy while he and Boyd fled to the surface." He indicated a subtly-marked hatchway in the ceiling. "See? Only he can access it. You'll have to blast through. Once we're out, you go rescue Huey at Tokyolk Tower. I'll save Boyd."
Gizmoduck's face registered horror. "Gyro, no! If Akita himself doesn't kill you, he'll have Boyd do so!" Memories ripped at him like bullets through flesh, memories which had resulted in occasional nightmares: Gyro getting vaporized by Moonlanders. Gyro pleading with his rampaging son while he shielded his hurt intern from the final blow, and getting destroyed for his efforts.
"You don't seriously expect us not to split up, not when there's far too much at stake here- including the whole city?" exclaimed Gyro furiously. "Don't you dare let your worry for me cloud your judgement! We don't have time to go after one at a time!" He raised his voice, which was choked by sobs. "Damnit, Boyd handed himself over to Akita just for me! I'm his father- as I told him before, my own life is nothing!"
Gizmoduck opened his mouth, then closed it with a resigned sigh. He nodded silently.
"All right. I managed to bring him out of Akita's control once. I know the real him is still in there, fighting. His will is strong, stronger than that madman's will over him. But he needs me."
"I got the alert," said Gizmoduck. "He's downtown. The police have been dispatched. Gyro, I promise, I'll destroy that robot in no time and then hurry to help you!"
Smiling, Gyro said resolutely, "I know you will. You're Gizmoduck."
A/N: Yeah, I almost had Gyro also say at the very end "You're even more than my friend. You're my hero." But FRIG ME, that would have been WAY too cheesy. So I left it at that, and imagined that he implied it. (No, he doesn't have feelings for Fenton back, just holds him in the highest regard now. After what happened to his wife, and everything else, he could never love anybody that way ever again.)
Sorry for the short chapter. I got lazy.
'The Last Adventure' was AMAZING, but I do have one VERY big complaint. The criminally little amount of interaction and scenes together with Gyro and Boyd… ESPECIALLY after Boyd was totally absent from the rest of the season between 'Astro B.O.Y.D.' and the finale (heck, even Gyro didn't show up again all the way until 'Beaks In the Shell', which would have been a perfect episode for Boyd to at least get a cameo or mention). I get that the finale had a LOT to pack in, but come on, they didn't even exchange a single word. I waited nearly a year for Boyd to show up in AT LEAST one more episode- hanging out with Huey and the gang (I really wanted to see him and Huey as official BFFs), being a part of Team Science, etc. Most of all, I really wanted to see how much Gyro and Boyd's relationship had developed, how much Gyro's overall character had developed since learning the truth about the past that's haunted him and screwed him up for the past twenty years, and how much having his beloved 'son' back in his life has done wonders for him. They could have at least thrown in a hug in the "Look after your brother" part or right after Gyro finished lovingly re-attached his head; as sweet as those scenes were, a hug would've just added another layer and not taken much time at all. (Also, would it have killed them to have Gyro fondly smiling as he watched Boyd with the piñata at the birthday party, instead of his usual sourpuss expression? And Boyd should have been on Gyro's shoulders, not Manny's.)
Somebody asked Frank Angones if Gyro and Boyd's relationship was improving. He replied: "Oh, yes. Very much so." Well, it's called showing, not telling….