"Dewey, I can't believe you want to be a Junior Woodchuck! You're going to have so much fun…"
Dewey glared at his sibling on the bus seat beside him. "Huey, for the last time, I do not want to be a nerdy Junior Woodchuck like you. I'm only here for Launchpad." The bus jerked over a bump, and Dewey grabbed onto his seat. He was doing this Launchpad. Which meant he could put up with a bumpy ride, and bugs, and sleeping on the ground in a cold bed without all the excitement of an adventure or a treasure to find. Boring.
And, of course, Huey. "Sure, you say that now. But once you've really sunk your teeth into what it means to be a Junior Woodchuck, you'll change your mind. After all, that's what this trip is about, showing the wonderful world of Woodchucks to our potential new recruits!"
A couple rows behind them, Doofus Drake threw his head back and groaned. "I can't believe my parents made me go on this stupid trip. It was so much easier when I could just boss them around. Urgh, no one understands how much my life suuucks."
Well, at least he wasn't the only one who didn't want to be here. There were a few other kids on the bus who weren't wearing the Woodchuck uniform. The lack of uniform made it obvious the turn out for the Junior Woodchuck open day/overnight trip was less than spectacular. Heck, if he'd had to wear the uniform Dewey would have been out of there so fast. And if a lousy turnout was all this was about, Dewey would have happily left his best buddy on his own. No, it was a somewhat more serious matter that had convinced him Launchpad needed his support.
The bus lurched as Launchpad hoisted himself into the aisle, steadying himself with a hand on the back of the seats either side of him. "Now, I know what you're all thinking…"
"That we want to go hoooome," groaned Doofus.
"What? Someone thinks your fearless leader is incapable of looking after children? Now, it may be true that a couple parents put in complaints over what I've heard is being referred to as 'the bear incident'," Launchpad toppled sideways as he made air quotes, then righted himself, "but rest assured, this happens sometimes."
One of the new kids raised a hand tentatively. "Woodchucks… get chased by bears a lot?"
Huey huffed. "Seriously? The 'bear incident' was nothing compared to the stuff we do with Uncle Scrooge all the time. Sounds like those parents need to get outside a little more and have a real adventure."
"Aw, Huey, that's not really fair, they're just worried about their kids," said Launchpad. "I know you kids like me, and I always make sure you're looked after. But not all Woodchuck leaders have always been… er, good with kids. Your parents need some way they can check up on us if they've got any concerns. And I certainly don't mind having some assessor around to make sure I'm taking care of you guys properly. So, don't be too hard on the parents, okay Huey?"
Dewey leaned over and lowered his voice. "Did Launchpad just tell you off?"
"What? No. Shush, he's still talking."
Dewey settled back in his seat with a faint smirk.
"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take precautions. So, Senior Junior Woodchuck leader…" Launchpad nodded to Violet.
"I will implement Competent Woodchuck Leader Protocols," she said with a curt nod.
"Right, and whatever those were again…"
"We've got your back, LP," Huey clarified.
Maybe Launchpad did have this, Dewey thought, along with a sinking feeling in his gut he immediately felt bad for. So he was stuck out here a couple days, but at least it was for his buddy. If LP slipped up, Violet and Huey were… nerds… but pretty good Woodchucks, whatever that actually entailed, so Launchpad would be fine.
"So, yes, there's going to be an assessor along; he'll be waiting for us when we arrive. So I want everyone to be on their best behavior. Don't be mean to him; he's only here to help. All this means is you'll have another Woodchuck leader for the trip, which is always fun, right?"
"Woo! Competent supervision!" said Huey.
Dewey rolled his eyes.
Violet raised a hand. "Did they tell you who would be performing this assessment?"
"Noo idea." Launchpad glanced over his shoulder. "Whoops. Look at that, I picked that one up all by myself… I'm supposed to be driving."
Dewey straightened. "Wait, what?"
Launchpad dove into the driver's seat and threw them hard right as a blur of trees swung in front of the windshield.
Dewey pulled himself out of his brother's lap as the bus' suspension settled. "Are we sure he's going to be okay with this assessment thing? I mean, you guys did get chased by a bear."
Huey waved a hand dismissively. "At worse LP will scare them a bit. But no one's ever said he couldn't run our troop anymore. Plus, you might decide you want to be a…"
"Nope. Here for LP."
The bus screeched to a stop and the door squeaked open. Launchpad leaped back into the aisle, a grin plastered across his beak. Dewey momentarily wondered if he was just excited to have another adult along to help on the trip. I mean, bad turn out or not it was still a lot of kids, and that had to be hectic to manage alone.
A short dog hefted himself up the stairs onto the bus. He too wore the Woodchuck uniform. Grey hairs sprouted around his muzzle. He barely came up to Launchpad's chest. But Launchpad's grin slowly slipped away, and he shrunk back. "Mr… Mr Russell?"
"Well, Launchpad McQuack," the assessor drawled. "Haven't seen you in a long time. Looks like it's up to me to decide whether you've got a right to be here. Guess that'll make it just like old times."
