Twisted Strings of Fate
Chapter 16
I would kill for a love triangle. My life is more like a love pentagon.
As the Duck family prepared for the trip, making lists and gathering supplies, Charity slunk away in the hustle and bustle, skittering to the guest room she had been using the past few days. It had been too much for her. Oh, she had been able to handle the pain from all her injuries with a smile and brush off one dangerous experience after another like a champ. But that meeting had been too much for her.
She had taken for granted that her family had a curse on their heads through the generations, but even knowing that, the way the Duck family talked about magic and sorcerers and Greek gods had been daunting. It was too much for her. She needed to get away to sort through all this information that had been dumped on her.
Especially after the young girl's—Webby—presentation. All that talk about kissing and true love had set Charity's heart spinning. And it didn't help to have Darkwing on one side giving her flirtatious glances and wagging eyebrows, and on the other side Fenton stuttering and blushing as if he were thinking about it as much as she was.
Oh, who was she kidding? Everyone in that room was seeing her kissing one or more of the guys.
Not that she hadn't thought of it herself, but that was different. Her thoughts were completely private, and when she imagined kissing someone, it would be in a romantic setting and not with a dozen eyes on her, waiting to see if a kiss would break the spell.
Once in the safety of her room, she shut the door and dove under the covers of her bed, feeling relieved to have the comforter act as a barrier between her and the rest of the world. She relaxed and let her mind wander in and out of this and that thought, letting things settle like sediment in water.
The darkness and being completely encompassed by the bedding calmed her. It was good to shut out everything else. It was her way of meditating.
She wasn't sure how long she had been under the covers when a knock came at the door. She scrunched up tight into a ball and stayed quiet.
"Charity, are you in there?"
It was Launchpad. At first, Charity was relieved. But then she remembered that he was at the meeting as well. He had been quiet for the most part. Nobody had mentioned anything about him, but could he have figured it out? Did he know that he was part of the curse, too?
Did that matter anyway? She had been so used to keeping it from him that it was like a crutch, the only constant in her life in this time of chaos. Even now, it seemed almost silly to think that he would reject her or that their relationship would change if he knew, but the fear was still there. How could he not see her differently, knowing she had been in love with him this whole time?
"Charity?"
"Yeah," she called out. Well, if he did figure it out, there really wasn't anything she could do about it.
"Are you being a caterpillar?"
She frowned. How did he know?
There was a click and the squeak of a door opening. She felt a body sit on the bed.
"Is the little caterpillar going to come out?" Launchpad lifted the edge of the comforter.
Charity poked her head out so only her face showed. "No," she said with a pout.
"Tough meeting, huh?"
"Yeah." Charity glanced up at Launchpad's face. "What did you think of it?" She worried her beak.
Launchpad shrugged. "I don't know. I was so busy eating those pancakes. Oh, they were so good, especially with your homemade syrup. Mrs. Beakley is a great cook, but she can't beat your pancakes."
Charity sighed. She should have known. Launchpad was still Launchpad.
"But you know, even though the road ahead of you looks hard, you can do hard things," Launchpad said, patting her head through the covers. "And I'll be right next to you the whole way. I may not know what's going on, but I'll be there."
Smiling, Charity—still swathed up in the comforter—got to her knees and wrapped a hug around Launchpad. "Thanks. I really needed that. I was so overwhelmed by everything. I know you have told me a lot of Mr. McDuck's adventures, but I guess I thought you were exaggerating. It just wasn't real for me until now."
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," Launchpad said, patting her back.
"Launchpad," a voice called from the hallway. Darkwing passed by the door, then returned. "Oh, there you are."
"Darkwing," Charity said. Conscientious of how she looked wrapped up in the comforter, Charity attempted to detach herself from the bed in a hurry and ended up on the floor, legs twisted in the bedding. Oh yeah, this was better.
"Are you okay?" Darkwing asked with a smile.
"Yeah, fine. Just trying to…tidy up here," Charity said, struggling to free herself.
"Launchpad, Mr. McDuck wants you helping Della with the plane. Your little trip to St. Canard dinged it up a little," Darkwing said, pointing a thumb behind him.
"My work is never done," Launchpad said, as if he weren't the one constantly destroying the plane.
Charity gave him a wide-eyed look that said, "Don't leave me," which he ignored. Once he was gone, she was alone with Darkwing.
Darkwing knelt down and helped her out of the trap of her own making, then pulled her up to her feet. "How are you doing?" he asked, looking concerned.
"Oh, you know. After being captured twice, dragged through a sewer, facing off with two megalomaniacs, and then chased around with a chainsaw, going to meet the Greek gods is nothing. Right?" She gave him an uncertain smile.
"Oh, good. I thought for a minute that something about that meeting may have shaken you up," Darkwing said with humor.
"Please tell me I'm not the only one," Charity said. "Launchpad and the others, they're taking this all in stride. Even the kids are acting like this is a normal occurrence."
Darkwing raised both his hands. "Nope. This is a first for me, too. In my line of work, I don't meet many gods."
Charity chuckled. "That actually makes me feel better. All that talk about Greek gods, sorcerers and fairy tales, it was like I had stepped into a book where all these genres collided into a hodge-podge storyline."
"You've certainly made my life more interesting," Darkwing added. "It's not every day a man is told to kiss a pretty girl by an eleven-year-old kid."
Eyes widening, Charity backed away, bumping into the door frame. "I-I-I'm gonna go see if someone needs help…with anything." She left the room, walking as fast as she could without looking like she was running away.
She had to get away from Darkwing. Even if it was harmless flirting, she wasn't sure if she wanted to go in that direction. As much as she was willing to give in, she couldn't. She was refusing to let her emotions control her fate. They could push and pull her heart around, but she was going to be making her decisions based on logic, not on impulse.
"Wait."
Her throat clenched when a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going too far down the hallway. She swallowed hard. She was not going to give into the curse.
She turned, trying to be as calm as possible when she faced Darkwing. "Yes?" she asked, keeping her face neutral.
"What if it was possible?" Darkwing asked seriously. "What if it could be that simple?"
"Do you really think that a thousand-year-old curse could be broken with a simple kiss?" Charity asked, her tone bitter. "It doesn't work that way."
"You don't believe in true love?" Darkwing asked with a raised eyebrow.
"In one true love? No," Charity said. "I believe that there can be more than one true love for everyone. It would be ridiculous if everyone had to search through eight billion people just to find the one person they're supposed to live their life with."
"Considering that you are in love with four guys, that makes sense," Darkwing said.
"Exactly," Charity said, not realizing that Darkwing was approaching her. "For true love's kiss to work, I would have to be in love with only one person." She noticed how close Darkwing was and took a step back only to run into a wall. She could have turned to either side and walked away, but the way Darkwing was looking at her, she felt her knees weaken.
I thought that was only a romance novel cliché, she thought.
"Or maybe you're over thinking things," Darkwing said, so close that his shadow completely enclosed Charity. "It wouldn't hurt to try."
Her mind kept saying "no," but her heart was bursting to leap forward. As Darkwing slid a hand along her jawline, cupping her face, she could only stand absolutely still as her two sides warred within her.
Darkwing's face hovered near hers, almost within kissing distance but not moving a centimeter closer. He was waiting for her to say or do something, not going farther without consent.
It couldn't hurt to give it a try. In fact, she was sure it would feel really good to kiss him. Like a dream. Should she give in?
"Charity?"
She turned her head at her name, seeing Fenton on the other side of hall, stopping as he rounded the corner.
Did he see? Did he think they were kissing? The excitement of being around Darkwing was replaced with dread, as if she had betrayed someone. Without even thinking, she stepped away from Darkwing, distancing herself. "Yeah, Fenton?" she asked, trying to sound natural.
"Is everything okay?" His eyes lingered on Darkwing, looking uneasy.
"Yeah. Totally fine." She shifted in place nervously, worried about what the two guys were thinking about. She felt tense, caught in the middle. She had to get out of there. "Do you need something?"
"Oh, I was just heading to the boys' room. Huey said he had some robot parts that I could use for Gizmoduck."
"Great. I'll help you," Charity said, rushing to Fenton's side. "Which way?"
As Fenton showed her to the third floor, she cast a glance backward, seeing Darkwing where she left him. She couldn't read anything from him by his expression or body language. What had she almost done? Or rather, what had Darkwing almost done? And what did it mean?
In high school, she had met many guys who were the type to kiss and do much more with a girl they just met, no attachments, no commitments. She was never attracted to the type, nor was she one of those girls who liked to be toyed with.
And in her head, Darkwing wasn't supposed to be one of them. He was the hero, a straight-up, good guy. He wasn't someone who took advantage of a girl with a curse, to steal a kiss because he could. But that's what it felt like.
Or was she reading the situation wrong? The only other option was that he had feelings for her. Could that really be the case?
You deserve so much more than my name, but it is all I can give you.
I didn't know if I would ever see you again.
Then stop making me want to protect you.
Reviewing through the past few days, she took in the evidence. But no matter how she looked at it, her head was convinced that his words and actions were all due to his guilt at causing her pain and his concern as a hero for someone he considered under his protection. But her heart still argued against it.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Fenton asked as he opened a door to a bedroom with a triple bunk bed.
She smiled, feeling tired. "As okay as anyone can be in my condition," she said jokingly. "So, do me a favor? Let's talk about anything but me, my curse or my feelings, okay?"
Fenton nodded. "I think I can manage that. Do you want to pick a subject?"
"Well, for starters," Charity said, eyeing the bedroom and all the strange objects within, "what is a kid doing with advanced robotic parts?"
"I think what you meant to say was, 'What kind of kid doesn't have advanced robotic parts?'" Fenton said with a smile. "When I was Huey's age, I built my first robot."
"You battled with it, didn't you?" Charity asked.
Fenton blinked. "How did you know?"
"You're a guy. You have a robot, you battle with it."
Fenton rolled his eyes. "That is a seriously erroneous generalization against my sex, and I take offense," he said with feigned affront.
Charity put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Gizmoduck."
"Ah—" Fenton was about to argue, but put his pointing finger down in defeat. "Fair point."
Darkwing watched them go, feeling as if Charity was running from him. He clenched his fists at the sight of her going with Fenton. Her face, the minute that scientist had shown up, she looked afraid.
Was she afraid of him? Or being caught with him? It couldn't be easy for her to be caught between two men that she loved. Yet she had chosen to go with Gizmoduck. It was a blow to his ego, but he couldn't blame her. It was the curse. She loved them both, and when she found herself between them, she had to make a choice.
Darkwing had thought there was something between them, a connection. When he had touched her face, he felt her relax under his fingertips. She gazed at him with absolute love and trust. They had looked at each other this way before, first when he carried her inside his house after rescuing her from the sewers, second after they had taken on Starling together, and then just now. And in all three instances, he had thought of kissing her. In fact, since that little girl gave that awkward presentation, he couldn't get the idea of kissing her out of his head.
She wasn't like anyone he had met before. Maybe it was because he had never been through as much with any other woman. He had seen her embarrassed and shy, flirtatious and confident. He had seen her through pain and seen her laugh. He had seen her bold and scared, strong and weak, and everything in between. She had sung with him, saved him, and yelled at him. And for the past hour, he couldn't stop thinking about taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless.
It had taken all his will-power not to do just that. He may have closed the distance to the point where their beaks almost touched, but he gave her that inch of leeway, that small distance to meet him in the middle.
Would she have taken the chance? He would have liked to think she would have, but they were interrupted by Gizmoduck. Or was that the only thing that stopped her? Was there something else?
Blast this curse. If Charity could react and live without the influence of a magic spell, he could somewhat predict her true emotions for him.
And what of his feelings for her? He felt strongly about her, but was it love. Or was he just living in the moment? He liked her, liked her more than he had ever liked a woman before. But that didn't mean that he loved her. He had only met her four days ago; that wasn't enough time to form that kind of attachment to someone. But he couldn't deny his strong desire to protect her, to stay by her side, to hold her tight against him.
His insides were a turmoil of mixed feelings, and at the forefront was the frustration that no resolution was in sight. As long as Charity was under that spell, her heart would always be divided, and any ties she made to Darkwing would be thin at best.
Darkwing made his way back to the ground floor with the intention to help the others with the preparations for the journey, but a dark cloud loomed overhead as he couldn't help but recall Fenton's words at the meeting, how he was only bonded with Charity through association with Starling, that it was a mask, a costume and a name that was the only reason he was there.
And it galled him that Gizmoduck was right, that his bond with Charity was stronger than Darkwing's.
After making sure Mrs. Beakley packed their favorite snacks, Huey and Webby readily carried the baskets of food that were enough to feed the group for several days. They weren't planning on staying on Ithaquack that long, but Webby's grandmother always went in prepared. Walking up the loading plank at the back of the plane, they passed Della and Launchpad, the former arguing with the latter on how to properly grease the landing gears, and went around Charity and Fenton, who were pushing the discombobulated Gizmoduck suit up the ramp with a gurney.
Inside, they were storing the baskets where they couldn't roll around during the rough ride when a hand reached out and pulled out a cold Pep from one basket.
"Hey!" Huey exclaimed, snatching the can before the pop tab could be opened. "Louie, have you been laying around all this time? Everyone's been working hard."
"I am helping," Louie said, playing on his phone. "I'm taking inventory." He grabbed another Pep. "For instance, I'm checking our supplies to see if they are fresh." He popped the tab and took a drink. "Oh, yeah. That's good."
Webby sat down next to him. "Okay, I know you're not the most into our adventures…"
"You got that right."
"But this isn't just another treasure hunt," Webby explained. "We're part of a bigger story. It's not just an adventure, it's a mystery as well. And for once, we're helping someone other than ourselves."
"And saving the Earth from the moon invasion didn't count?" Louie asked.
Dewey, carrying a couple of bags up the ramp, saw the three of them talking and joined them. "Hey, what's everyone Dewey-ing?" he said with his usual finger guns.
"Louie's not helping us pack," Huey said with hands on his hips.
"He's probably moping because he has more competition with his little-boy crush," Dewey teased, squishing his cheeks.
"It's not a little-boy crush!" Louie shouted, getting to his feet.
"You have a crush on Charity?" Webby asked.
"No," Louie denied, shoving his hands into his hoodie's pocket.
"Yes he does," Dewey said with a grin. "He thinks Charity's hot."
"That was an observation, not an opinion," Louie defended. "Look, just because I know Launchpad has a pretty girlfriend, doesn't mean I like her."
"Again, she's not Launchpad's girlfriend," Huey explained in his lecturing tone. "She's just—"
"Yeah, especially since he doesn't stand a chance against Darkwing Duck," Dewey interrupted.
"Are you kidding? That guy?" Louie asked. "Have you seen Charity and Launchpad together? They're always hugging and holding hands? Once this curse is over, they're totally getting together."
"No way. You didn't see what I saw. Sparks were flying in St. Canard, and I'm not talking about fireworks," Dewey said with a smooth gesture.
"Guys, I don't think we should be talking about this," Huey said, stepping in. "We really need to load the plane."
"Yeah," Webby added. "Besides, you're both wrong. She's obviously going to end up with Fenton. Look at them."
She waved her palm where Charity and Fenton were working together at positioning the large armor in place to be strapped down. Fenton was talking animatedly, pointing out parts of the mechanical armor. Charity was listening raptly, asking questions now and then.
"He may be a dorky nerd, but that's part of his charm," Webby said confidently. "His clumsiness and passion for all things science will win the heart of a sophisticated woman like Charity."
"No way," Louie said, blowing a raspberry.
"In his dreams," Dewey agreed.
"Do you know how many movies are made where the best friend ends up with the girl?" Louie countered. "She and Launchpad have known each other forever. They're a perfect couple."
"No way. Do you know how much of a Darkwing Duck fan she is? Darkity for the win," Dewey said.
"Darkity?" Louie and Webby said together.
"It's a couple's name. Charity and Darkwing smooshed together. Darkity," Dewey explained.
"Awww, that's adorable," Webby said with a grin. "But not as adorable as…Fenity. Ha ha."
"Well, not as good as Launchity?…Charpad? Ugh, those are terrible names," Louie said, sticking out his tongue.
"Guys!" Huey shouted, clapping his hands over his brother's beaks. "She's right there. I don't think it's right to…to…to bet on Charity's love life. The only thing worse would be if you were actually putting money on this."
"Good idea," Louie said, opening the calculator. "Let's talk odds. Now, you both made really good points on your guys, but everyone has their ups and downs. How about if we…"
"Okay, I'm not going to be a part of this," Huey said, marching away. "And if I hear anything more about it from you guys, I'm telling Mom."
"Oh, don't be that way," Louie said, running to his brother and stopping him with an arm around his shoulders. "Besides, we left one guy still in the running just for you."
Huey rolled his eyes. "Yeah. The psycho that tried to kill us all," he grumbled. "Don't you guys have any conscience? Not only is this amoral, but you're trying to keep me quiet by giving me the least likely one of the bunch. Of course, there's always a chance that Charity's love for Jim Starling could get through to him, and while he's getting the treatments and therapy he needs, Charity will be with him through every step and he'll realize that he wants to get better just for her."
Louie smiled. "You're invested, aren't you?"
"Fine," Huey relented. "But no money. And this is purely observational. No influencing Charity at all."
"Oh, sure. That's only fair," Louie said patronizingly. He then whispered to Dewey and Webby, "We're totally betting money."
Mrs. Beakley, lugging the last of the supplies which was the usual spare airplane parts they always carried due to Launchpad's landing skills, turned to Scrooge. "Are you certain about leaving Jim Starling in the mansion?"
"No," Scrooge said. "Which is why I did just as you suggested. I called an institution early this morning. While you and everyone else was busy with the plane, they took him away."
She looked surprised as she set the large boxes down, grabbing a set of tie-downs to strap them in.
"I didn't say anything because I thought either the kids would get scared or Charity would insist on going with him," he said gruffly. "Starling has troubled us enough. This accursed curse has been postponed enough."
"You're just angry that you haven't been able to hunt for treasure," Mrs. Beakley said with a smile.
"You bet your haggis I am," Scrooge said. "Perhaps on the way home we could—"
"No."
"But the Lost City of Babagoose is on the way."
"No," Mrs. Beakley said sternly. "There's not even a guarantee we'll break the curse on Ithaquack. No treasure hunting until Charity is free. Agreed?"
"Oh, all right," Scrooge harrumphed.
The large, red cargo plane had never had so many passengers. There weren't enough seats for everyone, so Mrs. Beakley insisted on the youngest of the group to get the seat belts.
With the suit still in disrepair, Fenton volunteered to remain in the cargo hold, constructing a sordid harness out of bungee cords since he had first-hand experience what Launchpad's flying was capable of.
"You know, Charity should get one of the seat belts, too," Louie suggested, pulling on Mrs. Beakley's apron. He had a smooth, cool smile that could only mean one thing. He was up to something.
But Mrs. Beakley wasn't sure what, especially since his words were so innocent. "I agree," the housekeeper said, going along with it.
"I know just the place," Louie said. When Charity had climbed up the ladder from the cargo hold, he ran up to her. "You should sit in the co-pilot chair," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the head of the plane. "Launchpad is an amazing pilot, and I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about being such good friends."
He caught glares from his two brothers and Webby. He smiled at them.
"Okay," Charity said, uncertain.
"No, she's not," Della insisted, coming up the ladder with Donald right behind her. "If we want to make it to Ithaquack in one piece, I'm flying. Launchpad, you take co-pilot."
"But I'm the pilot. That's my job."
"Yeah, and normally that's fine. But the way you fly, there's a twenty-five percent chance that Charity's going to get hurt."
Charity sighed. "Is everyone going to treat me like a kid?" she grumbled.
"Hey, don't you have a concussion," Launchpad said, eyeing Della.
Della grimaced. "Yeah, but I'm feeling much better."
"Are you sure you should be flying?" Launchpad asked suspiciously.
Della was about to argue, but Mrs. Beakley broke in. "I think, for once, that Launchpad should do all the flying for today, Della. Just in case."
Launchpad jumped into the pilot's chair, throwing his hands into the air and whooping. "Ha ha. You won't see me flying with a concussion."
Della threw a glare at Launchpad then turned it onto Charity.
Surprised by the ire, Charity shrugged at the female duck before retreating. It's not like it's her fault Launchpad's never had a concussion before. Oh wait, it is.
"Charity, come sit by me," Dewey called, waving his arm enthusiastically, raising his voice a little to sound younger. "Please."
"Uh…okay," Charity said, surprised by the attention. She sat down, putting on her seat belt. Even before the metal clicked together, Dewey was calling out again.
"Darkwing, over here. Sit by me, please."
The masked super hero, who had been leaning against the side of the plane with his arms crossed, looked up at his name. He looked to Dewey and then to Charity, hesitant. But he didn't get a chance to say anything when the blue-clad duckling raced over, grabbed his cape and pulled him toward the seats.
"But I thought there weren't enough seat belts for everyone," Darkwing said, looking uncertain by the child's actions.
"There's one more available. Go ahead and take it," Mrs. Beakley said, her stance strong and stable as if preparing for the takeoff where she was.
"I guess if it's okay," Darkwing said, although he had his eyes on Charity, asking for permission.
Charity smiled, tilting her head in the direction of the seat. If there was any tension between the two of them because of earlier, she didn't show it.
As the two adults situated themselves on either side of Dewey, he sent Louie a smug look as if to say, Take that.
Louie, in turn, pointed two fingers at his own eyes then at Dewey, the universal sign of I'm watching you, before Mrs. Beakley ushered him to the other side of the plane with the three other seat belts where Webby and Huey sat.
That left Donald, Mrs. Beakley and Scrooge without seats of their own. Donald stood next to Louie's seat, leaning against the inner wall for support. Mrs. Beakley stood behind Launchpad's chair, holding onto the seat and a leather strap that hung from the support beam. Scrooge stood behind Della, one hand on his cane, the other on her chair.
Launchpad set the controls for the plane before turning the engine on and driving the plane down the runway and up into the air. Soon, Ducksburg disappeared in the distance, replaced by ocean for as far as the eye could see.
Charity shifted in her seat, gazing at everyone within the plane. Both Darkwing and Dewey next to her were occupied by their phones, the latter playing a game that involved him stabbing a finger at the screen several times. On the other side, Louie was also involved in his phone, but Huey and Webby seemed to be discussing something that couldn't be overheard over the drone of the plane's engine. Donald was slumped to the ground, having fallen asleep soon after takeoff with his arms across his chest.
Charity glanced down into the cargo hold, seeing Fenton hard at work with the Gizmoduck suit. At that moment, he was welding with a blow torch, sparks flying away from the hot, blue flame, an activity that could have damaging effects considering who was flying the plane. She smiled. Out of everyone, Fenton was the only one who didn't treat her with kid gloves.
She was tempted to get out of her seat to see if he needed something. After all, they were at cruising altitude. She was free to walk about the cabin, right?
Just as she was reaching to undo her seat belt, she saw out of the corner of her eye Darkwing casting glances her way as if to catch her attention. She turned to him, glad that Dewey was sitting between them. The last thing she needed was for her heart to be swept up in another euphoric moment.
"Hey, about earlier…" he began.
Oh, great. He wants to talk about the "almost kiss," Charity thought nervously. She made a subtle gesture toward Dewey.
Darkwing smiled. "I just want to say sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot," he said.
His words were comforting, but his eyes said that they wanted to put her on the spot again. Or was that her own desires projecting? Confound this curse.
"No problem," she said, feeling a blush slowly crawl across her cheeks. "I think we're all a little wound tight after…everything."
"Are you guys having a serious discussion?" Dewey asked. He looked from one to the other.
"Ah…" Charity had forgotten the duckling was there. "No, not really. We're just…talking about…"
"Feelings?" Dewey offered.
Charity looked to Darkwing for help, but the hero was looking away. Coward.
She sighed. "Yes, we're talking about feelings," she admitted. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.
"We can switch seats if you want," Dewey offered, taking off his seatbelt and getting up.
"We don't have to—Oh, okay." Charity released her restraint and slid over. Her shoulder bumped into Darkwing's and there it remained. She tried not to think about how close they were as she attempted to adjust the seatbelt to fit around her waist. For some reason, the buckle didn't want to move farther down the strap. After pulling on it several times, she muttered, "Screw it," and left it undone. A bold move considering Launchpad's flying, but she wasn't scared.
Once again, she found herself sitting in silence, Darkwing returning to his phone. That was fine with her. She wasn't in the mood to get into another embarrassing conversation with him which Dewey might overhear. Once again, she contemplated leaving her seat to find something to do, but glanced at Darkwing's phone.
The screen was covered in words. It must be an ebook.
"What are you reading?" Charity asked, comfortable with starting this conversation. She loved to read, especially within the science fiction and romance genres. Perhaps they could make the plane ride go faster by discussing books.
"Darkwing Duck fanfiction," Darkwing responded. His voice was saturated with humor.
Charity felt faint as the blood rushed from her head. No, he couldn't have. There's tons of stories on the net.
"There's some really good ones," he continued. "Especially this one. By someone named CherishesDW."
Crap. Crap. Crappity crap. Flippin' crap.
She had controlled her facial features perfectly so that he wouldn't expect her attack. She lunged for the phone, her fingers wrapping around the flat screen and yanking it. Darkwing jerked back, pulling her along with it across his lap.
Not to be outdone, Charity pushed down on Darkwing's hat, blinding him before wiggling the phone out of his grip. "Give it," she growled, prying up his fingers.
"No," he said back. He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her away from his outstretched hand and the phone.
As her fingers slipped away from the cell, she changed her tactics. If Darkwing was anything like Launchpad, she would gain the upper hand. Finding the perfect spot between the armpit and the lower ribs, she jammed her thumbs into Darkwing's side.
The reaction was immediate. Squirming and laughing, Darkwing folded over to protect his ticklish spot. When Charity grabbed for the phone, his grip had weakened. But instead of the lovebird taking possession of the device, it clattered across the floor, out of reach.
Free of her seat belt, Charity was able to go after the target while Darkwing struggled with his restraint. Once her hand wrapped around the phone, she called out a happy, "Ah-ha," before her triumph was stolen away from her by hands grabbing her ankles and yanking her away. Charity clawed at the metal floor, trying to get away from Darkwing's grip by getting to her feet. But she wasn't so lucky.
Lifting the woman in the air, Darkwing held her in an upside-down position, reeling her higher so that the phone would be in grabbing distance.
"Dewey, catch," Charity said, doing the first thing that came to mind.
The blue-clad triplet, who had been watching the whole exchange, barely reacted fast enough to catch it. Having grown up with two brothers, he was familiar with the game of keep-away.
Darkwing loomed at him, still carrying Charity.
"Run, Dewey," Charity called out just as she had in the sewers. But this time, she had a wide grin on her face.
Wiggling free of his seat belt, Dewey jumped out of his seat, skittering back and forth as Darkwing shadowed him. "Louie, go long," Dewey said, throwing the cell phone in a neat spiral.
His brother, who had been filming the entire thing, dropped his own phone to make the catch. He knew the routine, but this was different. Usually it was one of the triplets in the middle—Huey specifically—but when would he have the chance to play keep-away from Darkwing Duck?
Which, it turned out, was much more intense than keep-away with just his brothers. Darkwing had transferred Charity into a fireman's carry and raced at the green clad triplet.
"Dewey, back at you," Louie called out, throwing it with less grace than his brother.
As Darkwing jumped, reaching out for the phone, his hand brushed it, forcing it onto a different trajectory, over the side of the rail toward the cargo hold.
A blur of pink and white flipped through the air and in an instant, the phone was gone. Webby posed on the rail, holding the phone out like it was a trophy. "Hey, guys. Is this that fabled game of keep-away?" she asked happily.
"Yeah," Dewey answered.
"Duh," Louie said.
"I've always wanted to play this game," Webby said excitedly.
"This isn't exactly a fair game," Darkwing told them, one hand on his hips, smirking at the kids. "Three against one?"
"You're Darkwing Duck," Charity said, still struggling. "You should be used to such odds."
"Exactly," Dewey said, getting into the game. "Webby, look out. He's after you."
Webby leaped off the rail but not before Darkwing had her cornered. "What do I do?"
"Get rid of it," Dewey called out.
Charity grabbed Darkwing's legs, making it harder for the hero to move. "Hurry, Webby."
"Over here," Huey shouted, standing on his seat.
Webby tossed the phone underhand through the rails, aiming perfectly for Huey's chest.
"Ha ha," Huey said, holding the phone in triumph. "Hey, Darkwing. Catch." Then he threw it back to the masked crime-fighter.
"What? Our brother? A double agent?" Louie cried out, squishing his cheeks.
"No! Why Huey!" Dewey exclaimed with mock pain.
Darkwing saluted the red-clad triplet. "Way to go, side kick."
Huey gasped with wide eyes. "He called me his side kick."
Webby looked to the boys with confusion. "Okay, my research about this game hasn't mentioned double-crossing or what to do at this point."
"It's simple, Webby," Dewey said, determination etched all over his face. He pointed at Darkwing. "Get him!"
As one, the two boys and Webby surged on Darkwing, grabbing his arms and legs, climbing to reach the cell phone. Darkwing spun in a circle, making exaggerated monster noises while Charity urged the children on. Not to be left out, Huey came to Darkwing's rescue but ended up going for a ride just like the others. Soon, the phone was forgotten as the goal was to bring Darkwing to his knees, all of them wrestling and laughing in one pile.
"Ah-hem."
All play stopped as Mrs. Beakley cleared her throat and tapped her boot against the metal floor.
"What are you doing out of your seats?" she asked tersely.
Darkwing pointed at Charity. "She started it."
Charity opened her mouth wide, stunned that he would turn on her. "We were fighting over the phone. You should confiscate it," she said wickedly.
The kids giggled.
"Alright, back to your seats, kids. We're almost to Ithaqua—" Her words were interrupted as the plane abruptly tilted downward, causing the housekeeper to stumble.
Those on the floor slid closer to the front before they braced themselves for the dive.
"A little warning next time, please," Mrs. Beakley said to Launchpad.
"Oh, right," Launchpad said, picking up the microphone. "Attention, passengers. Please put your trays and chairs in their upright positions. We will be landing shortly."
"Level out. We're going down too quickly," Della shouted, pulling at the wheel on the co-pilot's side.
That made the kids, Darkwing and Charity scramble back to their seats, helping each other as they adjusted to the plane leveling out and then diving again.
"Careful," Charity said as Dewey wobbled close to the railing. She put a hand on his shoulder.
With a smile, Dewey pretended to be unsteady on his feet, falling into Charity and knocking her off her feet. It was a calculated risk but one that paid out.
Darkwing saw the lovebird falling and caught her, one arm looped under hers, the other wrapped around her waist, holding her close.
"Ah, thanks," Charity said, blushing as she grounded her feet. She quickly turned away from him, looking for the duckling. "Dewey, are you okay?"
Dewey was sitting in his seat, buckling his belt and looking innocent. "Yes, I am," he said, giving his brothers and Webby a wave.
They glared at him.
As the plane rocked and swayed, either from turbulence or from Launchpad's skills, Charity turned to Darkwing. "You know, you're really great with kids."
"Really? I don't have much experience with them."
"Didn't you have any younger brothers and sisters?"
"I'm an only child," Darkwing replied.
"Oh, me too," Charity said.
"You're great with kids, too. And not a bad writer."
Charity grimaced and covered her head with her hands. "I can't believe you were reading my writing. My fanfiction writing. It contains all my guilty pleasures in it."
"Guilty pleasures. Now I'm really intrigued." Darkwing chuckled.
Charity poked him in the beak. "That story is not about you. Got it? I wrote that about TV Darkwing, not you."
"Oh, I get it," Darkwing said with a smirk. He tucked his phone away. "It's good. I mean, it's rough, but I'm enjoying the story."
"Please tell me you didn't get to chapter fifteen."
"What's in chapter fifteen?"
Charity clamped her beak shut and shook her head.
Dewey broke in, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Can I read your story, Charity?"
Darkwing and Charity exchanged looks before answering in tandem. "No."
For an island of gods and magic, it looked surprisingly boring. Oh, it looked nice with its white, sandy beaches and tropical island get-away setting, but it wasn't exactly teeming with science-defying power.
But what did Fenton expect? That the minute they landed, a god would fly by and contradict physics by creating matter out of nothing just for his entertainment?
In fact, the island was deserted as far as he could see. He wasn't sure exactly how large the island was, so maybe all the gods were busy somewhere else.
After the rough landing, the others had quickly abandoned the plane for solid ground, the kids running through the sand and the adults taking out blankets and the baskets of food to set up a picnic. Only Fenton remained on board, still working on Gizmoduck. If these god-like beings were as strong and unpredictable as the stories of old made them out to be, he wanted to be prepared for anything.
Just as he was about to put the welding mask back on to fix another crack in the armor, he caught sight of Charity, sitting in the sand with Launchpad on one side and Darkwing on the other. He recalled the scene he stumbled upon back at the manor with Darkwing leaning over Charity in an intimate manner.
He slammed the welding mask over his face, bumping his beak, and went to work.
The way Charity had run to him back at the mansion, was she trying to escape from a bad situation? No, that didn't make sense. Everything that he knew about Darkwing, he was a good guy. From the reports he'd downloaded on the Internet, the crime rate in St. Canard had gone down because of the masked hero. And Launchpad spoke well of him on a personal level.
Not to mention, Charity was at ease and smiling around Darkwing, so whatever happened earlier, Fenton might have taken it out of context.
But still, there was something he didn't like about the situation. There was something about Darkwing that bothered him. Oh, yes, he had caught on with the rivalry that Darkwing had with Gizmoduck, that was transparent, but not a concern to Fenton. He was used to others taking slight at his own accomplishments all through school. He had learned long ago not to let petty feelings get in the way of what made him happy. Even if Darkwing didn't like Gizmoduck, Fenton enjoyed being the mechanical hero and would not meet tit for tat against Darkwing's ego. Not to mention, until the moment that Darkwing found out Fenton was Gizmoduck, he had thought of the masked duck as a comrade of sorts. Perhaps with time, they could become allies, friends of a nature.
But what rubbed Fenton's feathers wrong was how warm and friendly Darkwing was with Charity. He made talking to a girl seem so easy. And he was always touching her. A hand on her back, on her shoulder, on her face. He made it so natural to draw his face close to hers to speak to her.
And then there was Fenton, with two degrees, an intern of Gyro Gearloose, a scientist in his own right, anything but an expert in the art of social interaction. If he were to pinpoint the exact emotion he was feeling, it would be envy. Envy that he wasn't as smooth and cool as Darkwing when it came to women.
Or was it when it came to a woman like Charity?
Was he jealous of Darkwing's skill or that he had grown close to the female lovebird?
"Fenton."
Someone was shouting his name. He had been so involved in fixing Gizmoduck and brooding that he didn't notice until the tap came on his shoulder.
"Oh, hey Charity," he said at the sight of the lovebird, his dark feelings melting away. "What can I do for you?"
"Everyone's eating on the beach," Charity said, pointing a thumb behind her. "Are you going to join us?"
Fenton glanced outside the plane at the group. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Well, everyone but Darkwing, who was glaring in his direction. "I don't know," he said, tracing a seam along Gizmoduck. "I really should work on the suit. It's only seventy-five percent complete."
"Okay," Charity said, plopping down onto her knees next to him. "What can I do to help?"
"Uh…well, do you have a degree in quantum mechanics?" Fenton asked skeptically.
"No…but I do have one in learning." She gave him a cheesy smile.
Fenton shook his head. "No, you go eat. I'll be done soon."
"That is the biggest lie every workaholic says," Charity said knowingly. "Come on, let me help. Four hands are better than one or two. Just tell me what to do."
"You're not going to leave me alone unless I let you help or I go eat, are you?" Fenton said, guessing her motives.
"Either way, I'll be happy," Charity replied.
Fenton took off the wielding shield and gloves. "Fine, you win."
They walked down the ramp, but the minute that Fenton's webbed feet touched the sand, the wind picked up, moving across the group and heading inland.
They're here.
"What was that?" Charity asked, turning to Fenton.
"I didn't say anything," Fenton said with a shrug.
Charity frowned. "I thought I heard someone say something. It must have been the wind."
The breeze was picking up. In fact, along the horizon, a storm looked to be heading their way.
"Oh, great. I was hoping we could do this without catching his attention," Scrooge muttered as he squinted at the approaching dark clouds.
"When have we ever come to Ithaquack and not caught Zeus' attention?" Mrs. Beakley said, daintily eating a cucumber sandwich. "Eat up everyone. Once the gods arrive, there won't be any peace."
They obeyed, doing more chewing than talking. As they lunched, they could tell that the approaching storm clouds weren't normal. They were as dark and dense as any they've seen before, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling in the distance, but the clouds were small, concentrated in a single area.
"That is not normal for weather patterns," Fenton said, rubbing his chin.
"It is around here," Scrooge muttered as three figures descended from the clouds, slowly approaching.
"That definitely isn't normal," Fenton whispered, dropping his sandwich and standing up.
The three forms were glowing brightly, but the one in the middle seemed to be crackling with lightning.
"Scrooge," the middle figure—a large man with an impressive beard—growled at the elderly duck. "How dare you come here and—"
"Della!" The figure to the right of the large man dropped down to the sand and ran to Della, throwing her arms around her. "It's so good to see you again! It's about time you came to visit when you're not running from death."
"What can I say. I'm a fan of death," Della said with a shrug. "He hasn't gotten the best of me yet. Or at least, most of me." She waggled her mechanical leg.
"You need to come by more often. Ten years is way too long to see my best, mortal friend," Selene said.
"Maybe if someone had actually done their job, I wouldn't have been stuck on the moon for a decade," Della cried out, looking angry.
Selene's face also turned angry. "How was I supposed to know you crash landed on the moon?"
"Oh, gee, maybe because you're the moon goddess," Della pointed out. "I mean, come on. You should have known."
Selene put her hands on her hips. "Della, it's the moon! Do you know how big it is? I know it's small compared to the Earth, but that's still a lot of real estate to cover. I didn't even know that there was a society of beings living there."
The two friends continued their "friendly argument" as the third god dropped down into the sand and hugged one of the Duck family. "Donald!"
Donald groaned as his spine was nearly snapped in two by the embrace.
"It's so good to see you."
"I just saw you last week," Donald said indignantly once he wiggled free. "I helped you move a couch into your apartment, remember?"
"Ha ha. Oh, good ol' Donald," the muscle-bound bird laughed, slapping Donald on the back.
Donald face-planted into the sand, either unconscious or contemplating feigning his death since he didn't get back up.
"Do either you know what's going on?" Charity leaned over and whispered to the three guys.
Both Darkwing and Fenton shook their heads, but Launchpad explained. "That's Selene, the goddess of the moon. And that's Storkules. We play poker with Donald on Friday nights. And that guy in the middle is Zeus. He's a gamer."
The other three exchanged looks, dubious of the information.
"Enough," Zeus shouted with a clap of thunder to emphasize his voice. "I have allowed you mortals to trespass on Ithaquack enough, but today you go too far. How dare you think you can waltz onto this island and seek an audience with the beautiful and desirable Aphrodite?"
"Pft, she's not that great," Selene grumbled.
Zeus glared at his daughter. "I will not have it. I am the king of the gods. And if you know what is good for you, you will turn around and leave."
"We know the risks," Scrooge said. "That no man can look at her without exploding. We can manage."
"You think too much of yourself, mortal," Zeus growled. "What makes you think you can achieve what no mortal man, or for that matter, what most gods do not dare to do?"
"She invited us," Webby answered.
Zeus blinked, his expression turned from anger to confusion. "What?"
"She knows we're coming. I think she wants to see us," Webby said. "We kind of got an impression that she was watching us."
Zeus's eyes shifted around. He wasn't sure what to do when his authority was questioned by a little girl. "Ithaquack is under my rule. My word is law. If I say nobody sees Aphrodite, then nobody sees Aphrodite. Unless…"
"Oh, here it comes kids," Scrooge mumbled, looking dour. "He's going to challenge us to some sort of game or task."
"Unless, you can beat my challenges," Zeus finished, looking triumphant. The dark clouds began to disperse, like a crowd that no longer found a sight interesting.
"Alright," Webby said, looking excited. "How many challenges? What are they? Oh, this is so exciting."
Charity shook her head. "Why can't anything be simple?"
Zeus had his head tilted as if listening to someone speaking in his ear. "There shall be fo—no, five challenges that you must face."
"Five? Isn't the traditional number three?" Scrooge cried out, not above bargaining with a god.
"There will be no negotiation. Five to see her, five challenges to be mete," Zeus said, smiling. "Are you in agreement with this bargain?"
"Wait, five to see her? What do you mean? There's a lot more of us than five," Dewey said, counting their numbers. "Don't tell me we'll have to do… nine, ten, eleven…Eleven ch—"
"You forgot to count yourself," Huey reminded him.
"Twelve challenges!" Dewey exclaimed.
"'Tis nothing. Why, to gain my godhood, I had to…" Storkules started into a story, but nobody was listening to him.
"Aphrodite was specific. Five," Zeus said, smirking with his arms folded.
A bright glow brought everyone's attention to Charity, Darkwing, Fenton and Launchpad. A symbol glowed on their right hands.
"Hey, why is the girl's bathroom sign on my hand?" Launchpad asked, rubbing at the glowing symbol.
"That's the mirror of Aphrodite," Huey explained. "It's often used to represent the female gender."
Charity looked around. "But that's still only four of us. Who else is going to see Aphrodite?"
A groan close to the surf caused them all to turn around. A duck lay face down in the sand, his limbs splayed. A wave splashed him. He wore a familiar yellow jacket and red hat. The mortals on the beach all took a step away.
"Jumpin' jackdaws. What's he doing here?" Scrooge exclaimed. "He should be locked up in an institution."
"Jim?" Charity called out, instinctually going to him but was stopped by Darkwing's hand.
"Get back," Darkwing shouted, stepping between her and Starling. "I'll restrain him before he wakes up."
"Wait," Charity said. "Look at his hand. He's the fifth. We need him."
"No, we don't," Darkwing said. "We'll do the challenges without him. We can't rely on him."
"If he doesn't play, you all lose," Zeus told them, looking smug. "Aphrodite insists upon it."
"Looks like we don't have a choice," Charity said, looking to Darkwing.
"There's always a choice," Fenton said, coming onto her other side. "We just haven't thought of it. If you want to look for another way, I'll back you up."
"Yeah, me too," Darkwing added. "You make the decision."
Charity gulped. "Aphrodite wants to see us, then that means she must know something." She turned to Zeus. "If we win, we get to see Aphrodite?"
"Yes," the king of the gods confirmed.
Charity looked down at the prone form of Jim Starling, then looked at Zeus with a set jaw. "Then we have a bargain."
(Author's Notes: Wow, it's really early for me to post. I'm getting better.
First off, I'm not sure if I mentioned in my notes that I got a tumblr account. My name on it is Emilou-keen-gear. It is just for Ducktales/Darkwing Duck stuff. I post all my art as well as notes and thoughts about this fanfic as well as advice and writing prompts. If you're on tumblr, look me up.
Second, if you're not on deviantart or tumblr and haven't seen my art, at least look at the cover photo for this fanfic. I just finished it a few days ago.
Third, if you haven't seen them already, I have two "one-shot" fics up, the first a sweet romance with Scrooge and Goldie, the second a comedy about Gyro "improving" Della's mechanical leg (there are two versions, one that ships and one that doesn't). Check them out if you have the time.
Last, thank you everyone for supporting me with your words. I enjoy reading your comments and replying back to them. See you next week.)