A/n:

1. Interesting ideas, May. I love the haunted house idea. So far this series is rather devoid of ducklings. I'll have a good long think over fitting this one in.

2. I'm definitely doing a reform type of story here and Bushroot's definitely on the next page. I've given a couple lines hinting Negaduck's current plan and that's possibly the flash-point on your idea. It's almost like you subconsciously want him to fail or something. (How could you, May? Lol.) Also, Rose is Gosalyn's second daughter, so that's a 'how hard and with what hammer can adult Honker flatten Negaduck' story. Bit of a sidetrack.

3. I've got a TMNT story where one of the cubs doesn't speak English because of all the trauma going on.

4. While I admit to losing more that one thought to that fatherless black hole in Della's parenting plot, there has never been any mystery or concern raised by the triplets themselves (that I [not a conspiracy theorist], have noted). If he shows up, (because Della's back) they'd put on their shiniest defensive-est armour that they've been building their whole lives to fight against him. 'Hello, Gary Goldsworth, long time no see. Here are your sons, Venom, Suspicion and Apathy. Oh, my favourite flowers! You remembered.'

A/n:

Thanks for the wonderful ideas, everyone! I'm a very slow writer and there's not a chance that I can start a second new story just at the present, so it's a job of 'what can I incorporate' into the running plot.

A/n:

Happy Birthday, Beth!

I've already established a lot of my head cannon on Drake and Elmo's childhood friendship in a story called 'Let's Get Dangerous'. Due to some minor alterations from that universe to this, Drake keeps his father and Elmo doesn't go...


Mind Warp


68

Insane


Elmo pulled himself away from his restraints with a surge of energy. He was able to walk straight through the force-field that was once blocking his path.

The handle on the exit door disintegrated to his touch. Elmo looked at his hands. He was sparking with electricity. He stepped outside, finding himself halfway down a hill in morning light. Panel beaters, sewing machines, coffee machines, pasta machines. Repair shops surrounded him.

Almost like 'he'd' been repaired.

Elmo considered calling his mother. He reached for his phone in his back pocket, but still giving off a massive electrical field, the thing disintegrated in his hand. There was no point even trying for his wallet and travel card.


After trudging up the road for what seemed an incalculable amount of time, Elmo gave up. "My life is over." He sat down on the curb outside the petrol station, watching the cars zooming by. Getting busier, on their way home. Or school. Or something. He'd been stuck in that cell for days, so he could only guess it was a weekday. He looked up towards the sun. "That's definitely on it's way out."

"Super hero?" He grumbled feeling depressed. "More like super zero."


It was dark when a purple coloured motorcycle jumped the curb and parked beside him on the grass.

"Well, that didn't take too much fuel."
Elmo looked up wide eyed as the menacing looking duck in yellow with a red hat and black cape directed his words to him. "These are not the droids you're looking for."
"Eh?"
"I said: 'please don't hit me'."

"Then don't gimme a reason to and we'll get along great." From the storage box at the back of his bike, the yellow costumed duck tossed him down a bundle of rubbery clothes. "Think I got your size."

"Erm, thanks...!" Elmo put the gloves on and went into the bathroom of the gas station 'without' frying the handle. He put the rubber outfit on.
Elmo stepped out, feeling much better with the world. He came back to the duck. "Thanks, so what's your name?"
"Negaduck." He answered, "Followed Doctor Bellum to her hideout, Sorry I missed you. And you're Joe Montina's kid, right?"

Elmo frowned, his insides feeling like liquid fire. "No."
Negaduck paused, "You're the spitting image of him."
Elmo felt his temper flaring. "And you're the spitting image of Darkwing Duck! You want to think about that before I turn you into fried duck?" He sparked electricity in his hand menacingly.

Negaduck paused and laughed, "Sure thing, Sparky."
Elmo sighed. "It's Sputterspark."
"So Sparky really is your nickname! That's hilarious!" Negaduck started laughed, "Ah come on, where do you live? I'll give you a lift." He jumped onto his motorcycle.

Elmo stared at the motorcycle. Otherwise he was going to keep walking forever. "17 Knights Way, Mireham. Thanks."
Gimme a break." Negaduck complained, "North, south, west...?"
"North." Elmo answered. "Pity you don't have a side car."
"Eh. Wind drag."

"You have any extra insulation?"
"You mean like a rubber cape? Obviously. Do you want a lift or don't you?"

Elmo put the helmet on and sat down behind Negaduck.


After a very awkward journey, Elmo stepped onto the soil of the old farm. He invited Negaduck in and introduced him to his mother.

"Sylvia Sputterspark." Negaduck repeated at the kitchen table. "Big old farmhouse you got here."
"It was my part of the inheritance."
"Love the car. XB V8 Falcon. A real tank."
"Old XB? Had that since before Elmo was born."

She turned to Elmo, "Are you feeling better with the coffee, Sweetie?"
"I..." Elmo frowned staring down into the cup. "I'm trying to think back to everything that was happening." He looked down at his arm.
"You remember anything that quack was saying to you?" Negaduck asked.
"You mean anything that actually made any logical sense?"

"Do you have any idea, Negaduck?" Sylvia asked.
"Gets me, but she's obsessed with a TV show from when she was a kid. Darkwing Duck. She was trying to remake it in her own way."
"Reiteration creates new bugs." She bill-boarded.
"You remember the show, Sylvia?"
"Darkwing Duck?" She considered back for a long moment. "... wait a second."
"I didn't think it was that hard a question." Negaduck grumbled, "Either you remember something or you don't."
"Oh," Elmo explained, "Mum keeps her memories in shoe-boxes."

"Uh-oh." Negaduck muttered. "I can't really spend a lot of time here..."


Sylvia came back and started rifling through the box.

"Oh, little you." She said, holding up a photo of a stage line up of children. "That was the first school play you were in. Doctor Watson. You remember?"
Elmo thought back, "Wow, that was a long time ago." He considered, "I remember the Lestrade kid forgot his lines." He rubbed his face, "and D got detention again."

"I'd love to say and chat about your old school friends, but I really gotta go," Negaduck paused, "So I was doing some research into what Doctor Bellum was doing with Quackerjack. Apparently she had help from a particularly insane vampire that likes to go under the name of Darkwing Duck."

Elmo flinched. "An insane vampire."

"Completely round the twist." Negaduck answered. "He actually thinks he 'is' that TV show character. Meanwhile he has a blood habit and is leaving a trail of destruction behind him. You should've seen that place after he was done."

Elmo gulped. "I was a bit preoccupied and too stressed about that place to look around."

"It gets worse because the key to you recovering is between both Darkwing and Bellum... they're a real mean team." He sighed, "Somehow we gotta get a monster like that to cooperate... the first step is teaming up; that guy finds any of us out on our own and we're snack food." He stood up, "I need to go rescue the other two from wherever they've ended up."

"Sure." Elmo answered, "Thanks again for the lift."

Negaduck left.


Elmo stared after him.
"He was very nice for dropping you off..." His mother stated. " He reminds me of Drakey."
"No, ma." Elmo frowned, "Drakey reminds you of him."
"In what way?"
"Because that was the original Darkwing Duck."
"So the original Darkwing is chasing down... mmm. I see."

Elmo rubbed his arm. "He called the other guy Quackerjack and he knows my father's name." He clenched his teeth, "I don't trust this guy."