Ch.13: Dark Discoveries

"Ack!" Donald cried, as he dodged the figure leaping towards him "Watch it you big palooka!"

Activating his X-Transformer Shield, Donald got ready to defend himself as the figure turned and advanced towards him again. It wasn't going to get a chance to jump him a second time.

Seeking to put an end to this struggle before it could get to far, Donald pressed a button on his shield, and ejected paralyzing ropes to wrap around his target, making his opponent grunt and lie struggling harmlessly on the floor.

"Ugh! Ugh!" the figure screamed, as he tried to break out of the ropes.

Donald found a switch and flipped on the lights. Once the room was illuminated, he gazed down in surprise to see the officer that owned this home. The officer looked towards him, eyes widening with terror.

"Don't!... Please Phantom!... Don't!... Please let me live!"

"I think you have me confused for someone else pal" said Donald to the scared policeman. " My name is the Duck Avenger. I'm not the Phantomallard just so you know."

"You…you're not?" said the policeman " But those colors…How do I know that you're telling the truth?"

"You're still alive aren't ya?" said Donald " Now talk! What do you know about the previous Phantomallard?"

"He…" started the officer " We were best friends once. But he went out of control, and I had to put a stop to him."

"Did ya?" said Donald " Did ya really? From what I've seen and read so far, it seems like you were a little jealous of your former friend."

"No!" shouted the officer, eyes narrowing into a glare as he grew more confident towards Donald. " He was a monster! He had to be stopped! What happened to Dolly was his fault, not mine! He told me he had to be taken down. That statue…that cursed statue…,"

The officer began to cry, and Donald was left even more confused than before. What was this nut case talking about? What could have happened to make anyone act like this?

"That thing…" growled the officer " When it came in our lives it ruined us. I'm not even sure what to believe anymore. Glomgold gave it as a gift, but to Dolly, Frank, and me it was a curse. It…,"

Suddenly, the mallard cringed and screamed towards the air, unleashing a painful howl. Donald stepped back, shocked at what was going on.

"Hey, what's happening?" he asked, and that's when things suddenly got strange.

The officer's eyes glowed as his body convulsed. Donald could see a sinister symbol shine in his eyes. Then suddenly, the mallard collapsed, and Donald stood confused to what had just gone on.

Was the policeman okay? Was he still alive?

Before Donald could check, the avenger caught a glance of a mysterious figure just watching outside.

"Bet he's responsible for this," thought Donald, as he immediately burst out of the house to give chase.

"Avenger!" called One, stopping his friend before he could get far. " I've just intercepted an urgent communique about another creature attack. Someone at McDuck Manor was nearly killed."

"McDuck Manor?" said Donald "What?! Who?"

"Someone named Ms. Beakley" said One " She's in urgent care at the hospital now."

"Ms. Beakley" thought Donald " Uncle Scrooge's maid,"

Why had she suddenly become a target of the creatures attack? Maybe it wasn't just himself being targeted, but family too, and Uncle Scrooge had been lucky enough not to be in the manor when Ms. Beakley was almost killed.

"I have to get to the hospital," thought Donald, glowering in the direction where the figure had fled.

This chase wasn't over. He would find out what was going on. Flicking his cape, Donald turned around to where he parked 313 and left.


Meanwhile, at the hospital, Daisy was crying, remembering the moment where Ms. Beakley had been attacked. Uncle Scrooge and the others were still at the airport, just leaving her, Ms. Beakley, and the children alone.

Everything seemed to be fine at first. Daisy was making her way downstairs, sensing a sweet scent drifting through, and she knew Ms. Beakley must have been fixing the nephews some special treats in order to soften the blow of Donald's loss.

"I'll go and see if she needs help," thought Daisy, making her way over towards the kitchen, when suddenly the lights sputtered and all of the power to the mansion went out.

Fear seized Daisy's throat as a horrible scream sounded out just a few seconds later.

"Ms. Beakley!" she yelled, and dashed her way towards the kitchen even faster.

A growl stopped her just as she made it to the frame of the kitchen door. Terror swelled as bright, glowing, orange eyes burned from out of the darkness, glaring at Daisy as sinister footsteps steadily approached the frame. A gruesome creature slithered out and suddenly lunged at the duck, making Daisy jump back and scream, turning back to run upstairs to retrieve the nephews and hopefully go. Another growl though, stopped her in her tracks, and Daisy looked up to see another creature traveling down the stairs.

Cornered, Daisy quickly turned to seek a safe place, unaware at the moment, that the nephews, were in the middle of trying to do that exact same thing.

Still pouring over their shock from the photos, Huey, Dewey, and Louie practically squawked when all of a sudden things descended into darkness. Growls made their feathers rise up in fear.

Fearful to look back and see exactly what was clawing behind, the nephews immediately sprinted out of Scrooge's study, and towards an escape route they knew was nearby. Thoughts about Beakley and Daisy emerged later as they made it to their old, bedroom window and hastily made their way outside. The letter was still in there too, having been dropped during their run.

Before the trio could devise a plan to help the souls still trapped inside, limo lights roared into the driveway as Scrooge, Duckworth, Launchpad, and Fethry jumped out to see what was wrong.

Scrooge immediately approached the boys, worried, demanding what was going on. In the middle of his rant, the lights in the mansion suddenly came back on, and the growling and tearing finally stopped.

Still frightened, the duck family entered the mansion to find everything in it nearly torn to bits. There was relief when they saw Daisy, and the female duck had somehow found safety by climbing her way up to the top of chandelier. When they discovered Ms. Beakley though, they found that the housekeeper wasn't so fortunate.

Daisy snapped out of her flashback, and looked towards Uncle Scrooge, who was pacing up and down the hospital hallways, angry and full of rage. Just like he was back at the mansion, only now he seemed more furious than before.

Who dare would attack his family! Who dare!

Hopefully, Launchpad and Fethry would be able to find some clues.

Seeking some distraction from his anger, Scrooge turned to the nurse for an update about Beakley's condition, when suddenly the unwelcome company of Angus Fangus decided to walk in.

"What are you doing here?" Scrooge basically growled at the reporter.

"Got a tip that something juicy happened at your place tonight" said Angus, grinning as he ignored the mallard's glare " and that my good friend the Duck Avenger might be involved."

"You and your obsession" steamed Scrooge " The Duck Avenger hasn't been seen around in years. You used to pester Donald a lot because he fantasied that him and some showboat hero had become best friends."

"You don't know that they weren't best friends" said Angus " and what if that 'friend' has returned right now? Only now, he's the bad guy I've been always trying to prove."

"Well keep dreaming pal" said Scrooge " You're not doing a report and the Duck Avenger isn't here."


Unfortunately, unaware to Scrooge's knowledge, the Duck Avenger a.k.a Donald had just snuck into Ms. Beakley's room. Knowing that his family was somewhere crowded down in the lobby, Donald didn't dare take a risk to try to sneak through.

Ms. Beakley indeed was in bad shape. Donald slowly shook his head as he gazed down at Ms. Beakley and then at her chart. Claws, teeth, there was no doubt these same beasts had struck again.

What was their game here? The attacks were so random, yet clearly centered towards Donald and the rest of the McDuck clan.

Again the brief image of the symbol flashed before Donald's eyes, which the duck quickly shook out of his head. Taking the chart as evidence, the Duck Avenger turned to leave before being stopped, finding out that his arm had been grabbed.

Turning with horror, Donald looked as Ms. Beakley opened her now glowing, orange eyes. A sinister grin lit up her beak, striking fear into Donald's heart.

"Welcome Avenger," hissed out a demonic voice.

A second later, the hand dropped and the light faded, returning the housekeeper to her normal form. Ms. Beakley was now wriggling around and screaming, loudly, and Donald had no doubt that his family downstairs heard and was now sprinting towards the room.

Quickly Donald jumped up to the open window, hoping to make a quick escape when the door to Ms. Beakley's room suddenly burst open.

It was to late. The old croger had moved faster than he had even expected. There was no escaping the glare of Uncle Scrooge.