There was the sound of shattering glass on the other end of the line. "Gosalyn?" came Anatina Mallard's voice. "Drake has told me so much about you! I think you're his pride and joy. I wish I could stay and chat, sweetie, but my husband and I have to attend a meeting tonight. We'll be home all day tomorrow, though."
"Yes, ma'am." The nine year old hung up the phone.
***********************************************************************
Next door, Honker curled up on the recliner with the latest issue of Sciencebills magazine. His father was slumped on the couch watching Pelican's Island. Flipping open the reading material and blocking out an argument between Flipper and Pelican, the bespectacled duck eagerly read an interview with physicist Median Gray.
Binkie came up behind him. "Honk, dear, I was just going to the store to pick up some milk and bread. Would you like to come--" her eyes shifted to the open page. Her eyes opened wide. "Oh my."
Her son's gaze scanned the article for what had shocked his mother.
Then he saw it. The photo to the left of the transcript text.
Median Gray was the spitting image of Drake Mallard.
************************************************************************
Neutralduck backed against the wall and tried to not to look nervous. Of course, that was not easy task considering his lookalike was pointing a flame thrower in his face.
"Do anything besides breathe and you're roasted duck," threatened Negaduck, just before turning to his four teammates. "Now then, why did you desert me in the museum?!"
The foursome pointed at each other. "It was his idea!" they said in unison.
"Four out of five supervillains agree that two's a crowd and three's a fright!" quipped the Liquidator.
"We were gonna attack Darkwing. Honest," claimed Quackerjack.
Megavolt nodded vigorously. "We just couldn't figure out which one to hit!"
"Maybe the different color schemes might have tipped you off," Negaduck growled.
"It was dark in there!" protested Bushroot.
Negaduck set down the flame thrower. "Fine. I'm feeling a little less violent than usual today. Guard the exits."
The foursome saluted and left, slamming the door behind them.
Negaduck whirled around and pulled a machine gun out from behind his back. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Neutralduck pulled the collar of his gray turtleneck from his neck. "You want me to talk?"
"Precisely." The yellow-coated duck cocked the gun. "For one thing, if you're neutral, why did it look like you were on Dipwing Dolt's side back there?"
"I'd rather make an exception than get toasted by a blowtorch!" Neutralduck dodged several rounds in his direction and managed to dive behind a mahogany desk.
Negaduck blew the smoke off his gun. "Don't get too clever with me, Neutraldork."
"And what would you do if I did get clever?" retorted the other.
"I'd be surprised, but then I'd have to smash you like the annoying bug you are."
"You just met me a couple hours ago!"
"Anyone who looks that much like Darkwing Duck is a thorn in my side."
"You look like him, too!"
Several more rounds fired. "You just got on my bad side."
"Why do you hate Darkwing Duck? What did he ever do to you?"
"Exist," replied Negaduck, pulling a dart and tossing it at a pockmarked photograph of his nemesis in purple. "I'm not usually one to use figurative language, but there's a wall between me and that perfectly straight arrow." He threw a large hatchet towards Neutralduck, who ducked beneath the desk.
"And you built the wall, I'm assuming?" came the bluecoat's voice from the kneehole.
"Bingo. I considered being an architect, but the only thing more satisfying than making plans is the sheer thrill of killing someone with your own hands! Now, hold still!" He drew out a knife and tossed it in the general direction of the desk.
Neutralduck reached over and pulled it from the floor. He paused, and calculated the trajectory with which to throw it back.
The dagger sailed through the air, pinning Negaduck's black and crimson cape to the wall.
"If I had aimed about thirteen degrees to your right," Neutralduck said severely. "I'd have pierced your chest." I'd say heart, but I doubt this guy has a heart to hit.
Negaduck drew another knife from the yellow jacket. This one was longer and sharper.
The other duck leaped out of the way, making the formidable blade hit the wall, handle quivering.
"See?" smirked Negaduck. "If you hadn't moved, I'd have hit you in that apparently too soft heart of yours."
"If...you...want...to...fight," puffed Neutralduck. "Get...ready...for...war." He wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Puh-leeze," muttered Negaduck. This 'neutral triplet' to Darkwing and himself apparently didn't have the stamina or the martial arts training both were gifted with. A good aim and mathematic knowledge, yes, but this duck was obviously too wimpy to put up a real fight. Good at fighting with his mouth too, but mere words were nothing to Negaduck -- a duck of action! All he had to do was wear his opponent down. It was almost too easy!
Megavolt was holding a plastic cup to the door, and had overheard the whole thing. "Man. Negaduck is really giving that other guy a hard time! I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a heart attack."
"I never thought of Negaduck as the type to get a heart attack," commented Quackerjack. He pulled out his infamous doll. "He's just a carrier!"
"Anyone want to make some bets?" asked the Liquidator, with a greedy gleam in his eye.
Bushroot pulled out a coin.
"Heads Negaduck plasters Neutralduck to the wall, Tails they both pass out on the floor!" announced the watery canine.
"Tails!" called Megavolt.
"Yeah," Bushroot agreed, flipping the coin. "We're optimists."
"Come back here, you coward!" came Negaduck's poisonous voice from the other side of the door.
"Well, who's wearing yellow?" Neutralduck's voice snapped back.
The foursome dropped to the ground to look for the coin.
It was leaning against a table leg on its rim. The foursome exchanged glances.
I can't keep this up much longer, thought Neutralduck. Plan A. Try to reason with the enemy. "Negaduck. Why are we doing this?"
"Because I enjoy it!"
OK, Plan B. Pretend to be his ally. "How would you like a more competent subordinate?"
"Forget it. You're probably just planning to double cross me."
Plan C...do I even have a Plan C?
Negaduck threw a grenade, which his target grabbed and threw at the window. It detonated. The yellow-coated duck shielded his face with his arms to prevent himself getting cut by the flying glass shards.
Oh, yeah, remembered Neutralduck. Run! He crawled out the window. A piece of jagged glass cut his hand, but he didn't care. He dropped to the ground. Good thing we were on the first story, he thought.
Negaduck removed the shattered pane and glanced out the window. It was dark out. He shrugged.
The door opened, and the rest of the Fearsome Five re-entered.
"Where's Neutralduck?" asked Bushroot.
"He escaped," snarled the leader. "But I wouldn't lose sleep over it."
"Why not?" asked Quackerjack.
"Cause we're going to see if we can get both him and Darkwing Duck. I always did like the idea of killing two birds with one stone." Negaduck laughed wickedly. The others nervously joined in.
TBC
"Yes, ma'am." The nine year old hung up the phone.
***********************************************************************
Next door, Honker curled up on the recliner with the latest issue of Sciencebills magazine. His father was slumped on the couch watching Pelican's Island. Flipping open the reading material and blocking out an argument between Flipper and Pelican, the bespectacled duck eagerly read an interview with physicist Median Gray.
Binkie came up behind him. "Honk, dear, I was just going to the store to pick up some milk and bread. Would you like to come--" her eyes shifted to the open page. Her eyes opened wide. "Oh my."
Her son's gaze scanned the article for what had shocked his mother.
Then he saw it. The photo to the left of the transcript text.
Median Gray was the spitting image of Drake Mallard.
************************************************************************
Neutralduck backed against the wall and tried to not to look nervous. Of course, that was not easy task considering his lookalike was pointing a flame thrower in his face.
"Do anything besides breathe and you're roasted duck," threatened Negaduck, just before turning to his four teammates. "Now then, why did you desert me in the museum?!"
The foursome pointed at each other. "It was his idea!" they said in unison.
"Four out of five supervillains agree that two's a crowd and three's a fright!" quipped the Liquidator.
"We were gonna attack Darkwing. Honest," claimed Quackerjack.
Megavolt nodded vigorously. "We just couldn't figure out which one to hit!"
"Maybe the different color schemes might have tipped you off," Negaduck growled.
"It was dark in there!" protested Bushroot.
Negaduck set down the flame thrower. "Fine. I'm feeling a little less violent than usual today. Guard the exits."
The foursome saluted and left, slamming the door behind them.
Negaduck whirled around and pulled a machine gun out from behind his back. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
Neutralduck pulled the collar of his gray turtleneck from his neck. "You want me to talk?"
"Precisely." The yellow-coated duck cocked the gun. "For one thing, if you're neutral, why did it look like you were on Dipwing Dolt's side back there?"
"I'd rather make an exception than get toasted by a blowtorch!" Neutralduck dodged several rounds in his direction and managed to dive behind a mahogany desk.
Negaduck blew the smoke off his gun. "Don't get too clever with me, Neutraldork."
"And what would you do if I did get clever?" retorted the other.
"I'd be surprised, but then I'd have to smash you like the annoying bug you are."
"You just met me a couple hours ago!"
"Anyone who looks that much like Darkwing Duck is a thorn in my side."
"You look like him, too!"
Several more rounds fired. "You just got on my bad side."
"Why do you hate Darkwing Duck? What did he ever do to you?"
"Exist," replied Negaduck, pulling a dart and tossing it at a pockmarked photograph of his nemesis in purple. "I'm not usually one to use figurative language, but there's a wall between me and that perfectly straight arrow." He threw a large hatchet towards Neutralduck, who ducked beneath the desk.
"And you built the wall, I'm assuming?" came the bluecoat's voice from the kneehole.
"Bingo. I considered being an architect, but the only thing more satisfying than making plans is the sheer thrill of killing someone with your own hands! Now, hold still!" He drew out a knife and tossed it in the general direction of the desk.
Neutralduck reached over and pulled it from the floor. He paused, and calculated the trajectory with which to throw it back.
The dagger sailed through the air, pinning Negaduck's black and crimson cape to the wall.
"If I had aimed about thirteen degrees to your right," Neutralduck said severely. "I'd have pierced your chest." I'd say heart, but I doubt this guy has a heart to hit.
Negaduck drew another knife from the yellow jacket. This one was longer and sharper.
The other duck leaped out of the way, making the formidable blade hit the wall, handle quivering.
"See?" smirked Negaduck. "If you hadn't moved, I'd have hit you in that apparently too soft heart of yours."
"If...you...want...to...fight," puffed Neutralduck. "Get...ready...for...war." He wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Puh-leeze," muttered Negaduck. This 'neutral triplet' to Darkwing and himself apparently didn't have the stamina or the martial arts training both were gifted with. A good aim and mathematic knowledge, yes, but this duck was obviously too wimpy to put up a real fight. Good at fighting with his mouth too, but mere words were nothing to Negaduck -- a duck of action! All he had to do was wear his opponent down. It was almost too easy!
Megavolt was holding a plastic cup to the door, and had overheard the whole thing. "Man. Negaduck is really giving that other guy a hard time! I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a heart attack."
"I never thought of Negaduck as the type to get a heart attack," commented Quackerjack. He pulled out his infamous doll. "He's just a carrier!"
"Anyone want to make some bets?" asked the Liquidator, with a greedy gleam in his eye.
Bushroot pulled out a coin.
"Heads Negaduck plasters Neutralduck to the wall, Tails they both pass out on the floor!" announced the watery canine.
"Tails!" called Megavolt.
"Yeah," Bushroot agreed, flipping the coin. "We're optimists."
"Come back here, you coward!" came Negaduck's poisonous voice from the other side of the door.
"Well, who's wearing yellow?" Neutralduck's voice snapped back.
The foursome dropped to the ground to look for the coin.
It was leaning against a table leg on its rim. The foursome exchanged glances.
I can't keep this up much longer, thought Neutralduck. Plan A. Try to reason with the enemy. "Negaduck. Why are we doing this?"
"Because I enjoy it!"
OK, Plan B. Pretend to be his ally. "How would you like a more competent subordinate?"
"Forget it. You're probably just planning to double cross me."
Plan C...do I even have a Plan C?
Negaduck threw a grenade, which his target grabbed and threw at the window. It detonated. The yellow-coated duck shielded his face with his arms to prevent himself getting cut by the flying glass shards.
Oh, yeah, remembered Neutralduck. Run! He crawled out the window. A piece of jagged glass cut his hand, but he didn't care. He dropped to the ground. Good thing we were on the first story, he thought.
Negaduck removed the shattered pane and glanced out the window. It was dark out. He shrugged.
The door opened, and the rest of the Fearsome Five re-entered.
"Where's Neutralduck?" asked Bushroot.
"He escaped," snarled the leader. "But I wouldn't lose sleep over it."
"Why not?" asked Quackerjack.
"Cause we're going to see if we can get both him and Darkwing Duck. I always did like the idea of killing two birds with one stone." Negaduck laughed wickedly. The others nervously joined in.
TBC