The next morning, Negaduck, now as Drake Mallard, lay on his bed, his arm
hanging lazily off of the edge and his face buried into the pillow to block
out the rising sun through the window. He had gotten in from committing his
crimes only hours before, stripped out of his suit, mask, and cape, and had
collapsed into his bed with nothing but his infamous skull and cross-bone
boxers in hopes of sleeping in until at least noon.
But that was quickly shattered when there suddenly came a loud, repeated banging on the front door. The sudden racket caused Drake to yelp wide awake, jerking himself upward and getting tangled in the blankets. He landed to the hard wooden floor with a loud 'thunk!', and groaned as he picked himself up off of the floor. The clock on the nightstand read 10:16 AM in bright, glowing red numbers. 'Great.' he thought, rolling his eyes and grabbing his black robe off of the bedpost, tying it around his waist and not bothering to put on his mask. 'Who would be coming around at this time in the morning?' was the question in his head as he lazily descended the staircase towards the front door. 'Obviously someone with a death wish.'.
The pounding on the front door ensued, forcing Drake to cradle his head with one hand as each bang sent a throb through his head, "I'm comin'! I'm comin'!" he barked as he reached out for the doorknob and reluctantly opened up the door. His eyes immediately shot open at the sight before him, the sleep now completely gone from his composure.
Outside, there were several police cars, complete with the dozens of officers scattered about the street and the front lawn. Standing directly in front of him were two people dressed in black business suits; one a man and one a woman. The man, being a rather large and brutish looking, spoke first in a gruff tone.
"Mr. Drake Mallard?"
Drake's eyes narrowed suspiciously, keeping his hand on the door and resisting the urge to slam it shut again, "Who wants to know?"
"I'm Devonshire with St. Canard Social Services, and this is Levinson," the man now identified as Devonshire informed, motioning to the woman standing beside him, who didn't even so much as twitch as he continued, "And I think we have a matter at hand we need to discuss with you."
"Are we correct that a one, Celeste Tealwing, is in your custody at this time, Mr. Mallard?" Levinson fired the question before he could so much as even get a word in. All the while, being awakened by the commotion outside, Celeste was crouched at the top of the stairs, staring down at the scene with confused and worried eyes. Drake glared forward at the two with narrowed eyes.
"That's Celeste MALLARD, you knob!" Drake snapped in correction, "And what does that have to do with anything??" he asked impatiently.
"We'll be perfectly blunt with you, Mr. Mallard," Devonshire replied sternly, "It has come to our attention that for the child's best interest, we are going to have to remove her from your care. We've had various reports of possible abuse and neglect towards the girl since she's been with you, and we can no longer stand by and let these acts continue. We're here to withdraw your parental rights."
Celeste cringed, letting out a small whimper as she stumbled backwards, trying to make herself invisible by pressing her back against the wall. Her body began to tremble, wanting to run away, but wanting to stay and find out what was going to happen with her. She peeked her head around the corner and down the stairs, watching while tears streamed down her face.
The words seemed to feel like a gun going off in his head as Drake's eyes shot open, "What?? You can't do that! I've never struck my kid in my life! There is NO way you're taking her out of this house!"
"We will have to insist that you cooperate, Mr. Mallard. If not, we will result in placing you under arrest," Devonshire informed.
"Take out your handcuffs, then!"
"Oh, well I don't have any handcuffs on me, but those gentlemen over there do." the social worker responded, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to point at the officers waiting patiently for any orders.
Levinson then took a step forward and relayed in a calm voice, "We've already arranged for a replacement home for Celeste where she will be very well taken care of. But now, we must insist that she come with us."
Drake glared again in an icy manner and growled in an angry tone, "I don't know where she is."
"Mr. Mallard, if we have to, we will tear this place apart from top to bottom until we find her. This can be easy, or hard on the child. The decision is yours to make." Levinson instructed, now beginning to feel a bit impatient.
The threat caused Drake to just stare forward coldly, not being able to find any words to retaliate with. The long silence was suddenly broken by a meek voice coming from behind them.
"You leave my father alone. He's never raised a finger to me in my life." Celeste spoke in a hushed tone as she slowly descended the stairs, looking down at them with wide eyes. The three of them at the door all turned to see the frightened child with a sense of sympathy in their expressions.
"Celeste, you stay back there..!" Drake instructed sternly, pointing at her and then turning back to the social workers.
Devonshire looked at Celeste from behind Drake with a somewhat sad expression on his face, "I'm afraid you are in no position to be taking sides, young lady," he said as he moved around Drake towards her, then reached out and took a hold of Celeste by one arm, "Now, come along."
Celeste's eyes went wide as she felt his powerful hand close around her arm. A small, frightened gasp escaped her bill as she tried to pull herself free. "Let go..!" she pleaded, tugging at her arm. Devonshire pretended to ignore her begging, and proceeded to pull her towards the door, but stopped abruptly when a forceful hand took him roughly by the shoulder, jerking him backwards and causing him to lose his grip on Celeste's arm, letting her go.
"Don't..touch my kid." Drake hissed dangerously in his trademark evil tone through narrowed eyes. Celeste looked up at him in agony, tears now running down her face.
The social worker stumbled backwards a step, taken aback by the duck's sudden hostile action. It was then that Levinson looked over her shoulder and gave a quick nod. This was the signal for the three officers standing just behind her to move in. they rushed forward and took a firm hold on Drake's shoulders, pulling him back and holding him in place.
"Hey! What the..?? What do you think you're doing??" Drake roared, struggling violently to break free as they keep him in place.
Devonshire then moved to Celeste again, taking her once more by the arm and pulling her towards the door, "Come along, now."
Celeste choked out a sob as she looked back at her father being held back, helpless. With wide, hazel eyes, she reached a hand out to him, "Daddy."
The look bore into him. It cut through him like a knife, and pained him like a gunshot to the head. They were taking her away from him, and there was nothing at the moment he could do.
"Celeste!!" Drake shouted out, jerking his shoulders from side to side roughly and even launching himself into the air in jumps as an attempt to pull free, "Let me go, you knobs!!"
He watched as the social workers lead Celeste out to the black sedan parked on the street. The back door was opened and she was gently pushed inside, Devonshire closing the door behind her and moved to the front doors where he and Levinson took their owns seats. The car's engine sputtered to life, and the vehicle slowly rolled forward down the street. Celeste pressed her face against the window, staring back at the house where she could still see her father struggling with the officers.
"I love you." she choked out through her tears.
"NO!!" As the car sped out of sight, Drake had managed to drag himself, along with the three police officers, out the front door and stopped. He sadly watched them disappear, freezing in shock as the officers finally released their grasp on him.
"And I have to warn you, Mr. Mallard," one of the officers spoke out, "If you come within the 100 yard restraining order, we WILL place you under arrest." With that warning, the officer nodded and turned away with the others, filing to their patrol cars and driving out of sight, leaving behind a stunned Drake Mallard.
As soon as the last of the cars were out of sight, the broken look on Drake's face slowly transformed into one of hatred, his eyes narrowing in a dangerous scowl, "We'll see about that." he hissed, then spun around and stormed back into the house, slamming the front door shut behind him.
*******
The car drove a few miles above the speed limit, but the ten minute drive seemed like hours to her. Celeste leaned against the door of the car, staring out the window blindly as the buildings passed. There were several thoughts cascading through her head. Why did they assume Negaduck was abusing her? WHO would make that accusation? What's going to happen to her now? Will she ever see him again..? The car suddenly jerked to a stop in front of a large federal building, snapping Celeste out of her absent state of mind. The sound of the front door was heard as the two social service workers climbed out, then stepped around to open the back door for her. Levinson reached in and took a hold of her by the wrist, gently pulling her out of the back seat and onto her feet. Celeste reluctantly and grudgingly followed, her eyes downcast to the ground, staring at her feet as they trudged up the stairs and opened up the front doors.
"You can have a seat over there, " Levinson said, pointing to a row of leather seats against the wall, "Your new host family should be arriving any minute now. Wait here until they arrive.
Celeste grudgingly pulled her arm away, staring at her coldly before turning away. She trudged over to the wall and leaned against it, crossing her arms in front of her and shifting her gaze downwards to hide her tears from any who may be watching. Minutes later, Devonshire approached her with his arms folded behind his back, staring down at her.
"Your foster family is here. They're just finishing signing the papers, and." he informed, but was cut off by another voice.
"Celeste! Darling!" the overly-sweet voice of Darcy shouted as she suddenly appear from around the corner, rushing towards her with outstretched arms and Laszlo directly in toll behind her.
Celeste cringed and backed up until she was cornered against the wall, "You have GOT to be kidding."
"Oh don't be silly, sweetie. We simply heard about the ordeal between you and your 'father'," she replied, sympathetically shaking her head with soft eyes.
"Yes, we wouldn't have pinned him as being violent..." Laszlo interjected calmly with a certain sadistic tone in his voice as he continued, "So we decided to step up to the plate, and try again to be respectful parents to you."
"Ordeal??" Celeste interrupted angrily, her eyes narrowing into hateful slits as she stared right at them both, "What in the name of St Mary Francis are you talking about??? My father never so much as gave me a hostile LOOK!! If you think for one minute that you're going to make my father, my FATHER." she paused for effect, glaring daggers at her biological father, ".out to be some sort of monster, you'll have to do it over my dead bloodless corpse...!"
By now, her feathers were bristling with rage, and her fists were clenched so tightly, that her nails began to make indentations in her palms. The usual sweet, innocent hazel eyes were now sparkling with an intense hate to match that of Negaduck's.
Darcy paused, now taken aback tremendously as she wrung her hands in front of her and nodded slowly in reply, "You're right, I apologize. We've only met him once, so we are in no position to judge anyone. But come along now, dear. Its time to start heading down a different road..." she finished, motioning an arm towards the front door.
"The only road I'm heading down is the one into Hell.which began with you two coming back into my life." Celeste replied bitterly as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her worn jeans with a brooding look. Without even glancing in their direction, she stormed out in front of Darcy and Laszlo, her head tilted towards the ground.
As she trudged out of the building, Darcy passed her husband a triumphant grin. He winked in response, knowing that everything was beginning to fall into place in their favor. They then followed their daughter outside to where the luxurious black car was parked beside the sidewalk, awaiting its passengers. Laszlo took a few large strides to pass Celeste to the car and opened up the back door. With a huff, she grudgingly conceded and shoved herself into the back seat where she slouched down, folding her arms across her chest.
The car door slammed shut, and Laszlo and Darcy took their places in the front seats. The car revved to life and slowly jerked forward as they began to pull away down the road. But meanwhile, the familiar yellow, red, and black clad criminal was crouched atop the Social Service building, glaring down with watchful eyes as the car rolled away. The fedora was arched over his eyes, giving him an even more devious appearance as his cape flapped behind him.
"So.They're back again, eh..?" Negaduck growled lowly as he stood back up, "A deadly mistake on their part." he seethed threateningly as he spun around with a dramatic sweep of his black cape, and stormed off in the other direction.
The car ride realistically only took fifteen minutes to travel just to the outskirts of St. Canard to where Tealwing Manor was located. Celeste remained slumped in the back seat with a stubborn expression, barely moving as she stared bitterly out the window at the passing scenery. She suddenly had the urge to be comforted, but with her current predicament, comfort was hard to come by. Reaching into her pockets, she desperately searched for anything familiar to help ease her rising discouragement. Nothing. Letting out a sigh, she leaned forward and placed her head in her hands, looking down at the floor of the car between her feet.
Something suddenly caught her eye as she was staring downward. Celeste reached up and touched the base of her neck, feeling the small, twisted gold chain resting around her neck. Moving her hand down, her fingers gently touched the tiny gold cross pendant dangling from her neck. With a smile, she held it gently in her hands. It was something that Negaduck had given her not long ago. And what made it all the more special to her was that it belonged to his mother.
The moment of reminisce ended abruptly as the car jerked to a stop, nearly knocking Celeste forward onto the floor, since she hadn't been wearing her seatbelt. She had been planning on jumping out of the car, but the locks on the doors had been activated. The sound of the front doors signaled as her parents climbed out of the car, and moved to the back door, opening it up for Celeste. The only reply they got from her was an agitated grunt as she stepped onto the cobblestone path. Looking up, she eyes the large, luxurious house that matched the two owners' looks along with their car. 'Great.it looks like the LAST thing they need around here is a teenager.' she thought to herself, rolling her eyes inwardly.
"And don't worry about your things," Darcy suddenly piped up from behind, "We bought you some new clothes and we've got your bedroom all set up for you. We'll be sure to get anything else you wanted transferred from your old house."
She and Laszlo stepped up beside Celeste, giving her a gentle ease forward to walk up to the front door. Laszlo pulled out his key ring that held several, fancy-looking keys, fumbling for the right one before sticking it into the lock and turning it. The 'click' that followed announced their permission to enter and he pushed to door open, revealing the spacious living space inside.
"Your room is upstairs, second room on the left," Laszlo informed, pointing up the large staircase with the cherrywood railing. Without a word, Celeste gruffly stormed up the stairs, her hands balled into fists as she turned the corner. When she reached the said door, she kicked it open, then intentionally slammed it behind her as hard as she could.
At the loud 'bang' echoing throughout the house, Darcy cringed, then sighed agitatedly, turning to Laszlo, "I'll go make sure she isn't trying to climb out the window." she rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs. She turned the corner and stopped outside the closed bedroom door, then cautiously opened the door to Celeste's room, peering in. "Celeste, honey..?
"Do you think you could fit anymore pink in here?" came the bitter reply. Celeste scowled at the ruffled, pink bed and cheery wallpaper while hunched up in a corner with her knees pulled against her chest.
"Oh...well..." Darcy waved it away with a jewel-decorated hand, "That will not be a problem. We can always go out later and pick out something more to your liking that can help you get more comfortable."
She let out a shaky sigh and buried her face in her knees, "All I want is my father back."
"I know." Darcy responded gently, "but perhaps this is for the better. But it's not as if you'll never be able to see each other again. You will still get to visit."
Celeste's head suddenly snapped back up, tears now streaking down her cheeks as she glared at her mother, "Yeah, like I buy that. I suppose you're going to let my friends, my uncle, and my boyfriend all come over for tea, too? Pah.I'm not stupid," she said sarcastically with a scoff.
Ignoring the bitterness in her tone, Darcy merely played along, "I don't see a problem with that, honey. You.have a boyfriend? How nice!"
Clearly not buying her act, Celeste replied in a spiteful, accusing tone, "This is all over money.DON'T pretend you give a care about me! You two just want to keep me locked up like a china doll in a glided cage until you get some child support, or inheritance, or something! If that's what you're after, I'll give it to you! I don't want the money! I just want to go home!!!" she cried out, slamming her fist down on her knees.
"You are home, Celeste." Darcy replied coldly, now beginning to drop her act with impatience.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Laszlo was sitting in a leather recliner, reading a copy of the St. Canard Times, which was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.
"Niles! The door!" he shouted, not bringing his eyes from the paper. When the doorbell sounded again seconds later, he sighed in frustration and grumbled as he got to his feet, heading towards the door, "Useless butler."
His hand reached out and turned the doorknob then grudgingly pulled the door open, not willing to cooperate with whoever was disturbing him at the moment. But when he looked out, to his surprise, there was no one there.
"Ruffian teenagers and their no good pranks." Laszlo muttered as he rolled his eyes and shut the door. No sooner had it clicked shut again, he froze at the sound of the deep and dangerous, yet familiar voice behind him.
"Well, hello.'Dahling'...!"
Before he had the chance to turn around and face his attacker, Laszlo felt an intense pain at the back of his head as something heavy came crashing down on him. With a grunt, he collapsed to the floor onto his back, his eyes fluttering as he caught sight of the masked mallard standing over him before blacking out.
"You're wrong!" Celeste snapped from upstairs, pointing at Darcy defiantly with her eyes narrowed as she got to her feet, "I may be trapped here, but this will never be my home. And you two will NEVER be my parents! My father, my REAL father, will get me back somehow." she claimed, crossing her arms in front of his chest.
"Well, you can believe whatever you want, Celeste. I'm not going to hold that against you..." she responded carelessly as she turns heads for the door with a smug grin.
Glaring daggers after her, Celeste added in a cold tone, "If this were the Negaverse, you'd be locked up for pulling this. Lord Negaduck would NEVER let you get away with it."
At this threat, Darcy stopped and turned around with a light laugh, "'Lord Negaduck' disappeared over five years ago, and has recently been announced 'dead' back in the Negaverse. I'm afraid, there's not much he can do now.especially for a kid. We all know how he feels about people, let alone spoiled little children." she informed snidely, then winked as she turned again and exited the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
A loud growl escaped Celeste's throat as she picked up the porcelain vase from the nightstand beside her and hurled it at the door, it shattering with a loud crash, "He's NOT dead!! You'll see! You...you nasty old bag! You just enjoy seeing people suffer! I HATE YOU!!!!" she screamed loudly before collapsing forward onto the bed, pounding her fists into the frilled pink pillows as sobs escaped her bill.
Descending the stairs, Darcy just smiled triumphantly to herself. But when she reached the foot of the stairs she stopped as she notices the door wide open. With a careless shrug, she stepped over to the ajar door and placed her hand on it to close it, until she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes going wide at the small drops of blood spattered on the wooden floor.
"What.? Oh no." she whispered fearfully to herself. Dashing into the living room, she found no sight of her husband aside from the newspaper being left scattered on the leather recliner. Laszlo??" she called frantically, darting from room to room, still not finding any sign of him and ending up back at the front door, "LASZLO?!?"
Looking back down at the floor, she followed the small trail of blood droplets outside, stepping out onto the cobblestone path. She didn't look back up until the heard the sound of a motorcycle engine revving, and caught a glimpse of her husband being hauled off on the back of a treacherous looking motorbike. Holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the quickly setting sun, she tried to get a look at the rider, which she was unsuccessful in achieving. "LASZLO!!"
Frantically, Darcy ran back inside and stormed up the stairs, bursting into Celeste's room and grabbing her by the wrist rather roughly, and pulling her to her feet, "Come on! There's been an emergency!" she spat, not bothering to explain as she yanked her towards the door.
Celeste attempted to pry her fingers off from around her wrist, her eyes burning with fiery rage and satisfaction, "GOOD!!"
Darcy retaliated by glowering down at her while continuing to pull her along outside and to the car, "You're coming along with me so I can make sure that you wont run off!" she hissed as she shoved the struggling teenager into the front passenger's seat of the car. Slamming the door shut, she hastily ran around the front of the vehicle and climbed into the driver's seat, locked the doors, then started the engine. The sun was rapidly setting, warning her to turn on her headlights as they sped away.
But that was quickly shattered when there suddenly came a loud, repeated banging on the front door. The sudden racket caused Drake to yelp wide awake, jerking himself upward and getting tangled in the blankets. He landed to the hard wooden floor with a loud 'thunk!', and groaned as he picked himself up off of the floor. The clock on the nightstand read 10:16 AM in bright, glowing red numbers. 'Great.' he thought, rolling his eyes and grabbing his black robe off of the bedpost, tying it around his waist and not bothering to put on his mask. 'Who would be coming around at this time in the morning?' was the question in his head as he lazily descended the staircase towards the front door. 'Obviously someone with a death wish.'.
The pounding on the front door ensued, forcing Drake to cradle his head with one hand as each bang sent a throb through his head, "I'm comin'! I'm comin'!" he barked as he reached out for the doorknob and reluctantly opened up the door. His eyes immediately shot open at the sight before him, the sleep now completely gone from his composure.
Outside, there were several police cars, complete with the dozens of officers scattered about the street and the front lawn. Standing directly in front of him were two people dressed in black business suits; one a man and one a woman. The man, being a rather large and brutish looking, spoke first in a gruff tone.
"Mr. Drake Mallard?"
Drake's eyes narrowed suspiciously, keeping his hand on the door and resisting the urge to slam it shut again, "Who wants to know?"
"I'm Devonshire with St. Canard Social Services, and this is Levinson," the man now identified as Devonshire informed, motioning to the woman standing beside him, who didn't even so much as twitch as he continued, "And I think we have a matter at hand we need to discuss with you."
"Are we correct that a one, Celeste Tealwing, is in your custody at this time, Mr. Mallard?" Levinson fired the question before he could so much as even get a word in. All the while, being awakened by the commotion outside, Celeste was crouched at the top of the stairs, staring down at the scene with confused and worried eyes. Drake glared forward at the two with narrowed eyes.
"That's Celeste MALLARD, you knob!" Drake snapped in correction, "And what does that have to do with anything??" he asked impatiently.
"We'll be perfectly blunt with you, Mr. Mallard," Devonshire replied sternly, "It has come to our attention that for the child's best interest, we are going to have to remove her from your care. We've had various reports of possible abuse and neglect towards the girl since she's been with you, and we can no longer stand by and let these acts continue. We're here to withdraw your parental rights."
Celeste cringed, letting out a small whimper as she stumbled backwards, trying to make herself invisible by pressing her back against the wall. Her body began to tremble, wanting to run away, but wanting to stay and find out what was going to happen with her. She peeked her head around the corner and down the stairs, watching while tears streamed down her face.
The words seemed to feel like a gun going off in his head as Drake's eyes shot open, "What?? You can't do that! I've never struck my kid in my life! There is NO way you're taking her out of this house!"
"We will have to insist that you cooperate, Mr. Mallard. If not, we will result in placing you under arrest," Devonshire informed.
"Take out your handcuffs, then!"
"Oh, well I don't have any handcuffs on me, but those gentlemen over there do." the social worker responded, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to point at the officers waiting patiently for any orders.
Levinson then took a step forward and relayed in a calm voice, "We've already arranged for a replacement home for Celeste where she will be very well taken care of. But now, we must insist that she come with us."
Drake glared again in an icy manner and growled in an angry tone, "I don't know where she is."
"Mr. Mallard, if we have to, we will tear this place apart from top to bottom until we find her. This can be easy, or hard on the child. The decision is yours to make." Levinson instructed, now beginning to feel a bit impatient.
The threat caused Drake to just stare forward coldly, not being able to find any words to retaliate with. The long silence was suddenly broken by a meek voice coming from behind them.
"You leave my father alone. He's never raised a finger to me in my life." Celeste spoke in a hushed tone as she slowly descended the stairs, looking down at them with wide eyes. The three of them at the door all turned to see the frightened child with a sense of sympathy in their expressions.
"Celeste, you stay back there..!" Drake instructed sternly, pointing at her and then turning back to the social workers.
Devonshire looked at Celeste from behind Drake with a somewhat sad expression on his face, "I'm afraid you are in no position to be taking sides, young lady," he said as he moved around Drake towards her, then reached out and took a hold of Celeste by one arm, "Now, come along."
Celeste's eyes went wide as she felt his powerful hand close around her arm. A small, frightened gasp escaped her bill as she tried to pull herself free. "Let go..!" she pleaded, tugging at her arm. Devonshire pretended to ignore her begging, and proceeded to pull her towards the door, but stopped abruptly when a forceful hand took him roughly by the shoulder, jerking him backwards and causing him to lose his grip on Celeste's arm, letting her go.
"Don't..touch my kid." Drake hissed dangerously in his trademark evil tone through narrowed eyes. Celeste looked up at him in agony, tears now running down her face.
The social worker stumbled backwards a step, taken aback by the duck's sudden hostile action. It was then that Levinson looked over her shoulder and gave a quick nod. This was the signal for the three officers standing just behind her to move in. they rushed forward and took a firm hold on Drake's shoulders, pulling him back and holding him in place.
"Hey! What the..?? What do you think you're doing??" Drake roared, struggling violently to break free as they keep him in place.
Devonshire then moved to Celeste again, taking her once more by the arm and pulling her towards the door, "Come along, now."
Celeste choked out a sob as she looked back at her father being held back, helpless. With wide, hazel eyes, she reached a hand out to him, "Daddy."
The look bore into him. It cut through him like a knife, and pained him like a gunshot to the head. They were taking her away from him, and there was nothing at the moment he could do.
"Celeste!!" Drake shouted out, jerking his shoulders from side to side roughly and even launching himself into the air in jumps as an attempt to pull free, "Let me go, you knobs!!"
He watched as the social workers lead Celeste out to the black sedan parked on the street. The back door was opened and she was gently pushed inside, Devonshire closing the door behind her and moved to the front doors where he and Levinson took their owns seats. The car's engine sputtered to life, and the vehicle slowly rolled forward down the street. Celeste pressed her face against the window, staring back at the house where she could still see her father struggling with the officers.
"I love you." she choked out through her tears.
"NO!!" As the car sped out of sight, Drake had managed to drag himself, along with the three police officers, out the front door and stopped. He sadly watched them disappear, freezing in shock as the officers finally released their grasp on him.
"And I have to warn you, Mr. Mallard," one of the officers spoke out, "If you come within the 100 yard restraining order, we WILL place you under arrest." With that warning, the officer nodded and turned away with the others, filing to their patrol cars and driving out of sight, leaving behind a stunned Drake Mallard.
As soon as the last of the cars were out of sight, the broken look on Drake's face slowly transformed into one of hatred, his eyes narrowing in a dangerous scowl, "We'll see about that." he hissed, then spun around and stormed back into the house, slamming the front door shut behind him.
*******
The car drove a few miles above the speed limit, but the ten minute drive seemed like hours to her. Celeste leaned against the door of the car, staring out the window blindly as the buildings passed. There were several thoughts cascading through her head. Why did they assume Negaduck was abusing her? WHO would make that accusation? What's going to happen to her now? Will she ever see him again..? The car suddenly jerked to a stop in front of a large federal building, snapping Celeste out of her absent state of mind. The sound of the front door was heard as the two social service workers climbed out, then stepped around to open the back door for her. Levinson reached in and took a hold of her by the wrist, gently pulling her out of the back seat and onto her feet. Celeste reluctantly and grudgingly followed, her eyes downcast to the ground, staring at her feet as they trudged up the stairs and opened up the front doors.
"You can have a seat over there, " Levinson said, pointing to a row of leather seats against the wall, "Your new host family should be arriving any minute now. Wait here until they arrive.
Celeste grudgingly pulled her arm away, staring at her coldly before turning away. She trudged over to the wall and leaned against it, crossing her arms in front of her and shifting her gaze downwards to hide her tears from any who may be watching. Minutes later, Devonshire approached her with his arms folded behind his back, staring down at her.
"Your foster family is here. They're just finishing signing the papers, and." he informed, but was cut off by another voice.
"Celeste! Darling!" the overly-sweet voice of Darcy shouted as she suddenly appear from around the corner, rushing towards her with outstretched arms and Laszlo directly in toll behind her.
Celeste cringed and backed up until she was cornered against the wall, "You have GOT to be kidding."
"Oh don't be silly, sweetie. We simply heard about the ordeal between you and your 'father'," she replied, sympathetically shaking her head with soft eyes.
"Yes, we wouldn't have pinned him as being violent..." Laszlo interjected calmly with a certain sadistic tone in his voice as he continued, "So we decided to step up to the plate, and try again to be respectful parents to you."
"Ordeal??" Celeste interrupted angrily, her eyes narrowing into hateful slits as she stared right at them both, "What in the name of St Mary Francis are you talking about??? My father never so much as gave me a hostile LOOK!! If you think for one minute that you're going to make my father, my FATHER." she paused for effect, glaring daggers at her biological father, ".out to be some sort of monster, you'll have to do it over my dead bloodless corpse...!"
By now, her feathers were bristling with rage, and her fists were clenched so tightly, that her nails began to make indentations in her palms. The usual sweet, innocent hazel eyes were now sparkling with an intense hate to match that of Negaduck's.
Darcy paused, now taken aback tremendously as she wrung her hands in front of her and nodded slowly in reply, "You're right, I apologize. We've only met him once, so we are in no position to judge anyone. But come along now, dear. Its time to start heading down a different road..." she finished, motioning an arm towards the front door.
"The only road I'm heading down is the one into Hell.which began with you two coming back into my life." Celeste replied bitterly as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her worn jeans with a brooding look. Without even glancing in their direction, she stormed out in front of Darcy and Laszlo, her head tilted towards the ground.
As she trudged out of the building, Darcy passed her husband a triumphant grin. He winked in response, knowing that everything was beginning to fall into place in their favor. They then followed their daughter outside to where the luxurious black car was parked beside the sidewalk, awaiting its passengers. Laszlo took a few large strides to pass Celeste to the car and opened up the back door. With a huff, she grudgingly conceded and shoved herself into the back seat where she slouched down, folding her arms across her chest.
The car door slammed shut, and Laszlo and Darcy took their places in the front seats. The car revved to life and slowly jerked forward as they began to pull away down the road. But meanwhile, the familiar yellow, red, and black clad criminal was crouched atop the Social Service building, glaring down with watchful eyes as the car rolled away. The fedora was arched over his eyes, giving him an even more devious appearance as his cape flapped behind him.
"So.They're back again, eh..?" Negaduck growled lowly as he stood back up, "A deadly mistake on their part." he seethed threateningly as he spun around with a dramatic sweep of his black cape, and stormed off in the other direction.
The car ride realistically only took fifteen minutes to travel just to the outskirts of St. Canard to where Tealwing Manor was located. Celeste remained slumped in the back seat with a stubborn expression, barely moving as she stared bitterly out the window at the passing scenery. She suddenly had the urge to be comforted, but with her current predicament, comfort was hard to come by. Reaching into her pockets, she desperately searched for anything familiar to help ease her rising discouragement. Nothing. Letting out a sigh, she leaned forward and placed her head in her hands, looking down at the floor of the car between her feet.
Something suddenly caught her eye as she was staring downward. Celeste reached up and touched the base of her neck, feeling the small, twisted gold chain resting around her neck. Moving her hand down, her fingers gently touched the tiny gold cross pendant dangling from her neck. With a smile, she held it gently in her hands. It was something that Negaduck had given her not long ago. And what made it all the more special to her was that it belonged to his mother.
The moment of reminisce ended abruptly as the car jerked to a stop, nearly knocking Celeste forward onto the floor, since she hadn't been wearing her seatbelt. She had been planning on jumping out of the car, but the locks on the doors had been activated. The sound of the front doors signaled as her parents climbed out of the car, and moved to the back door, opening it up for Celeste. The only reply they got from her was an agitated grunt as she stepped onto the cobblestone path. Looking up, she eyes the large, luxurious house that matched the two owners' looks along with their car. 'Great.it looks like the LAST thing they need around here is a teenager.' she thought to herself, rolling her eyes inwardly.
"And don't worry about your things," Darcy suddenly piped up from behind, "We bought you some new clothes and we've got your bedroom all set up for you. We'll be sure to get anything else you wanted transferred from your old house."
She and Laszlo stepped up beside Celeste, giving her a gentle ease forward to walk up to the front door. Laszlo pulled out his key ring that held several, fancy-looking keys, fumbling for the right one before sticking it into the lock and turning it. The 'click' that followed announced their permission to enter and he pushed to door open, revealing the spacious living space inside.
"Your room is upstairs, second room on the left," Laszlo informed, pointing up the large staircase with the cherrywood railing. Without a word, Celeste gruffly stormed up the stairs, her hands balled into fists as she turned the corner. When she reached the said door, she kicked it open, then intentionally slammed it behind her as hard as she could.
At the loud 'bang' echoing throughout the house, Darcy cringed, then sighed agitatedly, turning to Laszlo, "I'll go make sure she isn't trying to climb out the window." she rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs. She turned the corner and stopped outside the closed bedroom door, then cautiously opened the door to Celeste's room, peering in. "Celeste, honey..?
"Do you think you could fit anymore pink in here?" came the bitter reply. Celeste scowled at the ruffled, pink bed and cheery wallpaper while hunched up in a corner with her knees pulled against her chest.
"Oh...well..." Darcy waved it away with a jewel-decorated hand, "That will not be a problem. We can always go out later and pick out something more to your liking that can help you get more comfortable."
She let out a shaky sigh and buried her face in her knees, "All I want is my father back."
"I know." Darcy responded gently, "but perhaps this is for the better. But it's not as if you'll never be able to see each other again. You will still get to visit."
Celeste's head suddenly snapped back up, tears now streaking down her cheeks as she glared at her mother, "Yeah, like I buy that. I suppose you're going to let my friends, my uncle, and my boyfriend all come over for tea, too? Pah.I'm not stupid," she said sarcastically with a scoff.
Ignoring the bitterness in her tone, Darcy merely played along, "I don't see a problem with that, honey. You.have a boyfriend? How nice!"
Clearly not buying her act, Celeste replied in a spiteful, accusing tone, "This is all over money.DON'T pretend you give a care about me! You two just want to keep me locked up like a china doll in a glided cage until you get some child support, or inheritance, or something! If that's what you're after, I'll give it to you! I don't want the money! I just want to go home!!!" she cried out, slamming her fist down on her knees.
"You are home, Celeste." Darcy replied coldly, now beginning to drop her act with impatience.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Laszlo was sitting in a leather recliner, reading a copy of the St. Canard Times, which was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.
"Niles! The door!" he shouted, not bringing his eyes from the paper. When the doorbell sounded again seconds later, he sighed in frustration and grumbled as he got to his feet, heading towards the door, "Useless butler."
His hand reached out and turned the doorknob then grudgingly pulled the door open, not willing to cooperate with whoever was disturbing him at the moment. But when he looked out, to his surprise, there was no one there.
"Ruffian teenagers and their no good pranks." Laszlo muttered as he rolled his eyes and shut the door. No sooner had it clicked shut again, he froze at the sound of the deep and dangerous, yet familiar voice behind him.
"Well, hello.'Dahling'...!"
Before he had the chance to turn around and face his attacker, Laszlo felt an intense pain at the back of his head as something heavy came crashing down on him. With a grunt, he collapsed to the floor onto his back, his eyes fluttering as he caught sight of the masked mallard standing over him before blacking out.
"You're wrong!" Celeste snapped from upstairs, pointing at Darcy defiantly with her eyes narrowed as she got to her feet, "I may be trapped here, but this will never be my home. And you two will NEVER be my parents! My father, my REAL father, will get me back somehow." she claimed, crossing her arms in front of his chest.
"Well, you can believe whatever you want, Celeste. I'm not going to hold that against you..." she responded carelessly as she turns heads for the door with a smug grin.
Glaring daggers after her, Celeste added in a cold tone, "If this were the Negaverse, you'd be locked up for pulling this. Lord Negaduck would NEVER let you get away with it."
At this threat, Darcy stopped and turned around with a light laugh, "'Lord Negaduck' disappeared over five years ago, and has recently been announced 'dead' back in the Negaverse. I'm afraid, there's not much he can do now.especially for a kid. We all know how he feels about people, let alone spoiled little children." she informed snidely, then winked as she turned again and exited the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
A loud growl escaped Celeste's throat as she picked up the porcelain vase from the nightstand beside her and hurled it at the door, it shattering with a loud crash, "He's NOT dead!! You'll see! You...you nasty old bag! You just enjoy seeing people suffer! I HATE YOU!!!!" she screamed loudly before collapsing forward onto the bed, pounding her fists into the frilled pink pillows as sobs escaped her bill.
Descending the stairs, Darcy just smiled triumphantly to herself. But when she reached the foot of the stairs she stopped as she notices the door wide open. With a careless shrug, she stepped over to the ajar door and placed her hand on it to close it, until she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes going wide at the small drops of blood spattered on the wooden floor.
"What.? Oh no." she whispered fearfully to herself. Dashing into the living room, she found no sight of her husband aside from the newspaper being left scattered on the leather recliner. Laszlo??" she called frantically, darting from room to room, still not finding any sign of him and ending up back at the front door, "LASZLO?!?"
Looking back down at the floor, she followed the small trail of blood droplets outside, stepping out onto the cobblestone path. She didn't look back up until the heard the sound of a motorcycle engine revving, and caught a glimpse of her husband being hauled off on the back of a treacherous looking motorbike. Holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the quickly setting sun, she tried to get a look at the rider, which she was unsuccessful in achieving. "LASZLO!!"
Frantically, Darcy ran back inside and stormed up the stairs, bursting into Celeste's room and grabbing her by the wrist rather roughly, and pulling her to her feet, "Come on! There's been an emergency!" she spat, not bothering to explain as she yanked her towards the door.
Celeste attempted to pry her fingers off from around her wrist, her eyes burning with fiery rage and satisfaction, "GOOD!!"
Darcy retaliated by glowering down at her while continuing to pull her along outside and to the car, "You're coming along with me so I can make sure that you wont run off!" she hissed as she shoved the struggling teenager into the front passenger's seat of the car. Slamming the door shut, she hastily ran around the front of the vehicle and climbed into the driver's seat, locked the doors, then started the engine. The sun was rapidly setting, warning her to turn on her headlights as they sped away.