Negaduck circled Laszlo like a vulture. The victim's face already bore
several bruises, cuts, and blood trails from the intense beatings that were
being inflicted upon him. The criminal stopped directly in front of him,
with his arms folded behind his back. He waited until Laszlo weakly lifted
his head before he delivered another swift blow to the right side of his
face with the butt end of his gun.
Laszlo let out a loud grunt, his head snapping to the side and falling limply onto his shoulder. After a moment, he moaned weakly, "Will you just get it over with..? It's bad enough I have to live to see this $500 suit get blood stains on it..."
With a cruel laugh, Negaduck lifted his gun and cocked it loudly, "Well, if you insist..." He grinned and lifted the gun in his hand, taking aim for the center of Laszlo's forehead, "Any last requests...?"
"Actually yes. There is a...question I'd like to ask you," Laszlo replied, lifting his head up with glaring eyes to stare into him with, "Just WHY did you take the girl in? I know as well as everyone else that you hate everything with any value whatsoever, especially kids. Why would you want to adopt a spirited brat like her?"
Even though his expression never faltered, Negaduck's tone seemed to slightly change as he slowly answered, "Because that kid saved me from Hell. She made me realize that I could look after someone else besides myself. Apparently, you and your 'wife' weren't up for that task..." he finished with a scoff.
"We never meant to have a kid!" Laszlo retaliated bitterly, "We both decided that we DIDN'T want any children! But she was a mistake that we hadn't planned on!"
"The kid showed up in the sidecar of my motorcycle one day! You think I planned on that?? Sure, at first I figured she was just another tiny terror that the city would be better off without, but over time, I grew fond of her. So now my plans have changed..." Negaduck seethed.
Laszlo tried to stifle a laugh, which earned him a deadly glare from Negaduck. "YOUR plans have changed? Which plans are those? Committing crimes? Causing chaos? Murdering the innocent?"
"Of course not! Perish the thought! Celeste has no problem with my lifestyle. What I meant by 'plans' was that..now I'm not just looking out for my own tailfeathers."
"For some reason..." Laszlo began, then paused before finishing his sentence, "I find it hard to believe that the infamous Negaduck could care about anyone else but himself."
Now growing impatient, Negaduck clenched his teeth, letting out a low growl, "It doesn't matter what YOU believe, because YOU'RE the one who's going to be buried in the ground by this time tomorrow..." he raged, raising his gun once more.
Fear getting the better of him, Laszlo's eyes shot wide open as he was coming closer and closer to death, "Hey wait a minute...Maybe I was wrong! Can't we just...you know, talk about this a little more? Two guys? I'm sure we can come to a reasonable resolution, because you and I are the same in a lot of ways..!" he begged, but was cut off by the snide laughter.
"Ha! The same?? I don't think so, pal..." Negaduck replied coolly, keeping his aim accurate, "Because you see...unlike YOU...I would die for that kid just so she wouldn't have to feel one ounce of pain..." he snarled as he slowly began to pull the trigger, "Say hello to Satan for me..."
Laszlo squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting the exploding sound of the gunshot being fire followed by the surging pain in his head before he'd stop breathing. But to his surprise, it never came. Instead, he heard the famous intro line of the known hero.
"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the...!" Darkwing began to announce proudly as his cloud of blue smoke billowed around him, but was stopped as a bullet came tearing through the air and piercing the wall to his right, just inches away from his face. With an agitated scowl, he turned to Negaduck, who was holding the smoking gun, "Could you at least wait until AFTER I finish my intro before you shoot at me??"
"What? You mean you had something new?" Negaduck sneered as he pointed the gun to the back of Laszlo's head, "Now scram, Duck! I'm busy working here!"
"Sorry, Neggers! No can do!" Darkwing replied cheerily just to annoy his nemesis, "There's no way I'm gonna stand here and let you blow this citizen's brains out, no matter how much of a louse he may be..." he added, getting a cold stare from Lazlo in return for his last remark.
Negaduck sighed and rolled his eyes, "Do you mind?? You're ruining my concentration! I need to aim just right in order to make it the most painful experience he'll ever have..."
"Yes, I DO mind!" Darkwing protested, folding his arms in front of him, "If you kill him, then I have no choice but to take you in for murder, Negaduck!"
"Do you have ANY idea what they're making me do??" his devilish double seethed, shoving the gun against Laszlo's head, who flinched in response.
Darkwing took a step forward at his action, but stopped as he heard the gun's hammer click back, "Negaduck, you're even more insane than I make you out to be! Just what are you accomplishing by this?? Think about Celeste!"
Negaduck suddenly froze, staring at Darkwing with cold, hateful eyes and keeping his gun pressed to his victim's head, "She told you what's going on, I take it...?"
He nodded in reply and spoke in a calm voice, "She told me what's going on. And you know that, for her sake, you don't want to do this."
"I DON'T?!?!" Negaduck snapped back in a fiery rage, leaning his face forward so that his head was right beside Laszlo's and glaring out at Darkwing, "I'm Public Enemy #1, Dorkwing!! I've robbed banks! I cause unnecessary pain and suffering! I have a hit list longer than the Great Wall of China! WHAT'S....ONE....MORE?!?!?!" he shouted angrily, shoving the gun against Laszlo's head with his teeth bared and his eyes flaring.
"I know you're thinking this is the best way to go, Negaduck, but that little villain running around loose in your head as been running around for far too long! You may not agree with ME of all people, but I'll tell ya this, Negs...What you're doing is NOT helping..." he said, crossing his arms and awaiting Negaduck's retaliation.
Surprisingly to everyone in the room, including Negaduck himself, no snide retaliation came. There was a long moment of silence, aside from the crowds murmuring outside and the red and blue police lights flashing in through the window as if to remind Negaduck of what he's doing. Darkwing's words kept getting tossed back and forth in his head. They DID hold a lot to sense to them, but he was NEGADUCK. He didn't live by morals like his positive counterpart did. And above all...he wanted his daughter back. And was willing to do anything to get her back.
Negaduck suddenly shook his head violently, unaware that his expression had gone soft over the past few minutes. His eyes narrowed once again hatefully as he stared at Darkwing defiantly.
"Look Darkwing...This guy is USELESS..." he said, motioning to Laszlo, who had been remaining motionless for the past few minutes out of fear, "Think of it as one less person to have to 'protect'. All he can do is just pray for a painless death...Which he isn't gonna get..!" Negaduck growled as he began to pull the trigger.
"Negaduck! Stop!!" Darkwing shouted as he began to rush forward. Negaduck let out a maniacal laughter as Laszlo squeezed his eyes shut, every muscle in his body tensing up.
"Sianara, sucker..! Yahahaha...!!"
"Dad?!?!"
Negaduck's laughter stopped as suddenly as it began, his finger immediately snapping off of the trigger. Darkwing skidded to a halt and Laszlo slowly opened his eyes, glancing around, confused. The three of them remained silent and not moving, shifting their gazes upward and listening to see if they were just hearing voices from the crowds outside.
"Dad?? Are you up here???"
His bottom jaw dropped as he slowly pulled the gun away from Laszlo's head, straining his hearing for which direction the familiar voice was coming from, "Celeste??"
"Dad!! I'm out here!" came the response from one of the side windows. Negaduck hurriedly rushed over to the window as Darkwing appeared at Laszlo's side, slowly taking his time at untying him. With a grunt, Negaduck thrust the sliding window upwards and stuck his head out, looking in every direction.
"Where?? Celeste, where are you?" he called out.
"Right here!"
Negaduck turned his head upward and saw the familiar face with the head of auburn hair peeking over the edge of the building's roof. She looked down excitedly and waved down to him, which earned a sly grin from him in return, "Come on down here, kiddo!"
"Here I come!" Celeste shouted back before swinging one leg over the side, then the other. She held onto the edge of the building for a few seconds before giving herself a light push away, dropping straight down for the window. Negaduck reached out his arms and caught her, the momentum of her fall causing him to stumble a few steps backwards and back into the room.
They both laughed as Celeste wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, both laughing and crying at the same time. She buried her face into his chest, her tears streaming down her cheeks. Negaduck brushed his fingers through her hair in a comforting manner and whispered lowly, "Shh..it's okay now, kiddo...I promised everything would be alright, didn't I?"
All the while, Darkwing was leaning against the chair Laszlo was tied to with a smug smile while Laszlo sneered in disgust, "Idiotic sentiment..." he scoffed, which swiftly earned him a knock to the head from behind. With a yelp, he turned his head and glared behind himself at Darkwing, who was turned away and whistling innocently.
"I was so scared I'd never see you again..." Celeste whispered, not even loosening her grasp on him for a second. She choked on her sobs as the tears poured from her eyes like waterfalls as they began to dampen his yellow jacket.
"Take it easy, Cel..." Negaduck comforted, holding her against him protectively, "You won't have to worry about those two anymore..." he added with a growl, glaring daggers in Laszlo's direction.
The sound of someone clearing their throat was followed by Darkwing's voice, "As much as I'd like to witness my arch enemy in a scene that could ruin his reputation, I think it's time for you two to make a quick, 'unnoticed-by-the-hero' escape before the cops decide to rain on my glamour parade."
Celeste passed Darkwing a grateful smile, still pressing herself against her father as he smiled with a wink back at her. She heaved her shoulders as she let out a deep sigh, then looked up at Negaduck happily, "Take me home, Daddy..."
With a nod, Negaduck gently pulled her out of his hold and placed her on her own feet beside him. Immediately, she slipped her hand into his, and he couldn't help but smile down at her softly, "Right, kiddo...Let's scram."
As they headed towards the far window where they would climb out, and safely away from the crime scene, Negaduck stared hard at Darkwing as he continued to untie Laszlo, as if he was trying to analyze just what had overcome the crimefighter just minutes before. It was strange to him, because Darkwing NEVER passed up the opportunity to apprehend him. Not only did it get him thrown in the slammer, but the hero always loved getting the attention and admiration from the city whenever he put Negaduck in jail.
But why was he doing this for him now? Even though Negaduck may not have known it, Darkwing did care for Celeste. Just as she had chosen him as her non-blooded uncle, he had vow to himself to look after the kid whenever he could, considering that her father was the most notorious criminal in the city.
Regardless, the pieces slowly began to fall into place as they headed towards the window, and Negaduck passed Darkwing the slightest grin in his well-known malevolent way. But there was a flash of something in his eyes, which went along with that glance that Darkwing noticed immediately. Gratitude. In return, he nodded once, followed by Negaduck turning his back on him once again.
"Okay Cel, hop up there..." Negaduck instructed, pointing at the window, "And we'll be outta here..."
"You're not going anywhere..!" a feminine voice interrupted.
The two at the window spun to face the door, as well as Darkwing and Laszlo. In the doorway, Darcy stood defiantly with her arms folded stubbornly across her chest and her eyes narrowed. With an aggravated sigh, Darkwing rolled his eyes.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Congeniality..." he groaned. Laslzo looked helplessly over at his wife, a hopeful look in his eyes.
The look present in Darcy's eyes wasn't one that anyone had seen before, and it had a threatening air to it. Negaduck glared right back at her. "You're too late, wench. There's your husband.." he nodded over to the chair where the beaten Laszlo was being held captive, "He may be a little bruised and broken, but he'll live. Now, take him and get back to the slime- hole you crawled out of, known as the Negaverse..."
Her eyes fell on her husband, filled with sympathy and intense rage. She then turned back to Negaduck and took a step forward defiantly. "I'm not through with you yet, 'Lord Negaduck'..!" she seethed threateningly.
The action caused Negaduck to stare back her, his glance so cold that it would have made Hell freeze over. He began to take a step forward, but was gently pulled back by his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Celeste gripping his sleeve and staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. Gently, he reached down and unwrapped her fingers from around his jacket and continued to step forward, not stopping until only a few inches separated him from Darcy, the two passing each other piercing glares.
"I'm giving you one last chance to turn around and hustle your fancy- dressed self out that door...And don't assume I'm going to be generous enough to give you another one if you pass this one up..." Negaduck growled through clenched teeth.
Darcy scoffed grudgingly and stared down at him, considering he was a good deal shorter than she. "Don't be absurd...If you so much as fire a shot at me, you'll be thrown back into that prison cell also known as your second home...I doubt you will be able to do much bonding with your 'daughter' in there..." she sneered, emphasizing the word 'daughter' with sarcasm.
"Back off, wench!" Celeste suddenly snarled as she began to roll up her sleeves and storm towards the two, but then stopped in her tracks as Negaduck barked the order at her.
"Celeste! You stay back there..!" he snapped, holding a hand out behind him, motioning for her to stop.
"Hey Cel, come over here, kiddo..." Darkwing urged, waving a hand for her to come to him. He saw a look in Negaduck's eyes that was all too familiar to him...It was that insane, homicidal gleam. And Darkwing couldn't risk Celeste getting hurt, for her own sake. Obediently, she slowly trudged over to Darkwing's side, not taking her narrowed eyes off of Darcy for a moment. When she reached his side, he protectively put his hands on her shoulders to hold her back, keeping his own eyes on the pair, should he have to react to anything if one of them suddenly lashed out at the other.
"You think I won't...?" Negaduck provoked in a low growl. "Let me make a suggestion to you simple-minded saps...I suggest you return to where I won't have to come across you again, for our own benefit if not mine. The next time we meet...one of us will DIE..." he hissed in her face.
Darcy didn't even flinch at the threat, but just glared back at him coldly. After a stare-down that lasted several drawn out seconds, Negaduck sneered once more before spinning with a dramatic flare of his cape and waved at Celeste to come. "Let's go, kiddo..!"
She nodded and Darkwing reluctantly let go of her shoulders, sighing in relief. He shook his head and once again worked on untying the tightly bound man from the chair. But he suddenly stopped as he heard a cruel laugh, this time not belonging to Negaduck, but to a female.
"There won't be a 'next time'..!" Darcy hissed. In a quick flash, she reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a small revolver. With a swift movement, she raised it to aim at Negaduck's back and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet screeching through the air before anyone else had a chance to react.
Darkwing's eyes went wide as he quickly searched for where the bullet had finally come to a stop. He didn't get his answer until he saw Negaduck suddenly jerk around, as if some invisible force had grabbed his shoulder and violently thrust him around as he let out a loud gasp. The villain stumbled backwards, reaching his hands behind him to grab onto the window ledge, slumping against it.
"DAD!!!" Celeste shrieked and rushed forward just as Darkwing pounced in the other direction, knocking Darcy roughly to the ground and pinning her down.
"Get off of me, you purple blanketed yutz!!" she shrieked as the gun slid from her hand and across the floor. She tried to slap out a hand to strike him across the face, but Darkwing was prepared for it, and swiftly grabbed her wrist in mid air.
"I don't think so! Tsk tsk tsk...Such a temper!" Darkwing commented snidely as he fiercely grabbed her wrists and pulled her to her feet. She merely grunted in protest, realizing that he had gotten the upper hand of her. As he held her tightly, Darkwing caught sight of a folded piece of paper sticking out from the breast pocket of her suit. "And what have we here...?"
Curiously, Darkwing unfolded the paper, which had been printed professionally and had several signatures on it. After reading it over, his bill curved into a satisfied grin, "Well well...Looks as if I get to bring you BOTH in on attempted murder, fraud, AND embezzlement!"
Both Darcy and Laszlo grunted in defeat as Darkwing snapped a pair of handcuffs onto Darcy, holding her hands behind her back, "Yep yep yep! Another couple of corrupted criminals, their crimes cracked by that courageous crime-fighter, Darkwiiiiing Duck!" he stated proudly with a smug grin. But his triumphant stature suddenly fell as he glanced over at where he had last seen his enemy stagger.
Negaduck panted as Celeste suddenly appeared at his side, trying to help him support himself on his feet. He waved it away as he slowly straightened himself up with her assistance, leaning against the wall.
"Dad?? Dad, please tell me you're alright..!" she pleaded, staring up at him. She couldn't see any sign of blood on him, but his weak composure was trying to convince her otherwise.
In reply, Negaduck just laughed in amusement, grinning snidely back at Darcy, who was curiously watching him with her arms cuffed behind her back. Her eyes narrowed at him bitterly, it appearing that her plan had failed.
"Ha..! You shoot like a woman..." Negaduck spat the insult at her with a grin, followed by another mocking laugh. Celeste sighed in relief and wrapped her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly and pressing her cheek against his side.
Negaduck flinched slightly, and she seemed to suddenly stop breathing as her face slowly fell into an expression of shock and fright. She felt something warm running down over her hands that were concealed behind his back, and carefully removed her arms from around him. Celeste's eyes went wide as she held up her now blood-covered hands, shaking her head as she stared and whispered, "No...!"
"Whoa..." Negaduck grunted with discomfort as he swayed, leaning back against the wall. He stared back at Darcy, bewildered. "Good shot..." he groaned before slowly sliding down against the wall to the floor in a slumped position.
"No, Dad!" Celeste cried, collapsing to her knees beside him. She quickly, but gently slid her bloodstained hands under his head and slowly cradled him in her arms, holding his head in her lap.
Darkwing had been watching closely, and now seeing the blood on her hands, he quickly pulled out the small concealed radio that had been hidden in his jacket and called into it impatiently, "I need you to get your boys up here, NOW! The criminals have been apprehended and we've got an injury!" he snapped before redirecting his attention to Darcy, who seemed to have a disgustingly satisfied grin on her face. "I hope you're happy now..." he snarled into her ear angrily.
"Oh I do believe I am..." she replied coolly, which she received a violent shove for in return from the crimefighter.
"Don't celebrate just yet!" Darkwing snapped. "I've been after him for a VERY long time now. And I doubt he'd finally be stopped now by some wealthy yuppies like yourselves!" he sneered. Darcy scowled back at him, then flinched as the door behind them suddenly slammed open. Several officers flooded into the room, some covering the windows, others beginning to finally finish the job of untying Laszlo. The chief came up to Darkwing, took Darcy from his restraining hold and passed her to another officer, who led her and Laszlo out of the building to the awaiting patrol cars outside.
"Well done, Darkwing. If anyone can get the job done of keeping the peace, it's you," the chief commented, giving his hand a hearty shake with a nod of approval.
"Naaah! It was nothing, Chief!" Darkwing replied with a careless wave of the hand. "All in a day's work for Darkwing Duck!" he laughed.
The chief nodded in agreement, then raised a puzzled eyebrow at him, tilting his head curiously. "But you said someone was injured, didn't you? Did Negaduck gun someone down and make his escape?"
Darkwing's expression fell as his pride deflated. He had almost forgotten. Then nodded in reply, "Yeah Chief, someone did get hurt. But not by Negaduck..." he informed, then stepped to the side and pointed behind him where Celeste was gently holding her father's head up off of the ground, tears flowing down her eyes.
The chief just stared in calm amazement at the finally fallen public enemy. "Who did it?"
"The woman who was just hauled out of here. Both her an her husband need to be booked with embezzlement charges and attempted murder; even if the attempt was on Negaduck, "Darkwing informed, still staring forward at the scene and desperately trying to hide the sympathy in his expression. "And Chief? Can we get a medical team up here..?" he asked hesitantly and quietly, in hopes that no one else had heard his request.
The response he got was the officer looking down at him, bewildered. "Are you sure you wanna do that, Darkwing? He IS Public Enemy #1, wanted on too many charges to list, which also include murder and mass destruction. Don't you think this city would be a lot better off...?" he suggested, not bothering to finish the sentence. It was true, no matter who the person hurt was, criminal or not, everyone deserved to live. But Negaduck seemed to be the only exception anyone was willing to make.
Darkwing clenched his fists angrily, trying not to let his temper explode. He agreed with what the Chief said about Negaduck, and also believed that the city would be better off without him around to terrorize it. But Celeste wouldn't be better off. Was he really willing to let the menacing, maniacal mallard get what he didn't deserve? For the sake of the girl, he was.
"Think about it, Chief..." Darkwing finally responded. "If we let him die, then that's just an easy release instead of punishment. If he lives, then I can throw him back in the slammer and let him suffer in there instead," he stated, cringing inwardly at his own idea. No matter how many times he had put Negaduck away in prison, he always seemed to find a way to escape back into the city where he continued to cause mayhem. Would the chief buy it?
"Yes, I supposed you're right, Darkwing..." the chief conceded as Darkwing quietly sighed with relief. The officer picked up his own radio from his belt and spoke into it with a gruff tone, "Get a Med Squad inside, stat!"
"Thanks, Chief," Darkwing said lowly, then looked back over towards Celeste. "And don't worry about the kid...I'll bring her down to the police station myself for...'questioning', and I'll make sure she gets home," he added, most of which was a lie. The chief nodded, then turned and walked towards a huddled group of officers by the door. Their conversations were muffled, but they gradually began to disperse throughout the room and the building.
"Oh Dad..." Celeste whispered mournfully, nuzzling the side of Negaduck's face with her bill, the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You have to pull through this...Don't leave me behind again..!"
Negaduck groaned painstakingly, squinting his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision. The blood flowing from the wound in his back had gathered in a puddle around him, quickly drenching his yellow suit and black cape. He shifted his eyes upward, looking right at her and smiled in his usual menacing style. "Don't be ridiculous..!" he wheezed, his voice betraying him. "I'm not gonna leave you again...I'm not going anywhere...!"
"But...but how do *I* know that..??" she replied frantically. "Tell me you're going to be alright! I need you to tell me that, and don't lie to me! Please...!"
There was a momentary pause as Negaduck closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a raspy sigh. He then slowly opened his eyes and looked back up at her and spoke in a sincere, low tone voice. "I'm going to be okay, Cel...I promise..."
Even though the sight of him lying in his own blood wanted to convince her otherwise, she smiled as a tear rolled off of her bill and landed on his chest. "I believe you..." Celeste whispered, leaning over and gently wrapping her arms around his neck in a light hug. "You'd never lie to me..."
Negaduck returned the action by weakly lifting his arms up and wrapping them around her back, holding her to him. But his expression slowly fell as he held her, not letting his daughter see the broken look on his face.
"Celeste..?"
At the sound of her name, she slowly pulled back from Negaduck and turned her head around to face Darkwing, who was now standing before them with a reassuring look on his face. "There's a Medical Squad on their way up right now. They'll look after him, but while they do that, I need you to come back to police headquarters with me..." he said calmly.
Her eyes shot open in fear as she suddenly reached down and grabbed her father's hand tightly in hers, squeezing it as if she wasn't intending on letting go. "But...I don't want to leave...!" she protested through choking sobs. She didn't stop until she felt Negaduck's other hand gently reach up and touch her cheek.
"Go with him, kiddo..." he insisted gently, suddenly wincing from the sharp pain shooting up his back. Celeste looked down at him with concern until he nodded back at her. "It's for the best right now...I'll be fine, remember? I promised. I'll be back in no time..."
Sniffling back her tears, she slowly nodded once just as the medics came up behind her. Celeste gently slipped herself out from underneath Negaduck's body as a medic replaced her position. Standing up, she didn't even seem to notice that her clothes were now drenched in blood....HIS blood. Darkwing put a gentle hand on her shoulder as they both stared on, watching the medics do their jobs precisely. After a moment, he gave her a gentle pull towards the door, "Come on, kiddo..."
Laszlo let out a loud grunt, his head snapping to the side and falling limply onto his shoulder. After a moment, he moaned weakly, "Will you just get it over with..? It's bad enough I have to live to see this $500 suit get blood stains on it..."
With a cruel laugh, Negaduck lifted his gun and cocked it loudly, "Well, if you insist..." He grinned and lifted the gun in his hand, taking aim for the center of Laszlo's forehead, "Any last requests...?"
"Actually yes. There is a...question I'd like to ask you," Laszlo replied, lifting his head up with glaring eyes to stare into him with, "Just WHY did you take the girl in? I know as well as everyone else that you hate everything with any value whatsoever, especially kids. Why would you want to adopt a spirited brat like her?"
Even though his expression never faltered, Negaduck's tone seemed to slightly change as he slowly answered, "Because that kid saved me from Hell. She made me realize that I could look after someone else besides myself. Apparently, you and your 'wife' weren't up for that task..." he finished with a scoff.
"We never meant to have a kid!" Laszlo retaliated bitterly, "We both decided that we DIDN'T want any children! But she was a mistake that we hadn't planned on!"
"The kid showed up in the sidecar of my motorcycle one day! You think I planned on that?? Sure, at first I figured she was just another tiny terror that the city would be better off without, but over time, I grew fond of her. So now my plans have changed..." Negaduck seethed.
Laszlo tried to stifle a laugh, which earned him a deadly glare from Negaduck. "YOUR plans have changed? Which plans are those? Committing crimes? Causing chaos? Murdering the innocent?"
"Of course not! Perish the thought! Celeste has no problem with my lifestyle. What I meant by 'plans' was that..now I'm not just looking out for my own tailfeathers."
"For some reason..." Laszlo began, then paused before finishing his sentence, "I find it hard to believe that the infamous Negaduck could care about anyone else but himself."
Now growing impatient, Negaduck clenched his teeth, letting out a low growl, "It doesn't matter what YOU believe, because YOU'RE the one who's going to be buried in the ground by this time tomorrow..." he raged, raising his gun once more.
Fear getting the better of him, Laszlo's eyes shot wide open as he was coming closer and closer to death, "Hey wait a minute...Maybe I was wrong! Can't we just...you know, talk about this a little more? Two guys? I'm sure we can come to a reasonable resolution, because you and I are the same in a lot of ways..!" he begged, but was cut off by the snide laughter.
"Ha! The same?? I don't think so, pal..." Negaduck replied coolly, keeping his aim accurate, "Because you see...unlike YOU...I would die for that kid just so she wouldn't have to feel one ounce of pain..." he snarled as he slowly began to pull the trigger, "Say hello to Satan for me..."
Laszlo squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting the exploding sound of the gunshot being fire followed by the surging pain in his head before he'd stop breathing. But to his surprise, it never came. Instead, he heard the famous intro line of the known hero.
"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the...!" Darkwing began to announce proudly as his cloud of blue smoke billowed around him, but was stopped as a bullet came tearing through the air and piercing the wall to his right, just inches away from his face. With an agitated scowl, he turned to Negaduck, who was holding the smoking gun, "Could you at least wait until AFTER I finish my intro before you shoot at me??"
"What? You mean you had something new?" Negaduck sneered as he pointed the gun to the back of Laszlo's head, "Now scram, Duck! I'm busy working here!"
"Sorry, Neggers! No can do!" Darkwing replied cheerily just to annoy his nemesis, "There's no way I'm gonna stand here and let you blow this citizen's brains out, no matter how much of a louse he may be..." he added, getting a cold stare from Lazlo in return for his last remark.
Negaduck sighed and rolled his eyes, "Do you mind?? You're ruining my concentration! I need to aim just right in order to make it the most painful experience he'll ever have..."
"Yes, I DO mind!" Darkwing protested, folding his arms in front of him, "If you kill him, then I have no choice but to take you in for murder, Negaduck!"
"Do you have ANY idea what they're making me do??" his devilish double seethed, shoving the gun against Laszlo's head, who flinched in response.
Darkwing took a step forward at his action, but stopped as he heard the gun's hammer click back, "Negaduck, you're even more insane than I make you out to be! Just what are you accomplishing by this?? Think about Celeste!"
Negaduck suddenly froze, staring at Darkwing with cold, hateful eyes and keeping his gun pressed to his victim's head, "She told you what's going on, I take it...?"
He nodded in reply and spoke in a calm voice, "She told me what's going on. And you know that, for her sake, you don't want to do this."
"I DON'T?!?!" Negaduck snapped back in a fiery rage, leaning his face forward so that his head was right beside Laszlo's and glaring out at Darkwing, "I'm Public Enemy #1, Dorkwing!! I've robbed banks! I cause unnecessary pain and suffering! I have a hit list longer than the Great Wall of China! WHAT'S....ONE....MORE?!?!?!" he shouted angrily, shoving the gun against Laszlo's head with his teeth bared and his eyes flaring.
"I know you're thinking this is the best way to go, Negaduck, but that little villain running around loose in your head as been running around for far too long! You may not agree with ME of all people, but I'll tell ya this, Negs...What you're doing is NOT helping..." he said, crossing his arms and awaiting Negaduck's retaliation.
Surprisingly to everyone in the room, including Negaduck himself, no snide retaliation came. There was a long moment of silence, aside from the crowds murmuring outside and the red and blue police lights flashing in through the window as if to remind Negaduck of what he's doing. Darkwing's words kept getting tossed back and forth in his head. They DID hold a lot to sense to them, but he was NEGADUCK. He didn't live by morals like his positive counterpart did. And above all...he wanted his daughter back. And was willing to do anything to get her back.
Negaduck suddenly shook his head violently, unaware that his expression had gone soft over the past few minutes. His eyes narrowed once again hatefully as he stared at Darkwing defiantly.
"Look Darkwing...This guy is USELESS..." he said, motioning to Laszlo, who had been remaining motionless for the past few minutes out of fear, "Think of it as one less person to have to 'protect'. All he can do is just pray for a painless death...Which he isn't gonna get..!" Negaduck growled as he began to pull the trigger.
"Negaduck! Stop!!" Darkwing shouted as he began to rush forward. Negaduck let out a maniacal laughter as Laszlo squeezed his eyes shut, every muscle in his body tensing up.
"Sianara, sucker..! Yahahaha...!!"
"Dad?!?!"
Negaduck's laughter stopped as suddenly as it began, his finger immediately snapping off of the trigger. Darkwing skidded to a halt and Laszlo slowly opened his eyes, glancing around, confused. The three of them remained silent and not moving, shifting their gazes upward and listening to see if they were just hearing voices from the crowds outside.
"Dad?? Are you up here???"
His bottom jaw dropped as he slowly pulled the gun away from Laszlo's head, straining his hearing for which direction the familiar voice was coming from, "Celeste??"
"Dad!! I'm out here!" came the response from one of the side windows. Negaduck hurriedly rushed over to the window as Darkwing appeared at Laszlo's side, slowly taking his time at untying him. With a grunt, Negaduck thrust the sliding window upwards and stuck his head out, looking in every direction.
"Where?? Celeste, where are you?" he called out.
"Right here!"
Negaduck turned his head upward and saw the familiar face with the head of auburn hair peeking over the edge of the building's roof. She looked down excitedly and waved down to him, which earned a sly grin from him in return, "Come on down here, kiddo!"
"Here I come!" Celeste shouted back before swinging one leg over the side, then the other. She held onto the edge of the building for a few seconds before giving herself a light push away, dropping straight down for the window. Negaduck reached out his arms and caught her, the momentum of her fall causing him to stumble a few steps backwards and back into the room.
They both laughed as Celeste wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, both laughing and crying at the same time. She buried her face into his chest, her tears streaming down her cheeks. Negaduck brushed his fingers through her hair in a comforting manner and whispered lowly, "Shh..it's okay now, kiddo...I promised everything would be alright, didn't I?"
All the while, Darkwing was leaning against the chair Laszlo was tied to with a smug smile while Laszlo sneered in disgust, "Idiotic sentiment..." he scoffed, which swiftly earned him a knock to the head from behind. With a yelp, he turned his head and glared behind himself at Darkwing, who was turned away and whistling innocently.
"I was so scared I'd never see you again..." Celeste whispered, not even loosening her grasp on him for a second. She choked on her sobs as the tears poured from her eyes like waterfalls as they began to dampen his yellow jacket.
"Take it easy, Cel..." Negaduck comforted, holding her against him protectively, "You won't have to worry about those two anymore..." he added with a growl, glaring daggers in Laszlo's direction.
The sound of someone clearing their throat was followed by Darkwing's voice, "As much as I'd like to witness my arch enemy in a scene that could ruin his reputation, I think it's time for you two to make a quick, 'unnoticed-by-the-hero' escape before the cops decide to rain on my glamour parade."
Celeste passed Darkwing a grateful smile, still pressing herself against her father as he smiled with a wink back at her. She heaved her shoulders as she let out a deep sigh, then looked up at Negaduck happily, "Take me home, Daddy..."
With a nod, Negaduck gently pulled her out of his hold and placed her on her own feet beside him. Immediately, she slipped her hand into his, and he couldn't help but smile down at her softly, "Right, kiddo...Let's scram."
As they headed towards the far window where they would climb out, and safely away from the crime scene, Negaduck stared hard at Darkwing as he continued to untie Laszlo, as if he was trying to analyze just what had overcome the crimefighter just minutes before. It was strange to him, because Darkwing NEVER passed up the opportunity to apprehend him. Not only did it get him thrown in the slammer, but the hero always loved getting the attention and admiration from the city whenever he put Negaduck in jail.
But why was he doing this for him now? Even though Negaduck may not have known it, Darkwing did care for Celeste. Just as she had chosen him as her non-blooded uncle, he had vow to himself to look after the kid whenever he could, considering that her father was the most notorious criminal in the city.
Regardless, the pieces slowly began to fall into place as they headed towards the window, and Negaduck passed Darkwing the slightest grin in his well-known malevolent way. But there was a flash of something in his eyes, which went along with that glance that Darkwing noticed immediately. Gratitude. In return, he nodded once, followed by Negaduck turning his back on him once again.
"Okay Cel, hop up there..." Negaduck instructed, pointing at the window, "And we'll be outta here..."
"You're not going anywhere..!" a feminine voice interrupted.
The two at the window spun to face the door, as well as Darkwing and Laszlo. In the doorway, Darcy stood defiantly with her arms folded stubbornly across her chest and her eyes narrowed. With an aggravated sigh, Darkwing rolled his eyes.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Congeniality..." he groaned. Laslzo looked helplessly over at his wife, a hopeful look in his eyes.
The look present in Darcy's eyes wasn't one that anyone had seen before, and it had a threatening air to it. Negaduck glared right back at her. "You're too late, wench. There's your husband.." he nodded over to the chair where the beaten Laszlo was being held captive, "He may be a little bruised and broken, but he'll live. Now, take him and get back to the slime- hole you crawled out of, known as the Negaverse..."
Her eyes fell on her husband, filled with sympathy and intense rage. She then turned back to Negaduck and took a step forward defiantly. "I'm not through with you yet, 'Lord Negaduck'..!" she seethed threateningly.
The action caused Negaduck to stare back her, his glance so cold that it would have made Hell freeze over. He began to take a step forward, but was gently pulled back by his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Celeste gripping his sleeve and staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. Gently, he reached down and unwrapped her fingers from around his jacket and continued to step forward, not stopping until only a few inches separated him from Darcy, the two passing each other piercing glares.
"I'm giving you one last chance to turn around and hustle your fancy- dressed self out that door...And don't assume I'm going to be generous enough to give you another one if you pass this one up..." Negaduck growled through clenched teeth.
Darcy scoffed grudgingly and stared down at him, considering he was a good deal shorter than she. "Don't be absurd...If you so much as fire a shot at me, you'll be thrown back into that prison cell also known as your second home...I doubt you will be able to do much bonding with your 'daughter' in there..." she sneered, emphasizing the word 'daughter' with sarcasm.
"Back off, wench!" Celeste suddenly snarled as she began to roll up her sleeves and storm towards the two, but then stopped in her tracks as Negaduck barked the order at her.
"Celeste! You stay back there..!" he snapped, holding a hand out behind him, motioning for her to stop.
"Hey Cel, come over here, kiddo..." Darkwing urged, waving a hand for her to come to him. He saw a look in Negaduck's eyes that was all too familiar to him...It was that insane, homicidal gleam. And Darkwing couldn't risk Celeste getting hurt, for her own sake. Obediently, she slowly trudged over to Darkwing's side, not taking her narrowed eyes off of Darcy for a moment. When she reached his side, he protectively put his hands on her shoulders to hold her back, keeping his own eyes on the pair, should he have to react to anything if one of them suddenly lashed out at the other.
"You think I won't...?" Negaduck provoked in a low growl. "Let me make a suggestion to you simple-minded saps...I suggest you return to where I won't have to come across you again, for our own benefit if not mine. The next time we meet...one of us will DIE..." he hissed in her face.
Darcy didn't even flinch at the threat, but just glared back at him coldly. After a stare-down that lasted several drawn out seconds, Negaduck sneered once more before spinning with a dramatic flare of his cape and waved at Celeste to come. "Let's go, kiddo..!"
She nodded and Darkwing reluctantly let go of her shoulders, sighing in relief. He shook his head and once again worked on untying the tightly bound man from the chair. But he suddenly stopped as he heard a cruel laugh, this time not belonging to Negaduck, but to a female.
"There won't be a 'next time'..!" Darcy hissed. In a quick flash, she reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a small revolver. With a swift movement, she raised it to aim at Negaduck's back and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet screeching through the air before anyone else had a chance to react.
Darkwing's eyes went wide as he quickly searched for where the bullet had finally come to a stop. He didn't get his answer until he saw Negaduck suddenly jerk around, as if some invisible force had grabbed his shoulder and violently thrust him around as he let out a loud gasp. The villain stumbled backwards, reaching his hands behind him to grab onto the window ledge, slumping against it.
"DAD!!!" Celeste shrieked and rushed forward just as Darkwing pounced in the other direction, knocking Darcy roughly to the ground and pinning her down.
"Get off of me, you purple blanketed yutz!!" she shrieked as the gun slid from her hand and across the floor. She tried to slap out a hand to strike him across the face, but Darkwing was prepared for it, and swiftly grabbed her wrist in mid air.
"I don't think so! Tsk tsk tsk...Such a temper!" Darkwing commented snidely as he fiercely grabbed her wrists and pulled her to her feet. She merely grunted in protest, realizing that he had gotten the upper hand of her. As he held her tightly, Darkwing caught sight of a folded piece of paper sticking out from the breast pocket of her suit. "And what have we here...?"
Curiously, Darkwing unfolded the paper, which had been printed professionally and had several signatures on it. After reading it over, his bill curved into a satisfied grin, "Well well...Looks as if I get to bring you BOTH in on attempted murder, fraud, AND embezzlement!"
Both Darcy and Laszlo grunted in defeat as Darkwing snapped a pair of handcuffs onto Darcy, holding her hands behind her back, "Yep yep yep! Another couple of corrupted criminals, their crimes cracked by that courageous crime-fighter, Darkwiiiiing Duck!" he stated proudly with a smug grin. But his triumphant stature suddenly fell as he glanced over at where he had last seen his enemy stagger.
Negaduck panted as Celeste suddenly appeared at his side, trying to help him support himself on his feet. He waved it away as he slowly straightened himself up with her assistance, leaning against the wall.
"Dad?? Dad, please tell me you're alright..!" she pleaded, staring up at him. She couldn't see any sign of blood on him, but his weak composure was trying to convince her otherwise.
In reply, Negaduck just laughed in amusement, grinning snidely back at Darcy, who was curiously watching him with her arms cuffed behind her back. Her eyes narrowed at him bitterly, it appearing that her plan had failed.
"Ha..! You shoot like a woman..." Negaduck spat the insult at her with a grin, followed by another mocking laugh. Celeste sighed in relief and wrapped her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly and pressing her cheek against his side.
Negaduck flinched slightly, and she seemed to suddenly stop breathing as her face slowly fell into an expression of shock and fright. She felt something warm running down over her hands that were concealed behind his back, and carefully removed her arms from around him. Celeste's eyes went wide as she held up her now blood-covered hands, shaking her head as she stared and whispered, "No...!"
"Whoa..." Negaduck grunted with discomfort as he swayed, leaning back against the wall. He stared back at Darcy, bewildered. "Good shot..." he groaned before slowly sliding down against the wall to the floor in a slumped position.
"No, Dad!" Celeste cried, collapsing to her knees beside him. She quickly, but gently slid her bloodstained hands under his head and slowly cradled him in her arms, holding his head in her lap.
Darkwing had been watching closely, and now seeing the blood on her hands, he quickly pulled out the small concealed radio that had been hidden in his jacket and called into it impatiently, "I need you to get your boys up here, NOW! The criminals have been apprehended and we've got an injury!" he snapped before redirecting his attention to Darcy, who seemed to have a disgustingly satisfied grin on her face. "I hope you're happy now..." he snarled into her ear angrily.
"Oh I do believe I am..." she replied coolly, which she received a violent shove for in return from the crimefighter.
"Don't celebrate just yet!" Darkwing snapped. "I've been after him for a VERY long time now. And I doubt he'd finally be stopped now by some wealthy yuppies like yourselves!" he sneered. Darcy scowled back at him, then flinched as the door behind them suddenly slammed open. Several officers flooded into the room, some covering the windows, others beginning to finally finish the job of untying Laszlo. The chief came up to Darkwing, took Darcy from his restraining hold and passed her to another officer, who led her and Laszlo out of the building to the awaiting patrol cars outside.
"Well done, Darkwing. If anyone can get the job done of keeping the peace, it's you," the chief commented, giving his hand a hearty shake with a nod of approval.
"Naaah! It was nothing, Chief!" Darkwing replied with a careless wave of the hand. "All in a day's work for Darkwing Duck!" he laughed.
The chief nodded in agreement, then raised a puzzled eyebrow at him, tilting his head curiously. "But you said someone was injured, didn't you? Did Negaduck gun someone down and make his escape?"
Darkwing's expression fell as his pride deflated. He had almost forgotten. Then nodded in reply, "Yeah Chief, someone did get hurt. But not by Negaduck..." he informed, then stepped to the side and pointed behind him where Celeste was gently holding her father's head up off of the ground, tears flowing down her eyes.
The chief just stared in calm amazement at the finally fallen public enemy. "Who did it?"
"The woman who was just hauled out of here. Both her an her husband need to be booked with embezzlement charges and attempted murder; even if the attempt was on Negaduck, "Darkwing informed, still staring forward at the scene and desperately trying to hide the sympathy in his expression. "And Chief? Can we get a medical team up here..?" he asked hesitantly and quietly, in hopes that no one else had heard his request.
The response he got was the officer looking down at him, bewildered. "Are you sure you wanna do that, Darkwing? He IS Public Enemy #1, wanted on too many charges to list, which also include murder and mass destruction. Don't you think this city would be a lot better off...?" he suggested, not bothering to finish the sentence. It was true, no matter who the person hurt was, criminal or not, everyone deserved to live. But Negaduck seemed to be the only exception anyone was willing to make.
Darkwing clenched his fists angrily, trying not to let his temper explode. He agreed with what the Chief said about Negaduck, and also believed that the city would be better off without him around to terrorize it. But Celeste wouldn't be better off. Was he really willing to let the menacing, maniacal mallard get what he didn't deserve? For the sake of the girl, he was.
"Think about it, Chief..." Darkwing finally responded. "If we let him die, then that's just an easy release instead of punishment. If he lives, then I can throw him back in the slammer and let him suffer in there instead," he stated, cringing inwardly at his own idea. No matter how many times he had put Negaduck away in prison, he always seemed to find a way to escape back into the city where he continued to cause mayhem. Would the chief buy it?
"Yes, I supposed you're right, Darkwing..." the chief conceded as Darkwing quietly sighed with relief. The officer picked up his own radio from his belt and spoke into it with a gruff tone, "Get a Med Squad inside, stat!"
"Thanks, Chief," Darkwing said lowly, then looked back over towards Celeste. "And don't worry about the kid...I'll bring her down to the police station myself for...'questioning', and I'll make sure she gets home," he added, most of which was a lie. The chief nodded, then turned and walked towards a huddled group of officers by the door. Their conversations were muffled, but they gradually began to disperse throughout the room and the building.
"Oh Dad..." Celeste whispered mournfully, nuzzling the side of Negaduck's face with her bill, the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You have to pull through this...Don't leave me behind again..!"
Negaduck groaned painstakingly, squinting his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision. The blood flowing from the wound in his back had gathered in a puddle around him, quickly drenching his yellow suit and black cape. He shifted his eyes upward, looking right at her and smiled in his usual menacing style. "Don't be ridiculous..!" he wheezed, his voice betraying him. "I'm not gonna leave you again...I'm not going anywhere...!"
"But...but how do *I* know that..??" she replied frantically. "Tell me you're going to be alright! I need you to tell me that, and don't lie to me! Please...!"
There was a momentary pause as Negaduck closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a raspy sigh. He then slowly opened his eyes and looked back up at her and spoke in a sincere, low tone voice. "I'm going to be okay, Cel...I promise..."
Even though the sight of him lying in his own blood wanted to convince her otherwise, she smiled as a tear rolled off of her bill and landed on his chest. "I believe you..." Celeste whispered, leaning over and gently wrapping her arms around his neck in a light hug. "You'd never lie to me..."
Negaduck returned the action by weakly lifting his arms up and wrapping them around her back, holding her to him. But his expression slowly fell as he held her, not letting his daughter see the broken look on his face.
"Celeste..?"
At the sound of her name, she slowly pulled back from Negaduck and turned her head around to face Darkwing, who was now standing before them with a reassuring look on his face. "There's a Medical Squad on their way up right now. They'll look after him, but while they do that, I need you to come back to police headquarters with me..." he said calmly.
Her eyes shot open in fear as she suddenly reached down and grabbed her father's hand tightly in hers, squeezing it as if she wasn't intending on letting go. "But...I don't want to leave...!" she protested through choking sobs. She didn't stop until she felt Negaduck's other hand gently reach up and touch her cheek.
"Go with him, kiddo..." he insisted gently, suddenly wincing from the sharp pain shooting up his back. Celeste looked down at him with concern until he nodded back at her. "It's for the best right now...I'll be fine, remember? I promised. I'll be back in no time..."
Sniffling back her tears, she slowly nodded once just as the medics came up behind her. Celeste gently slipped herself out from underneath Negaduck's body as a medic replaced her position. Standing up, she didn't even seem to notice that her clothes were now drenched in blood....HIS blood. Darkwing put a gentle hand on her shoulder as they both stared on, watching the medics do their jobs precisely. After a moment, he gave her a gentle pull towards the door, "Come on, kiddo..."