The Path Chosen Chapter 7







Quiverwing stepped out from behind Scrooge. "Don't you understand. The only reason you became Dark Warrior is because I messed up time and reality. But now I'm back home and Darkwing will never become you!"

"Oh, with a little persuasion", he said patted a pouch on his belt containing the formula "I think he will become just like me."

"Talk of light for somebody who's been in the dark for a very long time!" a voice rang out. Tracker was now conscious, though weak from the laser blast. He struggled to his feet. "Leave things as they are. As they were meant to be!" he glanced at Quiverwing, a deep pain shown in his eyes. "Right now, as things are, you, as Darkwing, in this reality have your child. Isn't that the most important thing in your life? Isn't she?!" Tracker drew a ragged breath "Don't mess with this reality. Don't risk the chance of losing what means the most to you. You could still lose her. If you're careless. Leave things alone. Please, don't risk her. You'd be nothing without her. You know that."

For a moment, it seemed that Dark Warrior was considering Tracker's words. For a moment, his face softened as if contemplating his actions . But then as if a demon had grabbed hold of his soul, his eyes flashed with rage and he raised his weapon toward Tracker. "No. I won't lose her again." He reaches under his cape and pulls out what looks to be a hand grenade.
"I have had it with the interference of my quest." His vicious eyes fell upon Quiverwing. "Now, my Dear. It's your choice. Come with me obediently – we can do it the hard way in which these poor innocent bystanders all fry!"

Webby whimpered clutching Scrooges hand. Quiverwing dropped her head in defeat. "Alright. I'm coming."

"NO!" Scrooge and Tracker called in sync, both making a grab for her.

"Ah ah ah .." Dark Warrior warned them motioning toward the other children with the grenade. "we wouldn't want any kiddies getting hurt because we felt like being heroes, would we?"

"You use the word hero as if it had meaning to you." Tracker hissed bitterly.

"Well lets just say, I have my own definition of the word." Dark Warrior retorted.

Quiverwing moved hesitantly to Dark Warrior's side. He reached his hand out, reluctantly, she took it. He clutched her hand uncomfortably tight in his own.

Dark Warrior glared at the small group standing in front of him for a long time as if deciding what to do with them. Finally he motioned to Scrooge "Take the kids and get out." Scrooge stood defiant of Darkwing Warrior for a moment then turned to Tracker "Here. Let me help you.."

"Leave him!" Dark Warrior's voice boomed. Scrooge looked back at the brutal figure. Dark Warrior's eyes flashed with fury at the duck in the trench coat. A sickening feeling arose in Scrooge's stomach. He feared what reason Dark Warrior had for not allowing Tracker to leave.

"It's alright", Tracker told Scrooge. "Take the kids and get out." He looked Scrooge in the eye and said promisingly "This isn't over by a long shot."

Scrooge could only nod as he turned to lead the rest of the children out of the tunnel.

When they were no longer in sight Dark Warrior gazed down at Quiverwing, his fiery eyes grew almost kind "This is the way things are meant to be. You'll see. I'm doing this for you more than anybody!"

"Bah!" Tracker snorted "You are doing for yourself! You're doing it to insure that your own desires will come first, without question!"

Without releasing his hold on Quiverwing, Dark Warrior stalked over to the injured Tracker. "You seem to know a lot about what's going to happen. That's way I wanted you here. Tell me. What do you know."

Tracker looked down at Quiverwing then back to Darkwing Warrior. He said with a level

voice "You already know what I know. You know what could be and what is truly meant to be. The truth is in all of us to know. When the time comes for those choices to be made, we all know in our hearts what is the path to be chosen."

Dark Warrior glared at him for a long moment then replied with mocked amusement "You ever think about going into the fortune cookie business?"

"You can't succeed. It's preordained." Tracker said quietly.

"No. I think it is not."



Scrooge had just gotten the children out of the tunnel and now saw the full effect of the havoc brought upon them by that depraved madman. The McDuck Amusement Park was in shambles. Paramedics, policemen and firefighters all scrambled to help save the victims of Dark Warriors wild rampage. Scrooge surveyed the scene looking for any of the other members of the Time Posse. He spotted Guardian and his companions standing with the police at the base of one of the thrill rides. One of the rides, "The Suction Wheel", though still standing had been badly damaged and had lost power during Dark Warrior's rampage, trapping many people on the ride. The suction wheel was a giant wheel that spun around like a top at such a speed that the riders were help in place by a vacuumed effect. The wheel would begin to tilt and rise higher into the air as it spun. unfortunately for the poor riders, the power had gone out at the worst time possible. The wheel was at the highest point and tilted completely on its side. The worst part being that it had stopped spinning, thus there was no vacuum to suspend the riders. They were help in merely by safety harnesses. The firefighters had managed to rescue most of the people by ladder. Many of the riders that couldn't be reached were willing to take the chance of slipping out of the harness and clinging to the sides of the ride, climb down to where the ladders could reach them. Finally all but one had be rescued. A preteen boy at the very top of the ride who's harness seem to be jammed.

The police had called for a helicopter but there was another problem. A loud creak and the Suction wheel lurched sideways suddenly and stopped. It was then that Guardian approached the fire chief who was overseeing the attempted rescue. They talked for a moment then Guardian began to climb the ladder that reached up to the Suction Wheel.

Scrooge watch as the duck in white reached the top of the ladder then climbed carefully onto the wheel. "Is he going to save that boy Uncle Scrooge?" Webby asked with a trembling voice.

"He's going to try, my dear." Scrooge answered without taking is eyes from the scene.

Guardian moved gingerly to the center of the ride and began to scale the giant wheel with great agility. He had not taken long to get to the boy. Scrooge watched as Guardian

mad an effort to lift the harness without success. He instructed the boy to grab onto him and hold on. Then while holding onto the wall of the ride with one hand he used the other to forcefully bend the harness so the boy could slip free. Scrooge noted the strength Guardian possessed in bending that heavy metal harness with one hand; remembering how easily he had picked up Negaduck with one hand during the fight earlier that day. With the boy in one arm Guardian was now moving cautiously back down towards the ladder. Suddenly there was a loud screech, the wheel shook violently and started to fall over. In a single flowing motion Guardian leapt into the air, somersaulting backwards better than 35 feet and landed atop the ladder. The wheel collapsed in a crash +

On the ground below, the cries of fear turned to cheers of joy as Guardian brought the boy safely down to his parents waiting arms. "Hey, he can do everything that Dark Warrior can." said Huey.

"Maybe he's got the same kinda costume as Dark Warrior does." Suggested Lewey.

That same thought had occurred to Scrooge "Come on kids" he said. People were swarming around Guardian now asking questions that the duck in white was not willing to answer. He saw Scrooge coming and pressed his way through the crowds. "Mr. McDuck. Are you alright?"

"Yes, but I don't know about your friend Tracker or the little Quiverwing Quack. That maniac has them both in the Tunnel of Thrills. You must hurry, Lad, I don't know what that nut is capable of."

Guardian cast his gaze in the direction of the tunnel then drew a heavy breathe and dropped his head. Scrooge was surprised with Guardian's reaction "Well, what are you waiting for. Aren't you going to help them. Still, Guardian didn't answer, instead he turned his eyes to the sky as if watching for something.

Scrooge looked up to see what had Guardians interest then said somewhat miffed "If you're watching for that rescue helicopter, there's no need for it now!" he glanced at Guardian who still gazed into he sky "What is wrong with you man?! Did you not hear me tell you that Dark Warrior has Quiverwing and your ..." He was interrupted by the sound of a jet engine. He again looked skyward, this time he saw a strange jet ascending toward the Park. A strange jet it was too, it seemed to have a bill on the front and a big one at that!

"Wow", exclaimed Dewey "That's the wildest looking jet plane I ever saw! And it looks like it's going to land right in the Park!"

It did just that. It landed with ease in the center of the Park grounds. The hatch opened and two figures climbed hastily from it.

One of the figures Scrooge and the children all recognized instantly "LaunchPad!" All exclaimed at once and rushed out to meet him. "Mr. McDuck?," LaunchPad was caught off guard to be seeing his former employer again. It had been a long time since he left Scrooge McDuck's employment to work for Darkwing. It was even more awkward knowing he had never told Mr. McDuck why he'd left his services.

"LaunchPad", Scrooge said approaching the pilot "It's been a long time." He extended a hand of friendship to Launchpad "But what are you doing here?"

"Oh ..well", Launchpad gulped nervously then gestured to Darkwing "Uhh, DW this is Scrooge McDuck, my old boss. Mr. McDuck this is Darkwing Duck my new boss." Scrooge looked from LaunchPad to Darkwing stunned "Your new boss?" he shook off the feel of surprise "I always wondered what that better offer was that you left my payroll for."

Before the discussion could go any further Nomad stepped up along side of Scrooge "Darkwing Duck. Your daughter is in serious danger, you have no time to waste!" Darkwing looked at the young duck in the Quack Fu uniform, for a second, the feeling of dread over his daughters fate was replaced by a feel unease, there was something ...odd about the young man. Darkwing quickly shook off the feeling and focused on the issue at hand. Gosalyns safety.

"Dark Warrior was her.?" he asked fearfully.

Nomad nodded then pointed toward the tunnel. He has her and ...a friend of mine hostage inside the tunnel. No doubt he's waiting for you."

' No doubt" Darkwing repeated. He glanced at LaunchPad "Stay here LP, I have to do this alone." With that he took off toward the tunnel and his confrontation with Dark Warrior."



Inside the tunnel, Dark Warrior waited, knowing his former self would show soon. He kept his tight hold on Quiverwing the entire time. "You'll see when this is all over; it's for the best. You'll thank me for it." he told her.

Quiverwing didn't bother to try and reason with him, he was beyond that. She looked helplessly at Tracker who was himself all but helpless.

Tracker leaned painfully against the wall of the tunnel, still suffering from the effects of the laser blast. His eyes met with Quiverwing's. The fear and sadness he saw in those liquid green eyes was more than he could bear. He had to do something, he had to help her get away.

Reaching into his cape he pulled out a small silver canister and summoning all his strength, threw it at Dark Warrior's feet. Like before, smoke of silvery glitter and the strong stench of sharp spices burst out of it.

Quiverwing took the opportunity to break away from him and ran over to Tracker. "Get out of here while you can.", Tracker urged her.

"But ...but, what about you?", she asked, not feeling right about leaving him.

""GO!NOW!" But it was to late, Dark Warrior wasn't so surprised by Tracker Dizzy-Dust the second time and had managed to gain his senses quickly.

"That's it!," he shouted stumbling out of the dizzy-dust smoke screen. "I've had it. I'm fed up with everybody interfering with my plans!" He said moving toward Tracker.

"Then you aren't going to be too happy with me!" a familiar voice echoed through the tunnel. All three lifted there eyes in the direction the voice seemed to come from. The mesmerizing dizzy-dust cleared, revealing the silhouette of a duck dressed in a hat and cape.

Dark Warrior stepped in the direction of the figure "Well, just as I planned."

Darkwing Duck stepped into the light, his eyes fixed on the eerie dark figure in front of him. It was an unsettling feeling to be standing face to face with his own dark-side.

Both Darkwing Duck and Darkwing Warrior stood silent waiting for the other to say something. Darkwing finally spoke as he held something up for Dark Warrior to see "I believe you lost something!"

Dark Warrior looked more than a little shocked. He looked in the pouch that he kept the needle containing the formula in. It was empty. Darkwing had actually managed to pick his pocket when he was momentarily dazed by the dust. In a fit of rage, Dark warrior charged.

Darkwing sidestepped the awkward attack lifting one leg to trip his would be attacker.

"Help him," Darkwing ordered his daughter motioning to Tracker "Get out while you can. I'll hold him off."

Quiverwing knew that this was no time to argue with him. She moved over to Tracker, allowing him to lean on her as they made for the entrance of the tunnel.

At the moment Dark Warrior was more concerned about getting the formula back than stopping them. "Give it to me." He ordered Darkwing.

"Oh, and I'm suppose to hand it over to you just because you told me too. Get real!"

Dark Warrior's nerves on edge by now. He focused all his energy, using the Biological Enhancement Armor, and made an unbelievably fast charge at Darkwing, who was unprepared for such a swift attack (though Gosalyn had told him about Dark Warrior's armor). Darkwing was tackled to the ground in a mighty blow. The needle fell from his hand and shattered to the ground. "NO!" Dark Warrior yelled in rage.

Jumping to his feet he grabbed Darkwing by the collar of his sweater "If I didn't need you to exist in the first place, it would give me great pleasure to off you right now!"

"Yeh," darkwing gasped trying to catch his breath "Well, I don't have that problem with you!" He brought his knee up into Dark Warrior's gut. Fortunately, though the armor may have advance Dark Warrior's physical abilities, it did little to protect him. Dark Warrior collapsed, bucked over. Darkwing turned to escape but Dark Warrior grabbed his leg and tripped him.

They were struggling now, rolling around on the ground, each trying to gait the upper hand. Dark Warrior had, regrettably, forgotten about the hand grenade he still had on him. It was shaken from it's pouch during the struggle and the hit the ground hard enough to jar the pin free. It was going to explode!

Continued

Authors note: the conclusion is coming up.