Disclaimer: All characters except Aviana belong to Disney and are used without permission. I wonder what Disney would say if someone did call them and asked if they could be used in a fanfic?
Thank you my reviewers, and keep on reviewing! You guys are great!
*~*~*~*
"The Balance has shifted, warped sick and twisted
Grabbing at angels when I fall
Because I am more than this idol, endless recital
For all my demons to applaud
I am free"
BOYSETSFIRE
*~*~*~*
An utter chill rippled through the sewer. It took away all warmth and security, and in its stead put fear and apprehension. The air seemed colder, the sound of the running water seemed magnified a hundred times. The chill made the masked mallard's feathers stand on end and his bones rattle.
The ghastly sight before him was responsible for said chill. On the large grating stood the hordes of eggmen. Except they no longer resembled eggmen. If fact, they no longer resembled the living.
Their now ratty cheek feathers had turned an ashen gray, and their beaks were now a mix of sickly green and pale orange. When they exhaled, their breath escaped in a wispy vapor as it would in the dead of winter, even though it was currently late spring. Their bodies looked terribly cadaverous, and they hunched over slightly. Their arms dangled lifelessly as they slowly swayed back and forth. With the exception of a few grunts, they were deathly silent.
"Are…are they, dead?" Launchpad questioned in a shaky whisper.
"I don't know," Darkwing whispered back.
With his enhanced hearing the cyborg picked up their conversation easily.
"They are not dead," he stated slyly, "they have simply been made better."
"Huh?!" Darkwing and Negaduck cried in unison.
"You see, the eggmen and I were having difficulty in functioning together. It seemed to them that I was too…harsh, and it seemed to me that they were too pathetic. So, I found the answer to both of our problems," Bulba explained calmly.
"How could this possibly make them better?" Darkwing questioned bewilderedly.
"You will understand in a moment," Bulba answered. Then his eyes focused on his drones.
"Eggmen!" he shouted in a strong, commanding voice, "Attack, and bring them to me alive!"
With an uncanny roar the horde of eggmen lunged forward at Darkwing, Launchpad, and Negaduck. Darkwing quickly leapt to the side and tripped the first eggman that encountered him, but soon a dozen more were on him. With his famous incomprehensible cry, he launched into an impressive web kick, and the eggman hit the ground. Within the moment, the drone was back on his feet, not stunned for an instant. Even though he was roughly Darkwing's size, the eggman grabbed the mallard with one arm and lifted him up as thought he were nothing but a feather. Darkwing struggled for a moment and then gave his opponent a swift but hard kick in the ribs. There was a sickening crack, but the eggman did not even flinch. He merely tightened his grip on Darkwing and began walking toward Taurus Bulba.
"I gotcha DW!"
Launchpad crashed his elbow down of the eggman's helmet. He growled and released Darkwing, who sent him flying with a double-footed kick.
"Ha! No one messes with the mighty masked mallard! Good going, LP!"
"What's with these guys, they don't seem to feel a thing!" Launchpad cried as the eggman stood up once more.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be anything promising," Darkwing replied.
Suddenly he felt a bump from behind, and Darkwing whipped around. His mirror image had backed into him, trying to fend off assaulting eggmen.
"I've had it, I'm sick of these guys!" Negaduck yelled, pulling out his knife.
He swiftly gutted the closest eggman in the stomach. The drone grunted and clutched his abdomen. Darkwing threw his nemesis a disgusted look.
"Ha ha ha!" Negaduck laughed mockingly, dusting off his hands.
The drone's head jerked and he looked up at Negaduck, who froze. The eggman yanked the blade from his stomach, and it dripped a thin, black liquid. He then tossed the knife on the floor casually, and looked up at the three stunned ducks.
There was moment's pause, before –
"YYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Darkwing, Negaduck, and Launchpad all cried out in terror. Negaduck turned and ran, followed shortly by Darkwing and Launchpad. The dozens of eggmen thundered after them, their footsteps creating a monstrous clamor in the sewer.
"We need to get reinforcements!" Darkwing shouted in a panicked voice.
"Like who?" Launchpad shouted back.
"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T CARE! WE JUST NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Darkwing bellowed.
They bowled over eggmen in their flight, and Darkwing could hear Taurus Bulba's shouts behind him. They reached a fork in the passageways; Darkwing and Launchpad ran left, Negaduck ran right.
Negaduck sprinted down the sewer, a group of eggmen hot on his trail. As he ran further down the passage, it became increasingly dark. He turned a corner and flattened himself against the wall. As he had hoped, the eggmen dashed past him. Negaduck sighed with relief, but it was short lived. In the darkness he could hear footsteps coming his way.
He tensed and whipped out his chainsaw from the abyss behind his back, shouting in a threatening voice, "Who's there? Come any closer, and turn you into pulp!"
"Calm down Fuzzy," came a familiar voice from the shadows.
Aviana came forward and stopped next to Negaduck. Pushing his chainsaw aside she asked, "So what's going on down here in the magical kingdom of fun?"
"You tell me!" Negaduck barked, pointing to the corpselike eggmen coming their way.
Aviana squinted in the darkness, and then her eyes widened.
"No way! I've never actually seen this happen, but I think this is what I told you about before! The cyborg must have stolen their souls!"
Negaduck threw her an inquiring look.
"What?"
"It's – LOOK OUT!"
Aviana grabbed Negaduck by the collar and pulled him down just as two eggmen lunged at them. The drones collided against the wall above them with a sickening crunch, and they fell to the floor. Aviana and Negaduck got to their feet, but the eggmen were still on the floor, their necks twisted in strange shapes.
"Ew," Aviana commented, sticking out her tongue.
Suddenly the two eggmen got to their feet, and with several disgusting cracks and crunches, they straightened their necks.
"UGH!" Aviana and Negaduck cried out simultaneously.
The eggmen snarled and made to grab them, but Aviana beat them to the punch – literally. With quick strike in the jaw for one and a strong kick in the stomach for the other, she bought the split-second chance for escape. Aviana and Negaduck bolted down the passage.
"You're the say-so on this Devil's Eye stuff – how are we supposed to beat them?" Negaduck asked while running, not mentioning his admiration for her previous stunt.
"I'm not sure," Aviana answered, "All I know is that they can only truly be stopped if the Devil's Eye is smashed. But for now, they've basically got phenomenal strength and abilities."
"Oh isn't that wonderful," Negaduck replied sarcastically.
As they tore down the sewer, they could hear loud noises echoing from the left.
"What's that?" Aviana wondered aloud.
"It's probably just Dipwing and his stupid – hey!"
Aviana swiftly started down the left passage, but Negaduck paused. Over the past two days, his every encounter with his opposite had led to disaster. But then again, as he stood there alone in a sewer with soulless eggmen coming his way, chasing Aviana seemed like a pretty okay decision. And Negaduck quickly acted on it.
*~*~*~*
Gosalyn Mallard, now in green hat and cape, purple shirt and dark mask, rode down the sidewalks on her skateboard. For once Quiverwing Quack was alone. She had attempted to get her sidekick, the Arrow Kid, to come along, but unfortunately Mrs. Muddlefoot decided it was too late for a school night.
Her cape billowed behind her as she temporarily enjoyed the wind in her face. She sped down the sidewalk and turned south on Plumage Street, where she could see masses of police officers attempting to round up renegade eggmen. She looked around, trying to figure where Darkwing and Launchpad had gone. She discovered the Ratcatcher in an alley close by, but no sign of her father and his sidekick. She ran down the street, making good use of her small stature to avoid eggmen and officers. She finally stopped and scratched her head.
"Where are they? How am I supposed to help if I can't even find them!" Gosalyn cried out resentfully.
Suddenly a familiar voice echoed from the open manhole beside her.
"Suck gas, evildoers!"
"Bingo!" Gosalyn shouted happily, and climbed down into the sewer.
*~*~*~*
Darkwing and Launchpad found themselves once again surrounded by the gruesome eggmen. They came from every angle, each wan feather and twisted beak bent on capturing the two crime fighters.
In a desperate attempt to subdue them, Darkwing whipped out his gasgun and fired.
"Suck gas, evildoers!"
The cartridge flew through air and struck an eggman on the shoulder. Red smoke erupted, and Darkwing watched hopefully. His face fell when the eggmen lumbered through the smoke without even the smallest sneeze or tear.
Darkwing Duck stepped back; his mind reeled as he tried to figure out what to do.
"Heads up DW!"
Launchpad grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him away, and three eggmen landed in the spot where Darkwing had just stood.
"Phew! That was close," Darkwing breathed.
As the crime fighter looked at his brave sidekick, he felt a strong surge of guilt. Here Launchpad was, selflessly fighting a dangerous horde of horrific eggmen, all for the sake of his friend. For an instant Darkwing's ego deflated, and he realized that the altruistic pilot did not deserve this.
"Launchpad, get out of here and get help, this is my fight, not yours," Darkwing cried guiltily.
"No way DW, I'm your sidekick, and that means it's my duty to stay by your side, and um, well, I don't kick your side, I guess…but I'm you're my best friend too, and I'll stick with ya to the end," Launcpad said valiantly, and finished with a grin.
Darkwing smiled back, swelling with admiration. However, the touching moment was interrupted when more eggmen closed in, causing Darkwing and Launchpad to be split apart.
Darkwing fought viciously, kicking and punching like he had the previous night. The eerie faces of the eggmen surrounded him, grunting and groaning as they tried to get a hold of him. Outnumbered, Darkwing fell to the ground, and the eggmen pinned him to the floor.
Aviana came to a halt and watched the intense battle going on in the sewer. Launchpad swung and kicked to no avail as a dozen eggmen clung to him, and Darkwing struggled under his own assailants' weight. Negaduck's footsteps echoed as he came up behind her.
"We've got to get out of here, there's too many of them!" she said frantically to him.
Suddenly, with several loud clanks, Taurus Bulba bounded in. He raised the Devil's Eye high above him and stared at Launchpad, who returned a very perplexed look. Taurus Bulba opened his mouth and spoke in a low, booming voice that reverberated throughout the sewer.
"Kcu dehts nwadyl – "
Aviana gasped.
"Don't look!" she cried, clapping a hand over Negaduck's eyes and shutting her own.
Still pinned on the ground, Darkwing could not turn his head to witness the strange situation. He heard Bulba finish in the strange language.
" – krad!"
Darkwing heard the same uncanny rushing of air and a bright glow filled the room. The glow ended, and with a supreme effort Darkwing twisted his body and shook off the eggmen. He turned around to see both a stange, gossamer haze drift into the Devil's Eye, and his combination sidekick and best friend collapse to the floor.
"LAUNCHPAD!"
*~*~*~*
Quiverwing Quack raced down the passages of the sewer, desperately trying to find the two heroes. The creepy underground was beginning to put her on edge. As she frantically searched, she heard a strange whooshing of air followed by a dazzling white glow. She smiled, knowing that must be where Darkwing and Launchpad were. She ran forward, and was almost there when she a heart-wrenching "LAUNCHPAD!" ricochet off the walls. Quiverwing's heart gave a frightened jump and she turned the corner, where she found dozens of freaky-looking eggmen, her father struggling with them, Launchpad laying on the ground, and in the middle of it all, an all too familiar cyborg.
*~*~*~*
Taurus Bulba let out a long, cruel laugh.
"Ah yes Darkwing, the curse of the Devil's Eye is already taking effect. Your friend is now completely under my control. Eggmen, release him!"
The eggmen holding him let go, and Darkwing instantly leapt to his feet and clenched his fists.
"This isn't over yet, you corpulent cow!" Darkwing cried defiantly.
"We will see about that," Bulba hissed. "Launchpad, stand up!"
The pilot slowly rose to his feet. His feathers had the same tattered gray look, and his beak the same pale green and orange as the eggmen. Except this time, without the eggman helmet, Darkwing could see the rest of his features.
Launchpad's usually lively face now looked dead and gaunt. There were bags under his eyes, and his hair was unkempt. But worst of all were his eyes. Instead of the warm, friendly look they usually possessed, they were a complete ghostly, milky white. As he stared at Darkwing, no recognition came over his pallid face.
Darkwing stared back, utterly horrified. What had become of his loyal friend?
"Now you will pay for what you have done to me, duck," Taurus seethed. "Launchpad, bring Darkwing to me!"
The cadaverous pilot lurched towards Darkwing, stretching his arms towards him menacingly. Darkwing stood his ground.
"Launchpad, it's me! Darkwing Duck! You're my sidekick! I'm your friend! I'm your bowling partner!" he stammered urgently.
Launchpad growled. The noise was about ten octaves lower than it should have been, and it echoed as though Darkwing were listening to it from the opposite end of a long tunnel. Suddenly Launchpad's eyes glowed an alarming red, and he lunged with unnatural speed and strength. He collided with Darkwing and the masked mallard toppled backwards, his sidekick on top of him.
Launchpad let loose another unearthly growl, and reached for his partner's throat. Darkwing quickly reacted and grabbed Launchpad's hands with his own, pushing as hard as he could to keep them from latching around his neck. Launchpad snarled, and Darkwing gritted his teeth, his arms shaking from effort. The mallard was completely unprepared – a minute ago he believed that nothing would ever come between them. He never thought it would come down to a fistfight between him and Launchpad, and he desperately did not want to do so. Their eyes met; Darkwing stared into the enraged, grisly face and realized that this could never be his comrade. Launchpad's enhanced strength met with Darkwing's sheer will to live, and the two friends struggled on the damp floor.
On the other side of the room, Quiverwing's heart ripped in half as she watched the two people she trusted the most fight each other for life or death. Trusting that the evil being on top of her father could never be the Launchpad she knew and loved, she pulled a net arrow from her quiver, aimed, and fired.
Aviana and Negaduck stood to the side and watched, not moving and risking the masses of belligerent eggmen. As the black-masked mallard watched the scene with mild amusement, he could not help but be reminded of the pilot's counterpart in the Negaverse. Aviana's voice jerked him out of his reverie abrubtly.
"Hey, who's that?" Aviana asked, noticing Quiverwing Quack on the far side of the room.
"Oh great, it's that rotten kid!" Negaduck cried, smacking his forehead.
The arrow soared through the air, and its aim was true. It struck Launchpad, and he became ensnared in the released net. As Launchpad struggled, Darkwing looked up and locked eyes with his terrified daughter.
"Gos – Quiverwing!" he hissed.
"WHAT?!" Taurus Bulba bellowed, and turned to face the pintsize hero. "And just who might you be?" he asked in a furious tone.
"I, I uh, I'm…" Quiverwing stuttered, but then regained her composure and put on a brave face, "I'm Quiverwing Quack, bozo!"
"Well then, Quiverwing, I think it is time that you learned what happens when you mess with Taurus Bulba!" the bull roared, brandishing his blaster arm.
"Sorry Bulbsy, but we can't stick around for lessons!" Darkwing yelled and he detonated a gas cartridge on the floor.
The cartridge erupted and blue smoke billowed throughout the sewer. Quiverwing waved her arms frantically, and then felt two arms wrap around her waist. Darkwing picked her up and carried her out of the smoke unnoticed by Bulba, who tried to dispense of the distraction.
"Wait – you can't just run from Taurus Bulba!" Quiverwing yelled, clearly shocked.
"I'm not running from him, I'm getting you away from here!" Darkwing said sternly, trying to keep his voice calm.
"What about Launchpad?" Quiverwing asked fearfully.
Darkwing darted past the pilot, who had just freed himself from the net. Launchpad's eyes burned an angry scarlet, and he let out an unsettling roar. Darkwing gulped.
"We'll come back for him, he can take care of himself I think," Darkwing said, glancing back to see his sidekick plowing down eggmen in pursuit.
Finding the nearest exit, Darkwing pushed Quiverwing up the ladder and scurried after her, listening to Launchpad's heavy footsteps gaining on them all the way. As soon as Quiverwing's feet hit the pavement, she sprinted over to where she had seen the Ratcatcher. Right behind her, Darkwing hoisted himself out of the manhole. He turned and looked down; Launchpad was climbing the ladder right behind him.
Just as he reached the top, Darkwing muttered, "This is gonna hurt me a lot more than it'll hurt you," and he grabbed the cover of the manhole and slammed it on Launchpad's head. He could hear his friend's mad cries and a loud 'thunk!' as he hit the platform below. Wincing, Darkwing turned and ran after his daughter.
*~*~*~*
Aviana and Negaduck coughed forcefully as the blue smoke billowed throughout the room.
"Way – ACK – to go, Darkwing –ACK – Dunce," Negaduck managed between coughs.
He heard an infuriated snarl and looked up. Taurus Bulba and the eggmen were blinded by the smoke. Thinking fast, Negaduck searched through the thinning wisps until he spotted a ladder at the other end of the passage.
"Now's our – ACK – chance!" he coughed to Aviana.
The two started to run, and in the blinding smoke promptly smacked into each other.
"Slick one Fuzzy!"
"Full of grace as always girlie! This way!"
Negaduck grabbed her shoulders and pushed her in the right direction and the two ran to the ladder. Aviana climbed up it deftly with Negaduck at her heels.
Taurus Bulba finally cleared away the smoke with a convenient fan, courtesy of his Swiss-army-like left hand. He was fuming now; this was not the way things were supposed to go about. He scanned the sewer with his computerized eye, and the targeting system locked on two familiar webbed feet disappearing through a manhole.
"Time for a duck hunt," Taurus Bulba whispered, his voice saturated with evil.