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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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S2: Chapter 18 – Being a Bukharin (Lena)

Beta-Reader: Ant0nius

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Fear is a natural reaction for any living being. Lena knew this perfectly having lived in fear for many years after her conception.

But in this case, this fear was new and it was eroding her capacity to outlast it. It was unpleasant, slimy and, worst of all, it felt incredibly tangible. Where at first she thought the fight with Magica was just a fictional conflict within the world of dreams, the threat became more real the longer the connection existed.

She didn't know this and, deep down, she knew it wasn't the kind of knowledge John would just drop on her lap this early on as she was still learning the very basic steps. Unlike Webby and Violet, Lena had some awareness and power, but she lacked control. And right now, this unease was further clawing at her sense of self.

She felt sicker the more steps she took with the others, they didn't notice but she felt her stomach hurting, her knee hurting, her hands couldn't stop shaking and, finally, she was there. A glimpse which felt more like a mistaken glance on the side that turned into a visible scar within her current mindscape. It was getting closer to them and Lena's panic was growing more and more.

In a fair fight within this situation, no one in her group of friends could face Magica. Sure, they had beaten her in the real world, but this version of Magica was untouchable by anyone that wasn't primarily tied to this connection. In layman's terms, Lena was the only one that could face this sort of threat. She could deal with it, but she couldn't beat it.

The girl was strong, yes, and Magica was severely weakened since she lost most of her magic, but that didn't make the fight any easier on them. In fact, it would be an outright lie to say that she could take her on confidently. That was the mindset she had, and her solution was to just... delay. Do not bring her friends close to her, do not let Magica get steps up ahead compared to them and get them out fast.

Sounds simple and… it was working. Yes, it was working! But the more they continued, the more frightened Lena became. Some of it was natural, but most of it was artificially created by Magica to worsen her current capacity to endure her. The fear, it was getting stronger. Things seemed to be getting more grim by the second, until Magica said something through the quiet whispering by Lena's ears, that shocked the girl 'awake'.

"Still trying to fight me, Lena? I made you, you know what I can do to you and... your friends," The witch's disembodied voice purred. "Why not go for something even more relevant? Your little 'sister' and the crush you have with the faux magician?"

Something about these words made all sorts of pain vanish as her body remained in a state of agitation... just no longer due to fear itself. She knew that this wasn't acceptable and that she had to do something to stop Magica here and now. Something compelled her from within, something so strong that it didn't feel wrong for what she did next.

"Uh- G-Guys?"

The group stopped for a moment, everyone turning to stare at her.

"Yeah?" Dewey asked.

"I-I need to take a small break to the bathroom," They were in a blasted school, that should be within reach. "Can you please... wait here?"

"Do you want me-" Webby attempted to ask, but Lena shook her head.

"N-No, I need to be alone for this. Sorry, Webs."

"Heh, it's alright, plus the books... so cool~!" Thank the Lord Webby was easy to distract...

Lena found a bathroom and walked inside it, closing the door behind her. Normally, that's where the stalls should be visible, but Lena was greeted by a hallway. She restrained a smile, knowing that she had to act clueless about this and let Magica think it was her fear isolating her that way. She could control parts of the landscape so she had to let her think it was not willed by her. She marched forth, looking at the plain light-green wallpaper and the barely lit hall that led to... a staircase to the lower levels. She ended up strolling in what looked to be sewers, with numerous water-filled pipes that filtered hot and cold water, clean and dirty. On the side, a large river of toxic and stinky liquids that bubbled as she continued with her walk. She was close, Lena was even closer.

Soon the lights started to flicker, and a familiar cackle filled all around as shadows poured in and... Magica was there, staring at her and approaching.

"I knew it. You are still afraid of losing them, such a flimsy reason to be weak when you could just-"

"You've got it wrong," Lena interrupted the witch, causing the older duck to pause as she switched to her human form. Not only for the confidence boost because what she was planning to do was going to be risky, but because she needed a lot of energy. "I wanted you to be here, in this precise place."

Barriers formed around the perimeter of the entire 'sewers' and prevented Magica from leaving. The witch frowned at this but then her attention was caught by the sound of metal groaning as the tubes all around started to twist and bend. The shocked look finally turned back to Lena.

"I have an affinity for Water. I never thought I would end up using it in this manner but... let's make it clear," Lena hummed, her eyes glowing a bright blue. "I am not stuck with you, you are stuck with me, auntie."

"N-No, wai-"

Magica didn't get the chance as water exploded and easily slammed her away from Lena and through the endless sewers she had created, the heat increasing and the screeching muffled by the sheer amount of water employed. Lena was spared by the liquids coming through, her control allowing her to keep up a steady flow that could go on by itself after a while as she dropped to one knee and felt her body strained.

"That was..."

"Cool, but stupid," A familiar voice announced, and she turned back to see a familiar individual approach her.

"...Hi dad."

"Why did you look for her? Why did you leave the others?"

The questioning made her feel even more ashamed, and she was about to cast a 'I am sorry' when she felt the older human pick her up from her kneeling posture and bring her in a hug.

"I am not angry, I am just surprised you looked for trouble like that."

...

"She said something while we were going- something that... that made me feel odd."

"Odd?" He pressed on, giving her a quizzical look. "What kind of odd?"

"I was angry, sorta. It was stronger, I couldn't feel any fear and- and I wanted to stop her."

"And you did, sorta. This is going to eject her from the dreamworld for good," John trailed a bit with that wording and it left her to wonder why he almost felt 'upset' by this. "Let's just say that you were not angry, kiddo. You were livid about having someone threatened."

She didn't even bring up why she was angry back then, and yet he knew it. How? Lena didn't get the chance to ask John as he decided to answer immediately.

"We all have these moments. 'We' as in the Bukharin Family. It's also an Italian thing- if someone we cared a lot is threatened, hurt or worse, we snap into action and deliver ten times the pain to those that caused these messes. And when you felt that someone was coming for your friends and sister, you went on to do the thing that felt right: end the threat before it could hurt anyone."

"...Oh."

She nuzzled a bit more in the hug.

"But now, let's get you to safety and to the others. And after that, I have to have a talk with Della."

"...Why do you have to talk with Della?"

"It's complicated."

And that got her attention immediately, gone was the fear of Magica and back was the potential chance that her father may have done something with the triplets' mother and... she was fine with that.


AN

Lena may or may not have seen the Ducktales' version of Friday the 13th Jason goes to Manhattan movie.