Launchpad now arrived at the private airfield housing the Lightning-Duck 10000B. Surprisingly, he touched his biplane down without an incident. That was, however, until he ran over a jagged shard of metal that was laying on the runway. The tire on his plane explodes, and Launchpad spins out wildly, eventually crashing into the side of a nearby hangar with a loud explosion.
Launchpad, as always, emerged from the wreckage unharmed. Two ducks in suits and ties ran out of the hangar into which he had just slammed. "Good God, are you OK?" one of them asks Launchpad.
"Of course. I always survive these wrecks. It's the planes that don't do to good," said McQuack, brushing himself off. "This one was just a minor accident."
"Minor?" said the other duck as he looked at the remains of Launchpad's plane.
"The name's Launchpad McQuack," he replied. "Mr. McDuck sent me. I believe you have a plane for me?"
"You're here for the Lightning-Duck 10000B?" the duck asked, confused.
"Yes, sir," Launchpad said.
"I'd better give McDuck a call about this," said the other suited duck. He then heads inside. Launchpad listens to the conversation with Scrooge.
"Are you sure you want this guy to fly the Lightning Duck?"
"OK. If you say so. It's your money. Good bye."
The duck then emerges from the hangar. "He's legit," he says to his colleague.
"You sure?"
"Yes," responded the duck.
"OK," says the other duck. He takes out a set of keys and hands them to Launchpad. "She's all yours then."
"Thank you," Launchpad said.
"She's just over there," the duck said, pointing toward the large silver aircraft.
"Gotcha," Launchpad said. He then spots a Pepsi machine against the wall of a hangar. He heads over to it and inserts some coins into the machine. Two cans of soda drop out and he takes them. "Figured I'd take a couple for the long flight ahead." He smiled at the two ducks and then headed toward the Lightning-Duck.
He then climbed up the steps and to the cockpit door, which he unlocked with one of the keys. The cockpit was filled with bright flashing lights and dials, as well as some computer monitors and radar screens. Launchpad sat down at the controls and then pushed a red button labeled "START".
The jet engine started up with a deafening roar. The plane started to roll off the runway and then lifted into the air. "So far, so good," Launchpad thought as he flew off for Duckburg.
Launchpad McQuack would arrive over Duckburg's air space without a problem. However, he would still have to reach the airport. "Man, I'm parched," said Launchpad to himself. He then opened up one of the cans of soda he had bought earlier. Just then, the airplane's radio starts to crackle and hiss.
"Launchpad, can ya read me?" The voice was that of Scrooge McDuck.
"Loud and clear, Mr. McD," responded the pilot.
"Good, lad," said McDuck. "You should be passin' over me mansion any time now." Scrooge was in his study in front of a large, outdated-looking radio set, along with his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
"Hey, let's go outside and wave at Launchpad as he passes over," said Huey.
"Yeah!" his two brothers agree.
"I do'na think that would be such a good idea," warned Scrooge. "Knowin' Launchpad, he's liable to get distracted and crash inta somethin'."
"Aww, come on, Unca Scrooge," Louie whines.
"Oh, all right," said Scrooge. The four ducks head outside the mansion and onto the front lawn.
Just as he was about to pass over McDuck's mansion, a helicopter, as if from out of nowhere, appeared in front of Launchpad's plane. "Oh crap!" He swerves the aircraft and just barely misses the chopper. "That was a close one."
Launchpad then reached for his can of Pepsi. The can slips through his fingers and spills all over the control panel of the aircraft, causing the instruments to short circuit and malfunction. "Uh-Oh!!" Launchpad says as he unbuckles his safety belt and grabs a parachute just as the Lightning-Duck begins to spiral out of control. He opens the cockpit and leaps out, pulling the rip cord on his chute as he falls.
The parachuting McQuack would soon appear over Scrooge's mansion. Duckworth, who along with Mrs. Beakley and Webby, had joined Scrooge and the boys outside, spotted the descending pilot before anyone else. "I say sir, isn't that Launchpad now?" He points upward.
"But where's his plane?" asked Dewey.
"Blast me bagpipes!" exclaimed Scrooge. "I knew he'd blow it. I just knew it!"
"Calm down, sir," urges Beakley. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good expla-" She looks up. "Oh dear lord!!!" McDuck's housekeeper then faints and hits the ground.
Launchpad touches down on the front lawn alongside the others. The plane would soon follow, slamming into the mansion itself, causing a fiery explosion of glass, wood, and bricks. "Hit the dirt!" Launchpad yells as he dives to the ground. Scrooge, the children and Duckworth do the same.
The once-proud Lightning-Duck 10000B would now explode, spreading metal debris and flaming jet fuel throughout the countryside.
"Holy shit!" remarks Huey.
"Huey!" yells McDuck."What did I tell ya 'bout cursin'?"
Scrooge, Lauchpad, the children and the servants (Beakley had been awakened) now stood and watched the inferno that was once Scrooge's mansion. "Me plane!! Me mansion!!!" yells Scrooge. "Launchpad, you moron!! You've destroyed everything I've worked my whole life for!!"
"Gosh, Mr. McD," Launchpad said. "I'm really sorry." Sirens fill the air.
"Get out of my sight before I rip you apart!!" Scrooge screamed angrily. "How can anyone be so damned retarded?!"
"You hired him," said Dewey.
"Don't ya back-talk your uncle or else I'll pummel ya," chided Scrooge.
"But--" Launchpad pleaded.
"Be gone!!" Yelled McDuck. "I never want to so much as hear your voice again!!"
"Fine," said Launchpad. He then turned and walked away without saying another thing. That would be the last that McDuck would see or hear from his formerly trusted pilot until this phone call.
Launchpad McQuack was so distraught at what he had done to the man who had done so much good for him that he couldn't even bear to live in Duckburg anymore. Shortly after the incident, he would pack up and move to the neighboring city of Saint Canard, where he would open up an airplane repair business and occasionally fly cargo.
The formerly happy-go-lucky Launchpad had become a depressed and angry shell of his old self as a result of that day in Duckburg. He had thought that he would never again enjoy life as he did back in the old days. That is, until he had discovered St. Canard's local crime fighter, Darkwing Duck.
Launchpad was quite impressed by the feats of the mysterious masked mallard and grew to idolize Darkwing, dreaming of a day when he would someday meet the shadowy hero.
Of course, that day would come. McQuack would meet his hero one fateful night and he and Drake/Darkwing would soon grow to be close friends and associates, and that tragic day at McDuck Mansion would quickly fade into the past.
"I shoulda killed ye for what you did," Scrooge said over the phone. "I had to spend six months livin' in a Comfort Inn because of ya."
"Well if you weren't so cheap-" McDuck cuts Launchpad off.
"Don't go there, McQuack."
"Anyhow, you'll never know how sorry I am for destroying your home," Launchpad said somberly.
"Cheer up, lad," said Scrooge. "As I said before, it's all in the past."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," said Launchpad. "Now what was this business you called about?"
"The business? Oh yes!" said Scrooge. "I was wonderin' if ya'd like ta come back ta Duckburg and fly for me again."
Launchpad was stunned. "Fly for you again? After all the trouble I've caused you? I don't know...."
"Oh, please at least consider," McDuck said. "You're the cheape- I mean the most loyal employee I've ever had."
"Wow, really?"
"Why yes," Scrooge said.
"Well, I really need some time to think this one over, Mr. McD," said Launchpad. "I've got a pretty good job here."
"Take all the time ya need, lad," replied McDuck. "Just don't take forever."
"Gotcha, Mr. McD," Launchpad said. "Thanks for the offer and the call."
"No problem, lad," said McDuck. "Hope ta hear from ya soon. Bye." He then hangs up.
"So, what did old Scroogey want?" Drake asked.
"You heard," said Launchpad.
"Nah, I missed that last part. Was in the little mallard's room," Drake said.
"Oh, well he wants me to come back and work for him."
"What?!" said and astonished drake. "You're not gonna do it, are you?"
"I don't know, DW," Launchpad said. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?" asked Mallard. "You've been my best friend and sidekick for 13 years, and now you're just going to up and walk away?"
"Crime-fightin's been fun, but you know my true love is flyin' and we don't really do much of that around here," Launchpad replied.
"You're crazy!" said Drake. "We fly all over the place. You know, in that plane shaped like my head?"
"Yeah, but we never go anyplace cool," Launchpad said.
"Ya know, you're right," said Drake. "Except for the rare SHUSH special assignment, our flights are pretty routine."
"I understand that you have all these dreams of being a great aviator, and if you must go, I'm not going to stand in your way." Drake then slumped down on the couch.
"Are you sure you're not going to stop me if I want to go back to Duckburg?" asked Launchpad.
"No Launchpad, I won't stop you." Drake said.
"Are you SURE?" Launchpad asked again.
"Yes!" Drake responded. "I don't know why you don't-"
Just then, a special news bulletin flashed on the television screen. "This just in," said the reporter. "There has been a break-in at the Saint Canard Museum of Shiny Sparkly Things. The robbers made off with the legendary Cluck Diamond. Police have yet to identify a suspect."
"Hey, LP," Drake said to his friend. "How 'bout one last mission for old-time's sake?"
"Sure, why not?" said Launchpad. "Solvin' one last crime will be a nice goin'-away present."
"Good," Drake said happily. "Let's get dangerous!"
"I'm gonna miss hearin' that," Launchpad said as the two sat in their familiar chairs. Drake pulls back on the statue/lever alongside his and the heroes were off for one last crimefighting mission together.