Roots of Revenge
-Chapter 2-
The Trap
The questions were taking forever and weighed down her heart. The police came quickly just in time to do nothing. They didn't find Reggie or his pursuers. How many questions were they going to ask?
"I am sorry Doctor Dendrin we have just a few more questions for you.."
"Why!" her voice was unsteady. She saw it, the look in Reggie's eyes like he knew he wasn't coming back. "Why aren't you looking for him?"
"We're doing all we can, we will find him. Please calm down."
The moonlight drowned the wood's canopy, only small flecks of light danced across the grass between the gathered swaying leaves. The tree flailed it's branches in the sudden wind, proclaiming it's unheard pain. A police dog walked past, leaving with out noticing the freshly dug soil. Reginald Bushroot rested under the earth, the bloody mess that was once the mallard. Hammerhead's cronies had dug a deep grave for the pathetic heap that once held so much life, but in the process tore up the roots of the looming tree. Now the silence lay heavily in the forest, blood soaking the soil, a mangled body shoved among the roots. Everything was broken before they let him die, including a hidden trinket in the pocket of his jacket. The liquid had now merged with the morbid undergrowth. The police were right, they would find him… but not as they had left him.
Across the bay, in the thick of the city of St. Canard, a cool pair of eyes took in the scene with impatience. The streets were dead tonight. Did that make him uneasy? No, just annoyed. He had been closer than ever to catching Taurus Bulba's lackeys. He'd been tracking them and knew what their next move was until…he clenched his fist as the humid breeze swirled his cape around him, until "They" ruined it all. "They" had set up a trap for him. A secret that "They" didn't want anyone to know about, so naturally, every shady group, gang, or individual (himself included), knew all about it. So all the city larceny would take a night off so not to interfere with S.H.U.S.H.'s "secret" play date with Darkwing Duck. They no doubt wanted to put him out of commission for showing them up so often, and now they stood waiting for him in the old Duckland Shoes warehouse.
In turn here he was, standing on the neighboring rooftop ready to meet his should be friends; really they were on the same side. Darkwing took off this wide brimmed black fedora and made sure his ebony bandanna was tightly secured. He decided not to enter with a speech tonight, he couldn't be sure how many agents were waiting for him, anywhere from five to fifteen, depending on how much of a threat they thought he was. He aimed his grappling gun at the warehouse. His pale blue eyes fixed on a glowing window. He knew what he was going to do. He hopped up on the railing, the treads of his steel-toed boots gripping firmly on the material below. He knew he was going to show them up once again…knew he'd piss them off beyond words. He smirked and put the hat back on, "Let's Get Dangerous."
The shattered glass rained down upon the dusty warehouse's empty shoeboxes from a second story window. A purple smoke filled the room. The figure tied to a chair in the center of the room was quickly taken out by a ragged blue high-heeled pump. When the shoe hit the figure a spring loaded net shot up and fell around the damsel in distress decoy. The smoke resided and Darkwing was nowhere to be seen.
"Are we done? Because unlike you I have better things to waste time on. Or is this what S.H.U.S.H. squanders the tax payer's money on?"
His voice echoed off the empty walls. A massive figure emerged from a corner clapping. The brown grizzly bear slammed his excessively large hands together and flashed a grin that displayed his arsenal of razor sharp teeth.
"Veri impressif Darkwink Duck, but yoo vill not leaf here alivef."
"What's the matter Grizlikof? Ashamed at how I'm already making you look bad?" mocked Darkwing's thrown voice. He had mastered the skill when he was a child, now he quite enjoyed taunting his enemy from one place and never being caught.
"I see yoo haf done yoor research, yes I am Grizlikof and yoo are a vigilante and S.H.U.S.H. does not approve of vigilantes!" snarled the large Russian Bear, "Yoo vill surrender or yoo vill die!"
"My, my, that's quite a threat Huggybear."
"Eet's not an empty vwon."
Darkwing slinked along the rafters. Ten, there were ten S.H.U.S.H. agents ready to strike. He wrapped his cape around him. "I'm shaking in my boots, honest." His voice quipped from the other side of the room. It's time to show these chumps a thing or two, he smirked to himself.
"Vill yoo be man enough to show yourself and stop playink hide and seek?" The bear grunted as his eyes scanned the area the voice had come from. Empty wooden planks and dusty boxes met his glare, there was a soft shuffling noise behind him.
"Hide and Seek? Agent Grumpy Bear, I am disappointed in you. No, no it's called stealth. Maybe you and your kids should look into it, they might have lasted longer."
Grizlikof turned and saw every one of his agents out cold. He bared his teeth and snarled. Blood started pounding in his ears as a blinding rage swept over him.
"Now, now, deep breaths Griz. Count to ten," chuckled the same voice behind him.
Grizlikof spun around and saw the masked mallard for the first time. He was short and lean with a deep black outfit that made him hard to see in the dark warehouse. He stood nonchalantly before him tipping his hat over his face.
"So now, you were saying something about killing me?" a pair of cold blue eyes locked on Grizlikof from the mass of black. The bear snorted and a blast of hot air slammed Dark in the face, which almost caused his hat to fly off his head.
"Eet looks like de pleasure vill be mine!" The Bear's trash can lid sized hand swiped at Darkwing. Prepared, Dark pulled out his gun as he simultaneously dodged and shot Grizlikof in the face. The grizzly coughed and wheezed as the tear gas strangled his lungs and shoved itself up his nose. Through the smoke and tears he spotted Darkwing with his arms folded and a smile on his face.
"So eet's gunplay es it?" he growled as he pulled out S.H.U.S.H.'s standard Colt .45 out of its concealed holster. Darkwing crouched preparing to run whipping out his grappling gun.
"Agent Grizlikof, that is quite enough." A new voice said to Dark's left.
An older, balding fowl emerged from the shadows. He was stout, portly, and was sporting the navy suit uniform of S.H.U.S.H. Despite his grandfatherly appearance Dark knew by the glint in his eye, this one was trouble. Darkwing straightened and Grizlikof trembled, the gun still readied.
"J. Gander Hooter, I presume." he put his hand on a gas grenade concealing his actions with his drawn cape.
"Why yes I am, bravo. And you are the infamous Darkwing Duck." There was pleasantness in his voice that made Dark uneasy.
"So I've been told. Tell me Hooter, why have you decided that devoting an entire operation to take me out is more important than aiming for the bad guys?"
Hooter laughed, not a malicious laugh, a laugh of genuine amusement.
"Darkwing Duck you really are something. Your confidence is inspiring. You came in, tore apart our deception and continued to incapacitate every available field agent. Truly, you are a very incredible individual."
"Well your welcome, now that you're through being in awe of my skills, maybe you should turn your attention to how we're on the same side." Darkwing was losing his patience. That's when he noticed them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two agents lurking at the broken window that he was planning to make his exit.
"Ah, yes. We do go after the same fiends. However we are working with the law not against it. You must understand why we are addressing this situation." J. Gander had taken off his bifocals and was now cleaning them off with a handkerchief.
"Oh yeah no biggie, I gotcha. Griz already filled me in, 'Vigilante es no gud'." His brain was racing for an escape route.
"Hm yes. Mr. Darkwing I'm not sure what possessed you take this ridiculous way of life, be it your parents were murdered in front of you rendering you an orphan or you were bitten by some kind of radioactive pest. One thing is certain; the safety of Saint Canard is in the hands of her police and us. Three's a crowd you understand." His knowing eyes were fixed on Dark.
"You read too many comics J. Gander. I just do what has to be done. Under your noses or behind your back I will continue to fight crime."
He knew what he was going to do… but could he get away with it?
Darkwing Duck and all other related characters are (c) Disney
This Story is (c) me, Christina Smith so there :P
---- Updated 5-2-2007-----