Roots Of Revenge Chapter 6: Rumble in the Park, a darkwing duck fanfic

Roots of Revenge

-Chapter 6-

Rumble in the Park

The city's lights would come on in only an hour's time. The roads were teeming with traffic as were the sidewalks. The day was nearly gone and those working the nine to five were well on their way home, well nearly all of them. When a time limit is set upon one usually respects the agreement and bows out when their time is up. However the pair in the scrap yard's office hadn't noticed a change of even five minutes. That is the wonder of fate and the course, conversation. Drake sat in the ragged desk chair, his feet propped up on the desk, while Ms. Zombie-Slayer was perched on a sealed cardboard box.

"Alright, you make a valid point but what makes you think Batduck is so great?" Drake sneered, she was full of spirit this one.

"Are you serious?" She snorted. "Come on Superduck, Spider-duck, and all of the X-ducks are all aliens or mutated weirdoes," her eyes sparkled she loved this stuff, "…but Batduck worked hard to get where he is. He doesn't have any cheap super powers just WHAMMO! Brains and brawn!" She punched the air enthusiastically.

"Oh please, you call being the sole benefactor of a fortune 'working hard'? He doesn't even have to lift a finger he can devote all his time to crime because he was orphaned with a silver spoon in his mouth. The others gotta hold down jobs and help people."

"Eh who cares about secret identities anyway they're boring. Just give me action! Boy I'd give those bad guys a thing of two! Just like Gizmoduck!"

This time it was Drake who snorted. He let out a disgusted sigh, sat up, put his feet on the ground, and faced her.

"GIZMODUCK? Ha! That idiot? A rolling Swiss Army Knife with the I.Q. of cheese is hardly a hero."

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you take on creeps like Magica Spell and Beagle Boys and trash 'em as good as Gizmoduck! He came to visit us at the orp…" she broke eye contact momentarily, "…at my school and he was so awesome!"

"So big, loud, and clumsy is awesome? What does skill count for nothing any more? " He felt himself getting angry and tried to repress it, but she noticed and struck.

"So you don't like Gizmoduck huh? Don't like any super heroes or crime fighters? Whaddya go home and watch Pelican's Island reruns and sappy lovey dovey junk?"

"Hardly. All I'm saying is that out there is a guy who's got more smarts and moves than that clanking conniption Gizmoduck could ever dream of having!"

Her bright green eyes were alight with undivided curiosity, and he felt himself well up with pride. Maybe today he'd make a fan out of her.

"Keen Gear! Who's that?" she leaned in closer to him waiting to soak in every word.

"No one is quite sure who he is, but I've heard about him over that police radio over there. They say he's the terror that flaps in the night, he wears all black and can disappear with out a trace. He never rests in his nightly war with the city. They say he's so good S.H.U.S.H. is jealous. They call him, Darkwing Duck." His pride was rolled up into every syllable, and she hung on to every breath. When he finished he leaned back into his chair, quite pleased with himself, until she laughed.

"Your hero is some goofy vigilante? Sounds pretty lame to me, I mean come on. No one has even heard of the guy, whad'ya do make him up? Come on Drake, vigilantes are just big babies with no social skills." She giggled, until she saw the scowl on his face, and then the time on the clock behind him. "Oh no!" she shrieked. "I gotta go!"

Drake blinked and turned around. "Geeze is it that late already? I'm surprised your parents weren't going nuts looking for you."

"I'm going to be in so much trouble!" She grabbed her hat and rushed to the door. Putting her hand on the knob she turned to him with a big smile. " Thanks Drake I had fun today. Um… is it all right if I try and come back tomorrow? I'll bring my Gizmoduck scrapbook."

"Uh… sure." He responded in a slight state of shock. He hadn't lost track of time in months, especially at the scrap yard. Gosalyn pulled the hat on her head and opened the door.

"All right! Later Drake!" and she was gone.

It was a humid night, in a dense heat that was accented by the distant threat of thunder. Things were back to normal, thieves were thieving, burglars were burgling, and Darkwing Duck was brooding. He had gotten to the bridge head quarters quickly, changed, and headed out into the city. He'd stopped five robberies, ten muggings, and two car jackings. For once he was counting, and he was also being sloppy. He didn't want to admit it but she had gotten to him. She laughed at him. If anyone should be laughed at it's that rolling junk heap Gizmoduck. So he was letting his stealth slip for tonight, in hopes of a front-page story. He'd show her a "goofy vigilante". He finished tying up a would be jewel theif and crept into an alley. He sat for a second, he had left the bridge tower before Launchpad had shown up and before he could be tempted by sleep. The stabbing pains were still bombarding his legs and being smacked with a pipe didn't help either. When she re-entered his mind he stood up. A Gizmoduck scrapbook, he frowned, what a ham. From the darkness of the alley he noticed something. A well-dressed figure, in a gray suit and hat walking past. Darkwing could have kicked himself, he'd forgotten all about Hammerhead! What luck that he'd be here. Dark crept along the shadows trailing him. What was he doing alone? He usually had tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum tagging along at his heels. And where was he going? Hammerhead stopped and put out his cigarette under the heel of his well-polished dress shoe. Dark stowed away in a near by alcove just in time to dodge the ram's backward glance. Hammerhead tugged at his jacket and headed off toward the park Dark picked up this stealth and silently trailed him.

The tall trees blocked the moon and artificial lighting giving the park an evil face. Darkwing was never much of a nature lover..and he had his work cut out for him not to make a sound, twigs and other fallen booby traps threatened to give him away. That was he came to the city, there were more people than trees around. Hammerhead walked into a clearing and Dark hung back ducking behind a tree. The ram was approaching a figure, a small figure with… red hair? Gosalyn! He could hardly believe it but there she was, her fiery red hair pulled into pigtails. She was wearing a soft purple jersey, denim pedal pushers, the blue cap, and a look that could kill. Hammerhead was the one receiving the glare and Darkwing was brought out of his thoughts by the ram's laugh.

"Well, well, well is dat anyway to greet da guy who is about ta make ya no longer an orphan?" he cackled.

Orphan!

"So you're the one who sent me the letter, I know who you are. Your Hammerhead Hannigan… what have you done to my Grandpa!" Snarled the orphan.

"Oh don't worry Ms. Waddlemyer, you'll be able to see yer Grandpappy real soon. I just need ya ta come with me."

"Yeah right! Why should I trust you?"

You tell him Gos … don't let him trick you!

"Fine." Hammerhead jammed his hands in his pockets. " Ya don't hafta do anythin' ya don' wanna. So by all means march yerself back to the orphanage. I'm sure Mrs. Cavanaugh will have quite the speech prepared for you."

The look on her face was impossible to misread, it was pure misery. Darkwing could have kicked himself for the second time tonight. She was an orphan and he kept bringing up parents… well not him, Drake. He could see she would go with Hammerhead and neither Darkwing Duck nor Drake Mallard would have that. Gosalyn broke eye contact with her tormentor; she was scared though her voice did not give it away.

"You better take me to him… you better not be lying."

Hammerhead sneered and rather harshly grabbed her arm. She wanted to run, to as get far away from him as she could, but she made a deal with them… and what if her Grandfather was still alive? She looked up at the long scarred face that hung over her and suddenly it was gone. Everything disappeared into an explosion of purple smoke. She felt Hannigan's grip fail, felt a strong current swirl the smoke drastically around her, and heard him cry out in pain. Though her eyes were useless she felt someone beside her and she swung a tight fist wildly at it. With a strong grip it grabbed her and effortlessly wrapped her up under it's arm. She could feel the tight muscle structure around her, and then it spoke. It was a deep gravely voice that had enough of an impact to make her involuntarily shudder.

"Kidnapping? Hammerhead really, I thought you were one of Bulba's favorites. Surely you should be getting better jobs then this?"

The smoke was thinning and Hammerhead could be seen vaguely getting clumsily to his feet.

"Who the hell… oh yer gunna pay fer dat mac!" Spewed the thug feeling his sore jawbone.

Darkwing smirked and prepared to wow Ms. Zombie Slayer Waddlemyer with one of his favorite speeches when he got winded by an elbow to the stomach. She squirmed furiously hitting every inch of him she could reach, her fists mainly connected with his already anguished legs.

"What the hell are you doing!"

"Put me down you scumbag or I'll pummel you into pudding!" she roared.

The screen of smoke was now gone and Hammerhead was on his feet and looking less than pleased.

"Ms. Waddlemyer, would you please refrain from attacking me while I am saving your hide!" He used his spare hand to grab one of her fists.

"Yeah well who said I needed saving?" she scowled up at him.

If he wasn't in caped crusader mode his jaw would have dropped. He didn't get to respond to her however, it seemed Hammerhead was waiting for the opportune moment to strike. He charged at them his head bowed and prepped to smash Darkwing with his massive horns. Dark dodge rolled to the side with a squeak from Gosalyn. Hammerhead slammed into a tree and a shower of leaves rained down from its gnarly branches. He heard her gasp, her big green eyes were upon him.

"Who are you?" She said softly and he thought he heard a note of awe in her voice. He released her, stood up tall, and draped his cape about him.

"I am…ugh!" He had let his guard down, taken his eyes off of Hammerhead, and as a result was rammed by a thick pair of horns. Dark hit the ground hard and heard a sickening crack come from under his skin. He kicked up and almost got another face full of horns. He turned to face the ram and drew his gas gun.

"Alright Hannigan," he wheezed, "… playtimes over."

He didn't see it, and had no time to react. He heard Gosalyn scream and felt a thick vine bash into his skull. He felt the damp soil on his face, smelt the grass, and then felt the pain. Dazed he regained his vision; Hannigan was six feet away suspended in mid air by … a tree? Dark tried to push himself off his stomach when a smothering, crippling force collided with his spine crushing him, face first into the dirt. He struggled fruitlessly to escape his attacker, and turned his eyes up. How? How could this be? He looked up at the form of a massive tree it's hulking roots still swarming over him forcing him into the ground. That's when he heard it; a voice came from the tree holding Hammerhead, whose face was the epitome of terror.

"Surprised to see me Hammerhead? I'm sure you are…"

Through his blinding pain Dark could swear the tree not only talked but also resembled a duck.

"R..Reggie! Y..ya can't be!" The seething vines strangled the usually loud and obnoxious ram.

Darkwing could see his gun lying just out of his reach, not that he knew what he would do if he did have it.

"Darkwing Duck!" cried a voice to his right, he could see Gosalyn running toward him.

Despite his predicament he felt a surge of pride, the kid was bright all right. She had figured his identity out on her own.

"Ms. Waddlemyer get me my gun!" he groaned. The roots were becoming unbearable, he didn't know how much longer he could last like this. Gosalyn scooped up the gun just in time to be encircled in vines.

"What do you think you're doing?" barked the tree creature. It was lumbering over to Gosalyn, leaving Hannigan flailing in the clutches of a Douglass Fir. "My business is not with you fools but if this is how you are going to behave then you leave me no choice." The duck tree was now beside Gosalyn, Dark felt a wave of rage take him.

"You leave her out of this you demented pile of woodchips!"

The creature turned it's blue eyes to him. He could imagine how feeble he looked being crushed by the roots of a tree, hardly anything to afraid. The creature on the other hand didn't seem to notice him at all. He spoke more to the air than to the masked mallard.

"You are in no position to tell me, the mighty Bushroot, what I should and should not do. For you, my friend, are to become the world's most over dressed fertilizer." He laughed.

Gosalyn chose that time to throw the gun to Darkwing, in an instant there was a burst of smoke and a searing scream only Bushroot could hear. The girl in his vines was squirming and struggling, he tightened his grip. He'd have to deal with this meddler first.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night… I am the unblinking eyes of justice…I am the protector of the innocent… I am Darkwing Duck!" The smoke cleared to reveal the roots that had held him were hacked off. Bushroot's head rang with painful sobbing, but that was over powered by what the vigilante had just said. 'Protector of the innocent? Where were you when I needed a savior?', screamed his brain. He turned and faced the short caped mallard who had managed to speed behind him. The words built up and flooded to his mouth were interrupted by a gunshot.

Darkwing jumped back and the bullet grazed his abs. He snarled at the bullet's origin found that masses of S.H.U.S.H. agents were swarming them from all angles. Another shot was fired and Darkwing had to lean forward to dodge it. Why were they attacking him! The freak over there was the bad guy!

"Darkwink Duck! Surrender de gurl!" Growled the amplified voice of Grizlikof.

Gosalyn saw the look of confusion on her captor's face and in a desperate attempt jammed her fingers in his eyes. He dropped her immediately and she was running before she hit the ground. S.H.U.S.H. was moving in on all sides, Dark could even hear them stumbling through the woods. To his surprise the next thing he felt was a pair of arms lock onto his waist. Stunned he looked down into a pair of emerald eyes.

"Let's go! Before it's too late! C'mon Darkwing!"

Dark looked back to Bushroot but he had gone, as did Hammerhead, there was no choice he'd have to take her. So in a third poof of smoke they disappeared, leaving a fuming Grizlikof in their wake.

I Live! Ahh what happened to frequent posts?Xo To make up for the half year absence how about a long post and some good news? I have the entire story finished (finally) I plan to get it all up more sooner than later. Thanks to everyone who have commented and here's hoping your not disappointed.