Roots Of Revenge Chapter 11: Side Kicks and Silk Dresses, a darkwing duck fanfic

Roots of Revenge

-Chapter 11-

Side Kicks and Silk Dresses

Drake opened his eyes and was greeted by the oranges and reds of the approaching sunset. He forced the heavy debris off of his back with seething anguish. The desk still pinned him painfully to the wall, the crippling pain made it unbearable to move. Counting at least two broken ribs he forced himself up and attempted to push the desk away to no avail. His arms shook with effort and every inch of his battered body rose against him angrily. Was this it? After all this, was it time to give up? His entire body felt as if it had been tenderized with a mace, leaving bones broken and he didn't even want to think about internal bleeding. At the moment the agony felt like the best reason to give up. He put his head down heavily on the ruined wood desktop. He had failed. Failed as a hero, failed as a friend, failed at everything. No. He'd give it one more try. With an excruciating breath he worked his battered hands along the rim of the desk and gave it a fierce shove. The pain exploded in an uproar and he collapsed. Hot tears tore down his face as his body screamed for relief. So this was it. The end of Darkwing Duck. Pinned to a wall fated to die at the mercy of internal wounds or self granted release. The office was in shambles, the ceiling threatening to fully collapse upon him at any moment, debris showering every square inch of the place. Amid the mess a toppled stack of boxes, crushed by a little girl lay forgotten. Gosalyn, he made her a promise. How could he even think of giving up on her? It was then he noticed the truck had caused a massive box of car parts to collapse in front of the desk. It would be hopeless to try and move it on his own. He would never be able to do it. Realization dawned on him…. It was still on his hip. He had forgotten to leave it at the bay head quarters. He pried the small black box that served as a distress beacon and placed it on the desktop. He stared at it with great hesitation, the beacon would surely reach him but was he ready to reveal himself twice in one day? With a shred of hope and consciousness Drake hit the activation button.

The woods were still pretty quiet today. And he couldn't quite shake the idea that they were thinner too. Like half the trees just up and left in the middle of the night. Launchapd wondered where a whole mess of trees could sneak off too with out a soul seeing them but he decided it was impossible and he went on with his work. His eyes were bothering him with the scratchiness of not sleeping properly. Something just didn't feel right, he sat on the trunk of the expensive sports car he was tuning up. The extra hours he put into working with Darkwing were getting longer and longer recently and running on the bare minimum of energy was something Launchapd didn't really look forward too.

"Hey McQuack!" Jack's voice came from the shop's staff room. "Your uh… keys are glowing."

Glowing? He blinked. GLOWING? He hopped off the car and scrambled into the room. Jack pointed to the blinking green bulb that lit up like a searchlight. It was DW all right, but so early in the day? He turned puzzled to Jack.

"Mr. J do you think it would be okay if I left early? Just this once?"

"Go ahead" Shrugged the black feathered boss. " Quite honestly I wish you would ask more often. You work too…" Jack started but Launchpad hurried out with out a backward glance. "Hey! Is everything okay?"

The blinking box had toppled onto the floor as the mallard trapped behind the desk struggled to get a few more inches between his lungs and his fractured ribs. Gritting his teeth Drake hopelessly attempted to push the desk away. His arms would give out soon and he wasn't sure he could stay awake much longer. An engine rumbled outside and a pair of big feet could be heard running toward the dilapidated building. An unmistakable silhouette appeared in the gaping hole. After all the work he had put into hiding this from this mechanic for it crumble like this was almost too much. Launchpad squinted in to the darkening office and noticed a dusty torso watching him.

"Deedoubleyuh?"

A bitter laugh answered him, which was proof enough in his eyes. He worked his way across the trashed room picking up the beacon as he passed keeping his gaze on the plainly clothed duck.

"So…." Groaned the duck painfully. "What do you think of the mighty Darkwing Duck now Launchpad? Pretty pathetic huh?"

"What happened? It looks like a Mac truck came through here." Launchpad stopped in front of the desk.

"It did."

"Oh." He answered

"I need you to help me LP I can't get out." He shoved the desk again and grunted through gritted teeth.

Launchpad quickly put his brawn to use and swept the clutter aside with tremendous force. With a joint effort they pried the desk away. It scraped loudly across the floor and as soon as it was clear of it's hostage the weary duck who was Darkwing disappeared as he collapsed to the floor. Launchpad stood hesitantly where was, he wasn't quite over the shock of seeing what he really looked like. He couldn't say he was disappointed because he wasn't. It was just odd to know what was hidden behind the mask. And to find out like this, man he must really be hurt. Launchpad carefully moved around the side of the desk and crouched beside the broken figure that sat against the wall drawing painful breaths.

"What happened Deedub.. uh." He trailed off.

"Drake." He kept his eyes to the floor. "Drake Mallard."

"Who did this?" LP's eyes wandered to the gaping hole as more of the structure crumbled in the gaping absence of wall. It was a miracle that he was still alive and that the building hadn't caved in.

"They've got Gosalyn."

By the time Launchpad's eyes had returned to Drake the cold eyes he knew undoubtedly as Darkwing's were waiting for him.

"Hammerhead took her, but even worse she must be in the clutches of Bulba by now. He took her out from right under my nose!" He firmly put a hand on LP's shoulder and managed to stand. Launchpad could see Drake's body fighting him, willing him to crumble but his mind wouldn't let it. Launchpad stood up and Drake looked at him. "Thanks."

"No problemo." He responded numbly. How could he be standing? He was seriously messed up it took the combined effort of both of them just to get him free, and he was standing like nothing had even happened. Drake winced and began to walk, Launchpad cantered after him. "Whoa! Wait! Where are you going?"

"I've got to get her back. I have to set things right, I owe her that much" he responded through clenched teeth.
"But you can barely walk how can you possibly help her like this?"

"I won't let them hurt her." His knee gave out but he steadied himself before he fell.

"This is crazy! You need medical attention…" Launchpad helped him regain his footing. In response the short mallard sighed. "if you need to do this, then let me help you."

Again the eyes locked on him and Launchpad had an eerie feeling that those eyes could look through him like a pane of glass.

"I can't let you do that."

"Well I'm not going to stand by and watch you kill yourself so you better get use to the idea of having a side-kick." He flared shortly.

Drake laughed lightly but stopped abruptly, it was too painful.

"Alright alright. But you do exactly what I tell you understand?"

"Aye aye."

It was a giant twisted piece of metal, with a rotating, pumping heart of evil made up of gears and clockwork. It was a dark reflective steel that mirrored everything around it and she could see herself, though very small, captured on the surface of the machine. She sat at the window in the decadent room that was provided for her, in a ridiculously frilly, girly dress they had told her to wear. She could see him, her grandfather working on the monster. He looked so tired. But he was alive and in her eyes that made her happy enough not to cry. She clenched her fists full of the silky powder pink fabric that covered her and looked around her room. This place was more designed like a palace than a prison, there was an elegant canopied bed, along with a shiny wooden table that held a crystal cut bowl of plump fruit and a glistening goblet filled with water. She sat in the velvet covered gold accented chair, the lush royal purple carpet had an unnatural softness to it and it traveled underneath a heavy wooden door that locked from the outside, where the armed guard was on constant watch. She trembled and looked back to her grandfather, he was looking at her. She waved and he sadly smiled in response. This was it? She was suppose to sit here in uncomfortable dresses and eat and drink what others picked out for her. It all felt so hopeless, and no one would help them. The only person she could count was dead because of her. If she hadn't gone to see him at the scrap yard maybe Drake would be on his way to rescue her and her grandfather. But she had killed him. Voices started to approach her door, one she picked up immediately as Hammerhead and the other, with it's thick accent and silky confident tone must be Bulba. As they got closer she could just make out their conversation.

"…gotta do something!" Shrieked Hammerhead.

"Relax. I assure yoo nothink can get in zis buidink with out me wantink it too."

"So I'm gunna hide out here forever?"

" No one can get in or out unless I will it too. I believe we shood extend an invitation no?"

"No!" Panicked the uneasy voice. "Are you sayin' you want us to go get the psycho spud and bring him here?"

"Definitely not. What I suggest is that we lure him here. Perhaps yoo know of someone he wood come for…" there was an malicious pause, "…apart from yoorself of course." The voices were almost outside her door now.

"Yeah. I know just tha dame."

"Splendid send a chauffeur to escort her to my humble abode."

"Sure thing boss." Said the miserable voice of Hannigan. A hand began to turn the knob. "Hey boss be careful in there. That kid has a bad temper."

"I vill manage." The door swung open.

The giant bull stood in his bright red suit taking up the entire doorway. She tried not to look at him and kept her focus on the machine. She could feel his eyes on her, his burning gaze made her want to smash that blasted bowl over his damned head. The door clicked as it shut.

"That dress suits yoo Ms. Waddlemyer." His voice was oozing with charm. He approached and joined her gaze out the window, on the machine. "Magnificent isn't it?"

"I think it's disgusting." She grumbled.

"Now be kind. Yoor poor grandfather has worked so hard on eet for me. But now that you mention it…" He feigned a look of deep thought. "Eet is vile. I vill haf to tell him to make another one at your request."

"No! Leave him alone! Don't you think you've done enough?" She glared at him. The corners of his eyes crinkled in an amused smile.

"I suppose I haf. Very well, I vill keep this eye sore en return for all I haf done."

"Why couldn't you have just left us alone?"

"Do you know what that 'disgusting' machine is Ms. Waddlemyer?"

She knew. She had known the moment she had first seen it. She had come in contact with a great deal of her grandfather's ideas and plans plotted out and blue lined over her time with him. But Bulba didn't know that, and anything he didn't know was a plus for her. So she played dumb.

"I know whatever it is it's not good."

"On the contrary Miss, for me eet es veri good. Yoo see eet es called a 'Ramrod', it allows me to lock onto anything I wish and it will bring eet to me. Anythink from gold to people, when eet es finished I vill be a very powerful man indeed."

"Sounds stupid to me."

"My dear, eef the Ramrod had been finished but a few hours ago I needn't haf sent Hammerhead to fetch yoo. I could have used eet to bring yoo here. Ah, eef that had been so maybe yoor friend Mister Mallard wood still be alife." He sneered.

Her fist collided with is snout before he could blink. He clutched his nose and side stepped the fiery red head in silk as she swung at him again spewing obscenities. She appeared to be trying to make her way to anything she could use as a weapon. He grabbed her by the big bow that encircled her waist with a giant hand and yanked her back so hard she fell to the floor, smacking her head against the carpet. She glared up at him tears streaming down her face. His horns blocked out the lamp light, his silhouette was the unnerving, he truly was the devil.

"Yoo better behavf or yoo vill not see yoor grandfather in such good health for much longer." He crouched down and put a firm hand under bill and forced her face towards his. The musky scent of exotic spices and freshly cut wood poured off of him and scarred itself into her brain. "And yoo vill be more gracious to yoor host or I vill give you more reason to hate me." A sick smile curled on his lips.

"Boss!" Cried the guard's voice from the doorway. Bulba removed his grip on her and stormed over to him, slamming the door shut as he went.

"Vhat ees it?" He growled.

Gosalyn sat up and hugged her knees the tears soaking the stupid rotten dress she was trapped in. She strained her ears to hear what news had come her way.

"There has been an unidentified aircraft spotted across St. Canard sir. It's reportedly heading our way. It will probably be here in a few minutes!" Stammered the shaken guard.

"So… he has come for ze gurl, as I suspected. Contact ze others tell them to open fire eef they see so much as a wisp of smoke."

"Yes sir!"

Darkwing? Her heart rose and she wiped her eyes quickly on her arms. Was it true? She rushed to the window. If Darkwing was going to save her grandfather she'd be damned if she was going to miss it.

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See I am finally making progress with my updates! - I hope you guys are enjoying my indulgent re-creation. At this rate you'll be reading the final chapter in this story in about a week, but don't worry (or do worry if you wish I had never started thisstory)I have the second one finished and am planning to upload that one on the same schedule I'm on now. The third is well on it's way though the amount of characters and all the goings on are making my brain hurt. Well that's all for now I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

---Kitty