Power Play

Chapter 5: Starting Over

By perper

Darkwing trudged through the street. It had started to rain and he was soaked to the bone but that didn't matter. None of them mattered anymore. Especially her!

Anger is a typical part of suffering and loss, and so was this building well of sorrow that was vying with wrath for a place in his heart. Morgana's space had, at least for the moment, been rendered vacant and handed over on a first-come-first-serve basis. There was no one left to love. His family was gone; murdered by someone he thought he could trust. Was there a reason to protect this city? Did he stand a chance against these new adversaries?

Of all the times he needed the Justice Ducks, this was the most urgent. Yet, they were nowhere to be found and, if they had followed Morgana, they weren't on his side anymore.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Negaduck sat on a stiff bed in a bland room in a generic-looking hotel. He wasn't about to go near his hideout with all of these new threats. He wasn't scared, but he wasn't stupid. Taking his time would allow for a proper strike.

Whether or not to form a new team was still undecided. It definitely had advantages, but he didn't want to go through this experience again (not to mention that he'd probably lost a few years from his lifespan trying to keep the original idiots in line.)

If he went against this zombie-machine that Quackerjack was babbling about, then he might need help. But, if he used the correct explosives and distractions, he could probably pull it off alone and not even need to be near the target.

He fell back and rolled over onto his stomach. Feeling a slight discomfort, he pushed himself up and pulled Mr. Bananabrain from his coat; he'd forgotten to leave it behind.

"Stupid doll…" Negaduck tossed the toy into a nearby trashcan. He didn't even remember why he'd invited Quackerjack to be a part of the team anyway. Shouldn't he have known that they would clash too much?

Negaduck grabbed an umbrella and a black trench coat and prepared to leave. He needed to do some weapon shopping and clear his head. But the question still stuck and it was getting on his nerves.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Quackerjack's knees cracked as he stood. He finally felt well enough to walk after sleeping off the pain of his injuries; storming down the street had taken more out of him than he thought.

What was he going to do? He had no playmates; all of his friends had abandoned him. Some friends…Quackerjack felt uneasy. He shouldn't be thinking this way. His knees shouldn't be cracking.

He'd known it for so long, even though he didn't want it to be true: he was getting old. Past-middle-aged old. Old old. He didn't want to be old. He wanted to play. But, suddenly he was tired and depressed.

In the offing he saw a purple-clad duck walking in the rain.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For a moment, Quackerjack actually had the heart to silently respect Darkwing; he was the one that had helped him and the masked mallard looked horrible. But that was only for a moment.

"Well, look who's here. How goes the day-saving?" Quackerjack had a mixed mood but it made him happy to be annoying and villainous.

"…" The jester was fortunate to receive even a look from the fallen hero, but this only brought cheerful persistence. "What's the matter? Psycho got your tongue? Cape in a twist? Girlfriend cast another pudding spell?"

As he pestered Darkwing, Quackerjack bounced behind him, reached around and pulled the sides of his cheeks up into a goofy smile, but that last comment was met with violence. Darkwing jerked his face forward to release himself and then jabbed his elbow into the fool's stomach.

Rather than returning the blow, Quackerjack coughed and then said, "Touchy, aren't we? Don't you have other fish to fry?"

"Leave me alone."

"But that wouldn't be fun."

"Don't you and your electric pal have light bulbs and teddy bears to liberate?"

"…" Quackerjack fell back into his angry mood. Noting the rancor that suddenly overtook his playful rival, Darkwing grinned meanly. The victory only lasted so long, though, and Darkwing again sank into disillusionment.

Darkwing turned and slowly walked on, leaving Quackerjack to fume by himself. This however didn't sit well with said clown and soon he was following Darkwing at a distance. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Negaduck felt good. There was nothing better than treating yourself to brand new weapons of mass destruction. Oh wait, yes there was- using them on orphans and kittens.

Of course, plotting was half the fun. Or it was usually. As if the justice dorks weren't bad enough, a brand new idiot had to walk into town and challenge his authority as future-evil-ruler-of-St. Canard.

There was more than one. It would be best to have a team, but who was left? The ones he had chosen were the most promising while still controllable. Steelbeak was too independent and Taurus Bulba was dead. Random thugs had no creativity- which could be good but only for so much. Most of the other cons were total jokes and a thousand times more annoying than that frustrating jester.

Speaking of whom, if he was right then the original team was irretrievable. Megavolt's power and genius were being put to use by his enemy, Bushroot's control of the entire plant kingdom as well as obedient attitude were now against him, and the same went for the Liquidator's command of water and keen sense for crime.

He wasn't safe anywhere now. If this new guy knew anything about him or where he was then he had electricity, mother earth, water, and even fire to use against him. Who knows what else?

Negaduck needed to launch a crippling attack. If he could stop them before they could get to him, he could turn the whole situation around on this intruder.

An evil grimace slid across Negaduck's beak, the fun was returning.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Mommy? Where are you?" A brown bear cub paced laboriously about the sidewalk. Fretting this way and that, he eventually noticed Darkwing downheartedly pulling himself along. "Mister, have you seen my mommy?"

"…No…" Darkwing sighed and tried to evade the child.

"Please help me, Mister."

"I can't, little boy."

"But I can't find her!"

"I'm sorry…I have to go."

"Awww, giving in so easily Dark?" Quackerjack cruelly mocked from behind. Darkwing winced at the nickname; Morgana had called him that.

"Go away, puffy-pants." Dark finally retorted.

"But what about Mommy?" The boy broke in between them.

"Yea, what about mommy?" Quackerjack laughed.

"Please! Please help! There isn't anyone else." Darkwing stopped and looked directly at the boy. There wasn't anyone else. No one else to thwart evil. No one to find mommies. No one to save families from being destroyed by psycho ex-girlfriends. He was all that was left.

For Gos. He would defeat this enemy for Gosalyn, and for LP and maybe for the Muddlefoots too. They wouldn't go without being avenged.

"…What does she look like?" He finally gathered the courage to take the first step back into action.

"She's really pretty." The little boy replied.

Despite that the description wouldn't help much, Darkwing humored the child and, taking his hand, began to walk around the area.

It wasn't long before he heard the sound of a woman crying desperately, "Ursinae, where are you?"

"This way."

Two blocks away from where he had been, Darkwing reunited the boy with his mother.

"Thank you," the woman cried while hugging her son and Darkwing, "you're a true hero."

It had been simple. No bombs, no threat against the city, no lives in danger; just a boy looking for his mother, but it brought back the feeling of what it meant to help someone in need.

"Nice job..." Quackerjack rolled his eyes.

Darkwing didn't flinch, "Thanks, Quacky." He focused on the wound in Quackerjack's shoulder and then grimaced, "You up for a little revenge?"

- - - - - - -

To Be Continued…

perper says: bows Sorry for the delay. The original outline seemed to piece together so well, but the details (especially in characterization) were unbelievably hard to work out. My writer's block and depression haven't helped either.

Please accept my sincerest apologies for not updating sooner. Thank you for your patience. I will try my best to have the other chapters out sooner.