-Chapter Seven-
By the Light of the Full Moon
The rain was letting up, the clouds wisping slowly away to reveal the twinkling stars and the brilliant full moon. The lights from the city sparkled in their own calm majesty through the tower's windows. Gosalyn and Honker were safe in their beds with Launchpad taking up his nightly vigil. A warm ease had drowned him. All the uncertainty he had been fighting with hours ago didn't even seem like it had existed. His troubles were clearing up like the weather. He felt complete, in all his memories he could not think of any other time he had felt so blissfully calm. It was almost funny, all the years he was fighting, all the sweat, blood, and tears he had endured in hopes of feeling this way, it was in vain. How would he have known that what he was missing was a little girl and a woman who loved him?
She stirred gently beside him, her head resting on his chest. Her striped hair lay around her like a silken puddle. His mind was clear as he ran his fingers through her hair and the heaviness of sleep weighed upon his eyelids. He smiled absently to himself. He was sure that for the first time in years he'd get a decent night's sleep. One that wasn't induced by injury or medication, one that wasn't filled with nightmares of asylums and death. All thoughts of Quackerjack and Darkwing were nonexistent, tonight he was just Drake Mallard, and he was in love. As the last of the raindrops silently plummeted from the sky, the sweet release of sleep drew him in and the moon shone with an eerie brightness.
Across the city in his elegant penthouse apartment, Reynold Tither scowled at the celestial display. The incident with the vigilante S.H.U.S.H. was pursuing really burned him. He hated the bastard for making a fool of him, hated how he acted and pleaded like a coward, but mostly he hated that it was all over her! He had been relentlessly wooing her for two weeks until he finally got desperate enough to steal her ring. He knew she always wore it but had no idea it was a conduit for her power. He was sure he had her, she would have been his in only a matter of minutes but he came. "Who is Quackerjack?" His scowl deepened. What a ridiculous question. There was no Quackerjack until an artist doodled a dopey looking jester and it was slapped on some crummy toys.
"Who is Quackerjack.. ha!" He spat bitterly. "What does he think I am? An idiot?"
"Well I do!" Exclaimed a voice behind him.
He spun around and saw a derange looking duck in a blood stained straightjacket and jester hat sitting rather nonchalantly in his large leather chair.
"Wh… Who are you? How did you get in here?" Tither shouted in what he hoped was an intimidating voice. "I'll have you know S.HU.S.H. has my house on watch and will be in here to blow you away in a few minutes." He lied, praying his voice wasn't shaking; he didn't like the way this person was looking at him. Apparently he wasn't intimidating because the Jester laughed wildly at him. As the man collected himself he started to speak through his mad giggles.
"S.H.U.S.H. isn't watching anything! Apart from the doughnuts in their break room…" The intruder became very serious and a grim sneer stretched across his face. "And I am Quackerjack. And I don't just think you're an idiot Rey, I know it. You're a cowardly, greedy, backstabbing, bottom feeding, thieving idiot!" Screamed the seated figure the shattered eyes widening with madness.
"W…who are you?" Peeped Tither his back firmly pressed against the wall. The jester's grin stayed put but his eyes flashed with hatred.
"I've all ready told you. I am and always will be Quackerjack. Without me, MY work, MY ideas, you'd still be on an assembly line jamming plastic arms into their sockets in a factory somewhere!"
"It… it can't be.." Panicked Reynold, his breath was getting caught in his throat.
"Oh but it is. You stole my plans, my company, and drove me into madness. You thought you had gotten rid of me. You thought you were Scot free these past few years…" Quackerjack stood his uneven teeth bared in an evil smile. "You were right about that first part, but did you really think I wouldn't come back to thank you?"
"N…now l... let's not be rash, we both know you had medication that you hadn't been taking…." Stammered Reynold, his knees were shaking badly.
"Funny you should mention that, they did just disappear all of a sudden didn't they? And I never did get check your desk for the bottle. But I suppose I should be grateful, things are much more fun now."
Reynold saw something Quackerjack had left on the chair, and recognized it instantly. The horrible face that never made it out of concept sketches, sat there sneering at him. He was grasping but if he could appease the madman, keep him away for a while someone was sure to come.
"Is that a Banana Brain doll?" He breathed.
"That's MR. Banana Brain to you! " Quackerjack growled. "And he's not very fond of you so I think you should shut your trap before you make him mad."
"Come now, be reasonable, I'm sure we can work something out…" Reynold tried to compile himself, but it was hard when the man he had known all those years ago was stalking menacingly toward him.
"Work? No dice. I hate work." Quackerjack smirked. "How about we play a game instead? I've got a real good one, it's called Gut the Idiot." He was only three strides away now.
"No! No! Wait let's talk this out! I'm begging you!" He threw his hands up and covered his face.
"Talk? Why talk when you can sing? Talking is so boring. Sing your proposition to me and maybe I'll listen…. Maybe." His voice was near but he was still no closer. Hesitantly Reynold took his hands away from his eyes and saw the man standing still, staring him down three paces between them.
"You can't be serious…"
"I'm never serious. Life's too short to be serious, but if you don't change my mind quick I'll split you like a flounder."
"I'll give you anything! You want money? I'll give you as much as you want! You want royalties? I'll give you those too! You can have the whole damn company just don't hurt me!" He pleaded.
"Hmm. Very tempting, but I'm sorry we were looking for the answer in the form of a snappy tune, tough break Rey."
Reynold let out a distressed sob; in response the jester crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
"Simon says: stop sniveling you coward! I'm not going to kill you, well… not yet anyway." He snarled.
"Wh..what are you going to do with me?"
"You, my dear old friend, are a distraction."
Quackerjack backed off from the cowering mogul and began wandering around the room, inspecting objects that interested him. Tither, his entire body quivering with fear peeled himself away from the wall. He swallowed hard and watched the clown pick up certain items with mild curiosity. He had never regretted swindling this guy out of his work, he still didn't. Even before he wore this crazy suit the man was unstable, taking anti-psychotic medication multiple times daily, and scribbling up bizarre toys. So when he had the chance he acted, he was as powerful as he was this day because of this man. It was a shame really; he couldn't even remember this guy's real name. It wasn't really important though, someone would be by soon, Quackerjack must have set off the alarms when he came in. He just had to keep his wits about him until they showed up. At this moment the jester was more interested in his books than him, thumbing through them quickly and throwing them impatiently over his shoulder. He would have to make the most of his tormentor's distraction. Silently he moved toward his dresser, he brushed aside some riff raff and closed his shaking hand around his penknife. He quickly hid it behind him as Quackerjack turned to him slamming another book shut.
"These are no good Rey! All these pages and not a single picture? No jokes? How can anyone have fun with these?"
"I… that is…" He wasn't sure how to answer and it looked like Quackerjack didn't really expect him too. The costumed freak threw the book aside and wandered off to investigate a new area. "So… um. What have you been up to lately?" He wished he could have come up with something not so lame but his mind drew a complete blank.
"Been trying to keep you away from Ms. Macabre…" Quackerjack flashed him an evil glare.
"You?" Realization hit Tither too late. He had been tripped up so many times by one circus worker in his pursuit of Morgana, and he had thought the man had looked familiar. Now it was all too horribly clear. "You were that janitor at the circus…"
"Yes. Yes I was. And you really crossed the line there friend. Trying to lure her here into you're… you're lust filled fantasy. I should kill you for that alone." Quackerjack fixed Tither with an unblinking stare.
"Her? Is that what this is all about? Is she the reason why you broke in here tonight? I can assure you I won't bother your 'Mistress' again!" He felt the anger swell up inside him. Again he was acting like a fool because of that sideshow witch!
"Yes, I'd imagine Darkwing Duck beat that out of you." Sneered the jester with a smug glance at the window that was still broken and covered in thick plastic.
"You sent him here!" His fear was quickly overpowered by rage.
"Let's say I pointed him in your direction." Laughed the clown.
"So is that why you chose 'Quackerjack' as your alias?"
"No. I already told you I am Quackerjack, always have been, always will be. And you're boring me Rey…" Quackerjack moved back toward the chair the doll still occupied and reached behind it. "Since you're no fun to play with I came prepared. Mr. Banana Brain and I want to introduce you to my newest prototype." He pulled out a brightly colored, large mallet splattered in blood and hoisted it up to rest on his shoulder. He twirled the heavy weapon around with ease and started at Tither intently. "You can see it's already been kid tested and mother approved…. Want to try it out for yourself?"
"Be reasonable now, I'm a very wealthy man. I can get you anything you want." He held tight to the penknife, he was sure he could take care of this fool; he just had to wait it out. There was no smile from Quackerjack just the unblinking glare and the steady twirling of the mallet. "Listen. I know I was wrong back then… by God it still keeps me awake at night thinking about what I did to you!" He convincingly lied. "Please let me make it up to you. There must be something I can do." He locked eyes with the menace. "Perhaps I could buy off a certain Mistress for you?" He hoped that would seal the deal but instead the mallet swooshed at him missing by a hair. The head of the giant hammer smashed the mirror that hung on the wall and the glass crashed to the floor, Quackerjack's livid expression chilled him.
"You always did talk to much… you're a real Chatty Cathy. We'll see how talkative you are when I get through with you!"
Reynold attacked at that moment. The small bit of steel was aimed at the clown's eye. It looked like he would get the blade to its target until, with frightening speed a gloved hand caught his weapon-wielding wrist. Promptly and effortlessly Quackerjack snapped his wrist. Tither screamed and fell to his knees cradling his broken appendage.
"You really are an idiot." There was a loud crack as the mallet collided with Tither's head. The pitiful form fell face first onto the floor unconscious, a bead of blood forming at the wound. Quackerjack stood fidgeting with the weapon over him. His eyes darted around the room. Couldn't he just finish him now? Would that be so bad? Who needed to follow the plan anyway? He gripped the handle tightly and suddenly a shiver ran down his spine. He felt like someone was watching him. With a scowl he picked up the jack in the box he had stashed behind the chair and placed it on the bed. He stared at it and smiled in anticipation for tomorrow. With minimal effort he slung Tither over his shoulder, picked up his plush comrade, and made a clean escape into the city streets.
Darkwing Duck and all related characters are © Disney
This story and the rest are mine :D
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Hey bonus update for you guys! I had to go to the computer lab again so I typed this up real quick for you all! Expect some more on monday! Take care til then!