Chapter 19
Fathom
Phyros paced angrily back and forth along the beach, tail lashing and smoke pouring from his nostrils. He had no idea how long it had been since he had been beaten by the plant thing. He couldn't really tell time most days, much less marooned on a island in the middle of nowhere. At some point the authorities of St. Canard had figured out that putting him in a normal prison didn't work. He always ended up burning it to the ground, and either scorching or releasing his fellow prisoners, sometimes both. So this time they had just plopped him on a deserted island somewhere and let him figure himself out by himself. There was plenty of food here, both plant and animals, and even water, but none of what he really wanted.
Of course there was no fuel there.
He was very thirsty.
And angry.
So these days he paced around the beach, glaring into the distance where he was fairly sure St. Canard was and growling, hoping to figure out a way back so he could roast certain plants. And rats. And water things. He hated them all. They would all be ash. Someday.
But today there was something different. Phyros squinted. Yes! That was certainly a ship heading for him! A ship with a motor. Some sort of yacht or something! He could eat the fuel! The thought that he could use the boat to get to the mainland then eat the fuel crossed his mind like a hummingbird flitting overhead, but didn't stay to long. Most of his mind was consumed with the thought of FUEL!
It was a mild shock to him when the yacht slowed to a halt next to the pier that the cops had used to haul him here months before. Phyros ran down the pier, ignoring the water below and yowling in thirst. It was a further shock when a large gallon jug of fuel came flying out of the yacht and landed in front of Phyros' claws. The crazed iguana skidded to a halt and sniffed. Yep, it was gasoline all right. Premium too. Really nice. Without a moments hesitation Phyros ripped the top off the plastic jug and began to chug it like a college kid chugging a keg a beer. To Phyros' delight three more jugs landed next to his feet.
Phyros let out a loud burp, when all of a sudden a chunk of bloodied meat landed at his feet. It had been ripped up and was so bloody he couldn't really tell what it had been before it had been shredded to hell like this. He growled and sniffed it, only now suspicious.
"He there, buddy! I'm sorry, I have no idea how well you've been eating out here. How long have you been here, anyway?"
Phyros looked up and growled at the figure before him. He didn't know this...thing. Why did it talk like it knew him?
"Ah well, it doesn't matter." The figure grinned, letting its sharp, red dripping teeth glint in the sunlight. "How'd you like an opportunity to get off this rock? I need a favor, and I figure helping you get off will mean you owe me one? Maybe more than one? You'll get a chance to get back at the Four too. What do you say, pal?"
Phyros grinned and jumped into the boat.
"Just so we're clear though." Phyros' new friend said. "Leave the Liquidator to me. Oh, and Scrooge McDuck. We're going to need them both. Or I will."
Phyros shrugged. Why did the new friend care about McDuck? Oh well. As long as he kept giving him fuel Phyros' new friend could do, and kill, whatever he wanted as far as Phyros cared.
He slept very easily on the way back to the mainland.
"So, you want to bet, or not?" Quackerjack studied the package sitting innocently on the table. Megavolt snorted at him.
"No more bets between you and me, remember? It only leads to arguments."
"I don't mean betting money, I just want to know if you think it's another bomb or not." Quackerjack asked. "Last time it was an exploding pie. Who does that to an innocent pie?"
"Negaduck." The Liquidator glared at the package with a grumble.
When the group started to get fan mail, usually forwarded to them via Bulba, it was generally actual, innocent fan mail, or just thank you cards for saving people. Or holiday cards. One or two of them came off as creepy. One was a proposition of marriage to Bushroot from someone in jail, although it was nice enough to make the plant duck feel oddly flattered by the man's way with words. He was very careful and polite in his rejection though. Bushroot wasn't ready to date a convict no matter how eloquent they were. They took the rejection rather well though.
Of course some of the mail exploded. Or spewed gas. One of them Quackerjack was fairly sure contained a Native curse of some kind, though it didn't take and nothing came of it aside from someone or something calling out from the woods with Bushroot's parent's voices for a few nights. It had been fairly creepy but it went away after a week, or so they thought.
So any package sent to them was met with some caution. It could be a nice fruit basket like they sometimes got. Or could be something meant to kill them. Bushroot, after the first two homicide attempts, built a bomb building outside of the greenhouse. Just four walls and a roof with small windows and a package opening machine built by Quackerjack with which they used to open suspect packages with relative safety.
"Okay, push the button, Quackerjack." Bushroot said. They all stood outside the bomb hut, safely shielded behind thick glass and thicker walls. Quackerjack nodded and pushed a button sitting on the outside of the building. Watching from the small windows the four could see a pair of robotic hands unfurl from the ceiling, take the package and gently hold it as a pair of robotic scissors on a long pole unfurled and cut the package open. The robot hands gently removed the packaging and placed it to the side. Under the packaging was a box, and the robot hands gently cut off the top and placed that to the side as well. Then they gently lifted the box and gently dumped the contents on the table.
A pile of bones slid out, enough to make one leg. And a letter.
There was a long pause, then Quackerjack snorted. "Well, that's ominous."
The robot hands plucked the letter out of the pile of bones, opened it and placed it against the glass so the four could read it.
Hello Four,
Hi, you don't know me. Yet. You will though. Need to have a talk with the Liquidator. Fairly sure the rest of you will come too, but you really shouldn't. I'd tell you to stay home, but you wont. It's fine. Just ask Scrooge McDuck to take you to the sea lab. He'll know which one.
Tell him the bones belong to his niece. That should motivate him down here. I know his other relative down here with me won't. He doesn't give a damn about that one. At least I don't think he does. Maybe he does. We'll see.
"So...this is a trap." Megavolt said.
"Oh it goes without saying." Bushroot said. "Still, if these bones are related to Scrooge, we should at least let him know. If they do belong to his family he should know what happened to her."
"Yeah, but we don't know what happened." Megavolt said. "We just got mailed someone remains with a cryptic note to an obvious trap."
"Let's contact Bulba and Scrooge." Bushroot said. "He does deserve to know abut this, and we need to know who this really was." Bushroot sighed and headed back inside the greenhouse, looking for his phone.
Soon enough the Four found themselves at the coroners, waiting outside the actual room where Scrooge was talking to coroner about who the bones might belong to. Once the former richest duck (and he was climbing steadily back, now he was tenth richest duck at present), had learned about the situation he had rushed over to St. Canard fairly quickly and insisted on being the only one to talk to the people identifying the remains. The Liquidator felt this was only fair. If it was the remains of one of his relatives, he would want to be alone when they were identified as well.
Scrooge had once again brought Magica, who was at the moment gently talking to Bushroot about the thing that kept talking outside the greenhouse trying to lure people outside in the middle of the night. Apparently the witch thought it might be a skinwalker. That didn't sound good to the Liquidator, but he also knew nothing about Native monsters.
Scrooge had also brought a short jackal man dressed in a very nice suit, who stood next to the door like a bodyguard, ready and able to bash some heads in case anything or anyone looked the wrong way at his employer. Even after what felt like almost forty five minutes, they had only managed to get the man's name, Dijon. Apparently he was the one who flew Scrooge's plane. And drove his cars. And pretty much anything else. He didn't talk much.
"So...how do you like working for Scrooge?" The Liquidator desperately tried to break the ice. The man had been staring around the room without blinking for an impressive amount of time.
"Fine."
The Liquidator blinked. "You've worked for him for a while...?"
"Most of my life. Met him in Egypt when I was six. I led his camel."
"...ah..." The Liquidator desperately tried to think of something else to say but came up empty. He almost sighed in relief himself when the door finally opened and Scrooge came out, looking grim.
"Sir, is it?" Dijon's eyes darted to Scrooge, who gave the jackal a sharp nod. Dijon closed his eyes and sighed sadly, the only emotion that he showed thus far.
"Can you tell us more about this sea lab, Mr. McDuck?" the Liquidator stood. "I'd like more information before we go."
Scrooge's eyes darted to the Four. "I'm not sure I want you lads involved. I'm glad you brought this to my attention, but this is a family matter."
"But the person who wrote that named me in the letter. At the very least I should go." The Liquidator argued. "And if is at a sea lab, I'm a mutant water creature. It's right up my alley. You can use me. You won't even have to worry about me getting hurt or lost or slowing you down."
"Scroogie, he might be right." Magica stood up. "They've helped you before, after all."
Scrooge sighed and studied them all. His eyes darted briefly behind him back to where the leg bones had been taken and sighed again. "Ya will say nothing about anything of this to anyone. Not of word of what I'm going to tell you. Not to the police here. Not to any federal agents that might be skulking about. Is that clear?"
The Four all eyed the hallways, as if worried that a certain rooster might be summoned with this statement.
"It's clear, and we promise. Right?" Bushroot looked at his friends, and they all nodded.
"Alright. We have to go a bit far out to go there. If you boys have anything you need wrapped up, then wrap it up and met me at my plane. We leave in two hours. Don't be late." With that Scrooge stormed out, followed by Magic and Dijon.
"I think it'd be a better idea for me and Bushroot to stay here." Megavolt said. "I doubt I will be much help in the middle of the ocean and there won't be any plants out there either. Plus, someone needs to keep watch over the city."
"Probably a good idea." The Liquidator nodded as he tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling the back of his mind.
Two hours later Quackerjack and the Liquidator met Scrooge's plane at the docks, and the Liquidator couldn't shake the weird feeling he had. Maybe it was because the last time and Quackerjack were sent on a mission with just the two of them was the incident with the sea monsters. Of course this time they were with Scrooge McDuck, who wasn't likely to betray them. Still, it didn't sit well with the Liquidator. But then again unless they figured out a way to keep Megavolt from shorting out during any mission that involved bodies of water it would be difficult for him to come along with them. Maybe they should make him an airtight water suit, like a space suit.
Or actual scuba gear.
Maybe that was something they should get Megavolt himself on?
Either way, the two of them managed to get into the plane without incident, and soon were on their way. Scrooge refused to tell them exactly where in the ocean they were going, but assured them that it wasn't going to be far.
"Mr. McDuck, could you please tell us more about this sea lab. And who or what we are looking for there?" The Liquidator finally asked.
Scrooge sighed and turned to them from where he had been sitting in the co-pilot seat next to Dijon. The relatively small plane had only six passenger seats, all arranged along the sides of the plane. The rest of the plane was apparently storage space. Not much storage space but enough for a few treasure chests full of loot. Right now there was no loot though.
The elder duck stared at them both for a long time, long enough that the Liquidator had to fight down the urge to fidget. He felt almost like a naughty school child asking the teacher to please explain long division again.
"The two of you are about to learn more about my family than most. I want to reiterate I don't want either of you spreading it around. I have enough enemies, and I don't want any of them to get the idea of kidnapping or hurting my family to get to me. Not anymore."
The Liquidator nodded. He did know about what happened to Scrooge's nephews. He could relate.
"The leg belongs to my niece, Della. The boys I lost recently, she was their mother. Left them on me doorstep when they were about two years old. Just dumped them and walked off. Never saw her again. Didn't even give me or them the benefit of an explanation. Her...brother and I have been looking out for them since. Raising them as best we can in a city like Duckburg."
The Liquidator nodded, and Scrooge continued.
"I've had that lab for about ten years now. She shouldn't have had anything to do with it. I cut her off when she abandoned her boys. That lab has been researching a mysterious pit in the ocean. There used to be thermal vents down there, but ten years ago they collapsed and now it's just a mysterious hole in the ocean floor. There was some...odd readings of something down there. It's still unusually hot. Sometimes people say they can hear something down there whenever they sail past. Like a voice. I set up the lab because its close enough to Duckburg that I want to keep it monitored. If there is something unearthly down there I want to know about it. Duckburg is my responsibility, and no matter what bad things happen there I will do my damnedest to keep it safe."
Scrooge sighed and looked out the window.
"A year ago I sent another of my nephew's down there. Well, I say nephew, but he's my brother-in-law's son. Good lad, bit spacey and a little odd, but a good lad. He was supposed to have recorded what was going on at the lab. Reports from them had been sporadic. Odd. The crew having nightmares, hearing something coming from the pit. I was worried that something was going on, so I sent Fethry down there with one of those video recording devices. I haven't heard from him since."
"...why didn't you check this out before now?" Quackerjack asked gently.
"Because a week before the boy was supposed to check in with me Gizmoduck happened. I was a bit busy fleeing for me life. I figured he was just laying low while Gizmoduck blew over." Scrooge's bill tightened. "That note you have...suggests he never left the lab. And if something bad has happened down there..." Scrooge ran a hand though his feathers. "I've lost to much family already."
"Even one is to many." the Liquidator growled, and Quackerjack nodded in agreement.
The Liquidator had to hand it to the sea base. It did a good job of looking decrepit and gloomy. Perfect place to find underwater monsters and haunted pirate ships and things that went bump in the night. It was just a steel platform with a circular building in the middle. Ancient rust clung to the metal, and it was hard to tell what color it was originally. Holes were eaten into the metal, and the Liquidator feared it would all start to crumble at any moment.
"It's a sea elevator." Scrooge explained. "Gah, looks like it's falling apart. Dijon, do find out who was in charge of upkeep of this place, and if he hasn't left yet, fire him."
"Noted, sir." The jackal nodded.
"Hey, is that a yacht over there?" Quackerjack pointed.
"Hmmm, looks new. Clown lad, you go with Magica and check it out. Water lad, with me." Scrooge leaped out of the plane and headed for the sea elevator, ignoring the Liquidator's attempt to tell him their names.
"Don't be too offended, darlings...he's not having a good day. I imagine you can understand why." Magica patted both of them on the shoulder and then attempted to guide Quackerjack towards the yacht. The clown grumbled but didn't argue.
The Liquidator sighed and followed Scrooge as he stomped into the elevator. He looked around. Although the outside of the place looked like it was going to fall into the ocean at any point, the inside looked...not new, but at the very least operational. Hell it looked like someone had bothered to sweep and mop the place before they arrived.
The moment the Liquidator stepped into the elevator the door slammed down behind him with a sudden hiss of hydraulics. It sounded like something sealed behind him with a hiss of air. He turned around and heard something roar. Though the window he saw a flash of fire and Quackerjack yelling. The Liquidator sloshed to the door and attempted to pull it open, when a face suddenly slammed up against the window. It was scaly and finned and the Liquidator recognized it.
It was the same sea monster that he and Quackerjack had helped those South American conmen drag across the wilds outside of St. Canard. The one that he had shot in the shoulder. The one that hadn't gone with Negaduck.
The sea monster grinned and scrambled up on top of the elevator. There was the sound of ripping metal, and all of a sudden the elevator began to descend down into the depths. The Liquidator reached out to steady Scrooge as the two of them sank deeper and deeper into the darkness.
"...to be fair, it was rather obviously a trap." Scrooge said ruefully.
"Yep."
It wasn't long before the sea elevator settled into a slot in the sea base. The Liquidator couldn't exactly make out the exact size of the sea base, but it looked rather large to him. The elevator automatically settled, then the doors open to reveal a large room. The Liquidator sloshed in first, ready to face whatever the sea monster had in store for them. He looked around. The room they were in was large, with a big monitor at the far in and a set of controls, like some sort of large computing...thing. The Liquidator wasn't the best with computers and didn't know what you called those big monitor things with all the keyboards and dials and shit. He did notice a small porthole open up near the top of the room. A few seconds later the sea monster dropped, landing on a staircase that led from the floor to the porthole. The sea monster shut the porthole and leaped down, a rather impressive leap all things considered. Scrooge walked up next to the Liquidator, cane held and ready.
The Liquidator edged forwards. The sea monster stood with its back to them, facing away. The Liquidator noted that the beast had seemed to have mutated further. It now had a long, finned tail, like the body of an eel, that twitched on the ground. A line of discolored scales ran alone the base. The rest of the creature's fishy scales were a silvery color, or at least the ones on its back were. It seemed to be staring into the distance, as if mesmerized.
"I remember you." The Liquidator started, but the beast interrupted.
"You shot me."
"I didn-"
"It's fine. I know he was manipulating you. I even pretended I didn't know you in front of Negaduck. You're very easily manipulated, Buddy, but so is Negaduck if you push the right buttons."
The Liquidator tensed. "How-"
"I know everything about you that's relevant. You're name. Who you are. Who you could have been. Your wife. Your son."
The Liquidator growled. "What do you know about Hank?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Yes I would!"
"Where's my nephew?" Scrooge demanded.
"He never had your blood anyway. Is he really your nephew?"
"OF course he is! If you've done anything to him!"
"If I hadn't sent that letter, Scrooge, would you even have remembered? You didn't the other time. But...no wait. Shouldn't blame you for that. You're different. You had reasons. He didn't."
"...what are you babbling on about?" Scrooge was baffled. So was the Liquidator.
"You see things in the dark. After a while. Things that were. That are. That will be. Things that are happening, right now, but just slightly to the left. Or the right." The monster's tail lashed back and forth. "The walls of the Negaverse are thin. That's how we see them in our dreams."
"The what?" The Liquidator blinked.
"Where do you think you are?" The beast replied.
"Secret sea base?"
"Well if you want to be literal." The beast shrugged, then it's tail lashed hard. "Oh! How about a game! You follow me. I'll show you his tapes as I go. When you get to the end, tell me my name. Then I'll tell you what I saw. And I'll give you a hint to find your son and one of the little nephews. The green one. I know where he is."
"WHAT! You better-" Scrooge raised his cane aggressively, but the beast laughed.
"OH come on, Scrooge! You love puzzles and adventure! Come on! One last one for the road! Catch me if you can!"
The sea monster leaped forwards and snatched a small video camera from the floor and tossed it at the Liquidator. "First one's free!"
The Liquidator lunged and caught it. It no longer mattered to him that this was a trap, that the creature was toying with them. If there was even a slight chance this would lead him to Hank he would take it.
He looked down at Scrooge as the sea monster raced out the door and down a hall, deeper into the sea base.
"I have to know Scrooge. Hank's my son. I have to find him."
Scrooge nodded. "I have to know about Louie. Play the tape, lad. We'll play that monster's game. Then we'll teach him not to mess with us!"
The Liquidator nodded and fiddled with the camera. He remembered using a similar one to record Hank's birthday parties. In a few seconds he had confirmed there was indeed a tape in there, and was able to open the little screen on the camera that played back tapes. Scrooge peered over his shoulder as the Liquidator started the tape.
The tape's image wobbled a bit with static for a moment before revealing a male duck dressed in red. The Liquidator assumed this was the right man. From Scrooge's expression, he figured this couldn't be anyone else.
The duck adjusted the camera and sighed. "Okay, Uncle Scrooge? I hope I'll be able to get this to you. I just got here and things are already...weird. I told the head scientist what you told me to say, that I'm just here to help clean up the place. She's a bit weird, but I'm not sure if it's just the normal weird people you hire." the duck laughed nervously. "Like me I guess."
"That him?" The Liquidator asked.
"Yep, that's Fethry." Scrooge said shortly. "Hush."
"They just...stare at you. Like they aren't really seeing you. I mean, they look at you, but they don't see you. You know?" Fethry sighed. "And I caught one of them, the cook, muttering something about the meat for dinner not being fresh enough. It wasn't so much what he was saying as much as how he was saying it. Slammed the door in my face when I noticed me watching him."
Fethry sighed and looked around the room he was in. "They stuck me in this small room, it's really close to that hole. In fact, come here." he took the camera and the image on the screen jiggled as he walked the camera to the porthole window on the other side of the room. It really was a small room, about the size of small bedroom. Just enough room for a single bed and a porthole. You could probably walk from one end to the other in three steps in any direction. So it didn't take long for the camera to reach the window.
It was a bit hard to see, but down in the depths of the ocean outside the tiny porthole, the Liquidator could see the faint outline of the hole. Or at least one edge of the hole.
"It's right next to me. It's actually very unnerving. This is an ecological dead zone, according to the team here. Nothing out there at all except water and rocks. Not even any krill or plankton or anything. Except us."
The camera turned back to Fethry's face, and the Liquidator could tell that even though the man was trying to give the camera a reassuring smile that being down here was bothering him.
"Kinda wish I had curtains down here. Nothing else to do but stare into the darkness. It's alright. I can handle it."
There was a moment of static again, and a brief moment of blue screen before the tape resumed.
"Okay, so." Fethry looked over his shoulder on the screen, frowning at the porthole. "It's been a week...I think what you really need to hire is some sort of therapist, Uncle Scrooge." He faced the camera again and ran a hand through his head feathers. "They always scream at night. At first I couldn't figure out why they all have nightmares at the exact same time. Three am on the dot. But now I do it too. For the past three nights I've woken up screaming with the rest of the crew at exactly three in the morning. It's like clockwork. I...can't remember why though. I really want to leave, Uncle Scrooge. But I can't. I have one more day left, then I can go. It'll be fine." His smile was shaky, and the Liquidator could see him trembling on the small screen. "I think that maybe isolation and being in a place like this starts to mess with your head. I keep thinking I'm hearing something from the hole. Can't be real. Just letting this place get to me." He shuddered. "I'll be home soon, and we can put this behind us..." Fethry closed his eyes and then muttered something, but the Liquidator couldn't make out what it was.
There was another pause in the tape, then Fethry's face came back. This time the man was outright trembling in terror, eyes on the door as if he expected the zombies at any moment now.
"They won't let me go. I tried to leave, but they've locked the elevator down. Said I was one of them now. Can't go back up. I tried to sneak into the radio room and call you, but you won't answer. I don't know if they've messed with the radio or not." His eyes finally wandered back to the camera, and the Liquidator could see they were bloodshot. "The cook said that they had to wait for her. I don't know who her is, but they say that she brings them fresh meat. I don't like the way they say that. I see things in the dark now. Just glimpses of something out the porthole. I know it's just my mind playing tricks, trying to fill the void with something, but it's unnerving. There are so many teeth it..." He shook his head, and the Liquidator noticed feathers starting to fall. He realized the poor duck was molting. Probably due to fear and stress. "It will be fine. As soon as you realize I haven't checked in you'll come and help me. Or you'll send that battle butler of yours to help. Maybe Donald? I know, it'll be fine Uncle Scrooge. Just have to hold on."
The tape shut off, and nothing more played. Scrooge gave a deep sigh and shook his head.
"Damn that Gizmoduck." Scrooge growled. "He was in trouble and I had no idea!"
"We have to keep going." The Liquidator said.
"Aye, it's not a big place, there isn't many places for a sea monster to hide...could try the kitchen's next. Fethry kept mentioning the cook and fresh meat. Let's see if there are any clues there."
The Liquidator nodded and kept pace with Scrooge. He knew there was no way the elder duck would let him take the lead. He was Scrooge McDuck after all. But the Liquidator could keep pace with him, just in case the sea monster burst out of the shadows to attack them.
But the base was silent, eerily so. It reminded the Liquidator of a graveyard, and if it was true that there was nothing living in the waters of the area than maybe it was an good description of the place. He had a feeling that whatever happened down here, the crew was probably long gone. If they all really were going insane down here than any number of things could have happened to them. They wouldn't even need anything supernatural. Paranoia and isolation would do enough to drive them to hallucinate and start seeing or hearing things that weren't there.
He was proven right a few moments later when they came to the kitchen.
Four bodies had been set up arranged around a table. Each of them clearly dead, as nothing but skeletons remained. Two were ducks of some variety, one was a cat and the last some other type of bird with a long beak. A stork perhaps? Each of them were leaning back in their chairs, the skeletal remains of whole fishes stuck down their throats. There wasn't a sign of a tableware at all, just a single fish stuffed down each of their mouths. If the Liquidator still had a body he was sure he'd want to throw up. As it was his water rippled in agitation. He heard Scrooge curse quietly, and the Liquidator took a deep breath that he didn't actually need in order to steady himself.
After a few moments the Liquidator noticed the tape sitting on the end of the table. He rippled again in disgust, but went over to take it either way. He popped out the old one and handed it to Scrooge, in case he wanted to keep the record his nephew left behind. Scrooge took it and stepped outside of the kitchen. The Liquidator followed. He placed the new tape into the camera and started to play it.
The the Liquidator's dread the tape apparently started right where they stood, pointed down the hall past the door to the kitchen. The camera's holder, and the Liquidator could guess who it was holding it, crept into the kitchen and slunk to the side. There was the sounds of clacking pots and pans as the camera was placed on the self. From the new vantage point the table could clearly be seen. Fethry stepped back, and could now be clearly seen on the tape. He slunk out of the room.
About five minutes later people began to enter the room, the first being a panther who started to pull out glasses from a shelf and began to place them on the table. One by one more people entered, four ducks, two storks, a very large pelican and a female husky. A few minutes later, Fethry walked in, and to his credit if the Liquidator hadn't known the man had something to hide he wouldn't have known. Fethry was doing a very good job of acting casual.
Still, the fact that every single member of the crew looked to Fethry, small smiles on their faces with their eyes narrowed, the Liquidator felt a chill. The smiles were off, wicked and knowing. As if they were all in on something, something they were keeping from the subject of their scrutiny. The tension was quiet, but horrible. How Fethry kept from squirming under their gaze was beyond the Liquidator.
"So...am I finally going to meet your friend?" Fethry looked at the husky woman, who grinned at him. Her teeth were very long, and very sharp. Almost unnaturally so.
"Oh, she'll be here any moment. Don't worry. It will all clear soon."
Fethry gave a small, strained laugh. "Ummm...great..."
"Isn't is just, cousin?"
Scrooge gave a sharp inhale at the new voice, and another duck entered the kitchen. Another woman, who was being followed by two large polar bears carrying something in a large ice chest.
"...Della." Scrooge whispered.
"Who?" the Liquidator asked.
"Me niece, the one I told you about earlier."
On the screen Fethry had also recognized her and was in the middle of standing up, demanding to know why she was here. It was clear that he wasn't so fond of his cousin, who was smirking as she circled the table until she stood next to the husky at the head. Finally, she spoke.
"I'm just here to bring dinner, cuz. In fact, I think you'll like what I have here. You've been drinking the diluted version for...how long have you been here? When did dear Uncle Scrooge send you down here to spy on us?" She chuckled as Fethry glared at her. She nodded at one of the polar bears, who grabbed Fethry's shoulders and forced him to sit down.
With a grin Della reached into the ice cooler and pulled out a still feebly wiggling fish. She took a syringe full of green liquid out of her jacket and injected the fish with it. With a grin she tossed the fish to the far end of the table, and the duck she was aiming for leaned forwards, caught it in his mouth, and swallowed it down in one terrible, thrashing gulp. She then repeated the process with the rest of the crew, the only variation being for the panther cook and the husky, who both ripped into their fish with a terrible flash of fangs.
Perhaps it was because of the small screen, but it was only now that the Liquidator noticed how sharp the predator people's fangs and claws were. Unnaturally so, like the claws and fangs of animals.
Fethry's eyes slid to the cooler and he glared up at Della. "...that cooler says S.H.U.S.H on it."
"Wow! I didn't know you could read!" Della laughed at her cousin. "I mean, you were always the stupid one."
"You're allied with our uncle's worst enemies, and I'm the stupid one?" Fethry snorted. "You won't get away with this, whatever this is."
"Oh shut up and take your medicine, Fethry." Della laughed as she injected one last fish, and dangled it over Fethry's bill. He clamped down, keeping his bill shut. She shook her head and placed the fish back into the cooler.
"I guess we will have to do this the hard way." She took out another vial full of the green substance, and poured it into a glass. It was easily four times the dose that had been injected into the fish. She gave the glass to the bear not holding Fethry down. "Make sure he takes all of it. And mind the claws."
Della smirked as she walked closer to the hidden camera. The polar bears could been seen in the background, holding Fethry down and forcing his beak open, but the screen was soon filled with Della's face. In the background the Liquidator and Scrooge could hear Fethry struggling and choking, but they couldn't see what was going on. The Liquidator could take a guess though.
Della picked up the camera from the shelf and grinned into it. "Hi Uncle Scrooge. I know you aren't coming for him. To distracted by the idiot accountant of yours. You want to know a little secret? That dumb girlfriend of his was working for us all along. Hired by us. He was a hell of a good fall guy for her. He never knew she was using him, and it worked perfectly. You threw him into prison instead of her, and he was actually innocent. Doubt he'll last long. You know what they do to weaklings like him in prison. Ah well."
The tape went to blue screen again, and the Liquidator could feel Scrooge seething next to him. He was muttering something, but the Liquidator couldn't make it out, despite how close Scrooge was to him.
A few moments later the next part of the tape played. This time it was back in the small room from before, pointed at Fethry, who was sitting on the small bed, his back to the camera.
"Turn around." Della's voice came from behind the camera. "Show them."
"Not...doing...it." Fethry gasped.
"You haven't eaten in three weeks. You're going to eat the damn fish, Fethry. You're going to show our dear uncle what the serum does."
"Can't...make...me."
"I don't have to make you." One of the polar bears stepped forwards in front of the screen, a fish in one hand. He cut the thing with a knife, letting fish guts spill on the floor of the room.
With an almost audible crack Fethry suddenly turned and lunged downwards. His mouth opened, and the Liquidator could see sharp, familiar teeth lining his mouth. The teeth of a sea monster. The teeth clamped down on the fish and Fethry began to rip into the poor thing. Fish guts and bones and green liquid few everywhere as he devoured the thing like a wild animal. The Liquidator noticed that his hands were now tipped with sharp looking claws, and webbing was starting to grew between his fingers.
Della smiled and nodded at the polar bear, who lifted Fethry up by the back of the neck. The crazed duck screeched and attempted to claw at the bear, new claws ripping into the bear's fur and causing blood to flow down his arms. The bear growled a drove the knife into Fethry's neck. There was a pained gurgle and the bear dropped the twitching body.
Della laughed and turned the camera to her face. "Now it looks like we just took out our poor subject here, but he's had enough of the formula by now that we will be able to see its primary purpose in action. Take a look, Uncle." She aimed the camera down at the now still body. To the Liquidator's astonishment and horror the wound was starting to knit itself closed. "He will wake up in a few minutes, no harm done. The formula is supposed to grant immortality. Only...it has interesting side effects." Della leaned down and yanked a handful of feathers off her still cousin. Underneath the feathers was not flesh, but dull grey fish scales. "It seems to be mutating the subject. Makes him a bit more...animalistic. He craves fresh blood now, even though he tries to deny it. Also, there's that bit with the hallucinations and he keeps talking to things that aren't there. And the nightmares. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's the serum that's doing it or the fact that we've locked him in creep central." Della shrugged again. "All the other test subjects are dead. For real dead. Only Fethry seems to be able to revive from wounds. Not sure why. Maybe it just has a high failure rate. Still, nice to have a test subject that's immortal. We're going to learn so much from him, Uncle Scrooge!" She kicked Fethry, who was starting to cough and take in huge gulps of air. "At least he's finally good for something."
"...monster." Fethry gasped.
"I know you are, but what am I?" Della laughed and set the camera down. "Go ahead and talk to dear old uncle. It's the only way you'll be talking to anyone from now on."
"...the void talks to me."
Della paused, and looked down at Fethry. "The what."
"You can't hear it. You haven't slept next to it. But it hears you. It sees you, cousin." Fethry laughed, a deep, croaking sound that sent chills down the Liquidator's water. "You're going to die down here. With me."
"...yeah, I don't think so. I'm in control, cuz."
Fethry laughed and shook his head. "They see you. I've seen you. You're all going to die." He lifted his head, his beak spreading into a chilling, mad grin. "You have no idea what you're doing. I might end up the one eating you, before long."
"Yeah, I don't think so. You're all talk. You wouldn't hurt a fly." Della, for the first time, sounded unnerved as she took a step back, out of the camera's sight. Fethry grinned, his head turning to the side as his eyes bugged out. He started humming something low, and then began to mutter a song under his breath. The Liquidator could only hear a few words. Something about worms crawling in and out. Fethry lunged for the door, but suddenly stopped as the door was probably slammed in his face.
For a moment all they could hear was Fethry howling at the door, then nothing but sobbing.
Then the tape shut off.
The Liquidator let out another breath. He looked at Scrooge, who was holding a hand to his bill, eyes furrowed with a storm of emotions. Grief, horror and anger were the ones that the Liquidator could pick out the most. He didn't know what to do. It was horrible enough not really knowing these people. To have it happen to someone you loved...
If Della had been working for S.H.U.S.H, and was willing to do this to her own family...
He couldn't imagine what they might have put his son through. If that woman touched his baby boy, then Scrooge would be losing another member of his family, and the Liquidator didn't really care what the old man thought about that. He wasn't going to verbalize that feeling now though.
"...let's find the lad's room. I think I can find it."
The Liquidator nodded.
The room seemed even smaller with two people in it. The floor was stained brown, and the Liquidator wondered how many times that twisted witch had killed poor Fethry over and over again. He wondered how much of it was for the experiment, or sadism. Probably mostly sadism.
There was a final tape sitting on the bed. The Liquidator picked it up, and exchanged the second one for the third, handing the second to Scrooge. Scrooge pocketed it with a grim look.
Fethry's face when it appeared on the screen was half feathered and half scaled. It was clear to the Liquidator that their sea monster was looking at them in the face with haunted eyes. It was unlikely that it could be anyone else. He could only hope that the reason Fethry wanted them to see this was because it would be to hard to tell them face to face. Maybe the poor man was just trying to get his uncle to understand what happened down here. Maybe after they got through this last tape they would be able to help Fethry. Just because you were a mutant didn't mean you were evil. Maybe that's why he had asked for the Liquidator in person. Another mutant to relate to a fellow mutant.
The Liquidator could only hope.
"I hear it so clearly now, Uncle." Fethry growled, his voice changed to a deeper, raspy tone. "I thought it was just in my head, just in my head. But it's not. There is something in that pit, Uncle. It's hungry, and it wants us..." Fethry backed away from the camera and began to pace. "It grows worse the more and more I change. I can remember the dreams now, and they..." He shook his head and turned to the camera. "I have to stop her, Uncle Scrooge. I'm sorry. I don't know how long it's been. She knows where Louie is. I don't have much time. I can't let her do this to him. God, her own son..." Fethry shook his head. "I can smell her blood. I want to tear into her flesh I...I can't stop it anymore. I'm so sorry. I...I think I'm losing me. I think I lost me a long time ago." Fethry placed a hand on the camera and laughed. "It stirs in the deep. I've seen what it will do to us. It's better for her, this way. She won't cause anymore suffering. Her suffering will end to. I hate her, but she's my family. That's what family does, isn't it Uncle Scrooge? They help each other."
To the Liquidator's horror Fethry lifted a hand to his head and began to scratch off his feathers, revealing more and more scales underneath.
"It's not a murder, Uncle Scrooge. It's a mercy killing."
The tape ended.
"And that is when Fethry Duck died."
The Liquidator turned and tensed. The sea monster...no, Fethry stood before them, cornering them. He was on all fours, like an animal, tail lashing back and forth, teeth gleaming in the emergency lights and claws digging into the steel floor. His eyes were fixed on Scrooge.
"Hello. Uncle."
"Fethry, I'm so sorry lad, I-"
"I killed her, Uncle. I'm sorry too. It was harder than it should have been. Please, tell me you understand." Fethry's voice lowered, his eyes downcast. He sounded for all the world like a small lost boy who wasn't sure if he was going to be punished or not.
"Lad, I understand. It's a terrible, hard thing, but I understand. I'm not sure if I would have had the strength to do it. But you did what was necessary."
"...I'm glad you understand." Fethry's eyes shot back up. "Then you won't fight me, will you?"
"Lad, I'm taking you back to the mansion. We can figure this out together."
"I can't live with you. I don't know when it will happen. I'm so sorry, uncle. I can't afford to waste to much time."
"What do you mean?" The Liquidator asked.
In respond Fethry reared on his hind legs and walked to the porthole on the other side of the room. He stared out.
"Why is this an ecological dead zone?" He asked.
"I don't know." Scrooge responded, sounding puzzled at the odd question.
"Because this is where it all starts. The nightmares we had down here, they weren't nightmares. They were visions. Of the future, and things happening in other places." Fethry sighed. "In the future, our entire world will be laid to waste. Nothing will live save the dwellers in the deep, and us." Fethry smiled at the Liquidator. "By us I mean me and you. I can't die. Neither can you. I lived thousands of years in a single night, traveling with a future you. Learning all about you and your son. A son you made me promise to take care of, when I woke. Because when they rise, all that can die will die. And they will suffer for centuries before they breathe their last." Fethry closed his eyes. "You got to see your friends suffer though the worse kinds of torture before they were let go. I got to see the same thing happen to you, Scrooge, and I got to see it happen to Donald and to Huey, Dewey and Louie. I can still hear their screams in the dark. It's terrible." He shuddered. "And I can't let it happen."
"Now that we have you, we can fight this threat." Scrooge said, determination filling his entire body, but he jerked back as Fethry slammed his fist on the side of the wall.
"No! There is nothing we can do! There is nothing that can stop it! All will suffer and die, and there is not a damn thing any of us can do. All that can be done is that you die before the suffering starts! All I can do it metaphorically drag all of you behind the metaphorical shed and shoot you like rabid dogs! Because if I don't I get to hear all of you begging me to end your lives and I can't!"
"Fethry, what are you saying! You can't just go on a murder spree!" Scrooge said, astonished.
Fethry turned to the both of them, eyes filled with unshed tears. "Like I said. I'm not a murderer. This won't be murder. This will be a mercy killing. And you, dear uncle, are the first to receive the mercy of Fathom." He chuckled. "Like I said, Fethry is dead. The first to die."
The Liquidator sloshed in between Scrooge and Fathom. "I won't let you kill anyone. Tell me where my son is."
"...Hank...oh yes. I should give you some time with the poor boy before I take care of him. He's pretty high on my list you know." The Liquidator growled, but the sea monster pretended not to notice. "Three months. You'll hear some news about werewolves in the wilds beyond St. Canard. You'll met an old friend, of sorts. You might want to hurry with that. Don't want the men with guns to find him before you. Or...you know." Fathom grinned. "The witch...now, Uncle."
Fathom suddenly lunged for Scrooge, attempting to shove through the Liquidator and slash at his uncle. The Liquidator hardened his water, slowing the claws down. The monster clawed at him, attempting to break through, but the Liquidator held him back.
"Hold him off, lad! There's an escape pod!" Scrooge backed away into the corridor.
"Go for it, Mr McDuck! I'll keep him here!"
Scrooge nodded and raced down the hall. Fathom howled and attempted to claw past the Liquidator. The Liquidator formed a series of rope like water tendrils and clung to Fathom. The beast howled and clawed but his blows merely passed through the Liquidator, unable to penetrate. No matter how much he struggled, Fathom couldn't break free.
Suddenly, the sea monster laughed and backed off. "I almost forgot. My claws do nothing to you. Not even the venom in my mouth hurts you. But you really can't hurt me either, can you? I can't drown you know. Gills. I also doubt you will try and dismember me. Not your style, Bud."
"Do not call me that." The Liquidator snarled. Fathom laughed.
"We're friends, Bud. Or we will be. It might take a while, but someday I will be all you have left. The world will end and it will be just you and me. Sitting alone at the edge of forever, all alone in the night. Immortality is a bitch, my friend. You will see soon."
Fathom sat down, tail curling around his claws. "I will wait as long as I need to. Someday, you will call me friend as well. I remember you, but it will take time for you to understand. I have eternity to wait for you, friend. Someday you'll thank me for killing your friends. Go ahead and go after Scrooge. I'll let you go. Eventually I will catch up though. When I do, Scrooge won't know what will hit him. It will be quick. Easy. Merciful. Just how I like it." He grinned his unsettling grin again as the Liquidator backed away. "Goodbye for now, Bud Flud. Say hello to Billy Quacker, Elmo Sputterspark, and Reggie Bushroot for me." Fathom laughed as the Liquidator flowed down the hall, unnerved that the monster below knew the true names of his friends.
He wondered if future him had told Fathom who they were.
The Liquidator easily flowed out of the sea base through an airlock (waterlock?) and found Scrooge's escape pod, which was well on its way to the surface. Reforming when they had reached the top, the Liquidator helped Scrooge out of the escape pod.
"Is he coming after us?" Scrooge glared down at the water in the general area of where they had left Fathom.
"I don't think he's coming right away, but he did say he was coming after the people we love." The Liquidator growled.
Scrooge's eyes narrowed, and he opened his beak to say something, but was interrupted
"Hey, so...guys, we have Phyros here." Quackerjack called to them from the yacht. The Liquidator looked over to see the flame crazed iguana tied up in glowing red energy, probably courtesy of Magica. In fact, after a second glance he noticed that the witch's hands were glowing red.
"Why he'd he bring Phyros here?" The Liquidator blinked.
"Lad...I'm not sure if I have the energy to think of the answer to that question right now. Let's just drag him to the authorities or something and regroup."
"Fathom is still down there." The Liquidator started, but Scrooge held his hand up.
"Right now the boy has done nothing wrong. He might have hurt Della, but I think we both know that was more self defense. He might have freed the fire breather, but he didn't take him to the mainland. Fethry has just made threats, nothing more. Until he does try to hurt an innocent, he's done nothing wrong. I'd rather try and find a way to help him, rather than punish him..." Scrooge sighed. "It seems, if Della spoke the truth about Gizmoduck, I might have already done more harm than good by sending him to jail...I won't make that mistake again with my own kin."
The Liquidator wanted to point out that Gizmoduck clearly had started committing crimes after he was arrested, but he didn't think Scrooge was going to listen to him. And he was right. As far as they knew Fathom had yet to hurt anyone. And he did give the Liquidator his first clue in months.
"We will just have to wait and see if he can be reasoned with." The Liquidator agreed.
He truly hoped Fathom could be reasoned with.
It was hours later, the sun just starting to set and bathing the ocean with foreboding red colors. Phyros growled, still stuck in the witch's magical energy as the police boat pulled up next to the sea elevator. Why had he agreed to help the stupid fish?
Oh yeah. Fuel. Now there would be no more fuel again. Just the constant thirst. He hated the thirst. Damn the fish. Hate him too. Hate him so much.
Two officers disembarked their boat and approached. The old rich duck and the water dog had left the yacht, but it had no fuel left. Nothing. Phyros hated that. Hated that almost as much as the smug officers approaching him with their nervous laughs and their-
There was a splash and Fathom burst from the ocean. His long finned tail wrapped around the neck of a cop and with a mighty flick the threw the man in to the ocean with a splash. He turned to the next, grabbed him in his claws and tossed him over the side.
"Sharks will come soon enough. They always do, when there's food. Even in places like this, predators will come...I...should have killed them both. Would have been quicker, more merciful I...need to be stronger than I am." Fathom shook his head. His eyes landed on Phyros, who stared at him. It occurred to Phyros that the fish might throw him in the water too.
He really didn't want that.
"You see, I remember being friends with you too, until...it doesn't matter right now. And if you are close to me, and the time comes I can...do what needs to be done. Real quick. You can't heal like I can."
Phyros blinked. He had no idea what the fish was saying.
"We should stick together, partner. I...need someone to talk to other than myself. It will be fun. I'll take care of you. You and I both need a friend right now. I make sure you get as much fuel as you need, pal."
All Phyros really understood was the promise of more fuel.
So when the fish stole the police boat, Phyros was right by his side.
A/N: So back when DT17 was going on I had never heard of Fethry before the episode focusing on him. I was kinda struck by the moments where it seemed he might have gone a little nutty down under the sea. I knew he probably wasn't actually going to hurt the kids, but I was struck by the 'yeah, but what if he did' thought.
Thus the seed that would spawn into Fathom was born.
I have never read the Donald Duck comics except for a few, so most of the inspiration for Nega Fethry and Nega Della are drawn from DT17. Nega Della might not return, but you never know who will raise up the dead.
I mean, we might need a Steerminator, and I already brought Dendron back from the dead.
And I have an idea that will hopefully go through for next time. It's time to follow the bread crumbs I dropped in this entry about what really happened with Gizmo and Nega Gandra, and why in the end he went on a Gizmosuit rampage. Clearly, Scrooge didn't have the whole story.
So yeah, mostly Nega Ducktales focused next chapter.
Nega Dijon is a combo of DT87 Duckworth and DT87 Launchpad. If a character has a counterpart in the old Disney afternoon I draw from that inspiration before I draw from the new series. I might sometimes draw inspiration from the comics and maybe even some side video games (like KH), but for the most part it's 90s all the way down.
Hope yall are still having fun.