AUTHOR'S NOTE: Seeing Drake's passion for video games in "Whiffle While You Work" and "Attack of the Brainteasers" inspired me to write something like this. And don't complain, Gos, cause you were the one that introduced him to video games in the first place. Hope you enjoy!


Drake Mallard grunted and slumped against his couch, growling deep in his throat. One of the most grueling challenges he ever faced was staring him right in the face and laughing at the poor duck.

"Aw, Whiffle got walloped. 1 life to go," came out of the TV, mocking Drake and his best efforts toward victory.

He always knew beating Whiffle Boy DX on Super Hard difficulty would be a trial. The countless testimonies he researched from online forums made that quite clear. But he certainly didn't foresee himself losing a night of sleep over it. He had been chipping away at this battle for 4 hours now. Gosalyn and Launchpad had long since gone to bed, growing bored with Drake's countless futile attempts.

It didn't matter. He was on a roll with this run, the experiences from his many Game Overs serving only to hone his skills and bring him to the place that mattered most: the final boss.

He pulled on the feathers on his head, the shooting pain distracting him from the stress that bubbled deep in his stomach. His eyes were bloodshot, and he gnashed his teeth in a way that would make any dentist cry. Doggone it, this simple video game would not get the best of him! He had his method down for beating the final boss. The strategies he mastered had gotten him so close, so many times. But this time, this had to be the one. If he dropped the ball once more, and lost his last life, he would have to, once again, start his adventure all the way from the beginning.

Drake jumped up on his couch. "Laugh at me now, you preposterous program, but Darkwing Duck WILL. LAUGH. LAST!" he shouted defiantly at his TV, bouncing on the couch to emphasize his last words. He hopped back into a sitting position and steeled his focus. The game had finished loading and it was time to win.

"You'll never win, Whiffle Boy!" said the Big Daddy Weasel Bot, tauting Drake as it had many times before with its mechanical voice. But this time would be different. This time he had an ace up his sleeve.

Drake pushed his Control Stick forward and to the left, moving Whiffle Boy to the upper quadrant of the map. Big Daddy Weasel Bot fired his missiles but they were easily dodged by a triple jump combo. It was a mere distraction, as Drake had his eye on a special power-up hidden in the pile of crates he was running towards. The gadget that would turn the tide of this trial. The Whiffler 8000. With it, he could deal twice the damage of his current weapon, the Disc of Chaos. He would surely take down the robot with the 8000 in his mitts and hopefully soon enough to avoid the dreaded Ground Pound attack that had claimed so many of Whiffle Boy's lives.

Beads of sweat dripped down Drake's face as more missiles were fired in his direction. They homed in on the hero he controlled, and he found himself involuntarily announcing his moves as he executed the slide button combo.

"Slide left! Right! JUMP!" he exclaimed, and as Whiffle Boy jumped in the air to dodge the last missile, he fired the Disc of Chaos at the crate pile. The gun he so desperately needed appeared in a flash of light and splinters. "Yes! Come to papa!" he said as he rushed to claim his prize. As Whiffle Boy collected the Whiffler 8000, Drake saw the Weasel Bot crouching low. Light built up around him, growing into a massive aura. Then, in a flash covering the entire screen, the Big Daddy Weasel Bot was gone.

Drake's pupils shrunk in fear, and his feathers jumped on end.

This was it. The Ground Pound. An attack that would devastate the map with a powerful shock wave, leaving the perfect floor in pieces.

Drake's thoughts increased speed as he contemplated how to dodge. Many a scenario ran through his mind, some that had worked once or twice, and many others that were disastrous, leaving Whiffle Boy with little, or even no health. Each option screamed at him, each louder than the last, until he was thoroughly overwhelmed. All of this took place in the second that had elapsed since Weasel Bot had left the map. His head began to vibrate faster and as he saw Weasel Bot drop out of the sky and crush the ground into oblivion, Drake yelped in terror and his reflexes chose his move for him. The button combo he used triggered a jetpack Whiffle Boy had equipped. Whiffle Boy blasted into the air just as the shock assaulted the map then dissipated just as quickly.

Drake sighed. Whiffle Boy had escaped unscathed.

But he couldn't rest on his laurels now. The weak spot of the robot was exposed. It was time to end this.

Drake took aim at the big red target on the robot's underside, narrowed his eyes to face his enemy, and fired.

The boss's health bar decreased rapidly as Drake's thumb furiously tapped the fire button. He had to finish it now, who knows what could've been next should Weasel Bot survive. Drake's thumb burned with his effort, but the adrenaline masked the pain and served to heighten Drake's euphoria as the bot's health grew smaller. And smaller.

Until it was gone.

The Big Daddy Weasel Bot spewed fire from its underside as its systems began to fail. Drake had done it. The battle was over, and he had finally emerged victorious. His seething frown dropped open in shock, then curled upward into a wide grin as the weight of his accomplishment brought itself down on Drake. The Big Daddy Weasel Bot was obliterated in a huge explosion and Drake vaulted into the air in celebration.

"YAHOO!" he yelled, pumping his fists in the air, "Another foe stands defeated at the hand of the mighty Whiffle Boy!"

"Finally! Does that mean you're gonna keep quiet?" came a voice from the stairs. Drake whipped his head in that direction to view his daughter, Gosalyn, who looked none too pleased.

Drake blushed. "Sorry, sweetie," was all he could really say.

"I've created a monster," Gosalyn grumbled quietly as she trudged back up the stairs. When she was gone, Drake whipped out his phone and snapped a selfie of the momentous occasion as the final cutscene played out. His Instapic followers would be so jealous!