"No! Webby! Stop! You're going to our mom killed!" Dewey pleads as he and Huey try to hold Webby back from trying to leave and try to save Della.
"She'll probably be killed by them anyways once they get the money!" Webby tries to argue.
"Please! We lost her once! We can't lose her again!" Huey begs.
"All the more reason to get her back!" Webby argues as she breaks free, only to be stopped when she is grabbed by her shirt by the last person she expected.
Louie, for once, is actually putting effort in because of the situation, holding onto Webby's shirt with both hands. "Webs, please..." As he starts to tear up.
Webby's aggressive gaze turns to one of understanding, realizing her near-mistake, stops. "A-alright..." As she starts to tear up as well, sits on the floor. "I'm sorry, I just thought-"
"Hey, you were just trying to help Webs, like always. Normally it would work out, but this time, I think it just isn't an option..." Huey says as he tries to comfort Webby.
"I-I mean, it's mom, right? S-she's tough. I-I'm sure she'll be fine." Dewey says and laughs very nervously, trying to stay positive, thinking of the stories their mom told them of other tight spots she'd been in.
"I mean, I would ask someone I know for a favor, but, y-you heard what would happen if we told anyone else!" Louie says, knows a person who could help, but can't risk it because there likely won't be enough time.
—
At about that time, 32 nautical miles off the coast of Duckburg...
In a comms and intel room, one operator reads the transcript of a recent call from a point of interest, and, realizing its urgency, gets a recording of the audio and sends it to Boone. "Sir, you're going to want to listen to this this..." He says with a slightly worried tone as he informs the Captain.
Boone listens to it, the more he hears, the more he clenches his fist, has soon heard enough, and makes a call over comms. "All leadership, meeting, now!" He orders as he grumbles in realization of the severity of the situation.
The boys and Webby are in her room, trying to think when they are interrupted.
"Hey Pink! How's it going?" Lena asks as she enters with Violet.
Having forgotten about that night's sleepover, tries to smile at them. "O-oh, hey guys..."
"What's up with everyone today? What did someone die?" Lena jokes with a grin but, seeing the somber look on the triplets' and Webby's faces, her grin disappearing. "G-guys? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. I-It's nothing..." Dewey says, knows the warning
"Y-yeah. I-it doesn't concern you..." Louie says.
"If it involves you guys it does. What is wrong? Magica isn't causing trouble for you again, is she?" Lena asks.
"No, not that. Nothing like that." Huey says as he taps on the floor.
"Hubert, are you oka-" Violet says, when she realizes Huey is tapping out a message in Morse code, and figuring out what it means, realizes, whispers to Lena.
Lena, shocked, looks at them, not knowing what is going on, but now knows why they are not being specific. "Guys... What happened?"
Violet then whispers a suggestion to Lena, which seems like a good idea.
Lena then uses her powers to freeze time in the kids minds.
"W-where are we? What happened?" Dewey asks.
"A-are we dead? Please tell me I'm not dead!" Louie pleads.
"Is this one of Magica's tricks!? Is she trying to trap us!?" Webby assumes.
"Guys, guys, calm down, I did this. Violet told me what you were communicating Huey, and suggested I do this." Lena explains.
"Precisely. I figured out you were using Morse code to convey your message. As a Junior Woodchuck I of course understand Morse code and deciphered what you were saying. Seeing how you can't explain the situation to anyone, something bad would happen, so I suggested to Lena she freeze mental time, so whoever you are afraid of will not know. So, please, you should be safe." Violet explains.
"W-well, um..." Huey says apprehensively.
"You see..." Louie trails.
"It's, um..." Webby stalls.
Dewey grabs Lena and pulls her so they are face to face. "SOMEONE KIDNAPPED OUR MOM AND ARE GONNA KILL HER IF UNCLE SCROOGE DOESN'T PAY THE RANSOM PLEASE HELP US!" He yells out panicked and scared, tears welling up.
"What!?" Lena gasps in absolute shock and horror. "Why didn't you tell us?!"
"They said if we told anyone outside the family they'd kill her!" Huey says.
"Have you notified the authorities?" Violet asks, also shocked.
"They said no cops or else, you know..." Louie says with a grim expression.
"W-well, why not go and rescue her?!" Lena asks.
"Anyone tries anything and they kill her. The kidnappers were the most specific I've ever seen or heard. They really want to be in control." Webby explains.
"Dang. How much are they asking for?"
"$25 million, cash." Dewey says.
"Jeez! Scrooge will never pay that much!" Lena exclaims.
"I actually think he will. You didn't see his face. I think he was so afraid of losing her, again, and seeing no other options, he agreed." Webby says.
"He did!?" Lena says, shocked that Scrooge would actually pay that much.
Violet sees Huey is huddled in a corner, terrified. "Hubert? Are you, alright?" Violet asks.
"No, no I'm not alright. We just got our mom back less than a year ago, and now we may lose her again! At least when she last disappeared we weren't even hatched yet, so we had no idea, and all we knew when we were old enough was that she was gone, never told more than that. Then, we are informed she was lost after taking an experimental rocket Uncle Scrooge built against Uncle Donald's wishes for a joy ride. At least in both those cases, we didn't actually watch her die, but now..." Huey explains as he cries to himself, terrified at losing his mother yet again, this time actually having to watch his mother die.
Violet puts a hand on Huey's shoulder as he looks at her, prompting him to hug her tightly, her hugging back.
Webby notices Dewey starting to shed tears, goes over to him. "Dewey? W-what's wrong? I-it'll be alright, j-just like you said, right?"
"Y-yea-... No, no it won't!" As he pulls Webby into a hug as he bursts into tears. "Webby, you were probably right! They're going to kill mom anyways! I, I don't know if I can go on without her, now that she's finally with us! Please, I don't want to lose her again!" He sobs, being probably the most attached to his mom out of the triplets.
Webby hugs him and tries to comfort him. "Oh come now, don't go being negative like that. T-that's not the Dewey I know..."
Meanwhile, Lena, by process of elimination, goes to comfort Louie. "So, y-you good?"
Louie is in the middle of a panic attack. "No. Of course I'm not. We are about to lose our mom a second time, and we don't even get to say goodbye. Not only that, but I am the one who sees all the angles, the one who usually can figure a way out of problems! But not here! I can't find a way to save mom! What good is seeing all the angles if sometimes none of them are usable?" He sobs.
Lena holds him in a hug to try and calm him down. "C'mon, I'm sure there's one you haven't seen yet. Maybe you'll see it after you all, like, calm down some?" She suggests.
"Y-yeah, I, I guess so..." Louie says.
Meanwhile...
"Are you sure about this? I mean, I saw him fall to his death when I overthrew him." Inquires Reginald.
"Yeah, the chief is right sir, it's just not possible!" Says RHM.
"It has to be a mistake sir, you of all people should know!" Says Cross as she, and the others, look at Boone.
"Just listen, and see if you change your minds..." Boone says as he plays the audio clip.
"This is perfect... Once McDuck and his niece are dead, my vengeance will begin!" Says the same voice that sent the ransom call.
For everyone at the table, bar Boone, their eyes go wide and jaws drop in disbelief.
"It, can't be..." Says Cross.
"But that voice..." Says RHM.
"It's unmistakable..." Says Reginald, who is very unnerved.
"What are we going to do?" Asks Ellie.
Boone gets up and looks out a window, hands behind his back as he sighs. "He thinks we have no idea we know his plans. But we do. All we need is the location, and a plan. And fast. We do not have long." Boone adjusts his hat, determined to protect his family. "No one fucks with the Clan..."
Back at the manor...
Scrooge has given in, and decided to pay the ransom, given it is possibly the only way to save Della, as he looks at a picture of her from when she was younger. "Don't worry lass, I'm coming for you..." As he goes to get the money demanded.
In Webby's room, circa the mental time freeze, everyone has calmed down, as they try to figure out a plan.
"So, given the way it was worded and put, we even think of trying, and your mother is dead?" Lena puts it.
"A bit harsh, but pretty much yeah." Huey says.
"So, we have to find a way to get to mom without us getting detected. Without us telling anyone. Without us getting typical help. And so on." Louie says. "Man if only I could get help from the one person I know could help us here." He says exasperated.
"Perhaps we can devise a plan tomorrow, after some rest?" Violet suggests.
"Yeah, sounds fair. But, who is the guy you mean?" Webby says.
"Oh, uh, no one important..." Louie says.
Lena ends the mental time freeze, everyone returning to normal.
The kids talk about other stuff before going to bed, it having been a long day.