Disclaimer: I don't own ducktales, that belongs to …. Nor do I own Ready as I'll ever be that belongs to disney.
I got the idea for watching the Ducktales animation for the song on Youtube by irestuff, and it got me thinking on what would happen if Gladstone got angry at his family.
The city of Duckburg was in ruins. The city had parks deserted, buildings collapsed, citizens crying, and many more missing. All of duckburg was in ruins, all except for one.
Mcduck manor lay on the hill where it stood, though anyone could see that it was abandoned. But that was wrong, someone was inside. A familiar lucky goose stood by the window, his eyes filled with rage and pain.. His Uncle Ludwig was dead, and for what, because they didn't save him. No, they said, they had to save their dear kids, their precious ones. .
He didn't care about them, he never did. All he cared about was his parents and uncle. His parents have been dead since he was little, his uncle was the one who volunteered to take care of him. No one asked him, unlike his other family members who were asked to take care of him, but declined. He was the only one who understood him, who never used him, who loved him.
Inside the room he was in, Scrooge Mcduck was on the floor, his hands tied with chains connected to the wall.
"Any moment now, your Highness." Gladstone said as he watched parts of Duckburg go up in flames, while the other part was dark, due to the electricity being cut out.
"Believe me, I know. I've sunk pretty low. But whatever I've done, you deserve" He sang as he walked near Scrooge whose eyes were filled with fear and a bit of pain and regret.
"Gladstone-" Scrooge said before being interrupted.
"Quite." Gladstone said as he slapped Scrooge across his face. Eyes filling with rage as he looked at him. "I'm the bad guy that's fine. It's no fault of mine. And some justice at last will be served."
He picked up two photographs that were on the desk. One was of him and his Uncle Ludwig having a picnic on Ludwig's birthday, and the other a photo of him and his cousins, Uncle Scrooge, and his nephew's, along with Webby, Launchpad, and . He stared at both photos with intensity, but rage overtook him when he looked at the second one, that he threw the second picture into the fire.
"Please listen" Scrooge said as he tried to talk to Gladstone, only to be ignored.
"Now it's time to step up, or it's time to back down. And there's only one answer for me." Gladstone got Magica's staff that he found after her defeat. Seeing Magica's staff, Scrooge's eyes widened with even more fear as he remembered what Magica caused, when she trapped him in his own dime.
Gladstone pointed the staff to the sky where the full moon was out. His appearance started to change his eyes turned violet, his teeth sharper, and a purple and green streak's appeared on his hair feathers.
"And I'll stand up and fight, cause I know that I'm right. And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready. Ready as I'll ever be." Gladstone finished as he went near the window, smiling at two figures that were by the gate of the manor.
By the dock, the rest of the Mcduck family was hiding from Gladstone, fearing for their lives as well as their Uncle Scrooges. Hiding with them was Gyro, Fenton, M'ma Cabrera, Glomgold, Mark Beaks, and surprisingly Ma Beagle and the Beagle boys.
Della stared at her family, and everyone else in the room. She still could not believe what Gladstone did. If only things have been different on that day
Flashback
They were fighting a league of witches that were summoned by Magica de Spell, when all of a sudden they all heard a cry of pain. Della turned around and at her heart stopped at that moment. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby, were being surrounded by witches, who all appeared ready to tear them apart. But on the other side, she saw their Uncle Ludwig, who was also being surrounded by the witches.
Della saw that they weren't able to save both so they had to decide fast and they were having a hard time deciding. On the one hand Uncle Ludwig took care of them since they were little, but on the other had those were her kids, who were in danger,
They finally made their choice.
"Kids" Donald said as he got a rope from his backpack. "Grab on."
They all grabbed on to the rope, and just in time. When they turned around to go to see if they could save their uncle, but it was too late they saw that he was already torn to shreds by the witches.
"What have we done." Della heard Donald say in a whisper. She had no clue what to say, but before she could comfort Donald, she remembered.
""Donald, what about Uncle Ludwig." She said as she looked at his body which was bleeding.
Before Donald could respond they heard the voice of their Uncle Scrooge.
"Bless me bagpipes, what happened here." Scrooge said as he ran into them with Launchpad and , who was holding a medi kit.
"Uncle Ludwig, he's dead," Donald said after a minute of silence.
"How?"
"W-w-we had no choice, it was either Uncle Ludwig or the kids." She said as Scrooge stared at Ludwig's body in horror, till fear fell on his face.
"Oh no, what is Gladstone going to say."
"What do you mean, Uncle Scrooge" She said
"Out of everyone, Gladstone was always close with Ludwig. I'm worried how he is going to react"
…..
The family was on their way back to Mcduck manor, the triplets and Webby still frightened from the experience. But the ones who were worried were Donald, Della, and Scrooge.
When they got off the plane, they started to sweat. Gladstone was coming out of the manor. They started to panic, wondering how they could explain to Gladstone about Ludwig.
"Hey Uncle Scrooge" Gladstone said as they all got off the plane, but his eyes narrowed as he noticed a missing person.
"Where's Uncle Ludwig"
At those words they stopped.
"Well" Gladstone said with impatience waiting for an answer.
"G-g-gladstone, Uncle Ludwig is well...well...he's dead." Donald said with fear as he saw Gladstone's eyes widen at what he heard.
"What?" Gladstone croaked his eyes starting to water at what he heard.
"Were sorry we tried, we really did."
They all watched Gladstone as he looked at them in shock. Till, Gladstone got close to them and punched them.
"What was that for, Gladstone!" Donald said in anger, looking ready to attack Gladstone. The rest of the family just watched, too much in shock from Gladstone's action.
"You're seriously asking that! You let Uncle Ludwig die! Why didn't you save him. Let's say that you are speaking the truth, that you weren't able to save him, then why didn't one of you go to save him while the other saved your kids." Gladstone yelled at them, tears flowing rapidly down his face.
They stopped, Gladstone's words piercing them in the chest.
Why, why didn't they. Those words were being repeated in their head. Why?
"Were you being so selfish that you didn't think of others?!"
"We weren't being selfish. We just didn't think about it. Let it go." Donald said anger rising as he heard Gladstone calling them selfish.
"Let it go….let it go! I'll show you what to let go!" Gladstone said each word with anger and hate.
The ground started to rumble. The ground opened up and lava started to flow out.
"I will never forgive you." he said with a cold glare as everyone started at him in horror.
Flashback ends
She ignored the sadness and guilt that was coming up her chest.. She has to protect her family, even though what happened is partly their fault.
"Now it's time to rise up, or it's time to stand down. And the answer is easy to see." Della sang as she looked at everyone in the room. All who had scars from Gladstone's wrath. Who were all terrified of what he had accomplished.
"And I swear by the sword, if you're in, get on board. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready" Donald said as he went and stood by his sister's side.
"We're ready" The triplets and Webby joined in.
"We're ready" Everyone said as they raised their fists to the air.
"Ready as I'll ever be" Della sang as she took a spear that was near her and lifted it into the air.
Near the manor two people were by the gate. Which were Poe de Spell and Ratface.
"Are you quite sure we can do this?" Ratface looked at Poe with concern at his Mistresses brother.
"Together we will guarantee," Poe said as he looked at Ratface.
He was going to help Gladstone, no matter the cost. Gladstone not only lost his uncle, Poe lost someone he looked up to.
"I'll make them hear me." Gladstone sang as he grabbed Magica's staff and dragged Scrooge onto the roof.
"Now it's time to redeem or it's time to resolve" The citizens of Duckburg said as they marched towards Mcduck manor.
"Prove they can trust me." Della sang as she stared at everyone, as she and her family led them to rescue Uncle Scrooge from Gladstone, and hopefully make amends with him.
"And the outcome will hardly come free."
"I'll save my home and family." Fethry sang along, with hope. Wishing that everything would go back to normal. Them going out as a family and Gladstone...Gladstone being there for him.
"Now the line's in the sand, and our moments at hand."
"And I'm ready."
"I'm ready."
"Ready as I'll ever be." Gladstone sang as he looked down from the roof, the majority of Duckburg was almost to the gates of the manor. "Soon." he said "Very soon."
Scrooge started at Gladstone, fearing what he will do to him. Till, he saw everyone by the manor gates hope started to rise in his chest.
But what he saw next left him in even more horror. Gladstone's eyes were switching between his normal eye color and violet, till he also noticed that a ring appeared on his finder. The ring was a purple gem and appeared to have a staff on front, and was glowing. But what horrified him was that he knew that ring.
"The Sheldgoose ring" He whispered. Gladstone turned, having heard what he said. He bent down near Scrooge and said.
" I told you that you would pay"
Done, hope you liked the story. Please comment if you can.