AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another chapter on the short side. I'll make up for it next time, you'll see. Anyway, hang on tight.
With the flick of a switch, the terminal at the heart of the Trauma project came to life. Zoster was at the helm, making final preparations for the harvest of Gosalyn's emotion. Zondag stood beside him, grinning as scientists ran around the room, double-checking cable connections, performing diagnostics, and generally ensuring that the moment that had been waiting for would happen with no problems.
"This experiment shall be my greatest triumph!" exclaimed Zoster, pausing his work to cackle openly. The sound echoed around the laboratory, a chilling noise full of wild malice.
Zondag strode over to Gosalyn and Launchpad, who were strapped down to beds nearby. She was squirming against her restraints but stopped when she caught sight of the Evronian general. He could taste the fear in her soul, despite the brave front she wore, and he crouched so that he was level with her head.
"There's no need for your fruitless struggling," said Zondag softly, delighting at how her spine stiffened at his voice. "All your fears and cares will soon vanish. I know you will serve us well."
"As if I'll help, you crummy aliens! What do you want from me, anyway?"
"The details do not concern you, child. Just know that you and your…" Zondag raised his hand to stroke her cheek but whipped it back when she tried to bite him. "...fiery spirit...shall grant us untold power. Power that we will use to crush your puny planet!" he said with a growling fury that turned her pale.
He stood upright and took one last look at the pair of them, seeing them tremble like little worms, then turned back to Zoster. "Is everything ready, scientist?"
"Yes, sir." Zoster rubbed his hands together, chuckling.
"Very well, I leave them in your capable hands." Zondag bowed to Zoster and departed from the lab.
"You there!" ordered Zoster, pointing at one of his assistants, "Load her in!"
The scientist dropped his clipboard and began wheeling Gosalyn to the table. She stared wide at the complex machinery that lay before her, fear turning her stomach inside out.
She shut her eyes and strained to hear her father's voice in her head. She wanted him to wake her up and tell her it was all a bad dream. That she wasn't about to become a mindless zombie. But poor Darkwing had been beaten to within an inch of his life, and there was no way he was coming right away.
She was on her own. But she wouldn't give up. Not yet. She would find a way to get her and Launchpad off this crazy ship and back home. But first things first…
She could feel the first restraint unbuckle. She glanced at the scientist, who was reaching to unfasten the remaining two. She slowed her breathing and watched as one more was undone, then the last one.
She rolled off the bed before the scientist could grab her and headbutted him in the stomach.
"Oof!" grunted the scientist, falling backward onto the floor. Gosalyn rushed over to Launchpad. Before she could reach him, she was flung into the air by a laser blast at her feet and crashed into the wall.
"Gosalyn!" Launchpad cried out, as Gosalyn careened to the ground, now clutching her leg and wincing at the pain.
She was hoisted into the air by Zoster, who wagged his finger in her face. "Naughty, naughty," he chastised, and shot her with a paralyzer. She was frozen in time, cast in an orange glow, and Zoster returned her to the table and personally fastened her in and fitted the helmet over her fire red hair.
He fired the paralyzer again, and she was returned to normal. Zoster saw her struggle fruitlessly and said, "Just relax. It will be over before you know it." He returned to the computer and initiated one final system check. His eyes lit up seeing all the components signal their readiness on screen. "All systems go. Firing in 3...2…"
The door to the lab was flung open without warning, and Zoster halted his movement, increments away from the switch. Whoever had decided to interrupt him needed a very good reason to if they didn't want to incur his wrath. He turned to the door to see blue smoke filing in. "Who's there? Show yourself!" the scientist barked.
"It's me, Evro-dweebs!" a familiar voice echoed around them.
"Duck Avenger?!" shouted Zoster.
"That's right! And I've brought a friend that has some beef to squash with you!"
Zoster heard gasps of joy from Gosalyn and Launchpad, and snarled.
"But first, lemme introduce him to ya! He's the terror that flaps in the night! He's the father here for his little girl!"
Zoster looked around frantically for Duck Avenger when he heard a poof from behind. Next thing he knew, he was kicked in the head and careened to the ground. He looked to see his attacker and came face to face with a duck in an Evronian suit. His head, however, was bare, a mask of purple surrounding his angry, vengeful eyes. Duck Avenger stepped out of the cloud of smoke and into view as well.
"I am Darkwing Duck."
"Dad! You're ok!" Gosalyn exclaimed.
Zoster grunted as he sat up, a gleam in his eye. "So, the Earth duck is still alive. Very well. You are just in time to say goodbye to your darling daughter."
Darkwing's snarled deep in his throat, but before he could react, Zoster charged the hero, slamming him against the wall. As Darkwing landed on his rear, dazed, Zoster whipped back to the terminal.
Before he could do a thing, Duck Avenger launched himself on the scientist's shoulders and used momentum to bring them both to the ground.
"Not a chance, doc!" said Duck Avenger, holding his X-Transformer to Zoster's head as the scientist stood. "Now you're going to free Gosalyn, or so help me we'll turn your machine there into nuts and bolts!"
"I think not. It is completely immovable like I am to your empty threat."
Darkwing stood up and pointed his blaster at Zoster as well. "Wanna test that theory?"
"Why not? I hypothesize that my scientists will be incapacitating you in 3…2…"
Darkwing glanced behind them to see no one. Zoster seized this opportunity and shouldered them both aside. He gripped the lever on the console and yanked it.
As it clanked into place, Darkwing's stomach sunk.
"NO!" he bellowed, seeing energy surging through the clear tubes up above. Darkwing bolted over to his daughter's side.
"Dad, what's happening?" asked Gosalyn shakily.
"Don't worry, honey! I-I'll get you out of this!"
"Dad, um, if I don't make it outta this-"
"Don't talk like that! You'll be okay! I won't lose you!"
He couldn't lose her.
Other Evronian scientists were scrambling over to tug Darkwing away.
"No! Gosalyn!" he screamed, struggling against their grip on his arms. In the commotion, Duck Avenger hid under the computer and out of their sight, frantic to stop this process somehow.
He plugged the X-Transformer into a port and pleaded to his partner, "Stop the machine, One!"
"I'm trying!"
Duck Avenger peeked up. The turbines on either side of Gosalyn were spinning rapidly, about to fire their energy into the helmet on her head. She had her eyes squeezed shut, bracing for the impact.
Darkwing socked a scientist in his jaw, and backflipped away as laser bolts followed him. He shot each one in their gut before leveling them with a swift kick.
A blaster discharged as the last scientist landed, ricocheted off the wall and singing Duck Avenger's hat.
He ducked back, hissing, "One, what's taking you?! Darkwing's about to be daughterless!"
"I'm locked out, DA! Nothing is working! I can't even-"
One suddenly gasped.
"What? What's happening?!"
"Get away from there!" yelled One.
Duck Avenger yanked the cable out of the machine and dove away from the terminal. The monitor erupted outward and the whole machine imploded.
Duck Avenger landed on his shoulder and rolled onto his stomach. His ears were ringing slightly from being so close. He shot up to see the terminal smoldering and useless, the metal shell warped and dented from the force of its demise. The turbines' roaring activity slowed to a crawl until they were still again.
He couldn't believe it. One was right, as always. Gosalyn was gonna be okay.
"Impossible!" yelled Zoster in shock and disbelief. He gripped his head and stared at Duck Avenger with murderous eyes. "What did you do, you meddlesome duck?!"
Duck Avenger shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya. I don't know a thing about computers," he bluffed.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Trauma project is a wash. That doesn't mean the story is over. You get two chapters in one day next time when Darkwing and Duck Avenger make their Enthusiastic Escape!