Quiverwing Duck: Part 5

Part Five

"It's getting worse." Megavolt reported as they stepped in through the window. He returned to gazing at the tracking receiver, in a world of his own.
"Have you found D?"
"Yeah, he's seventeen timelines, in that direction." He waved. "About three streets down."
"Seventeen?"
"It's a real mess."
"How's it getting worse?"
"The central ...I ... mean ... the knot is tightening." Megavolt translated mid-sentence.
"How many timelines are there in total?"
"I don't have that kind of wattage on this thing. Sorry."

"My timeline's earlier than this one by about a year or so." Quiver volunteered.
"Yeah, that's why I'm calling it a knot. In the space of about nine or ten years, your personal timeline is really screwed, D ... I mean Quiverwing Duck. Many times over."
"A lot can happen in ten years." Quiverwing said thoughtfully.
"Like Darkwarrior Duck." Quiver commented, unimpressed.
"So we need to get D and then a way to fix the problem."
"I've got the method. We'll need to be dead centre of the knot in order to use my Detangler."

Megavolt crossed the room, petting a see-through sphere that looked like something out of an infant's toy box. 'If Megavolt picks it up will it rattle?' Quiver privately wondered.
"But the wattage needed will be luck to get on the scene. We'll pull all the lights out on St Canard, that's if I can plug into a power point at the scene."

"Hang on!" Quiverwing interrupted him. I've just thought of something. You fire up that old clackety generator again, and I'll be back in about half an hour." Quiverwing dove once again out the window.
"I'm surprised that I didn't give her the keys to the rat-catcher." Quiver muttered with sarcasm.
"... Because she's not old enough to drive. I remember I asked you that question already. I sure wish you were you; I wanted to know if I could put a rocket booster on her skateboard for her. You said you'd think about it. And then poof!"

"You used to be so reliable too." Megavolt chuckled at his own joke.

"What does this Detangler do, exactly? You sure made it quick."
"I had help." Megavolt's smile was as broad as a Cheshire cat's. "It's a wireless reverse switch. It doesn't even need a port to connect. It just needs to be in close proximity to the target machine."

Quiver stared at the ex-toy and whistled. "Impressive. It's a remote that undoes things. You could stop missiles from launching, even when someone's trashed the console. No more scrabbling for wires."
"Get a lot of those, Quiverwing Duck?"
"Enough to want one of these ... Do you suppose it could stall a car?"
"Well, not a vintage one like my car. But all the new cars would go bye byes."

Megavolt stared at the sphere anew. "Whoa, this thing could cause a heck of a lot of damage! Traffic lights, microwaves, Xerox machines!"
"I was only thinking I could stop crooks from driving off in their get-away cars, Megs."
"Well, I'm sorry." Megavolt said as if he were talking to a child. "There's only one of these and it's only going to be used once." He petted it. "That's for the job it's designed to do."

'There was once a time you jammed on causing traffic jams.' Quiver thought to himself.
"Why, if this machine fell into the wrong hands, I might end up rewriting my monthly reports forever!"
"Okay, I've got the point, Megs."
"No!" Megavolt grabbed his arms. "I hate paperwork!"
"Me too!" Quiver consoled him, holding him back. "Absolutely, one hundred percent couldn't agree more! It's dangerous and it mustn't fall into the wrong hands."

Megavolt relaxed and let go of his arms. "Phew. You know, if you weren't a crime fighter, I'd think you were lying right now."
"Ha!" Quiver crossed his arms with a triumphant grin. "Moi? Temptation?" Then he frowned. "Power corrupts too easily. No, you're absolutely right, Megsy. One job only."

"You already know how to defuse bombs, anyway." Megavolt shrugged.
"And it'd never undo the things in life that really matter." Quiver added, turning away to stare out the window.

Megavolt stepped away from the plastic sphere to join him at the window. "Quiver, when we fix the timelines, you'll get pulled where you're supposed to be and we'll return here as the multiverse smoothes itself back out to normal. But while we're gone, there'll be no Quiverwing Quack to protect St Canard in this universe."
"But ... she shouldn't be going to face Darkwarrior ... that'll be too dangerous! I should know!"
"Quiverwing's fine! We'll find D first. I'm more worried about my ... and your ... families."
Quiver stared at Megavolt.

Megavolt shrugged. "I mean, there could be more Darkwarriors, more Negaducks, and more Darkwing Ducks. More any sort of you. Who can possibly guess? Stay here, Quiver. Protect our kids. St Canard needs you for as long as you're around." Megavolt frowned. "I don't want anyone like Darkwarrior around my kids. He'll take one look at them and try to blast a hole in them. They're not bad kids, they're just ... energetic."

Quiver looked over at the Detangler. He didn't know how old Megavolt's children were, but the way Megavolt described them was exactly how he would have described Gosalyn. Finally he nodded. "I'll stay here."

Megavolt smiled. "Thanks, Drake."

The lab rat turned to the large generator machine that looked like it had been an MRI unit in a past life.

"So this is where you work now, huh?" Quiver looked around as Megavolt's large machine began to hum ... and then started clanging.
"Yeah. I get paid to invent things."
"Neat. But, uh, why's it making that noise?"
"Oh, that's the fuzzy logic working with the torque control system. But!" Megavolt raised his arm in triumph; the modified tracking device was secure around his wrist, "now I have exact universal co-ordinates. I can align the systems perfectly to a precisely targeted position." So saying he began fiddling, adjusting the controls, humming. The clanging did in fact stop.

"So it can send people as well as pick them up?" Quiver asked in confirmation, staring at the round mouth of the unit.
"Yeah. Mind you don't stand there where the subspace bubble is forming." He pointed to the space in front of the mouth.

Quiver moved quickly to Megavolt's side. "It comes to my attention that we're putting a lot of faith in you. Are you sure you're not a criminal anymore?"
"Well, I am still Megavolt."
"Oh?" Quiver thought on this for a long moment.

"That's great!" Quiver cheered in decision. "Do you have any advice that I can use to make the Megavolt in my universe stop being a criminal?"
"I dunno, Quiver." Megavolt frowned. "In this universe it involved both of us dying."
"I'm sure that you don't mean that physically."
"Well, no ..." Megavolt ruminated. "I survived, that much is true ..." His eyes waxed over and he just seemed to be staring into space for several long moments.

Quiver frowned at Megavolt. "Didn't I survive as well?" He prompted.

"Survive what?" Megavolt blinked, suddenly forgetting their conversation. "It's not lethal! I mean, a couple of trips aren't going to cause too much damage. Everybody-knows-continued-subspace-travel-is-terminally-destructive-on-biological-systems. But-we're-talking-potentially-a-dozen-trips-before-any-damages-begin-to-show. Look, I didn't cause the problem; I'm just trying to fix it. What happened to-?"

"Okay!" Quiver exclaimed, "I'm not complaining and I really do appreciate your help."

The Quiverwing Quack finally returned, coming back in through the window. "Phew." She breathed rapidly. "I got it." She straightened herself, catching her breath. "We're all set."

Megavolt turned and double-checked the settings on the large machine.

Quiver quickly hugged Quiverwing. "I love you, kiddo." He fought back a surge of tears. "Take care. Remember that first rule of engagement."
"Right." She pulled away from him, grinning.

"Oh!" Megavolt's eyes flew open, "With all the excitement I nearly forgot a very important detail!"
"What?" Quiver asked in a bundle of nerves.
Megavolt took a breath. "I'm sorry to be a pain, but would it bother you terribly if you could lift that lever back up and then turn off the switch at the wall once we're gone?" He pointed to the large lever then the wall near the door.
"Uh, sure, Megavolt." Quiver smiled in relief. "No problem."

The Quiverwing Quack stepped in front the subspace portal generator with Megavolt and the Detangler.

"Don't forget to duck!" Quiver exclaimed nervously. The Quiverwing Quack saluted him before the two of them disappeared into thin air. Once again, his daughter was gone.

Quiver brushed aside his fresh tears and dragged the lever back up. The internal feedback from the silence increased in his ears, reminding him how alone he was. He flicked off all the power switches at the wall, and then he left the room via the window, shutting it after him.

A/N: I would love to hear any opinions or advice. Please review!