Darkwing took a few deep breaths. "Okay, let's go, and quietly." The trio snuck across the highway and into the yard of the former school. There was a chain link fence surrounding the building, and they scaled it as quietly as they could. There was an Eggman standing guard at one corner. Gosalyn and Launchpad flattened themselves against the wall while Darkwing snuck up behind him. Then, he swiftly put an arm around his neck and put him in a choke hold to cut off his circulation to his brain. When he slumped to the ground, the masked mallard made a hurried gesture to the others to follow him.
They saw an area that looked like a parking lot. A shiny Ferrari was parked closest to the building...obviously Steelbeak's car. And they also saw the truck that was carrying the truth gas, parked just outside a large garage door. An Eggman was leaning out of the driver's side, talking to another one. "Quick." said Darkwing, heading for the back of the truck. He pulled up the door--luckily it wasn't secured--just enough to let the three of them climb in the back.
"How'll we get out again?" asked Launchpad.
"I'll figure something out." replied DW.
Meanwhile, the sound Honker dreaded came as his cell door opened and an Eggman stepped inside. "Let's go." he said, leveling a gun at the boy. Trembling, Honker got up and walked out the door, where another armed FOWL agent joined them. They marched him down the hall and into the same room he had been in before. And once again, Steelbeak and Ammonia Pine were waiting.
"Okay, kid, I'm gonna put de cards on de table." said the rooster. "Youse have one chance to spill yer guts about Darkwing Do-nothin'. Otherwise, you're gonna get de gas, and den you'll talk, like it or not. So it comes down to whether it's yer choice or not. What's it gonna be?" Steelbeak folded his hands and looked at Honker calmly.
"H-how do you know he told me anything?" asked Honker.
"Because he's got an ego roughly de size of Antarctica." replied Steelbeak. "He couldn't resist blabbin' to youse, and we know dat, kid. So quit stallin', 'cause we ain't got time for dat."
"Give him the gas! Now!" cried Ammonia Pine, looking at Honker with eyes that practically glowed with madness. "Shut up." said Steelbeak. "Yes or no kid?" he asked the boy genius.
Honker was too afraid to speak. "Have it your way." Steelbeak made a gesture at the Eggman by the door, who left. "We get what we want 'ere, kid. Dat's Rule Number One." His expression had changed from calm civility to cold determination.
"And we're gonna squeeze your brain like a wet mop!" cried Pine. The rooster just nodded in agreement. Honker felt his insides turn to frozen jelly.
The truck drove forward for what felt like about 50 feet, then stopped. Not moving, the three heroes inside heard footsteps. "We need the gas, the boss just ordered a canister brought to the room. Looks like they're gonna gas the kid." Darkwing felt Gosalyn's hand grip his arm like iron. He laid his own hand on hers, trying to calm her down. "Take it easy sweetie. Nobody's gassing the Honk-man today." He stepped towards the door and waited, holding it open just a crack. He waited for the Eggman's gloved hand to appear to pull the door all the way up. When it did, he stomped on the hand as hard as he could.
The FOWL agent let out a howl of pain. The door was sliding up. Darkwing grabbed a canister of gas and held it like a battering ram as he crashed it into the Eggman's head. He fell to the floor. "Come on!" he urged his companions. Hearing another Eggman coming around the right side, Darkwing grabbed the edge of the trailer on that side and with perfect timing, pivoted himself around to the side of the truck and struck out with a web kick at the same time. He nailed the Eggman in the beak and sent him flying.
Pulling out his gas gun, Darkwing ran past the fallen FOWL soldier, followed by Launchpad and Gosalyn. They entered a small office area, beyond which was an open area with double doors. "If this was a school, this must be the gymnasium. I'm guessing they'd try to gas Honker in the shop area, where there are hookups for gas for welding, etc. Let's find it." But they had no sooner turned a corner when the ran into an Eggman, who had time to hit an intercom switch and shout before a blast of knockout gas dropped him.
"What de hell was dat?" exclaimed Steelbeak as he heard the loud sound in the interrogation room. He hit the switch angrily. "What's going on dere? An' where's de gas I ordered?" A reply came back. "There are intruders in the building, sir! They knocked out two of our men in the garage!"
"No...no, it can't be! Dat son of a..." Steelbeak spoke into the intercom again. "I want 'im and every one of 'is friends captured. Or else." He left the 'else' unsaid. Then he turned to Honker, who almost didn't dare hope. "If youse led that pest here..." he threatened. Ammonia Pine picked up her chair and threw it against the wall so hard it rebounded almost to the other side of the room and left a hole in the wall. "Something like that!" she screeched.
"How could I have?" begged Honker. "I dunno...I'll figure dat out later." said Steelbeak. "Come on." He grabbed Honker and all three left the room.
Meanwhile, Darkwing and his companions found themselves in the middle of a battle. He was contantly swinging his fists, knocking attacking Eggmen left and right. So was Launchpad. Gosalyn was also doing her part, disabling Eggmen with a kick to the shin so Darkwing could level them with a Quack-Fu chop. He was hitting Eggmen in the throat, and glad he couldn't see thier faces as they fell to the ground clutching thier throats and gagging horribly. They could see the shop area just ahead. Slamming one more FOWL agent against the unyielding brick wall, all three ran through the doors.
"Lock 'im in dere." said Steelbeak, pointing to a storage room in the main shop area.
"Let's gas him now!" cried Ammonia Pine.
Steelbeak exploded. "Do what I tell youse!" he shouted. "I'm sick of your crap!"
"Just watch it, Steelie." warned Pine ominously, but she did start taking Honker to the room, roughly jerking him along. Steelbeak went to an intercom on the wall. "Dis is Agent Steelbeak. What is de status of..." He was interrupted by a huge cloud of blue smoke and an all too familiar cry.
"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the spyware in the computer of crime! I am Darkwing Duck!" And Darkwing himself appeared, spreading his cape dramatically. "All right Steelbeak, where's the boy?" He pulled out his gas gun and pointed it at the rooster.
"Wouldn't youse like to know." In a lightning movement, Steelbeak seized a circular saw blade and whipped it at the masked mallard, who quickly dodged the lethal projectile and fired a canister of knockout gas at Steelbeak. But the rooster's reflexes were amazingly fast, as he grabbed a board and knocked the canister away like a baseball, to a far corner of the shop, where the gas exploded and dissipated harmlessly.
"Why don't youse fight like a man now." sneered Steelbeak. "Okay." agreed Darkwing, as he put the gun away and launched a web kick at Steelbeak's face. It landed on target, knocking the rooster against a table. Then Steelbeak grabbed DW by the leg and threw him against a band saw. Darkwing groaned with pain after the impact of the solid piece of equipment.
"And now I'll have de pleasure of choking youse to death...and since I won't need de kid anymore after dat, he'll be next." This filled Darkwing with rage and caused him to forget his pain. Grabbing a broom, with a wild yell he slammed the wooden pole into Steelbeak's face. Then he struck again, before the rooster could recover. Steelbeak staggered backwards, a trickle of blood running down his face.
"Had enough?" demanded the crimefighter. "Not nearly!" screeched a voice behind him, just before Ammonia Pine belted Darkwing in the head with a 2 x 4. He slumped to the ground. "Good work." said Steelbeak, turning on a table saw behind him. "Now let's get dis over with." They lifted the prone duck up and shoved his head on the table, moving it towards the deadly, fast-moving saw blade.
"Dad!" screamed Gosalyn, forgetting herself in her panic. "What the?" said Steelbeak, looking up. This gave the still dazed Darkwing the opportunity to pull out his gas gun and fire a shot right into his face. "Gaaaah!" cried the rooster, stumbling backwards. Darkwing found the strength to jump up and smash a fist into his stomach, then turned and nailed Ammonia Pine with the same board she had used to stun him. He noticed Launchpad pulling the storage door open, then he saw Honker running out.
Gosalyn was the first to reach him, embracing him tightly and shedding rare tears. Darkwing felt his own eyes stinging, but the FOWL villains still had to be dealt with. "You'll pay for this!" screamed Ammonia Pine, who then seized a nearby Eggman, lifted him in the air and hurled him at the crimefighter, who ducked easily. The agent crashed through a window into the classroom and fell unmoving to the floor. Steelbeak stood up, blood staining his white suit. His eyes were murderous. "Youse are dead. All of youse. An' dat includes you, screw up." He glared at Ammonia Pine.
"What?" cried Pine. "You let him get the better of you!" "I'm done talking." Steelbeak pulled out a gun and aimed it at an acetylene tank. "I'm gonna blow us all to kingdom come." But just as he was about to pull the trigger to ignite the gas, a canister came sailing through the air and crashed into his arm, throwing his aim off. The gun went off and shattered a window. Darkwing took advantage of the opening and threw one from the floor to flatten Steelbeak.
"Idiot." sneered Ammonia Pine to the rooster. "I know when to quit...but next time, Darkwing Duck, I'll clean you up like soap scum!" With a last insane cackle, she disappeared through the side door and was gone.
For a few seconds, the shop was quiet. Darkwing turned towards his friends, who were standing together. He went over and hugged Honker. "I knew you'd come to save me." the boy said. "No gas-wielding goons are going to brainwash my friends." said Darkwing, giving him another hug. "Good job throwing that canister LP, that was quick thinking."
"Um, that wasn't me DW." said Launchpad.
"Gosalyn?"
"Nope." said Gos. "It was Honker." She nodded to him, and as if on cue, Honker started rubbing his arm. "Nice going Honk man!" exclaimed Darkwing. "We'll make a crime fighter of you yet." He studied the boy for a moment, wondering how he could possibly be related to the other Muddlefoots. Nature can be pretty weird, he finally concluded. "LP, tie Steelbeak up with that wire, while I call the police. Then I think we can all use a super pizza."
"Yay!" cried Gosalyn. "All we can eat."
Darkwing shook his head. It looked like it was going to be a long meal.
To be continued...
Darkwing Duck and related characters are the property of Disney. (C) 2007 Eric Smith.