Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Scrooge McDuck or any other Disney character.
Authors Note: Again, this fic ties in with "The Path Chosen." This is the story of the one called Guardian, the Duck in White.
Meant to Be: Chapter 4
Scrooge's heart races as he leaps from the limo and runs frantically for the front door. His shaking hand touches the knob and pushes open the door. He rushes into the entrance hall and calls out...
"Huey!"
"Dewey!"
"Louie!"
"Webby!"
no answer...
"Mrs. Beakley?"
no answer...
Scrooge can hear the sound of his own rapid heart beat now. He fears the worst. "Is anybody home!" he pauses, waiting...hoping for an answer...
only silence.
"Sir," Duckworth calls following his boss into the mansion "Is there something wrong?"
"I don't know! Where could they all..."
"Mr. McDuck?" a female voice calls from another room. Hearing a voice, Scrooge instantly feels a wave of relief. He turns to see Mrs. Beakley, followed by the children
and Gizmoduck, coming from the family room.
"Unca' Scrooge!" Webby calls. She rushes to give the rich duck a hug. "We were so very worried about you!" She exclaims.
Scrooge looks at the innocent face of the child with perplexity "You were worried about me!"
"Yeah, we thought something had happened to you." Louie explains walking up to his uncle.
"Indeed Mr. McDuck, I received a call on my Gizmo Phone while I was on my way to Gyros. Somebody with a real creepy voice tells me that I am needed here at the mansion – right away!" Gizmoduck explains rolling up to his employer. "I got here as fast as I could. Since you were the only one who wasn't here, well, we automatically thought something had happened to you. I tried to call you at Gyros but I got the answering machine."
"Hmmmm, that must have been just after we left to come here," Gyro injects. "Sounds like we've all been the targets of a practical joke."
"What do you mean we?" asks Louie "Did you get a phone call too?"
"Aye, we did. And if it is suppose to be a joke – it's not funny!" Scrooge replies sourly.
"I'd like to give that prankster a bit of tit for tat!"
"Well, since everything seems to be alright now. Why don't we go back to my place and I'll show Gizmoduck my model for his new armor." Gyro suggests.
"New armor. Gee can we come too. I'd like to see it!" Chirps Huey.
"Me too," Louie and Dewey agree simultaneously.
"Well, sure if your Uncle Scrooge doesn't mind." Gyro answers.
The children look to there uncle with bright hopeful faces. Scrooge heaves a deep sigh "Hehe. Well after the scare that practical joker gave me, I think I'd like to keep a close eye on you kids for awhile, anyway." Let's go, then."
Shortly after.
The limousine pulls up in front of Gyros place and everybody files out.
"Hey Gyro, you got any new inventions you want us to test for you while we're here?" Dewey offers enthusiastically.
Gyro laughs as he reaches to open his front door "I might have a couple of things you can..." the doorknob slips away from his grasp, as the door creaks open at his touch. "Strange, I thought I closed the door." He shrugs as he steps inside "Ah well, we left in such a hurry after that phone call that I..." he falls silent as he gets a look at the inside of his home. Shambles! Furniture turned upside down. Tables demolished. Drawers thrown across the room! Completely vandalized! "Oh my!" he gasps "Oh My!"
Stepping in after him Scrooge gazes around the nearly demolished room. It seems that there was another purpose behind those phone calls, after all." he states flatly.
"But why?" Gyro asks dolefully.
"Look around, see if anything is missing." Scrooge instructs him. "Come on kids lets help him look."
It doesn't take long for Gyro to realize "The Super Elastio Alloy formula, it's gone!"
"Well, now we know what they wanted. We should call the police."
A few hours have passed. Everybody has returned to McDuck manor to wait for the police to contact them with their findings.
Gyro is pacing back and forth anxiously, mumbling to himself over what the crooks were going to use the Super Elastio Alloy for.
"Gyro settle down, you're not going to get the formula back by waring a hole in my carpet." Scrooges says with a tad annoyance.
"I'm sorry Mr. McDuck, I'm just nervous. I pace when I'm nervous. I talk to myself when I'm nervous."
"Then I guess I have yet to see you when you weren't nervous." The rich duck replies crossly.
It is then that the phone rings. Scrooge answers. "Hello?"
For a long time he is silent ,as he listens.
The children who have been watching television, turn their attention to their uncle.
They see his face unexpectedly turn pale. "What?" he gasps in a weak voice. "Are you sure of that?"
A pause as he listens to the caller.
The unease in his tone sets everybody on edge.
" No...no, that won't be necessary. We have Gizma'duck here. I'll have him stay the night, just in case."
a pause...
"Alright officer, thank you."
He hangs up.
He glances over at the children who stand staring at him with deep concern. He turns his attention to Gizmoduck, "Gizma'duck, I want you to stay here tonight, to stand guard."
"What is wrong Sir. Do the police have reason to believe the the felonious fiends might come here?"
"The police don't know what to think." Scrooge explains as he moves to sit on the sofa.
It is obvious that something is wrong. "Gee Unca Scrooge. What did they say?" Huey asks with concern.
Scrooge takes a long deep breath. Once again, his thoughts turn back to the day before. All those little inklings. What Dewey had thought he'd seen in the grove of trees, the doors of his balcony being left open...
He finally finds his voice. "The cops say there were no fingerprints. But they did find some...rather odd foot prints near Gyros house.
"Odd, in what way?" asks Mrs. Beakley, who is growing more fretful with each passing minute.
They are unusually large – and deep, as if someone or something very heavy had made them."
The listeners all fall silent for a few seconds as they try to register what is being told to them. Finally Louie speaks up "Well, what does it matter how big and heavy this guy is. He was at Gyros, not here. Besides Gizmoduck can handle him, whoever he is. Right."
"I am sure your right, Louie me boy," he hesitates before adding "But there is one more thing. The police traced the strange calls that was made to Gyros place. It came from my Personal Business line."
"You mean, whoever made the call, made it from your office in the money bin?" Huey asks apprehensively.
Scrooge shakes his head grievously "No lad...my personal line here in the mansion."
to be continued...