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: Part 12
A silver jet streaks across the blue sky in the direction of St. Canard. The compartment of the small jet is full. Scrooge McDuck, Darkwing, Tracker, Mrs. Beakley, Gyro and the children.
Neither Darkwing or Scrooge would think of leaving their children behind for fear of Bulba returning. So, the ThunderQuack being too small to accommodate so many people, Scrooge arranged to use one of his personal jets. He even allows LaunchPad to fly it.
As a precaution, Scrooge even sends Duckworth away from the mansion for the rest of the day.
It doesn't take long to get to SHUSH headquarters. The jet lands at the small airstrip behind the official building.
To Scrooges surprise the landing is a smooth one. "I do not believe it LaunchPad, you didn't crash! You didn't even try to crash ...err...did you?" He asks the pilot as they prepare to exit the compartment.
"Nah, I guess I lost my touch, huh?" LaunchPad says with a slight smile.
"Well if we're all lucky, you'll never find it again." Scrooge laughs. He turns to the children. "You kids stay here and don't give Mrs. Beakley any trouble."
The triplets and Webby answer in sync "Yes Unca' Scrooge."
Darkwing leans down to place an arm around his daughters shoulder "This won't take too long sweetie. Now remember the rules – No blowing anything up, no burning anything down..."
"...and don't put anybody in the hospital." She cuts him off with a huff crossing her arms "I know, I know. But you sure now how to take all the fun out of life."
Darkwing smiles and kisses her lightly on the bill.
Still seated a cross the isle Tracker sees this and turns his head to hide the pain he knows his showing in his eyes.
He waits until Darkwing starts for the door before getting up to follow. He keeps his eyes averted as he walks past the girl. He doesn't want to look her in the eyes.
As the small group is met on the airstrip by two formally attired SHUSH operatives, the kids watch on from within the jet.
"That guy is one of the members of the Time Posse that came here after Dark Warrior last summer." Huey tells the others as they peer out of the tiny portholes.
"Yeah, he's the one who helped us get away from Dark Warrior and hide in the caverns." Webby added.
"So what's he doing back in this time?" Louie asks. "I thought they all left, went back to their own worlds."
"Something isn't right." Quiverwing explains as she watches the duck in the dark trenchcoat following the others into the building. Her voice unusually soft and low, revealing the discomfort she is feeling towards the visitors return.
The other children all turn to look at her "What do you mean something isn't right?" Dewey inquires.
Quiverwing sank back into her seat "That has to be it. The whole reason the Guardian and the others came here last time was because Dark Warrior had come to change reality. They came to stop him, to keep things as they were meant to be." She sighs deeply "If Tracker came back, that means that our reality is still in danger somehow."
Mrs. Beakley who sat in the isle seat knitting as she listened to the kids prattle on took notice of how Quiverwing differed from other children. Besides the obvious of dressing up as a superhero and following her crime fighting father around. But the girl possessed a maturity and an understanding that was far beyond her young years. To listen to her talk, it would be easy to forget she is only a child.
"Well what ever is going on, I'm sure Darkwing and Mr. McDuck can get to the bottom of things." she assures the children. "Now who's ahead in Wiffle Boy?"
Within the SHUSH building.
The operatives lead the small group into the SHUSH building.
Scrooge notices the respect the SHUSH agents show for Darkwing Duck, addressing him in all ways, as a superior.
The agents show then into the Lab where J. Gander Hooter, Dr. Bellum and Gryzlikoff
are waiting.
"Greetings Darkwing Duck," Hooter says stepping up to the crime fighter. He glances at those who have accompanied him. LaunchPad, he knows well, but the others.
Of course he recognizes Scrooge McDuck, even dressed in the outlandish costume. There is a tall scrawny fella next to Scrooge, Hooter has no idea who he is. Now, the last one. The duck in the trenchcoat and fedora. J. Gander knows him. He has seem him.
That day in the amusement park, all those future versions of Darkwing.
J. Gander finds his presents – disturbing.
"J. Gander," Darkwing replied "I'm sure you know who Scrooge McDuck is." He gestures toward Scrooge them motions towards Gyro "This is Mr. McDuck's inventor, Gyro Gearloose and this..." he beckons for Tracker who is hesitant to step forward.
The duck in the trenchcoat slowly moves alongside his past counterpart. "You may recall Tracker here from the incident at McDuck Amusement park last summer."
J. Gander gazes numbly at the figure next to Darkwing Duck. It is like seeing a persons own ghost standing next to him. Only this ghost is from a future time, an alternate future. "Yes, of course." J. Gander says, his voice betrays the discomfort he is feeling. His eyes shift from Tracker to Darkwing "Darkwing, is there something you want to tell us?"
Soon...
Everybody is seated around a formal conference table. J Gander has in his hands the Gizmoduck action figure that was originally coated with the Super Elastio Alloy. He listens as Darkwing and Tracker explain just how grim the situation really is. About how the newly discovered Bio Enhancement Gel and the Super Elastio Alloy combined can make a powerful Armor. The very armor possessed by Dark Warrior and Guardian.
The thought of Bulba having such a weapon to enhance his own cybernetic abilities is terrifying to say the least.
"Tell me Tracker. If in your reality, you possessed this technology, why have you not created your own armor?" J. Gander asks.
Trackers sinks back in his chair. "Ironically enough, I had just returned from retrieving the stolen disc from FOWL. I still had it with me when I crossed over into this time. I lost it when we were battling Dark Warrior in the caverns."
"Oh that would explain a few things." Dr. Bellum says taking the Gizmoduck toy from J. Gander to look at it. "You said that when you were unexpectedly thrown back into this time, it was a few days after you all left? About the same time the flaw appeared in the continuum."
Tracker replies with remorse. "Because somebody in this time found the disc. That's what caused me to be pulled back. I lost the disc, I was the cause of reality being threatened a third," he pauses "..err...a..second time."
Tracker's remorse for being the cause of the circumstances is obvious to every one. But his slip of the tongue is obvious to Darkwing alone. Tracker started to say he was the cause of reality being threatened a third time.
This wasn't just a mistake in phrasing.
Darkwing felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. Tracker had told him about the mistakes he'd made with Gosalyn and how it had destroyed his life. But now Darkwing wonders if this mistake had destroyed much more than his personal life with his daughter.
Turning his attention back to the immediate problem Darkwing rises to his feet."We have to get the Bio Enhancement Gel back. Even without the Super Elastio Alloy, Bulba can use the gel to further intensify his own powers and then..."
"And then," Tracker finishes for him "He may be to powerful to stop."
To Be Continued...