Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Scrooge McDuck or any other Disney character.
Authors Note: Reader's warning. This ties directly to my fic "The Path Chosen", it also bridges the other fics, Tracer's Story "Synthetic Hero" and "Hidden Dawn". If you haven't read those fics, I doubt this one will make any sense to you.
Meant To Be: Chapter 16
Bulba now stands amidst the collapsed cavern. Darkwing feels his heart race. This isn't good. It isn't good at all. The children are all right here in the danger zone!
As the dust settles, Darkwing can see the hulking cyborg's skin seems to be covered with a shiny coating – the Bio Enhancement Gel.
The others stand up, seeming unharmed from the shower of stone and dirt. Their eyes all fixed on the monster before them.
Quiverwing stands up cautiously behind her father. Bulba sees her. "And who is this?" Bulba asks curiously. "I heard you had a child, Darkwing, The Quiverwing Quack, I believe?" Darkwing pulls her to him protectively. Unfortunately, as the dust clears, the liquid green eyes behind the black mask and the fiery red hair become all too apparent to the villain. He recognizes her too well. "Well, well!" Bulba taunts "Your daughter?" He takes a step towards her and leans down "Hello again Gosa..."
"Bulba!" A shout rings from behind the criminal. Taurus Bulba turns just in time to see a webbed foot as it comes in contact with his unprotected jaw. He stumbles back a step but doesn't fall.
Tracker lands right in front of the Cyborg and springs around from an x-stance, delivering a kick to Bulba's gut. "Ooph!" Bulba buckles over in pain and receives a roundhouse kick to the head.
He sinks to the floor. "I am quite tired off getting knock down by imbeciles!" he growls through gritted teeth. With that he strikes out his powerful fist, knocking Tracker backward into the wall of the cave.
Tracker slumps to the ground.
There is the sound of metal striking stone as a canister skips across the rocky terrain and lands just under Bulba. He sees it and knows what it is. Knowing, however, does no good as the canister ignites a blue smoke all around him.
"Scrooge, get the others out of here! I'll hold him off!" Darkwing calls.
"Mrs. Beakley, LaunchPad, help Tracker, get the kids out of here. I'm staying for this fight!" Scrooge announces as he reaches back to pull the Masked Mallard cowl back over his face.
"No," Darkwing yells to the miser "Go with them, I can handle Bulba!"
"Not alone ya can't lad, and I'm afraid Tracker isn't going to be any help to ya too soon! I'm staying!" Scrooge states firmly.
LaunchPad looks at his friend "DW, I can't just..."
"Yes you can! You have to. You have to get the children out of here! There's no time for argument! Go Now! Now!" Darkwing barks an order.
Knowing there is no option, LaunchPad moves quickly to help the still dazed Tracker to his feet. LaunchPad, Tracker and Mrs. Beakley take the children through the dark tunnel, disappearing into the darkness just as the smoke clears from around Bulba.
"Ahhhh!" Bulba thunders "I will take no more from you Darkwing Duck!"
As he takes a step toward Darkwing, he sees that there are two masked mallards to contend with. "Mr. McDuck, how foolishly noble of you." Bulba scoffs.
He looks again at Darkwing. Then as if noticing for the first time he makes an observation of the crime fighters altered appearance. "Shades? I heard you had a little accident last summer Darkwing. Yes, yes. What a considerably smaller bill you now have, Darkwing Duck."
"The lesser to smell you with grandma! And believe me that's a relief!" Darkwing fans a fan in front of his bill mockingly "You know a tick-tack once in a while wouldn't kill you."
"I am in no mood for your jokes. Give me the alloy, now!"
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you Bulbsie, but we don't have it!" Darkwing snaps.
"You have it, where else would it be?" Bulba demands. His monocle pivots in the direction that the others had gone "Unless."
Darkwing realizes what Bulba is thinking. The thought of the monster going after his daughter and the other kids spurs him to act without thinking. He makes a predictable lung for Bulba,who this time, is expecting it.
The monstrous cyborg strikes out with his claw catching Darkwing around the throat.
Darkwing is helpless in Bulba's grasp as he dangles off the ground. He feels the claw tightening so that he can no longer breathe. Bulba brings him up close so that their eyes meet. "Well, Darkwing Duck, not so cocky now are we," he taunts.
As Darkwing struggles to pull free from Bulba's death grip, he can feel himself drifting into unconsciousness. Bulba is saying something to him, but he can't understand the words. Bulba's voice and all other sounds fade. Every thing is silent around him. A chill passes through his body, then a numbness. His vision blurs, then everything grows dark.
"Darkwing. Wake up there laddie. Wake up Darkwing Duck, come on! Come on. There's no time for this." A voice calls to him through the darkness. Slowly, he becomes aware of a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him. He forces his eyes open. Everything is blurry at first,as he strains to see through the dark visors. Then he can see a masked face, the eyes hidden behind tinted goggles. "Scrooge?" he rasps.
"Aye, laddie. I thought you were a goner for a time there." He hears Scrooge saying. "Now ya have to get yourself up before Bulba gets to the others."
Others? Others! Gosalyn! Adrenaline floods through every pore of his body. He pushes himself off the ground attempting to stand and quickly falls again as the room starts to spin wildly around him.
"Easy lad. Not so fast." Scrooge says grabbing Darkwing's shoulder. "Now try again, slowly." Standing up, Scrooge takes Darkwing by the arm and slowly pulls him to his feet.
It takes a few seconds for Darkwing to find his balance and his clarity again.
His throat is soar, it's hard to breathe.
Darkwing places a hand on his neck. Bulba. Bulba was choking him. What happened?
He looks at Scrooge for the answer.
Knowing what the crime fighter is thinking, Scrooge explains. "The tub of lard was so caught up in getting rid of you, he forgot I was even there." He pats his futility belt. "I wasn't sure if any of my futility pellets even worked anymore. I didn't even remember what they were suppose to do, so I through the whole lot of them at the walking lard factory." A slight smile crosses his lips. "Did you know that sneezing powder pellets explode?"
"New one on me." is all Darkwing can think to say.
Scrooge chuckles."Yes well, when Gyro Gearloose has a hand in it, expect anything."
"Where is Bulba now?" Darkwing inquires almost fearful of the answer.
"When the pellets ignited in Bulba's face, he dropped you and took off," he points in the direction that the others had run "That way."
"Oh, no the kids!" Darkwing pulls a small devise from his vest that looks like a wooden pencil.
"What is that?" Scrooge asks.
"A communicator. LaunchPad has one too. I have to warn him." Darkwing turns on the communication devise and speaks into it. "LaunchPad, can you hear me. Bulba is coming, get the children to safety! LaunchPad!"
There is the crackle of static...
"LaunchPad?"
No answer.
To be continued...
From the Author: Honest criticisms needed here. Does anybody think this fic is just dragging out too much?