Chapter 8: Ghost Town

The vehicle landed a little while later and the vehicle's occupants stepped out. Darkwing exited the van first and saw, to his surprise, Morgana, Moloculo, and a short, black haired duck in a black dress.

Magica De Spell crossed her arms as soon as Scrooge stepped out. "We were lucky we had energy reserves. Have you succeeded in mission?"

Scrooge watched Donald out of the corner of his eye as his nephew handed the crumpled Gizmosuit back to Gyro. "Not exactly. The protest rally succeeded in getting the city up in arms, but our side mission was thwarted before we could break into the vault."

"Keen gear! Are you like super secret spies or international jewel thieves or something?" Gosalyn asked.

"Oh nothing as dramatic as all that, Lass," Scrooge replied with a smirk.

"Jewel thieves? Oh dear... Do we really look that evil?" Morgana asked Gosalyn.

"What? No! Of course not. I just thought that vaults were only used for money or valuables like that." Gosalyn replied.

Morgana smiled. "Oh, of course. How silly of me..."

"Vaults are used for more than just money and jewelry." Moloculo sighed.

Gyro explained. "This one contains Taurus Bulba's main computer frame. By targeting it, we could shut down his network of spies and criminal connections. It at least find proof that those connections exist..."

"Aye. If we can prove Bulba's behind some of these crimes, we can take him to court. If we don't put a stop to this militia..." Scrooge never got to finish for suddenly Tantalus swooped down and snatched Gosalyn up by her arms.

"No!" Darkwing screamed, tugging on his hat nervously.

"Come back here, you thieving vulture!" Scrooge yelled.

Morgana tried to use a spell to pull Gosalyn out of the condor's grip but her aim was off.

"Like this!" Magica snapped derisively, sending out her own spell. A pair of hands materialized in mid air and closed in around the condor. Tantalus shrieked and dodged.

Darkwing screamed and ran after the condor until Tantalus flew through an open door on a limousine. Darkwing was left in smoke as the door slammed shut and the limo pulled away, heading for Canard Tower.

Sobbing for breath and desperately hoping against hope that something would happen that would save Gosalyn, Darkwing made his way up to the top of the tower. In his place was the worst sight imaginable...

Just a few feet away from him stood Taurus Bulba with Gosalyn at his feet, cringing and scooting backwards on her hands and tail, trying to get away from him. A fresh bruise was swelling on her cheek. Darkwing gasped and hurried to her, trying to place himself between her and the furious bull, but Bulba stepped right through him. Darkwing's frantically flying hands passed through both the villain and the helpless girl.

"I will give you one last chance, leetle one..." Bulba growled as he snatched Gosalyn up by the neck. "What. Is. The code!?"

Gosalyn's eyes teared as she shook her head. She honestly didn't know.

Bulba roared and shook her. Darkwing pounced on Bulba and passed through him. Desperate, the masked mallard tried clawing the bull's fingers off the girl, but to no avail.

Darkwing bellowed in frustration. "Come on, JACOB! DO something!"

But Jacob did not respond.

Bulba shook Gosalyn until her head flopped sideways. Snorting in disgust, he carelessly tossed her off the building.

"NO!" Darkwing screamed, diving over the ledge after her. He desperately grabbed at her, but again his fingers had no purchase. He screeched at the top of his lungs.

This wasn't right! This wasn't what was supposed to happen!

As the pavement rushed up on him, Darkwing closed his eyes, expecting to feel a moment of excruciating pain.

Nothing happened.

He opened them to a very bleak St. Canard.

Most of the lightbulbs were burnt out or missing in the street lamps. The surrounding buildings had scorch marks, bullet holes, foundation cracks, chunks of mortar missing, and shriveled vines climbing up the sides. The only lights on were downtown in the upper floors of the towers. At street level, everything was dark, dingy, and deserted. The sky was overcast with heavy gray clouds. Snowflakes lazily drifted on the wind. An eerie silence clung to the deathly stillness. That reminded him...

He slowly turned around and his heart plummeted. Gosalyn was…

He covered her with his cape and hugged his knees. He couldn't even cry. He had nothing left in him to give...

If only he could have done something! Anything! He might have saved her! He might have saved Launchpad and the city, too. But what was the point? They were past saving now...

He tugged on his hat brim and roared. [i]"This is insane! This is worse than the Negaverse! Worse than that stupid coma-induced dream! Worse even than being sentenced to watch 'Pelican's Island' with demonic versions of my neighbors in my own personal version of hell! [/i]

"Is this what you wanted?!" He shook his fist at the sky. "To show me my worst nightmares playing out before me?!" He gestured to the purple shrouded mound beside him and screamed. "What do you want me to do?! Beg for mercy!?"

Caught up in his crazed rant, he threw his hat to the ground and jumped repeatedly on it. "I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! You hear me, Jacob?! Get me out of here! Get me out!"

Nothing happened. Even the wind had died down, leaving nothing but silence. Maddening, intimidating silence. The only movement was the falling snow.

Unable to stand the sheer loneliness anymore, Darkwing ran through the city, desperate to find some semblance of normalcy. He screamed for Jacob, for Gosalyn, for Launchpad, for anybody. Even Bulba's cold laugh would be more tolerable than all this absence of life. But even the villains were missing. There was not a soul in sight. He looked back. The only tracks he saw on the snowy sidewalk were his own.

Desperate for company, Darkwing barged into every pub, store, office, and residence he came across, hoping to find someone who could help him with his misery. But everyone was gone. He was alone...

His bloodshot eyes roved across the desolate landscape, settling on the familiar outline of his beloved Audubon Bay Bridge. He trudged toward it. Surely it could offer some bit of solace for the world-weary mallard.

He walked up the slippery cable to the tower and paused on the window sill. Why had he bothered to come here? This had once been enough but it had never been a home. It was just a refuge and a lair. His real home was with his family.

A tear slipped down his bill. He slumped on the frosted sill and panted, feeling the cold bite his lungs. He didn't care. He was ready to be done with this...this nightmare... The whole city was a ghost town and he couldn't even lift a finger to change it.

He rested his elbows on his knees and sniffed miserably. "What I wouldn't give to be back home, in MY St. Canard, with Gosalyn, and Launchpad..."

"That can be arranged..." a soft voice spoke up.