Police sirens wailed and two-way radios blared as the police pursued the villain and hero on foot and by squad car. Launchpad and Gosalyn worriedly followed with Honker and Morgana behind them.
The police pushed ahead after hearing the gunshot, forcing a wild-eyed Gosalyn into the arms of a burly cop. Gosalyn squirmed out of his grasp and raced after the cops, terrified of what she might find.
Gizmoduck and the Fearsome Three returned from the aquarium with a couple carloads of S.H.U.S.H. agents on their heels. The group surged around the police, expecting a second round of fighting from Quackerjack but stopped and grinned. There stood Darkwing Duck, a foot in the middle of a snoring Quackerjack's back, smiling proudly.
The police had both villain and hero surrounded, but Bushroot, Megavolt, and Liquidator pushed past and threw themselves on Darkwing. He braced for a fight, but was astonished to realize the constricting arms were hugging him, not strangling him, and the dampness he felt on his collar were from tears.
"Oh, thank goodness! You're alright!" Bushroot sobbed on his caped shoulder. "I can't thank you or your friends enough!"
"It's great to have you back!" Megavolt squeezed an arm.
"And the story of the year has a happy ending!" Liquidator agreed from Darkwing's leg.
Disgusted and amazed, Darkwing shook Licky off his foot and glared at each happy face in turn. "I don't know what you three are up to, but will Someone please explain just What Is Going ON here!" he snapped as he wrenched his arms out of Bushroot' and Megavolt's grasp.
"St. Canard's plants and people are safe again!" Bushroot explained.
"We were so inspired by your example that we helped out!" Megavolt added.
"'Scuse me, coming through!" Launchpad nudged past the stunned police on Gosalyn's heels as she darted around and under legs.
Gosalyn latched onto her hero's waist.
"Don't worry, Darkwing!" Gosalyn piped as she saw his confused and suspicious expression toward the villains. "Everything's fine! Bushroot came to my rescue and Liquidator and Megavolt fought Quackerjack! It was better than watching an action movie!"
"Yeah, and then the Fearsome Three went with Gizmoduck to clean up the bay!" Launchpad supplemented after politely squeezing past the villains. "They were all heroes today. Except for Quackerjack there, of course."
"Wingy!" Gizmoduck plopped himself right in the middle of the crowd, very nearly elbowing Launchpad in the face and almost crushing Megavolt's foot.
The super villain irritably raised a spark on his glove, but Bushroot pulled his arm down when the police raised their guns.
Gizmoduck, oblivious, continued his greeting.
"So good to see you up and about, Gizmobuddy!" he snatched Darkwing up in crushing hug.
Darkwing squirmed in his grasp. "I'm not a doll, Giz, and I'm not your "Gizmobuddy!" I am...Oof!"
Whatever else he was going to say was cut off, along with his air, as the mobile tank squeezed even harder. Pushing his upper half out of the constricting arms, Darkwing glimpsed J. Gander stepping up alongside Honker and protested. "J. Gander! Ack! I thought this stuff was supposed to be...gasp...impact resistant...!"
"Sorry, Darkwing, but I did warn you it was only a prototype. It probably is 'resisting' the 'impact' by bending against your body." J. Gander said with a reserved smile.
Before anybody could comment, the police moved in to arrest the super villains.
Liquidator ducked behind Gizmoduck. "Hey! The deal was clean the bay, be on our way!" he complained.
"Yeah!" Megavolt snapped. "What happened to being let off the charge? Or was that dropping charges and letting us off the hook? Ugh! These ridiculous clichés! How can anyone keep them straight!"
"Well, I did say that." Gizmo said thoughtfully, releasing Darkwing a little too soon for the crime fighter to regain his feet. Darkwing plopped ungracefully on the sidewalk and scowled at him, but Gizmo remained oblivious. "But right now, you're making things worse by resisting arrest. Just calm down and let these good men do their jobs and soon you'll be free and dandy."
"Hmmph. Just what I always wanted…" Liquidator pouted.
The police did arrest all of the Fearsome Four, but Gizmoduck promised he'd speak at the trail in the Three's defense. Gizmo then noticed the media vans pulling up on the curb and went to greet the reporters. Darkwing was too busy being hugged and questioned by friends and investigators respectively to barge in as was his wont.
Although Gizmoduck didn't take any credit, the reporters thanked him for saving the city and credited him with the Fearsome Four's arrest. Gizmoduck tried to correct them and direct the conversation toward everyone else who had been involved, including Darkwing, but the reporters missed the bait. Giving in with a sigh, he simply answered questions and verified that the bay would soon be back to normal thanks to concerted efforts, while he grimly watched the police shove the Fearsome Four into a prisoner transport van.
Bushroot accepted the incarceration, but Liquidator and Megavolt simmered with annoyance. They busted out of the van and took off within the hour, dragging Bushroot along. Though upset by the deed, Bushroot was reunited with an anxious Spike and, accepting that things hadn't changed for him, he gratefully returned to his greenhouse.
Later at S.H.U.S.H., four ducks fidgeted in their seats, waiting for the fifth member of their party. Gosalyn, Honker, Morgana, and Launchpad were in a waiting room while Dr. Bellum and Dr. Medley examined Darkwing. Although Darkwing seemed relatively unaffected by his most recent battle, there had been enough hype for both his family and S.H.U.S.H. to be concerned.
Gosalyn and Honker were just starting their twelfth round of tic tac toe when the masked mallard stepped into hall. Darkwing's family jumped to their feet, eager for news. Upon seeing his sour expression, they refrained from commenting. Indignation was a sign that he was doing just fine.
Launchpad told Darkwing that Dr. Medley had requested a vehicle to take them home since the Ratcatcher was not made to accommodate five people. Darkwing glowered and muttered something under his breath. It sounded like "concerned about my ride, after risking my life with an untested prototype..." but the others wisely their comments to themselves.
"Well, Dark, how did it go?" Morgana broached the silence cheerfully as they stood in the elevator en route to the garage.
Darkwing produced something from his pocket. "Does this answer your question?" he asked a bit harshly as he held the item up for inspection. He was not in the mood for socializing.
"Whoa! Talk about a flea problem!" Launchpad exclaimed, eyeing the lead.
"That's not a bug, that's a bullet!" Honker said, adjusting his glasses.
"Cool beans! Where was it?" Gosalyn asked. She enthusiastically circled her glowering parent, peering at his costume. "Did Dr. Bellum have to cut it out of you or was it buried in one of your gadgets? Or was it…?"
"Actually it was stuck in a bandage," Darkwing said. "S.H.U.S.H. put a couple yards of gauze on me before I left the infirmary that were coated with a self-hardening spray. A prototype that is supposed to work like a Teflon vest. It stopped the bullet, but left me with a bruise the size of a cantaloupe!"
Morgana took in the information as the group walked over to an unmarked SUV hauling the Ratcatcher in an enclosed trailer.
As Launchpad drove carefully out onto the street, Morgana wrapped her arms around herself and leaned dejectedly back in her seat. "My spell didn't work..." she muttered. "It was supposed to cure you."
Darkwing glanced back at her and forced a lopsided smile. "Don't worry, Morg. Whatever you did made me limber enough to go after Quackerjack again, and it took down the swelling around my eye. That's a plus."
"And I think the spell restored the rest of my memory because I know everything I'm supposed to again!" Gosalyn piped cheerfully next to Morgana.
"Good, then maybe you'll remember how quickly you cleaned your room and did your homework without any nagging. Maybe you could implement that lesson in the future, hmm?" Darkwing eyeballed his charge.
She smirked. "Sorry, Dad. That was a fluke of nature."
When she saw the glare he was giving her, she gave in a little before either of them lost their temper.
"I'll try to keep it up for a while..."
"That's my girl," he smiled and relaxed in the passenger seat.
Morgana drew the conversation back to her concerns. "I will admit my spell was impromptu and probably didn't work the way it should have, but there's something I don't understand, Dark. My astral senses are keen enough to detect even a trace of an aura. I can track anyone anywhere, even in the hereafter. However, when you were unconscious, I couldn't find your aura. It was like you weren't even there!"
Darkwing flinched at the thought. "I don't know, Morg," he sighed. "Wherever I was, it was safe…"
"I'd love to hear all about it, Honeywumpus." Morgana reached around the headrest to hug him before glancing at the children and Launchpad. "Why don't we all go back to my place and have some refreshments. It'll be just the thing to help us unwind…"
Darkwing tried to think of a reply that didn't sound rude, but Honker spared him.
"Um, if you don't mind, I need to return home. We're leaving for my Aunt Trudy's the day after tomorrow and I still need to pack my chemistry set. Could you drop me off at the Tower?"
"Aw, come on, Honk! It's not like you can't spare an hour…" Gosalyn lightly punched his arm, upsetting his glasses. As the duckling rearranged his frames, Darkwing brightened.
"Why don't we all go to the Tower tonight?" he said. Seeing Morgana's eyebrow raise questioningly, Darkwing tried to soothe her. "It'll be a full moon and the view is great up there…Not that it wouldn't be just as lovely from your place, but I thought it'd be…romantic?"
"Ick," Gosalyn muttered.
Morgana clasped her hands in delight. "Oh, Dark, You are such a romantic! How about I meet you there? I'll freshen up a bit, and bring snacks and shakes..."
"Oh," Darkwing tried to disguise his lack of enthusiasm for Morgana's cuisine. "Well, should we drive by your house first?"
"Oh don't be silly!" she grinned. "I don't need a car! I'll be back in a jiffy."
With that, Morgana teleported out of the vehicle.
Darkwing nervously ran his hand over his hair feathers, trying to sort through his conflicting thoughts. Seeing Launchpad staring at him in the rearview mirror and Gosalyn watching him from the back seat, he adjusted his collar and cleared his throat.
"Well, that settles it, I guess. You can head home from the tower, Honker."
"Thanks, Mr. Darkwing, Sir," Honker replied.
Later, after parking the S.H.U.S.H. vehicle in a pre-designated spot and backing the Ratcatcher out, the four returned to the Audobon Bay, only to find that someone had set off his house alarm system. (*refers to "Neighborly Secrets")
Darkwing rushed to his computer console while Gosalyn and Launchpad said goodnight to Honker and saw him to the spinning chairs.
Darkwing tapped on a few keys and brought up the surveillance footage. He watched it carefully, but his posture and lack of excitement told Gosalyn and Launchpad that the intrusion wasn't something they needed to be concerned with.
Morgana arrived with her pet bats and spider and joined Darkwing. Watching the screen, she rubbed his shoulders and he absently patted her hand. After going through the footage one more time, Darkwing relaxed and leaned into her hands. They stayed there for several minutes, just soaking in each other's company, before Darkwing dutifully rose and kissed her hand.
"I need to check on Gosalyn. Make sure she isn't getting into my chemistry set again…"
"I'll join you." She smiled, stroking his cheek.
They found Gosalyn curled up in one of the blue chairs with a snoring Launchpad next to her. Darkwing and Morgana shared a fond smile as he stroked Gosalyn's hair. The duckling looked up sleepily and smiled at her visitor. He scooped her up with hardly a flinch and carried her to the couch in front of the TV. Grabbing a blanket, he settled Gosalyn on the couch next to him and invited Morgana to join them. She snuggled on his other side and he spread the blanket over all three of them. Within minutes, they were fast asleep, the full moon, and their troubles, forgotten.
A.N.: Be sure to check the Ducktales crossover section for more adventures featuring Darkwing and Gizmoduck, and also starring Scrooge McDuck. "Until Proven Innocent" is a mystery that'll keep you guessing as DW and Gizmoduck butt heads and return to the Negaverse. "The Duck Knight in Duckburg," continuing off of "Innocent" and "The Best Present Ever" features most of the Duckburg cast in another mystery, with a surprising collection of villains, and tons of references to both DWD episodes and Ducktales. Plus, for the first time ever, Donald Duck is working alongside Darkwing and Gosalyn. Disney duck fans, prepare to get dangerous!
Also, in addition to Quiver's story, I was highly inspired by Icequeenkitty, Irual, Celeste and other fanfic writers.