Episode 8: Goodbye Darkwing

Two days after the DarkWarrior Duck icident, Darkwing finally managed to awaken from his unconious state. His tired blue eyes scanned the room in confusion.

By the decor, he could see that he was somehow back home in his house. But how? What happened to DarkWarrior?

Gossalyn just started to step into the room, carrying a tray of food for her father, when she saw him awake on the couch. Forgetting all about the tray, Gossalyn dropped it to the ground, ran over and pounced on her dad.

"I'm...I'm so glad you're okay," said Gossalyn, with tears slipping out of her eyes.

Before Darkwing could think of anything to respond, Launchpad decided to enter the room. His face lit up when he saw DW.

"Glad to see you finally awake DW," said Launchpad.

"What happened to me?" said Darkwing " the last thing I remember was being captured by DarkWarrior,"

"It was the spell Dad" said Gossalyn " DarkWarrior completed the spell allowing him to take over your body, and started to riegn destruction throughout the city,"

"Yeah" said Launchpad " he was so bad that the Fearsome Five actually helped us defeat you. One magic spell from Morganna's book, and poof, you were back to normal,"

Walking over to the window, Darkwing looked out to see just how much damage he had done to the city when possessed by DarkWarrior.

"I did all that?" said Darkwing.

"Yes and no" said Gossalyn " Darkwarrior was in control during the time, so it's not all your fault,"

"I think I need to be alone for minute," said Darkwing, walking over to the spinning chairs.

One hit to Basil's head and Darkwing was gone.

When Darkwing reappeared in his bridge hideout, he immediately went over to the supercomputer, and brought up the security tapes from two days ago when his mind wasn't all there. His eyes widened with horror at what he saw.

There he was, in his DarkWarrior guise, pointing a gun at Launchpad and Gossalyn. If it hadn't had been for NegaDuck a few frames later, both Gossalyn and Launchpad would have been killed!

"I can't believe it" said Darkwing, walking out to the ledge of the tower " out of all of the horrible things that ever happened, did I actually try to kill? That's the villians job! Am I really a hero? For all my actions the past few days, I don't deserve to be one,"

A falling star began to shoot through the sky as Darkwing screamed to the heavens.

"I wish I was never born!"

The star turned and charged towards Darkwing, hitting the mallard hard on the head before he could run away. The next thing Darkwing knew, he was knocked out.

When Darkwing awoke, he was still on the ledge where he was earlier. Remembering the star, the mallard searched his head for bump, only to find none.

"That's strange" thought Darkwing " I would have expected a bruise or something,"

Walking back into the tower, Darkwing's jaw dropped in surprise when he saw all his crime fighting equitment was gone.

"Someone has raided my hideout!" shouted Darkwing " but if that's true...oh no, Gossalyn!"

In a flash, Darkwing was spinning back to his house. Frantically he searched every room, but found out that not only were Gossalyn and Launchpad missing, all the furniture was gone as well.

During his search in the backyard and the front, Darkwing came across a horrible sign.

"For Sale!"

It was no wonder the house was so empty, no one lived there anymore.

"Hey nieghbor" came Herb Muddlefoot's voice from next door " quiet a get up you got there. Are you moving into that house?"

"Herb, don't you recgonize me?" asked Darkwing.

"Nope" said Herb " I would have sure recgonized someone as funny looking as you,"

"Herb doesn't know me" thought Darkwing " what kind of wierd world am I in?"

Suddenly it hit Darkwing like a thunderbolt. The falling star! His wish! He was in a world where he was never born!

The shocking realization stunned Darkwing so much that he almost didn't hear the question Herb asked.

"You're not from around here are ya?" said Herb.

"You could say that" said Darkwing " tell me, who owns this town?"

"Why Tarus Bubla of course," said Herb.

"Tarus Bulba!" shouted Darkwing.

"Ooo, such a great man" said Binky Muddlefoot, joining her husband at the fence " he saved the city's water supply from getting polluted, and stole all the gold in St. Canard, now he and his goons run everything. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Wonderful?" yelled Darkwing " some tyrant is running the city! And you're calling it wonderful!"

"Oh you'll get used it to soon enough friend" said Herb " once they take you to the tower,"

Darkwing was about to retort back, when a chilling thought entered his mind. During his first attempt to stop Tarus Bulba, the bull had tried to get his hands on Gossalyn so he could have the arming code for the Ramrod Gossalyn's grandfather invented.

If Tarus Bulba had successfully stolen all the gold in St. Canard like Binky said, then he wouldn't need Gossalyn anymore. She would be...

Darkwing didn't waste a moment's thought, and quickly sprinted towards the orphanage where he first met Gossalyn. Hoping againist all hope, that she was alive.

Grief was knocking on Darkwing's door as soon as he had checked out the orphanage. The whole building and grounds had been torn apart from what looked like a huge explosion. There was no way anyone could have survived.

Depressed, Darkwing strolled through the city, observing the world in which he was never born. Liquidnator was now a human being, since he didn't take his bath in acid water, and now imprisoned in jail.

NegaDuck no longer exsisted. Bushroot had successfully turned Rhoda into a plant-duck like him, since Darkwing hadn't been there to save her. And Quackerjack and Megavolt were acting as Tarus Bulba's enforcer's.

"I never imagined the world would be like this," thought Darkwing, taking a seat outside of an airplane hanger.

Suddenly, a duck approached the hanger, carrying a load of boxes in his hands.

"Need a hand?" asked Darkwing, moving to take some of the boxes.

"Sure, thanks pal," said a very familar voice.

Darkwing looked to see that the duck was none other than Launchpad. Same goofy smile, same clumsy self.

"Launchpad?" asked Darkwing.

"That's my name don't wear it out" laughed Launchpad, as he and Darkwing walked into the hanger with thier load " haven't seen you in these parts, what's your name?"

" I am the terror that flaps in the night" said Darkwing " I am the ghost of what should have been. I am Darkwing Duck!"

"Whoa!" said Launchpad, dropping his load of boxes on Darkwing's foot, making the hero hop around in pain " are you some kind of superhero,"

"I was" said Darkwing, massaging his sore foot " until I wished my whole life away,"

"What do you mean?" asked Launchpad.

Sighing, Darkwing told Launchpad the whole story from the begining. Launchpad was excited to hear that he had once been Darkwing's sidekick.

But when Darkwing got to the part about how he was taken over by his evil personality, caused major harm to the city, and wished he was never born Launchpad soon grew pity for the poor hero.

"Nothing's the same" Darkwing concluded " Gossalyn's dead, Tarus Bulba runs St. Canard, and no one knows me anymore,"

"Well I know don't I?" said Launchpad " if no one around here will believe you're a hero, then I guess I'll have to do,"

"Thanks Launchpad," said Darkwing.

"Hey McQuack" shouted Megavolt's voice from the hangar doorway " it's time to pay Bulba's tribute,"

"Yeah" said Quackerjack, walking in " the boss man needs his money,"

"But I don't have anymore," said Launchpad.

"To bad" said Quackerjack " guess we'll just have to juice it out of you, right Megs?"

"I always did like roast duck," said Megavolt, sparks flying through his fingers.

As the two villians approached Launchpad, a booming voice suddenly stopped them in thier tracks.

"Not so fast evil doers!"

"Who said that?" yelled Megavolt.

"Look!" said Quackerjack, pointing to a cloud of blue smoke.

"I am the terror that flaps through the night" said Darkwing, appearing out of the smoke " I am the hero that time forgot. I am Darkwing Duck!"

"Who?" said Quackerjack.

"Suck gas," said Darkwing, pulling the trigger on his gas gun.

The whole room started to fill with choking green smoke. Launchpad ran out of the back door of the hangar, while Darkwing web-kicked Quackerjack and Megavolt into a nearby pile of cans.

"You'll pay for that Duck," said Megavolt, getting rerady to throw a bolt of lightning at the superhero.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Darkwing, looking smug.

"Why not?" said Megavolt, when Quackerjack suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Uh, Megavolt?" said Quackerjack.

Megavolt looked around, his eyes widening in horror when he suddenly saw where he and Quackerjack were standing. The villians had landed into cans of airplane oil. One spark, and they would be blown sky high.

Both villians turned to look at Darkwing, who was loading an electric gernade into his gas gun.

"Wait, can't we talk about this?" said Megavolt, as Darkwing pointed the gun at the two villians.

"No," said Darkwing, and fired the gun.

The gernade went off, exploding the cans of oil and rocketing the villians sky high. Fortunately for Quackerjack and Megavolt, they weren't on fire for very long, as a hard landing in a lake softened thier fall. Even though it caused Megavolt extra pain by shorting him out.

"Uh" said Megavolt " I'm going to get that duck for this,"

"Bulba isn't going to be happy with our report," said Quackerjack.

"What!" yelled Bulba, slamming his fist down on the table, making Quackerjack and Megavolt shiver " what do mean you did not get the tribute?"

"There was some goon named Darkwing Duck Sir" said Quackerjack " he stopped us in our tracks,"

"Yeah" said Megavolt " we were blown sky high!"

"Really?" said Tarus Bulba, scratching his chin in thought.

He could always use another good enforcer. And by the sounds of it, this Darkwing duck character was a force to be reckoned with.

"Send him an invitation" said Tarus Bulba " this Darkwing can be a big help to our cause,"

"But boss" said Quackerjack " what if he doesn't want to help us?"

"Destroy him of course,"

"So this is Bulba's headquarters," said Darkwing as he and Launchpad approached Drake Tower, now renamed Bulba's Tower.

"Yep" said Launchpad " from up there Bulba can control everything,"

"Including the crime rate" said Darkwing " come on sidekick, let's get up there,"

With that said Darkwing Duck and Launchpad walked into Bulba's Tower. As soon as they stepped into the lobby, the intercom crackled with Bulba's voice.

"Well, if it isn't Duck" said Bulba's voice " so glad you could come to my little party. Won't you please join me for some refreshments in my office? My escorts will show you the way,"

With that said, a nearby elevator opened it's door's revealing Quackerjack and Megavolt. Before Darkwing and Launchpad could put up resistance, they forced into the elevator and dropped off on the top floor.

Bulba was sitting behind his desk, quietly sipping tea, as Megavolt and Quackerjack kicked Darkwing and Launchpad to the floor.

"I didn't expect extra company," said Bulba, looking at Launchpad.

"You can never expect a hero without his sidekick," said Darkwing, standing up.

"A hero is it? Ha!" said Tarus Bulba " this town has no need for heroes. It has need for just order and discipline. All subjects are to swear loyalty to me. For I am the sumpreme ruler of the world!"

"And I thought I had a big ego," said Darkwing.

"I have seen your skills after you have roughed up my two hecnhmen" said Bulba, pressing in close to Darkwing " you have impressed me. And I am not easy to impress. Join me on the dark side! You shall be my number one enforcer!"

"Go suck a cow," growled Darkwing.

" Come my friend" said Bulba " Don't be so foolish. I can grant you all the riches in the world. You shall have power unimaginable,"

"I've been on the dark side before" said Darkwing " and all it caused me was grief. I nearly destroyed my home, my family, my friends. I wasn't me anymore,"

"I had wished it had never happened. I wished it would all go away. It did, and I woke up in this horrible time. Now I commited a even bigger crime than any other villian has done before. I have robbed this city of a hero,"

"A touching speech" said Bulba " so what is your decision? Join me or die?"

Darkwing looked to Launchpad and saw that famous McQuack smile.

"Whatever you choose DW" said Launchpad " I'm with you, to the very end,"

"I am, and will always be, a hero," said Darkwing to Tarus Bulba.

"Then prepare to die," said Bulba, and shot Darkwing with a gun.

When Darkwing woke up, there was a serious pounding in his head. He looked around confused to find himself laying on the couch in his living room. A tray of food was laying on the coffee table just across from him.

Wait, there was furniture here! There wasn't any before! Jumping up, Darkwing dashed into the kitchen to see Launchpad and Gossalyn chowing down at the dinner table.

Darkwing hugged both of the surprised ducks tight, happy to see that they were alive.

"Who's the mayor?" Darkwing asked Launchpad.

"Terrence Feather, why?" asked Launchpad.

" Oh Launchpad" said Darkwing " I was in a terrible world. Gossalyn was dead, I was never born, and Tarus Bulba ruled St. Canard,"

"Geez" said Launchpad " that bump on the head must have delievered one crazy dream,"

"Dream or not" said Darkwing " it's glad to be back in reality,"

"Does this mean?" asked Gossalyn, excitedly.

"You got it kiddo" said Darkwing, striking a herioc pose " Darkwing Duck is back!"