Author's note: See all the latest chapters over on AO3. Now we're on two sites! Also, why are there no Bradford or Black Heron tags?!
So, allow me to explain. I've been thinking of Bradford raising Webby and even May and June just a few weeks after I watched "The Last Adventure" for the first time. I've only seen the pilot and the "Let's Get Dangerous!" episodes prior to this, so I was going in partially blind besides for knowing who FOWL and Steelbeak were from the OG Darkwing Duck series. But for some reason when I watched these episodes, my eyes just always went to the vulture wearing a necktie, finding myself liking him a lot for his blunt mannerisms and no-nonsense attitude in a world full of insanity. And the finale only sold that further to me in one big beautiful package (armor included, meow).
After thinking about the idea of Bradford actually caring for the clones he's made instead of throwing them away into trash compactors, and after discussing with a number of friends on discord who also enjoyed watching this guy tear up the screen, a clearer story started to form for me. And now, I'm finally here. I do hope this works out lol.
First, some thanks are in order: first, thank you tons to ATG for helping to beta the story, and for bearing my many, many, many, manymanymany MANY long ramblings about Bradford not just through DMs but through TWO servers, so I immensely apologize for my constant simping to the point of it becoming an inside joke (no regrets whatsoever though, none).
I'd also like to thank my other friends on discord for listening to me ramble about him and the story plot, and for helping me to keep continuing even when I slammed into a brick wall (you know who you guys are wink).
Thank you to a few DT servers for answering my questions about some plot elements from the show that weren't clear to me.
And last but not least I'd like to thank the other vulture simps and DT fans both on tumblr and twitter for keeping my interest in the character going, especially ShadowJinx626 who was a fan of the idea from the beginning of my first draft writing process and who has waited very patiently for this, so thank you immensely.
This fic is rated T for some cursing, scenes of emotional neglect, emotional trauma, disturbing dreams, and bloodshed. There may be a later chapter that would be M rated for sexual and sensual themes but nothing too deep.
So, without further ado, let's see how we go...
"So, the child will have to be incubated? For how long?" asked Black Heron. Bradford visually scanned the incubation chamber silently with a stern yet curious expression.
Ludwig von Drake hummed in thought, rubbing a hand under his bill. "Well," he said in a heavy German accent, "in all honesty, I don't know. This clone was created from the feather of its father and the very generous donation you gave, Black Heron." He added caustically as Heron sneered in response. "So, the incubation period might be the same period as either a duck or a heron, or shorter, or even longer! We could only tell once it's ready to leave."
Bradford allowed a careful hand to lightly touch the cylindrical glass of the tall chamber. The mechanical base of the chamber was surrounded by countless cords and levers, connected and monitored by a large and newly minted supercomputer that counted down every moment the living yolk housed inside the glass moved, breathed, and pumped blood into its tiny heart. The panels of the chamber reached from its mechanical base towards the ceiling, nearly touching it. The yolk floated in a specially designed liquid solution that enriched its growth while inside the chamber. Red vessels twisted inside the yellow yolk, and at its center was a rapidly beating speck of a heart, its slightest movement indicating its fragile beginning to life.
Bradford couldn't help but marvel at the phenomenon he was witnessing. As much as he required a clone for Project 87 to work towards his end goal, he couldn't help but be awed at seeing the process of life occurring in real time right in front of him. Every pump of blood, each heartbeat was monitored and recorded with the upmost care by the computers as the chick grew stronger every day.
It was remarkable.
"We gave you the Stone of What Was to clone Scrooge McDuck," Heron growled slowly, as if she were talking to a disobedient student. "The clone we ordered for you to make is supposed to be a direct descendant, von Drake. A duckling. Aren't you supposed know how that works?"
The old professor chuckled sardonically. "Oh yes, ordered me after you duck-napped me from my office in the middle of the night all those years ago, faking my death, and forcing me to help you with your outrageous and quite frankly heinous projects of yours. Oh yes," he chuckled again, then said flatly in a deadly serious tone, "that order."
Heron cocked her mechanical arm, a wicked grin stretching across her beak. "Well, well, you old coot. If you're not going to give us an easy answer, I'd might as well-"
"How would we know it's ready to 'hatch', von Drake?" Bradford casually interrupted, his hand still on the glass as he turned to the duck with a questioning look.
"Oh, now that is simple to answer," von Drake replied with a smile, ignoring Heron's threatening arm as she glanced back at Bradford in disbelief. "It will be based on heart and breathing rates, oxygen and blood pressure levels, and if the child will exhibit classic signs of 'breaking through the shell'. In short: instinct plays the biggest part!"
"Hmm," Bradford turned his head back towards the incubator. The yolk was only a few days old, and even once the baby was ready to leave its "shell", next came the hard part of raising a child even for such a brief time, at least until the next phase of the plan would have to begin. The creation of the child was a more difficult process than he had originally seen with the creation of his own clones. It would've been a simple combination of egg and feather, but because they had planned on the child growing as "normal" as possible without aging it up too quickly, Ludwig von Drake had to be called up to give a hand in the project to make sure all went as planned as the chick developed in its tank.
But Bradford foresaw this, planned for all of this. He knew what needed to be done. He'd do anything to get his end goal from all this: the papyrus. If that included caring for a child to get what he wanted, if that be a few weeks, months, or even years until the time called for it, then so be it. He had to do this. He must do this.
But as he held his hand on the glass, he felt the chick's faint heartbeat through the glass, and he sensed something inside him tug strongly for a moment. Even now, with all the possible contingencies planned out and all the work done so far for the chick's continued survival, Bradford could only hope that the clone will be a success and live toward its completion.
No. He knew it will live. He felt it. It has to live. From the strength of its heartbeat, he knew it will grow to be strong. Feeling the chick's strength in its heartbeat and seeing it move with the ferocity of life was enough for him to be sure now.
After a few more moments of watching the glass while the others indistinctly argued in the background, Bradford slowly coaxed himself away from the chamber and told Heron to leave von Drake to his work and to come with him.
"I don't see why you had to stop me back there," Heron moaned in disappointment as they left the lab. "You know how much I like threatening that old codger," she added with a mocking chuckle.
"Mhm," Bradford hummed in half-thought, his mind still replaying his moment with the yolk and its beating heart. He still marveled how such a tiny thing could just burst with life and vitality. He knew he should've expected it, of course, and yet he couldn't stop thinking of it.
"Earth to Director Buzzard!" Heron shouted, startling Bradford and making him hold his arms up in a defensive position.
"Gahh! Don't scare me like that!" he shouted, relaxing himself in a huff.
"Heh, I was just making sure you haven't gone deaf yet, ya old buzzard," Heron chuckled.
Bradford rubbed his now aching head. "Hmph, as if I hadn't already."
She grinned, then suddenly Heron's expression became serious. "You do remember why we're doing this, right?"
Bradford brushed his hands on his business suit nonchalantly, trying to mask his nervousness. "Of course I do, Heron," he said in a strict voice. "Now, if you would excuse me…"
He walked off towards his study to get ready for a board meeting at McDuck Mansion as Heron stared at his retreating position with suspicion.