(Author's notes: As of today, I will no longer be updating this fanfic. I am quickly running out of patience for and the neglect this site has been given. I'm not getting emails, my traffic stats says nobody is reading my fanfics, which I think is a website error since before all these problems started happening, my traffic stats at least showed something. I'm just done. If anyone is even reading this fanfic, which I can't tell because how messed up the site is, I have an AO3 account where I will be updating all my Ducktales and Darkwing Duck fanfiction. If you are interested, please find me there. My new user name is CherishesDWD. You can also find me on Tumblr as Emilou-Keen-Gear or Deviantart as Emilou1985. I will check every month or so, maybe to see if anything has changed, but more than likely I'm going to be completely out of here. Thank you everyone for reading, and I hope to see you on AO3.)

Chapter 11

Scrooge McDuck is a lot of things. Technologically savvy isn't one of them. Even when the tech-age was barely coming to be in the 80s, he knew it wasn't going to go away, but unlike other business-men, he felt he was far too busy at that moment and didn't keep up with the advances in his personal life. He made sure everyone in McDuck Enterprise was on top of every technological upgrade, even going to the point of making sure everyone was on top of things. Everyone, except for him.

He always said he was too busy, that he could learn later. He hired someone to go through his emails, to keep him informed of how to improve his company. But he never learned.

And when Gyro asked if he had checked his email, he regretted not taking the time in the last decades to just learn the basics. Because his assistant that helped him with his business knew nothing of his personal email, the email that was specifically set up for the sake of his family and Duckburg.

So when he opened up that email, something he had neglected because things had seemed so peaceful for so long, his eyes widened and he cursed as only someone with a Scottish heritage could curse. Not only were there two emails from Gyro, but one from Quackfaster, Louie and Della.

It was happening again.

And it seemed that a man called Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera was at the thick of things. Luckily, this Crackshell-Cabrera was Gyro's intern. It wouldn't be hard to hunt him down and figure things out. That is if it wasn't too late already.

Scrooge summoned his chauffeur and headed to the lighthouse. Once in the cold and steel-covered lab, Scrooge marched to Gyro Gearloose and demanded, "Where is he?"

"He at the Singing Rocks," Gyro Gearloose said.

Scrooge McDuck narrowed his eyes. "What is he doing out there?"

"Well, he was testing the new sub you ordered, but it sprung a leak," Gryo said. "Your nephew is headed out to give him a tow right now."

"How could you let him out of your sight? And with McDuck technology?" Scrooge growled, waving his cane.

"It's not like its secret technology," Gyro said with a shrug. "Besides being able to go faster than any normal one-man sub isn't anything ground-breaking."

"Do you realize what you could have done?" Scrooge shouted. "What if he's in league with them? What if he wanted the submarine to contact them?"

"I had no reason to believe that my intern is no more involved than being the one to have first contact," Gyro said. "If a new disaster is to befall Duckburg, he has been instrumental in warning us so that we can be prepared. That is, if he actually saw one. I have my doubts. He's an odd one."

"You sent me two emails," Scrooge pointed out.

"Yes, but as far as I can see, he may just be eccentric," Gyro said. "As I said, he is odd. But he has been acting strange for the past few days."

"Well, that's because he's been asking too many questions," Scrooge said. "He was at the Duckburg Historical Society Museum asking about mermaids, and did the same to both Della and Donald. He's doing more than be curious. He's finding out how much we know about them."

"You make it sound like he's some sort of spy," Gyro said with a snort.

"Perhaps he is," Scrooge said. "It would explain how she had been able to make so much trouble all these years. She must have had spies before."

"But the intern?" Gyro asked skeptically. "He's not even old enough to remember the previous disaster. And he only saw the mermaid four days ago. He couldn't be a spy."

"I think he is. He's been asking about Fethry and the journals," Scrooge said. "And I'm quite certain he's had contact with the mermaid. He may be in contact with her now."

Gyro set his beak in a thin, grim line.

"I want you to monitor him," Scrooge ordered. "Not just here in the lab, but everywhere he goes."

"You know that's illegal," Gyro said.

"That's not stopped you before," Scrooge said dourly. "Make sure we know exactly where he goes every minute of the day. Don't let him out of your sight for even a second."

Gyro narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, Mr. McDuck."

When Donald finally made it to the Singing Rocks, he greeted Fenton with a wry smile and a joke on his lips. "You must really like getting into trouble."

Fenton was surprised that it was Donald Duck that was coming to get him, but he should have known. Despite there being faster and more reliable boats in the harbor, Mr. McDuck would use the one that he didn't have to pay for. He was at first worried that things would be awkward between them, but Donald worked with a whistle and a song in his heart.

While Donald set up his winch and reel to haul the mini-sub up, Fenton scanned the horizon. He had been doing so since the mermaid disappeared. He knew she wasn't coming back, especially now that Donald was around, but he still had hope. He longed to see her more so than before he knew she was real.

"What are you looking for, pal?" Donald asked.

"Ah, nothing," Fenton said quickly, casting his eyes down. "I just like looking at the ocean."

"Yeah, the ocean is nice to look at," Donald said. "But don't look at it too long."

"Why?"

"Men can lose their minds if they look at her for too long," Donald said. "They think that they're missing something and that they can find it by gazing over the waves and seas. But then the ocean takes them and keeps them."

Fenton turned to Donald. It didn't sound like he was actually talking about the ocean but something else. It felt like another warning. And for a second, Fenton considered confiding in Donald, telling him everything. But hadn't Donald threatened him, or at least warned him, about the McDuck clan. Did Donald already know?

"I'll keep that in mind," Fenton said carefully, and despite what was said, he looked once more out at the ocean.

Gyro was waiting by the shore of the lighthouse to greet them when they arrived. He was dressed in diving gear with a tank on his back. It was the only way he would be able to get the mini-sub back in the lab.

"I'll get suit up to help you," Fenton said, jumping out of the boat and landing in waist-deep water.

"No, no. You've done enough," Gyro said, not meaning to sound condemning but with his voice, it just came out that way. "I'll take care of the sub. You gather your things and go home."

"But I can help," Fenton protested, feeling bad for sinking the sub. "I can at least open and close the gates."

Gyro sighed. "Fine, but then you go home. Tomorrow, you'll have a lot to do drying out the sub. We won't be able to work on it until it's completely dry."

Fenton smiled, not taking his mentor's harsh words to heart. He had gotten used to Gyro's harsh way of dealing with people, understanding that was the scientist's way.

He ran back down into the lab and watched as Gyro disengaged the mini-sub from Donald's boat and drove it through the water. It wasn't as fast as before with it completely filled with water.

The gate to the large tank was already open, so Gyro only had to drive the mini-sub inside. Once he did, Fenton closed the outside gate and began the process of draining the tank which would take some time. He then opened the seal on top of the tank to let Gyro.

Fenton waved goodbye as he grabbed his bag and headed outside. He checked his phone, seeing that he could make his bus if he ran. However, luck was not on his side that day. Just as he exited the lighthouse, he saw the bus drive away from the stop. He sighed, hefting his bag over his shoulder. Perhaps he should invest in some sort of means of transportation. He couldn't afford a car, but perhaps something smaller. Maybe he could get a scooter that he could fix up. Or even an electric bike.

Or he could dig through the shed for his old bike. It had been some time since he rode one, but there was that expression…how did it go? You never forget how to ride a bike, right?

And it would be nice to get in shape. Get some sun. Perhaps then he could be a better swimmer.

But if his invention worked, he wouldn't have to be that good of a swimmer. He could swim as long as he wanted without fear of drowning. If only he could get the filtration system working. And then he could swim with the mermaid.

Their rendezvous point! He remembered that he asked her to go to the mangrove trees every evening, and if he found Fethry, than he could take him there to see the mermaid. He wanted to go now. But she needed time to get Fethry's journals, so maybe not today. Tomorrow.

But he had frightened her away. Would she meet with him? If he didn't have Fethry with him, would she stay hidden?

And that reminded him of his promise to his mother. He promised he would stay out of McDuck business and away from his family. But he needed to find Fethry for the mermaid. It was important. If he didn't, something bad might happen to Duckburg.

That was a good enough reason to break his promise. He was going to find Fethry. But where? That was obvious. His mother told him that Fethry had been captured when he had broken into the orphanage by his family, and that the McDucks took him back to the mental hospital that was outside of the city limits. In fact, it was in the same direction as the orphanage, according to the map app he was looking at, although they were several miles away. The orphanage was close to the ocean while the hospital was situated in the mountains just north west of Duckburg.

Checking his bus app, Fenton found that the bus would take him almost right in front of the hospital. There looked to be about a half-mile walk the rest of the way. It wouldn't take much time to go back home, find his old bike, take the other bus out of Duckburg and pedal the rest of the way.

He had a plan. He would find Fethry Duck. He was going to find out what in the world was going on in the oceans around Duckburg.

Scrooge McDuck watched on his monitor the little blip that was his target, the target that Gyro had tagged for him. Gyro had his misgivings about his intern, but Scrooge McDuck didn't live as long as he had by being cautious. The witch was cunning, far too cunning to make such a simple mistake. He couldn't let another disaster befall his city, not when he had built it up so much.

And he wasn't going to lose another life. Not. One. More. Life.