Drakes | By : passionsnapey Category: +1 through F > Darkwing Duck Views: 4567 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
This story has a song which goes with it, which could be interpreted as either Negaduck or Darkwing Duck, depending on which character you follow. This song is from Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, the musical, which is kind of appropriate, and I have it as one of my 'top 100' songs. You can skip the song if you don't want to read it, its just there for reference. :)
This Is The Moment
This is the moment!
This is the day,
When I send all my doubts and demons
On their way!
Every endeavor,
I have made - ever -
Is coming into play,
Is here and now - today!
This is the moment,
This is the time,
When the momentum and the moment
Are in rhyme!
Give me this moment -
This precious chance -
I'll gather up my past
And make some sense at last!
This is the moment,
When all I've done -
All the dreaming,
Scheming and screaming,
Become one!
This is the day -
See it sparkle and shine,
When all I've lived for
Becomes mine!
For all these years,
I've faced the world alone,
And now the time has come
To prove to them
I've made it on my own!
This is the moment -
My final test -
Destiny beckoned,
I never reckoned,
Second Best!
I won't look down,
I must not fall!
This is the moment,
The sweetest moment of them all!
This is the moment!
Damn all the odds!
This day, or never,
I'll sit forever
With the gods!
When I look back,
I will always recall,
Moment for moment,
This was the moment,
The greatest moment
Of them all!
DELIVERANCE
"Guilty."
Not to long ago he knew how to deal with guilt. But then, not to long ago, he knew the difference between right and wrong, having been on the side of wrong for so long. He looked around. Nothing but stares and angry glances everywhere he turned. The courtroom was hot and sticky, the eyes of jurors and witnesses quivering with apprehension. His lawyer was shaking his head sadly, that damn little girl was looking at him with those round blue eyes, sobbing softly, and that pilot, just, staring, mouth agape at him! Was he a spectacle? A show for their entertainment? He suddenly looked up. The judge had tapped his mallet.
"Do you understand, then, that by admitting your own guilt, you are completely subject to the judgement of this court?"
"Just get on with it!!!!" he snapped, making everyone in the courtroom jump two feet out of their chairs.
Clearly they had been waiting for him to snap, but the waiting had been nerve wracking to the point where he could feel his nails digging into the flesh of his clenched palms.
"Very well then. I sentence you, Negaduck, to life in prison for the murder of Darkwing Duck. This court is adjourned."
Life.
It was the worse sentence they could have given him, considering that nobody really knew whether or not Darkwing was dead. Nobody could prove he was dead. There was no body. He must have looked god awfully pale to everyone; the admission of guilt, the life sentence, and the fact that he had survived a huge explosion adding to his pained condition. His mind raced suddenly as a thought crossed his mind, the thought that hadn't occurred to him before the sentencing. He had pleaded guilty. Why?
He looked back at the young girl, Gosalyn, who, as he knew from his own experience in the Negaverse, was Darkwing's charge. Who could have known that 'oblivion' would turn out to be good old Saint Canard? Was he really a carbon copy mirror version of Darkwing Duck? Or was the Negaverse a part of his own twisted mental reality? He couldn't quite remember if he had been born in the Negaverse, or if he had created it in someway. He just knew that if it was a world of his own creation, then that would mean he had created Gosalyn on purpose to be a daughter for him. What had been the point? That he could control anybody and anyone, including a little girl?
Negaduck couldn't blame her for crying; she probably though she would never see her father again. But why had he plead guilty, when Darkwing's body was never found? Hundreds of witnesses claimed that they had seen him shove Darkwing off the Bridge, when really he had been trying to grab the duck before he jumped from the bridge with his bomb. But there was no body.
Was it because his old enemy was gone, pulled away by dark mysterious waters unknown, and he felt responsible for that, or was it the look in the little girl's eyes? He had plead guilty. The enormity of the life sentence suddenly dawned on him and he felt his heart twist in his belly.
Why? Because, dammit!! Darkwing jumped off the bridge to save my life! To save me! If he really is dead then I AM responsible!
It wasn't Darkwing's supposed death that made him feel guilty, it wasn't the life of crime he had led unpunished. It was the fact that Darkwing had saved his life! He hadn't been in danger, but he might have been if that explosive discharge had landed where he had been standing.
He jumped to catch it, and the damn thing went off in his hands! Bloody idiot!
Negaduck felt himself suddenly being handcuffed. Gosalyn had started to sob out loud, and Launchpad shook his head angrily. Poor little girl. Four dead parents; her real parents, her adopted dad and her grandfather, all dead. Negaduck looked away, too disgusted with himself to move. It was his fault anyway; he had set those explosives. He suddenly saw a purple head in the crowd. He whispered viciously as soon as he was close enough to Bushroot for the stunned criminal to hear him.
"Find the duck...Don't you dare attempt some lamebrained escape until you find the duck or his corpse, understand?"
Bush Root gaped. As they lead Negaduck away, one thought went through his simple plant-like brain.
That means the duck still lives! Gotta find him!
-seperator-
Pain. There was pain, and water that was cool on his burnt and battered body. He gasped and groaned and as he tried to pull himself up out of the water onto the sandy shoreline, the charred flesh on his hands began to peel. Damn, he hated roast duck! He clambered onto the bank with just enough strength to pull his head out of the water before losing consciousness.
When Darkwing Duck finally woke up he realized that he was miles from Saint Canard, on some lonely river bank, very far from a town or city. He blinked his eyes and groaned, the enormity of what happened finally reaching him. He was alive. But how much damage was done? And how had he gotten so far away from the city? He lifted his hands to a more perceptible location and focused his gaze.
Darkwing shut his eyes almost immediately. He shook his head, as the horror and realization dawned on him. His hands were intact, but most of his flesh was burnt, boiled or, on the tips of his fingers, charred. He whimpered slightly and sat up. No broken fingers, but there was a broken rib jabbing him somewhere on his left side. He groaned. Misery swept over him. This was the second time he had survived an explosion, but he knew, somehow, that Negaduck was gone. He couldn't possibly have survived the destruction of the bridge. The multiple explosions that followed had been what had compelled him to jump from the bridge into the open air with the time bomb in his hand, where the discharge had went off in his fingers.
I survived...Impossible...but I have...
Darkwing pulled himself a little farther up the bank and out of the water. He lay back down onto dryer earth and closed his eyes. Exhaustion swept over him as his mind played tricks with him. His mind filled with images of Morgana and their failed relationship, images of his friends and foes, the years of his life passing through his head, the failures and people he had hurt with his solitude. He thought about Negaduck finally, and his last mad attempt to take over St. Canard by blowing up the Audobon Bay Bridge. It had almost seemed like a plea for attention.
Strangely, as he finally drifted off to sleep, the last thoughts that swept through his mind were of that damn love potion he had once ingested at Negaduck's Valentine Chocolate Factory.
-seperator-
Negaduck sat awake in his cell for the longest time. He just couldn't sleep. The Dorkwinged buffoon had never blustered this much conscience out of him before, so why now? He rolled over, oblivious to the dusty mattress he would be forced to call his bed for the next one hundred and fifty years. No matter, he had escaped before, he would again.
But still there was the nagging matter of Darkwing to contend with. Was he still alive? Was he injured?
"Bah! What do I care?"
But he suddenly thought of something rather funny. There was one time when he had opened that Chocolate Factory to smuggle diamonds and Darkwing had become smitten with him because of a love potion. He chuckled softly. He could make that dork do anything, jump off a cliff, bring him his slippers, anything. He wondered if he could convince Morgana McCobber to brew up some more of that potion for him; getting his way with Darkwing Duck would be a nice revenge for being on ice. He didn't think for a minute that Darkwing was dead.
I've seen some of the situations he's survived. He's alive.
His thoughts lingered on the possibility of Darkwing's survival as he slowly drifted off into sleep.
-seperator-
"Don't rush it, you're still injured..."
He was in the hospital alright, and the nurse who had spoken fluffed his pillows for him.
"We had hoped you would be alright sir, we weren't quite sure what your name was, you had no identification, so we didn't know who to contact."
"Drake Mallard, my name is Drake Mallard. I was camping and accidentally held my quackman batteries to close to the fire. I ran into the river to put out the fire, must've blanked out and floated down stream..."
"That would explain the broken ribs, the river is quite dangerous, sir, with all those rapids..."
Darkwing smiled. It was so easy to fool people sometimes, that it made him feel a little guilty.
"Could you call Launchpad McQuack? He'll be happy to know I'm safe. I should've been home hours ago..."
"You've been unconscious for a week sir..."
"Whaat??"
A week? That startled him. That was a long time for him to be missing; the longest was when he had confronted Taurus Bulba. The nurse gave him a pill and smiled.
"Don't worry sir, we'll get into contact with this, er, Launchpad..."
Good, that meant he could sleep just a little bit longer.
-seperator-
Naturally, they were thrilled to see him.
"You're alive!" Gosalyn shouted, jumping into his arms.
"Of course," he laughed. "Ooh, watch the ribs kid…"
"We didn't tell the cops your secret identity," Launchpad said. "Because we weren't sure whether you were dead or not. They still think Darkwing Duck is toast."
"I'll take care of all that with the police as soon as I feel better."
Gosalyn suddenly stifled a gasp.
"Your hands!"
Darkwing lifted the bandaged appendages up for her inspection.
"Yes," he sighed. "Surprisingly, the bottom layer of skin is undamaged, but it is third degree burn..."
"At least your safe..." Launchpad stated.
"Oh no!!!" Gosalyn said.
"What?"
She had a curiously guilty look on her face.
"Did you forget to turn off the t.v. before coming here, Gosalyn?"
"No! Negaduck's still in prison!"
"Negaducks alive?"
Darkwing sat up, painfully. He was both overjoyed and shocked at the same time.
"What do you mean, 'still' in prison? Isn't that where criminals are supposed to be?"
"But do they think he killed you, and he confessed it too."
"Well," Darkwing clambered out of bed, naked, much to Launchpad and Gosalyn's dismay. "I'm going to fix that."
-seperator-
Some times, the law took time. Or beating over the head with a large mallet.
"What do you mean you won't let him out? I'm alive you idiot!"
Darkwing, in costume, had gone to one bureaucrat after the other trying to help free Negaduck. For some reason, the words "red tape dictatorship" and "justice" were not in their vocabularies. Now here he was, at the very court Negaduck was sentenced in, trying to talk some sense into a stuffy secretary.
"He's still a criminal," said the man. "There were other charges against him besides murder. In order to free him, you must apply for an appeal of the murder charges and supply evidence that he was not responsible for his other crimes. Or you can become a character witness..."
This guy is worse than Grizlykoff, Darkwing thought.
"Look, just tell me what papers to fill out, and I will fill them."
"You'll have to talk to an attorney..." Said the staunch secretary. "Your criminal friend is in for a lot more besides your supposed murder...theft, grand larceny, destruction of property, fire, flood, locusts, nearly destroying the Audoban Bay Bridge..." the list went on.
"What can I do?" Darkwing asked.
"File an appeal, talk to an attorney, etc, etc, etc..."
Ooooh believe me, Darkwing thought furiously. I will.
-seperator-
Practical jokes aside, Negaduck was frightened as hell.
"What'sa matter, Neggy-poo, poor wittle ducky fall and hurt his bum?"
Negaduck groaned, sat up and winced as he felt broken ribs jab into wheezing lungs.
"Argh!!!!!"
He tried to get up, but the con standing over him put a boot on his stomach to keep him in place while his two buddies watched on.
"Super-villain huh?" the man laughed. "You're with the murderers now, Negs, and there's no turning back."
"What's going on here?"
"It's the warden!"
"Quick, let's get out of here!"
The three cons ran off while two guards and Warden Waddlesworth rounded the corner. Negaduck stayed on the ground, hoping his injured and immobile position would get him out of a round solitary confinement.
"Just the duck I was looking for, my goodness what happened?"
Waddlesworth touched Negaduck's bruised ribs...and winced sympathetically as soon as he found the broken ones.
"Did they attack you again? Don't worry, you won't be here long. There's been an appeal of your murder charges by Darkwing Duck, the very duck you supposedly murdered. We're moving you to a minimal security prison until the appeal hearing comes to court."
Darkwing was alive? For some reason, Negaduck's heart did a flip-flop in his chest. His old enemy hadn't died on the bridge after all! All the guilt and angst and secret despair that had permeated his breast-bone for the past two weeks lifted and Negaduck suddenly felt a warmth fill him that he had never known before.
Darkwing was alive, and he had saved Negaduck's life. Negaduck couldn't, wouldn't rest, wouldn't steal, wouldn't go back to his own way of life, until his debt to Darkwing Duck had been re-paid.
-seperator-
Gosalyn Mallard hated courts. She also hated it when her father forgot to take off his mask before going in the shower, or when he forgot to call her "little girl" when he was dressed as Darkwing. But courts were much worse. She hated them; from her parents deaths, to custody courts to being sent to the adoption centre, she just hated courts, law and lawyers in particular.
Which was why she couldn't understand Darkwing, in costume, dragging her down to the court house in order to free Negaduck, his hated rival. She didn't need to be here!
Even though the murder charges had finally been dropped, Darkwing insisted on getting him out of jail anyways. It didn't matter that Negaduck had robbed banks and stolen money; Darkwing was being a character witness, insisting that Nageduck still had some good in him, but wasn't able to express it cooped up in jail.
She looked up at the ceiling fan, rotating on a wobbly course around and around, as if trying to get somewhere, but never being able to. Just like Darkwing and her. Their ordinary suburban lives, their quest for normalcy was continually stabbed through its suburban heart with the punctuated "missions" her father had to go on. Yeah, talk about normalcy.
As Darkwing rambled on, she filled her imagination with thoughts of hockey, soccer and idiotic boys. Hey, she wasn't stupid. No way she was gonna moon over some guy like Darkwing had once mooned over Morgana. She had almost praised the heavens when she had left him for that vampire in Cleveland. Her poor dad had pouted for weeks, and had never had that same exuberance, that same sense of "justice equals love" morality that he once defended. Until now.
"WHAT KIND OF JUSTICE SYSTEM IS THIS WHERE A CITISEN ISN'T GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE?? WHY DO I EVEN FIGHT CRIME?"
Gosalyn stared in awe as the fury and rage bellowed out of every crevice of Darkwing's soul. He stomped about the court room, a visage of perfect self-righteous indignation.
"AND TO THINK I EVEN SPENT MONEY ON A LAWYER! I'M THE ONE DOING THE TALKING! THAT'S IT YOUR FIRED!!"
The lawyer rose unsteadily and the Judge ordered him to sit down.
"Darkwing, we understand your in an unstable state right now due to, your, uh, unprecedented accident, but anymore outbursts and I'll fine you in contempt, understand?"
"I'll fine you..."
"Darkwing, don't!"
Everyone turned to stare at the one duck, besides Gosalyn, the other people in the crowd and the jury, who hadn't spoken since entering the court. The Defendant.
Negaduck looked up, rattling his handcuffs absently. Darkwing moved over to him and bent over. Negaduck moved close to his ear, and Gosalyn could just hear what they were saying.
"These cuffs have no more hold on me than stone walls can hold a soul hell bent on flying. By whatever means necessary, legal or otherwise, I'll be free."
Gosalyn gasped.
Negaduck's voice was not the same. The sarcastic tone was still there, the hard bitter voice of a criminal was still there, but the voice was...different somehow. It was quiet. Almost too quiet for Negaduck.
Everyone was entranced, though they didn't know what had been said.
"The legal way is the only way I now how, Negaduck," Darkwing sulked, then stopped after seeing the pleading look in Negaduck's face.
What surprised Gosalyn the most was the way their eyes met, and the way they spoke as if they were close friends rather than enemies. It was unfamiliar to her, and she fought against it in her mind.
"Don't make me hurt you," Negaduck said. "We may have formed a truce, but I'm still a villian. Don't push this thing too far..."
"Neg..."
"Stop calling me NEGADUCK!"
"Well, then what should we call you?"
That came from Justly Bear, who had been watching the whole interplay with amusement.
Negaduck turned to look around him, the audience captivated. Gosalyn was reminded of a musical she once saw, what was the show called? Les Miserabills? Negaduck turned to face the judge and jury, then removed his mask from his face, his eyes gleaming with memories and histories long forgotten. Gosalyn stared at him, the court was completely enraptured. Darkwing looked stunned, the Judge unmoved. All motion stilled.
"My name is Drake McFeathers!"
---Its alive! Its alive!!! BWAHAHAHAHA! Okay, actually, its edited, but its not dead, right? :)
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