Chapter 8 – The Double Cross

Launchpad shrunk and instantly began to tremble at the mention of Paddywack's name. Darkwing brushed past him to speak with Shadow and his Morgana. The sight of her caused his heart to sink in his chest.

"I need your help Morgana." He said and she was slightly taken back by his humbled expression and the sound of desperation in his voice.

"You need her help? Not so big and tough now are you?" Shadow grinned not having heard Launchpad and Darkwing's conversation.

"Enough Shadow!" Morgana snapped. "Of course I'll help you Darkwing. What seems to be the matter?"

"The man behind St. Canard's recent crime wave is holding my Morgana hostage. I need to find something I threw in the bay so I can bring it to him in exchange for her. I'm going to need your help too Shadow, as well as The White Knight's. Once the trade is made, St. Canard is going to be in big trouble."

The angry frown on Shadow's face lifted into a look of concern. He suddenly felt guilty for his behavior and seeing Darkwing was in a lot of pain he grabbed his double's shoulder firmly and gave at a reassuring shake.

"Don't worry Darkwing. We'll get her back."

"Wait, what is it you need to get from the bay?" Morgana asked curiously. Darkwing took a deep breath and he could hear Launchpad groan from behind him.

"It's an old Jack-In-The-Box toy, but it's possessed by a very powerful supernatural being that calls himself Paddywack the clown." He paused and took note of Morgana's fallen expression. "Why? What of it?"

"Oh Darkwing, I think I may have some terrible news." She said softly.

"What is it?"

"I can't help you retrieve the box from the bay because I already helped Negaduck find it. I'm sorry."

"You what? Negaduck has Paddywack? So that's what he was doing on the bridge that day! But, that makes no sense!" Darkwing became frantic pacing back and forth.

"I'm so sorry Dark! I thought he was Shadow when he asked me to get it for him!" Morgana held her hands under her bill nervously and watched the duck pace back and forth muttering to himself.

"What doesn't make sense?" Shadow cut in walking up to Darkwing and grabbing his arm to get his attention.

"None of this makes sense! The only people who knew Paddywack exists are myself, Launchpad, Gosalyn and Quackerjack. Obviously Quackerjack told Negaduck about it and he told Quill."

"So?" Launchpad asked having calmed down enough to join the discussion.

"So…..why would Negaduck tell Quill about Paddywack knowing he would want to acquire his power, then steal it himself?"

"Uh, maybe so you couldn't get it and bring it to him DW." Launchpad offered.

"No! Maybe it was so I wouldn't be able to find it and bring it to him!" Darkwing said pounding his fist down into his open hand. "He told Quill I knew where to find it then stole it himself. He's playing us both for a couple of saps!"

"Hey! What's all the commotion about?" Gosalyn yawned rubbing her eyes as she came down the stairs from the bedroom area. Darkwing bit his lower lip as his daughter came up and leaned into him sleepily.

"Hey kiddo. Honker still here?"

"Yeah. That kid sleeps like a rock! What's going on dad?"

"It's nothing sweetie. I'm sorry we woke you." He lied scooping her up and heading to the stairs. "Come on. It's late and you need to rest."

"For what? It's not like I have school tomorrow!" She grumbled and Darkwing chuckled. He lay is daughter back in the bed beside Honker and smiled down at him. His glasses were sitting lop sided on his head and he was snoring softly. Darkwing reached over and gently removed them and placed them on the bed side table before brushing Gosalyn's bangs back to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Get some sleep Gos. I love you." He whispered

"Love you too Dad." She yawned and rolled onto her side snuggling into her pillow. He pulled the blanket up around her neck and left to rejoin the others downstairs.

"I say we march in there, take them all out, and get Morgana back ourselves!" Shadow said as Darkwing was coming back down.

"No! If he so much as smells us coming he'll kill her in a second!" Darkwing replied.

"Don't be stupid! She'll be safe with us before he even-"

"I said no!" Darkwing's dark reply cut Shadow's words short and he frowned madly.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We have to find Negaduck." Darkwing stopped in front of them and looked at his watch. "We have 23 hours to figure out where he is and get that box!"

"Wait Dark, if it weren't for me he wouldn't have known where to look for that box in the first place. I found it once, I can find it again. It has a very unique and incredibly strong magical signature attached to it."

"Just as I suspected. Is it here?" Darkwing asked hopefully and she shook her head.

"No. After we retrieved it we went back to our world. I don't think he would have brought it back here, and I don't feel its presence."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Shadow asked "Let's jump the portal to our world and get that box back!"

They were suddenly interrupted by one of the tower's hatches opening up as White Knight, Morgana and Gizmoduck entered. Darkwing was almost relieved to see old Giz.

"Wingy! Where have you been? I couldn't find you after I took in those crooks for you!"

"Oh uh- right! Heh heh! Well, something came up. Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to than the crime in St. Canard! Giz, can you take care of my city for me until I get back?"

"Of course!"

"LP, stay here with the kids." Darkwing said placing a hand on Launchpad's shoulder. "I hate to leave you behind, but I trust no one more-"

"No worries DW. I don't wanna be anywhere near that thing anyway! Yuck!" Launchpad replied. Darkwing nodded at him with a smile.

"Thank you"

"Uh- so where are you going?" Gizmo asked.

"To the source of this spiteful scandal! Come on gang! Let's get to the Nega- I mean uh, to Shadow's Universe!"

Meanwhile Shadow's daughter was sitting in a corner with her knees pulled up to her chest in the very same room her father had been held in. She felt as though she had run out of tears and simply sat peering down at her scuffed up black shoes. She told herself again that she just had to be strong until her guardians came. Outside the room, the fearsome three were very quiet. She could hear them faintly rustle from time to time but if they were speaking, it wasn't loud enough for her to hear them.

They sat on crates holding their heads in their hands mourning the loss of their friend when Negaduck returned. He marched into the warehouse and stopped with his hands on his hips looking at his lackeys curiously.

"What's wrong with all of you?" He asked finally. When he didn't get an answer he balled his fists angrily. "I said … WHATS WRONG WITH YOU LOSERS?" He shouted and they turned their gazes to him.

"Quackerjack is dead." Megavolt whimpered. Negaduck unclenched his jaw and his anger faded instantly.

"Quackerjack is what?"

"He's dead! Transistor brain's killed him!" Bushroot said pointing at Megavolt who jumped up and threw a bolt of electricity at the plant-duck.

"Take that back!" Megavolt demanded as Bushroot dodged the shot.

"Well you did!"

"ENOUGH!" Negaduck screamed and they fell silent. "You KNOBS! I needed Quackerjack!" He slapped his face in frustration. "Of all the useless halfwits that had to die it was the only one who knows anything about that blasted box!"

He fumed as he began to pace. He stopped in front of Megavolt and picked him up by the throat causing him to cough and thrash about. "Could have been the useless boob who's fried himself more times than he ever has that douche Darkwing! But noooo!"

He dropped him in a heap and turned to Bushroot then snatched him with both hands before he could run and began tying him in knots. "Could have been the pathetic half plant mutant freak with the conscience. But noooo!"

He dropped Bushroot and walked up to Liquidator who fell into a puddle which Negaduck began to jump up and down in angrily. "Could have been the yappy puddle of piss that never shuts up long enough to get anything done right! But NO!" He finished stomping and stood panting and trembling glaring at Bushroot and Megavolt. "You idiots had to let the only other person besides Dipwing Duck who knows anything about Paddywack DIE!"

"Uh, what's a Paddywack?" Megavolt groaned from the floor.

"Paddywack is what is going to help us annihilate St. Canard! It's a powerful being that I have no idea how to contain because I never had a chance to ask that crazed clown Quackerjack about it!"

"Oh." Megavolt slumped and Liquidator reformed his shape from a safe distance from their infuriated leader.

"But uh, why do you need to know how to contain it?" Liquidator asked sheepishly.

"Because if I don't, it could turn on us all and ruin everything! We could be taken out along with Darkwing and St. Canard." Negaduck paused a moment to think over this newest hiccup in his plan. "I'll just have to improvise. On the bright side, I have one less idiot screwing up my plans! Now come on! We have work to do!" He said and they followed him out of the warehouse.

Gosalyn took her ear off of the door of her prison. She was starting to wonder if help would ever come. She took her place back in her corner and sighed deeply. She was still under the impression that her father had for some reason lost his mind and changed his image from ShadoWing Duck, the guardian of St. Canard and her loving father, to the cold hearted angry duck she had just been listening to yelling and screaming at everybody. She missed her old father and the feeling of security of knowing he would never let anything harm her. Now she was all alone and no one knew where she was. Suddenly she seemed to find the tears to weep into her folded arms as everything in her little world became hopeless.

The fearsome four piled into Negaduck's jet and flew across town to the old abandoned prison in South Canard and landed in the yard. This was where Alistair Quill was squatting during his rein on Darkwing's fair city and where he was keeping a precious commodity to Negaduck imprisoned. They entered the building and made their way to the warden's office where Quill sat at his desk slouched in his chair snoring. Negaduck burst in with the others following and cackled.

"You decrepit old coot!" He mused startling Quill awake.

"Huh? What? Who?" He bumbled sleepily then grimaced when he saw Negaduck. "Oh. It's you again. Now what do you want?"

"Did you find Darkwing?" He asked propping a leg up on his desk.

"Yes, yes. I found him."

"Good. Did you get that simpleton side kick of his?" Negaduck asked and shook his head.

"No. He wasn't with him."

"What!" Negaduck hissed on the verge of another temper tantrum.

"He was with a woman. A witch!" Negaduck grinned as Quill spoke. This was even better…

"Morgana McCawber?"

"Yes. Feisty thing too, we had to sedate her and throw her in solitary confinement."

Negaduck rubbed his hands together and cackled. "Perfect!"

Quill eyed the evil duck for a moment. "What does it matter to you who I caught? She's my leverage ensuring Darkwing brings me that box. Until he does, she's mine."

"Darkwing's not bringing you anything old timer." Negaduck said stepping back and motioning for his lackeys to surround Quill.

"What are you talking about? What are you doing?" He asked watching the mutants as they circled him.

"I already have Paddywack, and now I have Dingwing's precious girlfriend too! Thanks to you Alistair. And I thought getting my hands on Morgana was going to be the hard part!" He cackled again then watched as Bushroot's arms grew around the old duck until he was tightly entangled and Bushroot's arms broke off sprouting new hands. "And thanks for keeping our little Drakey busy while I prepared for my revenge. Couldn't have done it without you." Negaduck pinched Quill's cheek then gave it a hard slap before turning to leave.

"You double crossing son of a-" Quill was cut off by Negaduck's maniacal laughter filling the room. He whirled back around and grinned at the old man.

"I'm the double crosser?" Negaduck asked pointing a finger at his own chest. "You stole my father's entire empire out from under me!" He marched around to the other side of the desk and grabbed hold of his shirt collar pulling him close. "You sat back while I killed my entire family then when they were out of the way you tried to snuff me! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut your throat old man!" Quill spat in his face and Negaduck released him, stepping back. He wiped his face with his sleeve then turned away to leave again.

"Bushroot! Liquidator! Let's go. Megavolt, fry him."

The three villains made their way through the prison searching for Morgana who they eventually found lying unconscious, gagged and tied up. He threw her body over his shoulder and they left the prison. He almost had all the elements to his plan in place and soon it was going to be time to get his revenge!

"Liquidator, go to the Negaverse and get me that box. Bushroot, get Shadow's kid and bring her here. I have one last stop to make before it's show time!"

In Shadow's universe, our heroes were thrown from the cake and scattered onto the bakery floor. They groaned and slowly got up a little disoriented from the fall and looked around.

"Ah! Home sweet home!" Shadow said leaning backwards to crack his back in attempts to relieve some of the pain from his landing.

"No offense, but I had hoped I'd never see this place again." Darkwing muttered.

"None taken. It's…and acquired taste."

They left the Bakery and Knight looked around uneasily. "We're still in St. Canard?" He asked feeling his Morgana's hand take hold of his own.

"Yep! Welcome to my world Whitey! A little rough around the edges, but I've almost got it back to normal."

"So it was like this even before Negaduck got loose here?" Darkwing asked a little confused.

"It's been like this for fifteen years. It was a lot worse before."

"What happened?" Knight asked and Shadow's face displayed an out of character array of sadness.

"My brother happened." He said feeling Morgana give his hand a soft squeeze. "Let's just say this world had its own Negaduck to deal with."

"Where is he now?" Knights Morgana asked.

"He's in the St. Canard mental institution comatosed. Blew himself to high hell along with the city when he set off that bomb. . "

"Wait a second, you're telling us that your bother set off a bomb in the middle of St. Canard when he was fourteen?" Darkwing asked in shock.

"That's right."

"Why did he do that?"

"He didn't mean to set it off. He was holding the city ransom for cash." He shrugged and they fell into an awkward silence.

"Well! Such is life! So how 'bout it Morgy baby! Gonna get the gypsy juices flowin' or what?" Morgana gave him a hard look but said nothing then closed her eyes trying to pick up Paddywack's magical signature. Everyone stood around her watching intensely except Knight's Morgana who also tried to pick up on it.

"It's here!" She said at last and Darkwing felt a rush of relief and new found hope come over him.

"Great! Where is it? Which way do we go?"

"It's not that simple Dark. I'll have to keep my focus on it constantly while I try to follow it. It's going to drain my magic fairly quickly, so I may need to rest a few times along the way."

"I will try to track it should you become too weak. I can feel it too." The other Morgana said.

"Good! Let's go! I don't want to waste any time!" Darkwing said and Shadow grabbed his arm to turn him so he was facing him.

"Slow down skippy. Magic is an art and you can't rush her! You should know this." Darkwing narrowed his eyes at Shadow and pulled his arm away.

"I don't know anything about magic! Why would I?" He was doing his best to curb his anger and keep the peace with his alternate universe self.

"Don't you two start. Please!" Knight said interrupting before the fight could escalate.

"She's got it! Let's go!" Knight's Morgana said as her double began to glide down the street, and the rest followed.

Two hours later the group was stopped at a rundown old building in Downtown St. Canard and both Morganas were feeling faint. They stopped to rest outside the building and Darkwing rushed inside to find the box. He stopped dead in his tracks when he came face to face with the Liquidator who already had Paddywack's box in a possession. Darkwing pulled his gas gun from his jacket and loaded it.

"Hand over that jack-in-the-box Liquidator!"

"Sorry! We're all out of stock! Display model not for sale!" His arm turned into a large hammer and he swung at Darkwing who did a back flip out of the way.

"It's no use you slippery shyster! We've got you surrounded! I'll give you one more chance to hand over Paddywack, and then you can suck sodium polyacrylate!" He raised his gas gun back up towards the dog who ran for a window to try to jump through and escape but Darkwing fired his gun and a canister of strange powder exploded all over Liquidator who let out a horrific scream as he instantly crumbled into a pile of powder on the ground. Darkwing walked over and snatched the box from the floor where Liquidator had fallen and looked down at the solidified swindler for a long time. He didn't think old Licky would be able to come back from this one, but he didn't want to take any chances…

Outside everyone was still resting and looked up with relief to see he had gotten the box.

"You got it!" Shadow said standing and helping his wife to his feet.

"Come on! Let's get it back to Quill." DW said marching past the group. They slowly stood and followed him back towards the bakery. Behind them, the building began to smoke and become engulfed in flames. To Darkwing's relief, no one noticed as they walked away.

"Hey DW," Shadow called running to catch up with him "can we make a stop? I want to see my kid."

00000

"I thought your hide out was a cave?" Darkwing asked as they emerged in the tower via one of it's lifts.

"No The Shadow Cave is under the house. This is ShadoWing Tower. It's my lookout over St. Canard. Nothing more. "

"Right." Darkwing said noting that there really wasn't anything spectacular about this version of the tower. The clown doll that had been crushed under the giant hammer Negaduck had rigged to flatten Darkwing had been removed, but the glass cylinder the friendly four had been trapped in still stood as Darkwing remembered it. He felt the guilt for leaving the gentle sweet version of his dear daughter behind return to him. For so long he had thought of her and wondered if leaving her behind was the right thing to do. If only he had known…

Shadow moved through the large room looking for Gosalyn. Instead he found Megavolt and Bushroot sitting sadly at the kitchen table.

"Are you two part of the group Darkwing's Ducks?"

"We were." Bushroot said softly.

"Were? Well where is everybody? Is it just you two?"

"There were four of us until our evil doubles came and killed Quackerjack. Now Liquidator is dead too." Megavolt said turning to look at a puddle on the floor. "He was fine a little while ago, then he just fell into a puddle and…died.." Shadow looked at the watery mess then back at the men sitting in his kitchen.

"Where's my kid? Where's Gosalyn?"

The two looked up at him in confusion.

"ShadoWing Duck?" Megavolt said making eye contact with him for the first time.

"Does this mean you're not crazy anymore?" Bushroot asked.

"It's not what you think! I'm not Negaduck! He captured me and locked me up while he ran around pretending to be me! Now where's my daughter?"

Moments later Darkwing, The White Knight and the two Morganas were startled by Shadow running towards them and stopping on the lift with them.

"Shadow, what's wrong?" Morgana asked him.

"They took her! They took my baby girl!" He said in a panic activating the lift leaving the tower.

"When we get back to your world, I will have to go my own way Darkwing. I've gotta find Gosalyn."

"I understand." Darkwing said patting his double on the shoulder.

Launchpad was tinkering with the engine of the Thunderquack still creeped out by the mere mention of Paddywack. He was tired and had considered getting some sleep, but he knew he wouldn't be able to with that creepy clown fresh in his thoughts. He was so preoccupied with what he was doing he didn't notice the intruder that was lurking through the tower until a shadow fell over him from behind.

"DW?" He peeped nervously then slowly turned around to see who was there.

"Yipe!" He shrieked. "Negaduck!"