Chapter 5

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"Jim!"

Launchpad opened the door to the studio and no one was there. It was pitch black in there. Quiet. There was no filming going on here. So, if they weren't filming there, then they had to be filming in one of the other studios. Any moment now and the actor would be dead.

"Jim?" Launchpad called out. "Oooooh, Jiiiiim!" His voice echoed back. "Jim!"

What if he were there, doing practice runs, for his appearance as a random terrified duck running from danger.

"Damn, he's not here!"

Launchpad closed the door then turned around.

"Oh, but I know where he is." A familiar voice lacking the warmth, the innocence, and kindness came from behind him. "Fourth studio, where you're not gonna make it."

Launchpad turned in the direction of Launcher as the feathers all over his skin raised then leaped out of the way dodging a rocket launcher's blast.

"Ooh oh ohoh oh, this is so FUN!"

Launchpad rushed down the lot running zig zagged as Launcher fired the rocket launcher.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Launchpad swore.

Launchpad hid behind the wall then saw the tip of the rocket launcher, leaped out, tugged it out of Launcher's hands, whacked him with it, knocking him down with one series of moves. He sighed, relieved, then made a bolt for it down the street, opened the third door, poked in, observing that it were empty as the second one. Jim Starling and the rest of the others weren't there, either, that left the fourth one, and the rest on the studio lot. Oh, wait, he said Jim's in the fourth one!

He closed the door then had a significantly bad feeling that someone was aiming for him, he moved aside, missing the blast, then turned around and faced his counterpart. He ducked then tackled Launched knocking the rocket blaster out of his grip and ruthlessly punched him in the face multiple times. Launcher kicked him back then crept after the bazooka as Launchpad shook his head. Launcher picked up the bazooka then fired after Launchpad who rolled out of the way and charged back at him holding a brown aged beer bottle and smacked him with the bottle on the back of the head knocking the maniac out.

Launchpad shuddered, it was wrong on various levels, hurting someone who was him but with a entirely different nature. They shared the same memories, but two distinctive personalities, once, he lived as him, and he couldn't believe he was that person once. He had some idea had Darkwing Duck would be feeling about his evil counterpart who tried to blow up Saint O'Malley's Kitten Orphanage but not quite like this. He wouldn't be wondering what Launchpad were wondering now. More of a ethical and philosophical and existential question on his mind.

He was made from Launcher's DNA, while the evil Darkwing Duck was from somewhere relatively unknown and it couldn't involve a experiment with his participation due to the surprise on Darkwing Duck's face. Did Launchpad have the same evil nature deep down inside of him like Launcher? He dropped the bottle. No. Only someone evil, let alone a maniac, would leave additional wounds on the clone's head for the fun of it.

Launchpad ran to the fourth studio then grasped the handle and swung it open then closed the door behind him.

"Jim, it's a trap!" Launchpad shouted.

Jim turned in the direction of his fan as his brows hunched together among a crowd of background actors as he rested his hands set on his hips.

"Of course it is, this is meant to be the scene where Darkwing Duck swoops out of the darkness and owns the night!" he threw his hands up in exasperation as the actor aimed the ray gun for the actor's direction. "He rises in the darkness! He takes a stand! No further! This is it!" he clenched his hands then pointed toward the younger actor behind him. "I'll be the feeble old duck who he stands up for!"

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