Mark woke up at his usual time as if he was going into work today. He wasn't, but he'd be damned if he changed his weekly schedule around. They might have taken Waddle away but they couldn't take away his punctuality.
After he changed out of his pajamas, he walked to the kitchen to get coffee. Back in his mansion, there was a very fancy coffee machine that could make any drink he wanted with a touch of a screen. However, Ellie didn't have that. She only has instant coffee that she only picked up at the store one time many months ago. The only reason why she did so was because Mark had mentioned coffee time and time again. So when she saw the word 'Coffee' on a box, she grabbed it for him.
Mark examined the instant coffee box and sniffed it. "Ew! The hell is this?! This is powder, not coffee!"
He chucked the entire box of instant coffee into the trashcan and started to rummage through the kitchen. There wasn't much considering Ellie only bought food for whenever Mark visited or when she was hosting dinner.
Eventually Mark gave up on the idea of having breakfast there. He figured that he could just call a few highly renowned chefs to come over to Ellie's and prepare him something later. No biggie.
He flopped back on the couch in her living room and started to look all around the seat. No recliner, no buttons for back massages, no cup holders, no aux ports or speakers to play music, what kind of couch was this?!
Mark wined and leaned his head back on the couch. "UGHHHHHH! This place BLOWS!" He never found an Alexa anywhere but he assumed that everyone had one in every room of their house at least. "Alexa, play my morning playlist!"
No response.
"Alexa! Play my morning playlist!"
Still no response.
"What the hell?! No alexa and no sofa speakers?! Who lives like this?!" Mark had just woken up but that didn't stop him from having a mini temper tantrum.
"OI!" Glomgold scuttled out from beneath the couch and hissed. "WOT DO YOOH THINK YOUR DOING, BEAKS?! CRYING LIKE A BABEH IN MEH HOUSE?! GO FUCK YOORSELF!"
It took him a few tries, meaning twenty, but eventually Glomgold was able to wiggle his tiny, fat body onto the couch. When he made himself comfortable, and picked his wedgie, he scooted uncomfortably close to Mark. Glomgold took this opportunity to very slowly lay his head down onto Mark's lap, like he had seen Ellie done time and time again. It was pretty nice. Nodding to himself, Glomgold let out a happy scottish grunt and closed his eyes. Then proceeded to start picking his nose on Mark's lap all the while.
"I don't know how I'm going to live like this, G-Gold! I need Waddle back! I don't know how you managed to adapt to this kind of life." Yes, it was therapy session time.
Mark did make a good point, however. He was struggling to adapt to a middle class life for a few hours and Glomgold, the second richest duck in the world, was content living here.
"I DUNNO! I JUST DID!"
"Yeah, but how?! You were literally the second richest duck in the world! How can you be fine with not being rich anymore?"
"UGHHHHH! STOP YOUR YELLING! IT'S RUINING THE FEELING OF YOUR LAP!" He screamed, while dragging his booger covered fingers down Mark's pants. It was pretty gross but Mark, being so upset, didn't even notice. It would give him something else to freak out about later.
Suddenly it hit Glomgold, like a soft cloud, that Mark was lowkey asking for advice. "Oh... I see..." He sat up from Mark's Gucci-Booger pants and scratched his fake beard. "I guess I don't mind it because robo-babeh does everything for meh so I feel like I still have a personal maid around. And I get to eat whatever I want! No stoopid nutritionist watching meh calorie intake!" His belly jiggled as he slapped it with his palm. "AND I CAN WATCH AS MUCH TV AS I WANT! NO BEDTIME! WITH THIS KIND OF LIFE, THERE IS NO RULES! NOT EVEN GRAMATICAL ONES! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!" The evil laugh bounded off of the wooden walls, to the ceiling, causing some dust to fall from the ceiling fan.
"Yeah but you could've done all of that shit while being a successful rich dude! You totally just gave up on everything you built and for what?!" Mark had no idea why he was yelling at Glomgold and the life choices he made. He was just mad in general and started to target his anger towards Glomgold because he was there.
"I SAID STOP YOUR YELLIN', BEAKKKKSSSS! DON'T YOOH GO AROUND AND START PATRONIZING ME AND MY WOOL KILT!" On all fours, Glomgold hissed and backed off the couch, continuing to back out of the doggy door. As soon as he was out in the open, he turned around and scuttled into the desert once again.
"Good morning, Mark."
Mark looked down at his lap, disgusted. Glomgold left his booger and drool! And he only had 39 pairs of pants left in his suitcase!
He looked up at Ellie. "Yo! Hey, uh, quick question but do you happen to have the money you were talking about yesterday? Cauuseeeeeeee I kinda need it... oh and good morning."
"NO!" Ellie grabbed the nearest plant, which happened to be poor poor Sir Jeffers, and smashed it on the ground. Immediately stomping on the leaves and kicking the dirt everywhere. It was, uh, it was quite the scene. Her eye twitched as she glared down at a very dead Sir Jeffers. RIP.
Mark stared at her, clearly very scared by her reaction. "Oh. Uhhhhh... how come?" He asked that very meekly, knowing it wasn't the best idea to keep bringing up a subject that made her turn violent against her plants.
"I do not know! But I cannot hack into slot machines anymore! OR ANY MACHINES!" She kicked more of the dirt around. "I TRIED TO HACK THE AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE OUTSIDE OF THE POLICE STATION TO SEE IF IT WAS INDEED JUST THE SLOT MACHINES BUT IT WAS NOT! NOTHING I DO WORKS ON ANYTHING! I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING!"
After her little hissy fit in the corner, and a few more smashed plants, she stormed her way over to the couch and sat down next to Mark, crossing her arms like an angry toddler.
"...I apologize for that." Her head gestured to the mess even though she was going to be the one to clean it up.
"I-It's cool..." Mark was still a little scared. "Why do you think that is? Did something happen so you're not able to do cool robot hacking anymore?" Even if it was a programming issue that Ellie knew about, Mark couldn't help her with it because everything within Waddle was taken away too.
It took her a moment to respond but when she did, she shook her head slowly before she began. "I am not sure. I did multiple internal scans and tests on my system last night and I could not find anything wrong. If something is wrong with my programming, it would explain the automated teller machine, but not the slot machines. Those are based on pure calculations." She slumped back. "I am going crazy," Homie was always crazy but whatever. "I lost track of an electronic mail, I turned in my final assignment late... something must be wrong with my memory because I cannot explain any of that otherwise."
Mark nodded along while she spoke. "I'm not sure either. But don't worry about it, kay? We can find another way to get some moola." He sighed and slumped on the couch. "This kinda sucks though..." Mark's phone dinged to let him know that he was scheduled for a Waddle meeting today but dismissed it. "Do you think I can sue someone? I don't know who exactly but there must be someone I can sue! We can get money that way!"
Ellie ignored his question about suing for the moment, a bit too stressed to do research on that. "I apologize you are stuck here for a bit longer, Mark. I know that is not ideal for you, but I am happy you are here nonetheless." She admitted. It wasn't the most comforting thing but she wasn't going to lie to him and say she wasn't happy that he was stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere with her. "It is not so bad when you get used to it..." She stopped when she noticed the look on his face. A disgusted one, and it wasn't about his booger covered pants this time. Him having to come to grips with staying in a shaggy home was hell. "Alright, well, you will not have time to get used to it because I will figure out another way to get you your mansion back at the very least."
Mark smiled at that but there was a knock at the door before he could respond.
Ellie got up from the couch to answer with Mark following behind her. It couldn't have been Glomgold at the door. He would just barge in, tracking in mud and dirt.
She opened the door for Mr. B, a person that Ellie didn't know. Mark however met him for the first time yesterday when he took Waddle away from him. He gave Mr. B a very serious death glare from behind Ellie. A part of him wanted to tackle and fight him right there but he waited to see what he wanted.
"Good morning. Sorry to bother the two of you but I'm afraid I come with some news regarding Waddle and further ownership regarding the company."
"Oh here we fucking go!" Mark was even more mad. He took off his cardigan and started to roll up his sleeves. Bitch was ready to fight this crusty old dude. He didn't make the first move though. He still stood behind Ellie but he did all of that in a means to intimidate Mr. B.
Mr. B wasn't fazed in the least bit, if anything, it just made him scrunch up his face in a somewhat amused look. As amused as a boomer can look in the first place. Eventually he looked at Ellie. "Do you mind if I have a word with Mr. Beaks? Alone." The first part of the statement was polite, but the 'alone' was deep and demanding, sending a not so easy tone into the environment.
Ellie didn't question it, she just figured this was how business meetings went. "Certainly." She didn't even look fazed either. She turned to look at Mark. "I will be outside tending to the garden if you need me." She let Mr. B walk past her before leaving and shutting the door politely from behind.
"As you know, everything Waddle related belongs to the anonymous buyer," He waited no time in beginning. "And yet you still have something pertaining to Waddle."
Mark gasped and clutched his phone to his chest. "No! You can't take my phone away! I will totes sue your ass if you try to take it from me!" He took a step back to create further distance between him and Mr. B. He was close to crying again but he held it together. He didn't want Mr. B to see him cry over his phone.
"It is not the phone I am speaking of." Mr. B walked over to a window while they were speaking and gently pulled open the curtain so he had a better view of Ellie gardening. "You bought your phone, but you didn't buy that." He pointed to her. "You built it on Waddle's property with Waddle's materials. So it's Waddle's, not yours. Unless you have 4.8 million dollars, of course. But I am not sure the buyer is willing to sell."
Mark's heart stopped for a moment. He stared at Ellie through the window before back at Mr. B, shaking his head. "You can't be fucking serious... You're talking about Ellie?! No! That's not gonna happen! No way!" Now Mark was really about to cry while he started to get in Mr. B's face, pointing his finger into his chest "You can't just come here and try to take Ellie away from me! She's not anyone's property you can't just take her away!" Mark was rambling and repeating himself at this point. He was almost hysterical.
Mr. B's face was emotionless the entire time. "Mr. Beaks, I have Waddle security with me if you do not comply."
Sure enough, when Mark looked out the window he saw two security guards step out of the vehicle and observe the home. Ellie noticed but didn't really give a shit, deciding it would be best to just continue gardening and pulling at weeds.
"I understand this is difficult for you considering you have a relationship with it, but it's just a machine, Mr.Beaks." He had the nerve to lay a hand on Mark's shoulder, as if he understood. "A machine that belongs at Waddle because machines are products."
Mark slapped Mr. B's hand off of his shoulder. That insult towards Ellie only made him more mad. "You think I'm just going to stand here and watch you just take her away from me?! Ha! Fat chance, pal! You and your stupid security guards need to leave her house! Now!" His voice rose with each sentence.
Mr. B's face still didn't change expressions, but he did sigh. "You have five minutes to say goodbye, Mr. Beaks. I'll be in my car." He opened the door and, unlike Ellie, slammed it behind him to do as he said. Though the security guards remained out, standing watch.
Mark stared at the door dumbfounded. He knew Mr. B had the power to take Ellie away and that wasn't the kind of businessman who would bluff with his threats.
Mark came up behind Ellie who was still pulling out weeds. She loved the concept of yanking out living things and having it slowly die on the ground. He cleared his throat, tears now in his eyes. "Ellie..." Mark wasn't even sure where to begin telling her this. He looked over at the security guards who were watching him at a distance. One of them pointed to the watch around his wrist, signaling him to hurry up.
She didn't even bother to look at him. "I told you, if you need to flush the toilet, you need to get water from the well, with the bucket, and pour it into the bowl. I am not doing it for you this time."
"Wha- ew no- Ellie. This is serious." He sighed "I don't know what's going to happen but... Mr. B is taking you away. There's nothing I can do. I am so sorry..."
That grabbed her attention. She remained on the ground by the weeds while turning her focus to the car and then back at Mark, looking up. "Is Mr. B the boring looking man?" That didn't need to be answered now that she said it outloud. It was pretty obvious when said. "What are you even talking about?"
He started to get to the point now because his time saying goodbye was limited. "You were made on Waddle property and made with Waddle materials... meaning that you were bought out just like the rest of Waddle." He wiped a tear from his eye quickly while he spoke. "You'll have to go with them... but I'm going to figure this out, okay? I promise."
"Pardon?" She finally stood up so they were on the same plane. "You are- you are just going to let them take me away like some object? You must be joking."
When he didn't respond she grabbed his hand.
"Mark, please tell me you are joking!" Ellie knew he wasn't. "You have to do something! I do not want to be taken away from you! I cannot be! You know that!" She was holding onto him so tightly that his hand began to throb. Her voice lowered, she was scared. "What are they going to do to me?"
"I don't know! I don't know!" He began to freak out, not sure what the answer was. "I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of this, alright?!" He looked back at the security guards again before returning his attention to Ellie. "They're going to come here any minute now. Just do whatever they say so they don't hurt you and I'll figure this out." Mark kept promising that he would figure this out but in truth he had no idea what he would do. Everything was happening so fast there wasn't a time to plan and prepare.
She didn't like that answer, for obvious reasons, but mainly because he didn't even want her to fight back. That wasn't what she did.
Ellie barely had the chance to scan the area for any weapons before a hand laid on her shoulder.
It was one of the security pals, the other standing behind him.
"Alright, it's time to go."
She slapped that shit off of her and spun around to eye the two of them. "EXCUSE ME?! I beg to differ."
The guard retaliated by pulling out a gun while mumbling into his walkie talkie a "Yeah, we have a 241. It's getting violent."
Mark's eyes widened as he waved his hands frantically. "Hey! Stop calling people!" He snapped before looking at her again. "Ellie, just go with them. It'll be alright." His voice was low as he took a step back from the security guards, proving that he wasn't going to fight them.
Ellie shot him a concerned look before the officer cut her off from Mark's view, leading her away.
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"The Residential Trash Services denied my resume too?! TRASH SERVICES?!" Gyro ripped up the letter of denial and threw it in the air. It ended up looking like confetti so he started swatting at it too. "It's offensive enough that there are no remotely relevant positions to the intellectual field of science open, but for a trash company to deny me?! AND THE GAS STATION?! GOD! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND A JOB ANYWHERE IN THIS CITY?!" Gyro kept going and Gloria watched as he laid a hand over his chest in offense. "There was a help wanted sign in 711! They chose someone else over a BRILLIANT scientist?!"
She shrugged "Maybe there's such a thing as being overqualified for a job? I'm not sure..." Gloria didn't have any luck in finding another job either. There were two outside options that were looming in the back of her head. One being Ellie winning the jackpot at a casino, which was out of the question now, and getting involved with gang related work again. She had sworn off that kind of lifestyle for two years. It would be difficult for her to return to that life. Especially after everything that happened to her when gangs were involved. Her drinking problem would get worse as well as her mental health. Both two things that have been on the road to recovery for a few years now. Gloria couldn't dismiss the idea though. Gang related drug deals make good money. Hell, if there were a lot of crackheads in Duckburg, she could practically be a millionaire in a month.
"Being overqualified makes me exceptional for the job! I would be able to fix the register any time it breaks! Or the garbage truck for that matter! Sure, I would request a higher pay but they would save money in the long run!" He took his hat off and placed it down, that's how you knew he was stressed. That man never took off his head. Not even in bed. He wore that shit with his Banana Republic pajamas. "I've always been bad at saving up money but my job was always so stable! God! We're not going to be able to pay rent soon! UGH!"
There was a light knock at the door.
"I'll just call the landlord and talk to her about it tomorrow. I'm sure she'll understand."
There was another knock.
While Gyro was stressing out, Gloria got up to answer the door. She smiled but it was kind of forced because she wasn't in the best mood either. "Hey Heidi. What's up?"
Heidi didn't even greet her back. "Have either of you seen Mia? Anywhere? Even in passing?"
Gloria shook her head. "No, we haven't. Why? Have you not seen her?" That was a pretty dumb question but she needed a bit more clarification as to what Heidi was talking about.
"Not since last night when she left for her classes." Heidi just sort of invited herself in and leaned against their couch. She hadn't been over enough times for that to be considered appropriate but she didn't give a shit.
Gloria closed the door and waited for her to continue. Gyro had started to listen in now as well, and yes, he did put his hat back on.
"She takes night classes at Duckburg Tech so it's always after her shifts at Starducks, I'm pretty sure she told you that I dunno, but she always comes home super late so I went to bed. But when I woke up she wasn't there! I called and texted like twenty times, yeah?" That question was directed at herself as she looked back down at her phone. "My bad. I texted and called her 16 times."
"Do you have any idea where she could be?" Gyro asked.
Heidi shook her head. "I already checked her work, chatted with her coworkers. I went to this book store she likes to go to. I only have one of her friends' numbers and they said they hadn't seen or heard from her either." She took another moment to think. "I also checked the aquarium." There was no rhyme or reason behind that one. Mia had a fish so it felt right.
Gloria crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "Why is everyone disappearing? First the McDuck family and now Mia? Do you think this is a coincidence or..." She trailed off, not really sure what else it could be. The McDuck Family and Mia disappearing happened only a day apart from each other, making the situation more worrisome for her.
"Y-you think she disappeared?!"
Gyro butted in before Gloria could answer. "We don't know that! ...but... for safekeeping... did you happen to have called the police just in case?"
Heidi nodded but began to cry at the same time. "A part of me thinks she ditched town because I scared her off my proposing the other day!" She blurted out. "She seemed happy at first but she started acting weirder and weirder until this! It's my fault! If she's missing it's because she was leaving and got in trouble along the way!"
Gloria walked over to Heidi and put a hand on her back to comfort her. "Hey, none of this is your fault. Don't worry we'll help you look for her." The idea of Mia leaving over something like that didn't seem like her. It sounded more like she disappeared to Gloria but she wasn't about to repeat herself to Heidi.
"Thank you..." Her voice was weak. "I know this is rude, but do you mind if I stay for a bit? I've been searching for hours."
Gyro nodded. "Yeah. I just brewed coffee so I'll grab you a mug."
Heidi needed vodka instead but didn't protest. If alcohol wasn't going to get her mind off of the subject, then conversation would have to. She sniffled. "So... what have you and Gy been up to?"
Both her and Gloria sat down on the couch while they waited on Gyro to get back. "Well, we both lost our jobs last night. Also the car and my bike's engines both gave out. The car caught on fire and everything. Other than that we are doing pretty good."
The laugh Heidi let out was strained, she was trying too hard to act natural but Gloria couldn't blame her for it. "That's hilarious. I lost my job too. Weird, yeah? I guess Duckburg is just going into another fucked up recession or something? I always told Mia our mayor was shit."
Gyro handed her black coffee and she gratefully took it, though the mug was still very hot.
"I swear. The universe has it out for me. It always has."
"Ha! Same..." Gloria trailed off before changing the subject. "I'm not sure what your plan is for tomorrow but Gyro and I are going to the lab to pack up and bring everything home. Would you like to tag along? We could use the extra hand... and a vehicle."
Heidi thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, why not? The search for Mia is in the hands of the cops now, I guess..." That was followed by another sniffle.
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"Okay, campers!" Mr. B busted into the meeting room underneath Funzo's Funzone. His cheer was disturbing to the others to say the least.
Steelbeak immediately got offended. "Hey! Saying campers is my thing!"
"Shut the fuck up, you're not a dictator anymore." Black Heron mumbled. "Fucking failure. We actually thought you were powerful and not a complete idiot for once too."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
"SHUT UP!" Mr. B grabbed everyone's attention again as he wandered over to the board that had the Glomsquad's faces on it, as well as Mia's and Heidi's. He put a check underneath both Mia and Ellie. "We got two in one day so go team! Oh wait... that was all MY doing. Huh. Guess it wasn't a team effort, WAS IT?!"
The other two vultures clapped silently, as well as nodded. Yes, they were still there. But honestly, who cares about them?
Kyle smirked under his breath. "See you soon, mother." No one heard him because literally everyone in the room hated him.
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