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"Are ya alright Unca' Scrooge?"
He coughed awake to his nephews faces, only they looked younger than he remembered. They parted to let him sit up and he blinked at his surroundings. It was the mansion, only it was an older version. He had done several remodels because the place seemed to be a target.
"Don't scare us like that Unca' Scrooge!" He looked towards Dewey, who was wearing a blue baseball cap.
"Yea! And when did you get a new coat? I like it!" Huey beamed.
"What are you lads rambling about?" Scrooge held his head. "Where's ____?"
"Who?" - D "Are you feeling alright?" - H "Oh boy! How hard did you hit your head?" - L
"There you three are!" Scrooge looked up and locked eyes with himself. Well a version of himself dressed in blue. They blinked at each other then the other him motioned the boys away. "Stand back, lads! Who are ya?"
The boys ran to the man in blue, who raised his cane.
"I'm Scrooge McDuck," Scrooge said, standing. He picked up his hat, dusted it off, and placed it on his head.
"No, I'm Scrooge McDuck. That makes ya an imposter or a liar," his double challenge, taking a fighting stance. Then he looked over his outfit and eased up slightly, "Or yar from a different dimension."
"Yes, I'm from a different dimension. We were sucked into a portal and I woke up here." Before anyone could unpack that statement, a blink of light formed a lump of groaning boys. He ran to them, "Lads!"
Dewey jumped up, "That was awesome! Ten out of ten, would do again!"
"Uhh, did I hit my head? Because I'm seeing double." Louie rubbed his head, taking in the room.
"I don't think where in Kansas anymore," Huey hummed.
"I thought the key was broken so he couldn't pull things from dimension anymore?" Louie asked, standing up.
"It is but," Huey made his way over to a ____ backpack that had been spit out with them. Scrooge hoped she hadn't been pulled here. "He sent us to a different dimension. Specifically the one where Aunt ____ pulled the JWG form."
"You found our Woodchuck guide!" Their Huey ran over to him. "This has been missing for days."
"Missing? It disappeared out of my hand a week ago," the younger Dewey complained.
"Week? We've only had it a few hours. If that," Louie looked concerned.
"If this doohickey of yars sucks things into yar universe how did ya get sent here?" the other Scrooge asked.
"The more important question is how are we going to get back?" Scrooge looked at the spot where boys had appeared.
Scrooge wished if ____ was here she would get to the mansion soon. She would have given him a reason to stop pacing the floor at least and be another head to bounce ideas off. The two Scrooge's tried but found themselves thinking in circles. So they turned to pacing, which the carpet revealed the other Scrooge seemed to do shamelessly. The sets of triplets had huddled as far apart as the couch would allow. They seemed unsure of each other.
"Okay, this is freaky," the little Dewey said to his brothers.
"Yeah, worse than the time that we made that clone," their Huey responded.
"At least we knew what caused that," the little Louie added.
"You mean you did?" the younger Huey crossed his arms.
"Nah ah!" little Dewey yelled.
They broke out into a fist fight. The older triplets watched until Dewey pulled out his phone and Scrooge paused long enough to see if he would get a signal.
"How about I try to call Aunt ____?" Dewey pushed a few buttons on his phone and seemed to get frustrated with it. He threw it down on the couch. "What, no service? Boo!"
"Make sense, seeing as how we're in a different dimension that seems to operate nearly thirty years in the past," Louie shrugged, twisting a Rubik's cube he found in the couch. Everyone turned to look at him and the other triplets even stopped fighting.
"How?" was all Huey managed.
"What? The TV's a 1978 model and has been playing a countdown to the 'newest episode' of Foul House since we walked in. None of the other us's have cell phones. I was pretty sure these," he held up the Rubik's cube, "were just a myth until just now." Then he turned to Dewey for a finale, "And you act like I don't check the service immediately when we go somewhere."
"That's not a good thing," Scrooge popped automaticly.
"You have your gold and I have my phone!" Louie snapped. Scrooge opened his mouth. "Sorry, I haven't been online in two hours and it's getting to me."
"Breath," Huey said and his brother twitched.
Scrooge gave an annoyed sigh and went back to pacing. Louie clicked the Rubik's cube a few times. Both sets of brothers watched in amazement. With one last twist it was solved and Louie tossed it to the side.
"I thought Huey was the nerd," Dewey mumbled in awe.
"It works on patterns," Louie shrugged. That shook loose a thought from Scrooge's brain.
"Wait, that's it! Huey, lad, where's Finch's Journal?" Huey pulled it out of his hat, as if reading his mind.
"Have any of you seen this before?" Huey spread the book out on the coffee table.
"That looks like Gyro's newest project," little Louie said, looking at Solego's Circuit.
"Are you sure?" Scrooge asked.
"Yeah, we may have um," little Huey didn't finish the sentence.
"Might've what?" their Scrooge asked grumpily.
"Taken it for a test run," little Dewey mumbled. "I mean he asked us too... the first time."
"What is it?" their Scrooge asked, looking over the device.
"Solego's Circuit, it pulls things from alter dimensions, like how ours pulled your JWG into our world," Huey explained.
"Yea, it worked a few times but it mostly pulled random junk and a few animals. Don't know what that was about," their Huey complained.
"And that explains your pet elephant," their Scrooge facepalmed.
"Uh, yeah totally," little Dewey said, unconvincingly.
"You have a pet elephant? Uncle Scrooge can we have a pet elephant," Dewey went wide eyed.
"No." "They had a pet elephant." the Scrooges said together.
"Technically we still do. He just lives in the zoo now," little Louie beamed.
"I had a pet tigger once," Dewey said, proudly. The little triple's eyes went wide.
"Awesome!" "Cool!" "Neat!"
"Don't get any ideas," the other Scrooge narrowed his eyes.
"Back to the problem," Scrooge prompted. "Sounds like we need to make a visit to the lab."
"I would not recommend that," the other Scrooge grumbled. "Last time I was there, he nearly imploded the whole place. Safer if he comes here. I'll call him."
Gyro showed up half an hour later. He was faced first in work while the other Scrooge explained the issue. The kids disappeared and reappeared several times. The other him paced and he, well, he made tea. He couldn't stand playing the waiting game. Though after tea and exploring the place a bit, there was nothing left to do but pace.
After several hours everyone found themselves in the living room again. Someone cleared their throat and everyone in the room looked up. ____ smiled at him and the kids crowd her.
"A little banged up, Hue, watch your grip," she said.
Scrooge was on guard. Dewey tried to hand her a toy he had taken from the little him and knocked her to the ground. Louie handed her her backpack.
"Thank you boys," she laughed but it was weak.
"Aunt ____?" The other set of triplets asked, popping their heads over the back of the couch.
"Hi. I think someone is raiding your room." She waved and pointed behind her.
They leaped over the couch and ran out of the room.
"Boys go with them," he urged, moving them out of his way. They went to protest but stopped with a look. They left the room. He helped ____ up and into a hug just glad she was safe. He whispered, "You're hurt?"
"Just a bruise. It'll be fine." She patted her hip. He hated seeing her hurt, especially when she blew it off. He turned to the others.
"Launchpad and the purple one, glad to see your safe."
She whispered something then turned to the other him. He wondered how she would react to him.
"Hi. I'm ____. You know everyone else, I presume." Polite as ever.
"Indeed, las." He also seemed to have a grudge against Darkwing. She redirected him to Gyro. "Ah, yes, this is Gyro. Gyro..."
"Eureka! Look at this!" Gyro interrupted jumping up from the couch. "I was able to reroute the premises of the design into an operational mechanism."
A young girl ran in followed by the younger set of triplets. They circled Gyro's feet. The other Scrooge was a second faster and popped his cane on the coffee table.
"Huey, Dewey, Louie, why don't you show Gyro to the garden so," the device exploded, sending parts ripping through the air. "That doesn't happen."
"I need something with a steady energy supply," Gyro mumbled.
"Like this?" Little Louie held up a phone.
"Hey! I was using that!" the girl cried.
"That might work." Gyro grabbed it and took off. He let the younger nephews lead him out of the room.
Scrooge looked back to ____, who said, "Don't tell Beaks I said that."
"I'm so telling Beaks," Louie laughed.
"Go find your brother." She nudged him and turned back to the rest of them. "So we're stuck here until Gyro can solve the Solego's Circuit."
"Pretty much, sounds like it," Drake pouted.
"Aunt ____!" Huey ran into the room and grabbed her hand. "You have to see this."
"Huey," I went to tell him no.
"It's fine, L-____," he stopped himself. It hurt but he didn't know this other version of himself and that wasn't something he wanted to reveal to a potential enemy despite his friendliness so far. "Go with the lad. We're playing a waiting game, anyway."
Huey pulled her out of the room before she could protest. Little Huey, little Louie, and his Dewey ran in.
"We can prepare rooms for all you if you wish," the other Scrooge offered.
"Can the other us's stay in our rooms?!" Little Huey asked.
"Yeah, it's like an awesome double slumber party!" the younger Louie asked.
"I want to go to a slumber party with two Dewey's," Launchpad said.
"Please Uncle Scrooge?" Dewey asked him.
"Not up to me boys."
"Alright lads. As long as ya actually get some sleep." The kids cheered and ran back out of the room.
Another hour passed and Duckworth showed him to a bedroom. He wondered where ____ was staying and if he sought her out if he could find her in this maze. He decided to leave and opened the door. He saw them walking down the hall towards him and cracked it back. They paused in front of a door a few steps down the hall. It wasn't eavesdropping, just surveillance he told himself.
"The boys demanded to have a slumber party with Drake and LP. Webby and Ms. Beakley are gone, leaving this wing empty. This is an empty guest room if you would like."
"Thank you," ____ said.
Barely audible, he heard his double say, "His room is across the hall."
He shut the door with a soft click and wondered if ____ would come over. He sat on the bed waiting. He leaned his head on the back board. After a moment there was a soft knock.
"Come in." He smiled to himself then it fell. "I hoped it was you. Though I wished you hadn't been dragged into this mess."
She crossed the room and curled in the bed next to him.
"I didn't want to be on that side, but I tried for Gosalyn's sake. Now she's over there by herself." She laid her head in his lap.
"She seemed like a tough kid. She'll be okay." He ran a hand through her hair.
"Can I stay here tonight?" He was surprised by the question but immediately answered.
"Of course, Love." She visibly relaxed at the awnser and he wondered out loud. "Did you think I would say no?"
"I didn't know because of the lodging situation," she mumbled.
He thought he had made it clear. She was always welcomed around him. Though he hadn't said it out loud. He didn't say a lot of things out loud and just expected her to know. So he said it now.
"You can always stay with me."
She smiled as fell asleep. He missed this. He wanted to have this every night. He pulled her onto the pillow and held her closer. He watched her until he couldn't hold his eyes open anymore. He woke up to someone tapping his shoulder.
"Loverboy, breakfast?" She shouldn't use that nickname so early but he wasn't going to stop her.
"In bed?" He looked to the nightstand then at her. "How'd I get that lucky?"
"The other you is a bit of a romantic." He sat up and she placed the plate in his lap.
"Is he?" He ate a piece of bacon.
"Yes. He's worse at playing matchmaker than the boys." She laid down beside him, using his knee as a pillow.
"That's quite a calm." He chuckled. "I wonder why?"
"He has a thing for Goldie." He gagged on the bacon. She had said that without a hint of tone but the thought still was enough to send him spiraling. "Yeah, they work out about like that. She's so intense here. Like she has a pet bear named Blackjack. Don't know what that's about."
"That's her favorite." Scrooge mused, remembering the first he met her. "Requires too much luck for my taste. Poker takes more skill."
"I thought you didn't bet." She looked up, making an 'I don't believe you' face.
"There's a difference between betting and playing," he said between bites.
"I remember game night." She righted herself and turned to face him.
"We should have another one." He always enjoyed beating the kids.
"Sure, the house can handle that?"
Before he could respond, a loud noise shook the room. He slid the food to the side. Scrooge and I dashed down the stairs to the main entrance. Bulba stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by our family. His lab coat was torn to shreds and his tie and undershirt hung on by a thread.
"I knew I would find you," he huffed. "All my inconveniences in one place, such an opportunity. And who am I to pass up one of those."
Bulba ran towards them, arms out. The kids ducked under his wingspans. Duckworth was not so lucky. Scrooge slid down the banister towards his counterpart. The other him used his cane to jump on the man's back. Gyro fell and clutched something. Bulba buck Scrooge off and stomped over to him.
"Hike!" Little Louie threw up his hands and Gyro understood.
He threw it, but it went long. LP jumped and grabbed it. Bulba ran towards Launchpad. Scrooge ran at Bulba, who sidestepped him.
"Press the red button!" Gyro yelled.
LP clicked the button and disappeared. Little Huey caught the device before it hit the floor.
"Well, what do we have here? Thief of my patton design?" Bulba roared at the kid. Scrooge pulled him back as Bulba charged again.
"Hey! That patent belongs to McDuck Enterprise. Therefore, it can be made by any employee within the company," Louie said. "You'd be surprised what I learned in the time it took Huey to find out what he was up to."
"You were supposed to be helping!" Huey yelled.
Bulba charged at them, and they screamed, scattering. Drake crossed the floor.
"Catch!" Little Huey yelled and Louie caught it, then disappeared.
Little Dewey caught it this time. He tossed it towards Dewey as Darkwing kicked Bulba. Bulba grabbed Darkwing's foot and slung him. Dewey hit a button and disappeared. Huey was beside him and snatched it out of the air and disappeared. The other him hit it with his cane to Darkwing, who disappeared and Bulba snatched it. He crushed the device in his hand. Scrooge ran towards the disappearing bull and dove for it. It slipped through his finger and he landed on rocks.
"Twice in the same day?" a female said. "Why are you in the dirt?"
He looked up and locked eyes with a grey haired woman siting on small cot behind horizontal bars. He recognized her. He didn't get starstruck easily but this was different. She was his childhood hero. He jumped up.
"You're Isabella Finch!"
She eyed him, "is this one of your weird tricks?"
"Tricks?" he asked, adjusting his hat. He reached to touch the bars. "What are these?"
It blasted him back into the cavern wall. She laughed coldly.
"So you're not him?" She stood and looked him over. "Or you're really dedicated to this role."
"Where are we? Why are you in there?"
"We are in the basement of a collector of rare and unique things. Being from an alternative universe puts me on that list. Why are you here?"
"Power hunger employee." She hummed and stared at him. Something soft clicked far away and her eyes went wide.
"Oh, shit you've been spotted."
"Spotted?"
"Duckworth monitors all of us and you're not in a cell. I'm surprised you last this long probably because you look like him."
Before he knew what she meant something hit him in the back of the head. He fell to the ground and eyes blurred from pain.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a familiar voice rang. Scrooge couldn't see the speaker. He glanced up and saw something aimed at his head.
"He's from my world!" Finch yelled. The blow was softened by the words.
"Really?" the voice hummed.
Someone forced a bag over his head and tied his hands together. The person put a blade in his back forcing him forward. His steps echoed on the stone hallway and the echo let him he had stepped onto a staircase but his captor gave him no warning. If he hadn't had years of experience he would've fallen down them. He counted the steps. Cries came and went and he tried not to think about it. The temperature seemed to drop to sub-zero. He was pushed to the ground and he ripped the blindfold off. He was in an empty dungeon. Glass bars shot out from the walls as he attempted to leave the room and he was zapped to the far wall.
The first time he heard the man walk down the stairs he didn't know what to expect. He locked eyes with himself. It was like looking in a mirror expected the green suit that reminded him of Gladstone. His double smiled cruelly.
"What do you want?" Scrooge asked and there was no answer.
The copy just clicked a button on a small remote. Little rods shot out of the wall. Blue lightning zapped out and struck him. He screamed and slumped to the ground passing out.
"You lasted longer than the others," he blinked awake and the other version of him stood above him holding a teacup. "That would've killed a lesser man."
"Is that some sort of deranged compliment," he asked, straightening. He was on high alert.
"Are you working with FOWL? I know they've been dabbling in dimensional travel technology but I didn't think it would pan out." The copy looked him up and down.
"FOWL? Of course this is their doing." He clenched his fist and the other him raised an eyebrow.
"Well whatever reason you were brought here, the only reason you're still alive is because it gives Ms. Finch hope that she'll return to her universe and maybe seeing you trapped to will be enough to finally break her spirit." He took a sip of his tea like he had just reported the weather. Scrooge's heart sank. "Oh don't worry she's probably up in the vents right now plotting on how to help you. I don't know when she'll learn. Then again that's why she so much fun."
He pulled out the small remote and clicked the button. This time the wall shifted revealing small holes and he was ready. Arrows shot out at him. One or two at first. Then more shot out and he had to jump and twist to avoid them. It got to the point we're he couldn't avoid them. One landed in his shoulder. Another in his leg. The must've been was laced with fast acting knockout because his vision immediately dimmed until he passed out.
He woke up with a blanket beside him. He wrapped around him. He pulled it tighter when he saw the man was standing over him. This time the tea was gone. Finch said that the other him only visited once a day and this was his third visit. So he guessed this was day three; his body seemed to agree. His stomach had hunger pains and his mouth was dry.
"I see Finch found her way to your cell," he hummed. "Doesn't matter. Even if you get out of the cell you'll have to deal with my pets before you think about getting out of the basement."
The copy pulled out the remote and his eyes widen. The man chuckled and clicked a button. A roared ripped through the air. He gave a wicked smile and turned on his heel. He was alone in the dark with his thoughts. He explored the cell and found no openings or anything useful. He sat on the ground in the back corner and waited for Finch. His thoughts fell to ____ and the kids. Anything to make him smile. This other him would not break him either.
Scrooge was awake this time. He heard two people descending the stairs. He thought maybe the man was going to share his sadistic fun and Scrooge refused to give him the pleasure.
"What do you want this time?" He spat at them.
"I came to show my latest piece of chattel." His eyes slid to them. ____ was struggling but his double held her in place.
"____? Take your hands off her," he said, flinging himself as close as he dared to the bars.
How long had she been here? How had he hurt her?She tried to step towards him, but jolted backwards into the monster.
"Well, you've gotten what you want," he looked at her. "I showed you him now. It's time to pay, love?"
Scrooge boiled with rage. "Don't call her that."
"I wasn't speaking to you." The double snapped then cupped her face and Scrooge watched helplessly.
"You didn't tell me what you wanted." She had made an open ended deal with the devil, to see him? She was an idiot. A lovable, trusting, beautiful idiot.
"I thought it was obvious. Another kiss," his double cooed, pulling her closer. Another?
She protested and Scrooge's mind went to the worst. He didn't want ____ to kiss that monster but he knew what refusing him might bring her. His double reached for the remote and Scrooge couldn't help but take a step back at the sight of it.
____ noticed and she surged for it. The double blocked her closer her free arm as it swated at the switch but missed. His double pulled away and Scrooge could see the hate in the man's eyes. His double pushed her backward but she managed to pull him down with her. His double leaned up and smiled at her.
"Shouldn't have done that, love." His double kissed her neck.
Scrooge balled his fist. Her hands pounded uselessly on the man's chest. His double lifted her head with the hand he had wrapped around her throat and bashed it into the stone floor.
"____!" Scrooge jumped forward, risking a blast from the bars. "Fight me, like the coward ye're!"
"Why would I do that?" He kissed her again.
She wasn't fighting back anymore. She might actually have been kissing back but he could have cared less. He just wanted him to stop hitting her. He almost missed the small rectangular thing skipped towards him. It landed out of reach. He grabbed the blanket to knock it closer as _____ moaned, weather from pain, or not , was debatable.
He managed to jimmy the remote into the blanket and pull it to him. He clicked the open button and the bars shifted open and jumped himself. He shooved him off her. He went to check on her but was pulled backwards and landed on the ground. He snapped. He punched him in the face. The man smiled wider with each hit. Scrooge was pissed and punched him again and again. His knuckles bloody as they connect with his own face.
"Scrooge!" ____ voice broke him from his rangful bashing.
She held up the remote. They both looked up and must've had the same idea but he was on top. The bastard stood but Scrooge kicked him in the chest. They stumbled into the area of the cage. She fumbled with the remote but the bars shut. Scrooge ran to her and grabbed her shoulder. She flinched as he touched her. His heart sank. He turned to the stairs. He called for her. Slowly, she headed towards him. They sped up as they headed up the stairs.
"Get back here or you'll regret it, love!" an angry voice yelled.
____ paused. Scrooge had half the mind to head back down and beat him some more. She didn't hesitate long but she did. It hurt. He counted the steps back up and stopped. ____ plowed into his back. He steady her and she didn't jump this time.
"Do you have the device?" She didn't respond. He reached for her, "Love?"
She jerked backwards, nearly falling down the stairs. He froze. She blinked like she wondering what he wanted.
"Do you have the device?" he asked again. She seemed to hear him that time. She looked at her hand. It was bleeding but she held it out with the cell opener in it. He took it gently but said, "The dimension device, L-____?"
He stopped himself because he didn't know if her reaction had been from the touch or the nickname.
"Oh," she blinked and seemed to be coming back around, "it's in my backpack."
He noticed she wasn't wearing it and cursed that poor copy of himself.
"Is it upstairs?" She nodded numbly. He cursed again. "Okay, first this. Then we'll worry about that."
The hallways lit up as they entered. Empty cells, that resembled his own, lined the hall. Although the first one was elaborately decorated and a familiar person sat on a queen-size bed. She seemed to still when she saw him.
"Goldie?" he asked and she tilted her head. He couldn't just leave her locked up. He clicked the open button but Goldie didn't move. He couldn't wait so he started down the hallway. "Come on, ____."
She didn't move, just stared at Goldie.
"____." He ran back to her. He needed her to move. "Duckworth will see us on the monitors and he will be down here any minute."
"I'm sorry," she whispered and followed him.
They passed countless empty cells. At least he wasn't cold anymore. He looked over his shoulder to check on ____ everynow and then and she was following him but seemed dazed. He was focusing on one problem at a time. Finally, they reached the end of the row. It looked empty.
"Isabella?" She jumped out a vent.
"You came for me?" She smiled.
"Of course." He clicked the button on the remote.
She stepped out cautiously. Her whole face lit up when she saw ____. He stepped between them.
"A human!"
"We don't have time for proper introductions. We need to go."
"You shouldn't have released her." ____ spoke for the first time since they had seen Goldie.
He didn't get to question what she meant before she was grabbed by the back of her shirt and stumbled backward into his counterpart.
"You're quite perceptive for someone with a concussion, love."
"Who," Scrooge started to ask before he saw the blonde behind his evil doppelgänger. "Goldie? I should've seen that coming."
"I've trained her well. Just like you have with this one." Scrooge gritted his teeth and ____ struggled. He looked for a way to separate them but couldn't find an opening. At least not one without possibility hurting ____ more. "I don't know where you were going without this?"
Duckworth, who was cloaked in the shadows, threw her backpack on the ground. Something shattered as it bounced.
"I hope that wasn't important. Now back to your rooms." His double's grip tightened on ____.
Scrooge raised a fist not sure what he was going to but going to do something. However, ____ spoke.
"Blackjack."
Scrooge blinked and so did he double.
"I think you hit your head too hard, love." His counterpart kissed her temple. He almost leaped forward but ____ spoke again.
"Your favorite game of skill."
That was wrong. She wasn't think clearly. Then he remembered the other buttons on the remote. He looked over the remote again and smashed the bear on the remote. A loud growl echoed through the hall.
"No! You idiot."
His double pushed ____ forward. Scrooge kept her from hitting the ground. Isabella attacked the others for him. He sat ____ on the ground and dug through her backpack, hoping the dimensional device was broken. He noticed the broken bottle of champagne and laughed that she had taken it from the restaurant. Finch pushed the others into a cell and he clicked the close button. She ran back to them and he grabbed ____ and her hand.
In a white flash, the dark cave was replaced by a bright lab. The lab equipment was broken; Bulba was lying on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back; the red head was sobbing; and a helicopter was hovering out of the broken window. Someone was climbing it's rope ladder.
"Bradford!" ____ shouted over the noise.
Scrooge and Isabella's attention snapped to it. FOWL was printed on the side of it. ____ rushed to the window's edge and Scrooge slid his arm in front of her not caring if she had a poor reaction. He didn't want to see her fall. She stumbled away from the edge and made her way to Drake and Gosayln.
"Bradford?" Isabella asked, confused.
"Hello, grandmother. Didn't expect to see you again," he sneered as the helicopter flew off.
Scrooge turned and saw Darkwing was helping ____ stand. He rushed to them.
"I think I need to sit down," she mumbled.
"It'll be alright, ____. We'll get you to a hospital."
"No hospital. I can sleep it off. We need to focus on helping Goldie." She wasn't focused on herself but on what she came to St. Canard to do. He knew she wouldn't leave until it was done.
"I'll take care of it. Launchpad, can you put her on the couch?"
"Sure thing Mr. McDee." He cradled her and laid her on a couch that must have been in Bulba's office.
The purple hero tapped his shoulder.
"I'll keep it short for," he looked at ____ and cringed. He handed him a thumb drive. "This is the intel I have on the disappearance. Bradford... well I guess FOWL seems to be rounding up key players in your operations. I've narrowed down their headquarters to three locations but I think a coordinated attack on all the locations at the same time would be best. I'll let you look over them and we can go from there."
"Yes, we will get back with you."
"Will she be okay?" He looked at ____ with concern.
"When you didn't come back through with us. We worried." Launchpad nodded at Darkwing's concern.
"It's over now and she'll be fine, lads," Scrooge said, more to himself.
He rejoined the kids and Isabella. She was watching the red head fiddle with the dimensional device.
"You need to be careful with that thing, las. We ran into some unsavory characters." Scrooge told her. ____ groaned in agreement. "Your hearing is back?"
"In part."
"Alright, I think we should head home before you get worse."
LP led them to the limo and ____ insistent on walking. Isabella took the front seat with Launchpad. ____ laid down in the back of the car. He was surprised when she buried her face into his stomach. The kids piled in the car as gently as possible.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine, Louie," she mumbled.
"She's just had a rough day." Scrooge timidly ran a hand through her hair and thankfully she leaned into.
"Sorry about the champagne," she apologized.
"You need to rest," Scrooge shushed her softly. He was afraid to touch her but she pulled herself closer to him.
"I love you." He gasped. It had to be the first time she said it. Bloody and beaten as she was. Why now?
"As do I, Love" was his natural reaction but he was worried about her.
She didn't have a negative reaction to the nickname. so hopefully she would be okay. It could've been worse, he thought. It could have been better too.
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