"We're the first ones back," Donald announced, shutting the car off.
"At least we have a moment of peace before things are chaotic," Scrooge mumbled, stretching.
It was the first thing he had said since we left Guatemala. Although I agreed, I didn't say it out loud. It wasn't about him taking the fountain's water, but the fact he was felt like he had to sneak it.
I wondered upstairs to his office. Well, our office technically, but we hadn't had a moment in the last four days for me to go over things. A pile of backlogged documents that needed signature sat on the edge of his desk. I looked over them, signed most of them. I still remember what Owlson had taught me. I left the bigger decision stuff for Scrooge.
I spun in the chair absent mindedly. The last I was in here had been at a party. My engagement party. I still hadn't told Scrooge. We had a quiet moment now and I was mad at him. We couldn't catch a break.
Still, I opened the drawers in Scrooge's desk. The bottom one had a combination locked. I tried our anniversary. It popped open with a soft click. A single file sat at the bottom.
"What are you looking for?" Scrooge asked, walking in. I jumped and closed the drawer. He raised an eyebrow at the metallic sound.
"A pen to do this paperwork." I patted the stack of paper for emphasis. "You know, for this little business we run."
"I'm aware," he hummed. He seemed on guard at the insinuation.
"I thought you might have forgotten, seeing as how we've been going non-stop since your COO quit." My tone was not helping the situation.
"You mean jumped in a helicopter laughing like a jackal?" he chuckled.
"I think that was Black Heron?" The tension was still thick, but I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. I fiddled the papers. "I'm still mad."
"I know," he said.
He cupped my face and leaned closer. He wasn't going to apologize or talk it out. Just kiss and make it better? I pulled away. Before either of us could speak the door busted open.
"Uncle Scrooge!" The kids screamed as they busted in the door.
Scrooge cursed under his breath but smiled. He turned to the kids. Something was bothering me as I stared at the locked drawer. I couldn't put my finger on it.
Della walked in, chugging a Pep like she hadn't survived ten years without one while the boys recounted their adventure. Apparently, they got the stone here practically undetected. The plan was to lock it in the Other Bin as soon as it was safe. It dawn on me what felt off.
"Huey. Dewey. Go find Donald. Scrooge, Della, and I need to talk." I waited until they were out of the room to speak. "Scrooge, tell me you've changed your passwords since Bradford's sudden leave of absence."
"Eh," Scrooge looked taken aback.
"That's like the most important rule when dealing with bad guys. Don't let them get your passwords!" Della ranted.
"We need to get on with that." I headed for the desktop computer.
The emergency light started blinking red and a creepy chuckle echoed through the walls.
"Well, that sounds ominous," Della said, looking at the ceiling.
"Well, this revival was a tad premature," Bradford's voice poured out of a loudspeaker.
"What do you want, sourpuss scavenger?!" Della asked.
"If I told you that, I wouldn't be a very effective shadowy nemesis." I could hear the smirk. "Though it doesn't matter. The Bin was built to keep intruders out. Let's see how it does, keeping them in."
The building rumbled and metal plates slide down the walls and cover the window.
"What's happening?!" Della shouted over the commotion.
After a second, things died back down.
"I've secured the bin with the most devious defense system known to man. It is impossible to get through and was intended to keep my gold safe," Scrooge explained.
"Traps, huh? No problem. Where are they, here?" Della jumped on the globe and slide off. "No." She jumped onto his desk. "Here?" She looked under the desk lamp and threw it. "Nada." She looked at the stapler. "HERE?"
"Gah!" Scrooge caught the lamp and Della clicked the stapler a few times. He grabbed Della's hand and she went ridged for a split second. "Please don't waste those."
"Della, if you have to look for them, then they're not good traps," I said.
"____'s right." I couldn't tell if Della growled at me or her uncle but Scrooge continued, "Each room of the bin has its own unique traps designed by Duckburg's most dementedly dangerous minds: Gyro, Quackfaster."
"Is it weird that the 'most dementedly dangerous minds' are all friends of ours?" Della whispered towards me.
"Better than our enemies," I mumbled.
"Touché," she nodded.
"So, where do we start?" she asked, turning back to Scrooge.
"The Hallway of Hidden Horror," Scrooge gulped.
"Fun," I said terrified.
"So, what do we got? A minatour? Lava? Snakes made of spiders? I'm ready to be impressed." I looked at Della, scared of her imagination. "If we're stuck in here, I'm having fun."
Scrooge opened a door to a corridor full of purple-coloured saw blades.
"Aw, saw blades?" Della sounded disappointed. "I mean... the purple is a weird touch, but otherwise, this is pretty standard."
"Bless me bagpipes, you're right! Oh, I've wasted my hard-earned money on standard, easy-to-avoid traps. Oh, well, this will be a walk in the park."
He took one step into the room and a Lil Bulb emerged from the ceiling. It lit up the entire corridor with the same color as the saw blades.
"Wait, where did the saws go? And why can I still hear them?" Della asked, taking a cautious step forward.
"Are you done with this?" I asked, taking Della's drink.
She protested despite it being empty, but stopped when I threw it into the room. It was cut in half then fourths then landed on the floor in innumerable pieces. Scrooge smirked.
"The Gearloose Ultraviolet Ultraviolent Bulb. It emits a special violet-covered light that makes anything purple completely invisible, including the saws," Scrooge explained.
"Now, this is a challenge! Maybe I can use my robot leg too," she leaned forward, and it sparked. "Ah-ha!"
Scrooge pressed on, doing the same with his cane. I stared, stunned, at the idiots in front of me. They reached what appeared to be a dead in. I was trying to think of ways to stop the maze of blades. Jamming them might work, but with what? Cutting power would work, but getting to a circuit would be difficult.
I got an idea, and I turned towards the door frame. I ran my hand long it until I found the raise part on the wall. I cleared my throat.
"I just want so say I've seen this episode," they both turned to me, "and I just want to say getting in is not the same as getting out."
I slammed my hand on the emergency shut-off switch and the buzzing immediately stopped. Even Lil Bulb crawled back into the ceiling. The purple blades became visible again. Scrooge scoffed, Della cheered, and I walked across the room with a smirk. Everyone knew the shut off switch was by the exit not the entrance.
We walked inside the next room as when the door opened. The walls were white and the light was blinding. The floor tile was in a black and white checker patterned. Black words were scrolled on the wall at eye level and they seemed to buzz with energy. A red button was in the middle of the room. A two-minute timer hung above the button on what looked like a Jumbotron.
"What is this room?" Della asked. The room seemed to lurch like a ship and the timer started.
"Daja vu," I blinked.
"Gyro and Quackfaster said this room has to do with time," Scrooge hummed and looked around.
"It's a time loop room," Della said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"It's on Scrooge's hand." She pointed.
Scrooge looked at his hand. There was a ridiculous amount of tally marks and the words 'Time Loop?' scribbled hastily. Scrooge patted his pocket and pulled out a pen and added a tick.
"What do you think we've tried?" I asked.
"There's sixteen mark," Scrooge listed.
"So running, walking, jumping, this," Della grabbed the pen from Scrooge and threw at the button but it fell short.
"What happens if we walk?" I asked.
Scrooge step on a black tile. It slung him backwards into the door we came from.
"No way we're making it across that in a minute." Della's eyes widen and looked around.
"What's a last resort tactic?" Scrooge asked. "We shouldn't reuse tactics."
I looked around the room again. The walls were smooth and white. The symbol glowed with magic. The ceiling had exposed rafters.
"Ninjas in the rafters," I mumbled.
"What?" Della and Scrooge asked.
"The words are the time loop spell." I pointed to the black words, "if we get above them it should break it."
"Good thinking, Love. Let's try it." He turned towards me and laced his hands together.
I checked the time. Ten seconds. I ran and jumped, using his hands for a bounce board. I slammed into the rafter with my chest, knocking the wind from me. I hugged to it until I heard the beep. I pulled myself on top. Scrooge looked around.
"What is this room?" Della asked. The room lurched and ticked and the timer started.
"Daja vu," I blinked.
"Gyro and Quackfaster said this room has to do with time," Scrooge hummed and looked around.
"Uh, where's ____?" Della asked.
"Up here!" I waved. They looked up.
"How in the world did you get up there?" Scrooge asked.
"This room is a time loop, but I'm above the ruins. It won't affect me anymore. I think we need to press the button in two minutes, but the floor is booby trapped."
"Oh, okay. We'll jump, you direct," Della said.
"Wait!" She jumped on the same tile Scrooge and it slung her into the wall. "That's a trap."
"Now you tell me," she groaned. She stood. "Where is safe?"
"I'm not sure. This is the first time we've tried." I looked around. "Try a white one."
She jumped on a white one. It was safe. She took a step directly forward and arrows shot out of it wall. She screamed and rolled to the fourth row. The tile swung open, sending her through the floor. And the timer buzz and the room rewinded so Della and Scrooge reappear in the starting positions.
"What is this room?" Della asked. The room lurched and ticked and the timer started.
"Gyro and Quackfaster said this room has to do with time," Scrooge hummed and looked around.
"Della stepped on the white tiles!"
"____?" They looked up at me.
"Don't ask questions just go!"
She stepped on the first white tile. Then diagonally to the right. Nothing happened. She jumped diagonally to the left, and nothing happened. She made her third jump diagonally to the right and goo exploded out of the title. Covering her.
The timer beeped and Della and with a bright flash reappear where we walked in.
"What is this room?" Della asked. The room lurched and ticked and the timer started.
"Daja vu," I blinked.
"Gyro and Quackfaster said this room has to do with time," Scrooge hummed and looked around.
"Up here!" I waved. They looked up. "Della white tile."
She jumped.
"Right. Left. Skip that row." She jumped over the stick row and landed on a safe white tile. "We haven't been this far. You pick."
She chose wrong. Small fire balls rained down from the ceiling. She dodged them and barreled through the last three rows. She slammed the button. The ruins faded, and the tiles flipped like Mexican jumping beans. I jumped down from the rafters and rolled to a stop. The door led us to the library.
"Okay, what do we have next?" Della rubbed her hand together.
"We've made it to the archives." Scrooge started forward. "Quackfaster designed this room. She kept her plans a secret, even from me. But if I know Quackfaster, we should be prepared for something manically mystical at any moment."
"I was sure something would have happened by now," suddenly he tumbled upwards and crashed into the ceiling. "Ah!"
"What the," I yelled. Della and I froze.
"The tiles." He pointed to the floor, and we looked down at the tiles scattered across the floor. "Ancient Rosa Runes. They change your field of gravity."
"How do we get you down?" I asked, looking upwards.
"Don't worry. I got this," Della said, jumping on one. She shot towards the exit door and grabbed the ledge of the bookcase. "Okay, maybe I don't got this."
"That's the master rune." Scrooge pointed above the exit door. "Everyone affected by the ruins needs to touch it."
"Okay, Della, let go and wait on us. Scrooge, meet Della down there."
They nodded. Scrooge made his way across the ceiling. Della did as instructed and fell on to the wall. I grabbed a book and threw it at a tile. It jolted left. I threw another one and it spiral towards the exit and hit Della on the head.
"Hey!" she complained.
"Sorry, but you might want to move," I said, jumping on the tile. She rolled out of the way as I smashed into the wall.
"Uncle Scrooge, give us your hand."
He reached down, and we pulled him down to touch the master rune. We all fell to the floor in a heap. The door opened to a pitch black hallway.
"What's in here?" I asked, not moving.
"Launchpad designed this one." Della tried to ask a question, but Scrooge just continued. "He insisted. Anyway, I'm pretty sure the lights are just off."
He stepped into the hallway and nothing bad happened. I grabbed Scrooge's shirt and followed. Della grabbed my hand, and we went deeper into the hall. Our eyes adjusted as we reached the end of the hall. Scrooge pressed the elevator button. It dinged opened and Della stepped in. She was jerked downwards, pulling me and Scrooge with her.
I was disoriented and soaking wet. We were in a dark pool that was so deep that I couldn't touch the bottom. I kicked and tried to keep myself afloat.
"What the hell?" Della yelled, splashing beside me.
I couldn't see her, but I could tell she was struggling to stay up. Something wrapped around my waist.
"Della, tell me that's," I couldn't get it out before I was drug under the water.
Della screamed my name, but it sounded far above me. My ears popped from the water pressure. I punched sluggishly through the water at the slimy thing around my waist. It probably didn't do anything. Della shrieked about the creature touching her and I shot upwards. Suddenly I was out of the water, dangling in the air very far from the water from what I could tell. Though I was very disoriented. I gasped for air.
"The giant octopus," was the end of Scrooge's sentence.
"Aaaa!" Della's voice whizzed by ear.
The thing jerked and flung me into a wall. The whack sounded like a gong, as it echoed up wards. It shook me to the core.
"Are we still in the elevator shaft?" I wheezed once I could speak.
"Aye!" Scrooge's voice echoed from somewhere.
"I know what you're thinking, ____!" Della grunted.
There was a shriek from the octopus and metal scraping. A sliver of light poured into the elevator shaft.
"Get over here!" Della shouted.
"It's got me!" I screamed back.
I felt the whack of Scrooge's cane vibrate through the beast. It's arm recoil from around my waist. I splashed into the water and started swimming towards the light. Della was on the edge of the door frame, bent down, offering a hand above the water. As soon as I grabbed her hand she pulled my upwards and we tumbling into the lobby. The floor was splashed with water. I coughed and tried to wipe the saltwater out my eyes. Scrooge slammed the doors shut behind us.
Across the lobby, there was another group. I turned towards the second group of groaning bodies. The two triplets and Donald stood, looking just as dazed as I felt.
"Mom!" - Dewey "Aunt ____!" - Huey "Uncle Scrooge!" - Donald
They screamed in unison. They scrambled over to us.
"There was a giant swinging axe!" "And a swarm of bees!" "Land mines!" "A pit of snakes!" The two triplets yelled back forth which traps they had faced.
The room shook and the dollar symbol behind the main entrance desk opened.
"What's that?" Donald and Della asked.
"One final perfect trap. It uses all the best defenses we've seen thus far, combined with the fighting techniques of the greatest warrior of the past century," Scrooge said.
A robot version of Scrooge walked out.
"Curse me kilts," said the cringe worthy voice.
"It amazes me what you will spend money on," I mumbled.
"I have to admit, I thought it would look a bit more impressive considering what it cost," he hummed.
It morphed into a terrifing monstrosity. It sprouted a lil bulb from the shoulders and the panels shift revealing purple shoulder, top hat, and Scrooge's face on a screen in the center of its chest.
"Curse me kilts!" It screeched.
"Somehow this is worse," Scrooge hummed.
"Yea, this robot was designed after your greatest warrior?" Della asked, narrowing her eyes. Donald crossed his arms.
"That's right," Scrooge nodded.
"Sure you can't think of anyone else you could have used?" Della asked. "Maybe a tough, professional adventurer who's never lost a fight?"
"Yea, like me," Donald huffed.
"Donald," she laughed, patting his shoulder. Then leaned towards her uncle. "I meant me."
"You think you're better than me?!" "Duh." "You're on!" "Oh yeah?" Their conversation devolved as they charged the machine. The kids cheered them on. Scrooge chuckled at the sight.
"That's one way to get them riled up," I mumbled.
He chuckled, "They've always been the competitive pair."
The robot knocked the twins to the ground and ran towards us. I rolled to the floor, grabbing Dewey's and Huey's arms. The thing got jammed in the elevator. Its head turned 180 and pulled itself free.
"Why can't you just shut it down, Uncle Scrooge?" Huey asked.
Bradford's laugh echoed. The screen flickered, revealing the villain's face.
"Bradford," all the kids growled.
"____. Scrooge. Others."
It's turned the rest of its body and flipped through the Rosa Runes. It blasted us with one, sending us through the air, pulling us towards it. It produced two canes and spun them so they turned into blades. Della jammed her prosthetic leg into one and we slide by it, landing inside of the elevator shaft.
The octopus screeched. The robot landed beside us. A tentacle wrapped around the robot. We ran upped the side of the wall. The buzz of the saw came grew louder and the screaming octopus grew softer.
Della wedged her foot in the door and pushed opened the top exit of the express shaft. We jumped into the hall as another beam from the Rosa Runes hit us. We rolled down the wall and crashed through the door and into Scrooge's office. We landed on the wall made of window. Despite the shield, a crack ran across the glass from all of our weight. The robot climbed through the door like a spider and shot us with another Rosa Rune. We slammed into the back wall that held Scrooge's painting. Della and Donald bolt towards the machine.
"Oi! Watch were your stepping!" Scrooge yelled as they ran across his face.
"Not the time!" I yelped.
Donald and Della jumped over the open door to the bin. The robot swung at them with its cane and launched them into the bin like it was hit a slam dunk. The robot turned to us. I grabbed Scrooge's hand, and pulled him away from a flying blade that still managed to cut the top half of his top hat off.
"This would be much more efficient if you simply give up now," Bradford said.
"Never you curmudgeonly carrion!" He growled and charged.
The robot flung him inside the bin as well. The robot turned towards me and the kids. We took off towards the metal monstrosity.
"You could have prevented this and you could end this ____." Bradford's voice poured out of the machine.
I jumped towards it and it jumped at me. I had nothing to counter an attack from its sword so I slammed my weight into the side force threw both us into the bin. My shoulder had landed on the Rosa Rune in the process however and we spun upwards, landing on the dome ceiling.
I stood and slowly I realized I had never fought Scrooge. I had seen him fight, but we had never fought, even in practice. Though this wasn't Scrooge. It was Bradford controlling a robot with Scrooge's abilities.
It spun the cane. It brought down its cane. I slide between its legs. I grabbed one, and it fell.
"Using the size to your advantage? We can fix that," Bradford smirked.
The robot shifted, so that it was in its original form. A robotic look-a-like of Scrooge stood in front of me. The cane change from the sword to the a regular metal rod. It swung the metal pole towards me, slinging me across the ceiling. It walked over towards me and I tried to stand, but stumbled. It pinned me with its foot. I struggled to breathe.
"Ironic isn't." The robot leaned down and Bradford's voice leaked out of it. "His ego is literally crushing you."
The thing applied more pressure and I heard something pop. My screamed echoed off the walls.
"Aunt ____!" The kids yelped.
"You could stop it. You have the power now. All it would take is a signature. Maybe less."
I didn't know what to do. My magic took over for me. An iridescent circle appeared out of my chest, and blasted outwards, causing the robot to stumble. I got to my knees. The cane came down again, and I grabbed it. My hand stung, but I couldn't focus on it. I snatched the cane out of his hand and swung it right back at him, hooking its ankle with the crook. The robot crashed to the floor... ceiling? It was hard to keep track.
I stood and brought the cane down fast towards his face. Scrooge's face. Despite it being a robotic version, I changed course at the last second and crushed the hat. The thing sparked and suddenly I was falling.
I landed on the hard coins and my vision danced. The Scrooge-bot lay in front of me. I squeezed my eyes shut.
"You saved us!" Dewey and Huey yelled, jumping on me.
I opened my eyes and glance up at Scrooge. He was glaring at the broken robot.
"Woah! That was awesome! Again!" Della cheered.
"You're psychotic," Donald mumbled, stepping away from from sister.
"Let's just be glad it's over," Scrooge said.
A sad beep came from above us, signifying the end of Bradford's control. Louie, Webby, and Beakley walked in on the catwalk. Huey and Dewey ran for the ladder.
"What on earth happened here?" Beakley asked.
"Apparently the bin was full of death traps," Donald said.
"I'm glad I missed that," Louie said.
"It was so awesome!" Dewey said, reaching the top of the ladder.
"What did we learn, Uncle Scrooge?" Della asked.
"Buy better death traps?" he huffed.
"Change the passwords!" Donald yelled at him before heading to the ladder.
"Yea, we need to get on that," I agreed, following him.
We made it up the ladder. Beakley told us that she took a flight back to tell us the Merpeople were guarding the harp. LP and Darkwing were bringing the submarine. I listened while I changed passwords on the computer and accounts. I noticed an emergency message from the lab.
"Guys, Fenton was in the lab when everything went sideways."
"Everything should have reset. It should be safe to check on them," Beakley said.
I walked to the elevator and pressed the button. I made sure the elevator was actually in the shaft before stepping in. Scrooge caught the door as it was closing with his cane. He joined me.
"Love, are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked with a nervous laugh.
"You practically chop my head off."
"But I didn't." He went to say something else and I stop him. "It was Bradford, using something that looked like you to attack us and I did what I had to do to protect the family."
"I'm glad you did," he hummed, wrapping me in a hug. "If only we knew what he wanted from you?"
"We do." I looked at him. "To control you."
The doors open. The lab looked fine, but Fenton was lying on his stomach.
"Fenton!" I ran towards him and rolled him over gently. He was barely breathing. "You'll be okay."
Beakley came down to check on him and suggested we take him to the mansion just for the night. Scrooge looked opposed but agreed. Beakley took him to the car and Donald drove us carefully to the manor. I volunteered to be in charge of Fenton and Scrooge huffed off to his office to take care of the 'little business we run'.
Word Count: 4308