HI!

So I came up with this idea LONG before we got the confirmation that we'd have a full Talespin crossover in Season 3. I loved the show as a kid and I'm excited to see where it goes.

Also, am I the only one disappointed that the show's version of Don Karnage isn't voiced by Jim Cummings

Freedom from Fear

Chapter 16

Another Talespin

Cape Suzette had an interesting history.

Between its strategic location and the high cliff walls surrounding a natural harbor, it had thrived in the past as both a military and trading port. But as war changed, Cape Suzette lost a lot of prestige.

However, it still had thriving businesses, and an excellent tourist trade. The keystone of the latter was the famous Cape Suzette Aviation Museum, home to a large collection of planes from all over history. The museum was also one of the main hosts of the Cape Suzette Airshow, a massive endeavor held every five years that attracted pilots and aviation enthusiasts from all over the world.

And while McDuck Enterprises had been unable to send a representative to the show, due to an accident in one of the factories that had delayed the production of a new engine that Scrooge had been hoping to showcase, the whole clan had decided to go see the show anyway.

Della hadn't stopped smiling in three days. It was starting to creep a few of them out.

The smile dipped during the flight over. It was the first time that Della and Launchpad had shared a cockpit, and the feathers were already starting to fly.

"And why was the landing pontoon attached with gum?" came Della's growl.

"I used to use superglue, but that proved…tricky. And I can't believe you almost got rid of Nibbles," Launchpad fired back.

"You shouldn't need a hamster to spin the propellers!"

"He was the turbo-boost!"

"Unless he's on the greatest steroids in the universe, I don't see how that's possible."

Huey looked back at his brothers and the girls.

"You know, we really should have seen this coming after we came to see the Sunchaser lying in several pieces."

"I saw this coming considering Launchpad's flight record," Louie countered, "Even Webby's super-brain has lost track of how often he's crashed."

"It truly is amazing how this plane is still airworthy," Webby supplied.

"Swear to Gaia, sometimes flying with Launchpad is worse for my anxiety than the Magica nightmares," Lena muttered from behind her phone. Focusing on a puzzle game kept said anxiety from getting worse thanks to the arguing filtering from the front of the plane.

Dewey didn't join in the conversation. He honestly felt caught between his mother and one of his best friends. While he freely admitted that Launchpad wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he still felt a need to defend the big lug. For once, though, he had no courage to get in on the action.

"Why does this seat still feel so loose?"

"It's so you can turn to the passengers. It reassures them when you can look into their eyes in the event of a crash."

"Well, we're not going to crash!"

"You seem tense."

"We're inside six tons of metal, that I just had to reassemble mind you, traveling hundreds of feet in the air at incredible speeds!"

"Wow, you are Donald's sister."

There was a simultaneous angry squawk from the cockpit and from a few seats down from Louie.

"I've had enough of this," Scrooge muttered, getting up, "They've been going at it for the past hour."

He stomped up to the cockpit in full Scottish indignation.

"Do you two scowling sky-jockeys mind not killing each other until we get to Cape Suzette?"

The kids tuned things out as Scrooge built up into a rant.

"How much longer is the trip?" Dewey asked.

"About another hour," Huey said, checking his phone.

Scrooge eventually came down. On the way back to his seat, he poked at Lena.

"If they start up again, you can send up the minotaur to loom over them and keep them focused on flying."

"Wow, you are desperate for options," Lena snarked, "But I'll keep that in mind. Might use Ella the harpy, though. Better evil eye."

oOo

Cape Suzette was abuzz with activity. Large portions of the city had given way to celebrations, taking advantage of the increased tourism that the show brought. The area around the airfield resembled an outdoor concert, with tents and blankets sprawled around between concession stands and picnic tables.

The children had to be carefully wrangled by the adults, even if they had caught some of the excitement.

"I wonder if the Blue Angels made it this year," Della said.

"I'm hoping for the AeroSuperBatics," Launchpad replied, "Those guys are nuts!"

"The who?" asked Louie.

"They're a propeller plane team based out of England. They do a lot of techniques where an acrobat performs on the wings of the plane."

"That sounds awesome!" Dewey said.

"And terrifying," Lena added.

"It does take nerves of steel," Scrooge agreed, "There's probably a program at one of the concessions stands if you want to look."

Launchpad and Donald led the children to get some snacks and a show program. Meanwhile, Della turned to Scrooge.

"Uncle Scrooge, I've been sitting on this for a while, and I don't think I can wait anymore. You know Launchpad's a bad pilot, right?"

"From a certain point of view, maybe," Scrooge replied, "If your ego in the pilot's seat weren't getting in the way, you'd see what I see."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Scrooge chuckled a bit.

"Truth is, Launchpad is actually a savant with mechanics and aeronautics, even if his landing skills are poor. And he's been my personal driver for years, able to get me where I need to be with little regard for bad traffic. Between all that and the unlikelihood of finding another driver/pilot that could keep up with the insanity of this clan…well, you can see why I keep him on."

Della looked between Scrooge and the distant Launchpad, who was trying and failing to eat some cotton candy.

"Okay, when you say savant…"

"There's all kinds of intellect, Spitfire. There's the kind that lets you win game shows, and the kind that lets you drive any vehicle with ease no matter the terrain or obstacles. Put him at the wheel of just about any machine, and he can figure it out almost instinctively. Why, my first adventure with the kids, he piloted a submarine perfectly despite having no experience. Launchpad's a moron, I won't argue that, but the skills he has are impressive. When the chips are down, those skills can be trusted. You might want to keep a more open mind."

Scrooge chuckled as he walked to join the rest of the family, leaving Della to ponder the conversation.

oOo

After a few dazzling displays from various teams, the next one caused a groan to erupt from Della's beak.

"The Lightning Storms are still a thing?" she scowled, her fingers crumpling the program she'd been reading.

"Unfortunately," Donald grumbled, "The attitude hasn't changed either. From what I've heard, they're still a pack of moronic prima-donnas. There have been a lot of scandals about safety and reckless tricks, and they've brushed off all the concerns."

"They actually tried to approach McDuck Industries for sponsorship deals in exchange for offering to be test pilots," Scrooge added, "But between the smarminess of the spokesman and the research I did, I decided that they weren't worth my time."

"Maybe we can skip this one," Launchpad offered.

"Are they really that bad?" Dewey asked.

"Yes," the adults chorused.

"The museum looked interesting," Webby piped up.

"All in favor?" Scrooge asked.

There was some hemming and hawing, but it was decided to check out the Aviation Museum.

oOo

The Aviation Museum, a large building that was like several airplane hangars stuck together, was fairly empty, most people out watching the airshow. There were a few groups of people taking a break from the show and the outdoor heat, but otherwise, the clan had the run of the place.

The children shot to and fro across the main hub of the museum, gawking at the planes on the ground and hung in the air. Huey played tour guide for his brothers, while Lena and Webby ducked toward the space exhibit. Della had taken one look at said exhibit and jumped at seeing a few old naval planes with her brother. Donald pretended not to notice how pale and twitchy she'd gotten. Scrooge took in the sight of a helicopter, remembering having once owned a similar one. Launchpad was drawn to an old stealth plane.

It would actually be him that spotted the special exhibit, and called everyone over.

It was an old cargo plane, mostly yellow with red accents. The propellers gleamed in the light, and the pontoons looked freshly cleaned.

"The Sea Duck," Launchpad said reverently.

"Holy cow, this thing's a legend!" Della all but squealed.

"Hey, isn't that the plane on the tourist brochures for Cape Suzette?" asked Louie.

"And for good reason," Launchpad replied, "This bird was at the center of a lot of big events in the city's history. Her and her pilot are practically local folk heroes!"

"Pilot?" Webby asked.

"Baloo von Bruinwald XIII," came a voice, "He was a bush pilot with a knack for getting into crazy adventures and coming out on top."

The group turned to spot an elderly bear making their way towards them.

"Eric Cloudkicker," he introduced, "I'm the museum curator. I hear some appreciation for our most distinguished exhibit."

"And how!" Della replied, "Air pirates in the 30s, recon missions for the Allies in the 40s, and a whole lot of high-flying adventures in between. The legend of Baloo was an inspiration to me!"

"Hey, me too!" Launchpad said excitedly, "You ever hear about his Pelican Dive?"

"I've studied aeronautics for years and I still don't know how he pulled that off. Or how about recovering the Ruby Wings of Walla Walla Bing Bang?"

"Or Howard Huge and the Titanium Turkey?"

"Or the lost city of Tinabula?"

"Okay, we get it, you're fans!" Louie shouted.

"Good thing Baloo isn't here," Eric said, "He'd definitely get a swelled head over this."

"You say that like you knew him," Scrooge said.

Eric chuckled a bit at that.

"I'm surprised you didn't, given how old you're supposed to be, Mr. McDuck. But yes, I knew him when I was a child. Although not as a famous pilot. I knew him as Gramps."

Jaws dropped at that pronunciation.

"My father, Kit Cloudkicker, met Baloo as a child and was later adopted by him. Although to hear him, Gramps, and Aunt Molly tell it, the paperwork for it took a few years to actually get done. When I first heard that story, I could honestly believe that. Gramps could be fairly lazy and irresponsible sometimes. Couldn't handle money to save his life, either. Nonetheless, he could be a very selfless person, willing to lend a kind ear and word for someone who needed it, and he loved his family and his job."

Eric cast his gaze over the Sea Duck, frowning a bit.

"He took me up a few times in that. The Sea Duck was his life. He'd be heartbroken to see it gather dust like this."

"Why don't you take it up?" asked Launchpad, "You're the museum curator, you could give permission for a flight."

"I took the job partially from a love of aviation, and partly to preserve my grandfather's prized plane. I'd love to let her feel the air again, but she's an antique. Hasn't flown in years. I doubt she could take the strain for very long."

"I dunno," Della said, looking over the plane with a practiced eye, "Something tells me this bird is sturdier than expected…"

Suddenly, there was an explosion in the distance…

oOo

Cape Suzette had an interesting history.

Part of that history was as a target for piracy.

While the natural walls and the city defenses kept its citizens safe, there was no denying that the city had been menaced time and again by pirates, both naval and aerial.

Among the pirates that menaced it, one name stood out: Don Karnage. Known for his ruthlessness and his expert piloting skills, he was a fixture in the tales of Baloo, serving as the folk hero's archenemy in many adventures.

And while Don Karnage might have been dead, his great-grandson had followed in his footsteps, even taking on the same name.

The modern Don Karnage smiled darkly as he looked at the billowing smoke in the distance.

"That's our signal. Rusty Pete's done his job."

With a yell, he ordered his crew into action.

A massive blimp soon rode over the skies of Cape Suzette. The city defenses had been sabotaged, and the blimp's new engine, a recent theft, let it easily fly over the tall rocky walls. The Iron Vulture II loomed large, almost blotting out the sun.

Pilots for the airshow raced toward their planes, only for previously planted pirates to leap out and capture them. The city defenders, picking themselves up from the explosions of their watchposts and anti-air batteries, were soon beset by pirates.

Pirate planes shot out of the blimp's maw and buzzed through the skies. Some flew low to the ground and dropped off more pirates at exactly the places they needed to be to ensure victory.

Don Karnage looked out over the city that had so long vexed his ancestor and laughed.

"And everything falls into place. All those months of gathering the right information to take out the defenses has paid off."

He looked briefly to the sky.

"Are you watching, Grandfather? I've done it. I've fulfilled your dream."

The attack had been swift and brutal. But the pirates were triumphant.

oOo

"I can't believe you brought the Hand to the air show," Louie said to Lena.

"I have to get some use out of this satchel, and I didn't want to leave it in the hotel room," Lena replied, her eyes glowing, "Call it paranoia."

"Technically, we could call it your anxiety," Huey said.

"Can it, Red."

The group peered out from the lobby of the museum, watching the chaos from a distance. They'd heard the explosions and the buzzing of planes, but Donald had prevented them from immediately racing out to see what was going on, having had a bad feeling.

With a sigh, Lena ran her gauntlet-clad hand over her eyes, ceasing her spell of enhanced sight.

"It's serious. Air pirates out the wazzoo. The pilots for the show have been caught, and the city defenses have been sabotaged."

"The billowing smoke was a bad sign," Webby grimaced.

"You get a look at that blimp?" Scrooge said.

"Yeah, seems to be their main thing," Lena said, "There's some more planes in there, and I'll bet my cauldron that it's where the captain is holed up."

"It's Gramps' tales come to life," Eric gasped, "But Cape Suzette's enemies never made it this far."

"Since he's not here, it'll be up to us," Scrooge said, "There has to be something in here that's airworthy. We use that to get up to that blimp and take the captain out of the equation. The pirates should fold without leadership."

"I have an idea about that," Della said, casting her gaze towards a decoration depicting the Sea Duck.

"You read my mind," Launchpad chuckled.

The two rushed off toward the Sea Duck.

"Kids, get that hangar door open," Della called out, "Donald, unbolt this thing from the ground. Lena, think you can conjure something to put in the tank?"

"Get me some water to use as a base for the transfiguration, and sure."

"Bathrooms are this way, I'll help!" Webby chirped.

"You're all mad!" Eric shouted as the McDuck clan sprang into action, "The Sea Duck hasn't flown in years! Even if you got her off the ground, she wouldn't last five minutes in the air, and that's without the threat of the pirates!"

Della and Launchpad ignored him, ducking into the plane's cockpit.

"Controls aren't too different from the Sunchaser," Della muttered as she slipped into the pilot's seat, "Good, good."

"That's odd," Launchpad said, taking the copilot's seat without complaint, "This says the tank's full. It's an analog gauge, so it'd be accurate without starting the engine first…"

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth," Della replied, "But we'll let Lena get the water in case it's a mistake. Help me with the pre-flight checks."

By this point, Scrooge and Eric had caught up with them, the curator wheezing slightly.

"You can't do this. This plane won't-"

The engine started without effort, the propellers starting to build up speed.

"That's impossible," Eric whispered.

"No such word in this family," Scrooge said smugly.

The preparations soon finished, and everyone else boarded the plane. Lena and Webby were the last to arrive, lugging a large bucket of water with them.

"Saw that you didn't need gas, but I figured you'd want a back-up plan," Lena said, freezing the top of water to prevent spillage.

"Everyone hang on, this might get bumpy," Della said.

Ancient gears turned and old metal groaned in protest, but the Sea Duck soon leapt into the air as if it was factory new.

Della steered the old bird directly for the largest concentration of pirate planes, buzzing them and sending them scattering from the shock.

"Yeah, that's right!" she crowed, "The sky isn't yours alone, punks!"

Don Karnage, from his position on his blimp's observation deck, saw this. He recognized the plane in an instant, a prominent figure in the tales of his great-grandfather.

Pure rage coursed through him.

"Blow that piece of junk out of the sky!" Don Karnage howled.

The sky pirates rallied, several getting into formation behind the plane and attempting to shoot it down. But Della Duck was one of the greatest pilots of her generation, a cut above the ragged group that Karnage commanded. The Sea Duck danced in the sky, easily outmaneuvering the pirate planes. At one point, she had them so confused that two crashed into each other.

Don Karnage saw all this and snarled, his teeth grinding together.

"Ready my plane. I shall deal with this my—YIPE!"

The Sea Duck had jetted right toward the observation deck, pitching upward mere feet from it. Metal rattled at the shockwave of its passing. Don Karnage had thrown himself to the floor out of sheer instinct, and when he picked himself up, the skies were clear.

"Wait, where did it go?"

oOo

The Sea Duck slowed as it flew overtop the Iron Vulture II. The rear cargo bay opened, and Scrooge, Donald, and the kids jumped out. Lena had summoned Ella and rode the harpy down, telekinetically guiding the others for a safe landing. It wasn't a trick she felt comfortable doing from too high up, as magically gripping several heavy bodies took a lot of concentration, but for the few yards to the top of the blimp, it was okay.

They all landed with a slight bounce, the material beneath their feet giving slightly.

"You sure you don't want me to just blast a hole?" Lena asked.

"Not until we steer this thing over the harbor," Scrooge said, "The pirates are keeping this over the city as a threat against a direct attack. We get this over water, then we can pop this balloon."

"Found a service hatch!" Donald called from a more solid part of the blimp's surface.

"Then let's Do-wey it!" came the excited response from the obvious party.

"Not so fast, boys! I want you to stick to the shadows and find the bridge. We'll keep the pirates busy, your job is to stay out of danger as much as possible and get control of the ship."

"You're letting Webby fight," Huey argued, noting the technicality in his uncle's orders.

"Webby knows karate," Donald deadpanned.

"Krav maga, actually," Webby said lightly, "It's more brutal."

"Of course," Louie grunted.

"Can we get on with this?" Lena asked, "The heights and the wind are making me nervous."

Ella croaked in agreement, one wing behind Lena to shield her.

"Aye, she's right. Best do our jobs quickly," Scrooge said.

Donald opened the hatch and Scrooge went first. A whistle signaled that it was clear, and the rest dove in, including Ella.

"Sure it's a good idea to keep her out in what's probably going to be an enclosed space?" Huey asked Lena, "Might want to swap her out."

Ella growled a bit and tapped her talons on the floor, drawing attention to their size and sharpness.

"Excellent point," Huey replied nervously.

"Save it for the enemy," Lena admonished.

The red-feathered harpy didn't look the slightest bit ashamed.

They came to the end of the maintenance tunnel and out into the open. They saw multiple planes getting ready to launch, and pirates scurrying to and fro.

"Lena, the planes."

"On it, Uncle Scrooge."

In a flash, Buford the minotaur and Firebird the phoenix joined Ella on the attack. Buford crushed metal beneath his hands, and Firebird's flames kept any pirates off him. One managed to pull out a gun, but Ella was upon him in a second.

More pirates noticed the clan and charged, but they were ready. Scrooge ducked under the swing of one and tripped him up with his cane. The pirate lurched forward, right into Donald's fist. Lena cast a lightning bolt to guard the boys while they ducked around pirates in their quest for the bridge. Webby was a force of nature, weaving around sloppy blows and striking with pinpoint precision.

Finally, a particularly large pirate stepped forward. He was built like Bouncer Beagle back home, and he looked ready to tussle. His first charge sent them scattering for cover. He targeted Scrooge first, and while Scrooge got in several good hits with his cane, the pirate just kept coming.

The pirate got in a lucky hit, sending Scrooge flying. Webby dove toward him, crying out in dismay. Donald squawked in anger and went on the attack. He went straight for the face, attacking with great speed. The pirate finally got a good grip on the writhing duck, holding him by the chest with one meaty hand, and was about to deliver a massive punch when—

"REEEET!"

A wild boar the size of a small car came charging in, bowling over the pirate and savaging him with silvery tusks. The pirate managed to throw the boar off, but then found himself floating up into the air.

"Finally," Donald grinned, grabbing a discarded pipe and getting ready, "Okay, Lena, drop him!"

Lena released her telekinetic grip, and Donald swung for the fences.

After the gigantic pirate was laid out, the rest of the pirates surrendered. Lena whistled and the boar trotted over, oinking deeply. She scratched it behind the ear.

"That'll do, Pig. That'll do."

"I still can't believe you couldn't come up with a better name," Webby said.

"It's descriptive at least," Scrooge said, shaking the last cobwebs from his head.

The blimp suddenly lurched.

"And that'll be the boys. Let's get off this lousy lemon."

"I got something special for that," Lena said as she returned all the creatures, "I've been waiting for an excuse…"

oOo

Della had been flying circles around the pirates, disorienting many with skill and swiftness. They got even more disoriented with a dragon burst from the launch bay of the floundering Iron Vulture, roaring loud enough to rattle bones. Its tail tore one plane out of the sky, and the backwash from its wake sent three more hurtling out of control.

From the beast's head, feeling the start of a power high, Lena laughed.

"Give 'em the business, Smaug!"

The dragon obliged, letting loose a gout of flame that set four more planes into a nose dive, their pilots ejecting.

In his own plane, having launched just moments before the McDuck clan had crippled his flagship, Don Karnage snarled. The invasion was doomed, but he could still do what his great grandfather never could.

"Are you watching, Granddad? I'm about to make you proud."

He made a beeline right for the Sea Duck and opened fire. A scattering of bullets race across the plane's fuselage, luckily not hitting anything important.

Della growled in anger as she pulled back on the stick, pulling the old plane into a rapid ascension.

"He's on our tail!" Eric called out, peeking out the window.

"Oh, he must hate us," Launchpad grimaced.

Della swerved the plane to and fro, but couldn't shake their pursuer. Suddenly, her steering wheel snapped off in her hands, the old metal finally giving up.

"Oh, phooey," she said blankly, starting at the metal in her hands.

"I got it!" Launchpad said, flipping a few switches and shifting control of the Sea Duck to his chair. The change of gear was so fast the old bird barely dipped from the momentary lack of input.

"Great, but what now?" Eric said.

"I got an idea," Launchpad said.

And without a second thought, he brought the Sea Duck into a meteoritic dive. Don Karnage was right behind him, firing another spray of bullets.

"Are you crazy?!" Eric shouted, his eyes on the swiftly approaching water below.

"He's got this," Della said.

And she meant it. Since entering the Sea Duck, her and Launchpad had been working like a well-oiled machine. The string of broken pirate planes behind them was a testament to that. She's gotten what her uncle had been telling her earlier, and she felt in her bones her belief.

"He's got this, he's got this," she said over Eric's protests.

"I got this, I got this. Come on, baby, come on!" Launchpad chanted, giving the throttle everything it had.

Don Karnage either didn't realize just how dangerous this game of chicken had gotten, or he didn't care. All he was focused on was the Sea Duck.

Finally, Launchpad pulled back. The Sea Duck swung up, the momentum of its dive translating into the necessary motion to clear the Pelican Dive. Don Karnage, on the other hand, panicked and tried to pull back on his speed. He wasn't able to get the lift necessary to pull out of the dive. He screamed as his plane with the water hard.

Victorious laughter exploded from Della and Launchpad as the Sea Duck climbed skyward.

Eric, meanwhile, patted his chest to calm his racing heart. He blinked, and the image before him changed. In Launchpad's place was a large bear with gray fur, a booming laugh echoing through the Sea Duck…

He blinked again, and the visage was gone. But for the rest of his days, he would insist they were not alone in that cockpit…

oOo

Clean-up began swiftly. With the pirates routed, the city guard was able to quickly restore order. The Sea Duck was taken to a private berth to be repaired from its adventure.

"I will admit, I'm surprised it ended so well," Eric said.

"We've all had misjudgments today," Della said.

"I think it's good the old girl got to fly again," Launchpad said, running a hand over the Sea Duck, "Taking her up now and then will be good for her. She's going to age if she sits in the museum all day. She needs to feel young. That flight probably took twenty years off her!"

"After all this, I think I believe you," Eric chuckled.

The group left after that, Della giving the Sea Duck a little pat as she went.

"Thanks for the ride, old girl."

As she turned to go, she felt a chill rush down her spine.

"Thanks for taking care of my girl."

Della whipped her head around, but there was no one there. And yet, she'd distinctly heard a voice.

As she started to walk off again, she looked back.

Silhouetted against the open door of the Sea Duck was a large, gray-furred bear. He tipped his pilot's cap to her.

Then she blinked and he was gone.

Della smiled, tossed a light salute toward the plane, and went to join her family.

Funnily enough, I have trouble writing Huey, Dewey, and Louie sometimes. I don't know why. Maybe it's a holdover from the versions I grew up with, who didn't have much in the way of disparate personalities. Despite loving these new versions, I still sometimes default to the old versions in my mind. It's actually the same problem I've been having with Launchpad, swinging between 2017's idiot savant and 1987's quirky hero.

I strangely don't have that problem with Webby. Maybe because the old version had no character outside of 'girl', and the new one definitely does.