Out of the Woodwork

Part I

Brenna "Snakelady" Dawkins

A Darkwing Duck Fanfic

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Darkwing Duck and subsequent characters belong to Disney Studios. It'd be pretty useless to sue me since I have nothing! I've made no profit nor will see any from this fic.

Summary: Launchpad's little sister Loopy announces her engagement. But it's not exactly what Launchpad nor Darkwing had hoped for. Rating may be upped in later chapters.

(AN: Yes, this is a fic that was on my old account. I edited it up a bit and am reposting it. I may have to up the ratings later, but for right now it's all good! Please read, review, and enjoy!)

*****

Gos's arm dove into the mailbox. She fished around, looking to see if her package had yet arrived. No such luck! In fact, none of the mail in the mailbox was for her. So she stuffed it all back into the box in disgust and dashed into the house. She needed to get ready for a soccer tryout right after school.

She glanced at the watch on her arm. 'Dad better not have forgotten he's my ride to the field!' She took note of the empty house. He had fifteen minutes to get home before he was officially late which would make her late, which would hurt her chances at even qualifying for the team. Gosalyn launched herself upstairs and careened into the door to her room. In haste, she threw her backpack onto the floor. Digging in the pile of clothes that replaced the floor in her closet, she finally found her soccer jersey that she had meant to wash after the final game last year. But it had never made it to the laundry room. She sniffed the shirt and shrugged. Didn't matter how you smelled, it was how well you PLAYED that counted!

Gos changed her clothes and hurried back downstairs and impatiently waited for her father to come home.

The minutes ticked away, and Gos was blackly scowling by the time she heard the car pull into the driveway at last. She checked her watch… she may just make it after all… barely, if she could get her dad to hedge around a few of the speeding laws to get there. He never sped unless he was 'on duty.'

She grabbed her duffle bag and water bottle and hurried out to the car. Sliding into the front passenger seat, she took note of her father's conspicuous absence.

"Don't tell me, Launchpad, Dad has to work, huh?" She grimaced. She loved fighting crime 'unofficially' along side her father and would often go out of her way to become a part of the investigation even when she was asked not to. It was one of the few ways she got to spend time with her adoptive parent. But she did not enjoy it when it interfered with stuff that was important to her, stuff that helped make her appear to be normal to everyone else.

"Sorry, Gos. You know how he is. He DID remember your try out though, or else I wouldn't even be here." The big duck beside her tried to placate her. For someone who tended to be rather dense, Launchpad could be quite empathetic when you least expected it.

She sighed and sagged in her seat as her second guardian put the car in reverse and backed them out of the driveway.

"We'll be late." Gos told him, trying to hide the disappointment. It had been important to her for her father to have been there. The fact that he had remembered stifled a smidgen of that disappointment and even though she loved Launchpad like a second father figure, he was no substitute.

"I'll step on the gas." Launchpad replied.

Well, at least he wasn't afraid to speed, Gos thought to herself as she watched the scenery blur by her window on their way to the field.

Launchpad and Gos pulled back into the driveway at the Mallard house after the tryouts were over. Gos was in a better mood and fairly skipped into the house. She saw her father sitting on the couch, watching the news. He looked tired but still smiled upon her entrance.

"Sorry I couldn't make the tryout's, Gos." He said, "but crime knows no time."

Gos inwardly shuddered at her dad's typical attempt at being clever.

"So, how'd ya do, kiddo?" Drake asked.

"Made forward! 'Cause I'm such a strong kicker. I can aim spot on too!" She said none too proudly.

Launchpad added his own two cents, "She was the best they had out there."

Gosalyn beamed happily.

"So, does this mean you're going to run ALL over the field again and wear yourself out before the end of the first half? They give out positions to keep that from happening, ya know." Drake asked, his eyebrow quirked. He knew his daughter. She'd try to carry the whole team if she could.

She shrugged. "Well, like Launchpad says, I'm the best they got. We'll see what happens when the season starts."

"Oh, by the way, Launchpad, this letter came for you." Drake stood and handed his partner the envelope. "Who's Loopy?"

A silly smile broadened the big duck's face, "My little sis! Hey-hey!" He ripped open the letter with enthusiasm.

Gos, on tip-toe, tried to whisper into her father's ear, "Launchpad has a family?"

Drake shrugged, feeling just as perplexed. It was news to him to. "Sooooo, how's she doing?"

"Yeah, and how come you never mentioned her before?" Gos wanted to know. "She some undercover spy or something? In trouble with the law? Come on, Launchpad!"

"Just… well," Launchpad still hadn't completely gotten over his feelings of inadequacy when it came to his successful family. In truth, it had been years since he'd heard from any one of them. It hurt him that they had drifted apart so much and he had to wonder if it was somehow his fault. "They're always traveling 'cause of their international air show. I never really know where they are." He finally admitted.

"They're all pilots too?" Gos asked.

"They're the best!" Launchpad couldn't help but gush. He'd always wanted to be able to keep up in the air with his family. He was a skilled pilot, to a point. He knew he'd never make it to their level, though. "Dad used to be a pilot in the Navy. When he retired, he took flying to a whole new level."

Drake could hear the envy in his friends tone and was all the more curious to meet the family of the duck. He also had to wonder if any of them actually knew how to land.

"Hey! She's going to be in town this weekend, and ya know what else? She's engaged!" Launchpad relayed to them excitedly. "Can she stay here, DW? Pleeeease?"

"She can stay in my room, I can stay at Honker's." Gos suggested.

Launchpad pleadingly stared at Drake.

"Oh, okay." Drake gave in. 'Well,' the crime fighter thought to himself, 'this was going to be interesting.'

The news was still blaring and Drake went to shut it off. It was time to get some dinner fixed. He went to the set to do just that when Tom Lockjaw happily reported a breaking news story. Out of habit, Drake watched. One never knew when Darkwing would be needed!

"An attempt has been made on the life of the richest duck in the world in Duckburg. His limo exploded into a ball of fire from a bomb. No injuries or deaths reported. Mr. McDuck has refused police protection and defiantly goes about his daily activities. The local police have followed up on some leads but won't tell us anything until they are certain. No sketches of the perpetrators have been forthcoming as of yet. We will keep you updated as the story develops.

"Now, onto other news… the cast of the soap opera Ducks of Our Lives is in tears as heart throb Tom Stork storms off the set in a huff…" Drake turned the television off.

"I think we're needed in Duckburg, LP." Drake went into business mode in a flash.

Launchpad looked pale. "Someone's after Mr McD! I gotta see him!"

Drake snorted, "You think you can waltz into the house of the richest duck in the world unannounced?"

"Sure! I used to do it all the time! He used to be my boss." Launchpad revealed.

"You're… kidding. LP! You never told me you worked for the richest duck in the world!" Darkwing was aghast.

Gos look dumbstruck too, "Wow, LP! You must be rich! You act like you never have money!"

Launchpad looked sheepish, "Well, how'd ya THINK he became the richest duck in the world? By PAYING his hirelings?"

Drake sighed, disappointed.

"Can I go with you guys? Please? Scrooge McDuck is famous!" Gos begged feverishly.

"I'M famous." The crime fighter snorted, feeling insulted.

"Yeah, but Mr. McDuck is both rich AND famous." Gos put her hands on her hips to make a point.

So after our caped crusader donned his purple uniform, they elected to take the Thunderquack out to the McDuck mansion. Gosalyn managed to talk her way in on the outing. Launchpad was feeling anxious. The news reporter had said no one was hurt at the scene, which was odd. Duckworth always stayed with the limo when Mr. McDuck was out. Not that Launchpad wished any harm upon the faithful old butler, but his slowly plodding mental gears wondered about that. Where had Duckworth been at the time?

It was only a few short minutes before they reached the rich ducks property. Launchpad had a designated favorite crashing zone on the field during his tenure as one of Scrooge's employee's and he aimed for that spot. It was easy to aim for… the grass was still charred having never been able to grow back even though years had passed since his last crash there.

Long used to LP's skills, DW and Gos took their usual positions as the pilot landed. After climbing out of the vehicle that actually looked like it could fly again without too much work, DW had to hurry to catch up to LP who kept a brisk pace straight to the front door of the mansion.

They were only a few feet away from the door when it opened. A young teenaged girl greeted them with a worried smile.

"Thought that crash sounded familiar, Launchpad."

"Woah, Webby? That you?" Launchpad had forgotten it'd been so long since he'd seen the family last. She looked so grown up! When had that happened? He stared at her dumbstruck at the drastic change.

She nodded then approached and gave him a long hug. "You came to see Uncle Scrooge."

"Webby! You shouldn't be answering the door! Get away from there!" Someone yelled from within the house.

Webbigail sighed then waved everyone in then shut the door. "The boys have been watching me like a hawk. I don't know why I can't just go about my day like normal like I always do… Uncle Scrooge does." She sighed feeling saddened and a bit stressed by her newfound restrictions.

"I imagine they're only looking out for your safety, young lady." Darkwing said as he took a gander of the mansions insides. "Whoever is after your Uncle might decide to go after a much easier target and one who might hurt your Uncle more."

Webby paled. "I--- I hadn't thought of that." Then she took in the strangely dressed duck standing in the foyer. "Um, who ARE you?"

Before Darkwing could bluster out an answer, Launchpad hastily replied, "This is Darkwing Duck. I'm working for him now-a days. In fact, he's why we're here. He's a crime fighter." Then he belated remembered Gosalyn, "Um, this is Gosalyn. She's the daughter of a friend of mine."

Webby's eyebrows rose, then she turned to Launchpad. "You left Uncle Scrooge to work with him?"

"Well, heh, no, not necessarily." Launchpad told her.

"Hey!" The conversation was interrupted by a trio of young ducks coming down the stairs. "Launchpad? That really you?"

"Hi, Huey! Duey and Luey!" Launchpad happily greeted his former Woodchucks. They were also taller then he remembered. And when had their voices changed?

"If you came to see Uncle Scrooge, you just missed him. He's gone over to the Bin." Huey replied as the three boys came to a stand beside Webby. "Who are these people?"

"Not reporters." Luey said with some decision as he also gave DW a curious stare.

Darkwing sighed. Didn't ANYONE in Duckburg know who he was? It was just over the river from Saint Canard, for crying out loud! What was it going to take for him to make a name for himself?

"I'm Darkwing Duck. I solve crimes for a living." He said rather petulantly.

"I'm Gosalyn Mallard! Doing a project for school!" When it came to lying, Gos was a professional, "So, who do you think did it?"

The boys and Webby looked at each other. "Well---" Duey said slowly, "We aren't supposed to tell anyone what the police think."

"But what the police think isn't official." Luey countered.

"Officially unofficial." Duey reminded.

"Well, this guy solves crimes for a living, maybe if we give him something to go on, he might find something the police might've missed." Luey continued. "A witness thought he might've seen a Beagle Boy sniffing around the area about an hour before the bomb went off. But all the Beagle Boy's are in jail. So we don't know if it's the truth or not."

"The Beagle Boys again?" Launchpad sighed. "Won't they EVER give up? They've been hounding Mr. McD for years, DW."

"Really? Well, that's interesting." Darkwing mulled over the only clue they had. "Not much of a clue if they're all in jail. The police must have already interrogated all of them, am I right?"

The boys shrugged, "We don't know. They don't tell us much. We're only kids, after all."

"You sure ALL of them are in jail?" Darkwing asked.

Launchpad knew something was bothering DW, but didn't know what. "As far as we know. We can always ask the police-"

Darkwing dismissed that idea instantly, "The police never like to deal with me. Call me a vigilante, like it's a bad word."

"You don't think all of them are in jail, do you?" Gosalyn replied, easily reading her father.

"Somehow, somewhere, a Beagle Boy slipped through the cracks of the justice system." Darkwing said darkly, trying to think. But he had such little information that conclusions would be impossible.

"Uncle Scrooge went down to the jail himself. All the Beagle Boys were accounted for." Luey said.

"Wait." Huey interrupted after thinking for a moment, "All of the Beagle Boys WERE in jail. But that still leaves one out…"

Duey and Luey jumped on that track and both replied eagerly, "Ma Beagle!"

"Yeah, Uncle Scrooge never said anything about HER being in the jail." Luey recollected.

"Well, what do you know?" Darkwing grinned. "Don't happen to know where her hideout is, would you?"

To be continued…