The wind blew and the snow beat against the Mallard house as if it had a personal vendetta against it. The storm that had been forecast earlier had definitely come to pass. A similar storm was taking place inside the house.
"Dad, you can't see ten feet in front of you!" exclaimed Gosalyn. "Can't you stay home just this once instead of going on patrol?"
"Sorry, Gos, but crime isn't inclined to stop for a snowstorm." said Darkwing Duck as he adjusted his hat. "I'm taking the Thunderquack, it's not like I'm going to be plowing through the snow in a car."
"Um, it'll still be snowing up in the air." said Gos. "And I'll be stuck here alone as usual."
"Well, I believe you have some homework to do."
"Yeah, right, like there's going to be school tomorrow!" Gosalyn pointed to the picture window and the snow swirling around just outside it. "Nevertheless." said the crime fighter, giving his daughter his best no-nonsense look. "I'm not going to be that long, believe me, I don't particularly relish going out in this mess either, but someone has to protect the city." Darkwing gave her a dramatic looking spread of his cape. "Launchpad's waiting, I'll be back in a couple of hours." He gave Gosalyn a kiss, sat down in his Tower access chair, punched the activation statue and was gone.
Gos stared at the chairs for a few seconds, as if that was going to help. Then she slumped down on the couch and turned on the TV. The news was full of nothing but reports on the weather, and the rest of it was mindless sitcoms and reality shows. Gosalyn didn't feel like sitting through another viewing of "Disaster Island", once was enough. There weren't even any decent sports on. She switched off the TV, and decided she might as well do her homework.
Time passed. The ticks of the kitchen clock on the wall seemed to get louder and louder as it went by. Gosalyn was supposed to be doing math homework, but was doodling and making circles on the notebook instead. The wind blowing against the house was one distraction, and although she didn't want to admit it, she was worried about her dad. Even for Darkwing Duck, it was no night to be out. Even with Launchpad at the controls. He was so dedicated to crime fighting...too dedicated. Gosalyn didn't want him to stop, but just wanted him to realize there were some nights that it just wasn't a good idea. She doubted very much any crook in thier right mind would be out on a night like this.
Then came the knock on the door.
Gosalyn paused for a long moment. It was the wind, she thought. Tree branches knocking against the sides of the house. But then came another knock, louder, more insistent sounding. Still she sat there.
She knew it couldn't be Darkwing, he and Launchpad would have come back in the chairs. Maybe it was Honker, she thought, brightening. The two of them would find something to do. Gos jumped off the kitchen chair and went to the front door. There was another knock as she did so. She opened the door to a blast of snow in her face. But she forgot that in a hurry when she saw who it was.
Standing there, shivering, a scarf wrapped around his neck, was Reginald Bushroot.
To be continued...
Darkwing Duck and related characters are the property of Disney. This work is property of the author. (C) 2007 Eric Smith.