I had posted this chapter on the Toonzone Forum Storyboard section first, before posting it here, because the computer I was using at the time would not let me log onto this site for some odd reason. But now, thank goodness, I have a computer that does! I hope you all like my new fic, I'm pleased with it so far. Please read and review, I always like seeing reviews for my fics!

School, Gosalyn Mallard had decided, was designed to drive kids crazy.

She sat at her desk inside the muggy classroom; doodling pictures of Darkwing Duck in her notebook, looking at the clock on the wall with disdain every few seconds. Always irritated to see that the minute hand still had not reached the destination she was praying for. There was still five minutes left until the bell rang before she could run to her freedom; never having to look back, still five minutes before she could burst out of the school doors, still five agonizing minutes until the start of summer vacation!

"Why does it have to take so long?" The young duckling growled to herself as she drew; now adding the image of a smaller masked hero beside the vigilante she liked to call, 'Dad'. "How come it takes forever for school to end, but vacation goes by so fast? It just isn't fair!"

She glanced over at her best friend sitting two seats ahead of her in the next row, rolling her eyes a little at the carefree look he had on his face. Wondering how the kid could tolerate such torture, while the rest of the class shared her annoyance with their situation. After pondering Honker's ability to stand the teacher's droning, Gosalyn spared another hopeless glance at the clock. She could barely contain her joy.

The ringing of the school bell was just as glorious as the chime of an ice cream truck, and the girl didn't hold back her joyful holler as the children in the classroom joined her in a mad dash out of the brick building.

Gosalyn ran out to the parking lot with the other kids, and was about to get on the school bus when she noticed her father sitting in an unfamiliar car waiting for her.

"Huh, he didn't tell me he was going to pick me up today." She said aloud to herself, wondering if something had happened. Entertaining the idea that Launchpad had crashed their car, which wouldn't have been a shock to learn. "Maybe Dad's got a surprise for me! Oh, I wonder what it is?!"

Giddy as can be, the duckling quickly made her way over to the car. Getting into the passenger side and buckling up as fast as possible before turning to her father with a hopeful grin plastered to her face.

It was a grin that faded into a look of confusion.

She couldn't quite place it, as their car pulled out of the parking lot and began driving down the main road, but there was something off about her father.

"Dad?"

The older duck spared a glance down at her, but didn't speak. He didn't need to speak; his cold eyes and sinister grin said it all. The duck driving the car was not her father at all, at least not the Drake Mallard she knew. The person sitting there was none other than Negaduck!

"You! What are you doing here, and where are you taking me?!" The child demanded fearlessly.

Her fearless attitude was quickly broken at the villain's silence, and the terrifying smirk he gave her as he put an oxygen mask over his beak. His eyes piercing hers as the car suddenly began to fill with gas, and her vision quickly clouded.

In the haze that overwhelmed her mind, Gosalyn could just barely hear Negaduck's sinister laughter. And she wondered, fearfully, what would become of her…and what the evil duck had planned.

"D-dad…"

Drake Mallard tried his very best to contain his frustration with his houseguest, one Fenton Crackshell, but the duck's antics were very trying on his nerves. He honestly did like the duck, one of Launchpad's good friends, but sometimes he was tiring to talk with. The touchy topic of Darkwing Duck and Gizmoduck wasn't really helping matters…

"Gizmoduck's a good hero; I'm not going to deny that…" Drake said calmly; trying not to let his ego get in the way, and doing his best to remind himself that he was somewhat friends with the other crime fighter. "But it is a little annoying to see him in the papers all the time whenever he visits St. Canard…especially when Darkwing Duck gets so little appreciation for everything he does for this city."

"I just think Darkwing's a little untrustworthy." Fenton replied, oblivious to his friend's attempts to stop him from saying anything further. "He has a murky history, and it seems to me like he's only in the hero biz for the fame. From what I've read and seen of him on the news…I honestly don't think he cares about the well-being of others, nor do I think he's particularly good at what he does."

Launchpad braced himself for the outburst he was sure was going to explode from Drake, knowing his good friend hated to be berated, but was surprised when it never came. He popped open one eye to glance over at the duck sitting across from him, and saw the disappointed look on the hero's face.

The pilot had to admit, this was the first time his friend had ever gotten that look on his face when arguing with someone about his alter-ego. It was as if he had gotten the criticism from Gizmoduck himself, something he knew Darkwing would take to heart due to their somewhat strained friendship. He was egotistical, but the vigilante did fight crime for the safety of the general public. Launchpad realized that hearing someone say he didn't seem to care about others was a crushing blow, and the duck wasn't sure how his comrade was going to react next. This could be the calm before the storm! "I'm, uh…going to get some brownies! Anyone want brownies?"

Fenton, having taken no notice of Drake's facial expression after his statement, looked away from the TV and smiled up at his tall friend. "Why, I'd love to have some! Are they as explosive as the ones you used to make back home for Mr. McDuck?"

"Aren't they always?"

Drake waved a hand in a dejected manner, and turned his attention to the TV sulkily. It took him a moment to realize what program was on, and he double checked his wristwatch once he did. "Where on earth is Gosalyn? She should have been back from Honker's from now!"

Grateful for the distraction, although annoyed with his spirited daughter, he got up off the couch and crossed the room to the phone. Quickly dialing the Muddlefoot's number, and cringing when his overweight neighbor picked up the phone and bellowed out a hello into his ear. "Ugh. Hi Herb. Is Gosalyn still over there? She was supposed to come home five minutes ago; it's getting kind of late."

"Oh, gee. I don't know…just hang on a sec and I'll check for you." It was another minute before the duck got back on the line. "Sorry Drake, she's not here. Musta already left; say, what do you think of that Gizmoduck fella? He's been on the news lately…"

Concern for his daughter overwhelmed his irritation, and Drake wondered again where the young duckling had gone to. If she had left already, then she would have been home by now. "Herb, could you put Honker on the line? I want to ask him something…"

"Oh, sure thing neighbor-rooni. Honk! Phone!"

A few seconds later, the nasally voice of the youngest Muddlefoot could be heard on the other line. "Yes, Mr. Mallard?"

"Honker, do you know where Gosalyn got to? When did she leave your house?"

The duckling seemed surprised. "What do you mean? She didn't come over at all, the last time I saw her was when you picked her up after school."

"Picked her up?!" Warning bells were blaring in Drake's head. "I never picked her up from school today, what are you talking about?!"

"But…but you did."

Cold fear washed over the adult as his young neighbor explained what had happened after school got out. How Gosalyn had sighted her 'father' in a new car, and that was the last Honker had seen of her.

"Are you sure it was me?" Drake asked in a whisper, fear gripping his voice.

"Y-yes, sir."

The duck waited a moment, trying to let it all sink in, before hanging up the phone. Where had his daughter gone to, and who had she gone with? He had blocked out the TV in his worry, but Launchpad's startled voice alerted him back towards the screen.

His blood boiled at the sight that greeted him.

"Salutations, citizens of St. Canard…" Negaduck said with a dark grin, murder glinting in his eyes as he stared at the camera. "This special citywide broadcast, courtesy of our very own Megavolt, is for your useless protector…Darkwing Duck."

The camera swirled around to show the electric villain manipulating the broadcasting equipment with ease, giving a fake bashful smile to the viewers before turning the camera back onto Negaduck. The evil masked duck took a moment to glare at his associate in annoyance, before turning his attention back to the camera in front of him.

Drake clenched his fists at his sides, as he and the two other ducks in the room kept their eyes glued to the screen. "Blast! I was sure our little trip in that portal was going to be the last this dimension ever saw of him…how did he manage to get back here?!" He wondered agitatedly as he glared angrily at his darkest foe starting at him though the screen.

"Darkwing Dork, you're probably wondering how I managed to get back into this dimension. I'll bet you thought you had seen the last of me in that vortex…I'm pleased to tell you, and the world, that you're DEAD wrong!"

The hero in question couldn't help but snarl at the remark made by his worst enemy.

"I have a proposition for you, Dark." The villain continued, glancing off screen as he snapped his fingers in command. "However; before I present it to you, I have something I want to show to you first…something you can't miss!"

As Negaduck spoke, Liquidator pushed a large tank full of water into the room. Placing it directly in front of the camera with a look of glee on his face, he backed away as Quackerjack walked over to Negaduck with a large, thrashing, bag in his hands. Handing it over to his boss before walking away again, going over to stand next to Megavolt.

"Guess what I grabbed when I got back into town?" The sadistic duck asked, holding up the bag and shaking it violently. He grinned darkly as he held the bag over the tank and, without hesitation, dumped its contents into the water.

Drake let out a strangled yell at the sight of his daughter, fury raging within him as he noticed the Liquidator walking over to the tank. Nightmarish terror gripped at his soul as he watched the dog shove the duckling's head underneath the water before freezing the surface of the tank...trapping the girl inside.

"Oh...oh god." Someone said, although the hero couldn't tell who in his fear induced haze. All he could do was stare helplessly at the screen, and watch his little girl struggle to free herself from her watery prison.

"No..."

Gosalyn was trying her hardest to break the thick ice that was keeping her from the air she desperately needed, but it was hopeless. The more she fought, the harder it was to keep holding her breath, and the weaker she became.

And then suddenly, her eyes fluttered shut as she let out the breath she could no longer hold. Floating lifelessly to the bottom of the tank.

Drake felt nausea sweep over him as his legs wobbled, and he began to fall to his knees. Fenton and Launchpad both grabbed at him, helping him stay steady on his feet, but he didn't notice or care. All he could see was his daughter, the person who had made his life worth living again, dead on his tv screen.

Negaduck had an evil smirk on his face for a moment, and then snapped his fingers in command to Liquidator. "Hurry up and get her out of there!" He snarled to his henchman, throwing a look of disgust at the lifeless duckling. "Revive her before it's too late."

The watery dog did as he was commanded, and took the body out of the tank. Lying her on the floor and positioning his hand above her chest, he took on a look of concentration. He slowly moved his hand away from the child's chest, controlling the water inside her lungs, and then hovered it over her throat. A gurgling noise could be heard.

Drake's heart nearly skipped a beat as he dashed forward, getting closer to the screen, and watched as his daughter began coughing up water violently. Taking in large gasps of air, half-conscious.

"Enjoy the show, Darkwing?" Negaduck asked as the odd trio working with him took the duckling away, out of sight of the camera. "I hope not...You have one hour to meet me and my buddies on the rooftop of the building where you and I last met. If you don't show up and give us what we want from you, then the little brat dies...and she won't be saved."

Suddenly, the screen went snowy as the broadcast was cut off. Leaving the three ducks to sit in horrified silence.