Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The feeling of being left behind was one he unfortunately has become used to. Not by choice of course. Donald fought tooth and nail to make it here; Flew like a bat outta hell. Just to be here. He once again defied death to protect his loved ones. 
Only to discover their ignorance about his entire situation. To discover their indifference to his disappearance. To know...that they didn't even need him. They moved on without him. Della REPLACED him. Just like the old days. And they were, happy....without him. Safe...without him. As if he didn't sacrifice a decade of his life loving and caring for the boys. An entire decade of making those boys his LIFE.

Donald stared through the front windows of the manor on Killmotor hill. A familiar numbness settled over him as he watched his family. The boys were hopping around their mother excitedly while Scrooge went over what was undoubtedly a map to whatever new adventure they were gearing up for. All wonderfully oblivious to his pain and everything that went down on the moon. 

His message must've gotten lost. They had no idea about the impending invasion he had thwarted. They probably thought he was still on his cruise. Never mind that, according to the date, that had ended last week and if he had made it aboard he would've been home by now. 

Who get's stuck with all the bad luck? No one, but Donald duck...

He was sick of it.Tired, beaten, broken and constantly relied on to fix the world's problems while the world gave him problems of his own. Even the Greek god Atlas had not wanted to be him and told him so. It was time for a break.

Slowly he turned around and headed to where he left his run down station wagon. He opened the door, pulled his keys from the visor and stuck them into the ignition.

"So that's it?" Donald turned at the sound of the Lieutenant. "You're not even going to go inside? After everything you're just going to...give up!?!?" 

Donald briefly wondered why he allowed the alien to come with him back home, and then remembered his promise. He released a heavy sigh before letting his head fall with a THUNK onto the steering wheel. Apparently the horn's silence was deemed unlucky.

"It's not that simple Lieutenant." It had taken awhile for Penumbra to puzzle out what he said. But she had gotten good at it over the last month.

"Then explain it to me like you usually do, sir."

He raised his head slowly and carefully started the engine. "Get in."

With a small salute she dutifully marched to the other side of the car and slid in. A moment later and they were pulling away from Killmotor and through downtown Duckburg. Silence reined as Penumbra squirmed in anticipation. Her excitement only grew when Donald pulled up to a rather large and strange looking house.

"First things first." He cut the engine and turned toward her. "This house is only technically mine, so don't snoop and definitely don't break anything." She nodded in agreement. "Second of all, I'm tired and hungry. So I'm going to get something to eat. Then I'll explain."

"Of course, sir."

Donald sighed again before popping his door open and slowly heading up the white stairs. The Lieutenant following him closely. He was surprised to find the door already unlocked. In the span of half a second his fried nerves were back on high alert.

He fell into a crouch and motioned for Penumbra to do the same. With a nod of his head they both crept forward and into the house cautiously. They continued down the main hall, checking every door way and sweeping through rooms defensively. Passively the duck noted how well the Moonlander implemented her basic training. He found himself feeling a small swell of pride building in his chest and he couldn't help but think...I taught her that...

Refocusing on their current task he motioned for the alien to stop. He swore he heard movement coming from the next room. They were pretty far into the house now. In fact, this hall was the furthest back into the house you could get. That's why he put the girls' rooms back here... Straightening slowly he motioned for the Lieutenant to stay back. She frowned at him, but followed orders. 

Maybe I'm overreacting...it wouldn't be the first time...

Placing his palm against the door, he sucked in a quiet breath before firmly pushing it open. He barely dodged the first fist that flew at his face, his body reacting on instinct to dodge, and he caught the second. Jerking the appendage forward he spun the assailant around before putting them in a light choke hold. He held them firmly his only concern to keep them contained.

Once the thrashing settled down he pushed them away from himself. The young duck, now that he could see her, spun on her heel breathing heavily.

"Uncle Donald!? What are you doing here?" Donald blinked and took the girl's appearance in.

"May?" It was her, had to be. But..."Aren't you supposed to be at Camp Pendleton?" May's face reddened slightly and her gaze sunk to the floor. Bad topic then. "Nevermind that, are your sisters here?"

May mumbled something he couldn't quite make out. Bad situation then. He approached her slowly, hand out. He stroked the feathers on her cheek before gently pulling her into a hug. She gripped him back fiercely and buried her beak into his shoulder. There were no tears, she' didn't become a marine for nothing, but there was plenty of emotion.

"What's wrong kiddo?"

Penumbra watched on from behind them awkwardly. She tried to press herself into the wall and make herself invisible. Normally she would have just left...but she was under orders.

"Who are you?" The voice had her jumping in surprise. When she turned she berated herself heavily at forgetting to keep her guard up. There were two new arrivals whose appearances were near identical to the first girl who had called the Admiral 'Uncle'. She assumed this also meant they were not a threat, but she didn't want to take that chance.

Before she could get to her weapon the Admiral cut her off. "It's alright, she's with me."

"Uncle Donald!" With the exclamation the other two leapt at him and joined the strange embrace.

"It's good to see you girls again." He stroked each of their cheeks and hugged them close. He even gave them a peck on the forehead. "Now, does someone want to tell me what the heck is going on?"

The girls just smiled and laughed lightly. "We could ask you the same thing."

Chapter Text

They moved from the back hall to a small kitchen\dining room to talk. It took awhile, but they started with Donald and Penumbra. He gave them a very brief story of what had happened the last month an a half roughly...very brief. He purposefully left out several details like how his family doesn't know he went missing, or how horrific taking down Lunaris had been.

Instead he told them that he accidentally got launched to the moon, where the Lieutenant became his ally and together they took down Lunaris, stopped his invasion and re-established the Moon's civilization with a new leader and an Earth\Moon treaty with Earth's Global Alliance. Which was all true...

The girls then told him how May had barely gotten out of the Marine Corps with an Honorable Discharge after a particularly nasty mission she had been ordered to abort.

"They ordered me to leave just as I was in the middle of evacuating civilians. I couldn't just abandon all those families! I had to get them out!"

May ended up stuck, left behind, because all her air support had left. So she had called June, who was Air Force, for an EVAC. Which had gotten June in trouble who had also walked away with an Honorable Discharge thanks to April. Both actually thanks to April, because she was Navy J.A.G.

"The Admirals offered us all a deal. We all either accept the Honorable Discharges...or we all get sent to Leavenworth for disobeying direct orders, theft of government equipment and impartiality to perform official duties. The last one was a thin excuse and technically only a reprimand, but they made it clear. All three of us either leave, or be railroaded."

Donald watched his girls carefully and noted how guilty May looked and most definitely felt. "I'm so proud of you girls." Their heads shot up at his soft words. "You did the right thing May, helping those people. There's a difference between being a soldier and being a hero. You were a hero."

May's smile was small but he counted it as a victory.

"June, when your sister needed help you did what you had to for family. You stepped up and stayed with her the whole way. You were dependable."

May hugged June in thanks, though she looked like she wanted argue with Donald. But he just kept on going undetered. 

"April, you protected and defended your sisters no matter the cost. You did what was right despite how hard it was. You were loyal."

The girls were all smiling now, his words making them feel better about what had happened. Aunt Daisy had told them that if they didn't want to be fired then they shouldn't have rocked the boat. 

"I'm so proud of all three of you." They launched into his arms and another round of hugs was given.

"We love you Uncle Donald!"

This was what he needed. This was what he wanted. And for a second...just a second, he imagined it was his boys saying it. As soon as that thought crossed his mind he got rid of it. He wouldn't trade his girls for the world.

"I love you too." The moment was sweet and tender. A complete opposite to how his day would normally go, even before the moon incident.

He wished he had his camera on him to remember this.

"Not to interrupt or anything, sir. But...could you explain, please?"

Donald cracked one eye open and glanced at the Moonlander, who was apparently very uncomfortable. She had her arms crossed over her chest tightly and a small frown on her face. He sighed again at the reminder and let the girls go.

"This house, the whole place actually, belonged to my grandfather. And as his eldest grandchild I inherited it."

Penumbra blinked. "By this whole place...you mean?"

"Everything, it's called the New Quackmore Institute. This building and it's surrounding property's are a school. And I own it."

He wasn't sure why Fate and his Bad Luck had allowed him that. He could only guess it was because he had a well thought out will that left everything divided and equally given to his kids, which he needed to amend to 7, so technically it was theirs. That and he tried not to stay or live there too long. Hence the houseboat.

He discovered early on that he could keep emergency money safe if he left it in a bank account under any name, as long as it wasn't Donald Duck. So he started doing that with everything, everything he was legally allowed to anyway. It made raising the triplets easier, though he blew through his treasure rather quickly he now had bank accounts set up for each of them when they turned 18. By then the accounts would have more than enough money for college or anything else to help get them started.

All his other assets were liquidated. He could withdraw in an emergency, in fact the Institute had an Adventuring account he could pull from without question so long as he returns with with something of historic value for their exhibits.

"You...own this land?" Donald would never understand the Moonlander's customs. After confirming her question she immediately gave him a bow. 

"You don't have to...nevermind." Fingers massaged his head trying to stave off the incoming headache.

"And what about your family, sir?"
 

"That's a problem for future me. I'll debrief you tomorrow." He was too tired for this. As if to agree, his beak split open in a yawn. A nap sounded fantastic right now. Then he'd figure out what to do with himself later.

"Go on Uncle Donald, your room is exactly how you left it. We'll hold down the fort."

He smiled and ruffled their feathers. "Thank you girls."

They were right, it was the same. Bookshelves full of history books and journals; Some his others not. Desk full of maps and charts. A small treasure chest in the corner enchanted to only open if he touches the lid. Inside of which he left his Agency and S.H.U.S.H I.D's and super suit, among other things.

Donald flopped into the hammock he hung in the far right corner between his favorite bookshelves. The room was originally an office, which was what he mostly used it for anyway. With the life he's had, he's learned how to sleep anywhere so he never bothered with a bedroom.  Well that and the whole 'if he doesn't live here his Bad Luck won't destroy it' theory. Which seemed to be working

Chapter Text

The fist that collided with his jaw was unforgiving and harder than concrete. It struck him without mercy leaving behind aches he hadn't felt in years. Dislocated shoulder from hanging by his wrists over his head. Cracked ribs making it hard to breath. A pounding headache informed him of his concussion, or more probable a cracked skull. The fist, however, didn't let up. Even through his swollen eyes he could see the green snake of an alien smirking at him. The bastard was enjoying this. Donald was going to savor the moment he took this psycho down.

"I'm not telling you anything." He wished his words were stronger. Yelled in defiance. But all he could manage was a hiss through the pain.

"You misunderstand. Though that is not surprising." His abuser chuckled lowly. "This is merely for fun. I already have all the information I need."

His abuser's accomplice, the lilac one, let go of him suddenly. When the next blow came there was nothing holding him steady. The force caused him to swing around wildly for a moment. Then he was grabbed by the back of his neck and forced forward. Another hand gripping the feathers on his head and yanking up.

Even through his tears he recognized his kids. Their pictures staring at him innocently from the giant computer screen...it made his blood BOIL.

"No..." The soft exclamation only made his captor laugh louder.

"Yes." The cruel hands holding him spun him back around to face the demented General. "Say goodbye, to Webigail...Hubert...Dewford...and Llewellyn."

"No...no no no no NOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

"NOOOOOOO!!!!"

Donald sat up to fast. His momentum throwing him comically out of his hammock. He laid on the floor, chest heaving, heart racing, mind numb...at least it wasn't as bad as his other nightmares. He just hoped no one else heard tha...

With a deafening crash the door was pulled clean of it's hinges and in flew a lilac blur, crouched with her ray gun out; Ready for anything.

"I'm here sir! Where's the threat!?" Penumbra glanced around the room with a glare, daring anything to move.

The poor duck just sighed. Now that his breathing was, more or less, under control he decided to simply ignore the Moonlander and walk downstairs for some breakfast.

"Sir?" She still hadn't moved from her position.

"False alarm." He motioned for her to follow him. "Today, your gonna learn how to fix things you break."

"Of course sir. My bad...sir."

He didn't blame her for being high strung. That was an unfortunate side affect of being a soldier. The kid would learn. But for now. Breakfast. Pancakes to be more specific. A good hearty meal, and maybe because it's also comfort food, would start the day out right. For all of them.
It was relaxing. Going through the motions of cooking. He couldn't wait to make dinner. It's been too long since he buckled down and really made a good meal. Or had anyone willing to eat it.

As he waited for the pancakes to cook Donald wondered who he should get in touch with first. His cellphone had been destroyed...along with all it's pictures. So he should head out and get a new one. In fact, the house probably needed some new groceries. He and the girls could make a shopping day out of it, like they use to.

Speaking of...he was glad to hear one of the side doors, which they used more than the front, open. All three girls walked in wearing sweats. Ah, morning PT...he did not miss it.

"Good morning Uncle Donald." He smiled at the greeting.

"Good morning girls. Do you want breakfast now? Or later?" He'd wait for them if they wanted to shower.

"Later, please." June gave him a kiss. "We'll be real quick." May hugged him from behind. "Promise." April threw her arm around his neck and pressed her face close to his.

"Thanks Uncle Donald."

Donald missed this...normalcy. He loved adventuring, and the adrenaline of a good fight. But without these quiet moments...these were what he loved the most. They were what he loved the most, his greatest treasure. His most daring adventure. Raising triplets...twice. A feat not many can claim to accomplish and he was insanely proud of his kids.

"Did you train them?" The question made Donald jump when he was trying to flip a pancake. The unfortunate food item made a splat on the ceiling. How on earth....the ceilings in this house are at least 9 feet high!?!?

He glared at the mess before turning toward the Lieutenant. She held herself at attention, ready for her reprimand. The duck briefly wondered what kind of C.O the green snake was. An awful one undoubtedly. Why that big palooka probably blamed everything on the poor girl.

Grumbling lightly to himself he finished flipping the pancakes. "At ease." He watch her from his peripherals eyeing him lightly before relaxing, albeit minutely. "No, I did not train the girls."

"Permission to speak freely, sir." Her back went rigid again. Donald sighed and nodded.

"Why are you so different here...than on the moon, sir? With all due respect sir....on the moon you were fearless, ruthless, a skilled and highly trained soldier who let nothing stand in his way. You moved mountains, LITERALLY. General Lunaris, he...interrogated.....you for days...you didn't break! You fought back hard...and then you helped us....you said...you SAID you did it for your family...for Della. But you won't even go see them! Why!?......uh, sir."

Donald finished plating breakfast and set it on the table. He sighed and wondered where to start; digging the palms of his hands into his eyes and sitting down heavily. "Because they don't know. And they don't need to know." He stared at her hard. "They're civilians Penumbra. They won't understand. And I need a break. Everything I did, everything I do, I do it for them. To keep them safe....to keep them happy. Besides.....what went down up there.....You do what you have to for family."

Penumbra held his gaze while she turned his words over in her head. It was such a shame he was so difficult to understand, because she knew he had so many good things to say. If only people would stop and listen.

"Understood, sir." He smiled at her and she had to fight to keep one of her own off her face. "What's the plan, sir?"

"Sit," He plated up a few pancakes. "Eat. Later we'll go shopping with the girls. Then I'll swing back by the mansion this weekend and make an entrance."

Chapter Text

The week had been suprisingly uneventful...well, uneventful for them anyway. Other than the rogue llama incident and the accident in the soda aisle, everything was great. They even stopped for ice cream on the way back to the Institute. Now...Donald was back to sighing. He had decided on a lie, all of his excuses picked out and his stories straight. That was if anyone bothered to ask.

He straightened himself up, plastered a smile on his face and picked up his newly bought suitcase filled with...well nothing it was really just for show since he lost his last one. Now prepared he knocked on the manor door and waited for either Beakley or Duckworth to answer.

It didn't take long for the door to come open and surprisingly it was a robot. A very strange robot. It let him in after a quick scan told it he was a relation. Then it grabbed his bag and disappeared. Great, he's never going to see that thing again.

"Hellooooo, is anybody home?" His voice bounced off the walls and echoed slightly. "Huh, of course. When Della came home she probably got a party...but when I come home nobody's even here."

He continued grumbling as he walked up the steps towards the boys' room. Might as well clean it while they were away. It was really the only useful thing Beakley let him do, and he didn't feel like having an argument when they all came home. The unmistakable sound of laser fire had him back on alert. He didn't think his heart could take much more of this.

'Your little scheme to bypass the present almost cost us our future!'

I said I was sorry. I really am! I just need to think through things more is all...

'No good comes from cockamamie schemes!'

But that's what I'm good at.....Uncle Scrooge schemes all the time on adventures! And so do you!

Louie grabbed the lamp decorated to look like him from Dewey's Dew Night set and threw it into the closet. He added a glare for good measure since the Double Fake-Out hand't worked. In fact, he was already working up another plan. It took some practice but to all but Uncle Donald his impression was flawless. To bad they weren't here to see his amazing performance. He watched his reflection frown in the mirror, his mother's words from that night still ringing in his ears.

'Would you guys forgive me?'

'No....not this time....I had to watch your brothers disappear in a flash of lightning!'

He still couldn't believe they went to the Big Rock Candy Mountain without him. That was the one adventure he'd been waiting for, for forever! And they just...left him behind...

"Scheme detected." Ugh, with this stupid robot. He's been trying to escape to make his way to the Mountain himself. But if he was being more realistic, the goal was now to escape before Gyro's robot could turn evil on him. Time for plan Huey...

"DT 87! It's me! Huey! Louie trapped me here and traded places with me!" Louie frantically waved his arms and made sure there was an appropriate amount of panic in his voice.

"Incoming call from Huey." The announcement could not have come at a worse time. Glaring at his brother his brain barely registered what he was saying.

"Nice going Huey!"

"....natural fresh Pep!" 

"Wait, what! Describe the flavor to me!" He launched himself at the robot through the red bars trapping him in his room; Just trying to get a good look at where they were. Good ol' Huey. He'd gladly take back every mean thing he ever thought or said. When you needed someone to come through for you, Huey was there everytime. His small moment of joy was wrenched away at the sight of his mother.

"Describe NOTHING!" Yeesh, harsh.

"Wait!!" He shook the screen in a mix of desperation and anger.

"Look mom," Huey was pointing somewhere to his left. "There's the Hobo King!"

"And he's floating on a gold E-Z chair throne!" Awe, come on! That was just rubbing it in!

"Wait! You guys! Just turn the camera around!!" Neither family member paid him any attention and within the span of a second the screen went black.

"It's not fair!" Louie growled as he threw Huey's spare hat to the ground. Then kicked it for good measure. "What's so wrong with an innocent scheme?" He kicked his legs out from under him and plopped, uncaring to the floor.

"Accessing video..." Oh goodie, another pointless and hypocritical guilt trip. "Ethics is a concern about how your actions negatively affect those around you...."

Yeah, sure. Just like you did...

"Listen...your plans, your schemes, they only lead to bad things for your family. And if you want to be a part of this family...you gotta stop." The more his mother spoke, the smaller he felt. Louie hugged his knees to his chest, ready to lay his head in his lap and throw himself a pity party.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

The blue blur came out of nowhere, tackling DT 87 with a very familiar fury. Angry quacking accompanied the sounds of crunching metal. Like a strike of lightning a fist went through the wall on the side of his doorway. Louie could see through the hole in the wall that the hand was full of torn wires. Looking to the doorway he noticed that the bars were gone. He also scrambled out of the way to make room for his furious uncle.

Uncle Donald charged through the room like a raging bull, a crumpled robot sparking pitifully in his grip. In one smooth motion his uncle chucked the scrap heap out his open bedroom window. Wiped his hands together and closed the window.

"And STAY OUT! You no good evil...."

"Uncle Donald! You're back!" He hugged his uncle feircely. Now that his brain had caught up with events he was relieved to see his uncle again. Now things could get back to some semblance of normal. No more unfair punishments from his mother. Uncle Donald will help sort things out.

"Louie! Oh," Donald stroked his hair and hugged him back. "I missed you too."

The tender moment was shattered by the peircing wail of the mansions defense system kicking on. Before they could make it to the window to see what was happening the whole house shook from a collision. Donald recovered first, his face falling at the sight outside.

"Not again." Donald muttered to himself quietly.

Louie's eyes widened. "Wait, what's going on. And what do you mean AGAIN!?"

Phooey. Not quietly enough...apparently. Just great.

Chapter Text

Donald heaved another sigh before taking off back down the hall. From what he could see, Uncle Scrooge's bet with Glomgold was coming to bite him in the ass. Except, Scrooge wasn't here which of course meant Donald had to take care of it. Typical.

Sliding to a halt, he hugged the corner wall by the main staircase hoping to sneak a peak to scope out the situation. He felt Louie brush his side as he caught up to his position. He snatched the duckling's hood and pulled him close before he could give away their location. They both leaned out carefully and watched as Duckworth roared at their unwanted guests to get out.

The only one who hadn't seen the demon banishing amulet coming was Duckworth.....well, and Louie. The sight of their last defense being hurled out of the mansion had him clinging tightly to his uncle. This was not good. He needed to get Louie out of here before he tried something that could get himself hurt. Not that Louie couldn't scheme his way out of this. Donald was certain the boy could outsmart all of the crooks present. But only at a hefty personal cost....or a double cross. The last thing he needed was all of Scrooge's enemies to declare vengeance on one of his babies. That was more stress than he cared for in his already stressful life, thank you.

"Louie," Donald's whisper made the duckling jump out of his skin. "I need you to head to uncle Scrooge's office and find his emergency help button. It's big and red."

"Right, emergency help button." Louie began backing up towards the stairs. "Big, red....I can do that."

As soon as he had taken off Donald turned back to the villains invading his uncle's home. Magica, Ma Beagle, Burger, Big Time, Bouncer, Mark Beaks, Glomgold and......a pirate? Why did that guy look familiar?

"Oh, Scroogy!" Glomgold called out trying to taunt someone who wasn't even here.

"I'm sorry, he's not home right now." He stepped out from the hall and descended the stairs. "But I'd be happy to take a message."

"Oh, that'd be lovely. When he get's back tell him I.....wait a minute....." The old crazy, most certainly not scottish, duck carried on oblivious to the looks his....cohorts, were making. "What do ya mean he's not here?! Where is he!?"

"He's out." Donald kept his eyes trained on Magica and the Beagles, who were also eyeing him warily. "What do you want?"  Magica's weak, easy to take down. Beagles are familiar territory, he's fought with them since Grandpappy Beagle. Mark Beaks prefers to steal and let others do his dirty work, a pushover really. Glomgold was a joke which left.....Don Karnage. He thought he recognized that pirate. Well....this could complicate things.

"You said we'd be going after Scrooge you doofus, not his nephew!" Ma Beagle hissed at Flintheart interrupting whatever rant he was about to start.

"Nephew!?" The fake scot pulled out a photo. "I did nae get a nephew! You knew about him this whole time an did nae tell me?!"

Magica snatched the photo from his hands and tore it to peices. "Would you just shut up already!? I can't believe I agreed to this! We were supposed to be enacting our revenge on Scrooge! Not.....him!" The witch stared at him hard, hatred burning in her eyes. "I am not prepared to battle him, of all people. I'm leaving."

She turned on her heel with a hearty glare and marched out much to Glomgold's chagrin. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

"If she's leaving, so are we. Come on boys, we got better things to do." It was kind of sad really, to watch whatever kooky plan the billionaire thought up crumble before his eyes. Donald could hear the desperation in his voice as he begged them not to leave him. Yelling something about family and abandonment.

"Well, this was fun while it lasted...." Beaks didn't even look up from his phone once.

"Really?" Flintheart clung to the parrot's legs, hopeful.

"No." He stepped out of the old duck's hold easily and walked out.

This was going a lot better than he thought it would. Of course, Don Karnage was still eyeing him suspiciously. Hopefully he could get away without the sky pirate recognizing him. If not then he was screwed seven ways to Sunday.b

"Hey..." No, please no. "I know you." Shit.

Donald merely held his ground and kept his poker face. Anything he said could and would be used against him. And he didn't need him to remember that he was the one that stole...

"Your the thief who stole my favorite sword! The beautiful gold, ruby and emerald covered, wonderfully curved, polished to perfection piece of priceless art sword!" Never mind......he should've known that was only wishful thinking. "YOU!" The wolf drew his sword in rage. "I, Don Karnage, may not have my revenge on Dewey Duck. But I will gladly take my anger out on you! Calisota Drake.....EN GARDE!"

The only way to dodge the attack was to lunge backward away from the pirates reach. Without a sword of his own Donald was on defense, and there's not much you can do to defend yourself from a sword without one of your own. Or a shield, which was preferable.

The red wolf swung wildly, slashing almost blindly at him. He continued backward, hopping every now and then awkwardly to dodge the attacks. If he could just maneuver himself toward the fireplace....

Donald cried out as the villian's nicked his upper arm. "Got you!" The wound was small, but cuts were the worse. Which distracted him long enough to take a sock to the jaw that landed him on the floor. One lapse in concentration is all it takes, and then your down for the count.

"I've got you now." Karnage grinned viciously, blade pressed to his throat. "They said you could not be beaten, that you had survived the impossible. Which only goes to prove...."

That you shouldn't monologue when your opponent's down, cause it gives them time to kick you with their feet so they can lunge for the fire poker next to the fireplace. It wasn't the best substitute for a sword, but it works well in a pinch. Of course now there was cut across his collar bone, but hey, what's a one more scar?

He was up on his feet in seconds. And this time, he's on offense. He swung down hard aiming, not for the sword, but for the blasted wolf's hand. He drove the hook on the side of the poker through the flesh of Don Karnage's paw and yanked him forward. The pirate dropped his weapon, from shock or pain who knows, and stumbled forward from the force.

He yelped pathetically as Donald kicked his legs out from under him and put him in a sleeper hold. All the while glaring daggers at Glomgold, who for his part had stopped cheering Karnage on and instead was staring at the scene gobsmacked.

"You weren't in need of him or anything, were you?" The wolf's thrashing began to slow and grow weak as he continued glaring at the duck who invaded his uncle's home. "I didn't think so." He felt his captive go limp so he dropped him into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"If I were you. I'd leave right now."

Chapter Text

Glomgold, wisely, chose to back away slowly out of the house. From the look on his face Donald figured he had no idea what was going on. Good, let's keep it that way.

He took Karnage's sword and shredded one of the blankets off the couch. Using the strips he hog tied the pirate, then called the Duckburg police. Thankfully they were used to calls like this, though they had to transfer him to someone who could actually decipher what he was saying.

When he looked up from his call he saw Louie staring at him from the stairs. For a moment Donald worried he might have seen what happened between him and Karnage.

"Louie," Donald's soft call broke whatever trance Louie seemed to be in. "Are you okay?"

Louie finished coming down the rest of the stairs and stopped short from hugging his uncle. He continued to stare at the ground. Donald waited for him to finish thinking. He could see the wheels in his head turning furiously.

"He called you Calisota Drake. Why?" Louie looked up at him, accusation in his eyes.

Oh, boy. To tell the truth, or not to tell the truth...

"Louie.....I...well." He let out a tired breath and kneeled; Hand on his baby's shoulder. "You know how Scrooge is....if I wanted to do any adventuring on my own I couldn't let him catch wind of it. He'd whine for months."  Both he and Louie groaned at the thought.

"So, you what...created a new identity just so you could adventure solo? Is that it? I thought you hated adventures?" The duckling eyed him suspiciously.

"More or less." He shrugged the scrutiny off. "I wanted to do my own thing, without being Scrooge McDuck's nephew. So I used the name Calisota Drake to do what I wanted."

Which was mostly true....

"Cool," The positive exclamation caught Donald off guard. "So, do you like, have any major treasure finds under your belt or.....?"

He chuckled at Louie fondly and ruffled his feathers. Which Louie of course, batted his hands away playfully.

"How about something to eat? I don't know how your mother expected you to eat while being trapped in your room." The thought brought a sour look to his face. "Come on, I'll make some grilled cheese and tomato soup."

"Without the crusts?" Louie smiled at his uncle.

"With cream cheese in the soup and mozzarella in the sandwich."
"Mmm, I do love that creamy goodness."  He watched the ducklings gaze drift toward the villain stilled tied up on the floor. "What about him?"

"I already called the police, so they should be here any..." The door's chime echoed through the entry way. "That should be them, I'll handle this and then I'll meet you in the kitchen, okay?"

"Sure thing." He watched his uncle and smiled to himself. Uncle Donald will help fix things, then everything will go back to normal. No more 'trying too hard' mother's and unfair punishments. He may even get Louie Inc. back.

The rest of the day passed by quietly. They had their soup and sandwiches and talked about why he was locked in his room. Louie knew he couldn't get away without admitting what he had done. Re hashing the events brought up another wave of guilt and his mother's pointed and harsh words.

"Louie," He felt calloused hands on his face, wiping tears away. "Louie, listen to me." Louie did and found his uncle staring at him intently. "Louie, what you did was wrong. I know you now this. But your mother was only half right. I definitely would have grounded you....but you should have never been left home alone. Your schemes, your ideas....they're so very clever and I'm so proud of what you can do. You just need to be more careful with them."

"I know, I didn't mean to cause trouble I just..." Donald pulled him into a hug, shushing him.

"I know Louie," He continued rubbing the duckling's back. "I know you would never mean to....you just need to be more careful."

They stayed like that for awhile, just enjoying the other's company and the comfort it brought them. After an hour or so Duckworth came back. He eyed Donald and the house suspiciously but after making sure everything was fine he took off to who knows where, leaving them be.

Then they moved to the living room for a movie and Uncle Donald made hot cocoa, not without burning himself of course. It was a good day, mostly. Unfortunately, someone once said 'all good things must come to an end', which is stupid. I mean, who makes up sayings just to ruin other peoples lives? Truth not withstanding.

Their movie had just ended when they heard the sound of the Cloudchaser landing in the yard. The rest of the family was home. The realization made Louie tense up unconsciously. He relaxed when he felt a warm hand start to rub circles on his back.

"It's alright Louie," His uncle whispered. "I'll handle this. Why don't you head on up to your room?"

"Okay." He slipped of the couch. "Thanks uncle Donald."

"Anytime kiddo."

Louie had no intention of heading all the way to his room. He camped out on the stairs, waiting for the storm to come.

Donald had wondered for the last decade what he would say to his sister if she were to bust her way back into his life. He would scream at her, that was a definite, but what would he say? While on the moon he had time to come to terms with the fact that she was alive, and had been stranded. Then of course he was thrown straight back into having to clean up her mess, just like old times.

Now, he had to confront her about what she had done. He was nervous he wouldn't have any back up. Clearly Beakley and Scrooge agreed to the lock up punishment. Donald wasn't sure about Beakley, but he knew Scrooge, and his uncle never did anything like that to them. So where on earth had Della come up with the idea and thought it was okay to do to a child?

Hearing his family grow nearer, Donald squared his shoulders and prepared for the ensuing fight. And he was determined to win.
Della was the first to come through the door. She hit it like a bullet train, the door's hinges rattling as it bounced off the wall.

"Come on kids the show starts in a half hour!" She was staring over her shoulder and running without looking in her excitement. "We gotta get the popcorn star....Donald!"

She nearly ran him over but he held his ground, used to the calamity that is Della. 

"We need to talk."

"Boy I'll say! You got lousy timing,"

"Della..."

"I mean what else is new, but leaving just as I get here? Come on Don,"

"Della..."

"It's nice to know you haven't changed, you know I love you just the way you are..."

"DELLA!"

"What!? Yeesh what did I do?"

Donald growled to himself and rubbed a hand over his face. "We need to talk about Louie."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "Ooooooh. Yeah, no need bro. This awesome mom right here already took care of it. Like a pro, BOOM!"

"No, Della, you didn't. In fact you handled it very poorly."

"What are you talking about?" Della's voice became defensive.

Before Donald could continue the rest of the family came through the door and he became swarmed with three excited ducklings
"Uncle Donald! You're back!" Huey dove for the first hug. "Uncle Donald you won't believe the fun we've had..." Webby shoved drawings and souvenirs in his face. "Isn't mom AMAZING uncle Donald!" Dewey gushed while squirming in his hold.

He was so focused on the children in front of him he didn't notice the jealous look cross his sister's face.

"That's great kids, I'm glad you guys had fun while I was gone." He smiled warmly at them. "But I need to talk to your mother alone, okay?"

Huey was the first to react. "OH, of course! I bet you two have a lot of catching up to do." He grabbed Webby and Dewey by their shirts and dragged them off, though they protested loudly.
"What do you mean, I didn't handle it? I handled it fine! Kid was naughty, so mom punished him. I grounded him for like, a week and then sent him to his room. That's like the most typical punishment you can give a kid." She waved her arms frantically, annoyance rolling off her in waves.

"It's not the punishment per se, it's what you said to him." Donald was afraid that she was projecting her ideals of what she wants her kids to be onto who they actually are.

"What's all the yelling about...oh," Scrooge stopped in the doorway and stared at the twins. "Right, well. I suppose you two have a lot to discuss." He stared for another moment at them. "I'll uh, just be going then." Scrooge walked out awkwardly. Donald was about to continue when he popped his head back into the entry way. "Oh, and welcome home boy-o."

"I meant what I said and what I said is true. What's your problem?" Della huffed crossing her arms.

"You told him that if he wanted to be a part of this family, then he couldn't do what he loves best! His schemes aren't the problem Della, even me and you used to sneak around and scheme and do dumb stuff all the time. Telling Louie that he couldn't scheme is like telling you you're not allowed to fly! It's a part of who he is Della!"

She growled right back at him. "No it's not! His schemes are nothing like flying!"

"That's not my point!"

"He almost cost us everything! I had to watch Huey and Dewey get taken away from me by a flash of lightning!"

"That's not Louie's fault! He is just as much your son as the other two!"

"You know what! I'm not sorry. It's called tough love okay?! Maybe you'd know a thing or two about it if you were actually around to help Scrooge raise the boys instead of off on some stupid self indulgent cruise!"

The silence that ensued was deafening. Neither twin was willing to back down from their side of the argument and Della's accusation not only showed her ignorance, but had Donald's anger rising hotter than it's been in a while. It hurt, like a knife to the heart, that she thought so little of him. But more than that, he was done.

Donald sucked in a breath, wrestling his emotions under control as best he could. Normally he wouldn't care what he yelled at his sister, they had a 'I yell at you you yell at me fair's fair' sort of relationship. But after everything else he's gone through, he doesn't have much fight left. He needs to pick and choose his battles carefully. He didn't want to lose his family.

"Fine." He gritted out through clenched teeth before turning on his heel and walking away from her. He needed to cool down, now.

Chapter Text

The rest of Donald's evening was spent packing up his stuff from the house boat. Despite her mistakes Donald still wanted to give Della the time she needed to learn how to be a good mom. It was only fair she learned like every parent. With contradicting advice and by making mistakes. He trusted his boys not to get into to much trouble and they were good about taking care of themselves. She had Beakley and Scrooge in case something major would happen.

Of course none of these thoughts would keep him from worrying and coming back a few times a week to check in on them. Plus with his new phone he'd be able to call them everyday. He just didn't want to interfere with the boys getting to know their mother. After all, it was only fair that Della get the chance to be the mother she was supposed to be, that the boys have the mother they were supposed to have. Not some silly boring uncle.

With his anger drained out of him now he focused on his plans for the future. Since he can't move the house boat and the Institute provides housing, he planned on turning it into a kind of clubhouse for the kids. He just needed to remove his emergency stash from the floorboards.
Then next week he had plans with Goofy, who asked him to come by the house for dinner. Max was home from college and he was looking forward to seeing the two Goofs. Of course if Goofy had his way, then the rest of the gang would probably show up. It would be good to see them. It's been too long. He really should have done this sooner.

Donald stood and straightened up, stretching out his back. It cracked with a few satisfying pops and he let out tired sigh. He was almost done, now all he needed to do was haul these things out to his car. Ugh, the one time the Lieutenant's not actually around when he needs her.

"Uncle Donald, where are you going?" The voice was quiet and startled him 

He turned sharply around to find Louie with his hood up staring at him forlornly. Guilt hit Donald like a truck and he had to remind himself that he wasn't leaving them. He would never. He's just backing up a little; Giving them space is all.

"Louie, you scared me." He held a hand over his heart. "What's wrong?"

"Where are you going?" Louie insisted.

"I got a new job. It pays well but it's on the other side of Duckburg. It costs too much to drive out there every morning, not to mention I won't get much sleep trying to get there in time." Donald sat down at the table and Louie walked over to join him. "So, I'm moving into the Institute's provided housing."

"WHAT?!" Louie slammed his hands down on the table. "We're moving!?"

"No," He explained calmly. "I'm moving. It's just across town..."

"Without us? You're just leaving?" The duckling sounded heartbroken and betrayed. "If this is about the argument with mom we're on your side. And by we I mean...."

"NO, no. It's not because of that. It's not because of you boys....well it is. You deserve to get to know your mother without me getting in the way."

Louie barked out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, been there, done that. Like seriously, for months. I think I know her plenty."

"Louie, be nice. I know things are hard, but you can't..."

"I know, I know. You can't control other people, you can only control yourself. So I should be polite and get to know her blah blah blah. I know it's just...." He pulled his hood tighter around him.

"I think you and I know more than anyone that life's not fair. Not just to me, but to her too. She's still a person, who makes mistakes and does stupid stuff. The important thing is she's trying and she'll get better, but only with practice. She loves you more than anything."

"Well she's got a funny way of showing it."

"Well she was raised by uncle Scrooge."

"So were you."

Not really, but I can't tell you that...

"Can't you just free load off of uncle Scrooge or something? You don't have to go." Donald wanted to give in to the request. Especially since Louie so openly made it. But he was resolute in his decision. He was about to sooth over the duckling's worries when he heard Della call him from outside.

"LOUIE, DINNER!" Louie scoffed and hunkered down into the seat further as if to hide. "AND YOU BETTER NOT BE LATE OR I'LL SEND DUCKWORTH AFTER YOU." He only grumbled more; Yanking his hood all the way down over his face.

"Go on Louie," Donald stood up and motioned for him to do the same. "You need to eat."

"We can eat in here."

"Louie, I've been gone for months. The first thing I cleaned out was the fridge and the cupboards. Everything spoiled."

"I'll sneak you some food from inside."

"Out from under the nose of a ghost demon and former spy?"

Louie growled again, stubbornly refusing to budge. So Donald switched tactics.

"We've already had one explosion today kiddo. We don't need another one." He laid his hand on Louie's shoulder. "Please? You don't have to say anything."

Louie let out a sigh and pulled back his hood. "You're sure this job is set in stone?"

"Yes, Louie."

"Fine. I'll go in for dinner."

Dinner was....tense and quiet. at least for Louie it was, his mother on the other hand was animatedly re-telling him what a wonderful time they had on their latest adventure. He couldn't stand it.

You don't have to say anything...

Uncle Donald's right, he would just keep his mouth shut.

"You should have seen it! It was amazing!" Della finally noticed his silence, causing her to lose some steam. "You know, you could have been there with us. I hope you learned your lesson."

Yeah, I did....never let uncle Donald leave....

His frown deepened. His uncle was leaving again anyway for his new job. He stabbed a piece of broccoli and stared at it. Uncle Scrooge is rich, the house had plenty of rooms, Beakley cooks for all of them.....why couldn't he stay? Was the house and money extended only to them? Why did uncle Donald still have bills? Scrooge wasn't that cheap....was he?

"So," Della continued on. "What did you do while we were gone?"

Are you serious? Really great question there mother. Oh, I had a wonderful time, being trapped in my room like some damsel in distress. Then uncle Donald came in to save the day, twice! Oh, uncle Scrooge while you were gone Glomgold and some friends stopped by to see you and uncle Donald had this epic sword fight with a sky pirate....

An idea came to mind suddenly, Louie almost dropped his fork from the thought. "Uh, hey uncle Scrooge?" Everyone stopped eating at the address and stared at him.

"Yes?" Scrooge tilted his head to the side, curious.

"Have you ever heard of a guy named Calisota Drake?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!" The squeal caught everyone off guard and they rushed to cover their ears. Webigail, however was too excited to notice the piercing noise coming from her own beak.

"You know about Calisota drake?!" He had to yell over the noise.

"Who the heck is....." Dewey didn't even get to finish.

"Calisota Drake is one of the greatest adventurers of ALL TIME! Outside of the Duck\McDuck family of course." She tacked on that last bit apologetically. "He once found a cursed gold statue that turned out to be a sarcophagus made to seal a deadly disease!" She pulled a book out from under the table and flipped it open. "I have a running theory that Calisota was just what people who didn't recognize him, called Scrooge."

Louie eyed Webby's journal and tossed the idea of correcting her around. They had promised no more family secrets, no more lying. Except, uncle Donald didn't lie, well he didn't lie about the whole Drake thing. He totally lied about the help button in Scrooge's study. He told Louie when he asked him about the Drake thing though, he just didn't tell him everything. What on earth did his uncle do before they were born?!

As he mulled over whether to tell them about what he found out, he half heartedly listened to Webby ramble on and ask Scrooge about his whereabouts during her favorite Drake adventures. Scrooge would mumble something about the events sounding familiar, which was as good as solid gold proof for Webby.

"Louie!" Uncle Scrooge's voice broke through his musings.

"Hmm, what?"

Scrooge frowned at him. "I said, why did you want to know?"

"Oh, I..." Lie or truth? Lie or truth? Lie or truth? "I was reading...yeah, and Drake was mentioned. His adventures sounded familiar so...just curious." He shrugged and went back to scowling at his dinner.

His brothers gave him suspicious looks but no one said anything so he counted it as a win. So dinner continued on awkwardly. At least until uncle Donald walked in.

"There you are lad," Scrooge broke the silence first. "It's about time. Any longer and I'd've gone out and dragged you in myself. Your meatloaf is getting cold."

In respons Donald simply sat down and nibbled off a few things on his plate to escape srutiny. He wasn't really hungry.

"Soooo," Huey pushed his potatoes around his plate. "How was the cruise?"

A tired smile crawled across Donald's face. It's now or never, he might as well tell them.

"I got some important news for you boys." He set his fork down and took a deep breath. "I got a new job."

"Cool, where is it?" Huey gave him a thumbs up. "Okay." Dewey was a little less enthusiastic. Louie just sat quietly, still frowning.

"I'll be starting tomorrow...at the New Quackmore Institute."

Huey frowned. "But, that's all the way across town. When will you even find time to sleep?"

Here goes nothing. "Actually, that's why I'll be moving to the institute itself. I'll be on call constantly so this will just be easier."
All three of the kid's faces fell with frowns on their beaks and creases of worry on their brows. Worst of all Della seemed to be glaring daggers at him.

"On call for what? I mean, it's great you got a job and all but, what are you doing exactly?" Huey wrung his hands together nervously. It was usually his job to make sure uncle Donald was ready of a morning for work and interviews and now he's moving away? Without them?

"I'll be categorizing their eclectic exhibits and basic maintenance. Not many people are qualified for the the area's of expertise they need."

"Okay, that's....nice, but-"

"But what about our adventures?" Dewey interrupted his older brother. "Mom's back now, we can all go together."

"I have my phone on me. You can call me whenever you like. And I'll be dropping by the mansion every other day or so to check in." He was quick to remind them he would always come when called. "Besides, I can get a few days off for an adventure or two, I'm sure."

They looked like they wanted to protest, but Donald had raised them to understand the importance of a job and independence. They nodded slowly, accepting the fact that he was moving away. It was only for a little bit though, never for very long and never for forever. At the most he would only ever be a phone call away. He just had to remind himself of that, he wasn't leaving; He was just making space for another family member, that's all.

"Can I come with you?" Every pair of eyes landed on Louie at the quiet inquiry.

"Louie," Donald held back his sigh. He wished they could all come with him. "We talked about this..."

"I know," He sat up straighter in his seat. "But, if you move out on your own, who's gonna help you get un-stuck when you iron your clothes every morning? Who's gonna be your translator when no one can understand you? Who's gonna call 911 when you can't reach the phone after you catch your shirt sleeve on fire while making dinner?"

Donald wished Louie was exaggerating for once. "Louie you need..."

"Please uncle Donald?" He held his hands in front of him clasped, giving his uncle his best pouty face. "You said it yourself, you'd be around every other day or so, so I won't miss out on adventures. Please?"

Donald's resolve was crumbling and quickly. He was about to make one last effort to dissuade Louie (after considering all the possible outcomes, he didn't think any of the boys would want to come with him) when Della, shockingly, interjected.

"I think that's great!" Everyone turned to stare at her. "What? I do." She rolled her eyes. "I think it's great you want to go with your uncle to help him. That's a very selfless thing to do Louie. I think some of us should learn to do the same thing."

Louie ignored the obvious shot at uncle Donald. "So I can go?" Della nodded emphatically. He looked to Scrooge who seemed, conflicted, but nodded none the less. And then to uncle Donald.

"If that's what you want, then of course you can come." Louie fist pumped in success. "Remember, you can move back into the mansion anytime you want, okay?"

Della huffed but thankfully held back whatever retort was on her tongue.

"When do we leave?"

"After your finished with dinner."

Louie quickly shoved the rest of the meatloaf into his mouth, then a few bites of mashed potatoes and the rest of his broccoli. He washed it down with his glass of milk.

"May I be excused?" He grabbed his plate and glass. "Great thanks, I gotta pack. Bye."

It took a moment, but soon Huey, Dewey and Webby had done the same so they could follow after Louie. He's just as confused as they are about the whole thing. He didn't blame them.

Chapter Text

When the kids vacated the table they left behind a high concentration of ire and tangible awkwardness. Donald tried to ignore it all, bwtween the heated stare of his sister which contrasted strangely with the confused one his uncle was shooting them both.

"Are you two going to make up any time soon? Or do I need to lock you in a room again?" Scrooge said half joking half serious.

Della snorted. "There's no point uncle Scrooge. Don won't see reason."

Scrooge's eyes widened, shocked at the accusation. He looked to Donald for some hint of what she was talking about. Donald just ate his Meatloaf slowly, he didn't want to say something he regretted.

So many accusations were on the tip of his tongue. So much anger built up from years of loneliness and feelings of abandonment. He blamed his sister for so long for leaving, and then Scrooge for shutting him out during his insane bout with grief. Now it wasn't just about leaving, now it was about the mess she left on the moon, the mess she made here and the way she's treating Louie.

Donald was conflicted about letting his youngest come with him. On one hand he was overjoyed to know that he wanted to come, that he worried for him. But why would Della let him go so easily? She just got back and she's willing to part with Louie like it's nothing? Why?

"Why did you encourage Louie to go?"

Della couldn't believe her brother. First he dumps her kids on uncle Scrooge and expects him to do everything himself, then he goes on some high end cruise and now he has the audacity to tell her how to parent! He doesn't even know the first thing about kids! Sure, she's not perfect. She never said she was. But SHE was their mother, and those kids were now her responsibility and she wasn't about to let her hot headed twin rub her beak in something that was none of his business!

"Are you two going to make up any time soon? Or do I need to lock you in a room again?" Scrooge said half joking half serious.

Della snorted. "There's no point uncle Scrooge. Don won't see reason." She knew her brother. When he got all high and mighty like this, there was no arguing with him. He thought he was right and therefore everyone else is wrong. You just can't argue with people like that.

While she didn't want her kids to grow up without their uncle Donald, her brother was awesome she could admit and she loved him to the moon and back (literally), she wasn't about to let him boss her around like when they were younger. She's an adult, a mother. She's DELLA DUCK! She could handle this just fine.

"Why did you encourage Louie to go?" The sudden question broke through her thoughts.

"What?" Seriously? That's what he's concerned about? "Seriously? Let me guess. Having a kid around will mess up your schedule? Ruin your nap time? Or heaven forbid he makes a mess!?"

"That's not what I meant at all! Just answer the damn question!"

"Because he's not in trouble anymore! He looked like he really wanted to spend time with you! I got a 'cool mom' reputation to uphold, so why not?! Take your pick!" Yeesh, her brother has really changed.

"Della lass..." Scrooge tried to interrupt them.

"What's the matter Donald? Is not being able to run from responsibility hampering your carefree life?"

"Della!" Scrooge faltered; Unsure of how to handle Della, without admitting what had happened. Bless his nephew, he was keeping such a tight lid on his anger.

"On the contrary. I'm glad that Louie wants to come with me." Somehow he managed to keep from yelling, though you could see a nerve twitching in his jaw from how hard his teeth are clenched. "I just figured, with you fresh back from being stuck on the moon for a decade you wouldn't want to let any of those boys out of your sight. I know I wouldn't."

Della's nostril's flared. She slammed her hands on the table, causing her milk to spill, and stood. "Are you accusing me of being a bad mother?" A harsh laugh left her mouth. "That's rich coming from you! You haven't done a damn thing for those boys!"

Scrooge couldn't take the guilt any longer. The last thing he wanted was his mistakes to drive his nephew away, again.

"THAT'S ENOUGH DELLA!" He slammed his cane on the table, narrowly missing Della's fingers.

"You always take his side!!" She roared back at him undaunted.

"Only when he's right!"

"So what? I'm always wrong, is that it?!"

"That's not-I didn't..." Scrooge backpedaled for a moment before he continued. "Just sit down and listen! You don't have all the facts lass!"

Della did as she was told, but not without a hot glare to both Scrooge and Donald. They were ganging up on her again.

"Lass..." Scrooge sighed. The breath taking what little ire and fight he had away. How do you say it? There's no good way...to admit he was..." I had no part in raising those boys."

"Wait, what?" The admission shocked Della out of her anger. "But...if you didn't then who-"

"After the whole....incident..." Scrooge had to get this out now. It wasn't fair that his nephew had to take this beating for him. "I-well..." He cleared his voice and started over. "I blamed myself for everything. After all....it was my fault. I should've waited. I should've known you wouldn't have the patience to wait. I should've listened to Donald....I should've done a lot of things."

Della wasn't sure where uncle Scrooge was going with this, but her and Donald both sat gobsmacked and silent. They let him continue.

"I spent every waking hour trying to find you....trying to get you back....for the boys, for Donald......for me." Scrooge stared at the table and willed his voice not to waver. "I neglected everything.....everyone...trying to find you. I shut them all out......by the time I gave up...." Tears gathered in his eyes. Admitting you were wrong was tough, but admitting you gave up on family. It was about ready to break his heart all over again.

"Donald had taken the boys and left. I was so mad....so, so....." Come on Scrooge. "I did'nae mean to push you away lad. Though now I understand...why you felt the need to leave....but...I felt so betrayed and.....heartbroken...I kept all of your letters...and the pictures you sent me. I'm sorry, I did'nae pull my noggin out of my tail feathers sooner."

The twins were speechless, for two different reasons. An admission and apology in one day? Donald raised her boys? By himself?
Donald stood up abruptly. "Who are you, and what have you done with my uncle Scrooge?"

"Ach, I know I know. That's enough emotion for today," He wiped his eyes and squared his shoulders. "But it had to be said."

The sailor made his way to his uncle's end of the table. "We all know how much you hate admitting you're wrong." He laid a hand on the older duck's shoulder.

"Aye, but you do what you have to...for family." Donald pulled Scrooge into an embrace, startling the scot. Scrooge tried to hide the smile on his face. "All right, there there. That's enough now." He hugged his nephew back fiercely, showing no signs of letting go. "We do have another matter entirely to discuss."

Chapter Text

Louie rushed up the stairs for once, not out of excitement but because he knew his brothers and Webby would be hot on heels. They'll want to question him about why he wants to go. Dewey may even try and stop him. So he had to get back to his room fast and start packing. Once he hit the door he didn't dare slow down. He grabbed a duffel out of the closet and began shoving spare hoodies, a coat, some sock, two pairs of shoes....should he pack a hat and scarf? Maybe some underwear in case he needs pants?

"Dude!" Dewey scared the feathers off him. "What was that?"

"What was what?" He ignored his brothers and Webby, deciding to stuff as much as he can into the duffel.

Dewey grabbed the duffel off the bed and threw it on the floor.

"Hey! I'm packing here."

"Yea, I noticed." Dewey deadpanned. "What's up with you?"

"I just...I'm worried about uncle Donald is all." Louie crossed his arms defensively.

While Dewey was unmoved, Huey made his way forward.

"While I can certainly relate to the feeling, I think what Dewey means to say is, why are you leaving to go with uncle Donald-"

"When we have our mom right here?" Dewey interjected.

Louie frowned. "Ya know, I'm happy for you. I really am. It's great that you get along with her so well," After all you're exactly alike. "But I don't. Alright? Besides, with me gone both of you will have more of her for yourselves. So what's your problem?"

Dewey's scowl deepened. "Maybe because she just got back and your leaving? It's like you're not even trying to bond or spend time with her!"

"I'm going with uncle Donald. That's not leaving, and she gave me permission to go anyway. So leave me alone." He snatched the duffel from the floor and began angrily stuffing his clothes back in it.

His brothers were silent and Webby just watched it all, so unsure of what to do or say. Huey stood there feeling guilty. On one hand he was happy to have his mom, maybe not as much as Dewey who seemed to revolve around her. But he also understood how Louie felt.

For a long time it was just them and uncle Donald. And hearing his mom go after his uncle like that was enough to make all three of them mad. But Dewey brushed it off quickly, saying she simply didn't know and that uncle Donald would correct her. He sided with mom. Louie obviously sided with uncle Donald. If Huey wasn't so determined to keep the peace he would have too, but doing so doesn't help anyone. Not that he was being much help now.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Huey couldn't help but ask.

Louie finally got the duffel bag zipped and was pulling it out the door. "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides," He stopped for a breath. "Uncle Donald said we'd drop by like, every other day. It'll be like I haven't even left."

As he began pushing his bag, trying to get better leverage, he thought about Calisota Drake and why he didn't tell his brothers about what he heard.

Calisota Drake is one of the greatest adventurers of all time!!

He reminded himself that they chose to stay with mom, while he went with uncle Donald. It was only fair he got to discover any secret things about him. And maybe, he could learn how to step out like his uncle did. If Karnage's outrage and Webby's outlandish legends were anything to go by, then his uncle had quite a few stories to tell. Strangely, he was looking forward to uncovering them.

Della stared at her brother, beak open in shock.

Donald raised the boys, by himself, without Scrooge's help. At all. But....then....and she said....

"I'M AN ASSHOLE!!!!!!" The swelling guilt and shame consumed her.

"Language!" Donald hollered back immediately before he caught an armful of distressed sister.

She didn't mean to! If she had known she would have hugged him as soon as she'd seen him. Thanked him for doing what she couldn't, for being awesome....like he always is. She couldn't believe she had thought that her brother, mister discipline, responsibility and rules had.....she couldn't even think it anymore.

"I'm sorry!" She practically yelled into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to. You know that if I had known I wouldn't have thought what I shouldn't have thought, honest!" 

Donald sighed. "I know Della."

"Why didn't you tell me before!?" She pulled back to look at him.

"It was a lot to explain. Besides, I know you. You won't listen to anyone once you've made up you're mind." He spun her hat around on her head like he used to. "You're too stubborn. And you haven't changed a bit. You're still my annoying little sister."

She straightened her hat around. "By two minutes!"

They smiled at each other, used to the fast turn around in emotions. It was just like old times.

"Glad to see you two getting along." Scrooge interjected. "But I was serious when I said we had something else to discuss." They kept quiet and waited for him to continue. "Are you sure you should be working again so soon lad? You just got back home."

"I thought it through and before you say anything, it's for the boys. I'll be in and out as often as possible to see them, but I wanted to give them time to get to know Della, without me in the way. Della deserves a chance at learning to be a mom."

"I REALLY AM AN ASSHOLE!!"

"LANGUAGE!"

Della clamped a hand over her beak and Donald rolled his eyes. Trust his sister to turn an apology into some overly dramatic, and somehow comedic situation.

"You really planned on doing that for me?"

"Of course, their your boys..."

"Don I-"

"But I need you to understand." Della shut her beak again. "After ten years, they're my boys too Della. They always will be."

Della....could live with that. Kids had two parents anyway right? "That's cool. I'll be the cool mom and you'll be the awesome dad!" She gave him jazz hands to show her enthusiasm.

Donald cringed and gave her a pointed look. Her hands fell and she gagged.

"Eeeeeeww! No, just no. Not like that! Not what I meant! Forget I said anything!"

If the thought hadn't also disgusted him he would have laughed at her. He missed this, this stupidity, this craziness that is Della.

"I'm ready...to go...uncle Donald." Louie walked into dining room and collapsed, groaning to himself. "Oh boy."

"Need some help there bud?" Della was quick to scoop him up and Donald could see the duckling tense from the unexpected contact. It was going to take Louie longer to warm up to Della than his brother's, but that was okay. It reminded him a lot of himself when he first moved into the mansion.

"I got it, mostly. I just need some help putting it in the car." Louie squirmed out of her arms and back to the ground.

"All right I got it." She tried to heft the duffel but found it was a little too difficult. "What the heck! Did you pack you're entire room?"

"I got it Dells." He came up behind her and grabbed the duffel easily and hefted it over his shoulder. "Why don't you tell uncle Scrooge and your mom goodbye and I'll put this in the car."

Louie frowned but did as told.

The goodbye's were short and full of mixed emotions, but Donald promised they'd be back by the house in a couple of days. Della waved goodbye to them with a smile on her face, the rest of the family however seemed...less than thrilled.

The ride was only around a half hour, so Louie popped his headphones on and enjoyed the ride. He wondered to himself what living with uncle Donald by himself would be like? Adventurous certainly, just not the way his brothers seemed to want. More like a safe kind of adventurous. With his uncle's luck he never really knew what was going to happen, but he knew it was going to be safer than the treasure hunts Scrooge took them on.

He felt uncle Donald park the car so he pulled his headphones off and put them away. He readied himself for whatever rundown shack the Institute decided to give his uncle. What he found was exactly as he imagined it. It was a one room hut decorated with masks and odd treasures of the normal variety no doubt. The door was clearly broken and the roof probably leaked, it being straw and all. Yep, exactly what he expected. Whelp, it was home now.

He followed his uncle toward the house at a slow pace. Not really paying attention, he was confused when he made it to the door and realized uncle Donald was nowhere in sight.

"Louie, where are you?"

Louie followed the sound of his uncle's through the bamboo surrounding the little rundown building. On the other side he spied Uncle Donald in the doorway of a gigantic house somewhat hidden behind the greenery, with their luggage in hand.

"Wait, we're gonna live HERE!?"

Chapter Text

Louie's jaw dropped as he walked into the mansion. He followed his uncle through a side door the led into a decent sized kitchen. From there they walked out into a hall that connected the kitchen to what looked like a sitting room, maybe a living room? They went down the hall, up the stairs, past an office that seemed to be missing a door, to a room two doors down from the office. Uncle Donald opened the door and quickly went in to set Louie's duffel on the full sized bed.

The room was painted a neutral off-white with gold trimmings on both the top and bottoms of the walls. There was a writing desk across from the bed, two bedside tables with lamps, an enormous closet, a dresser taller than he was and a fancy crimson colored oriental rug in the middle of the floor that matched the covers on the bed.

"THIS!?" Louie did a three sixty to take the room in. "This is my ROOM?!"

Donald smiled at him, trying to hold back a laugh from the look on is face.

"Yes Louie," He put his hands on his back and stretched. "You'll have to share a bathroom with me though, it's the door between this room and mine."

"The room with the broken door?" Louie frowned. "Your not gonna get in trouble for that are you?" They were here for two minutes and something was already broken? Louie hoped his uncle would be able to fix the door before anyone from the Institute notices. From the looks of things his uncle has it really good here and it would be far more unfair than just his regular luck if he lost the most amazing job before he could even get started.

"I sure hope not." The voice of an unknown woman behind him made him swing around in a panic. "Uncle Donald isn't someone you want to make an enemy out of."

The duck before him was as tall as his uncle, with short hair lightly curled to one side. She had on a yellow short sleeved top and denim skirt.

"Who are you?" Louie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And how do you know uncle Donald?"

"Awe, come on Louie. You don't remember me?" The woman grinned at him, reminding him a little of Goldie.

"No. Should I?" He put his hands in his hoodie pocket and raised one eyebrow at her.

Uncle Donald came between them. "April where are your sisters?"

There were more of them? What?

"They're downstairs." She answered while still looking at Louie. "Didn't think you'd be bringing back one of the boys."

"Ok, seriously. Who are you?"

Neither uncle or...April? Answered. Instead his uncle seemed to signal her to leave with a nod of his head. He then went to the door and calmly shut it. Uncle Donald turned back around and made his way to the bed where he had left Louie's duffel and began to unpack it. Slowly he folded the crumpled clothes he pulled out.

"Louie," He began hesitantly. "Why did you want to come with me? I'm happy you wanted to, but you could've stayed at the mansion with uncle Scrooge and your mom." He took a pile of folded shirts and walked over to the dresser. "Are you uncomfortable with your mom?"

Louie looked down at his feet and shuffled them a little. "I just.." Trust his uncle to ask the difficult questions. "Everything's changing...I don't like it! At first it was just with uncle Scrooge and learning how to go on adventures. Then it turned into trying to find out what happened to mom....I never knew what to think about her." Louie flopped onto his back on the bed. "Dewey? He idolizes her...he thinks she's perfect! Always has, even before we met her. Huey, I never know what Huey's really thinking half the time."

He felt the weight of his uncle dip the bed beside him. "What about you?"

What about him? "At first, I didn't know. The way you and Dewey made it sound...it sounded like someone had taken her from us. But after finding out what really happened..." He could still recall the indignation that flared up when he first heard the story from his great uncle. "She left. That's all there was to the story. She did something stupid...thinking about no one but herself."

He rolled over and laid his head in his uncles lap. "And now she's back and trying to boss us around like she never even left...she didn't even apologize for what she did. She just gave us presents and sweets like she was trying to bribe us into liking her." Among other things...

"Uncle Donald..." Louie looked up and asked his uncle quietly. "I don't want her to be my mom. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Louie," Donald pulled him up and into a proper hug. "Of course not." He started rubbing his back. "Your relationship with her is complicated. Everyone's relationship with her right now is complicated. I only ask that you get to know her, that you give her a chance to be family. But you can't force it, and it doesn't come over night. No matter how much it already looks like her and Dewey get along, they'll still have stuff to work through too."

Donald pulled back to look Louie in the eyes. "And if you still don't want her to be your mom, that's okay. But Louie remember, she's still family."

Louie sniffed back the tears that had gathered in his eyes and nodded. He understood. Della may never be his mom, but she was his mother, his family. Their relationship would just be different. And that's ok.

"Thanks uncle Donald," Suddenly Louie smiled and looked back up. "Now, it's your turn."

Donald felt a swell of exasperated fondness. His nephew was downright cheeky, and he loved every bit of him.  "Fine. Fair is fair." He stood up with Louie in his arms and re-situated the duckling and himself so he was propped up at the head of the bed. "It's a long story, I'm not sure where to start."

"Start with how you met them."

"Well, I was dating their aunt at the time..."

"Wait, seriously?" Donald gave him a look. "Right, storytime. I won't interrupt again."

"They were left with their aunt when they were about four. I felt awful for them, they never saw their mom or dad again. April, the one you met, is the oldest triplet. Then there's May and the youngest is June..."

He told Louie a very watered down version of his life with the girls, skipping a lot of details like when he inherited the Cabana and became a Caballero. He was pretty sue his nephew knew he was doing it, but he stayed quiet.

He told him about his marriage to Daisy and that it fell through, about how the girls didn't want to go with their aunt and new uncle Dapper to Europe so they plead with her to let him have custody. It was well after the Felldrake fiasco, and years before Della's pregnancy which he had moved back into the manor for. He was surprised Scrooge and Della never asked why the girls were always hanging around and why they hadn't seen Daisy in years.

They were nearly seventeen when Della disappeared. They only stayed with him and the eggs for a year or so before they all enlisted. And all in different branches much to his surprise.

"Huh," Louie's voice pulled him out of his memories. "I always wondered who took that picture of you in the recliner sitting on our eggs." Louie's mind was all over the place. Legally, he now had three older siblings he never knew about. Talk about mind blown! "Why have you never mentioned them before?"

Donald sighed, he's been doing that too much lately. "I know this is no excuse. But I've kept secrets for so long that I just don't talk about anything to anyone anymore. It's just easier. After a few years of keeping secrets from uncle Scrooge and your mother, I just stopped trying to hide because I realized that if I just didn't say anything then they would assume whatever they wanted. So I...I just don't talk about me anymore."

"We promised. No more family secrets." At Louie's statement he could see the guilt consume his uncle's face. "I guess we made the wrong uncle promise." He huffed. "I should be mad. Like really mad...but, you answered me when I asked and...we've never asked you before...have we?"

Oh, Louie. He was always the keenest of his brothers, noticing things they don't. Figuring out stuff no six year old should know. He didn't want his secrets hurting the kids. After the Shadow War and them finding out what happened with their mom, he knew he would have to spill and answer to his long hidden past sooner or later. If he continued to keep them in the dark, then he'd risk losing them forever and that wasn't an option.

"Louie. I promise I'll tell you what I can but," He held the duckling's face close. "I need you to understand that I can't tell you everything. Some secrets, they aren't mine to tell."

Louie frowned at him but nodded. He wasn't about to complain about his uncle's willingness to be open. He just hoped his uncle's secrets weren't the life threatening kind.

Chapter Text

Louie's mind raced. His uncle had been married, they weren't the first set of triplets he's raised, he had been an adventurer....when he had taken on the task of finding out his uncle's secrets, he didn't think that it would be this...complicated.

After their talk uncle Donald had taken him downstairs and introduced him to the girls. They were nice enough, but something about them reminded him of a cheshire cat. Then there was the purple lady his uncle called Lieutenant. She didn't talk much. She mostly just stared at him awkwardly until his uncle told her she was dismissed.

The rest of the evening was quiet, so Louie hugged uncle Donald goodnight and went back up to his bedroom-just his and only his-to lay on the bed and think. This activity took up most of the night. He pretended to be asleep when his uncle opened the door to check on him, but he wasn't sure he fooled him.

What to do, what to do...where to start? How to start? He didn't want to ask uncle Donald about his marriage, or anything about the girls; He didn't want to make him talk about bad memories. That left him with Calisota Drake, who according to Webby was one of the world's greatest adventurers. In Louie's experience, you don't get that title without doing something seriously awesome.

Uncle Donald came in to wake him up the next morning for breakfast.  It was a quiet meal. Louie listened to everyone plan out their day while he ate his french toast.

"Do you want to go back to the mansion today Louie?" His uncle's question made him pause.

"No." He pulled a piece off and stuffed it in his mouth.

"There's not much here for you to do. Are you sure?" His uncle stood up, pushed the sleeves of his blue flannel shirt up and gathered the plates. It was odd seeing his uncle in 'normal' clothes. He wore a black shirt under the flannel and a bracelet he recognized. Webby must've made him one.

"Yeah." He stuffed the rest in his mouth, wiped his hands on a napkin and handed uncle Donald his plate.

"Why don't you help us?" One of the girls-May?- said. "We're going to help uncle Donald sort through the crates the delivery guys dropped off this morning."

Louie turned around in his seat to look at his uncle, who was washing the dishes despite there being a dishwasher right next to him.

"Sure, why not?"

"I still don't understand why you hired this man Eugenia."

Eugenia, the president of the New Quackmore Institute glared over her lavender horn rimmed glasses. The female peacock huffed in the old poodles direction, her beak held high in the air.

"I know you're new her Lydia, so I'll pretend that I did not hear you say that." Eugenia adjusted her grip on the package under her arm and continued marching down the sidewalk.

"I did not get on the board by wasting resources. It is a simple question. Why waste money hiring a man with no degree? A commoner no less. What could he possible attribute to the Institute." Lydia tossed one perfectly permed ear over her shoulder.

"That is precisely what I'm about to show you."

After breakfast they moved to the foyer where sveral large shipping crates had been left. Louie wasn't sure what to expect, or what they were going to do. But watching uncle Donald methodically go through the treasure was, well, impressive. At a single glance he identified everything he pulled out, then handed it over to one of the four of them for sorting. Due to the age of the items his uncle insisted they all wear gloves to help protect them. The items, not them.

"Don't worry Louie. None of these things are magic related, so everything will be fine." April was in charge of all the South American items, May the African, June the Asian\Oriental while Louie got the Native American.

"April," At the sound of her name she stepped toward uncle Donald who was holding up a strange mask to the light in the foyer. "Araucanos, maybe Mapuche...definitely ceremonial....I recognize the symbol on the forehead......can't remember if it's matrimonial or burial." He lowered the mask for a moment before handing it over to her.

"Those are two very different things." She gently took it from him.

"Not to some people." Donald mumbled to himself.

They all startled at the sound of the of the door bell. Uncle Donald handed June a sword. "Look for a Katana that matches this Wakizashi, then set the Daisho over in the World War 2 pile." He took his gloves off, dug around in his pocket for something and headed for the door. He took whatever it was from his pocket and tied it around his neck, then pulled the collar of his shirt up to hide it.

"Miss Eugenia, how are you?" The voice that came out of his uncle's mouth was smooth and....weird. It was a very different from the one Gyro's voice doohicky gave him. Louie watched as a peacock in a purple dress shirt and a poodle in a perrywinkle pants suit sashayed into the foyer. They looked every bit the part of rich snobs.

"Lovely, thank you for asking." Her tail feathers perked up a little. "This is Lydia Chienne, our new board member and Art Director."

"Wonderful to meet you miss." Donald turned to the other woman and gave her a small bow in greeting.

"The proper way to address me is as Madam Chienne." She sniffed at him with a small frown in place. Her disdain for uncle Donald made Louie mad enough to glare openly at her.

"My apologies Madam, I did not think you were of an age to address you as such. You still look very much like a Miss to me." Louie's eyebrows shot up so far he thought he might've lost them. Who knew uncle Donald could be so....smooth. He didn't.

The woman blushed lightly, caught off guard by the compliment. "I-well....A common mistake." She blundered out. "One I will over look this once."

How gracious of you...

The peacock seemed to be thinking the same thing as him, cause she rolled her eyes at the statement before holding out a large rectangle wrapped in brown paper. "I was hoping you would have some time to authenticate this for me."

Uncle Donald took the package from her carefully. "Of course. Follow me." He turned to the left. "This will be easier in the other room."

The triplets exchanged a look before following after them, so Louie followed too. He entered the room, a sort of formal dining room with a table long enough to seat all of Duckburg, just in time to see his uncle unwrap.....a painting? It was a nice enough painting of a fancy room that was all gold. His uncle held it up to the light very carefully; Eyeing it with a small frown.

"As you can see it is an incredible find." The poodle woman began lecturing. "The colors, the brush strokes..."

"Eighteenth century..." Donald mumbled.

"Yes, quite a wonderful era of inspiration...."

"Andreas Schlüter's 'The Amber Room'...."

"Yes, many thought it lost after the burning and looting in Germany during World War 2. We've been wanting to hang it in our new American History Exhibit alongside the other items that have been sent to you for identification...."

"Where did you get this?" He turned the painting around to look at the backside and ran his hand over the canvas.

Madam Chienne sniffed at him in displeasure at being interrupted. "It was left to the Institute after the death of a wealthy business man who claimed to have smuggled it from Germany himself." She held her head high and spoke to him as if he were stupid. "As a proffesional Art Director with a Masters in art history and conservation, I can assure you that...."

"It's a fake." Donald declared. He set the painting down on the table while the woman behind him sputter in indignation. The kids on the other hand hid their amusement behind their hands.

"I can assure you, that painting is one hundred percent the real deal!" She placed her hands on her hips and stared down her nose at uncle Donald. The peacock, Miss Eugenia, was smiling like it was Christmas.

"Your assurances and degrees mean nothing." Before the Madam could say anything in her outrage Donald continued. "You see these vases?"

"Yes, but what has that have to do..."

"They're the wrong colors." He pointed them out to her. "Here. The one on the right, according to the remake made in 2003, is supposed to be a deep purple, instead it's blue. And the ones on the left, they're supposed to be blue, not purple. Right colors, but on the wrong vases."

Madam Chienne sputtered for a moment before pulling out a pair of glasses and placing them on her face. She looked closely at what Donald pointed out. It was a few momoents before she straightened up, turned on her heel and marched out of the house without another word.

"Finally." Eugenia broke the silence. "Someone put her in her place." She dug around in her purse for a moment before pulling out an envelope and handing it to Donald. "Here are your tickets. Your scheduled to leave this Saturday to escort the Matisse collection back to Musée d'Orsay in Paris."

PARIS!? His uncle was going to Paris!?

Eugenia sauntered up to uncle Donald, practically invading his personal space. "It's good to see you again," She turned around and raised her tail feathers so they'd rub the underside if uncle Donald's bill as she walked away. "Goodbye, Ducky." She blew him a kiss and gave him a finger wave goodbye before leaving.

Donald stood stock still while the girls used their hands to hold their beaks shut to keep from laughing. Louie on the other hand shuddered in disgust.

"That....was the most disturbing thing I've ever seen."

Chapter Text

Uncle Donald invited him to come to Paris with him. No adventure, no life or death experiences, just a two day visit. He said yes, it sounded nice. In fact, of all the places, uncle Scrooge's never taken them to France. Most of the time they go to lost islands or unknown lands lost to time or places no one has stepped foot in who knows how long yadda yadda etcetera etcetera. Paris sounded like...fun.

After they finished going through the first three crates Louie excused himself to go to the bathroom. The manor, well it was more like a museum with an apartment attached to it, had too many rooms to keep track of. So he made his way back toward his and uncle Donald's rooms. It was the only place where he knew a bathroom was.

On his way back out he couldn't help but glance inside his uncle's room. It was too easy without a door and Louie's curiosity got the better of him. The room was almost entirely bookshelves, and there seemed to be more books than shelves. They littered every available space. The desk, the dresser, there were even some stacked up in boxes on the floor. There were maps and star charts all over the walls, no less than three cups full of different kinds of pens and pencils on the desk and a sextant sitting next to one of those doohickeys that help you draw circles.

Louie browsed the shelves, not expecting to find anything, when something caught his eye. There were three books nestled in between all the others without titles on their spines. The leather bound books looked out of place amongst all the history titles and larger sized books. What were they?

He pulled the first one off the shelf and flipped it open to a random page. He wasn't sure what was more interesting, the drawing of what looked like a large blue gem on fire, or words he recognized as his uncle's hand writing that said "Buddhist Holy Grail" scrawled next to it.

"No way..." He whispered to himself before flipping through the journal some more. There were more drawings of places, monsters, artifacts, statues, puzzles and a picture of his uncle and some old dog with gray white hair, a thick mustache that matched and a long cigar sticking out of his mouth. He flipped the picture over, hoping to see something written on the back, but there wasn't anything.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the bathroom?"

Louie let out a frightened yell. Turning around he shot June, definitely June(He was getting better at telling them apart) a glare while clutching his chest with the hand that had the picture and dropped the book.

"Don't scare me like that!" He bent down to pick the book up, using the action to hide the fact that he slipped the picture into his hoodie.

"What are you doing in here?" Her tone wasn't accusing, more like, amused.

"Nothing, I thought I saw something." he turned back to the shelf and put the journal back.

"Which is it?" She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Which what?" He stuffed his hands back in his pocket.

"Were you doing nothing? Or did you walk in here because you saw something?"

Crap....

"I was just curious...I wasn't snooping on purpose." He mumbled to himself while trying to figure out how to get out of trouble. What if she told uncle Donald?

June walked up to the shelf and pulled a different leather journal down, flipped it open and then handed it to him. "I prefer starting with the first book in a series myself." She walked out without another word.

The journal she handed him was much smaller and than the one he put back and....was that a BULLET HOLE!?

Louie ran back into his room and quickly stashed it under his pillow. He'd read it later.

Later ended up being when his uncle went to bed. The rest of their day went well, but Louie was still itching to find out what these journals were all about. He had a feeling it would shed some light on his uncle's adventurous alter ego. Finally, some answers.

As it turned out, the journal wasn't uncle Donald's. It was Sir Frances Drake's. Drake, as in Calisota...of course! The old fancy cursive was hard to read, especially by lamplight in bed, but he stayed up all night reading.

Drake, Frances that is, faked his own death! He knew where the REAL El Dorado was? Further in he found where his uncle wrote in the book. An entire Spanish colony disappeared just like that?! And what on earth are those things?! The depictions of the monsters his uncle fought were some of the creepiest things he's seen. And that's saying something. How on earth did the Germans of all people find this place?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CURSED COFFIN?!

The journal didn't contain the story of what happened, just what Sir Frances did and info about what his uncle found. Seriously!? Louie groaned in frustration. Now how was he supposed to find out what happened? If he asked his uncle he'd have to admit he went snooping in his room. He flopped back down in bed and rolled over to try and get some sleep, or at least look like he got some for when his uncle would come in to wake him up.

The next morning went the same as before with the exception of the Lieutenant, who seemed to be avoiding him. They had breakfast and discussed their plans for the day, only this time his uncle took charge.

"We're going back to Killmotor today. I can swing by the store if you girls need anything." There uncle Donald went again, washing dishes. Louie wondered if it was just habit for his uncle to do things the hard way.

"Not really, but thanks uncle Donald." April blew on her coffee.

"We'll see you for dinner right?" May was just now finishing her oatmeal, so she brought uncle Donald her bowl.

"We should be back between six and seven. I'll call you when we...WAAAAAK!?" Louie jumped at his uncle's startled quack, ready to run if necessary. The sound of the girls laughter calmed him down slighty and he watched as his uncle, grumbling who knows what under his breath, pulled an old pancake off of his face. When did they have pancakes? Where did that come from?

"HA! You two owe me twenty bucks!" May barked out between laughs. "I called it, two weeks!" April and June handed over the money. Well, that was enough excitement for the morning. Now he knew why the girls didn't cook.

Louie wanted to try something. An experiment if you will.

Uncle Donald said it was easy to keep secrets by not saying anything. So he decided he would treat uncle Donald's secrets the same way he did. He wasn't going to tell his brothers, Webby, Beakley, Della or uncle Scrooge anything...unless they ask him. He thought of the idea on the way over and he was determined to see it through.

It was easier than he thought. The first thing everyone wanted to do when they walked in was offer to play games with him....not a game night and uncle Scrooge was apparently not allowed. Uncle Donald set himself up in the dining room, leaving him to the whims of his siblings, and told everyone he'd be there if they needed him. He was just doing paperwork.

Della forced him to play every game they had in the cabinet. He managed to wiggle his way out of playing, well mostly. But he still, participated. He was in charge of the spinner for Twister, the scorekeeper for dart guns and the pillow fights since Dewey called dibs on Della for his team so Huey and Webby were the other which made him the odd duck out. Which was fine. And the games he couldn't avoid were, whatever. But still... No one asked him 'how's it going', 'what's it like' or anything between the two.

Uncle Donald was right, keeping your mouth shut is the easiest way to keep secrets. It was almost comical. Huey and Webby even handed him, threw it really, a schedule they had made so they could plan which adventures to go on with and without him. While it was nice to be included, still, no one once asked him if he was bored or if he liked it or what did you do all day? Nothing.

Well, it's their fault if they don't ask...

And they didn't. It wasn't a bad day, they all did stupid stuff and hung out, he had fun. It was just...surprising. Louie figured if they wanted to know, then they can ask. Until then, it was just him and uncle Donald and Louie's was discovering he liked it this way.

The trip to Paris was...weird, mostly because they flew commercial. Louie had never flown anywhere or in anything without Launchpad crashing it. The airport was new, the security annoying, the flight was long and boring. But interesting and more importantly safe.

They didn't do much, it was a business trip, but Louie got to walk around with uncle Donald and do the tourist thing for at least a little while. No bad guys, no near death experiences. Uncle Donald got them lunch at a little cafe and ordered using that Voicechanger thing around his neck. They even got even desert, which tasted like heaven. Louie didn't think his uncle would ever run out of surprises, so he started keeping a record in a small spiral notebook. He wrote "Languages Uncle Donald Knows" on the top of the last page in the book. He figured this should probably be a list all it's own. His uncle watched him, but didn't ask what he was doing scribbling away in a book. They enjoyed sitting together just watching people go by and appreciating the day, it was peaceful.

Going back to the Institute was kind of surreal. The thought that "This is my life now" hit him and he was, oddly okay with that. Sure, he missed his brothers, he hasn't been away long enough to start missing anyone else...yet. But he likes it here with uncle Donald.

It takes the girls a week to start calling him their little brother. He doesn't mind. It's a few days after that he finally meets the Lieutenant, who actually likes being called Lieutenant. He's pretty sure she's an alien of some kind, but that's a mystery for later. He keeps reading through his uncle's journals, helping him sort through the Native American artifacts for the Institute and learning just how awesome his uncle really is.

Chapter Text

The last two weeks without Louie was...weirder than he thought it would be. Not that Dewey thought about it a lot....only at night when his mind would wander. He just couldn't see what was so cool about living with uncle Donald. Been there done that.

Dewey figured his brother was avoiding their mom because he got in trouble. Classic Louie, he never gives up his stupid cons. He wasn't mad at his brother for what happened, he knows Louie wouldn't do something dangerous on purpose, he doesn't like danger. Plus he fixed what was wrong. 

He just....wasn't sure how to make him see that what he was doing now was also wrong. He should be here with them and mom, having fun. This was the best thing that ever happened to them. Why couldn't he understand that?

They were all hanging out in Webby's room while their mom tried to convince uncle Donald to leave his paperwork so they could all go to the beach. It was the perfect day for a beach day. Warm, not too humid, partly cloudy, not that that would stop uncle Donald from smearing their faces with sunscreen. It was a small price to pay so they could spend some time with uncle Donald. Huey and Dewey weren't sure how often they would see him, every job is different.

"...and then I launched off the second chandelier in the foyer, did a double back flip and landed on the stairs." Webby was enacting their last war game for Louie. "I cornered those two on the stairs and Della opened fire from the landing. It was epic!"

"It was painful." Huey looked up from his guide book. "I said no head shots."

"All is far in love and war!"

"Not according to the Geneva Convention..." He retorted sourly.

"Anyway." She sat down on her pink bean bag and fiddled with her fingers. Louie could tell that they finally ran out of things to talk about. "How's it going at the New Quackmore Institute?"

"Webby!" Huey hissed.

"What? We've all been wondering the same thing!" She threw her hands up in a rare show of annoyance.

"Good actually...." Dewey scoffed and mumbled something that sounded like 'yeah right'. Louie ignored him. Finally, someone said something. "Uncle Donald let's me help him sort the artifacts."

Webby squealed in excitement, Huey looked surprised and Dewey...Dewey rolled his.

"None of it's magic related, so no curses or anything..." Webby let out a disappointed 'awe'. But Huey's attention increased. "The Institute is rotating out their exhibits right now. So uncle Donald is escorting the borrowed art peices back to their owners and helping to set up the new exhibit." He turned to Dewey and said louder. "I also get to go with him when he returns the exhibit pieces. Last weekend we went to Paris."

"France?!" Webby exclaimed in joy. Huey yelled in surprise.

Dewey looked surprised for a moment before frowning again. "So? Uncle Scrooge takes us all over the place. What's so exciting about France?"

"The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, 15 different castles..." Huey rattled off.

"I meant adventure related." Dewey interrupted.

"Not everything has to be an adventure." Louie scowled. "Besides, I like going places with Uncle Donald, ok?"

"Since when?" Dewey stomped forward and glared at his little brother. "Since when do you care about anything other than gold and schemes?"

"Dewey!" Huey was shocked at his brother's outburst. 

"No good comes from cockamamie schemes, remember?" Louie stood up and stood toe to toe with his brother. "Since I was told that if I wanted to be a part of this family, then I wasn't allowed to scheme. Remember?" Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard Huey and Webby both gasp; He saw Dewey's face fall with confusion, but he kept going. "Since you all left me behind to go on the ONE adventure I wanted to do MORE THAN ANYTHING! Even though I was still here!"

Dewey recovered from his confusion. "None of the rest of us were in trouble! What did you want? All of us to be grounded for what you did?!"

"A little consideration would've been nice! You could have waited one more day! But NO! You're just like mom! YOU THINK OF NO ONE BUT YOURSELVES!!" 

Everyone was silent. After a moment, Louie realized what he said. He snapped his beak shut, pulled his hoodie and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Huey lunged forward but Louie dodged. "Is that why you wanted to leave? Is that's what's wrong?" Louie stood still with his back to them, itching to spring out the door. "It's because we left you behind. We left to do what you wanted. We didn't even take pictures, or bring you back anything. We just...left."

Saying it like that, Huey was starting to understand how awful it must have felt. While he agreed his brother should have gotten in trouble, he did break time technically; he would feel miserable if his family left him all alone to go do something without him. They'd never really done that before, but mom insisted.....why was she insistent they leave that day? One more day wouldn't have hurt anything, the adventure wasn't time sensitive. Other than their flight or trail paths and supplies, adventures weren't really planned out. Until now.

Webby had backed away from the fight while Dewey was still trying to think through what his brother said. Uncle Donald told him, when you’re mad it's best to keep quiet so you can figure out why you and your brothers are upset. He was trying, but all he could think about was how Louie, Louie of all people, had just called him selfish.

Huey looked down at the schedule in his hands and then back up to his brother. "I'm sorry Louie." The apology was quiet and sincere. "We shouldn't have left you."

"I'm sorry too." Webby took a few steps forward.

Dewey kept his beak shut. As far as he was concerned Louie got what was coming to him. He was just mad he got caught, so what, he didn't get to do what he wanted? Dewey wasn't going to apologize. He should have thought about that angle when he stole Gyro's Time Tub. Dewey crossed his arms and refused to budge.

"If you're looking for an apology from me, look somewhere else. Cause I ain't giving any. You got what you deserved."

"Dewey!" Huey glared at his brother. Shocked would be an understatement for him right now.

"I wasn't." With that Louie walked out the door leaving his two older brothers to argue.

When he got downstairs he asked his uncle, uncaring about interrupting Della, if they could go back to the Institute early. Uncle Donald gave him a once over and then nodded. Della seemed...put out that Donald gave in to Louie so easily while she'd been arguing with her brother for the last hour to do what she wanted.

He packed up his I.D papers for the artifacts and his laptop and they left immediately. Donald knew how important it was to put distance between yourself and whatever made you emotional. There must've been an argument between the boys; Louie's far more vulnerable to those. He hoped his boys would work it out themselves, but if not he was ready to intervene.

"You ok bud?" May walked up to Louie slowly as not to spook him. After coming back to the Institute Louie retreated to his new room to hide. Here he sat on his bed feeling miserable.

May sat down next to him gently. “Uncle Donald wanted us to give you some space. But I don’t like leaving people alone to feel awful.”

Louie rolled over and sat up. He didn’t know what she wanted him to say.

“I know how it feels to only get along with half of your family.”

“How’d you know…”

“That you and your brothers fought? I’d like to say you have that look on your face but…Uncle Donald told us.” She admitted quietly. “You want to hear a story?”

Louie shrugged. A distraction sounded nice, but he wasn’t sure where she was going to go with this.

“A long, long time ago there lived a happy family with three little girls. Then one day the mommy and daddy told the girls that they would be visiting their Aunt. The girls were excited; they loved their Aunt. But it was a trick so their mommy and daddy could run away.” Hearing her say it was worse than when Uncle Donald told him. “The girls were sad for a while, but eventually they got used to living with their Aunt. It wasn’t easy, they had to learn to take care of themselves for the most part because their Aunt left a lot, but at least she would come back.

“Then their Aunt met a Hero, and he was the best thing to ever happen. He took them to parks to play and cooked them yummy meals.” Louie was torn between letting her finish and complaining about being told a story as if he were five. “Eventually the Hero married their Aunt and became their Uncle. They thought their life would get nothing but better.” Louie didn’t want to hear this part.

“But it didn’t. Their Aunt was never happy with what their Uncle gave her, so she left to find something she thought would be better. But the girls always stayed in touch with their Uncle. Then one day their Aunt met someone new and he was Dapper.

“The girls didn’t want to leave their Uncle behind. So they hatched a plan.” Louie’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “But their Aunt resented them for choosing him over her. Even still to this day.

“The girls grew up to idolize their Uncle, wanting to be hero’s just like him. So they did. The training was hard and took a long time but they did it. They did it for him. Life was hard on their Uncle and he didn’t always have room for them to come home for holidays or even just visits, not that he would admit it. Still they tried and succeeded the first few times. But their Aunt is a jealous person, and the last thing they wanted was for her to go after their Uncle.

“If their Aunt couldn’t have them then neither could he and after a few years, they stopped trying. You were so little back then.” He hated how small her voice sounded; he had no idea how to comfort people. “We didn’t mean to lose touch but arguing with Aunt Daisy is an uphill battle. We just wanted to keep the peace, and Uncle Donald had enough on his plate taking care of you three; we didn’t want to add to his worries…”

“It’s ok…”

“No it’s NOT! We should have been there! We could have helped!”

“You were in the military. I’m not sure how it works exactly, but I’m pretty sure that’s more important. You were literally saving people.”

“I’m the one who’s supposed to be cheering you up.” She snorted.

“Is that what that was supposed to be?” He deadpanned. “And here I thought you were trying to bore me to sleep.” He was teasing of course, but hearing it out loud… “That is, I mean to say…” He stuttered.

May just laughed. “I know what’cha mean lil’ bro. I just…”

“Felt guilty about what happened? Yeah, I can imagine.” He bumped her with his shoulder. “Thanks for telling me.”

“You’ve been looking like you’ve wanted to ask since we met.” She ruffled his hair a lot like Uncle Donald. “Besides, you deserved to know.”

“You two done in here?” They both looked up to see June and April in the doorway.  They looked at each other and nodded.

“More or less.”

“Good.” June held up a six pack of Pep. “We got the stuff right here, now hurry up. The Ottoman Empire marathon starts in like 2 minutes.”

“Really!?” Louie jumped up in excitement. “Come on!” He raced down the stairs before realizing he had no idea where a T.V even was in this house.

The girls were right behind him laughing. April took the lead and he followed her to a cozy living room just down the hall from the stairs and to the left. As they sat down on the couch where Uncle Donald was already sitting and working, Louie couldn’t help but smile. Louie never thought he’d have a sister let alone three, but he was coming to like it.

Chapter Text

"We never know how high we are, till we are called to rise. And then if we are true to plan, our statures touch the skies. The heroism we recite would be a daily thing. Did not ourselves the cubits warp, for fear to be a king?

I stepped from plank to plank, so slow and cautiously. The stars about my head I felt; About my feet the sea. I know not what the next, would be my final inch. This gave me that precarious gait, some call.......experience." - Emily Dickinson

Not many people come knocking at Killmotor. They had just finished breakfast and were now starting their morning debate on what they should do today. An argument Della usually wins. So the sound of the doorbell was an odd one that garnered everyone's attention. They all stared at the door curiously.

"Now who in the blazes could that be?" Scrooge grabbed his cane from beside his chair and ambled over to the door. Might as well, it would take Beakley to long to get it since she was in the kitchen. If you had asked Scrooge to guess who was at the door, he would never have got it right.

He grabbed the door and flung it open. "What do ya wa-Abner?" Scrooge said confused. "Why I haven't seen you since...well since you left."

Abner "Whitewater" Duck stood an inch or so taller than Scrooge. He had his hands in his jean jacket with a red plaid shirt underneath. He combed a hand through his mop of black hair and stepped in.

"Yeah, nice to see you to Unk." He walked passed the older duck unfazed. "Place hasn't changed much, except for the kids. When did you get those?" He looked Della and the kids over curiously taking in the metal leg and mini Dons.

"Abner? Jeese, it's been so long." Della charged forward and hugged him. He held his arms out, uncomfortable with the contact.

"Yeah, it has." He pulled her off of him and backed away. "Anyway, I'm actually here looking for Don."

"Oh really?" Scrooge walked up from behind him scowling. "And what would you be wantin' from my nephew?"

Abner stared at the scot, assessing him. "Just looking to catch up is all. I figured it was high time for a get together."

"That sounds great!" Della jumped in excitement. "We'll call Fethry and Grandma, I'm sure Gladstone'll drop in so no worries there, HA, get it? Oh, oh, oh, we can-"

"That's alright!" He quickly interrupted her. "I don't really like parties. I was thinking more like one on one you know? Starting with Don." Della deflated at being turned down. "So, uh, where is he?"

"He's got a job." Scrooge kept staring at him. "I sincerely hope you're not about to drag him away from his hard earned life now eh?"

He placed his hands on his hips defensively causing his jackets pockets to gap and pucker. "Of course not. I just want to spend some time with family, that's all." A piece of paper inside his jacket caught Scrooge's attention.

The old duck ignored Della's rambling about Donald's new job as he focused on what looked like a picture of a cross on the paper. It looked like a crucifix, but different. Whatever that daft duck was up to had to be no good. Scrooge would get to the bottom of this before it amounted to trouble. He committed the image to memory and bid the scoundrel farewell by slamming the door after him. Good riddance.

Now, to do some research on crosses; particularly the kind people were hung on.

Donald finished packing the supplies for the girls. He had convinced May and June to take the Lieutenant out for some survival training. Then when they got home he would go over her progress. He thought it was a clever idea. It would give the girls some time with the alien, April would hold down the fort so he and Louie could spend some time with Goofy and Max. They had to postpone the get together due to an incident with Goofy's lawnmowerr....he didn't ask.

He zipped up the last back pack and set it aside when the doorbell rang. He pulled out his voicechanger and headed for the door, hoping it wasn't...Eugenia. Instead he found himself staring at the back of a stranger.

"Can I help you?" Donald wasn't sure what to expect, but a voice he thought he'd never hear again wasn't on the list.

"Yeah, actually." The stranger was still staring around outside. "I'm looking for my cousin, he's practically my little brother." The duck finally turned around making Donald's heart to leap into his throat. "He's about your height, sounds funny...a lot less wrinkles around his face though."

"It can't be..." Donald backed away slowly. Abner followed him in.

"It is." He stopped in front of him, hands in his pockets. "How's it going Cal? Or should I call you Don?"

"Abner!" Donald hugged him briefly before pulling back.

"How? I thought you were...I saw you get shot." His eyes became glassy as he got lost in old memories.

"Yes you did." He pulled his shirt up and brushed the feathers on his side away to reveal a nasty scar. "Right here." Donald stared at it in shock. "The doctors- eh "Doctors", patched me up and threw me back into my cell."

 "If I had known I would-"

"I know. You would have come back for me." Abner just smiled sadly.

"I made calls. I checked everywhere. Everything I found, everything I heard....they all said you were dead. I went back and searched everywhere for you." Apparently not hard enough. Donald didn't think his heart could take any more dead relatives coming back to life.

"We killed a guard Cal. They wanted to see me rot in that cell for the rest of my life. And I nearly did." Abner placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's important now is that I'm out."

Donald sucked in a breath, and then another. His brain was running in circles.

"Hey," Abner snapped to get his attention. "You're not going to pass out on me are you?"

"I just might." His chuckle was breathy. "It's a lot to digest. I mean, how did you get out? When did you get out? How'd you even get here here, or find me?"

"Woah there, slow down." He pulled Donald into the next room and up to the table. "Take a seat. I wanna hear about you."

Donald took the seat and Abner sat down beside him. "Me?" He snorted. "What's there to tell?"

"Well," Abner crossed his arms and leaned back. "I called some of your old contacts. They told me some pretty crazy-ass stories."

"What kind of crazy stories?" Donald was genuinely curious. He's forgotten half the stuff he's done and his entire life is crazy.

"Gut-shot? Hanging from a derailed train in the Himalayas?" Abner gave him a look.

"Yeah, uh." Donald cleared his throat. "That actually happened."

Good old Abner. Always there, believing, trusting, helping..."Come on man. What'd I miss?"

"I don't even know where to start."

"Start with the best part."

Donald thought for a moment before deciding. "You know that theory we had, that Sir Frances faked his own death?"

"Yeah, sure." Abner leaned forward in interest.

"Okay. Well he did." Donald leaned forward as well, like he was sharing a secret. "I found the coffin."

"Off the coast of Panama?"

"Yeah! And get this. I open it up right? There's no body....but at the bottom I found his old journal."

"Are you shittin' me?"

Donald continued on for the next few hours gabbing on and on about the things he found. About what happened with Della, about the boys. He never once thought it strange that he and Abner were yet to be disturbed.

Chapter Text

"...and then we got back together with Scrooge. The start of another adventure."

Abner sat back shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

"Yeah, I know." Donald ran a hand over his face. "If I wasn't there myself I wouldn't have believed it either. I wish you could've been there."

"No, I mean..." The black haired duck sat up straighter. "It's literally unbelievable. You're telling me you've stumbled upon more than one archeological gold mine.....without keeping any of the treasure, raised Della's kids by yourself and still moved back in with Scrooge?"

Donald smiled ruefully. "Story of my life. But I did manage to snag a few trinkets here and there. That's how I bought the houseboat. The rest I put away for an emergency and for when the boys go to college."

"You'd die for those boys wouldn't you?" Abner's face looked guilty, though Donald wasn't sure why.

"Of course."

His cousin slowly drew in a breath. "I'm in real trouble Cal." The admission was quiet.

"What kind of trouble?" The friendly atmosphere of the last few hours dissipated instantly.

"Does the name, Hector Alcazar mean anything to you?"

He thought for a moment. "The drug lord...Butcher of Panama right? Why?"

Abner nodded and sighed. "Yeah....funny story. But uh, last year he was my cell-mate." He rubbed his face tiredly. "So this is how I got out of prison."

Hector Alcazar, every night for the last sixteen years, listened to his cell-mate recite his plans for when he would escape this prison. He wished the duck good luck, he liked him. He was a visionary, like himself, seeing the world the way no one else could.

So when the white duck spoke of his pirate treasure, he listened. And he enjoyed the tale of the Gunsway heist, where the brave pirate Avery made off with 4 hundred million dollars worth of gold. How this duck was the only person destined to find it. He guaranteed it. His word was good enough for Alcazar.

When his men came to bust him out, over running the prison with sheer fire-power, he took his cell-mate with him. He trusted the frightened duck not to shoot him when he handed over the gun. In fact, he was delighted to see the gringo use it on their tormentors.

They shot their way out, leaving behind nothing but bodies in their wakes. The battle was glorious. His men rammed the gate with a custom van, busting their way in to meet them. They picked him and the duck up and sped away leaving the rest of the prisoners armed to deal with the guards.

He handed the duck some water and asked him how long it would take to retrieve the treasure. At first, he would not give him a straight answer, so he asked again. Still, the white duck squirmed which displeased him. He had said he knew where it was, Alcazar does not tolerate excuses. He pressed the duck harder for an answer.

Hector had his men stop the van and pull the gringo out holding their guns to his head. That way he couldn't run. It was disappointing...he had believed his cell-mate could find the treasure. The duck insisted he could, so he asked again...how long?

He said six months and Alcazar laughed. He knew people, they were lazy. Always asking for more time than they actually needed.

He told the duck he had three to get him half the treasure. And to not call the police. The moment he would Hector would be waiting for him, and that death would not be a mercy he would grant him.

Once the duck agreed he and his men left him, with directions to the nearest town and half a canteen of water.

"This is bad." It was the first thing Donald had said since Abner started his story.

"Could be worse." Donald snorted at his cousin, but Abner continued. "We just pick up the trail where we left-"

"Trail? There's no trail." He frowned. "After Raife and I escaped he used all of his parents money to buy up the land around Saint Dismus's Cathedral. We combed the area for weeks...the treasure isn't there. Course that didn't stop Raife. Moron's been digging for years, he hasn't turned up squat."

Abner grinned and nodded. "Not really surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He gave his cousin a side eye.

"Well, I've been doing a little digging of my own." Abner reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I bet you Raife doesn't have this." He handed it to Donald.

He looked the paper over. "It's just a Saint Dismus cross."

"Oh really? For someone with perfect recall and the best eye for detail, I thought you'd see what I did."

Donald looked back down and studied the picture closely. "Holy crap...this one's in tact."

"Bingo. The one we found was hollow, remember?" Abner's grin was infectious.

"Avery made more than one cross."

"So whatever was missing from the one in Panama...."

"Is probably still inside this one." They grinned at each other like old times. "Where is this?"

"Oh this?" Abner pointed at the grainy picture. "This exquisite piece is going up for auction in three days at the Rossi Estate."

Donald blinked in surprise. "The Rossi Estate?"

"Oh, you know it?"

"Uh, yeah." He said, as if Abner asked a stupid question. "How exactly do you plan on securing an invite to an exclusive, heavily guarded, Black Market auction?" Donald was worried his cousin was about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Well," Abner rubbed the back of his neck. "You know, you don't really need an invitation per se...."

"Uh huh." Donald crossed his arms. "Where're you going to get the money to outbid all the high rollers?" He asked, sure his cousin was about to present some ridiculous scheme. "I could sell the house boat and dip into my emergency funds, but it still wouldn't be enough to...." The realization hit him. "You're going to steal it...aren't you....."

"No....we are."

Donald took a few steps back in surprise. Not that he was against the idea, after all it was a Black Market auction, but he had more people to consider than just himself. He couldn't help now even though he wanted to, needed to.

"No, I can't." He stuttered the refusal, feeling guilty about turning his cousin down. "Listen I'm out..."

"What?" Abner smiled, thinking that he was joking.

"I don't do that kind of thing anymore." His cousin's smile dropped as he tried to convince him. "Besides, there are other guys that are much better equipped to help you than me."

"Yeah? Like who?" Crossing his arms Abner widened his stance; refusing to back down.

"Like.....Uncle Scrooge."

"Don't make me laugh. That old codger? Even if I got him to agree, he doesn't share treasure. You know that."

"Then what about-"

"There's no one you can think of that I'd trust my life with." Abner placed his hands on Donald's shoulders so he could look him in the eyes. "I need you on this one."

Donald opened his mouth and closed it, speechless. On one hand he was itching to get out there to solve the one mystery he and Abner were so close to solving so many years ago. To go on another adventure. To discover missing pieces of history, to help family. The call was strong, but he had responsibilities to think about. He had Louie to think about.

Louie and the girls held their breath as they sat on the other side of the doorway; huddled together and straining to listen to their Uncle and his cousin.

When they had heard the doorbell ring they thought it might have been Eugenia. Watching her flirt with Uncle Donald was something they didn't want to miss. So they hurried downstairs as quietly as they could to watch the show in secret. Louie only joined them out of curiosity....well and blackmail material.

But what they heard instead was far more interesting. Louie cracked open his book and jotted down 13th Century Spanish below French in his notebook on Uncle Donald. Finally, he finally got to hear the rest of the story, and he was kinda on the fence about it.

On one hand, finding out just how awesome Uncle Donald is, is amazing. But on the other hand, hearing about how many times his Uncle's almost died was giving him more stress and anxiety than going on an actual adventure. Though most likely due to his luck, Louie still found the amount of danger his Uncle encountered on his adventures compared to Uncle Scrooge's terrifying.

"Don't make me laugh. That old codger?" Louie had never heard anyone other than Uncle Scrooge's villains talk about him like that. "Even if I got him to agree, he doesn't share treasure. You know that."

"Then what about-"

"There's no one you can think of that I'd trust my life with." Louie knew a con when he heard it. "I need you on this one."

"Abner....there's gotta be another way." His Uncle sounded so guilty. Just the way Abner wanted no doubt. But Louie couldn't blame him. If he needed help, then he'd come to Uncle Donald too.

"Not with the time I got left." Laying it on a little thick there Abner. "What do you say?"

Before Uncle Donald could answer, before Louie even knew what was happening, all three girls stood up and yelled.

"Say YES!"

Chapter Text

The girls quickly covered their mouths, realizing what they did in their excitement, while Donald's mind was still coming to grips with the fact that they've probably been listening for quite some time. He didn't even bother to ask, he just gave them a disappointed look.

"You can come out too Louie." Louie slowly peaked out of the doorway. Donald sighed and waved him in. He rubbed a hand over his face; trying to figure out what to do. "Girls, I can't just run off."

"But he needs help." May stated simply.

"We'll watch the house and the kiddo while you're gone." June promised.

"Everything will be fine." April insisted.

"And what if it's not?" The girls frowned at him, as if the thought hadn't crossed their minds. "What if I don't come back? Then what?"

The implication hung heavily in the air, weighing down the silence and leaving dread in it's wake. The girls, unknowingly, had thought nothing of the possibility. To them, Uncle Donald is invincible. If he can face down a sorcerer, wrestle a minotaur, survive the underworld, come back from the moon, twice, and live his double life as an adventurer and thief, then what could possibly stop him?

"Then what about him?" Louie spoke softly. "He still needs help. Aren't we supposed to help family?"

Donald stared at Louie, surprised he spoke in favour of him going. Didn't he want to get away from adventures?

Louie kept going. "I mean, you said it yourself. "Family always helps family", so what he's got a price on his head? These ducks don't back down, remember?" Louie was surprising himself as well. He didn't think he'd side with Abner. But all he could think about was how if he ever got into this kind of trouble when he's older, he'd want Uncle Donald, his brothers and now even his sisters to drop what they were doing to help him. And maybe, just maybe....he couldn't stand to see a family member turned away like he was.

"You're right." Donald dug into his pocket and grabbed his phone. He really hoped he wouldn't regret this. The phone rang a few times before a cheery voice came over the line. "Yeah, Goofy? It's Donald....yes I know I sound strange." He pulled the voicechanger off. "Is this better? Good.....I need to reschedule our get together....something's come up.....kind of a family emergency...thanks Goofy. I'll call you when we get back. See you later."

Donald wasn't sure why he agreed to this. But it was decided that April and Louie would go with them, for the argument that if they were with them then they could keep Alcazar from getting Louie for leverage. Just in case. May and June were to stay behind in case they needed more backup, to keep an eye on things in Duckburg and train the Lieutenant.

He called his old partner, informed the institute who seemed thrilled to get some items for their Pirate exhibit, bought their tickets and set everything up. By this time tomorrow they'll be in Italy.

"Remember, April's in charge and if you need to call us we'll be radio silent for about two hours." Donald was nervous about Louie being here. "And if you want to know what's going on April will have the walkie on so you can hear us, and in case of an emergency-"

"I can call May and June back at the institute with the two-way mirror in your bag. I know, I know," Louie started pushing his Uncle out the door. "You're going to be late."

Donald smiled, ruffled his hair and hugged April before heading out with Abner.

They both had on grey jumpsuits to hide in the shadows of the greenery surrounding the Estate. The Rossi Estate made Killmotor look small. It was practically a palace, armed to the nines with guards and spotlights.

They hiked over the ridge on the southeast side of the property and camped out. Donald pulled out architectural blue-prints of the estate while Abner surveyed the grounds with a pair of binoculars.

"See anything yet?" Donald looked up.

"Just a bunch of high class, low-life criminals all dressed up for prom." Abner watched as another million dollar sports car pulled into the estate. "And no sign from Sullivan yet."

"There's still plenty of time." He knew Abner and Sully didn't really get along. He just didn't know why. He brushed off his thoughts. "Looks like the storage room is in a small building behind the manor. Can you see it from here?"

"Just the very top of it." He stood on his toes to get a better look. "I wonder what they got tucked away in there."

"Focus." Donald reminded him. "We're just here for the cross."

"You sure you don't want to bring back something for the girls?" Though he said it with a smile Donald knew he was being serious.

"Let's just keep this simple." The last thing they needed were complications.

"Right, simple." Abner jumped down from the rock he was perched on for lookout. "This would be a lot simpler if it was just the two of us."

"Well it's not. If I didn't take at least one of them with me then they all would have come anyway. Besides, we all agreed it was best to keep Louie where we could keep an eye on him."

"I'm talking about Sullivan." He said annoyed. "We could be inside already."

"Yeah, but not cleanly." Donald was trying really hard to keep things from going wrong. Sully will help with that.

"Have you thought of a back-up plan, in case Sullivan gets cold feet? Or if he got caught?"

"No," He answered tiredly. "Because he knows the people running the auction. He's gonna schmooze his way right through the front door, go upstairs, unlock a window and then we're in. It's a solid plan."

 "Uh huh." Abner kept fidgeting.

Donald was afraid to ask but..."What-"

"What if he double crosses us?"

"Not in a million years." He was getting tired of this.

"Victor Sullivan. This is the same Sullivan we're talking about, right?" Abner waved his hands around for emphasis.

"Yes. He's double crossed people in the past before. But not us."

"No." He was quick to correct. "He's never double crossed you."

"Look, I know you two have never seen eye to eye-"

"Huge understatement."

"-but I trust him alright? He's family." Donald knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it left his beak. "You know what I mean....I just- I need you to trust him too."

"Fine." His cousin conceded.

He walked around Abner to pick the binoculars up so he could look for the signal. "He'll come through for us."

The black haired duck continued to fidget like he was uncomfortable. "Ok, but you have to at least consider the possibility-"

"There." Donald pointed to a window on the south side of the estate and handed the binoculars over so Abner could see. Sure enough, a lamp quickly went off, then on again. "That's the signal. I told you he'd coe through."

Abner turned toward him with a frown. Unexpectedly he zipped Donald's jump suit all the way up and then wiped imaginary dust from his shoulders. "Just keep the tux clean."

He rolled his eyes, grabbed his grappling hook from their duffel and followed after his cousin.

The trek through the grounds was quite the trip. At one point they dropped down too far and had to climb up the side of the old brick. Donald did not miss this part of adventuring. They continued down, following the side of the estate which sat on the cliffside. The grapple cam in handy; they used it on the support beams to swing around to the other side of the house and onto the cliff.

Now all they had left to do was scale the outer wall up to the balcony where Sully was. Simply, but not easy. After landing on the balcony Donald was ready to just open the window and climb in, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Hey," Abner tugged at his collar, reminding him to take the jumpsuit off.

"Oh, right." They both unzipped their all-in-ones revealing the tuxedos they wore underneath.

Donald noticed Abner fidgeting with his tie.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," He dropped his hands. "How do I look?"

"Like 400 million bucks." Donald slapped his shoulder. "Let's go."

The room was dark as they stepped into it, bringing a certain amount of caution to their steps. Donald could smell the tell-tale stench of a cigar and smiled.

A chuckle sounded from the darkness. "You know what I love about partying with a bunch of crooks?" Abner turned the light back on to reveal Sully, an old dog with white hair, a thick mustache and signature cigar. He took another puff off of it. "Nobody cares when you smoke in-doors."

"Sully." Donald moved forward to hug the dog. "It's been awhile."

"Too long kid."

"You remember my dead brother right?" Donald had to be careful how he introduced Abner. When he and his cousin made up their new identities they introduced each other as brothers. When he became Calisota Drake, Abner became his brother named...

"Sam?" Sully gave the black haired duck a once over.

"Victor."

"Well I'll be damned. 15 years."

"Yep."

You could have cut the tension with a knife as the to stared at each other. Thankfully, Sully broke it first.

"Good to see you alive Sam." He shook the ducks hand. Sam just hummed.

"Let's try and keep it that way by getting that cross." Calisota interjected. He was Cal now not Donald.

"Yeah...about that."

Chapter Text

"What's up?" Cal sighed. They had barely gotten in and there was already a problem.

"Come here. I gotta show you something." Sully led them out of the room and into the hallway, which doubled as a balcony. They looked over the bannister and into the show room.

"The cross?" St. Dismus's cross was on display waiting for a bid. "It's not supposed to be out of storage yet."

"They brought it out just before you got here."  All three men frowned.

Sam growled. "Someone changed the lot order."

"It would take a whole pile of cash to do it too." Sully agreed.

Cal turned back to Sully. "How long before they start the bidding?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes tops."

"There's gotta be some way to grab it." Cal looked back over Avery's cross with a frown.

"There's just a small problem with the few hundred witnesses down there." Sully pointed out the crowd.

Meanwhile Sam was devising a new plan. He chuckled when he thought of the obvious solution. "What if they don't see us?"

"What are you talking about?" Cal stared at him confused.

"Yeesh, you both act like you've never spent any time in prison." Sam rolled his eyes. "When you want something dirty done, you wait for-"

"Lights out." Cal would have face palmed. He couldn't believe he missed the obvious.

"So boys, what are you stealing?"

Cal spun on his heel and came face to face with one of the last people he wanted to see here.

"Goldie?!" He hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Goldie O'Gilt stood in front of him clad in a gold evening gown that matched her hair. "Oh, me? I was just about to ask you the same thing. Cal." She batted her eyelashes at him as she spoke to him with fake sweetness.

"Yes, well. Ladies first." Cal and Goldie sized each other up for a moment.

"You know me. I love a good Black Market auction. You?"

Cal knew she was lying. "Just here for a pleasant and quiet evening with my associates." He gestured to Sam and Sully behind him.

Goldie smiled viciously. "So you're not here with them?" She pointed over the railing to a group of people, two adults and three kids, he knew quite well.

He brought the kids?! To a Black Market Auction crawling with bad guys?! Donald watched him encourage the kids to swipe food from the tables into baggies in their backpacks. If he wasn't careful he was going to get them all thrown out......actually, that would be the best case scenario here. Donald wrestled his worry and anxiety under control. Cal didn't have time for this; he had a job to do.

Cal could feel Sam stiffen behind behind, he knows his eyebrows are probably not attached anymore. "No, I am not."

"So you won't mind if I introduce you two."

"This isn't a joke Goldie." He glared at her. His serious tone wiped the smile off of her face. "We've got a job to do and I can't have him see me."

Sully put a hand on his shoulder. "Why not kid?"

It wasn't the first time he felt guilty about not telling Sully about his real name and family. But he knew it was best, Sully's still in the game, and if anyone caught wind of Calisota's real name, family, anything then it would be really really bad.

Sam stepped in to answer for him. "Cause everyone knows how Scrooge McDuck is about treasure. Cal and I don't exactly.....get along with the old duck."

Goldie held Cal's gaze, what she was looking for he couldn't say. After a moment she nodded.

"Well then you owe me one." She dug into her purse and pulled a compact mirror. She checked her make-up and then put it back. "I'll distract him while you grab that crucifix."

"It's not a crucifix." He said automatically. But she was already sauntering away, eager to put another another knot in Scrooge's feathers.

"Let me know how the adventure goes honey." She threw over her shoulder.

"Well," They both turned to look at Sam. "That's taken care of at least."

"Where's the electrical for this place? We need to get this show on the road." Sully pulled him from his thoughts.

Cal pulled the blue-prints out of his lapel pocket and scanned them. "Right up there." He pointed to a room one floor above them. "We just need to get up there and kill the lights."

"Then we can grab the cross in the dark." Sam added.

"There will be an emergency generator." Sully reminded them.

"Yeah," Cal agreed. "But this'll at least give us a few seconds to work with."

"So we'll need to be right next to the cross when the lights go out." Sam frowned in thought.

 "But we can't get that close without someone noticing." Sully and Cal ignored the waitress as she approached them.

"Scusate signori..." She offered Sam an hors d'oeuvre. "Antipasti?"

"Hi." He took one and smiled at her flirtatiously. "How are you?" He ate it as he watched her walk away.

"Ciao."

Cal smacked Sam's arm. "Would you focus?"

"A waiter wouldn't get noticed."

Scrooge knew that, that Whitewater duck was up to no good. After doing some research on what he now knew was a St. Dismus cross he discovered that the one he was looking for was on sale  at this criminal's auction. Which no doubt meant the scoundrel was up to no good and probably dragging his nephew down with him. When Scrooge gets his hands on that duck he'll...

"Well, fancy running into you here Scroogy." The old scot froze in his tracks. No, not her too. If she was here, then that meant Donald was in bigger trouble than he thought. He had to find him, now.

"I don't want to know what you're doing here, I don't have time to deal with you." Scrooge turned around to glare at Goldie.

"You wound me." She placed a hand over her heart. Before either of them could continue Della hopped over to them, forced to wear a dress and very uncomfortable in it, complaining loudly.

"Uncle Scrooge, I just saw a lady with pants on. Why did I have to where this stupid death trap-oh." She stopped tugging on her dress to stare at Goldie. "Goldie? You're still alive?! How old are you?"

"Della." Scrooge hissed. "Keep it down lass." He knew he shouldn't have let her come. A trained dog had better manners. If she wasn't careful she could get them all into some serious trouble. Luckily Huey was bound and determined to teach her how to act in this type of social setting. The duckling had his work cut out for him.

"Mom, what did we talk about?" Huey asked patiently.

Della sighed. "To think about what you say before it flies out of your mouth."

"Dude, cut her some slack. This is a party" Dewey crossed his arms.

"Actually, it's an auction. The food and drink are merely polite amenities for the guests-"

"Blah blah blah, whatever. Hey Goldie," He marched up to the thief. "What'cha stealing tonight? Anything interesting?"

"Dewey." Huey tried to reprimand his brother.

"Ooo, ooh. Maybe she's here because she knew Uncle Scrooge would be here so she could set it up like they're on a date!" Webby barged in with her theory.

"Eww, Uncle Scrooge and Goldie? No way!" Della made wretching noises.

"Would all of you cut it out!" For once nobody actually listened to him.

The kids continued to argue and pester Goldie about why she was here, then of course Della started interrogating her about her feelings for her Uncle. Scrooge tuned them out, he had more important things to be doing.

He scanned the room for any familiar faces, sweeping back and forth meticoulesly. It wasn't until his third sweep that he noticed that one of the waiters looked an awful lot like....Abner. So he did come for the cross.

Scrooge straightened his hat and made off toward the scoundrel to give him a piece of his mind. 

Chapter Text

Sully handed each of them an earpiece and they were off. The plan could still work they just had to be careful. The old dog would stay inside to keep an eye on Avery's cross while Cal and Sam cut through the cellar to avoid being seen.

Cal picked the lock on the door and the plan went into motion. It took a bit to traverse the cellars of the estate, as they were large. Good thing he had experience with laberynths; after  a few minutes of navigating through the wine barrels they found a door to the outside.They found a waiter on his smoke break and....relieved him of his clothes. Cal also snagged his lighter; you never know when it might come in handy. From there Sam went back inside to hold his position and Cal scaled the building from the outside to the third floor.

It took a bit of stealth to get in without being seen, but only because he was out of practice. Guards with guns however are excellent motivators. He found a window that had been left opened and crawled through. The hallway was clear but he could hear noise from two doors down to his left.

Just outside the breaker room were a bunch of guards surrounding a t.v. watching Fútball. There was no way he was going to be able to sneak past them, the only way in was through their room. He had to find another path.

"Hands in the air. Hello Victor."

He tried to tune out Sully's flirting with whoever just approached him. It was a lot of background noise to ignore but the earbuds came in handy.

"Hello Nadine. Pleasure to see you again."

He searched the hall, scanning for vents, while Sully and Nadine continued their conversation.

"I was just headed to the bar. Care for a drink?"

"Yes, Scotch...on the rocks." There was silence for a bit. "Cal? You catch all that?"

He paused in his search. "Yeah? Sounds like a lady wants to buy you a drink."

"Nadine Ross, is buying me a drink."

Donald paused. His anxiety started coming back with a vengeance. That woman was in the same room as his babies! Calm down, calm down. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that even some of the worst criminals wouldn't hurt kids. But if she did...

"Nadine Ross, the ex-special forces woman that owns that army for hire?" His voice was steadier than he felt. "Shoreline?"

"That's the one."

"Didn't you run in to trouble with her once?"

"Lucky for me, she doesn't seem to hold a grudge."

A real lady then. Operated under the Thief's Code. Ok "Stay out of trouble Sully."

"I'm trying kid."

Cal went back to searching the room. There, that vent shaft should lead him passed the guards. Cal unscrewed the vent grate with a quarter from his pocket, set it aside and climbed in. It's been a while since he's had to do this. He almost forgot how uncomfortable it was. Just as he was passing the guards he could hear Sam hiss into his earbud.

"We got trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" He whispered as quietly as he could.

"Scrooge is making a beeline right for me." Donald stilled. "I think I've been made."

So much for smooth...

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Abner Duck." The old Scot stopped short, put his hands on his hips and openly glared at the black haired duck.

"Scroogy." Goldie wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's awfully rude to leave me behind, when all I wanted to do was say hi."

"Confound it!" He threw her arms off of him. "I knew you were up to no good." He shoved the tip of his can into Abner's beak. "I don't care how you waste your life, I don't care who," He glared at Goldie. "You spend your time with. But I REFUSE to allow you to take my nephew down with you. You scoundrel!"

Goldie had to think of something fast. She had to get Scrooge's ire to switch from him, to her. But if Donald being "in trouble" was the source of his ire, then there was only one way to do that.

"But Scrooge, who else was I going to get to help me find the Gunsway heist." She smirked playfully, the way she knew would irritate him.

Everyone in the criminal underworld knew of the Drake brothers' adventures. Though she was pretty sure she was the only one who knew they're real names, by accident actually though no one would believe her. And if 'Sam' was back that meant that, that was what he was after.

Abner made a slashing motion across his throat, trying to tell her to shut up. He didn't want Scrooge to catch wind of the treasure they were going after. But Goldie kept going.

"The only other person, besides you of course, who knows the most about pirates is Donald. Everyone knows that." Perhaps the insinuation that more than one knows who Donald is, was a bit too much.

Scrooge's glower deepened. You could see his temper rising as his jaw clenched and his hands squeezed his cane so hard you could hear the material groan from the pressure.

In the vents Donald was sorely tempted to slam his head into the metal wall in frustration. Everyone knows you don't threaten Scrooge McDuck's family. What Goldie was thinking was anybodys guess.

"What have you done with Donald." He hissed lowly.

"Oh, nothing yet." She said lightly.

With Scrooge's attention back on Goldie, Abner backed away from the argument slowly. He made his way closer to the front to hang around the cross.

Donald let out the breath he had been holding, glad that Goldie had been able to distract his Uncle long enough for Abner to slip away. Furious however, that she made him think he was kidnapped of all things. They were going to have a long talk after this.

Cal continued his way through the vents, inching his way closer to the his goal. He was working on the srews from the inside when Sully's conversation caught his attention.

"When am I going to meet this partner of yours? Drake?"

Why would Nadine ask about him?

"Unfortunately Drake's out."

"Oh...as in dead, out?"

Cal held back a chuckle as he crawled out of the vent and into the breaker room. The very large breaker room. Oh boy; finding a needle in a haystack might just be easier than finding the right switch.

"No, no. More like retired. Last I heard he settled down, bought a boat."

He started with the panel of switches at lights closest to his right. A voice he hadn't heard in 15 years cut into Sully's conversation.

"Well then, he might as well be dead." Cal paused. He knew that voice, that was Rafe... "Victor Sullivan! How the hell are you?"

"Rafe." He heard Sully great the millionaire.

"How long has it been? Ten, twelve years?"

"Fifteen."

Rafe chuckled. "It's amazing really. After all these years, here we are. Still haggling over dead people's junk."

Cal found it hard to tune out the conversation even as he continued looking for the main power switch. Why wasn't anything labeled!?

"Aren't you running your parents' business?"

"My business." He could hear the anger behind Rafe's quick reply. "But yes, that is my day job."

 Nadine was being awfully silent and it was causing a niggling suspicion to start up at the back of his mind.

"One hell of a day job. You could probably afford to buy everything up on the block tonight."

"Well sure. But what would be the point in that? These days I'm only looking for the....good stuff...big scores." Sure, just one more adrenaline junkie millionaire the world doesn't need. "Any advice on what I should bid on tonight?"

He's playing dumb, he had to be. Cal moved to the next panel, but according to the diagram he found on the wall, nothing he saw was it. Just one more problem to add to the pile tonight.

"Yeah, like I'd want to bid against you." He heard all three of them chuckle politely. "But uh, just between me and you. I noticed that they changed the item order. Seems to me like someone might be trying to rig this auction."

"Well, remember where we are. This crowd didn't get rich by playing fair."

That was an understatement. Why were there so many switches!

Nadine finally spoke up. "Which is why you need someone watching your back in a place like this."

From Sully's quiet "Ah" Cal assumed something important was going down. Please, please don't say your working together....please please.

"Well I hate to tell you, but you are working for an American."

"With." She corrected. "We've partnered up on this one."

Just GREAT....exactly what they needed right now. Rafe showing back up with a British army for hire! The worst security team and staff who don't seem to know how to label ANYTHING! Scrooge and the kids-Oh no....no.

Donald smacked himself. He'd just have to deal with this later. Scrooge, at the very least, can keep the kids alive, plus Goldie is there and if she wants him to make good on that favour then she'll help too. Right now Abner needs his help...prioritize.

"In a few moments we'll be bidding on our next item." Oh shit. "An inlaid wooden crucifix from the Trott Estate." Where was that damn switch!

"Well, I know when I'm a third wheel. You kids have fun tonight." Sully tried to excuse himself but Rafe cut back in.

"Just hold on Sully." Rafe's tone was vaguely threatening. "How'd you find out about it?"

Cal's finger stilled from where he was tracing lines. Did Rafe suspect......?

"It? What "it" would that be-"

"Cut the crap old man!" He heard the sound of breaking glass. "I don't know how you scammed your way in here, but if you even think about bidding on Avery's cross I can tell you exactly how you'll be leaving. In a damn body ba-"

"Rafe!" Nadine cut him off.

"You get my point."

"Lovely seeing you both." He heard Sully's retreating footsteps. "If your going to cut the power now would be a good time."

"I'm trying to find the- oh crap."

"What is it?"

There was a whole other set of panels behind bars in a metal cage like box. Most likely to keep thieves from cutting the power. "I found the switch, but it's going to take me awhile to get to it."

"Well hurry up. Their starting the bids."

Sam chimed in. "Any day now fellas. Goldie can't hold Scrooge for much longer."

Cal huffed as he searched for a paperclip or...something useful to pick the lock on the cage with. "I'm going as fast as I can. Sully, can you buy me some more time?"

"How?"

"I don't know. Bid on it."

"Kid, I ain't got that kinda cash."

"Sully....we're going to steal it."

"Well, here goes nothing."

Chapter Text

Rafe raised his paddle to start the opening bid. Sully raised his to bid against.

Wash....rinse.....repeat.

Cal tried to tue out the rising number. There was nothing in the room to help him get into the cage. At least, not without making a lot of noise.

There was crates of supplies someone had left in the room, probably from when they built the stupid cage. He found a small-ish pipe in one and decided to pry the lock off instead.

"Any minute now kid."

"I'm working on it."

He slid the pipe between the chain loop and began twisting it. He built up pressure and force to create enough leverage to snap the chain at it's weakest point. Just a little more.....come on....

With a loud snap the chain gave out and fell to the floor with a rattle and a thump. Cal hoped the guards didn't hear anything, before swinging the cage door open and marching up to the switch.

"Ready?"

Sam whispered back. "Ready."

"Just a sec." Sully raised his paddle again.

"That's 200,000 euros-"

He heard Rafe yell over the announcer. "500,000. Let's get this show on the road."

"Uh- would the other gentleman like to bid?"

Cal paused with his hand on the main breaker, waiting for Sully to say 'when'. "No thank you."

"You had me worried there for a minute Victor," Rafe's voice was faint from distance. "Thought I might have to kill you."

It was said lightly, but he knew Rafe meant it.

"Alright kid. Now let's ruin this asshole's evening."

Huey was having a.....rough time.

Usually adventures went much smoother than this. Then again, he and Uncle Scrooge were the most organized when it came to adventures anyway. It didn't help that his Uncle wouldn't tell them why they were here of all places. This place didn't exactly seem kid friendly. It certainly wasn't a place for them. Most of his family really didn't have the uh, skill set, to attend this kind of event.

He understood the fact that his mother has been in space for a very long time and has forgotten how to act appropriately around people. But he was starting to wonder if she ever knew how to politely act around people to begin with. There was no awkwardness to her, if you ignore her aversion to dresses, about how she talked to people and how she acted. She was completely....unabashed. Shameless would be another good word to describe it. With a dash of obliviousness.

His mother did what she wanted without a care to what other people thought. And while Huey was all for that, Uncle Donald often said that you should never let what other people think of you keep you from doing what you like or being yourself, but....his Uncle also taught him manners. And that when talking to people you should let them have a chance to talk too.

When you chew, do it with your mouth closed. No one wants to see what your eating when your eating it. If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything. If you don't want it done to you, than don't do it to other people. Be considerate of other people.....but you don't have to accommodate them.

His mother....Huey was beginning to suspect that his Uncle thought of all those rules with Della specifically in mind. She was like Dewey, but on a sugar high 24\7. Sure she was super supportive and always saying how much she loves them, not to mention always up for something fun. But she was chaos incarnate and Huey was starting to get tired of being the only one acting like an adult. Which wasn't his job.

Usually Uncle Donald kept track of Dewey while he and Louie enjoyed the adventures. But his mom just encourages him to go gun hoe. Like right now, while the bidding was going on they were practically standing on the buffet table. Della was cheering Dewey on as he tried to see how many mushroom caps he could fit in his mouth. Huey begged them for 2 minutes straight to come down, but Della said the same thing Dewey did.

"Awe, cut him some slack. You need to lighten up there Hue-ball. This is a party, and the last thing we need is some Donnie Downer to ruin the fun. Come on, join us."

He declined, Webby joined them instead. He tried his best to ignore them and wondered if 'Donnie Downer' was a reference to Uncle Donald. He was really staring to miss his Uncle. With him gone Huey was starting to get a pretty good idea of just what it might have been like for his Uncle to raise them for a decade, by himself.

His Uncle deserved a medal. Maybe he could ask Uncle Scrooge if there was a none cursed medal or maybe a trophy in his stash he could use as a gift for next Father's Day. He could get his markers and construction paper out and glue a big sign on a trophy that says "Happy Fathers Day to the Worlds Greatest Surrogate Father".

No, that might be redundent. What about-

Suddenly the lights went out. Huey let out a yelp and backed into the table. Then confusion started.

"It's gone!"

"Hey! Follow that guy!"

"You're letting him get away!"

Huey had the sinking suspicion that something was just stolen.

Cal made his way back outside as fast as he could. He hoisted himself back into the vent, out again, out the window, over the railing and slowly climbed his way down to the ground. He dropped the last few feet to the ground, knees bent he landed in a crouch.

"Sam, please tell me you got the cross?"

"I got St. Dismus right here. You wanna say hi?"

Sully cut in. "We really kicked the hornets nest back here. Ballroom's locked down and security's scrambling."

"Where's our get-away?" Cal crept around the side of the estate waiting on Sully to answer them.

"Out front. I'll meet you there."

Easier said then done. Cal ended up on the far side of the estate. He's going to have to do a lot of backtracking to make it to the front.

The easiest way just so happened to be through the side of the main building and then to take the stairs down to the front door. So he scaled the wall and dropped in through a propped window and back into the main house. He told himself no to worry. Non of the guards had spotted him, he just needed to make his way calmly out. The plan was a success.

The room he dropped into looked like a study, or library of some sort. He paced across the room quickly and opened the door. The last thing he expected to be on the other side was a woman.

"Your not supposed to be back here." He recognized her by her voice and soft British accent. It was Nadine.

"Well, neither are you." His brain stalled looking for an excuse. "But I won't tell if you don't."

She was prettier than he thought she'd be. A light chocolate colored dog with curly hair and warm brown eyes. She wore a sleeveless red top with a pair of black dress pants and modest heels. Her make-up was bare minimum and complimented her nicely.

"You have something I want," She pushed against the door Cal held between them. "And you're going to give it to me."

"Well, I'm flattered. But your not really my type."

Nadine reared back and kicked the door in. Cal landed on his butt from the force feeling like he just got kicked by a mule.

"Playtime's over Drake. I'll be taking that cross now." She held her hand out and stared him down.

Cal was a gentleman. He would never hit a lady. But a fellow soldier was free game. Nadine just so happened to be both and he knew her reputation. She's good, and he's rusty. If he could avoid this fight then he'd try.

"I don't know what your talking about." He tried to get up but she grabbed his shoulders and knee'd him in the gut forcing him back down.

"Give me the crucifix." She pulled her shoes off one at a time; readying for a fight.

"Look, lady. You can't just go around hitting people. It's not polite." Cal puffed trying to get his breath back.

"Really?" She sounded almost bored. "And what are you going to do about it?"

He stood back up and slid into a defensive stance. "Do you really wanna know?"

Nadine smiled and moved forward to jab at him a couple times. He backed up a step and dodged her smoothly. He countered with a strike to her left side which she side stepped. He blocked her kick to his left and they both hopped back form each other.

"I see you've been trained." Her smile widened as if she was happy for a challenge.

"I know you've been."

They traded blows, some landing others blocked. He tried to strike her shoulder but she side stepped again and grabbed his arm, twisted sharply and shoved him forward into a bookshelf. She pushed his arm up higher for better leverage to keep him in her hold.

"Give me the artifact." She hissed in his ear.

"You're going to have to be more specific. Do you have any idea how many artifacts I've found over the years?" Cal rammed his free elbow back and into her side under her left arm. But he didn't get away from her for long. She was mad now.

Nadine charged him with a fake out punch and instead head butted him. While he was dazed she grabbed him by his shirt and quite literally threw him out the window.

Cal fell for a few heart stopping seconds before he managed to grab a hold of one of the four flag poles mounted to the side of the house. He hung for a moment catching his breath.

"I'm at the car, where are you two?" Sully complained in his ear.

"I just met your friend." He huffed sarcastically. "She's lovely."

"Yeah? Well it's total chaos out here. They're trying to keep it contained, but everybody's freaking out. I don't mean to rush you but...hurry the hell up!"

Cal began swinging back and forth to build up momentum so he could release and grab the next horizontal pole. He did this till he reached the end. From there he grabbed a windowsill and used it to climb up onto the roof.

"I'm on my way." He spotted the outside of the ballroom.

"Good news," Sam came across the coms. "I got a gun."

Donald stopped in surprise and felt like smacking himself. That was not good news.

Chapter Text

When the power came back on people started freaking out, Huey included. The crowd murmured loudly; talking amongst themselves.

Uncle Scrooge stalked back over to them angrily. He could tell his mind was on something else. They waited in the silence for something to happen. He half expected his Uncle to demand their release, but he saw why they were waiting. All of the guards have guns and they did not look very happy.

Huey watched Uncle Scrooge quietly hiss something at his mom. He probably told her to keep her beak shut. When Dewey tried to loudly ask what was going on he harshly shushed him.

Webby poked Dewey, put a finger to her beak and pointed out the guards. Finally, for once, his brother became quiet. He couldn't blame him; of all the bad guys they've faced, none of them had guns.

The wait felt like forever as they huddled with one another.

Cal made his way across the rooftop of what he assumed was one of the several guest houses surrounding the main house on the estate. Guards were crawling everywhere, an alarm was sounding; no doubt about it, they were spotted.

Worse, they were shooting at him now. He flopped onto his stomach and put his hands over on the back of his hand to keep it down and protect it.

"CAL!" His head shot up at the call and he heard return fire. "CAL!"

Donald got to his knees and tried very hard to ram the worry and anxiety back down, but his heart was still racing.

Where are his babies?

"CAL! CATCH!" Abner's voice pulled him out of his head.

"Wait, WHAT?!" He spotted his cousin on the roof catty-corner to his own. He was a good 15ft away when he chucked....something at him before providing cover fire.

"Oh, crap." His eyes struggled to find whatever it was in the fading light of the sunset.

He barely managed to keep what he now knew was a Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol from hitting him in the face. That would have hurt like a son of a-

Cal was forced to drop again to avoid a new round of bullets. Well, here goes nothing. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was fight his way out of here, especially with guns. But there was nothing he could do about that now. Donald took a deep breath to calm himself. This was survival now, he couldn't hesitate.

He rolled over until his shoulder were just over the side of the roof, and he took aim. He dropped both guards, each with a single shot, before getting to his feet and waving at Sam.

"What's the plan Sullivan?" The needed an out now. Who knew how fast this compound was going to lock down now the the thieves have been identified.

"Meet me in the Ballroom."  Sully answered quickly.

"I thought the Ballroom was locked down?" Sam asked.

"Well once they knew it was you two they cleared the place out. Everyone went running for the hills."

Donald hadn't heard such good news in a very long time. Relief flooded him and he took a moment to enjoy it before telling himself to focus.

"Ballroom it is. We're on our way." He nodded to Sam and they both took back off across the rooftops. The Ballroom was just a few buildings away, back at the front of the estate.

They both climbed down when they ran out of roof and hit the pavement running. The guards were starting to swarm them, trying to cut them off from the gate. He and Sam took cover behind some statues that were decorating a fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

They were right there, he could literally see where everyone had parked just to his left passed the main entrance of the house.....on the other side of all those guys with semi-automatic rifles.

The peppered the statues with alternating rounds so that while three guys had them under fire, the other three could reload. Cal counted, timing the shots, feeling the rhythm, waiting for the right moment.

Two of his three shots hit their marks and he berated himself for being rusty. He ducked back behind the statue, Sam said he got one. So three to go.

"On three." He told Sam. He counted, and they went. Cal didn't hesitate. All three dropped from headshots.

He didn't dare drop his guard or his weapon. In his experience there's always more guards. Sure enough, he could just hear their shouts over the thundering of blood in his ears. They were coming from behind him.

Sam followed his lead when he turned around to aim his gun at the courtyard behind him. He scanned the grounds, the rooftops, the balcony's. He could here them, where were they?

A crash of metal against stone sounded behind him. His first instinct was to point and shoot, and he nearly did.

"Someone call for a limo?" Sully leaned out the driver side window of an old off white Cadillac. "Come on kid. Before the cavalry comes!"

Cal didn't need to be told twice. He ignored the small decorative stone wall, that now lay in peices, that he drove through and hopped into the car. He didn't relax until they were at the appointed safe house.

"GOLDIE DID WHAT?!" Della was fuming. How dare that old thieving hag lay a hand on her brother! Della paced back and forth with Scrooge on the Sunchaser.

"No doubt she's using the poor lad to uncover pirate treasure for her. I should've made him move back into his room when I had the chance. This would'o never've happened if he'd stayed in the manor." Uncle Scrooge was mostly mumbling to himself.

Huey twisted his hat in his hands nervously. Uncle Donald? Kidnapped? It didn't seem....possible. But both his mom and Uncle Scrooge said it was true. Goldie admitted to it. But Goldie is a liar. she'll say anything to get under Uncle Scrooge's feathers. She'll also do anything to get under his feathers. Like kidnapping Uncle Donald.

While Huey was a nervous mess, Dewey was a guilty mess though he wasn't sure why. Uncle Donald was gone, they had to get him back. But why did it feel like it was his fault?

He didn't do anything. So why did it feel like he let his Uncle slip away? Why did he feel like he didn't do anything to prevent him from leaving?

Leaving? No, kidnapping he didn't prevent his kidnapping....or him from leaving. If he hadn't of left, he'd still be at the manor, with them. He'd still be in his houseboat, making hot chocolate for them when it got cold. Pancakes on Monday's, hugs and kisses before bed.

The realization hit him hard. Dewey really missed Uncle Donald.

Mom is awesome! She does all sorts of cool stuff, she let's him do whatever he wants.....even if it's bad....or hurts.....she expects him to keep up with her........and he's starting to find it difficult to be what she wants. But he can do it. Not a problem, after all he's the son of Della Duck! He just....needs a break is all....

Dewey was tired and he hated to admit it but......right now he just wanted to take a nap, preferably with his Uncle, on the houseboat, in the old hammock.

But, Uncle Donald's gone and they needed to get him back.

Chapter Text

Uncle Donald left the walkie talkies with them so they could listen in, just in case. Louie wished he hadn't.

For one, hearing his Uncle be threatened and beat up by some soldier lady was scary enough. Knowing there were bad guys with guns locking down the room where the rest of his family just so happened to show up. The unpredictability of Goldie thrown into the mix, then there was the firefight and the heart pounding silence. He was pretty sure his Uncle completely forgot he even had the radio on him.

With every new problem he grew more and more worried. He started out sitting next to April, but by the time he heard the first gunshot he had practically leapt into his sister's lap. She held him gently, trying to hide her own fraying nerves at what she was hearing.

Louie was so tense, waiting for the all clear call from his Uncle, that when his phone rang he jumped out of his feathers and nearly dropped it trying to answer it.

"Where are you!?" He was about to give his Uncle a piece of his freaking out mind.

"Louie?" Huey asked confused. "I was just about to ask you that."

Louie's brain froze for a moment to wrap around what was going on. "I....I thought you were Uncle Donald. He's supposed to call me and I've been waiting forever."

There was silence on his brothers end. A very tense silence.

"......Louie......Uncle Donald's been kidnapped."

They went to Sully's hotel instead of back with Louie and April to keep any heat that may come, away from them.

Sam set Avery's cross on the little table across the room. Sully grabbed and opened a bottle of bourbon for the three of them. They all sat down to stare at the cross as Sully poured the drinks. Cal handed Sam the hammer he grabbed from the duffel Sully brought.

His cousin stared at the cross a moment before picking it up. He set it back down on the table with the top hanging over about an inch. He raised the hammer ready to break off the top.

He paused. "I hope I don't go to hell for this." He half joked.

He brought the hammer down snapping the top off of the cross. The old would splinter slightly from the force. He tipped it upside down and shook it. A small, rolled up, piece of parchment slid out. It was sealed shut with a wax stamp of Avery's insignia.

"Skull and crossbones." Sully lit his cigar. "That's a very good sign."

The skull faced to the right. It had what looked like an earring in where it's right ear should be, with the classic crossed bones beneath it.

Sam didn't waste any time pulling up the wax to unroll the parchment. The page was yellowed with age but well preserved. It also show cased a pair of crossed swords on a incomplete cross, another skull and cross bones beneath them though they faced forward and text in a circling arc around the picture. The edges of the parchment were decorated in symbols of ivy, arches and crosses. Below the skull and crossbones was a series of numbers, 16591699.

He read the script of Latin. "....Hodie....mecum eris...in Paradiso-"

"Today you will join me in Paradise." Cal translated.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "It's what Jesus said to Dismus on the cross but..." His brow furrowed in confusion, wondering what this had to do with the Gunsway heist. "What do you make of these numbers here?"

He turned the paper around so Cal could see it. Both he and Sully took a look.

"Some kind of code?" The old dog guessed. "Or a phone number."

"They're dates." Cal announced. "Look," He placed his hand over the paper. "1659-"

"The date Avery was born." Sam added and he moved his hand.

"1699." Cal was smiling now.

"Let me guess." Sully was amused with his excitement. "His date of death."

"By most accounts yeah...but," Sam was still confused. "That means we have date of birth, a date of death and paradise.....which means....we're looking for Avery's grave-"

"At St Dismus's Cathedral." Cal stood with the realization to grab his old journal he made for this adventure.

"Hasn't Rafe been scouring that site for over a decade?" Sully pointed out.

"Yeah, the Cathedral." Cal sat back down and flipped his journal. "See these symbols?" He pointed to the crossed swords. "These are found on old scottish gravestones."

He pulled a map of the Cathedral grounds and surrounding area from between the pages. "Now look at this." He spread it out on the table. "The layout of this place is unusual. Because the Cathedral's up here, but the cemetary? It's down here." He pointed out the two opposite ends of the map.

"He's been digging in the wrong place." Sam grinned.

"Exactly." He folded the map back up and put it away.

"We gotta get to Scotland."

"Hold up." Sully leaned forward. "You do know that Rafe expects you guys to go?"

"We'll deal with that when we get there." Cal dismissed the warning.

"Kid, that psycho would like nothing better, than for you to show up. Not to mention he has Nadine and her entire army on his payroll." Sully reminded him.

"Maybe, but he doesn't have this." He held up the parchment. "And we need that treasure for Sam."

"How're your kids with all of this?" The question took Cal back. He didn't expect Sully of all people to question his motives let alone try and guilt trip him. He also knew that he'd have his back.

"They were the one's to convince me, actually."

"But he's got a point." Cal turned to Sam, surprised he agreed with him. "I mean it. Rafe's involved now, things are different. I can handle this one on my own."

Cal raised an eyebrow. "Really? Says the "Expert" on Avery that didn't even recognize the numbers as dates."

Sam was about to reply when they heard frantic knocking on the door. They all went quiet as Sully got up to answer the door. They held their breath, waiting for trouble.

"Hey, kid. You got company." Sully had barely finished when Donald felt the full impact of a flustered duckling launch into his lap.

"You ok Lou?" He ran a hand through his nephews feathers. April walked up to them calmly and stood beside Donald.

"I need to talk to you about something." She sighed as she said it. Donald was pretty sure he knew what she was talking about.

"Come on." He stood up with Louie in his arms. "Let's talk about this outside." He motioned toward the balcony. April followed him out.

That left Abner and Sully alone together. And the old dog had something on his mind to talk about, he just wasn't sure how to go about it. He must've had a look about him.

"Something on your mind Sullivan?" Sam grabbed his drink and took a sip.

"I know it couldn't have been easy....being away all those years. And I really am sorry for what happened to you. But it's not his fault."

"I never said that it was." They stared at each other hard.

"It took a long time for him to get out of this game. He's got kids." Sully wouldn't back down.

"You see a gun to his head? He chose this." Sam frowned. "He's meant for this life."

"You really believe that?" Sully gestured to the balcony where they could see Cal comforting his youngest. He remembered the day he dropped in to say hi and found the kid with three of his own. The little ducklings still had their yellow down feathers.

"Why are you here Victor?" Sam crossed his arms defensively.

"Because someone's gotta keep an eye out for him."

Chapter Text

Louie clung to his Uncle fiercely. The relief he felt at the sight of him, while immense, was not enough to abate his panic. The soothing his Uncle gave him was however.

Uncle Donald stroked his head and held him, just the same as always. The familiarity of the action, the person doing it, the scent of coffee, ink, and salt water which surrounded his Uncle like a storm cloud; He was happy, very happy he had decided to come with. And he was never letting his UNcle out of his sight again.

He tuned out April, who explained the phone call Huey had made, and simply cuddled further into his Uncle's feathers.

"Louie?" His Uncle pulled back to look at him. Louie hesitated for a moment before looking up at him. "We can go home right now if you want."

"What? No." He pulled back shocked. Though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised.

This was Uncle Donald, not Uncle Scrooge. Where his great Uncle would trudge on, ignoring his fears and tears, to get to whatever treasure he had his sights set on. Uncle Donald was always more concerned over their safety, rather than treasure. He missed that, he suddenly realized, he missed being thought of first instead of some stupid idol or legend.

"Louie? Are you sure? We can go home anytime you want alright? I can always ask a friend to help Abner." His Uncle reassured him but it only made him feel guilty.

Abner asked for Uncle Donald's help and he was about to lose it because Louie couldn't stop acting like a baby. If Dewey were here he'd punch him.

Louie was scared, but he knew his Uncle could protect himself. From what he could see he had no injuries, no bruises. Other than the plan falling apart, he's perfectly fine. Louie just had to suck it up. Besides, he'd feel even more guilty if something bad happened to Abner and his Uncle blamed himself for not helping when it would clearly be Louie's fault. Not to mention, when this is all over his Uncle would be a quarter of 400 million dollars richer. That's still a 100 million dollars. Uncle Donald would never have to work again.

"Are you sure?" His Uncle asked again.

"Yes. He asked for your help. YOUR help and you promised." He crossed his arms for emphasis but it only made it look like he was pouting. "I can't have an Uncle who goes back on his promises. That's just not cool man."

Donald smiled at him to hide his worry and ruffled his feathers. "Alright then. But still..."

"I know, I know. But I've made up my mind. But I'm only letting you go on one condition."

His Uncle frowned slightly. "And that would be?"

"No more leaving me behind. If something happens to you, I don't want to be the last one to know."

"Louie-"

"I'm not talking dead center of the action, I just want to be as close as possible. Come on Uncle Donald." He begged pulling out his puppy eyes. "Please? I've faced monsters before."

Donald frowned and opened his beak to decline but Louie trudged on.

"I know what your going to say. What if I get caught by the bad guys? What if I end up in the middle of a battle? What if I get stuck with you in some death trap? Well I have the solution." Donald raised an eyebrow and resigned himself to listening to his youngest's pitch. "I won't be with you. I'll be with April. I won't leave her side, if you need us to bail? Boom, we bail and meet back up with you. Too dangerous to come with? Fine, we stay behind in the getaway vehicle and make sure you come back." He lowered his voice; practically begging. "Please Uncle Donald? What if something happens to you?"

Donald hated to admit it, but he understood how Louie felt. It was the reason he went with Scrooge and Della on all of their adventures despite the danger, despite his reluctance. Because if something were to happen to them, then he would want to at least be there.

Louie waited, breath held, for what his Uncle would say. He didn't want him to give up, he never has before, he didn't want to leave Abner hanging. It felt to much like leaving someone to die.

"Fine." Donald sighed.

"Please just reconsid-what?" Louie paused.

"I said fine." Louie fist pumped in victory. "But if something happens I'm sending you straight back to the Institute, no questions asked."

"Deal." He hugged his Uncle relieved. "So, where do we go from here?"

The last time he was in Scotland he didn't really get to enjoy the view. Being stuck in the old dogs airplane he still didn't. But that was okay, meeting Sully he realized he was the same dog from the picture he found in his Uncle's journal. So he added Sully's name to the back of the photo and tucked it into his own journal he was now dubbing his Secret Files.

His stomach was in knots over what his Uncle might encounter. After all, they were sneaking onto this Rafe guys property. He took the mirror his Uncle gave him to call his other two sisters and stuffed it into his hoodie. He had a feeling he'd need it on him to call for help and he wanted it on him at all times just in case.

Uncle Donald must've seen the nervousness in his eyes. Because he walked over and sat next to him on the plane. His Uncle pulled out a strange necklace and an old silver circle.

"I want you to have these." He put the necklace around Louie's neck and handed him the round silver thing. "This symbol here," He held up the wooden medallion on the leather cord. "This is for protection. So nothing can hurt you. And the compass," He opened the lid to reveal an old picture of three ducks, one old, one middle aged, and one young......who looked a lot like Uncle Donald. "If you ever need to find me. Follow the compass."

"Thanks." Louie wasn't sure if his Uncle was being literal or not, but considering their family history..."Who are they?" He pointed to the photo in the compass.

"That would be your Great Grandpa Duck, Your Grandpa Quackmore Duck and me." He pointed out.

"Quackmore....as in the New Quackmore Institute Quackmore?" Louie asked. Uncle Donald paused. "Uncle Donald?" Louie pressed.

"The institute was founded by your Great Great Grandpa, Clinton Coot." Donald admitted quietly.

"How closely related would he be to say....Cornelius Coot?" Louie asked curiously.

"Clinton's his son, why?"

Louie ignored the question and kept going. "So, our Great Great Great Grandpa founded Duckburg?"

"Yes."

"And our Great Great Grandpa founded the new Quackmore institute, which is named after his....Grandson?"

"I never thought about it like that, but I suppose..."

"And your the Greatest Adventurer of All Time?"

"Technically, yes. But don't tell Scrooge. I'll never hear the end of it."

Louie had once thought that his McDuck side of the family was the most interesting, if only because of Scrooge himself and all of the weird history surrounding that side of the family. But the duck side he knew nothing about, at all. Well now he knew something. Both sides of his family were weird and kinda awesome. He might need another journal, and to re-label this one Part 1.

This adventure was shaping up to be a wild ride, on all accounts. No predictability here, between uncovering Duck family secrets to wherever this Pirate treasure was going to take them next. Louie couldn't decide if he was nervous, or excited.

Chapter Text

Donald couldn't keep the knots out of his stomach from leaving April and Louie behind with Sully. He reminded himself that both April and Sully were Navy trained, everything would be fine. They just had to get in and out as fast as possible.

The trouble with Scrooge and Della hung at the back of his mind like a constant reminder, even as he tried to concentrate on free climbing the sheer cliff face where Sully had dropped them off. He looked back down to see the seaplane still sitting in the water and told himself not to forget that he had the walkie talkie on him this time.

They crested the edge of the cliff and he heard his radio go off. "Can ya hear me kid?" Sully tested the range of the radio.

He pulled it off his belt as Abner pulled their rope lines back up. "Loud and clear. We'll let you know when we find something."

"Got it. Stay out of trouble."

"Don't I always?" He couldn't help but snark.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

Cal chuckled before placing his radio back on his hip. He pulled out his map of the Cathedral grounds to get his bearings before heading off. "Graveyard should be this way."

The Cathedral rested on an island just off the coast of Scotland. It had more edges and juts than any valley or glen he had ever seen. Might have something to do with the mountain and the fact that the Cathedral was built on it's foothills.

They started off towards the east end of the grounds. To keep from being spotted they had to edge along the coast. So their grappling hooks and hiking boots came in handy. They climbed across sheer bluffs, through craggy caves set between the cliffs and dells; At one point they free climbed a large boulder by hand strength only. The small indents in the rock face were too small for their feet to grip.

Now at the top, they could see the Cathedral in the distance. Along with puffs of smoke and dust clouds that were being kicked up by excavation equipment.

"Rafe really went all out didn't he?" Sam asked.

Cal pulled out a pair of binoculars. "They're all concentrated around the Cathedral. Now's our chance." He pulled his radio back off his belt. "We're here, wish us luck."

"Bring me back something shiny, will ya?" Sully retorted.

"Will do." He put both the binoculars and radio away. "Ladies first." He gestured to Sam.

His cousin just snorted. They both headed down the hill toward the cemetary while trying to stay out of sight.

"Scottish graveyard," Sam started thinking out loud. "Seems like a strange place to bury pirate treasure."

"Actually," Cal sidestepped a large rock. "By the time Avery sailed here the place was already abandoned. Plus with a massive bounty on his head, it would've been a great place to hide."

As they continued on over the ridge Sam kept glancing at him like he wanted to say something.

"What?" Cal asked.

"What happened between you and Rafe?"

"I couldn't deal with him and I'm pretty sure he'd had enough of me. Between dealing with your death and his frustration over not finding the treasure....I'm pretty sure he was ready to kill me by the time I bailed." Cal didn't like to recall the last time he was here. Wracked with guilt he didn't think it was right to continue looking for Avery's treasure without Sam. So he had laid it to rest, so to speak.

"Imagine what he wants to do to you now." Sam grinned. He always did enjoy screwing with people.

"I'm trying not to."

They made their way through the small grouping of trees loosely surrounding the cliffs they were trying to cross. Cal groaned; they spent all that time climbing up, now they were going to have to climb down. Great.

He spotted an old tree at the edge of the bluff. "This should hold." He pushed against it to check before wrapping his grappling line around it to repel. "Good thing we brought extra rope."

When they dropped down Cal noticed an array of equipment scattered around. Maps, lamps, ropes, buckets and a large blue container.

"What the hell is all this?" Sam wondered aloud.

"It's excavation equipment." Cal walked around to read the side of the container. "Shoreline?"

"No, I thought they were just by the Cathedral?"

"THEY'RE HERE." Without warning two soldiers opened fire. Cal was glad he kept the gun from the Rossi estate.

They both ducked behind the crates for cover and pulled out their guns. Cal popped up first and nailed the assailant to his right. Sam pinned the other down behind a rock. Cal made a break for the tree ahead of him for cover so he could get a better angle on this guy. He had to take him out before they got the word out to anyone.

He focused on his breathing; waiting for the guy to pop out to try and take a shot. When he did Cal dropped him.

"Nice to meet you too Shorline." He left cover to survey the area. "They knew we were coming." He told Sam and they both frowned.

"They're also spreading out their search away from the Cathedral." Sam added.

"We need to get to that grave yard." Sam went to take off running but Cal grabbed his arm. "Preferably, without being seen."

Neither of them bothered to holster their guns. Better safe than sorry. Donald swallowed the guilt that was starting to build up. Louie would have heard those gunshots. But he can also hear that they're alright, he reminded himself.

He shouldn't have let him come.....but he would again anyway. To be honest, Donald would rather know exactly where he is than be blindsided by a surprise. Like Rafe finding out he has kids and using that against him. Louie was safest where Donald could easily get to him.

They walked as fast as they could while keeping an eye out for any more soldiers. The terrain was not the best, since Shoreline was here first a lot of the soldiers were going to take the high ground to keep a lookout. They had to tread carefully.

The path to the graveyard was still 'downhill' so instead of taking out their ropes they opted to jump from bluff to bluff to make their way down. When they dropped two more levels they stumbled across a weathered stone structure, covered in moss and missing a wall or two. Shoreline's equipment was splayed around the ground here too.

"What is this?" Sam looked around. Cal held back a snort. While his cousin was a Pirate expert, a history buff he was not.

"The Monks had several living quarters. Most commonly they were built by the cemetary." Cal kept checking the bluff edges above them for soldiers.

"Well...location, location, location." This time he did snort.

Cal had to wonder how in shape these Monks would have been considering all of the rocks, hills, glens, dells and cliffs that surrounded them.

In the distance he could hear the rumble of an explosion. "They're not....you don't think..." Sam glanced at Cal.

"That Rafe would be willing to blow this island up to find something? Yeah I do."  Cal moved the tarp aside from a crate and found several boxes of dynamite inside. He picked one up and showed it to Sam.

"Great."

Cal pocketed a few. You never know when they might come in handy.

Their trek through and between the bluffs was tense and quiet as they kept an eye out for any more soldiers. Cal counted his breaths to stay calm as he kept his eyes upward to scan the cliffs and trees. They were so close, almost there.

"Sam," Cal hated to, but he holstered his weapon as he approached the side of the bluff. "There's a partial ladder up there, just out of reach." He pointed it out hanging only a few feet over the edge. It must have been one that the monks used to get around. "Come, here. I'll give you a boost."

Cal locked his fingers together and Sam stowed his gun in his waistband. He pushed his cousin up easily and turned to watch his progress. Sam had to climb the rock a way's just to reach the old rope ladder, but once he did he lowered a rope down for Cal. They were off again and now, they had the high ground.

The old path they followed through the Cathedral grounds was worn from years of being exposed to the elements. Some parts had completely fallen or broken away leaving holes and spaces between the bluffs that created sheer drops. They jumped across the first few gaps before they came up to an extreme decline in terrain.

Cal and Sam would have to slide downhill on the broken stone gravel, jump and catch themselves on the other wall of rock.......or fall.

"Ready?" Sam asked as he stared at the terrain, thinking about how to time his jump.

"After you." Cal waved him forward with a hand but Sam didn't look like he wanted to move. "Or not. Baby." Cal let his feet slide out from under him so he could control his descent.

"Hey." Sam followed him. Indignant over the teasing remark.

The impact was his least favorite part. They both hit the wall and scrambled to get a hold of the juts on the rock. They both sighed as they found secure footing, releasing the breaths they were holding. Cal could hear the blood rushing in his ears from the spike in his adrenaline.

"He's paying us double to wipe them out." Cal looked down to see three Shoreline soldiers walking between the bluffs below them. "You go where the money leads you."

"That's cold." They held their breath, trying to listen and keep from getting caught.

"It get's colder." They passed them and he had to lean around the bluff they were on to see them. "I'm going to go take a leak. Educate our young friend here." He watched as the soldier who spoke broke away from the other two to take a leak. Right beneath him. It was too perfect.

Cal dropped right on top of the guy, knocking him out and using his body to muffle his landing. Sam did the same. The other two soldiers kept talking, oblivious to the two ducks silently walking up behind them.

"So what happened next? Did you put down the Rebels?"

"With our help, they kept them at bay. But once the money ran out....well, there was no reason for us to stick around anymore."

Cal motioned for Sam to take the one on the right. A double takedown would be their best option. They moved forward, crouched and ready to strike.

"And the General?"

"Didn't even last the night. As Nadine says, business is business."

"Whatever gets us more action. I could use a good coup right about now."

"Tell me about it."

Cal popped up like a viper, grabbing the soldier by the neck he kicked his legs out from under him and twisted till he heard a snap. He looked over to see that Sam had dealt with his the same. Good riddance, he's never liked mercenaries.

"Let's hope we can keep this up. We need to stay off their radar." He left the bodies behind, Sam following, and took off again, gun out, toward the graveyard. They could see it now in the distance.

"Why couldn't Sullivan drop us off at this end." Sam complained as they began climbing the ruins outside of the graveyard.

"Because," Cal grunted as he jumped up higher to catch the edge of crumbling wall. He pulled himself up. "That was the only place Shoreline wasn't patrolling."

Sam pulled himself up beside him and sat down to rest, staring out over the mountain range. "What a view." He panted and laid down trying to catch his breath.

"Just a little further. We need to climb up another level to cross the ravine."

"Woo-hoo." Cal laughed at his cousins lack of enthusiasm. "Is this what you've been doin' all these years? Climbing around ruins?"

"Pretty much, well and getting shot at....and punched.....and kicked....and drugged-"

"I get it." Sam huffed still breathing hard.

"Are you out of breath? Man, your getting old." Cal teased with a smile on his face.

"Hey, I resent that."

"Scrooge would have kept going...."

"Oh here we go-"

"...like a bullet train. He doesn't slow down at all. Next time you complain, you should try keeping up with him."

"I'll show you old." Sam tried to sit up. Tried to, but his abdominals were sore, and protested loudly.

"Need help?" Cal stood over him with a cheeky smile on his face.

".......yes."

They finished the climb up, using their grappling hooks to cross the ravine's gap, and landed right in front of the gate. The very large, solid wood with iron brackets gate.

"Give me a hand." Cal and Sam braced their hands on the underside of the gate, where it was raised a foot and a half in the air. They both pushed up as hard as they could. The gate rose slowly, lifting just high enough for them to duck underneath it. Cal held it for Sam, once he was on the other side he then held it for Cal and it fell with a rattling clang behind them.

"Welcome to the Saint Dismas dormitory." Cal announced for Sam. "The alleged burial place of one Henry Avery."

"Let's go find that grave." Sam grinned.

They roamed over a few graves, ignoring the ones without the swords and the doubles marking couples' graves. It wasn't too far in that they found exposed remains.

"Looks like Rafe's been digging around here already." Sam frowned at the bones left exposed to the elements.

"Good thing he doesn't actually know what he's looking for." Cal opened his journal and began sketching bits and peices he thought might be important. The layout, the decorations on the tombstones and the columns that bordered the area.

"Hey Cal, check this one out. It's got cutlasses, just like on the scroll." He made his way over to the tombstone where Sam was standing. It was a large cross standing taller than both of them and decorated at the top with crossed cutlasess. He leaned in and dusted of the place where the dates would be engraved.

"The dates are wrong." He opened his journal and took out the scroll. "We're looking for crossed cutlasses, skull and crossbones and the dates 1659 to 1699. We find a tombstone with all three and we're in business." He replaced the scroll in his journal and took off across the graveyard to check the opposite end from Sam.

He found a few with cutlasses, some even had the skull and crossbones, but all their dates were wrong. They continued to look at the tombstones methodically, going from the ones by the gate to the back of the cemetary where the last of the graves sat on the edge of a cliff over looking the sea.

Sam went left and Cal went right bee lining straight for the last few large tombstones that they could see had swords on them.  He brushed aside the dirt and grime, reading over the headstone of the one closest to him.

Cutlasses, dates matched and skull and cross bones.

"Hey Sam, come here." He called his cousin over. "Look at this," He pointed to the name. "Benjamin Bridgeman."

"Avery's alias."

"But the skull." The skull above the bones was in an alcove carved into the tombstone. It sat on some kind of stone pole facing forwards. "It's strange. It's like it doesn't even belong to the stone."

"Because that's not Avery's siegel." Sam said disappointed.

"Right, the skull should be facing-" It hit them both at the same time.

"Sideways!"   "Sideways!"

They both grinned and Cal grasped the skull firmly before turning it to face the right. The reaction was immediate. They could hear the sound of stone sliding against itself from behind the grave. Sure enough, when they looked you could see what used to be the stone floor was now lowering itself to create a staircase. From the look of it, it would lead them beneath the graveyard.

"You ready for this?" Cal turned to Sam and handed him a flashlight.

"Oh, I've been ready for a long time."

Chapter Text

Louie tried to keep his nervousness from showing. April sat across from him, calmly reading a book she brought and typing on her computer. Sully still sat in the pilot's seat, leaned back and probably asleep.

When the sound of bullets came across their radio both of their heads shot up to stare at the device. They waited for a minute. The silence was deafening, Louie could hear his own heart beat, but finally they heard it. His Uncle's remark to Abner about needing to get to the graveyard quickly. If he was being honest, the duckling was sorely tempted to demand that Sully fly over there and pick them up. For once, Louie thought, the gold isn't worth it.

Usually he'd be all for it. Treasure meant gold and jewels. Gold and jewels meant money. Money meant no more bills. No more bills meant no worries. No worries meant Uncle Donald would stay home, no more leaving. They wouldn't have to work anymore. Not Uncle Donald, not him, not Huey. No more babysitters. Uncle Donald would come with them on adventures, and if Louie didn't want to go he could stay behind with him. Life would be perfect. Nothing to do but whatever he wants.

Then there was Abner. As much as Louie wanted the money, for not just him but family too, Abner needed it more. Even if he and his uncle walked away without any treasure, they'd at least be alive............ except Abner . Louie had to remind himself, this wasn't an adventure. This wasn't a game, or a fun trip. Someone's life was at stake.

This is serious, this is a job. One he knew his Uncle would see through regardless of the danger. Because Donald Duck may not like adventure and all it's danger, but he'd do anything for family. Even if "anything"was leaving.....

Louie had never thought about his Uncle like that before. He thought he knew him inside and out. Obviously not. For the longest time Uncle Donald was just a loving, goofy, clumsy, sometimes dumb parent who would always be there for them. At least, that's what he thought. He didn't understand how he could've gotten his uncle all wrong.

But he was beginning to, starting with the fact that some things never change. He smiled at that. It was a comforting thought. As he read through his Uncle's old journals he could see aspects of his uncle in them. Like how the monsters he faced were on a scary scale, they were all given ratings to show how much Donald hated them. There were all those drawings of boats, his uncle had a tendency to go on and on about how much he loved sailing and the boats he found. Kinda like Huey.....

That's when Louie suddenly realized. Uncle Donald was the exact opposite of Della. When they would go out to do something, uncle Donald would ask them where they wanted to go. Della would just choose and then spend the entire trip gushing non-stop about how much they're going to love the place. Uncle Donald would gently bandage their injuries and worry over them. Della would tell them "It's just a scratch, you'll be fine." Della..... Della left her family to go do what she wanted without thinking about how it would make them feel and she encouraged his brothers to do the same. But uncle Donald.....he only ever thinks of everyone else first, to the point that he's always getting hurt while trying to protect them. He's always looking out for them, for the family. Did they ever do the same for him?

He remembers the day the houseboat blew up. The day they found out Scrooge was their Great Uncle. Huey had made breakfast and he had picked out a suit for his Uncle. But those were just distractions to keep him from missing Dewey, so Dewey could hot wire the boat. Which was, admittedly, not the greatest idea.

He should've known his brother couldn't actually hotwire the boat. Uncle Donald had to rebuild their home from the hull up.....Uncle Donald re-built....their home..... from the hull up ... He didn't have the money to buy the parts, he would've had to make them himself...

Louie opened his journal on Uncle Donald and wrote down 'Builder' underneath 'Historian' on the skills page. That fact had been right under his beak the entire time and he didn't even notice. Uncle Donald was right, it really is easy to keep secrets if no one asks any questions. He frowned as he wondered if there was anything else he had missed and why he missed it. Was....was he more like his mom than he thought?

"Since when do you care about anything other than gold and schemes?"

Dewey's words from last week echoed in his mind. What if he was just like Della? He already pulled a stunt like she did. After all, he nearly lost his whole family during the Tymphoom incident. All because he wanted to be rich, because he wanted to be lazy for the rest of his life. He wanted the world on a silver platter. Just like Della......and Gladstone .

Gladstone.....he was willing to leave all of them in that demon toad's clutches just so he could be free. Louie's frown deepened as he remembered what the half goose did. Even Uncle Scrooge was willing to trade Uncle Donald for Gladstone on the hunch....HUNCH, that his bad luck would save him.

What if he had been wrong? Just like with Della....we could have lost him then....and none of us even realized it . Or thanked Uncle Donald for just about killing himself to win that race...

He liked Gladstone, had liked Gladstone anyway. Now he can see why his Uncle didn't like him. All he ever did was take. His ego and selfishness must rub Uncle Donald like sandpaper. And Louie called him his coolest non-rich Uncle. The gander didn't deserve it.

Louie was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice Sully until the dog sat down beside him. He jumped lightly and shook his head to clear it.

"He'll be ok kid." The dog's voice was gruff but kind. "I've helped him outta worse scrapes then this." Louie wasn't sure how to respond to that. All he could think about was how this dog knew his Uncle better than him.

"You ok kid?"

Louie looked to April for help, but she just smiled at him and gestured slightly with her eyes to Sullivan. He sighed before answering. "I'm fine Mr. Sullivan."

"Mr. Sullivan? You're making me sound old kid." He said with a chuckle. Louie just gave him a deadpan look. "Alright, ya got me there. But at least call me Sully, all my friends do."

He wanted to say, 'You're not my friend', but he figured that would be too rude. "Whatever you say, Mister ." He couldn't help but snark.

Sully laughed. "You're just like your dad, you know that?" Louie was too shocked by the statement to protest the feather ruffle he got from the old dog.

My dad? Wait, did he mean Uncle Donald?

He blinked in thought and then smiled. He liked the sound of that.

Chapter Text

A/N I am so sorry this has taken so long. I've just been under a lot of stress since the election (I'm an election inspector...in Wisconsin) so yeah, all of that stuff was fun. Then there's a family vacation with all of my siblings, 7 nieces and nephews and the three babies were all teething at the same time.

Anyway, sorry again. Hopefully, these next few chapters will help.

Cal could practically feel Sam's excitement as they made their way down the staircase beneath the graveyard. At the bottom, they turned to their left and saw another flight of stairs going down and at the bottom of that another. The air grew colder the further they went but it did nothing to staunch both ducks' curiosity.

"Let's see what we got here." Cal shined his flashlight around the bottom of the stairs.

The small yellowish light illuminated piles of bones across the floor, and as he swept it to the sides, stacks of skulls on the edges of the room with tombs lining the walls above them. They both stopped in confusion.

"It's a crypt." Cal went first down the tunnel, scanning it for clues.

"A crypt, hidden behind a secret door?" Sam stepped over the old bones as he followed his cousin.

Cal eyed some old clay urns spotting something. "The secret door was probably added later." He said absentmindedly as he picked up an old piece of paper and unfolded it carefully.

"Ah, to hide his loot." Sam came up behind him and looked over his shoulder at the letter.

"One of the monks wrote this." He held up the letter so Sam could see it better. His cousin hummed in thought before walking away. Cal folded it gently and tucked it inside his journal.

He stood and turned to his right to continue through the crypt. It bothered him that some of the shelves and sarcophagus' looked ransacked, begging the question...what happened down here?

The path wound around and down another flight of stairs. Their footsteps crunched the loose rubble as they passed through searching for some clue or sign of the treasure. It turned out they didn't need to strain their eyes so hard, as the next chamber was a rather large room containing three very familiar statues.

"Well, the gang's all here." Cal remarked holding his light higher to see. They sat upon pedestals against a wall, carved with immaculate details. He approached them slowly as he looked them over for any hints or clues. The only thing that stood out was the spoked wheels on their bases.

"Jesus. Dismas on the left..." He brushed some dirt off of what looked like a turning wheel attached to the base of the statue.

"The penitent thief." Sam interjected.

"Yep," Cal swung his flashlight over to the other side. "And Gestas on the right."

"Jerk thief." Sam joked making Cal smile as he took his journal back out to sketch the statues. He even labeled them "Penitent" thief and "Jerk" thief in his finished picture. Donald smiled and wondered if Louie would like to see his journal when they get back.

"This guy really had a thing for Saint Dismas." Cal couldn't help but point out.

"Avery fancied himself a "good thief". He only pillaged and plundered the non-British heathens." Sam smiled ruefully at the fact.

"Is that what passed for good back in the day?" It was a rhetorical question of course. Cal was well-read in pirate history. Not as obsessed with them as Sam, but he still knew what he was talking about.

"Good enough." Sam chuckled.

As Cal closed and put his journal back in his jacket pocket he noticed that there was a space behind the wall with the statues. He made his way around it and found a strange and intricately carved door directly behind. It had six glass orbs set into its surface and scattered around them were decorative stars carved into the stone.

"Is that a door?" Sam asked.

"Looks like it. I don't see a way to open it though." Cal ran his hands along the crack down the middle and around the sides.

"What are those star symbols?" Sam shined his flashlight on the door to indicate what he was looking at.

An idea hit Cal and he turned around. On the backside of the wall with the statues were three alcoves. In each alcove, a metal rectangle was mounted and on closer inspection held some kind of lamp above it. He was glad he snagged that lighter off of the waiter back in Italy.

Pulling out the lighter he lit the lamp and had to jump back as not only the lamp caught fire, but it trailed down the sides of the metal and into a furnace-like pit set into the base of the wall he hadn't noticed before in the dark.

"Woah, would you look at that." He called Sam over.

His cousin gave a low whistle. "Clever."

All three pits below the statues were lit now, each projecting two beams of light onto the wall with the door. It dawned on Cal, it was a puzzle.

"The light's coming from the other side of the wall." He remarked out loud. "Twenty bucks says we gotta line up the lights to the glass orbs on the door." He smiled impishly.

Sam gave him a side-eye. "No bet."

It took a few minutes of directing, but with the turning wheels on the bases' of the statues, he maneuvered the lights onto the door causing them to light up in a pattern.

"Is that a constellation?" Sam asked when he came back around to the door.

"Yeah," He pulled out his journal again. "That's Libra, the scales of justice."

"Odd choice for a pirate." Sam mumbled.

Cal's eyes scanned the door, looking for what to do next. He followed the line the lights made and noticed that some of the star symbols that dotted the door weren't flush against it. Walking closer he noticed that they looked like they could be turned.

"Well, let's try this." He grabbed the long points of the star on the bottom left of the door, at the tail of the constellation, and turned. It gave way with minimal fuss and after a few turns the door flew open. Sam and Cal jumped back and stared at the glass pane revealed to them.

Sam smiled. "Open Sesame."

"Wrong treasure." Cal sidestepped the light punch aimed at his shoulder as he approached the glass.

 It filled the entire doorway and looked out across the bluffs of the island. From one side and slanting across to the other were three, golden lined circle windows. They both got closer to look out of them and through one you could see three crosses standing on the side of a single bluff. Each was circled with scores in the glass and between them was the fourth circle.

"Amazing view." Sam breathed in awe while Cal continued to furiously sketch what he was seeing. "Are those crosses?"

Cal looked up. "Yeah, and look here." He pointed to the fourth circle on the glass. "It looks like a cave." He tucked his pencil inside his journal and put it back away. "I think Avery's trying to tell us where to go next."

Sam turned to go back the way they came but Cal stopped him.

"There's just one problem. To get there we have to go back toward the Cathedral..."

"And towards Rafe." Sam sighed. "Well, let's not keep him waiting."

Chapter Text

They started back the way they came, through the graveyard, down the rocky cliffs and back across the terrain toward the Cathedral. They dodged a couple of patrols as they made their way over. Lucky enough for Sam, Donald knew exactly how to avoid them. The last thing he needed was another close encounter. Especially since he only had a clip and a half left of ammo and he's pretty sure Sam only has...maybe a clip. Either way, they continued to climb and slide their way toward the Cathedral with Cal on a vigilant look out.

They dropped down into a crevice and slid out onto a shoreline. Cal made it first and pulled his journal back out to update it.

"Right up there," He pointed to the cliff across the way from them. "Right between those two crosses is where Avery wants us."

Sam huffed as he stopped beside him, far more out of breath than his cousin. "What Avery wants, Avery gets."

Cal ignored him, put his journal away, and continued on. The shoreline was choppy and uneven. It felt like they did more climbing and vaulting to cross it than to get to it. Halfway across his radio went off.

"What's your status kid?" Sully's voice crackled over the radio.

"We're on the trail. But...the treasure's closer to the Cathedral than we originally thought." Donald tried not to sigh.

"What do you need me to do?" Good Ol' Sully.

"Keep the engines warm. We plan on being back soon. Oh, and the bag in the back has some snacks and pep in it. Make sure Louie eats for me, would you?"

"You got it. Keep me posted."

"Will do." He put his radio away and continued to climb.

The only path up and toward the cave seemed to be an old warn one that led them through old tunnels carved into the side of the cliff. They passed old barrel's and pickaxes...and the skeleton of what was probably one of the miners.

Cal stopped for a moment to stare at the remains. Poor guy, left up here and forgotten.

"Patrol up ahead." Sam called from the exit.

Sam crouched beside him to hide within the tunnel. They waited, crouched and wary for the sounds of boots to disappear. He could hear them, walking over their heads and calling out to one another. After an intense minute all was quiet again.

Sam went first and Cal followed. The path wound around and seemed to split, so they each chose a side to investigate.

"Hey, there's a ladder over here." He heard Sam call out.

So he went back, helped hoist his cousin up, and they continued along the gravel path.

"You don't suppose the monks built this, do you?" Sam asked suddenly.

Cal glanced at him. "No, they'd have no need for it. There aren't even any quarters or buildings beside the Cathedral over here."

"So it was a way to conceal the treasure." Sam smiled.

"Not necessarily. That would be too easy." Something wasn't adding up here, but Cal couldn't seem to put his finger on it. If the treasure were here, it would have been found already. And Avery's fascination with St. Dismas wasn't making any sense. There was a theme here...but what did it mean?

"You think we're missing something?" Sam frowned at Cal's cryptic words.

"In my experience...we haven't been through enough." He quickened his pace.

"Enough...what do you mean enough? Wait, Cal, hang on. What do you mean? What is enough?" Sam followed Cal back into another tunnel.

Sam was about to ask again when Cal shushed him. "You hear that?"

They held their breath and listened and after a moment they heard the concussive blast of dynamite rumble and shake the rock.

"They're at it again. We need to hurry before they collapse one of our tunnels." Cal took off again, going as fast as the sloping gravel path would allow. It seemed to take them further inland and away from where the cave was. But with all of the old wooden platforms and ladders decayed from years of rot, beggars can't be choosers.

So they continued as closely as they could. Then they ducked back into another hollowed out hole in the rock. Unfortunately, all the blasting Shoreline was doing in the area had already caused a minor collapse in the tunnel. The roof support beam had fallen along with a few large stones.

"Help me lift this." Cal called back to Sam.

"And uh, what if that's the only thing holding the ceiling up?"

Cal looked back and watched Abner shift nervously. "Then I'll apologize. Come on."

"Alright...ok." He helped grab the log and hoist it up.

Cal held it so Sam could pass, once on the other side Sam held it for Cal. Once he cleared it Sam let go allowing the beam to fall.

"See, it held," The ceiling collapsed burying their exit permanently. "...long enough."

Abner just shook his head. He forgot how much fun this was, how much Don got into it. He was just like Scrooge, but better. Don wasn't stingy or overly critical. He was loyal....

Guilt nagged at Abner as he followed Donald through another tunnel. If anything happened to him...it would be his fault.

"Woah." He stopped behind Cal and looked down. The tunnel had led them between the bluffs where there was nothing left but the scraggly remains of what should have been a bridge and walkway to the lower level. Oh, and a sheer drop into the ocean filled with pointy rocks.

All that was left were the support beams attached to the side of the bluff and a single support plank attached to each.

"We'll have to be extra careful on these."

Sam was about to ask what he meant when Cal just...jumped. He landed solidly on the first plank...leapt...and almost missed the second. He caught himself on the edge and pulled himself up. It was like the world's most dangerous game of hopscotch.

"Extra careful! Remember?" He called out to his cousin before stealing his own nerves...and jumping. When he made it to the platform where the broken staircases were he found Cal sketching the cavern.

"The cave is just up these stairs." He shoved the journal back in his pocket. "Come on."

They carefully went up the stairs and climbed the rest of the way. The tunnel had led them straight to the mouth of the cave. Sam smiled at Cal, happy to be making progress.

"That was one hell of a detour." It felt good to hear Don chuckle. It felt just like old times and Abner had sorely missed this. The moment was ruined by their radio going off.

"Kid, there's a storm picking up. How's it looking?" Cal immediately picked it up to answer.

"We're about to head into the cave."

"Cave?!" Louie's voice shouted frantically through the speaker. "I thought it was in the graveyard?"

Donald hesitated. The last couple of hours had been an adrenaline joy ride and he loved every second of it. And he hated being reminded of how much he missed it. Louie's voice was like a cup of cold water to his face and he had to remind himself. There's more to life than adventure, a lot more...and they're far more important.

"We might lose contact for a bit, but don't worry. We'll call you as soon as we get out. I promise."

"No worries kid," Sully reassured. "We'll keep the porch light on for ya."

"Thanks. Call you soon." Donald felt hesitant to enter the cave now. What if Louie needed him? What if the patrols find the plane? What if...

"Come on." Sam slapped his shoulder. "Let's go see what Avery's left us."

"Right." He followed his cousin in slowly as he reminded himself why he agreed to come.

Chapter Text

Most of the cave looked decrepit and worn from years of erosion. Half of it appeared to have collapsed some time ago. They had to squeeze between a crack in the wall just to keep going. From there it was obvious they were in the right place.

Carved stone stairs, some broken others missing, led the way into the depths of the cavern. Stalactites obscured their view making it difficult to discern where exactly they were heading, whilst the stalagmites made it difficult to navigate the path in the dark. Even with their flashlights, the overwhelming darkness surrounding them seemed to swallow their field of vision, but still they pressed on. Not much could quell the mounting excitement both ducks were feeling.

Rounding the corner they reached the bottom. There Cal shined his light on a door. It was intricately carved in stone with a strange stone box set into the wall beside it. The box held a small hole just big enough for a hand to slip into.

"Check this out." He threw over his shoulder. Sam came up behind him.

Without hesitation Cal slid his hand, all the way up to his arm, in the hole. "It's a little slimy, but I can feel a handle or something in here."

Sam gave him a wide-eyed look. "Well...give it a pull?"

Cal eyed his cousin over his shoulder. "It could be a trap."

"You're already in there," Sam shrugged trying not to freak. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"I could lose my hand?" Donald raised a single brow.

"So I'll get you a nice hook." He gave his cousin a sheepish smile in return to the deadpan expression Cal gave him.

Cal harrumphed and mumbled to himself as he got ready to pull. "Nice hook.....yeah, sure...here we go."

With a crack and a rumble the door rolled away, literally. Instead of splitting down the middle or sliding or maybe even swing one way or the other, the door rolled because it was circular. Stranger and stranger, the odd feeling still wouldn't leave Cal alone.

He smiled at Sam, wiped his slimy hand off on his cousin's jacket, and headed into the next room.

"Really?" Sam shook his head ruefully before following. "Hello, hello. This is pretty interesting decor."

Cal already had his journal out again, taking in every detail. Humongous ornate pillars surrounded a set of stairs leading to a strange door. Carved statues of cloaked figures with scythes and skeletal hands adorned the pillars themselves like timeless sentries.

All around the outside of the doorway, hung like decorations, were gibbets. Gibbets are nasty cages that were used on pirates back in the day. And the ones here were all...uh, occupied.

A sign hung from one by Cal's head. The gibbet itself was hung from an iron post like a morbid and grotesque version of a birdcage. He tried to ignore the half skeleton still clinging to the bars as he read.

"To those who prove worthy...Paradise awaits. To those who prove false...behold your grim fate." Donald frowned trying to figure this new puzzle piece into his already jumbled thoughts. Dismas...Gestas...the cross they found....the graveyard...the offer of Paradise...Why advertise your hoard? Why set up a test to get in? How would people prove themselves worthy? It wasn't adding up. But the biggest question here was the sigil on the sign.....

"I guess Avery was a better pirate than a poet." Sam's comment brought him back from his thoughts.

"This isn't Avery's warning." Donald stared, absolutely confused, at the image of an arm, flexed and holding a cutlass. It was a simple and easily recognized emblem.

"What do you mean?" Sam finally came around to look at what he was talking about. "That's the Rhode Island Pirate."

"Thomas Tew." Cal agreed.

"But that's impossible...I mean that's his sigil but..."

"Tew died attacking the same treasure fleet as Avery." Cal finished as he walked away from the sign. He swept the room with his flashlight looking for something to help explain this. "At least, that's what the stories tell us."

If Donald had a nickel for everytime the history books had it wrong, they wouldn't even need to be here. He'd pay Alcazar off himself.

"Then if that's really Tews mark, then he's involved in all of this...how?" Abner's great at many things, Pirateology especially. But understanding motives and archeological evidence, he is not.

Just then the cave shook causing bits of rock and snow to fall on them. They both gazed up momentarily before looking back towards the door.

"If I had to guess?" Cal nodded toward the sign. "Two things; either a pact of some kind, or a life debt."

"What, you mean like Avery rescued him during the fight or something?" Sam asked like it was a ridiculous notion.

"That, or you know..." He pointed his flashlight at the remains left in the gibbet that held the sign. "That's Tew up there."

Sam frowned in thought, but he trusted Donald's opinion. After all, his cousin was far more experienced in this than he was.

"Come on. Let's go find out." There was only one way to figure out what was going on for sure, and that was to forge ahead and find more clues.

Chapter Text

The doorway led them to a rope bridge covered in frost that...mostly spanned across a frightfully large crevice that neither could see the bottom of.

"Let's hope this bridge is stronger than the others." Sam shifted nervously.

"Well it's held up this long." Cal tried to joke as he carefully started forward.

"Famous last words." He mumbled back as he slowly followed.

The first 2 feet or so was missing from the bridge, so Cal had no choice but to jump onto the center of the rickety old structure. He landed squarely, arms spread out for balance as the whole bridge swayed dangerously with rattling creaks and moans.

"Ha, it holds! Come on!" Donald hurried to the safety of the cliff edge so the old wood wouldn't have to support both his and Abner's weight.

"These bridges are clearly not built to code." Sam complained as he scrambled to safety.

"Sure they are," Cal grinned at him. "Pirate Code."

Sam snorted. "You been practicing dad jokes or something?"

Donald smiled and shook his head as they both continued further into the cave. With so many bridges and ladders decayed to dust they had to pick their way through the cavern carefully. Finding where the path led was difficult due to the lack of light, but they finally found where the steps were made again from stone and they followed them as they wound up, around and into another room.

Taking in the strange contraption taking up almost the entire center of the room had both cousins sighing. No doubt this was another puzzle, but Cal had a feeling this would be harder than the first. Especially considering they had to prove themselves worthy. Which made this Avery and or Tews first test. Stepping further into the room Cal felt a stone give way under his foot, no doubt a pressure plate, that triggered the door to close behind them.

"No, nononono!" Sam rushed back to the door the same time Donald hit the floor and rolled to the right out of instinct.

Looking up at his cousin Donald released the breath he was holding. The familiar sound of a trap triggering shot a spike of fear through his heart. "Well, looks like we're not going back that way." He turned toward the 'test' mind whirling as he absently mumbled. "At least we didn't get dropped in a pit...or crushed...or impaled....or roasted...poisoned..."

Sam gave him an incredulous side eye but didn't say anything as he followed him toward the decorative motif on the wall in front of them. It looked like four interconnected circles. There were sections that looked separate from the stone and on three of them hung a cross. One large, one white and one black. In another there was an alcove where something could be put. In the center of each circle was  a wooden circle with a rope attached, most likely used to rotate the stone circles.

"Well," Sam had no idea what to make of this...thing. "This is...elaborate."  

"Yeah," Cal agreed as he spied another square with a hole in it beside a door to the right of the contraption. "You could say that." He walked up to it warily as there was still a skeleton with his hand inserted into the hole. The remains were held in place by several spikes protruding from the walls. Yeah....this was more like what Donald had been expecting. Obviously the penalty for getting this test wrong was...severe.

He reached for the skeleton's arm. "Scuse me...I'm just gonna...take this." Cal pulled the poor guys arm out causing the spikes to retreat back into the wall.

The sound of old wooden gears had both of them looking up and they watched as each of the circles rotated like wheels, first the top one until the alcove reached the the bottom, then the bottom of the top wheel became the top of the bottom wheel and turned until the alcove could be reached from the floor. Walking over they saw that a simple wooden bucket had been inside. Looking up, Cal noticed a wooden chute, connected to the top where the alcove had been at first, that led down and into a space above the door.

"So," Cal turned to look at Sam as he spoke. "What do we do?"

"It looks like we need some water." Cal grabbed the bucket and looked around. Off to the left was an underground river that was purposefully excavated for access. He filled the bucket and then replaced it.

"Ok. Now what?"Sam spoke too soon as the weight from the water in the bucket set off the pressure plate in the alcove. Slots in the ceiling slid open shining circles of light onto the giant stone wheels. One in the middle, one just to its right and one just to its left.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Cal smiled and stepped closer to the stone wheels. At their base, connected by ropes, were what looked like the piloting wheels to old ships. He turned one and watched pleased as the stone wheel attached also turned.

"So you think this has something to do with the crosses?" Sam asked as he watched Cal maneuver the wheels.

"Yep," He switched between the four wheels on and off trying to position them according to where the lights were with the alcove on top. "Jesus in the middle..."

"Dismas on the left....Gestas on the right..."Sam continued.

"Bucket on top." Cal finished the puzzle and eyed the hole in the wall that held the door trigger. "Let's hope this is right." He stared at his hand a moment before sticking it into the hole, taking a breath, and pulling the trigger.

Donald jumped back and sighed in relief as he watched the bucket tip over releasing water into the chute and opening the door. "No duck-kabobs today."

Abner hugged him and he patted his cousin's shoulder gently. "Come one Sam. We're just getting started."

"If that was a test..." Sam pulled back. "Then what exactly was it testing?"

"You had to know about Dismas to get it right." Cal pointed out as he walked through the door.

"I guess...but why is Avery so obsessed with Dismas?" Sam wondered as he followed him into the tunnel beyond the doors entrance.

"Avery fancied himself a 'good' thief didn't he? Maybe he felt a connection with him?" Cal answered as they continued through the tunnel.

The tunnel turned to the left sharply before opening into another cavern. More crevices where bridges used to be separated them from where they needed to go.

"Would you look at this place? It's incredible." Sam appreciated the pirates' hard work.

But Donald's brow creased as he mentally tracked where their position was. "We're right underneath the Cathedral."

Sam was still looking around unbothered by that realization. "You think Rafe and Nadine have any clue this is under their feet?"

Obviously his cousin was happy with their progress and unaware of how far they still had to go. "With all the explosives they've been using they will soon." He pointed out, ready to move on. "We need to get moving."

Cal spied a support beam just out of jumping distance, jutting out of the wall where a bridge must have been. Pulling his grappling hook out he hooked the beam, wrapped the rope around his hands, jumped and swung down to where the rest of the path continued. Sam was only a few moments behind him and they followed it. The cavern shook suddenly, making Donald nervous, so he picked up the pace.

They crawled through tunnels, jumped across a few crevices and climbed an old crumbling wall. Cal's fingers were sore but he ignored the ache as he slowly made his way up toward the ledge determined to get out of this cave system before it collapsed. Halfway up the distinct sound of a voice caught his attention making him pause.

"What?" Sam asked, stopping beside him, but Cal shushed him and pressed his ear to the wall.

"Anything noteworthy by the dormitories?" Both Sam and Cal recognized the voice...it was Nadine.

One of her soldiers answered her. "Not unless you count some cleverly worded headstones."

"Have you finished digging by the chapter house?"

"We have Ma'am. The north-west sites are wide open."

Nadine sighed. "What about the southern perimeter?" Cal heard the sound of a door creak followed by footsteps.

"Not yet." The soldier continued his report. "It will take us at least a day to move the crane over there."

"Nadine." Rafe's voice addressed the woman.

"Make it happen." She dismissed the soldier.

"Yes Ma'am." The soldier's footsteps sounded hurried, as if he didn't want to be in the room with both of them.

"Did you hear? They found a whole annexed area underneath the Cathedral." Uh oh. They were running out of time.

"I did." Rafe didn't sound enthused. "Have you seen it?"

"No. Why?" From the sound of it, Cal guessed an argument was brewing.

"Because there wasn't much left after they...found it." Oh...

"My men have been a little liberal with the dynamite-"

"Like a hundred well armed bulls in a china shop." Cal could hear the scowl from this side of the wall.

"-but they've made more progress in two days then we've made in months."

"Progress? I can't analyze rubble." Rafe complained. So he wasn't the one blowing things up...that wasn't as reassuring as he'd thought it'd be.

Nadine huffed but relented. "Okay. I'll tell them they have to give you a heads up before they do anything drastic."

"Or, you can tell them to sit tight until a look over the few clues that haven't been blown up."

"No. We can't sit around waiting any longer."

"With all due respect, I think I have a bit more experience in this field than you do."

Nadine laughed. "We tried things your way."

"Bullshit. You've been wanting to level this place since the day you got here."

"No."Nadine corrected. "I wanted to steal that cross long before it even made it to that auction! The same auction where I couldn't have any of my men around to deal with surprises."

 "The auction was the cleanest way to get the cro-"

"But instead of going with my gut, I listened to you. And now we have competition."

"I didn't think he'd show up!"

There was a pause before Nadine spoke again.

"Or maybe you wanted to draw him out." Cal shot Sam a look.

Rafe scoffed. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because you think you need him. And maybe you do." The fact that Rafe was being quiet made Donald think. "Point is...I'm done doing things the clean way. If the treasure is here, we'll  find it and if not well...maybe it's time to move on, yeah?" There was a long pause. "Hey, it's not personal. I'll let you know if anything turns up." The sound of footsteps told Cal that Nadine had left the room.

"Come on." He motioned quietly to Sam. "We need to keep going before they blow us up."

"Hey," Cal paused and looked back at Sam. "You think she was right? About Rafe wanting to draw you out?"

He frowned at his cousin, curious as to why it would matter. "As long as he doesn't get the upper hand, who cares?"

Cal made quick work scaling the wall and when he made it to the top he turned back around and gave Abner a hand up. The path was a little more clear from here since they didn't have to make their own, and they took off.

When they made it to the second test the cousins frowned, because whatever it had been had crumbled over time into the sea leaving the entrance broken open from being ravaged by the elements. The only thing left for them to overcome was the gap between their ledge and the ledge where the door was. The cavern continued to shake, reminding them that they only had so much time to figure out what to do.

"I gotta admit, this is way more sophisticated than I was expecting." Cal sighed.

"Me too." Sam agreed. "It must've taken years to build. Too bad we'll never get to see what it was supposed to look like."

Cal hummed in agreement as he pulled out his grappling hook again. It looked like there was a lip on the edge of the platform. If he could hook it, it should hold. He swung the hook around a few times before letting the rope go. It sailed across the gap and landed on the other side. He tugged the rope slowly until the hooks caught on the stone. He tugged harder testing it and Sam pulled his hook out to do the same. He jumped off the ledge, turning in mid-swing so his shoulder and back would hit the wall and not his beak, he climbed the rope once his momentum slowed.

"Ha, who needs bridges." Donald put his hands on his hips and smiled back at Abner as he hefted himself onto the ledge.

"I wouldn't mind bridges." Sam huffed out of breath. Cal offered him a hand up.

They both walked through the opening which led further back into the rocks. The further in they went the more decorated the corridor became.

"A bit over dramatic with the statutes." Cal shined his light on the stone figures. They were the same eerie figures that loomed over the entrance to these caverns.

"Why decorate a treasure burial site?" Sam wondered out loud. "Or build elaborate tests?"

They descended another set of stairs that ended at a familiar looking round door.

"Ugh," Cal scowled at the hole in the wall. "Not this again." He reached inside the slimey hole and pulled the trigger for the door. As the door rolled open Sam offered him a corner of his jacket and Cal smiled as he wiped his hand off on the cloth. 

Stepping through the door both of their eyes widened. This room looked completely untouched, from the outer walls decorated with arches to the strange stone floor and the table in the center of the room. On the table sat a scale, on one side was a golden, jewel encrusted cross while the other seemed to be empty.

"Well," Sam walked up to the treasure. "At least we found something." His hand stretched out to grab the cross, but before his fingers could touch it Cal grabbed his wrist in an iron grip.

"Don't touch that." Cal warned.

"Why?" Sam looked at Cal closely.

"Look at it." He let Sam go. "It's the only thing of value we've seen. This is another test."

It dawned on Sam. "Greed."

"Right." Cal pointed to the other side of the scales. "Look."

There was a small pile of copper coins sitting in the other pan. Reaching out slowly Sam picked up one and the reaction was immediate. The small shift in weight also shifted the scales lightly and they could hear an ominous rumbling of humongous, old gears shifting within the walls around them. Torches lining the walls lit themselves leading up to a large central light set into the ceiling. Once lit it projected the image of an island onto the floor while a decoration already on the floor indicated a place on the island.

Cal smiled. "Recognize the shape?"

"Madagascar?" Sam asked, confused.

"Yeah," He pointed to the floor. "See the star?"

"It's Kings Bay." Sam frowned. "Son of a....he's screwing with us."

"Who?" Cal looked up at Sam. He didn't understand why his cousin wasn't excited. They just got one step closer to the treasure and....wait a minute....an idea started coming to mind...what if...

"Avery," Abner said exasperated. "This was supposed to be it. So where's the damn treasure? I mean...King's Bay? Great...what's next? The north pole? Outer space?" Sam looked back at Cal and noticed he didn't have his attention. "Cal?"

"For those who prove worthy..." He said softly, making Abner frown. "Paradise awaits...he was recruiting."

Sam blinked. "Recruiting for wha-"

Suddenly an explosion blew out the wall right next them. They both hit the deck trying to avoid flying chunks of rock, their arms were up trying to shield their faces. Peaking around their appendages their eyes widened at the sight of Nadine marching into the room with at least a dozen soldiers, all with their weapons drawn.

"You gentlemen are very, very noisy." Nadine marched straight towards them. "Guns on the floor. Slowly." They had no choice but to comply and as they did she gave Cal a nasty smile. "I still owe you from last time."

"What? Throwing me out a window didn't do it for you?" He snarked back.

Nadine pulled out her radio, eyes never leaving her two prisoners. "Rafe, come in."

Rafe's voice crackled over her radio. "I'm at the graveyard. They were here."

"Yeah, I know. I'm looking at them right now."

"Where are you?" Rafe demanded.

"Come back to the Cathedral. Follow the holes."

"I'm on my way. But for God sakes, don't shoot 'em yet."

"You better hurry then." Nadine put her radio away and pulled her own gun out. "King's Bay." She glanced at the floor.

"Yeah," Sam agreed and from the way he shifted Cal could tell he was up to something. "But where in King's Bay?" He gestured to the stone table with his head as both of them had their hands up. "You're gonna need that cross to find out...but...there's only two people that can help you use it."

She chuckled darkly. "Let me guess? You two?"

Cal jumped in. "If you leave it to Rafe you'll be waiting a long time."

"Sorry boys. I'm not here to negotiate." She nodded to the soldier on her left. "Bring me the crucifix."

"It's not a crucifix." Cal couldn't help but correct. Everyone kept getting it wrong and it was getting on his nerves.

"What?" She sounded like she wanted to roll her eyes.

"Technically a crucifix refers to a cross that...you know what, nevermind." Cal shook his head.

Nadine's eyes widened in realization. "DON'T TOUCH IT!"

But it was too late.

Chapter Text

The soldier Nadine had sent for the cross already had his fingers wrapped around it before he heard the warning. By removing the weight from the wrong side of the scales, it triggered the trap.

The entire center of the floor began to collapse and shake. Everyone dove to the safety of the edges of the room, but they weren't going to stay safe for long. The whole cave shook as supports crumbled and the floor continued to disappear.

"SHOOT THEM!" Cal could barely hear Nadine over the rumbling of tumbling stone.

Sam grabbed his wrist and jerked him into his arms before lunging sideways behind a fallen pillar for cover. They laid down, Abner holding Donald from behind, so both of them could fit behind the crumbling pillar. The sounds of gunfire pierced through the grinding of stone on stone as the underground room fell apart around them.

"Is that a stick of dynamite in your pocket?" Sam nearly yelled into Cal's ear.

"I was saving it for an emergency!"Cal resisted the urge to make an inappropriate joke as now was not the time.

"I'm pretty sure this qualifies!" Sam didn't have to tell him twice. Reaching into his pocket he grabbed both the lighter and one of the sticks of explosives he nabbed from earlier.

Cal lit it, counted to three and then jumped up just long enough to hurl it toward the other side of the cavern where he heard the gunshots coming from. They waited for one of the soldiers to yell out to the others about the dynamite before taking off toward the door Shoreline had made earlier. They slid through the entrance just in time for the ceiling to collapse sealing their friends in behind them.

"Good riddance." Sam panted.

"Don't count them out." Cal stared at the door before continuing up and through the tunnel Nadine and her posse had initially blown into the room.

They followed the debris to find their way out. Passing by destroyed crypts and demolished statues Cal had to agree with Rafe's sentiment. Like well armed bulls indeed. Soon they spotted the sun as they burst through a set of wooden doors. The smell of fresh air hit them and Donald immediately grabbed his radio from his belt.

"Sully, you there?" He didn't stay still. Worried that backup was on the way, he set a brisk pace away from the Cathedral to a path he knew led down by the water.

"I'm here kid. How's it lookin'?"

"Not good." He panted. "I'll fill you in later, but I need you to pick us up on the west side." He leapt over a fallen log and continued down the side of the bluff.

"How the hell did you get all the way over there?" The old dog complained.

"Later Sully!" Cal urged him

"On my way." Sullivan relented.

Three shots rang out making both cousins duck behind a boulder for cover. They were so close, just a few more yards and the path would descend down to the water. But it was too far to run and Donald didn't want to risk getting either of them shot. His hand went to his shoulder holster automatically and he cursed under his breath when he remembered it was empty. He was going to have to make a detour after this to stock up.

"Well?" Sam panted beside him. "Any ideas?"

Cal gave him an exasperated look. A moment later the gunfire was drowned out by the sounds of a plane engine roaring over their heads. Popping up to look over their cover they could see April lying down cover fire for them from the plane. This was their chance to make a break for the water, so they took it. Neither duck had any qualms jumping off of a steep cliff into water so Sullivan could pick them up for a hasty retreat. By the time they climbed aboard a few stray bullets had hit the side of the sea plane, but it didn't matter cause after a minute they were up in the air and out of sight.

Louie flung himself at Donald and his uncle caught him easily. He was wet and dripping but the duckling didn't seem to care. Post adventure cuddles seemed to be a new thing and Donald wouldn't breath a word or point it out in anyway just in case Louie decided he was too old for such things. April handed him a towel and he carried his nephew with him up front, though not before thanking April and giving her a quick hug too. He sat with the duckling in his lap beside the old dog glad that he was an experienced pilot. He'd take Sully over Launchpad or even Della anyday, those two were just too careless when it came to piloting.

"That was cutting it too close." He looked over his shoulder as if he was talking to Sam, but he wanted Louie and April aware of this opinion as well.

"Ya think? They shot up my plane Cal!" Sully glanced at him. "Did'ya at least find somethin'?" 

"Nothing." Sam pouted in the back. "We don't even know where to look next."

"Yes we do." Cal sighed before turning to Sully. "How fast can you get us to Madagascar?"

"You think it's in Madagascar?" The old dog frowned.

Sam came forward, positioning himself between the two front seats. "How do you know it's not some wild goose chase? All we got out of that whole fiasco was a measly coin." He pulled the copper piece from his pocket and Cal took it from him.

"The coin is the clue." he stated cryptically.

"I'm not following..." Sam frowned.

"It's like I said. He was recruiting. The cross was an invitation, the caves were a type of initiation...Avery was recruiting other pirates."

"Ok," Sam snarked. "So we passed, we all get eye patches and peg legs now."

April piped up. "Why go through all that trouble just to weed people out?"

"Avery was the most wanted man in the world during this time, he did it to protect himself. They had to know the people that would find them would keep their treasure safe."

"Wait," Sam held up a finger in question. "What do you mean 'their' treasure?"

"Think about it." Cal turned slightly to look at Sam. "Thomas Tew was a successful pirate in his own right. So what would he stand to gain from joining Avery?" Cal paused before he continued to explain his theory. "I think, he only sent out crosses to other wealthy pirates like himself...so they could pool and hide all of their treasure together?"

Abner's eyes widened and Louie sat up in his lap in excitement. "That would make the Gunsway haul look like chump change..."

"Exactly." Cal smiled smugly.

"Ho, ho, holy shi-" Donald cleared his throat to interrupt Sullivan. "-ps. Holy ships." He finished sheepishly. "So where are we going?"

"King's Bay." He said confidently.

Sam chuckled. "It was a pirate haven in Avery's time."

"I know it well." Sully assured them. "It's a big place though. Got anything more specific?"

"We didn't get a good look at the map before we had company." Abner retreated back to his seat, his sour mood returning.

"What's the one thing the survivors would've left with?" Cal smirked and held up the coin. On one side was Avery's insignia, and the other held an image of a volcano. "Know of any volcanoes in the area?"

Sully grinned back at him. "In fact I do. There's one that sits just outside of King's Bay."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Sam grinned, good mood returning. "Madagascar, here we come." 

Donald smiled and turned his attention back to the duckling in his lap. "Hey Lou," Louie looked up at his uncle, still trying to ignore the other adults around him. "Souvenir?" He handed his nephew the coin.

Louie smiled and took it from his uncle gently, turning it over in his hands. "Really?"

"I collected all kinds of souvenirs when I was your age. It helps me remember the important things." Donald ran a hand through his feathers gently. "I can show you when we get back."

Louie looked down at the coin in his hands thinking. It was old...pure copper...it had a well known pirates insignia on it...starting price would probably be around three hundred...but...this was a different kind of treasure. One that's sentimental value far exceeded its monetary value, and always would.

"Thanks...dad." He said it softly but it still made Donald stiffen. He had never encouraged his boys to call him that. In fact, there was an entire year of their lives where he had to discourage them from saying it. But with his youngest smiling up at him so sincerely, and with a small knowing smirk, he didn't have the heart to correct him. He didn't want to correct him.

Chapter Text

Scrooge was a wreck...

Della watched her uncle practically fall apart in front of her. He'd been going crazy ever since coming back from that black market auction, and while Della was worried too-only a little bit- this is Don they're talking about! She tried to get Scrooge to understand this, that they'd been kidnapped tons before. This was nothing new. It put her boys at ease, for a while, but uncle Scrooge was a whirling dervish as he tried to figure out what to do.

He was pushing everyone away, even her and she couldn't understand why. He barely ate, she knew he wasn't sleeping and he kept muttering to himself darkly under his breath as he glowered at anything or anyone that wasn't his maps, charts or contact list. He even had Gyro and whatever his assistants name is working around the clock to try and find her brother. She had asked yesterday 'Don't you think that might be overkill?' and had received a withering glare for it.

She was glad Louie wasn't here for this. Huey had called him on the plane ride back to explain what was going on. She thought for sure he would freak, but if the kid was confident about his uncle then shouldn't his brothers be? Louie hadn't wanted to come back, they had even offered to pick him up but he had refused. He put his babysitter on the phone, A-something, and she had reassured them that it was alright for Louie to stay with her for a few days longer. She had a feeling her son was doing this out of petty revenge for the grounding he had received, but she would handle that when he got back.

Right now she wished she was with Don; she really wanted to see the butt whooping she knew he was gonna dish out. It's bound to be epic!

Huey stood in the middle of his bedroom and stared blankly at the triple bunk bed. It felt so...empty without Louie, the oldest was so used to the youngest just, being there. And now without Dewey it was way too quiet. Huey didn't like quiet or empty, it felt...suffocating...overwhelming...wrong.

Usually when these kinds of feelings started to well up he'd just seek out his uncle and sit with him for awhile. Whether it was in the kitchen, listening to him putter around muttering, cleaning and making something to eat. Gosh, how long has it been since they ate something that uncle Donald cooked? He missed those family meals.

Contrary to what Beakley thinks, uncle Donald is a fantastic cook, after all Grandma Duck had taught him. Huey wished he could remember what she was like. He knew how badly uncle Donald missed her.

Sighing, he grabbed his pillow and blanket from his bed. Placing the blanket flat on the floor he then put the blanket in the pillow and then gathered all four corners, making a type of bindle, and hefted his cargo over his shoulder. Huey made his way down and out of the mansion to the backyard. Once he made it out the door he stared at the pool where his old home sat floating innocently, as if unaware of the family turmoil it was no longer a part of.

That old boat had seen them through an entire life full of tough times and seeing it, tied sail rippling slightly from the breeze, Huey felt as if he had abandoned all those memories on board it's lower deck. It felt like a grand adventure, a new beginning, a chance at something better, when they had first moved in but now...he wanted to go back.

Maybe not all the way, he thought as he boarded the small vessel, but he definitely wants to move back into the boat, back to the harbor, back with uncle Donald. They had faced so many adventures, so many hardships with uncle Scrooge...but not like with uncle Donald.

With Scrooge it was all adrenaline, all about finding out what happened, the treasure, the excitement, coming out on top. The obstacles were always physical, and both his great uncle and his mother had enough confidence and skill to see them all through. Now he knew where Dewey got it from...at least the attitude...

But with uncle Donald...he saw them through life...through hardships that tore at them mentally, emotionally, ate away at their resolve and tried to tarnish their character. He taught them how to stand up for each other, about how important family is. He protected them, loved them, took care of them selflessly for over a decade with no help. Uncle Donald was always there for them when they needed it...and when uncle Donald needs it...where were they?

This question had been plaguing him for the last three days since he had found out his uncle went missing. All he could think was, "This wouldn't have happened if uncle Scrooge wasn't so stingy!" But he knew if anyone was to blame it was his kidnapper, Goldie. Blaming his great uncle wouldn't help anyone.

Huey wiped a stray tear from his face. His gaze scanned the walls of the lower deck as he slowly made his way to his old room. The walls were covered, nearly every space, with pictures of them. Of all the moments their uncle was proud of them, of things they did. There wasn't a moment he missed...until now...when had they let him go? When did the family circle start to exclude him? In the past year since knowing uncle Scrooge there haven't been any pictures...no congratulation meals...no bonding time...no fishing trips...or fretting...

It was like everything they use to do has just suddenly...taken a backseat to adventures. As if they had little time for anything but. Was this what was stressing Louie out? Had his youngest brother figured it out first? Had their mother estranged him enough to make him realise what was going on? Why hadn't he pointed it out? Were they that blind to everything outside of the allure to adventure?

Huey took a deep breath. He suddenly understood why uncle Donald had swore off adventures. It wasn't the danger...it wasn't the greed...or the consequences of curses...it was about being second place.

"Someone always gets hurt." His uncle had said. By someone...did he mean him? Did uncle Donald always get hurt? Huey had a feeling his uncle wasn't just talking about physical injuries, or the fact that he had lost his sister for over a decade. Uncle Donald was always being left behind...wasn't he? It hurt to think about, but it made sense. Della was a lot like Dewey, especially on adventures, they ran gun hoe into traps and ambushes all the time. Half of an adventure was always taken up trying to get out of trouble.

Uncle Scrooge obviously favored Della, he built her a rocket...paid for flying lessons...got her a plane...allowed her to stay rent free in his home...and where did that leave uncle Donald? It's not fair!

Slowly, he had to unclench his fist to reach for the door knob to his room. Opening the door Huey was surprised to see Dewey already in his old hammock, staring up at the ceiling as he rocked back and forth gently.

"Hey..." Huey said softly.

Dewey looked up at him, less surprised to see him than Huey was. "Hey." He echoed.

They didn't speak the rest of the evening, Huey just climbed into the hammock with his brother, mind still whirring about his realization and two burning questions. Should he tell Dewey? And when they find uncle Donald-there's no if in his mind, he didn't want to think like that-should he leave Dewey with Della and Scrooge?

Chapter Text

They all sat around the table, Beakley had insisted they come in for dinner, but no one was actually eating. Even Webby was having a hard time being positive. After the first day she had run out of ways to cheer the boys up. They just sat staring at their chicken noodle soup; Huey occasionally stirring his.

The door to the dining room slammed open, startling the kids so badly that Dewey fell to the floor and Huey had flung a spoonful of soup onto himself accidentally. Though glad for the break from the depressing lull they had found themselves in, none of them liked having mini heart attacks. It set them on edge.

"I FOUND HIM!" Scrooge yelled in triumph. In one hand he held an old book and several yellowed papers, in the other was a map and compass. "SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD OUT SMART THE SMARTY EH? WELL NICE TRY O'GILT! I'M ONTO YEH AND THAT NO GOOD NUMPTY!". He quickly placed his items on the table while the kids scrambled to look at what he was pointing at. 

"Gave away too much information, ya should have known better you old thief!" He flattened the worn map on the table before roughly setting the book down, papers flying as he did. "Henry Avery's pirate treasure, quite the ambitious goal you set for yerself. Yer obviously in over yer head, and instead of admitting defeat you force me nephew to do yer dirty work!" He continued to angrily talk to himself, his accent getting so thick the kids could no longer understand him. That seemed fine with Huey though, from Mrs. Beakley's expression he figured it was a good thing.

"What's so tough about a pirate treasure?" Dewey chimed in, confused as he looked over the map and scattered notes. "You find impossible and usually mythological doo-dads all the time."

Scrooge huffed. "Yes, but this is a different kind of treasure!" He rubbed a hand across his face in exasperation. "There's never been enough clues to figure out what even happened to Capt. Avery, let alone whether or not his treasure was real. My time is better spent at me money bin and actual treasure prospects. Not chasing ghosts ."

Huey could tell his brother wanted to argue, after all they live with a ghost, and even he wondered what qualified to be a McDuck adventure. Because pirate treasure sounded rather... tame compared to what they usually go after.

Webby interjected before Dewey could object. "Ooh, ooh, like the Templar treasure the McDuck's have been looking for, for generations!?"

Scrooge winced. "Essentially."

"But why Uncle Donald?" Huey asked hurriedly, afraid someone else would speak up before he could ask.

Uncle Scrooge's face fell and he glanced away as if uncomfortable. But his mother answered him.

"Cause Don knows everything about pirates. He was such a nerd about it when we were younger. He could list off all the most notorious pirates, the ones that got away, the ones that were actually bad, the ones that were good, the ones that were executed. Well, he was a history buff in general, but he certainly had a pirate phase." She chuckled fondly. "I think it was cause of the boats."

Della's nonchalant attitude about Uncle Donald being gone was starting to annoy Huey, though he tried not to let it show. Though she wasn't the only one, Louie's attitude was also concerning to him. With how close he seemed to be getting to Uncle Donald and, though Huey was assuming, his distaste for the family dynamic he thought his youngest brother would have been livid. Or at least beside himself with worry. And maybe he was...maybe he was crying himself to sleep at night terrified about what was going on and wished to be alone.

"So where are we going Uncle Scrooge?" Della leaned over the map with an easy smile on her face that just...rubbed Huey the wrong way.

"The only place that could possibly have clues." He grabbed a red marker from his jacket and circled a place on the map. "It was a popular port for pirate activity back in the day. A hub if you will, almost a safe haven. So we'll start there."

At least Uncle Scrooge was taking this seriously. Webby and Dewey danced around with Della excitedly as they talked about the trip.

"This is not a time for sightseein'." Scrooge admonished as he rolled up the map. "We go in, look around for useful information and keep an eye out for Donald."

Huey pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared at it a moment. Then he decided to hit his speed-dial as he stepped out of the room. The phone rang for a while, setting him on edge as he waited for an answer. Finally he heard the line connect and a quick 'hello?' came through.

"Louie?" He continued to edge away from the dining room. "Scrooge has a lead on where Goldie might have taken Uncle Donald."

The line was frustratingly quiet. 

"I just thought you'd want to know." He waited for his brother to say something. "Do...do you want to come with us?"

"... no ." The reply was filled with static, as if the connection was bad.

Huey grit his teeth to keep from yelling. "Why not ? You're acting like you don't even CARE!"

"OF COURSE I CARE! BUT I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE A WORD GOLDIE SAYS!" His brother's indignant response came back. "I thought you'd know better than to trust her of all people. She likes doing and saying whatever it takes to get under Scrooge's skin."

He knew he was right, he had a very valid point but it didn't matter to him right now. " So ? There's no proof that she's lying either."

"Yes there is."

Huey was about to explode.

"I've been talking to Uncle Donald all day. Text him yourself if you don't believe me."

Was it that simple? Would a text of all things solve this? None of them had tried...but then again...

"How do you know Goldie isn't making him send those messages or just outright sending them herself? Do you know where he is?" He asked hopefully.

Before Louie could answer him, his phone was yanked out of his hands. When he turned around to see who it was he found his mother.

"Listen, Louie, I know you're upset and you have every reason to be. I'm sure you miss your Uncle a lot, but ...we are going to have a long and I mean a long discussion about the importance of family when you get home young man. It's important to be there for each other. I'll let your absence slide this time, but I need to know that you understand why I'm disappointed." Huey couldn't hear Louie's response, but it appeased Della. "I love you swe-." She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. "Hmm, bad connection."

She tossed Huey his phone. "Go pack Hue-ball, we're going to Madagascar."

Louie sat on the bed in the motel room he was sharing with April. His Uncle, Abner and Sully were sharing another. He flopped back on the mattress, exhausted from having flown from Duckburg to Italy and then Italy to Scotland and then here in Madagascar. The jet lag was unbelievable, he had no idea how Uncle Donald was still awake and pouring over maps and charts. Maybe he didn't need sleep?

But Louie definitely needed some shut eye, preferably right now. He didn't bother taking his hoodie off as he slid under the covers on his own full sized bed. April sat on her own typing on her computer. When he asked what she was doing she just smiled and said she was updating her resume to include 'daring rescuer' and 'babysitter extraordinaire'.  He was pretty sure she was only half joking.

He had just gotten comfortable when his phone began ringing, sounding out the Junior Woodchuck anthem. Huey ...

Louie debated with himself about whether or not to answer. He decided he would, after all he wasn't trying to keep secrets-that wasn't a part of the experiment- he just wanted to see if not saying anything would really work. So far he had made it to four different countries, three of which they didn't know, without them even being suspicious. Well, Huey seemed to be getting a little suspicious, but that was because he was a control freak...and Louie knew he cared. Other than Uncle Donald of course, Huey was the only one that kept track of him and Dewey. Huey worried about them...a lot like Uncle Donald.

He sighed heavily before answering. "Hello?"

"Louie?" He could hear the concern in his brother's voice, and it made him feel guilty. "Scrooge has a lead on where Goldie might have taken Uncle Donald."

The duckling went quiet. Scrooge couldn't possibly know...could he?

"I just thought you'd want to know." If Scrooge and Della show up out of the blue it could spell absolute disaster for Abner. They could ruin everything. "Do...do you want to come with us?"

 It took a few moments before Louie registered what his brother had asked. "... no ."

"Why not? You're acting like you don't even CARE!" The accusation hurt, causing anger to swell up in him.

"OF COURSE I CARE! BUT I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE A WORD GOLDIE SAYS!" He thought Huey was smarter than to let himself be fooled like this. When was he going to start asking questions? "I thought you'd know better than to trust her of all people. She likes doing and saying whatever it takes to get under Scrooge's skin."

" So ? There's no proof that she's lying either." He didn't expect his brother to continue the argument. Huey seemed strangely convinced that Uncle Donald was kidnapped. 

"Yes there is." Maybe he should throw his oldest brother a bone. "I've been talking to Uncle Donald all day. Text him yourself if you don't believe me."

"How do you know Goldie isn't making him send those messages or just outright sending them herself? Do you know where he is?" Despite telling no lies, the guilt only continued to grow. The entire family was stressing out and worrying over...well not over nothing, Uncle Donald's already been shot at twice . But they are worrying over something that wasn't even true.

He could tell Huey everything right now. Explain everything over the phone. Huey would believe him...but then Scrooge would want to take the hunt over from Uncle Donald and he wouldn't care about screwing over Abner and keeping all the treasure for himself. 

Before Louie could give in and come clean he heard Della's voice come over the line.

"Listen, Louie, I know you're upset and you have every reason to be. I'm sure you miss your Uncle a lot, but ...we are going to have a long and I mean long discussion about the importance of family when you get home young man. It's important to be there for each other. I'll let your absence slide this time, but I need to know that you understand why I'm disappointed."

Louie grimaced, surprised by not only the hypocrisy but the audacity of what Della was saying. He tried to think of an answer that wouldn't be rude, he didn't want to start an argument, he just wanted to go to bed. "Sure, whatever." That wasn't bad right?

"I love you swe-." He hung up, uncaring of anything else she had to say. Sure, she loved him...probably. But how much of that's based off of who he is , and who she thinks he is? Louie didn't want to know, but he was pretty sure Della loved the idea of him more than... him .

He landed back against his pillow with a soft thump and groaned.

"You ok?" He glanced over at April, who hadn't stopped typing but he was sure she had heard every word.

"I will be." He sighed.

Uncle Donald chose that moment to come in to tell him goodnight and Louie couldn't keep himself from telling him everything. His uncle frowned as he spoke, his scowl deepening in thought. When he finished Uncle Donald pulled the covers up and over him before stroking his head.

"It's not your fault. And you're right, having Scrooge and your mother here would throw quite the monkey wrench in everything." Uncle Donald glanced at the bedside table where Louie had left his uncle's old adventure journal out. "Tell you what, when we get home you can tell them everything. I'll even help."

Louie's eyes widened. "Really?" He knew how uncomfortable talking about his past was for his uncle. After all, he's kept quiet about it for decades.

"Really. We can even have a movie night at the Manor." Uncle Donald smiled.

"When you say everything..."

"Anything you know, they can know." His uncle kissed his forehead and headed out.

Louie frowned at how his Uncle had worded that. Was there more to know? Was his life as Calisota just...the tip of the iceberg? He pulled the compass from his hoodie pocket, opened the lid and stared at the face of a grandfather he never knew.

Chapter Text

If there had been any doubt before, Louie could honestly say that it was now dashed into a million pieces. Uncle Donald's adventures are absolutely nothing like Scrooge's.

For starters, he'd been tucked away and out of danger for most of it. So when his Uncle said he could come with to search for the next clue he was pretty sure it was because he thought it would be boring and safe. He was right, well mostly.

"I told you we'd need the winch!" His uncle shouted from on top of the hill.

They had spent the first hour and a half of their morning negotiating a better price for the off-road jeep they wanted to rent. All because his uncle insisted they'd need a winch. Louie didn't really know what that was.

But his uncle got his wish, at a hefty price, and they set off across the desert of King's Bay and toward the volcano rising toward the sky in the distance. Sully driving, his uncle in the front seat and him and Abner in the back. It was a long drive across muddy river beds, around and between rocky outcroppings and now up a steep and muddy incline. All the while Abner and Uncle Donald continued to catch up with each other.

The winch finally came into play when they came up on an old guard tower that sat on top of a steep and muddy incline. It sat so close to the mountain range alongside the volcano that the only way to it or around it, was to go up the incline.

Uncle Donald was quick to tell Sully to stop, hop out, and grab the hook that was attached to the front of the jeep. He pulled a lever to release the metal chain connecting the hook to the vehicle, made some slack so he could wrap it around his waist and ran so he could build up speed to climb the side of the muddy hill. Lucky for them there was a large tree a few feet from the top, and once he was up there Louie watched him wrap the chain around the tree twice before securing it with the hook.

"Give it some gas!" He called down to them and Sully obliged. Though Louie noticed they were being pulled up by the chain more than they were driving up.

'Hmm, so that's what a winch is for.' Knowing Scrooge, if they had gone on this adventure with the old miser, then they'd all either be on camel back or hiking through this terrain. Louie liked this way better, it was easier.

By the time they reached the top he watched curiously as his uncle deftly climbed down off the guard towers ruins before hopping into the jeep. It was an odd sight, as he hadn't even noticed his uncle scaling the tower in the first place. How sneaky...

"I told you we'd need the winch." He smiled smugly at Sully and for a second Louie saw himself in his uncle, with a knowing smirk on his face as he told his brothers 'I told you so, you know I'm always right'. It was weird. He never thought that he and his uncle were even remotely alike. And yet here uncle Donald was with a grin on his face he himself has given his brothers and even his uncle a thousand times.

"I wasn't disagreeing with you." Sully grumbled. "I just didn't want to pay an extra 500 dollars for a wench we might not need."

"Well we did need it." Donald kept grinning cheekily. Louie expected an argument, or at least for the dog to bluster indignantly. When he proved Scrooge or Goldie wrong, both would never admit it, one would bluster and seeth; The other would act like she knew the whole time and was just playing him. But Victor Sullivan surprised him.

"Yes, we did." The old dog sighed. "I'll give you that." It was begrudging and yet he still somehow managed to sound fond. Louie smiled, Sully was truly his uncle's mentor.

"I also found something interesting in there." His uncle's words had Abner perking up beside him in the back. "There was a sigil for a lesser known pirate on the floor. My guess is the towers lining the route toward the volcano weren't put there to keep pirate's out.."

"But to keep pirate treasure safe?" Abner guessed and Louie got excited wondering how close they were to the treasure.

"Yep, lookouts." Uncle Donald was really enjoying himself, Louie could tell. Why wasn't he ever this happy on their other adventures?

The excitement simmered and waned as they continued to scout the other eleven towers heading toward the volcano. Each and every one held a different pirate's sigil and the closer they got to the last one, the more well known each pirate was.

Richard Want, Edward England, Adam Baldridge, Anne Bonny and more. And as they came up on the last tower Louie could tell that this one was at least twice as large as the others. It even had its own drawbridge just to get close to it as it sat on a ridge across a large crevice where there probably used to be a river.

Sully parked the jeep as uncle Donald got out. "You stay here kiddo, while I go open the door."

Louie wondered how his uncle was going to drop the drawbridge for them. He watched as his uncle pulled out a grappling hook from the back of the jeep. He swung it around a few times and in one shot was able to hook it on a window's ledge.Uncle Donald gave him a heart attack as he leapt off the their side of the crevice. The duckling watched it as if in slow motion as his uncle swung toward the tower, bounced of it's side a little before climbing the rope up with just his hands. It was nerve wracking and the duckling crossed his fingers in the hopes that his uncle's bad luck wouldn't make him fall.

"Hey kid," Abner poked him in the side. "You wanna hear a joke?"

In response, all Louie gave the older duck was a side eye. But Abner continued anyway.

"So this pirate walks into a bar with ship's wheel hanging out of his pants-"

"Is this joke really appropriate?" Sully cut in over his shoulder.

"It's fine," Abner waved him off and Louie frowned. "So the bartender asks 'what's with the wheel?' and the pirate answers...'ARRGH, it's drivin' me nuts!'." 

He's heard worse from Dewey, but the goober beside him keeps grinning like he's waiting for him to understand the double meaning. Louie just sighs. "You're gonna have to do better than that. I live with the king of puns and punchlines so trust me, I've heard it all."

"Oh really?" Abner grinned at him. "What's worse than finding a worm in an apple?"

"Half a worm." Louie replied without missing a beat.

"What's long brown and sticky?" The older duck tried again.

"A stick." Louie rolled his eyes.

"Did you hear about the giant that threw up?"

"Yeah, it was all over town."

"What do you get when you cross a border collie and a cantaloupe?"

"Melancholy babies."

It seemed like almost a challenge now as they both grinned at each other while Sully groaned from the front.

"Why couldn't the pony sing?"

"Cause he was a little horse."

"What kind of shoes do spies wear?"

"Sneakers."

"Why was the math book sad?"

"Are you kidding? That one's so old." Louie shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket while Abner just kept grinning at him. "Ugh...because it had so many problems."

"Ok, last one. I'll give you ten bucks if you can get this." Louie perked up at the promise. "Why isn't the word 'Phonetic' spelled with an F?" 

Louie's eyes widened. He hadn't heard that one before...why wasn't phonetic spelled with an F? Why...? What would Huey say? His oldest would know and if he didn't he'd just look it up in the guidebook. Why-

"Because the word originated in Greek." Louie turned around and saw his uncle was back and the bridge was lowered. Had Abner been distracting him on purpose? "There's no letter F in the Greek alphabet, that's why certain words are spelled with a ph. Like alphabet ."

"Awe c'mon Cal, I had the kid sweatin'." Sam hopped out of the jeep. "You always gotta be a know it all."

Uncle Donald just grinned at him before turning back to Louie. "Come on. The tower's empty."

The climb up wasn't as bad as some of the temple's Scrooge has taken him too, but it was still tiring. When they reached the top it opened out into a large room. There was sand everywhere and cobwebs clinging to every corner. But the far wall was definitely the clue as it held several sigils engraved onto its surface, and each one marked a place somewhere around King's Bay.

"12 sigils, each representing a tower." Sam looked over the map. "But which one do we pick?"

Louie watched them quietly discuss which pirate Avery would've trusted the most, or which one had the most wealth, was the least well known or less likely to be caught just trying to figure out where the proverbial 'X' would be. He grabbed the coin in his pocket and flipped it around his fingers...wait...

He pulled the copper coin from his pocket and held it up to the light. On one side of the coin Louie found a slight indentation of a sigil pressed into the picture of the volcano making him grin. 

"I got it!" He ran over to his uncle and handed him back the coin. "It's this one." He pointed to the scales on the north side of the bay.

"Great job Louie!" His uncle ruffled his feathers.

"Way to go kid." Sully put his hand on Louie shoulder and the duckling grinned back up at the adults, perfectly pleased with himself.

"Can I see that?" Sam pointed to the coin and Donald handed it over. He eyed it for a moment, frowning.

"What is it Sam?" They all watched as he turned the coin, so the sigil was upside down.

"What if it's this one?" He pointed to the tower, who's sigil was a trident, that sat on the opposite side of the bay from the scales. 

"Crap." Cal muttered beneath his breath. 

"Well if you hold it right side up, then it's the scales." Louie frowned.

"It's not that simple Lou." Uncle Donald leaned down and showed him the coin. "The reason you know the orientation of the bay is because you know which way north is."

"Aren't all maps like that?" Louie asked, confused.

"No," Sam interjected. "When mass distributed maps are made, yes, but pirates make their own maps."

"So?" He thought he understood what they were talking about, but he didn't know how maps were made, or charted.

"The compass that sits in the top right corner of most maps has what's called a Compass Rose. It's used for finding the maps contents and a lot of pirates put a code on their Compass Rose's to lead people who are after their treasure or hide out on a wild goose chase." Uncle Donald explained.

"Hence the phrase, 'Red Herring'." Sully cut in.

"So," Louie eyed the coin. "We don't know if Avery oriented his maps to the north..."

"Or south apparently." Sam finished.

Chapter Text

April took a deep breath, enjoying the ocean air as she patrolled through the markets of King's Bay. She loved the bustle of people around her and the architecture of the old buildings lining the large dirt streets. A few vendors tried to get her attention so they could sell her their wares, but she kept moving on. It wouldn't do to have the lookout distracted.

So far the morning and early afternoon had been quiet, no Shoreline in sight. But she knew it was only a matter of time until she spotted them. Until then she enjoyed being useful again. It'd been a long time since she last helped uncle Donald on an adventure, and even though this role was small, she knew this was where she was most useful. 

She didn't know much off the top of her head about pirates, though she'd been researching them non-stop since this quest started, so back-up and morale support was her go to schtick. Louie especially seemed to need it. April's never been on a McDuck adventure, but it must be way different from uncle Donald's if her little brother was this tightly wound. Though, his mother may be to blame for that.

After hearing her speak to him like that, she just wanted to reach right through the phone and smack the woman. She didn't ask where Louie was, if he was doing ok, if he needed anything, nothing. Nothing but, 'I'm disappointed in you'. She sounded like she was trying to imitate what she thought a mother should sound like. And considering she wasn't raised with one might explain some things. Letting out a breath to release her anger, April reminded that Louie's mother was still learning how to handle three boys, and she was going off of what she knew and very little experiences. She shouldn't judge her so harshly off the bat.

April brushed off her thoughts, she didn't know the woman so judgment would have to wait, and went back to scanning the crowd for any unwanted visitors. 

Luckily it wasn't until nearly 2 o'clock that she spotted them asking the locals if they'd seen any American tourists. The young woman ducked into an alleyway to avoid being spotted before pulling out her radio. Here's to hoping they weren't out of range.

"Rubber Ducky, come in. This is the Wise Little Hen, do you copy? Over." The radio crackled for a moment before sparking to life.

"Rubber Ducky to Wise Little Hen, I read you. Over." Uncle Donald's voice was full of static but she could understand him at least.

"Bogie's spotted in the area putting out BOLO's for your party. Over." April waited for a minute, then another, before finally getting a response.

"Roger that. Rendezvous at checkpoint for cargo pickup. Take care of my Medallion. Over." She grinned at Louie's codename.

"Roger Wilco, ETA 20 minutes. Over." 

"Copy that, Rubber Duck over and out."

April put her radio away and hurried off to the Jeep rental place to pick up Louie so she could take him back to the hotel. Hopefully dad won't need cover fire again.

Della gripped the yoke of the Cloudslayer fiercely. Uncle Scrooge, Huey and now Dewey were starting to worry her. First uncle Scrooge refuses to eat and shuts himself in his room with nothing but his maps and his phone, then Huey disappears and when he comes back he starts giving her this look, like everything's out of control and he expects her to fix it. And then Dewey goes quiet, from the moment she's met her blue son he's never been anything but loud and all over the place. She loves his energy, but lately...

"Where are you Don?" She whispered to herself. "I could really use some advice on what to do."

Della didn't like to admit she needed help. She's been capable of taking care of herself for a long time. But...when she needs him, Donald's always been there. Now more than ever, she wished she could talk to him. So she did, just like she had on the moon, though she made sure to keep it to a whisper.

"What do I do? I don't know how to make them feel better." She sighed and looked over her shoulder at Huey and Dewey. The blue triplet had his gaze firmly set out the window, a sad and pinched expression on his face while the red triplet kept wringing his hands together, his feather matted and twisted from the action.

Turning forward again she shook her head. "I've tried reassuring them but they don't believe me when I say that you're fine. I don't understand why they're so worried. We've been through worse than getting kidnapped. And Goldie isn't violent. So why? What are they afraid of? And how do I help them?"

Della growled in frustration as she thought to herself. Why? These thoughts took up most of the trip to Madagascar and before she knew it they had landed in King's Bay. All docked and ready to go.

Scrooge ushered them off spouting about where the first place they should look would be. Della pulled Huey and Dewey aside for a moment.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." They both looked at her confused. "Don's fine. You know that right?"

Huey's fists clenched and he took a breath. "No, I don't, and I won't until I see him for myself." He turned and followed after Scrooge and Webby.

Dewey frowned at his brothers retreating back before turning back to his mother. "Gotta say, I'm with Huey on this one. Uncle Donald wouldn't rest until he made sure we were safe. Now it's our turn to do that for him, we don't know if he's in danger or not, we don't know if he needs us or not. And I can't believe I'm saying this but...better safe than sorry." He shrugged before running to catch up with his brother and great uncle. 

Della wasn't one to fear, especially not the unknown. The thought of it has always excited her. She frowned as she realized that maybe her boys were more like her brother than she thought.

Chapter Text

He didn't want to, but with the arrival of shoreline, they'd have to. Cal decided to take the tower with the scales while Sam took the one with the trident. Sully would go with Cal after they dropped Louie off with April.

The trip back was pretty quiet, though that had more to do with the fact that no one was looking forward to running into Rafe, Nadine or her jerks for hire again. Louie sighed as he watched the scenery outside the window, unhappy with being sent back but he knew this was the deal. After all, it wasn't safe.

When they returned the jeep Abner pulled Louie aside for a moment. "Hey kid, I really appreciate your support, ya know?" The black haired duck smiled down at him.

Louie stuffed his hands in his hoodie and shrugged. "Yeah well...if it were me, I'd want help." He smiled. "I mean, if you can't trust family, then who can you trust?"

"Louie!" The duckling's head turned at the call and he trotted over to his uncle for a hug before leaving with April. If he had turned back, he would have seen the guilt eating away at Abner.

They landed at half past 3 in the afternoon. He was eager to scour the city, diligently and thoroughly. If either Goldie or Whitewater were here, then he'd find them.

Scrooge clenched his fist in frustration. This was the best he could do on such short notice. Avery's treasure had virtually no leads, historical records could not agree on anything and without enough evidence to separate legend from fact, the old duck feared that his poor nephew was being forced to chase ghosts.

But he kept his spirits high and an air of confidence about him as he suggested that he and Della split up. That way they can cover more ground. The lads ask to come with him while Webby wrings her hands. Poor lass, caught up in all of this without knowing what to do or how to help. He suggests she goes with Della and she just nods, still looking lost and he knew that she knew that this was a long shot.

Scrooge sighed, hoping that his nephew would be able to defy the odds like always, he never went down without a fight. But he had to wonder...was Goldie working with someone? Is that who took him? Or was she blackmailing Donald into cooperating? And what would become of him when he's no longer useful? Goldie wouldn't...but the crowd she rubs elbows with...

For the boys' sake, and his own, he hoped that his boy had escaped. He didn't think he could handle another set of grieving ducklings. If any of them found out just how slim their chances were of finding Donald-no. He wouldn't think like that. He'll find his nephew, he will...he has to...he can't fail...not again.

With grim determination he veered away from the main streets and began searching the many narrow, twisting back alley's in the vain hope he'll find him like last time. Oh, sweet bagpipes. That was the first time he had ever lost one of his bairns. He swore to himself, never again. But then with the Spear...and now....

The old duck was so lost in his own thoughts, eyes scanning every nook and cranny, that he didn't notice when the two ducklings beside him disappeared. Until he met back up with Della.

"Where are the boys?"

Both of their eyes widened as they suddenly realized and the panic that ensued was almost comical. Webby watched them confused as Della was literally pulling her hair out and trying not to hyperventilate. 

"WHEN DID YOU LOSE THEM?! HOW LONG AGO?!"

"I DON'T KNOW LASS! THEY WERE RIGHT BEHIND ME-"

"WELL OBVIOUSLY NOT!"

Finally she spoke up. "They have their phones on them don't they? Why don't you try calling them?" Both adults stopped and stared at her for a moment while they processed what she said. 

"Yes!" Della cheered as Scrooge pulled out his phone. "I totally forgot! Thanks Webby."

"Come on....come on...." It rang for a few seconds before finally one of them answered. "Huey? Huey, where in the blazes are you two?!"

"We found the black haired duck!" Their line was full of background noise, people shouting and the roar of an engine.

"What!?" Della and Scrooge both yelled. They had found Abner? He was here? Scrooge growled.

"Are you sure lad?"

"Positive. We'll let you know where he goes." 

"Aye, good work! Which way are ya heading?"

It was a moment before Huey spoke up again. "East!"

"We're on our way boys." Della yelled into Scrooge's ear.

He rubbed his head a moment before he ended the call. "Keep us posted."

Huey grabbed his brother's sleeve, making both of them stop suddenly. "Dewey, does that duck look familiar to you?"

They had been following uncle Scrooge's frantic pace all afternoon, and they were getting tired and hungry. But neither were ready to give up when Huey spotted the duck across the street from them, coming out of a bell tower.

Dewey's gaze snapped to the figure his brother pointed out. "Yeah...that's the guy that came to the manor last week, wasn't he looking for uncle Donald?"

They watched from a side alley as he walked down the main street at a brisk pace, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. 

"If he's here...do you think...?"

"There's only one way to find out." Dewey took off after the black haired duck.

"Wait!" Huey turned around to tell uncle Scrooge, but all he saw was an empty alley. He only had a moment to make a decision, follow Dewey or go look for Scrooge...the oldest gritted his teeth and clenched his fists...before taking off after his brother. Someone had to look out for him.

They wove through the streets, dodging carts and people left and right. They almost lost sight of him twice, but being small had it's privileges as they were half everyone's height. This made it easy to weave in between stalls, peoples legs and under carts.

Finally they caught up to him, their chests' heaving from the trek, just in time to see him hop into a jeep and start it. Huey wasn't sure where his brother found the energy, but with a burst of speed Dewey ran towards the vehicle.

"He's getting away!" 

Huey sped after him, a hand on his hat to keep from losing it. In front of him he watched Dewey grab a hold of the back and climb into the cargo box behind the cab. The jeep lurched forward and with a jolt of fear he too found some energy. The jeep pulled away from the main street and took off down a side street, and Huey was losing it fast, but Dewey thankfully reached over the side to offer his brother a hand.

"Come on!" Huey lunged forward, grabbing his brother's hand with his right and the back of the jeep with his left. His brother pulled him into the back with him. As they lay painting in the cargo box they have to brace themselves as they ride is bumpy.

Huey turns his head, eyeing his brother. "Ok....now what?"

"We wait...for him..to stop." Dewey said between pants. "Then we corner him....and ask about...uncle Donald."

Huey wasn't sure if that would work, but at the very least they could text Scrooge and Della where they were and maybe they could get the duck to talk. 

The sound of Huey's phone ringing made them jump. As quickly as he could he pulled it out of his pocket to see who it was. It was uncle Scrooge.

Chapter Text

It wasn't hard to sneak into the tower with the scales. Though they did have to keep a lookout for any prying eyes since the building sat dead center of the busiest part of the market. Sully helped boost him in through a window facing an alley and from there he let the old dog in through a side door after picking the lock. The inside held a white winding staircase that led from the bottom all the way to the top where the bell was at, and all along the way were smaller bells with symbols on them.

"You really think all that pirate treasure is just gonna be sitting in the middle of the market here?" Sully asked as they took in the view.

Cal chuckled. "No, that'd be crazy." Then he frowned. "But then again, we've seen crazy before."

This time Sully chuckled. "That we have."

Walking further in Cal looked around and found that there were four statues placed at the four sides of the room and on each there was a letter. N, E, W, S. The floor was also unique as it held the scales, which was Edward England's sigil. Looking closer he could see that there was space between the picture and the rest of the floor as if it was a seperate piece, as it sat in a large circle taking up most of the space. Four large half circles surrounded the picture and from what he could tell appeared to be some kind of locks, each with a picture of one of the statues emblazoned on the top.

"So what are we looking for?" Sully asked.

"Good question." Cal pulled out his journal and as he sketched, he thought. "Look at the statues, there's a scorpion, a lion....

"A guy with a pitcher and a bull..." Sully finished.

"Their constellations!" Cal looked up from his journal as the thought hit him. "Scorpio, Leo, Taurus and Aquarius." He smiled at Sully. 

"But what do we do with them? What kind of clue is that?" 

Stepping closer to one of the statues didn't help, though he noticed there seemed to be marks scratched into its base. Then he stepped back and looked up. Other than the main bell in the tower there seemed to be four smaller bells stationed in a type of ascending order along the staircase going up to the main bell. "Well, it is a bell tower. Let's go ring some bells."

"Yeah, but in what order?" Sully was right; what order? "Are we gonna have to ring them all until we figure out the sequence? Cause all that noise is bound to attract some attention. Not to mention pirates were known for their booby traps, what if we hit the wrong one and the roof comes down on our heads?"

"You're right. We need more clues." 

Cal approached one of the statues and examined score marks on it. "Look here." The lion statue had three scratch marks carved into its base. Running over to the bull he found it had four, and the scorpion had one. "Check out Aquarius, does it have any scoring on it?"

Sully ran his hands along the statue's base. "Yea, it has two."

"Perfect, someone else already figured it out and left a cheat behind." Cal grinned as he wrote the order down in his journal. "Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo, Taurus..."

"Well lucky us." Sully commented under his breath.

"This is definitely the place, call Sam." He snapped his journal closed and headed toward the staircase.

"I'm on it." Sully pulled out his phone and watched as Cal climbed the old steps two at a time.

Cal sprinted up the staircase in excitement, though the first bell he came to had an engraving of a lion. The second was a bull...great, the next was a scorpion which meant Aquarius was near the top. Next to the bell was an old crank wheel that turned the gears to tip the bell on its side so the clapper in the middle would swing and make it ring. Unfortunately it no longer had a handle, so Cal had to grip the wheel itself to make it turn. The chains were rusted and the wood groaned but he was able to turn it. Didn't mean he didn't wish he had some W-D40 on him, but he got the job done.

The load ringing of the first bell echoed through the room and consequently Cal's head. The noise beat against his eardrums and his hands flew to his ears to help block out the noise.

"THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT ONE. ONE OF THE LOCKS ROTATED AND DISAPPEARED." Sully yelled up at him.

He cupped his hands over his beak and yelled back down. "DID YOU GET A HOLD OF SAM?"   

"NO. THIS PLACE'S GOT LOUSY SERVICE."

"WE'LL CALL HIM WHEN WE GET OUTSIDE THEN."

Cal climbed up and was relieved to see that Aquarius's wheel had a handle; and then promptly wished he had packed Deci-Damps along with the W-D40. But other than that he was happy with their progress. He wished Grandma were alive to hear about this. She would've been ecstatic to know they had found it.

"ANOTHER LOCK WENT IN." Sully yelled up.

"GOOD." He then ran back down to the first platform to ring Leo.

"THERE'S GOES ANOTHER ONE."

Cal was starting to hate stairs. But he made it to Taurus....which didn't have a wheel at all. Oh, boy. Cal looked around for something to strike the bell with until he realized he just had to grab the clapper from inside the bell and swing it. He leaned down and stuck his hand inside but he couldn't find the darn clapper. 

"WHAT'S THE HOLD UP KID? YOU NEED ANY HELP."

"NO, I GOT IT."

Well, Grandpa always told him to use his head. Donald backed up a few steps before bending over and charging the bell. He hit it squarely with the crown of his noggin making the ringing from before even worse. The good news however, is that he did remember to pack the ibuprofen.

He rubbed his head a few times before calling back down to Sully. "HOW'S IT LOOKING DOWN THERE?"

"THE LAST LOCK SLID AWAY,  BUT NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED."

Cal frowned as he thought. What else was there? He looked around from his vantage point but nothing stuck out to him. Maybe...maybe he had to ring the last bell? Well, it was worth a shot.

Climbing back up the stairs he found they ended at a platform. This was most likely where the bell was rung from using an old rope. But the rope was no longer, though looking up he could see where it used to be attached. The enormous bell took up most of the ceiling space. Planks and cross beams supported its weight where it hung and from this angle he could clearly see the old and eroded clapper hanging from underneath the bell.

In cases where the first rope broke, to ensure the bell could be rung on time, there was a metal bar run through the large, teardrop shaped end of the clapper that hung down with a second bar attached. Almost like a square, with the top part in the clapper and the bottom part exposed like a really dangerous trapeze bar. Which gave Cal an idea, a really...really dangerous idea.

With a running start he leaped from the platform and grabbed the dangling bar. His grip was like iron as he hung from the bell. From here he could hear the wood beams holding the bell groan and squeak from his extra weight. Better hurry then, old wood splinters easily. He began swinging himself back and forth to gain momentum and it took several tries before the clapper hit the side of the bell. 

When the last note rang out Cal had to resist the urge to cover his ears as he gripped the metal bar for dear life. The bell and the clapper were winging precariously now and Donald feared his bad luck was rearing its ugly head.

Sure enough the support beams on the right side finally gave in and the bell and Donald began to fall. Lucky enough for him it was toward the platform. So when the bell hit the side of the tower with a bone vibrating thud the edge of it was within reach. He grabbed the edge of the bell, brought his feet up and pushed off and away from it and for a heart stopping moment...he feared that the ledge of the platform was too far away.

His fingers made contact jarring his hands and pulling painfully on his joints as he slammed into the side of the platform and hung there. The roaring in his ears nearly drowned out the sound of the bell slamming into the floor. But Donald didn't register it, cause for the moment as his heart raced and his palms sweat...his mind threw him back into a memory. And for the moment he was 12 years old again...

He was dangling off the edge of a cliff, he had been lagging behind them since the beginning. Mostly because he doesn't want to b e here. For a moment he's hopeful as uncle Scrooge's face appears over the side...but instead of helping him he only encouraged him to do it by himself...

Couldn't he see he was slipping? Didn't he care that Donald might fall?

"Come on lad, you can do it. Can't do everything for you. How are you supposed to adventure if you can't even climb a mountain?"

Soon his sister's voice joined Scrooge's. "Come on Donnie, we're almost there! It's not that hard!"

"Yes it is! Help me!" His arms felt like they were going to fall off. He was so tired...his fingers were starting to go numb...

"KID, YOU OK?"

He knew that voice...Sully! Sully will help him, Sully will pull him up...but...wait...he hadn't met Sully until he was 14...

Donald blinked and the memory vanished. He wasn't hanging off the side of a cliff begging his family to help him...he was in a clock tower...in Madagascar...helping Abner. He shook his head and finished pulling himself up.

"KID!?" Sullivan sounded panicked.

"I'M OK." Even from here he could hear the old dog cursing a blue streak.

"NEXT TIME, A LITTLE WARNING BEFORE YOU BRING DOWN THE HOUSE!"

"I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER THAT."

Donald shook the memory off, willing himself to focus again, before heading down what was left of the staircase. Let's just say there was a lot of jumping involved. When he made it to the bottom he winced at the damage he'd caused. The bell sat against the far wall, dust, broken wood beams and other debris surrounding it but at least it was out of the way of the middle of the room.

"You alright?" Sully eyed him.

"Yeah, you?"

"Deaf." 

Cal was back to grinning. He clapped the old dog on the shoulder as he spotted the spiral stairs which led down, the large circle in the middle had created them. It was very similar to the ones behind the gravestone in Scotland. When they descended they found a few wooden beams blocking the door, but they made short work of them and walked right in.

He sighed, spotting more stairs on the other side that continued to take them further and further beneath the tower. The halls were decorated with ornamental, gold skulls and crossbones...at least he hoped they were ornamental, and lamps that were dim from not being lit for hundreds of years. Finally reaching the end they came to a door with compasses carved into the wood. It took both him and Sully to open them and when they did they stumbled into the room.

The room was lavish, though the carpet was old he could tell it had been red velvet. Surrounding them hung on the white, gold decorated walls, were pristine paintings of the 10 most notorious pirates in history. The other two had larger than life marble statues of themselves placed to the left and right side of a large circular table. One was an eagle with a three pointed hat, a long coat and his sword drawn. The other was a duck with his long hair braided back, also wearing a long coat and with one hand behind his back.

"Are those our boys?" Sully asked.

"Yep. Henry Avery," He pointed to the eagle. "And Thomas Tew." Then to the duck. "Partners in crime." Above their heads was a golden plaque that read.."Founders...founders of what?"

"Worst scavenger hunt ever?" Sully joked.

Cal glanced back at the ornate table behind them. It was illuminated by a hanging chandelier...which was also gold. He was really hoping that Avery hadn't spent all his treasure to make a wild goose chase. Walking over to it he ran his fingers along the engravings. Curiously there were three pictures of a globe, and each contained a different set of islands and partial coordinates.

Pulling out his phone he snapped a pic of each before sending them to Sam. Then he pulled his journal out again to sketch the room allowing his mind to wander and think.

Founders...Avery recruited...why did this story sound familiar? It was like he had read it in a book somewhere...and the engravings...they were obviously the next clue. Cal looked up and stared at an iconic picture of Anna Bonny. The red headed duck was in a full blown rage as she defended her ship against the british soldiers, a flintlock in each hand...it reminded him of his mother...

Looking back down at his sketch another idea came to him. This one a lot better than the last. Cal ripped out a few pages and headed back to the table. He laid the paper over top of the engraving and began running his pencil over it to make a rubbing of the image.

Sully peered at him curiously. "What are you doing, you just took pictures?"

"Pirates wouldn't have smartphones. So how would they remember the clue?" He finished tracing the last two before he lined up the compasses on each picture and held all three pages up to the light.

"Good work kid." The map was now complete and showed an island off the coast of Madagascar. Sully pointed to the arrows and symbols around the map. "So these are trade winds...and these are latitudes...and I would guess we're packing our bags again?" Sullivan turned a wide smile to Cal but stopped short at the look on his face. "What?"

He pointed to the words etched into the top of the paper. "Pro Deus quod licentia."

"In english please."

"It can't be..."

"Can't be what?"

"It's so obvious now..."

"Cal, you're not making any sense." Sully placed a hand on his shoulder in concern.

"Why didn't I see this before?" Cal put away the pages. His phone started ringing

"Enough waking eloquent about your epiphany, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Just a minute." He answered it without looking at the number. "Sam, did you get the photos?" A malicious chuckle was his answer. It wasn't Abner...it was Rafe...how had he gotten his number?

"How you been Cal?"

Donald steeled himself. "Hey, Rafe." He turned to Sullivan and the old dog's eyes widened. "It's been a long time. How'd you get this number?"

"You know what they say. Money opens doors."

"Well I hope you didn't spend too much on this whole Avery thing. I hear the competitions fierce." Cal gathered his things and motioned for Sully to follow him out.

"Yeah, you pulled off some clever moves there, but in the end all that matters is who gets there first."

"Well now, that sounds like a bet." They crested the top of the stairs and made their way out of the tower.

"Cal, you know I'm always game...but my partner...well...She prefers to...mitigate unnecessary risks."

"Wow, Rafe Adler...taking orders from somebody else. Oh, how times have changed." They needed to move as far away from their current location as possible."

"Look, Cal...I'm gonna make you a one time offer here. You drop everything, go home, live your life...and I'm willing to forgive and forget. For old time sake."

  "As tempting as that sounds Rafe, I'm not the kinda guy who likes to quit while he's ahead."

"Okay...Pro Deus quod licentia..." The words made Donald freeze. His phone was tapped...he had been listening to everything...if he knew about that, then did he know about Louie? Panic seized his heart...not his baby... "For God and Liberty...hmm...by the way, these are nice pictures Cal, very good composition."

"You hacked our phones." His voice was monotone and from the way Sully began hovering he knew he must look like he was about to fall over.

"Well you stole my cross!" The retort sounded petulant. "Look, if you're half as smart as you think you are...you'll accept my offer...so what's it gonna be?" His phone began beeping in his ear signalling he had an incoming call.

"Well as nice as it's been to catch up...I really gotta take this phone call so-"

"Just one more thing Cal...you do realize that your phone is equipped with GPS right? All of your phones.." Donald's blood ran cold. "Say hi to your son for me." He barely registered the line going dead as blood began rushing in his ears. His hands clenched so hard he shattered the phone.

"Woah, kid what-" Sully didn't get to finish as Donald grabbed his phone out of his jeans pocket and slammed it onto the ground. "What the hell-!"

"We need to get to the kids, NOW!" He took off running as fast as his legs could carry him. "We gotta warn Sam!"

"WE WON'T GET ANYWHERE LIKE THIS!" Sully grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look him in the eye. "I'll go back to the hotel, you get Sam and then we'll bounce out of here like a bad check."

"I need-!"

"I know!" Sully's grip on his shoulders tightened. "You don't want to lose any of them. But we can't get to both of them. Right now Rafe is after you and Sam. Find him and draw his fire, I'll go after the kids!"

A distraction? Perfect...he nodded...he could do that. He'll find Rafe and Shoreline and Piss him off so bad he won't know up from down. Glancing behind Sully he saw a line of dirt bikes parked in front of a building, probably a restaurant, and hatched an idea.

Chapter Text

Donald wasn't answering his phone. Abner had tried to call him three times already and though the first went through, the last one went straight to voicemail. This was bad, he had to find him.

Making his way outside he made sure to keep an eye out for any Shoreline soldiers. If Rafe had already gotten to Donald then it was only a matter of time before they found him. He needed to be more careful but more importantly he needed to find his little brother.

Down the street he spotted a jeep, perfect. He was a little rusty but he could still hot-wire. It's not like it's hard. Hopping in he pulled a pocket knife out and stripped back the wires underneath the ignition. Once he found the right ones to connect he pulled out.

Abner had only made it past a couple of streets when he noticed a commotion. People were starting to shout and panic around him. That was a bad sign, but how had they found him so quickly?

Hearing a shout over his shoulders, Abner turned to see a group of men on bikes following him. This was bad, very bad. He had to find Donald quickly, but he couldn't risk leading these guys to him. He'd have to shake them first.

Abner cut the wheel to the left to take a side street, so he'd be out of view, before flooring it. At the sound of the engine roaring people began fleeing from the streets in front of him to get out of the way. He had to find somewhere away from people, someone was going to get hurt.

Gunshots rang out from behind him and one of them nicked the roll cage on the jeep, just a foot away from his head. He flinched making the vehicle swerve and whatever was in the back slid around wildly. He cut the wheel to the right this time, aiming for the wide space between the buildings.

It wasn't until he went over the edge that he realized it wasn't a street, but a staircase and it was a long way down. Abner's stomach rolled with the brief feeling of weightlessness and when the vehicle landed it snapped his beak shut and jarred his bones. The jeep made a clanging noise, but when he stepped on the gas it responded.

Glancing behind him he saw three guys still after him. Another turn left had him barreling down a street that people hadn't completely vacated yet. He honked his horn in warning as he plowed through jars of spices and racks of fruit, sending them flying into the crowd and pelting people. He had to turn the wipers on just so he could see as it was covered in fruit juices and pulp.

They made it on the other side and he looked back to see he had lost 2 of the riders...then 4 more joined the last one standing...shit...

The gas pedal was touching the floor, he couldn't go any faster. Abner jerked the wheel to the right again and just in time as the new posse opened fire, the bullets kicked up dust and chipped off the edges of buildings.

What was he going to do? He needed two hands on the wheel just to keep from hitting anybody or anything. How was he supposed to shake these guys if they just kept calling in for backup?! For every soldier he shook, another 3 took his place. He cut to the left again, the back end of the jeep swinging wildly.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw another figure on  a bike cutting down a side street and straight for him. He swerved out of the way and the rider pulled up beside him. With his eyes on the road he dared to pull his gun from his holster and aim it at the rider.

"Sam!" Cal was barely keeping up beside him. He lowered his weapon and focused back on the road. "We gotta talk!"

"Hop on!"

Cal leaned his weight to the right to draw closer to the jeep and the men behind them opened fire again. Sam jerked to the right and Cal back to the left. Thankfully it was hard to aim while riding, but that didn't mean they couldn't get a lucky shot in.

Sam swerved to the left cutting across his path to turn down an alley and Cal took the opportunity. He laid the bike down on it's side in a slide and used it as a launch board to fling himself at the jeep. His fingers wrapped around the metal bars of the roll cage and he hefted himself inside to sit beside Sam.

"I was just on my way to find you." Sam said as he followed the curve of the road. They seemed to be climbing higher and further into the city.

Wasting no time Donald reached into Abner's jean pocket, pulled out his phone and threw it as far as he could.

"HEY!-"

"Rafe can track you through your phone. He hacked them...all of them." Donald said darkly. His tone was ice and the glare on his face promised pain. 

"So what do we do?" Abner asked right before another round of bullets peppered the ground behind them.

"We lose these guys, head back to the hotel and get Louie out of here." Donald pulled out his glock, he wished he still had the beretta, checked the magazine and cocked it. "Keep her steady, I'll get rid of the welcome committee."

Looking behind them Donald could tell they were gaining. Their bike's were probably enhanced in some way making them capable of reaching higher speeds. That didn't matter, he could still hit a moving target. Sam swerved like crazy to keep from getting hit, but Donald's used to uneven ground. Living on a boat comes with perks. He stands, turns around and fits his torso through the center bar of the roll cage so he can fire out of the back. As he does this, two voices call out in confusion making his heart stop.

"UNCLE DONALD?!"

No...NO...Please no...not here...not now...not ever...

Donald looked down making his heart leap into his throat at the sight of his older two nephews clinging to each other and trying not to get flung out of the back. They were terrified, he could see it by the looks on their faces as they stared at him wide eyed. Unshed tears were gathering in their eyes and he could tell by the way they were curled in on themselves that they had bruises.

His babies were here...his babies were hurt...

Dewey looked up at him, eyes glossy, arms reaching out for comfort that Donald was seconds away from giving him exactly what he was asking for. His babies were afraid and they needed him. Huey yelped, grabbing his attention, and pointed at something in front of them.

When he looked up he saw that one of the riders had drawn close enough to grab the tailgate. He held it in one hand to keep himself steady while he drew his gone with the other. BIG MISTAKE.

Like a cobra striking, Donald pulled his gun and dropped the rider with a headshot. Then rounded on the others. He popped off two more before Abner swung hard to the right making Huey and Dewey slide across the back and slam into the side.

Donald finished climbing into the back and hunkered down on his knees. "Boys, grab a hold of me." He scooped them up and placed them each under a leg behind him, so he could shield them. As they sat behind him, they wrapped their arms around his sides and gripped his feathers in a death grip.

After a few more shots he had to pull out a fresh magazine, but he kept peppering them with bullets to make them keep their distance. Not his boys...not today...not ever...he'd die before he let anything happen to his kids...he was going to make Rafe wish he was never born...

"Cal!" Abner called over his shoulder.

"Kinda busy!" He called back.

"I got an idea! Hold on to something!" Oh...oh no...

"WAIT SAM DO-"

It was too late. Sam had swerved hard to the right; taking the vehicle over the side of the road, which sat on the edge of a cliff, and falling toward the rooftops of the rest of the village below.

They began heading east just as Huey had said and it wasn't long before a commotion broke out. Scrooge was certain it had something to do with Donald and Delal didn't need much convincing. They ran through streets and panicking crowds trying to figure out what was going on. In the distance they could hear gunshots ring out and it made Della stop.

Were her boys in that? Why didn't Scrooge keep a better eye on them? Why didn't she insist they come with her? Why didn't she tell Huey to come back when he had called?

They picked up speed as they continued to follow the chaos until the mass of people pulled them away with them to somewhere they thought was safer. Some people literally grabbing her and especially Webby, trying to haul them to safety. They made their way down to a more residential area as the citizens sought out places they thought the mad men wouldn't go.

It was all quiet down here as the people tried to encourage them to hide. Though some were less paranoid as they too stayed outside, others only did to make sure whatever was going on didn't come closer. But soon the chaos came to them anyway.

"What do we do uncle Scrooge? How do we find the boys? You don't think they're caught up in this do you?" Della asked nervously and it made the older duck frown.

"Of course not. Huey doesn't just get into trouble willy nilly. He would've called us for help if something were wrong."

"Right, right. He's a lot like Don. He's responsible...he'll be fine." Della sounded like she was trying to convince herself. She'd never felt this kind of panic before and she didn't like how her brain kept making mental pictures of her kids riddled with bullets.

Della was so focused on trying not to panic and Scrooge was so focused on trying to keep Della from panicking, that they didn't see the people around them start staring up at the sky and pointing, looks of shock and horror on their faces.

Webby spoke up though. "What is everyone looking at?" She tugged at Scrooge's coat and he too looked up.

That's when they all heard a loud crunching noise, like several vases being broken at once. It helped them figure out where to look specifically and their jaws dropped open at the sight. A jeep was quite literally bouncing from roof to roof as it descended the hill the city was built on, smashing clay tiled roofs as it landed.

When it hit the roof right above them and crossed over their heads Della's stomach dropped with dread. It was like watching it in slow motion as two familiar ducklings, one in red and one in blue, came flying out of the back from the impact. She was ready to scream and jump to catch them when a third duck, who was just as familiar, reached out and pulled them back in.

"BOYS!?"

"DONALD!?"

"THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Finally, they lost them...in the worst way possible.

When they stopped at the bottom and took off down a few more streets, zig-zagging for good measure, Donald holstered his gun and looked the boys over for any injuries. He still wasn't done fussing by the time Abner pulled over and looked into the back.

"Hey Ca-what are they doing here?" He asked, suddenly just as worried as Donald was. "Aw shi-ps, you boys alright?"

Donald turned a glare to him. He wanted to be made, he wanted to yell so badly and blow his top. But he was also so relieved. The boys seemed ok other than the bruises, physically of course. Abner got them out of there alive, though barely and at the sight of them looked just as guilty as Donald hoped he was.

"They're fine." He answered shortly. "We need to go back to the hotel."

Abner nodded and hopped back in the driver's seat. As the jeep sputtered back to life, which in all honesty was a miracle though he could hear it complain and sputter, Huey turned to look back up at him from where he'd placed the boys in his lap.

"Uncle Donald...what's going on?" He asked hoarsely. For once Dewey was quiet as he clung to his uncle and buried his beak into his feathers.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel." His oldest gave him a look. "I promise...everything..."

Chapter Text

Huey’s mind raced as he hunkered down beside his uncle in the back of the jeep. His heart had stopped trying to escape his chest now that the bad guys were gone, though he noticed his hands were beginning to shake. The grip he had on his uncle tightened and uncle Donald rubbed his back to reassure him.

They shouldn’t have just hopped into a stranger’s vehicle…what were they thinking? What would’ve happened if uncle Donald hadn’t found them? What was going on? What did the bad guys with guns want with uncle Donald? He was boring, safe, a nobody…Huey flinched at the thought. That was really mean to think…but he didn’t think it was a bad thing! Right now he wished more than anything to be back on the houseboat, tucked away with a mug of hot chocolate and the only worry on his mind was that uncle Donald didn’t hurt himself too badly. For all the adventures they’ve been on, Huey didn’t want this kind…he didn’t think Dewey did either.

Dewey had yet to speak, he was still bill deep in uncle Donald’s feathers and Huey wondered if this was what would finally make his younger brother realize a few things. Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell.

“SAM.” Their uncle yelled to the black haired duck. “PULL OVER HERE, I GOTTA GET A HOLD OF SULLY.”

The jeep swerved, a lot more gently then earlier, to the right before coming to a stop. Sam turned around to look at them from the front seat.

“You think the hotel’s safe to go back to?” Sam asked worriedly.

"Maybe, maybe not.” The boys were jostled as Donald pulled out a radio. 

“Rubber Ducky to Golden Oldie do you read me?”

Huey wondered who his uncle was trying to reach. How deep was this mystery? What was going on? …had Louie been right? “I've been talking to Uncle Donald all day. Text him yourself if you don't believe me.”   But…how did he know that? Did uncle Donald tell him he was doing this? That he’d be here? Did he know what was going on? Why didn’t he tell them?!

"OF COURSE I CARE! BUT I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE A WORD GOLDIE SAYS! I thought you'd know better than to trust her of all people. She likes doing and saying whatever it takes to get under Scrooge's skin."

…ok, so maybe he tried to…but…why not just come out and say it? Why the secrecy?

“I shouldn’t have let the kid pick the nicknames.” A new voice crackled over the radio.

“What’s the status of Wise Little Hen and my Medallion? Over.” Another codename? 

“Wise Little Hen lives up to her name. Sniffed out a problem and bailed before there was trouble, even left their phones in the room to buy time.” Hearing this uncle Donald let out a releaved sigh and relaxed a little. Sam even pumped his fist in victory. “And you don’t have to keep saying over.”

“Yeah, she’s a clever one. You set up a new rendezvous?”

“Didn’t have to. Once they figured out Wise Little Hen gave them the slip they left to go looking for her. Her and Medallion hung around till they left. No safer place than where the bad guys think you aren’t.”

Uncle Donald smiled and let out a small chuckle. “Most Wanted and me are coming in with some cargo.”

“What’cha got?”

Huey looked up at his uncle in confusion. They were talking about the ‘Medallion’ like it was a person. 

“I got an Almanac and a Spotlight. They go with my Medallion.”

There was silence for a few moments, like the person on the other end was trying to figure out what that meant. Huey’s eyes grew wide. Were they talking about Louie?!

“I’ll make arrangements. ETA?” With that confirmation Sam turned back around and started the jeep.

“About 15, Oscar Mike.”

“See ya when you get here.”

When they got back to the hotel Huey made sure to look for it’s name before quickly sending a text off to uncle Scrooge and Della that they were ok and with uncle Donald at his hotel. By the time he looked up from his phone their uncle was leading them to his room.

The door swung open and a green blur tackled uncle Donald. Huey turned around, somehow not surprised to find Louie hugging him fiercely. Dewey however seemed to be caught comepletly off-guard.

“LOUIE?!” Dewey’s beak fell open from shock.

Louie turned to his brothers just as surprised. “HOW DID YOU GET HERE??”

“WELL HOW DID YOU GET HERE?!”

“BOYS.” Both shut their beaks with a snap. “Now, I know you had a fight before you left but you will speak calmly to each other and hear each other out. Am I clear?”

All three chorused automatically with “Yes uncle Donald.”

“Good, now let’s go inside where it’s nice and cool.” He ushered them in and the two older ducklings gave Louie an odd look when he sat on the bed beside a young female duck and leaned against her. They took the bed beside it and sat there staring at them.

Uncle Donald sighed before stepping in to referee. “Alright, let me start from the beginning.” Huey wrung his hands while Dewey had his arms crossed, a sour look on his face.

“The duck you met earlier is Abner, he’s my cousin on my father’s side.” Huey raised his hand. “Yes Huey?”

“I thought you called him Sam? And who is she?” He pointed to the woman beside Louie.

“This is April,” She waved at them when Donald introduced her. “She’s my niece.”

“You have another kid?!” Dewey exclaimed and jumped on the bed.

“Dewey! Sit down.” The blue duckling went back to sitting but his attention was focused like a laser on his uncle. “Yes, I have other kids, this is April and when we go home I’ll introduce you to her sisters May and June,” Huey raised his hand again. “Yes Huey?”

“How are they your nieces…?”

“I married their aunt-”

“You were married?!” Dewey shouted but didn't jump this time.

“Yes Dewey.” Donald tried not to sigh again. “A long time ago, but I’m not anymore.” Huey looked like he wanted to raise his hand again but decided not to. “Back to the main topic…I call him Sam cause it’s a nickname and I don’t want any of the people I meet here to know that I’m Scrooge’s nephew. It tends to get me into more trouble than anything.

The reason I’m out here is because Abner, or Sam, asked for my help. He owes a very powerful man a lot of money and if we find this treasure then we can pay him off.”

Huey looked down in thought…that was…oh…but… “But what about Goldie?”

“Goldie was a surprise,” Uncle Donald ran a hand through his feathers. “You know how she likes to pull uncle Scrooge’s leg. But more accurately she knew I’d owe her a favor if she helped to distract Scrooge.” Huey’s hand shot up. “Yes Huey.”

“You were there? At the auction?”

Donald had to stuff his rising anger down, there would be a time for that later. “Yes, I was at the auction. There was a clue there we needed.” The red duckling seemed satisfied with this answer.

“So,” Huey held out his hand as if counting. “Goldie lied to mess with Scrooge and get a favor from you…” He put a finger down. “And the only reason you’re here is because Sam/Abner needs money and this was the best way to get it…” He put another finger down. “…but…” Something wasn’t adding up.

“Uncle Donald is Calisota Drake.” Louie spoke up. “Remember what Webby said. Calisota is the World’s Greatest Adventurer. Well, to keep Scrooge from meddling uncle Donald made an alias so he could do whatever he wants.”

Two sets of wide-eyes turned to him. “More or less.” He shrugged.

Dewey turned back to Louie with a sharp look. “But…WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING?! We could’ve been kicking butt and looking for pirate treasure this whole time!”

Louie frowned and stuffed his hands in his hoodie. “Oh, you mean to say that you didn’t get to go on an adventure? Are you saying that you got left behind by your family?” Louie rolled his eyes. “Sucks not being able to do something you really wanted to huh…it really hurts to be left behind, huh?”

Dewey looked down, starting to feel guilty. “You were in trouble…” 

“So?” Donald interjected. “When have I ever let your brothers do something special without you just because you were in trouble?” Dewey began fiddling with his shirt. “Your brother was already grounded and even you had said that you forgave him for what happened. Leaving him behind wasn’t just unnecessary, it was cruel.” Dewey continued to fidget but he wasn’t ripe for an apology yet, one more statement ought to do it. “And locking him in his room was too extreme.”

“You were locked in your room?” Huey said in surprise. Dewey looked up at his brother in shock.

Louie looked away. “Yeah, there were red bars in the doorway. They hurt to touch.”  He was trying to keep from crying but the feeling of being trapped…that they didn’t care about what happened to him…they didn't want him with them… “And Della left one of Gyro’s robots to guard me…it kept playing messages over and over about how I need to learn ethics…how my actions affect others, like I didn’t feel bad or guilty about what happened. Like she thought that was my plan…like I didn’t care about my family…she said…” He sniffed and immediately his two older brothers joined him on the bed in a hug. Donald held back, his boys needed this. “She said that if I wanted to be a part of this family then I wasn’t allowed to scheme or plan anything anymore..but..that’s all I’m good at! What else am I supposed to do? It’s not like Scrooge doesn’t scheme…”

Dewey held his brother tighter. Guilt was building like a tidal wave and before he knew it tears of his own were spilling over. Did mom really say that? Why would she tell him that? Mom was always encouraging him to do whatever he wanted…so why was she not doing the same for Louie? Was it cause Louie messed up? Did that mean if he messed up mom wouldn’t let him do things either? But that wasn’t fair! Everyone messes up now and again…and yeah Louie messed up big time, but he fixed it. Without him they'd still be stranded somewhere in the 60’s. 

Huey was crying now too. How could mom be so clueless even after a whole month of getting to know them? How could she say something so mean? You’re not allowed to be a part of this family unless you act like how I want? Where was the right for individuality? Where was the freedom to be who you are? Was Della really such a hypocrite? Of course she was…she had no fear of what people thought of her, standing on tables in a dress and eating straight from the platter, but Louie wasn’t allowed to be himself?

All his life he’s followed the rules, those that were in charge, respected adults because they were…well..ADULTS. They were supposed to know what they were doing…they were supposed to be in charge cause they’re mature. But Della she’s…just a big kid.

Louie pulled back from the hug and wiped his sleeve across his face. “I didn’t mean to keep this a secret. I really thought you guys would’ve asked me all sorts of questions about being with uncle Donald and 'where have you been' and 'what do you do' but…you guys didn’t care…I didn’t even have to say anything and you never asked questions-”

“Of course we care.” Dewey cut him off. “I know I can be…aloof-”

“Good word.” Huey praised.

“Thanks!” He smiled for a moment before turning back to Louie. “But I do care, I just…I didn’t know. If I’d known what had happened…what she said…I.” Dewey twisted the hem of his shirt around his fingers. “I was worried that you’d want nothing to do with mom…and that it would make her leave but…this,” He wiped Louie’s stray tears away with his sleeve. “Isn’t worth losing you. I’m sorry Louie, you were my brother before Della was my mom.”

“Wow, Dewford.” Louie tried to joke. “I didn’t know you could be so sappy.”

Huey rolled his eyes as Dewey gasped dramatically. “I’ll have you know that was my most sincerest of apologies. How dare you call it sappy.”

From there it divulged into a pillow fight, the sight warming Donald to his core as he watched April dodge a stray pillow. He caught the next flying weapon before stopping it altogether. “Alright, alright.. I’m glad you boys made up.”

“Oh yeah!” Louie exclaimed suddenly. “You can’t tell Scrooge a single thing!”

“What, why?” Huey stopped.

“Because Scrooge doesn’t share treasure and we need it to save Abner.”

“Louie, I’m pretty sure if we just explain it…”

“Over 400 million in pirate treasure…you really wanna take that chance?” Louie deadpanned.

“Well…” Huey looked away nervously. “We might not have a choice.”

Louie and Donald looked at each other for a moment. “You already told them where we are, didn't you.”

In answer someone started pounding on their room’s door.

Chapter Text

After watching the boys sail over their heads they took off running after the jeep, but with how fast it descended the steep hill it was impossible to keep up. That didn't keep Webby from grinning ear to ear, however.

She had been concerned for the triplets ever since their mother came back; after all the event was practically unbelievable after they found out what had happened to her all those years ago. It made Webby wonder what she would do if her mother came back for her, or maybe even her dad!

Either way this adventure was shaping up to be a lot more fun than she originally thought. Of course she'd been looking forward to a rescue mission but knowing that uncle Donald, Huey and Dewey were alright was good too. Now they just had to meet up with them at uncle Donald's hotel and they could go home and have victory ice cream! Goldie's evil plans were foiled!

Webby hopped from foot to foot in excitement as Scrooge and Della spoke to the person at the front desk of the hotel. After Huey had texted them they had stopped to ask directions from a nice lady and made it here within a half hour. They practically ran all the way there and it was so much fun! Not as much as the ride Huey and Dewey got -- what she wouldn't give to finally have her first high speed chase with real bad guys and everything! Someday...soon…

"Alright, room 104 just to the left out the door, lass." Scrooge called to Webby and she hurried to catch up with them.

Walking down to the room Webby's mind was brimming with questions she couldn't wait to ask uncle Donald. How did he escape? When was he taken? How do you hotwire a jeep? Did you have to pick any locks?

"Hey now, that's my room." 

Webby looked up to see a dog with white hair and bushy mustache standing between them and the door. She frowned and tilted her head to the side wondering where she'd seen him before.

"You must be mistaken." Scrooge said with a glare. "This is me nephew's room and I'll go in if I want to." Scrooge went to move around the old dog, but he just sidestepped into their way again.

"Sorry, but this really is my room and I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave." The dog crossed his arms, his brown leather jacket puckering as he did.

Scrooge growled at the dog while Della clenched her fists, ready to throw a punch if the old duck did. "I'm not leaving here without me nephew. Now move, before I move you."

"I'd like to see you try," the old dog huffed in amusement. 

Webby looked between the adults, wondering why this guy would get in their way...unless...HE'S WORKING FOR GOLDIE AND HE FOUND UNCLE DONALD TOO! She had to warn him!

Darting between the old dog's legs she made a shot for the door and began pounding on it furiously in Morse code. Hopefully, uncle Donald will catch on and come out swinging. Not that Scrooge couldn't handle one guy, but she wanted to make sure he wasn't tied up in his room or worse…

"Hey!" The old dog turned toward her, but not before Della jumped on his back and grabbed his ears. "GET OFF OF ME!"

"Hey! Della, get off him!" Webby turned around to see the black haired duck that Huey and Dewey said they found. The one that had stopped by the mansion looking for uncle Donald.

"Whitewater." Scrooge growled. "You no good, rotten thief!" The old duck hefted his cane up and brandished it like a sword. He swung down to strike but the younger duck leapt backward and away. That didn't keep Scrooge from continuing to swing wildly at him, making him hop around awkwardly to keep dodging.

"I can't believe you'd betray the family like this! Get him, uncle Scrooge!" Della cheered from atop the dog's back. The longer it took uncle Donald to come to the door the more worried she became, so Webby turned back to start banging on the door again. Her fist almost met flesh and she looked up in relief to see uncle Donald.

"Uncle Donald! Uncle Donald! Thebadguysarebackandthey'retryingtotakeyouagain-" Donald cut her off as he caught sight of what was going on behind her.

"What in the name of Walt Disney is going on here?!" Donald glared at the four adults outside his door as they too turned, frozen in place, to stare at him.

Donald couldn't believe what he was seeing. Della was on Sully's back and had his ears in a fierce grip while the old dog was just trying not to fall over. Scrooge had his cane over his head like a baseball bat, ready to swing it at Abner who had his hands up in front of him to protect himself.

Della recovered first. "Donald! Do you have the boys? Are you guys okay? What's wrong with your voice, you sound weird."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. He really didn't want Sully knowing that he was Scrooge McDuck's nephew; it was something he'd always worried about. Now he'll have to deal with the fallout. But first things first.

"Della, get down. Now." His tone was firm, leaving no room for arguments. Without question she hopped down from the old dog's back. Her metal foot made a clanking noise on the concrete pad. "The boys are in the room, we're all fine." Then he turned a worried gaze to the dog. "You okay Sully?"

"Why in Dismal Downs would you be concerned for one of Goldie's lackeys?!" Scrooge yelled indignantly.

"Sully isn't one of Goldie's lackeys. There are no lackeys, or Goldie for that matter." Donald rolled his eyes in annoyance. "She lied, big surprise."

Scrooge's eyes narrowed. "Then what are you doing here? And with him!" He shoved the end of his cane in Abner's beak.

"I'm helping him get out of debt." He didn't want to elaborate anymore than that, but he's never been that lucky. He'll probably have to spell everything out for them.

"By teaming with Goldie?"

"There. Is. No. Goldie." He gritted his teeth.

"Lad, if she's blackmailing you-"

"NO ONE IS BLACKMAILING ANYONE. GOLDIE LIED ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. ME AND ABNER ARE GOING AFTER AVERY'S STASH OURSELVES."

"Keep it down kid!" Sully warned.

"But...then...why didn't you tell me!?" Scrooge marched up to Donald and grabbed him by the shoulders. "I spent the last 4 days looking for you and you weren't even in trouble!? Curse me kilts lad! Tell me next time, I could've saved you time!"

Donald frowned and shrugged off his uncle's grip. It made him uncomfortable as Scrooge has never been the type to hug or...touch. "What do you mean ‘save me time?’"

"You're wasting your time looking for Avery's hoard. It's been scattered by the currents for centuries. You're chasing a myth."

"It's not a myth." Donald stated vehemently. "And I'm pretty sure I found it."

Scrooge frowned, at a loss for words. The look on his face clearly stated that he didn't believe a word Donald had said. "Lad, it's time to go home. Pack your bags, grab the boys and let's go."

A glare fixed itself onto Donald's face as he listened to Scrooge's words. His anger began to simmer and he was about to yell when a voice behind him spoke first.

"We can't Scrooge. We promised to help cousin Abner and that's what we're going to do." Louie stepped into the doorway and leaned against it nonchalantly.

"Louie!" Della ran forward to give her youngest a hug. As her arms wrapped around him Louie stiffened up before pushing her away. "This is where you've been?! I thought you said you were with a babysitter?!"

"Yep, while uncle Donald is out looking for clues I'm out of harm's way hanging out with April." He pointed behind him and into the room. Della peered past him to see a young female duck sitting on the bed behind Dewey and Huey, who hadn't come out yet. April waved but Della ignored her in favor of giving her other sons a hug.

"I was so worried about you two." She squeezed them so hard they started having trouble breathing. "Wait," She pulled back. "If Goldie wasn't behind this, then...who were you running from and why were you in the back of my jeep?"

"It's alright, we're fine." Huey assured her and Dewey tried to back him up.

"Yeah, see? Totally fine, uncle Donald took out the bad guys before they were even close enough to shoot us-oops." 

Huey cringed and Louie face-palmed. Dewey watched in a panic as his mother's eyes went wide.

"You were being SHOT AT?!" She rounded on her brother. "YOU TOOK MY KIDS ON AN ADVENTURE WHERE THEY COULD GET SHOT?!"

That was the last straw. He turned to April. "Take the kids outside please." Everyone could feel the tension in the air and April didn't hesitate to round all the young ones up and escort them outside. They all nervously stood just beyond the now closed door.

Louie began sneaking closer to the door to see if he could hear what was going on.

"What are you doing?" April stopped him.

"Oh come on. You know you want to hear what's going on just as badly as I do." He half-whispered to keep from being heard.

"Of course." She reached for her belt and pulled off her radio. "I really need to teach you to work smarter, not harder." Clicking the radio on they could hear uncle Donald and Della yelling through the receiver.

"How did you…?" Huey gave her a considering look.

"I left my radio in the room and swiped Abner's on the way out. Now listen." She shushed them before tuning into the argument brewing.

"I didn't bring Huey and Dewey into danger. YOU DID!" Della looked at him in confusion.

"NO I DIDN'T! THEY WERE WITH YOU-"

"I HAD NO IDEA THEY WOULD BE THERE! IF I HAD KNOWN THEY WERE COMING THEY WOULD'VE STAYED AT THE HOTEL WITH LOUIE TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!"

"I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE LOUIE'S BEEN WITH YOU THIS WHOLE TIME! OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE-"

"IRRESPONSIBLE?! SAYS THE DUCK THAT WILLINGLY TOOK HER KIDS TO A BLACK MARKET AUCTION SWARMING WITH BAD GUYS AND GUNS!"

Della paused for a moment. "You were there?"

"YES! And I didn't bring Louie with me on PURPOSE! Instead I left him miles away with a responsible adult to make sure he was safe!" Donald leaned forward. "I'd die before I let anything happen to my boys. So don't you dare suggest that I put them in danger."

"Donald, I…" Very rarely has Della ever felt like she overstepped a line with her brother...but apparently...that was one. He did have a point...the boys could've easily been hurt at the auction, they didn't have to be there. She could've let uncle Scrooge go and waited for him with the kids back at Killmotor.

"That's enough of that now." Scrooge walked forward like he was going to split up the fight. It almost made Donald laugh. "Pack your things. We'll leave in the morning."

"What part of no don't you understand?" Donald stared Scrooge down. "I'm not some child for you to order around. I'm an adult and I'm here to help Abner. I'm not going home until I’m done."

"What about the boys?" Scrooge scowled back at him.

"I'm sending them back home, where it's safe. Today was too close of a call. I can't take any more chances." He was starting to calm down now.

"Fine. Run your fool's errand. We'll take the bo-"

"No." Donald shut him down.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"They're not going with you. You could be followed. It's safer if you travel separately." He ignored the indignant stares he got from both Scrooge and Della. He wasn't taking any chances with this. The riders saw Huey and Dewey and Rafe already knew about Louie. "Sully, can you take April and the kids back to Duckburg for me?" Donald asked tiredly.

Della rounded on her brother, trying to gain some sort of control over the situation. After all, as their mom, this was her job, not his. "They're my kids! And I'm taking them with me!"

"Like hell you are!" Sullivan interjected, surprising everyone. "You lost any right you had to make decisions for those kids the moment you decided that what you wanted was more important than the responsibilities of motherhood!"

Della was so shocked she didn't know how to answer. Scrooge growled as he stalked toward the old dog. "This is a family matter, and you're NOT FAMILY!"

"You're one to talk." Sully scoffed lowly. "You left the kid alone, for two weeks, living off the streets of Cartagena-"

"Sully!" Donald stared at his old friend wide eyed. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew. Hard not to know who Scrooge McDuck's nephew is." He spoke to the duck softly.

"But," Donald frowned. "You could've..." He trailed off, not wanting to insinuate that his friend would do... that . After all, people had tried to use him to get to Scrooge for less, treating him more like a trinket than a person.

"I'm a thief and a crook, but I'm not heartless." He turned back to Scrooge. "He ever tell you how we met?" Scrooge ground his teeth together but didn't speak. He didn't like how well this dog knew his nephew. "He pick-pocketed me." Sully said with a smile and the Scottish duck's beak fell open in surprise. "So he could eat. Kid was practically starving. So I take him out to eat and try to get him to open up and tell me what kind of heartless bastard would leave a 13 year old kid behind to fend for himself on the streets." 

Scrooge hated being reminded of that time. When he had lost Donald on an adventure he had nearly had a heart attack. After all, he had lost his sister's precious boy. The lad hadn't been allowed outside for over a week. But then again, after a while things went back to normal...

"When I found out he was still holding on to the clue you'd been looking for, hoping it would bring you back to pick him up, it broke my heart; to know the man who was supposed to love him, cared more for a stupid trinket than his own flesh and blood." 

The old duck bristled, ready to give the mutt a piece of his mind through his clenched fists.

"Sully, don't-" Donald tried to intervene. Abner just backed up further to stay out of it. The old dog was going to bat for Donald, no need for him to cramp the pilot's style.

"No, kid. I'm done being quiet." Victor Sullivan did not get mad easily, and watching him go red was making Donald nervous. Scrooge noticed, and his distracted glances towards his nephew allowed Sully to put a finger in Scrooge's chest. "You walk in here all high and mighty, demanding things you have no right to! Those kids," he turned on Della, "may have come out of you, but that doesn't make you their MOM. Their mother , sure, but not their MOM."

Della bristled too, ready to yell, but he continued undaunted and his questions made her pause. "What have you done for those kids? Have you ever kissed their boo-boos? Have you ever tucked them in? Did you stay up all night worried sick, cause one of them had a fever? Do you know what their favorite foods are? Their favorite colors? What they wanna be when they grow up? What are they allergic to? What are they afraid of the most? Do they like sports? Do you even know them, or are you just in it for the title?"

Della grit her teeth. "In case you didn't know, I've been gone-"

"On the moon. Yes, I'm aware." Sully crossed his arms. "And you've been back for over a month and you're telling me you don't know anything about your own children?" He leaned in close. "Considering who raised you, I'm gonna guess you don't know the first thing about being a responsible adult either. So allow me to teach you your first lesson. Being a parent is the most self-sacrificing job in the world. ‘Cause when you raise a kid, it's about what's best for them, NOT YOU!"

The female duck sputtered for a moment,  looking to her brother for help, but he stayed quiet as he wrung his hands nervously. Just like she'd seen Huey do back on the plane. She shook her head before weakly protesting. "I-I'm learning...I just...need time to figure it out...I can take care of them."

"How are you going to do that, when you don't even know how to be an adult?" He straightened his jacket and looked at Scrooge. "And you," Scrooge's glower seemed to grow weaker the longer Sully spoke. "If I were to ask you all those questions about Donald, would you even be able to answer one of them, or are you just as ignorant?"

Scrooge's eyes darted between Sully, Donald and Della. His teeth clenched as he thought, but he soon realized the old dog was right. His niece and nephew had been entrusted into his care and he had practically let them raise themselves. He could see it in how Della acts and Donald reacts. The lass hasn't changed since she was 12 and now he was reaping the consequences of not doing anything. His nephew doesn't trust him and his niece is out of control.

"You were the adult in charge." Sully leveled an accusatory look his way. "You had one job."

The old duck's gaze went to the floor as he realized he had failed a long time ago. "You're...you're right." Della gasped and turned wide eyes to her uncle. "This....all of this is my fault."

The words were bitter, as was his dawning horror at all the memories that came flooding back. Where he had treated Donald just like Della treats the boys. If he didn't come on his adventures with him then he'd leave them to his own devices back at the manor. He made him do things by himself, even if there was a risk of him getting seriously hurt.. He didn't help him with anything, believing it to be coddling to do so. If he was to grow into an independent, self-sustaining man then he had to learn to do things on his own. 

It seems...this method did not work. 

Other than music and boats, Scrooge had no idea what his nephew liked, be it color, food or sport. Did he have other friends? Other secrets? He liked to adventure.....but not with him. And that thought hurt the most.

He had always been so proud of the duckling when they would go on adventures. Donald was the first to figure out the puzzles and mysteries, and made sure his sister was safe, which allowed Scrooge to focus on the treasure- that was another problem wasn't it? Donald went and grew up a long time ago...because neither of them would.

Scrooge gripped his cane hard and raised his head to look his nephew in the eyes. He's always firmly believed that you should do whatever you have to for your family. Whatever you have to. And here Donald was, doing what he could, making Scrooge proud and he was too much of a numpty to see the amazing legend his boy had become. A legend and a stranger. All because he was too absorbed in himself and his treasures.

"Donald...I'm....I'm sorry." His thoughts weighed him down so heavily he was mostly supported by his cane, stooped over it as he was. "I...I've got a lot to make up for. Starting now." He said determinedly. "We'll go get Avery's treasure, and save Whitewater." 

Della stepped up beside him. "I can too," she said meekly. The old dog's words were harsh and she didn't want to believe them, but...neither Donald nor Scrooge were defending her, so did that mean....? Della wasn't sure how to handle it....her thoughts were a jumbled, depressing mess. But when Scrooge offered to help she latched onto the idea. Yes, help...she can do that...she can adventure. She knows what she's doing on an adventure.

"No." Wait what? Della stared at her brother confused. The voice wasn't Donald's, which had been throwing Scrooge off all evening. So he stared at the younger duck in surprise and frowned when he repeated. "No. You're not coming with us."

"But...you'll need help..." As the words left his mouth Scrooge knew he shouldn't have said them.

"Up until now, I've found all the clues I need without you, and I'll locate Avery's treasure without you." Donald sighed. "I don't need either of you getting yourselves killed."

Scrooge wanted to be offended, after all he was the greatest adventurer of all time! He knew what he was doing when it came to pirate treasure, he was no novice! But then he remembered all the men with guns and the chase he was afraid the boys would not get out of alive.

"You're really going to just...march in there...with all those soldiers with guns?" Scrooge asked in disbelief.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Donald said as he took out his glocks for the evening and set them on the bedside table. "And knowing my luck, it probably won't be the last."

The old duck didn't want to push his luck. This was an argument he knew he wouldn't win and he didn't want to risk pushing Donald away further.

"Well, we'll be waiting for you then...at ho-ahem, Killmotor." With that he grabbed Della's hand and silently led her out of the hotel room. 

It went against every instinct, his bones were screaming at him to stay, fight! But the fight had left him the moment he realized he had lost, a long time ago. Donald didn't want his help...didn't need his help...he didn't want him there...his boy didn't trust him…

When they left the room they came across the kids and the young duck, April. Scrooge remembered her from years ago, but he couldn't recall how she knew Donald. They all sat huddled together a few feet from the door and after a moment, one by one, their heads came up to watch Della and him come closer.

Once they reached their little circle Scrooge's stomach fell at the look on all of their faces. Silently, Louie held up his hand to show a radio, and from it he could still hear Donald's fake voice as he spoke quietly to Abner and Sully. They knew...they knew everything.

April stood and told the boys she'd be in her and Louie's room, and they were welcome to sleep there. "We'll say goodbye to uncle Donald tomorrow before we leave." With that she grabbed Webby by the hand and left the boys with Scrooge and Della. 

"Boys-" Della started. But Louie just got up immediately and walked away after April. "Look, don't believe everything you hea-" Huey stood to follow Louie. "I'm trying my best. I'll get better. Everything will be okay." She looked to Dewey almost pleadingly, like she was asking instead of telling.

Dewey sighed. He was tired. Tired of trying to keep up, tired of pretending everything was fine and tired of defending his mother. He's wanted her to come back for so long, but...this wasn't like how he imagined it. She wasn't anything like he thought she'd be. And maybe...they weren't what she imagined either.

"Yeah, maybe." He too got up and followed after his brothers.

Chapter Text

"They called you uncle..." Sully sat on the bed, just behind Donald who stood at the desk. He was pouring over maps and trying desperately to get his mind back into the game.

"I don't want to talk about it." He tried to ignore his mentor.

"You raised those kids-"

"I'm well aware-"

"They're your kids-"

"I know they are-"

"So why the hell are they calling you uncle?"

"Because I am-"

"Sure, if you want to get technical. But you can't deny that you're their fa-"

"NO I'M NOT!" He turned to glare daggers at the old dog. Then he faltered...Sully was right...he was...but it just...hurt too much to be called dad again. "I'm not their dad, I'm their uncle. End of story."

The admission was quiet, resigned in a painful way that tugged at both Sully and Abners heartstrings making him wonder what all he missed since he's been gone. For Sully, it broke his heart.

"Kid..." Sullivan didn't have it in him to continue to argue, but he left him with this. "Even if your sister had been there to help raise them, you still would've been the responsible one. You're the only father figure those kids would have ever known. There's no shame in claiming the title." With that he got up and walked out of the room and back to his own.

Donald sighed and turned to look at Abner. His cousin had a frown on his face as he stared back at him.

"What?"

"Nothing, just..." Abner rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't try harder to get you out of Killmotor-"

"You did what you could." Donald assured him. "You were there for me, far more than anyone else."

"Still," He looked his younger cousin in the eye. "I made a promise, and I plan to keep it."

"Isn't that what we're doing now?" He gave him a good pat on the shoulder. "I'll tell you about the next clue when I get back. I'm going to go tell the kids goodnight."

Walking out the door he turned left and walked down two rooms. Knocking gently, just in case they were already asleep, he waited for someone to come to the door. April answered it after a few moments with a small smile of sympathy.

"They're not doing so great." She whispered to him as he passed her to go inside. "Especially the girl."

Donald turned back to her with a frown before continuing to the far bed where the triplets were huddled together under the blankets. Webby was staring at her hands in her lap on April's bed, looking a little too isolated to him.

"Boys?" He called to them softly. They all rolled over under the blanket to look at him. It was a quiet moment as he looked into their eyes trying to see how they felt, and how to help them through it. He had noticed April's radio still on the bed and figured out from there, after all it wasn't the first time she's used this trick, they heard the harsh words being thrown around. They'd heard him yell at their mother, at Scrooge. All he could do, was hope that they didn't hate him-

Dewey burst into tears first, lunging for his uncle. Huey and Louie weren't far behind as they both made room for themselves on either side of Dewey, snuggling as far into Donald's feathers as they could. It broke his heart to see them struggling, but he was also glad that they were still willing to seek comfort from him.

"Uncle Donald?" Dewey sniffed and looked up at him. "What's going to happen with mom?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"Are we going to see her or Uncle Scrooge again?" His middle child asked so sincerely, like he truly believed Donald was going to pack them up and leave again.

"Let me ask you something." Dewey eyed him with a frown. "Do you think Louie could ever do something to make you so mad, that you'd never want to see him again?"

The blue duckling looked away for a moment as he thought. Donald knew he'd get an honest answer from him, Dewey was terrible at lying.

"No," He said finally. "I don't think he could do any worse than the Time-Phoon and I kinda forgave him right off the bat so...no, I couldn't do that to my brother."

"I couldn't do that to my sister either." Donald answered with a smile. "She's got a lot to learn and unfortunately she tends to learn the hard way, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on her."

Dewey continued to fidget like he wanted to as- "Did Scrooge really leave you behind?"

Donald sighed. "Yes..." He didn't want to talk about this. What happened all those years ago was nothing more than another page turn in his personal story. But admitting seemed to make Dewey even more upset.

"What happened?" Oh, boy.

Five pairs of eyes latched onto him. He could feel the girls' gaze behind him. He considered brushing the event to the side...but he had promised Louie that he would tell him what he could.

"I was almost 14. Scrooge had taken us to South America in search of Sir Francis Drake's diaries. He believed that Drake discovered hidden treasures on his voyages...he wasn't wrong..." Donald glanced away from them. "We ran into trouble and long story short, had to run back to the plane to make our escape...but when we were making our way to the harbor where we had left it...I tripped over a tree root and fell. When I got back up, I kept running in the direction I thought Scrooge and Della had gone...but instead of reaching the harbor...I found a town." He was at fault for being left behind...but it hurt that it had taken weeks for Scrooge to even find him.

"And it took Scrooge that long to find you? Over two weeks?" Louie asked in disbelief.

"To be fair, I traveled down to Cartagena from up the coast. We were actually closer to La Boquilla." All three boys frowned at him. What Huey said next was surprising.

"There's nothing fair about that." Donald blinked at his oldest. "You would have turned around as soon as you noticed us gone, no, you would have held our hands or would have picked us up to keep from being separated from you. How could Scrooge not notice you were gone?"

Huey's question was met with silence and he didn't like it. He decided to switch gears. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

At the subject change everyone seemed to relax a bit. "Tomorrow, you'll fly out with Sully and April and meet your mother and Scrooge back at Killmotor."

"Ugh, can April take me back to the Institute?" Louie asked. 

Donald turned to look back at his niece. She gave him a thumbs up to say it was okay with her. "Alright, but behave yourself."

Louie smirked. "Of course." The smile slowly slid from his face. "You're coming back...right?"

Donald ruffled their feathers gently and said with a smile. "Of course. Not even hell could keep me away, and it's tried before."

As uncle Donald hugged them they gave each other a look. He kissed their heads goodnight and got up from the bed.

"Webbigail." The girl turned to look at Donald. "Come with me please."

Slowly she scooted herself off the bed before following Donald outside. She walked beside him as they made their way to the front of the hotel, just outside the lobby, where there were benches. He sat down gently before patting the seat next to him. She climbed into the seat silently and clasped her hands together, wringing them nervously. Her gaze was fixed on the ground in front of her as her thoughts swirled inside her mind like a raging whirlpool.

All her life she had idolized Scrooge McDuck...he had been her hero...but hearing all those things... First Della comes back and she finds out about the Spear, but that's okay...people make mistakes...but then 'You're one to talk. You left the kid alone, for two weeks, living off the streets of Cartagena!' Scrooge wouldn't do that...he was always good about keeping an eye on them...it was just one time...'He pick-pocketed me so he could eat...' ...why did it take him so long to find him, that was the only thing about this that she couldn't explain away...'When I found out he was still holding on to the clue you'd been looking for, hoping it would bring you back...' Why did uncle Donald think that Scrooge cared more for the clue...than him? It couldn't have been this incident...something would've had to happen before that to make him think...'If I asked you all those same questions about Donald, would you be able to answer them?' Scrooge hadn't even tried...what made the boys and her so special? That he would treat them better than uncle Donald? Why were they taken care of...when uncle Donald was forgotten? And here uncle Donald was...keeping secrets because he didn't trust Scrooge...at all. 

Scrooge had not fallen from the pedestal she put him on...but it was certainly shorter and slightly cracked. After all, once he had gotten out of there neither he nor Della came back to check up on them. They just let them go with April. Uncle Donald wouldn't have allowed that...he would be fussing over making sure they were okay, like with the boys, and coming in to say goodnight. Then he'd ask them about how they felt and if they needed anything and then he'd wrap her up in a hug and reassure her...Scrooge never did that...with any of them...

"Are you okay?" Uncle Donald asked. When she looked up at him she could see the same concerned face he looked at the boys with.

"I...I don't know what to think..." She admitted quietly. 

"That's alright." He assured her. "There's no rush."

She sighed. This was exactly what she thought he'd do. She leaned against him, finding comfort in his warmth beside her. Like a shield that helps keep bad things from happening. She remembered the first time he made her feel safe. Webby had been afraid to admit to Granny that she was afraid of the dark. Usually it wasn't a problem, when going to bed she'd just wait for her grandmother to leave before turning on a lamp across her room.

But one night during a thunderstorm the lights had gone out and she awoke to complete darkness. When a flash of lightning illuminated her room she could've sworn there was someone at her door trying to get her. With a loud 'HIYAA' she kicked the so-called intruder. Except it was actually a coat stand, and when she kicked it it flew out her door and crashed into someone in the hall.

Uncle Donald had been coming back from the boys' room, making sure they were alright, when something came flying out of nowhere and smacked him right in the beak. He let out a surprised squawk and rubbed his face. When Webby realized what had happened it took a long time for Donald to get her to stop saying 'sorry'.

He asked her what she was doing up. She tried to play it off, but no matter how much Louie tried to coax her, she's a terrible liar. Uncle Donald picked up her nervousness immediately and asked her what was wrong. She finally admitted to being afraid of the dark. She waited for a scoff, or even just to be told to go back to bed. But instead he told her to come with him.

Curious, she followed him into another room. He turned on a lamp in the corner before heading toward the closet. He dug around in a cardboard box for a few moments before coming back up with something lightly glowing in his hands.He explained that they were glowy stars, and he had planned on giving them to the boys but only Huey liked them because he liked to map out constellations on their ceiling. He handed them to her.

She timidly asked if he could help her hang them. He chuckled and said sure. When he finished hanging them she said thank you Mr. Duck. He told her 'Call me uncle Donald' and gave her a hug, tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. Looking up at her stars always makes her feel safe and loved.

Somehow, she couldn't imagine Scrooge doing that for anybody...how could someone treat someone like uncle Donald like that? She just...couldn't understand.

"Everything will be okay." Uncle Donald's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "I don't know what's bothering you, but I can tell you it's not the end of the world." He smiled at her and ran his fingers through the back of her hair. "If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm all ears."

Webby held her arms out and Donald scooped her into his lap for a hug. "Thanks uncle Donald. I love you."

"I love you too, Webbigail."

Chapter Text

"You were the adult in charge. You had one job."

The dog's words echoed through his head all night as he and Della tossed and turned aboard the Sunchaser. People have never had the nicest things to say about him. He has a lot of enemies for a reason. But knowing that the old dog had a very good reason for hating his guts. He had failed ...

Scrooge could admit where he was wrong...when faced with his faults...but this had to be, he realized, the worst mistake he had ever made. His boy doesn't trust him and he had to wonder if Donald ever had.

Here he is going on a hunt for the greatest pirate treasure in history, which was little more than a myth, with a man Scrooge doesn't know and a cousin that used to abscond with his nephew when he was younger all the time. The rascal ...

The one thing Scrooge has dreamt of doing, since starting his adventures with his bairns, was to take only Donald on an adventure. Just the two of them out against the world like a daring duo. His boy was far more clever than he, and with the both of them puzzling out the mysteries of history he had hoped that one day...they'd be able to find the Templar treasure. Together ...

He loves Della, bless her heart, she reminds him so much of himself when he was younger. He had wanted her to experience the childhood he had. Braving her own way through the world, undaunted by society and its standards. He had wanted that for Donald too, but...Donald...was just like his mother.

Oh, Hortense...the one sibling that hadn't hated him. The one sibling he actually had a relationship with. She knew him better than anyone, give or take a certain... thief . She had the McDuck blue eyes that could see right through you, with a piercing look that said "I know what you're up to, you can't lie to me. I know your tricks." She hadn't let him get away with nothing. And neither did Donald; he had his mother's eyes...

When he had lost her...having Elvira take the twins in had been the best compromise. Matilda had three of her own and Gideon didn't have the income to take care of two six year olds. But when Elvira couldn't take care of them anymore and they had been handed to him and not Mattie...his sister had glared daggers at his head and rarely spoke to him when picking up the twins to babysit, but then when Ludwig disappeared...

And now his boy was off chasing after men with guns and Scrooge would have no idea if he'd be okay. It was like when he disappeared all over again for those few years in the military. He still to this day has no clue what had happened, even his S.H.U.S.H contacts would not tell him where his boy was or what he was doing. They claimed it was unimportant...but the change he saw in Donald when he came back said otherwise.

As the sun rose, breaking through the darkness, Scrooge grit his teeth in determination. No, he wasn't going to lose another family member. He was going to track down his nephew and make sure he came back alive. If Donald was willing to get shot at for Abner, then Scrooge was more than willing to get shot at for Donald! He didn't need permission, he was going.

Della hadn't gotten even a smidge of sleep the entire night. Her mind kept replaying the harsh words that had been said to her. Was she really that awful? Had she really done that bad of a job?

'Do you even hear yourself? Of course it was bad!' Her brother's voice rang through her head, just like it had on the moon. It had been the only thing truly helping her survive. 'You let Louie leave and didn't even ask about where he was. When Huey and Dewey disappeared you didn't go looking for them, you just waited for them to come back. I would've gone looking for you.'

She hated it when mind Donald pointed out what she did wrong harshly. But he was usually right.

'How do I fix this?' She wondered.

'You're such a dumb dumb, Dumbella. Have you even apologized?'

Of course. It was so obvious. She had waltzed into their lives like nothing was wrong-

'Everything was wrong, you left for ten years while I raised your kids.'

-and she expected everything to be all hunky-dory. 

'You remember what it was like, when we lost our parents.'

She did...her and Don had been so...angry and sad...and alone . Grandma and Grandpa loved them, they took care of them. And then Grandpa left...and then they got handed over to Scrooge. Della knew what it felt like to be left; for someone you love to go away..and never come back.

But she did come back!

'Yeah, and immediately injured your children playing games I've told you not to! Then you send them into a sugar coma, scare them half to death and lock one in his room for making a mistake!'

She winced at that. Maybe she had been too harsh on him. He had apologized...and he didn't mean to...

'You left him alone...by himself...and then did the one thing he wanted more than anything. I would have never done that to you.'

Mind Don was right. First she leaves him before he even hatches, and then she leaves him behind on purpose. No wonder Louie didn't even like her.

'You did the same thing he did once, remember? When you sent me sailing back in time with that stupid clock? And when you apologized I forgave you. People make mistakes, but if you love them and they're sincere...you forgive them.'

Tears slid down her face and she sniffled. She was the worst mother ever...she needed to fix this. Even if she never becomes their mom...she didn't want to lose what little relationship she had with them. First thing tomorrow, she was going to apologize and show her boys and Donald that she could learn to be a mom. That she did truly love them.

Della jumped as she felt a hand lay on her shoulder. Rolling over she looked up to see uncle Scrooge with the same look of determination on his face that she felt.

"Up and at 'em lass. We've got things to do."

"Uncle Donald is CALISOTA!?" All three boys hushed Webby who in turn put her hands on her beak. "Sorry."

Louie sighed before pulling out his uncle's third journal. "I'd let you go through this one, but as someone once told me. It's better to start with the first book in the series."

"No fair!" Dewey exclaimed. "Can't we at least look through it?"

They were waiting outside the hotel in a jeep, while Sully took care of the rooms and April packed their stuff. They had said goodbye to uncle Donald and Abner earlier that morning before they had left to go to the boat rental shop. Since then Louie had been explaining everything he'd learned about uncle Donald as well as showing them the little journal he'd been keeping.

"I guess." Louie shrugged. "If you want spoilers..."

"I still can't believe that uncle Donald is THE Calisota Drake!" Webby squealed excitedly. "I have so many questions."

"As do I." Huey added. "I've already started a list." He showed Webby the notepad from the hotel that he snagged. Two whole pages were covered in inquiries.

"Well, uncle Donald promised he'd tell us anything we asked." Louie reached into his pocket and pulled out the old compass his uncle had given him. "But the best part is, he can't be fired from the Institute."

"What do you mean?" Huey looked at him hopefully. 

If uncle Donald had a permanent job then...then...no more bargain bins...no more hand me downs...Christmases full of presents...more time with uncle Donald. That was something the triplets had always hoped for. A stable job meant less stress on uncle Donald, less worries about bills and food. Maybe...maybe they could move back with him.

Louie opened the compass and showed them the picture inside. "That's uncle Donald, that's his Grandpa Duck, and that's his dad," He pointed them out to his brothers. "Quackmore."

"Quackmore..." Huey repeated and Louie waited for his brother to connect the dots. "As in...the New Quackmore Institute Quackmore? That Quackmore?"

"Say Quackmore one more time." Dewey looked at Huey with a deadpan expression. "It doesn't even sound like a word anymore."

The youngest triplet rolled his eyes. "Cornelius Coot founded Duckburg back when it was a fort right?"

"Right." Huey, Webby and Dewey chorused.

"Cornelius's son is Clinton Coot, who founded the New Quackmore Institute. And Clinton Coot is Grandma Elvira's dad."

"OH MY GOSH! UNCLE DONALD OWNS THE NEW QUACKMORE INSTITUTE!" Huey exclaimed.

The boys turned at the sound of laughing behind them. April was bent over laughing hysterically at their reactions.

"Sorry," She snorted. "I forget how much you don't know." She hefted her suitcase into the back before coming around front. "When we found out it was more of a relief for us. We had to tape the original deed back together, which wasn't easy cause the whole world had been split apart at the time and the Sorcerer uncle Donald had been fighting was finally released from his banishment and we were constantly dodging rogue magic blasts and then we couldn't find the tape and..." She trailed off at the wide eyed looks on their faces. "Anyway, it was a whole ordeal."

As she walked back to the room to do a once over and make sure they didn't leave anything behind, Huey was furiously scribbling down more questions as his brothers and Webby were throwing them out to him. They were so setting uncle Donald down for a long talk when he got back.

"Hey! Kids," All four heads shot up to see Della come racing towards them, arms waving. Behind her Scrooge kept his walking pace.

She came up to the vehicle and stopped, staring at the kids...who stared back. She opened her mouth...and closed it...then opened it again...and closed it.

"Oh, for pete's sake." Louie complained. "Spit it out."

Della frowned at him but continued anyway. "I'm sorry."

The kids blinked at her.

"I'm sorry for leaving and being stupid and getting stuck on the moon. I'm sorry I left you alone while you were worried about Donald...and I'm sorry, Louie, for leaving you behind. It was so not cool. Can you forgive me? I promise, I'll learn how to be the best mom from the best of the best. ...which is Donald...I'm talking about Donald." She finished lamely.

The boys looked at each other for a moment, Dewey was ready to forgive right away, Huey was still simmering about the whole debacle and Louie...Louie just needed more time.

"I forgive you mom." Dewey said quietly. She smiled at him.

"I think me and Huey are going to have to get back to you on that." Louie didn't mince his words, but he also didn't want her to think he was never going to forgive her. "Thanks for the apology though...it means a lot."

Louie spoke for himself and Huey because he could still see his brother struggling. His anger was rising to the surface and he knew Huey would regret making a mess.

"Okay," Della said quietly. "Thanks." She rubbed her arm awkwardly as Scrooge approached from behind.

"Morning lads...Webby." He greeted. "Where's Donald and, uh, Whitewater."

The boys sunk further into their seats, arms crossed as they pointedly ignored the old duck. Webby eyed them unsure, fiddled with her hands for a moment before answering for them.

"They left a couple of hours ago to go rent a boat." She said timidly.

Scrooge frowned and clenched his can tighter. It hurt to hear; now that the boys don't trust him either. But he was determined to fix his mistake.

"Do you know where they're headed next, lass?" A local boat rental meant a smaller island nearby, but where specifically?

"Well..."

"Don't tell him Webby," Louie said with a glare aimed at Scrooge. "He just wants to beat uncle Donald to the treasure."

It looked like the boys' minds were made up about him. No matter what Scrooge said next, they wouldn't believe him, so with that he turned on his heel and walked away. Donald trusted the kids with the old dog and young lady, so he would as well. After all, he'll have to find his nephew the old fashioned way and it made it easier to have the kids out of his feathers.

"Well," Della stared off after Scrooge. "Do any of you wanna come with us?" She offered with a smile.

Louie answered with a flat. "No."

Huey frowned and grit out. "No thank you."

Webby continued wringing her hands, uncomfortable with the atmosphere. "Uncle Donald asked me to stay with the boys."

Della looked to Dewey. The duckling glanced away. "Uncle Donald said to go with April and Sully."

"Oh," She smiled, trying to hide her disappointment. "Of course. Donnie knows what he's doing. He's a responsible adult. Wouldn't want to mess with his plans..." 

"Della!" Scrooge called after her.

"I'll see you back at home, right?" She gave them a double thumbs up.

"Yeah." Dewey smiled weakly at her. With that she took off after Scrooge.

Chapter Text

Their rental was only slightly smaller than the houseboat, which made it very comfortable for Donald to drive. It was a nice day, bright and nearly cloudless.

Abner stood beside as he stood at the helm. "So...Libertalia."

"It all makes so much sense now!" Donald gripped the wheel in excitement.

"The tests, the guard towers, the cryptic invitations..." Sam counted off. "You know what this means?"

"We find Avery's island, we find the greatest utopia in pirate legend." Cal grinned back at him. "This archeological find could only be outshined by the Knights Templar treasure." Just imagining the history behind what they were going to find was making him giddy. "Just imagine Sam, hundreds, maybe even thousands of pirates had to've stepped foot on this island. It could answer so many questions."

Abner grinned at his cousin, who he considered a second little brother. He had missed this, seeing Don all excited and passionate about life. Not even his bad luck interfered when they went out together. All those years ago when he proposed going and actually trying to find Avery's treasure to Don, he hadn't imagined it would've remotely turned out like this.

"Sic parvis magna." He said and grinned at Cal.

Cal couldn't help the pleased smile that spread across his beak. "Greatness from small beginnings."

How ironic, Donald thought. For all Scrooge likes to brag about 'earning square', he really didn't. But this, Francis Drake's motto, was what he aspired to. Because greatness didn't mean riches, especially not to Donald, it meant doing great things. Like raising kids, and saving people and doing good and making discoveries.

"I can't wait to tell Grandma we found this." Abner's words made Donald stop.

"Ab....Grandma died six years ago." He admitted quietly.

"Oh." Was all his cousin could seem to say.

The atmosphere grew sad and the only sounds that could be heard was the dull roaring of the boat's engine and the splashing of the waves they cut through. Donald hadn't meant to bring Abner down, everything was all smiles after all, but he deserved to know. The guilt from leaving him behind in that hell-hole started eating away at him. If he had just held on longer or looked harder or bribed some guards or...or something...then he wouldn't be in trouble with The Butcher of Panama...

"Don't even start."

Donald turned to Abner. "What?"

"I know that look." He crossed his arms and looked him in the eye, one eyebrow raised. It was the same gaze he used to use on him all the time when he was younger and didn't want to admit something. "It's the look that says 'I'm blaming myself for something that wasn't my fault'."

"But I c-"

"Nope."

"But I did-"

"Not."

"Sam, I-"

"Your."

"There had to-"

"Fault." Abner flicked Donald right between the eyes on his forehead. "I'm gonna keep saying it til you get it through that thick head of yours. You did what you could...NOT. YOUR. FAULT."

Donald sighed and let it go. Though it didn't get rid of the guilt, knowing Abner didn't blame him made him feel better.

"Hey, Cal." Sam smacked his shoulder. "Land ho." He said as he pointed to a string of islands on the horizon in front of him.

As they grew closer to land Cal had to slow down the boat for fear of hitting the many sharp and pointy rocks that outlined the shore of the main island. This would definitely be a good place to hide; without knowing about the rocks beforehand, even a seasoned sailor could sink his own ship. They would've had to weigh anchor well out of reach of the rocks and deploy a rowboat just to make it inland. He was glad they chose a smaller boat for this, while difficult he was still able to maneuver it around the rocks and to the shore. The island they found held a single guard tower that could barely be seen from the beach. Along the shores Cal spied the crows nest of a sunken ship, it stuck out of the water at a slight angle, proof they must have ventured too close. Poor sailors, they made it this far just to sink their own ship.

They set their anchor and hopped out onto the beach. It took them a bit to make it to the tower with all the over and undergrowth of plant life tearing into the wood. Where there used to be steps and walkways between the rocks was nothing but splintered support beams and plants. Grabbing their grappling hooks they threw them over the ledge of a particularly large boulder set between them and the larger rock that the tower sat on. They hooked around a support post and scaled the side of the boulder.

From there they had a straight shot, if a bit far away, at the window of the tower. Cal crossed his fingers and hoped the stone would support their weight. The hook snatched the lip of the windowsill, and when he tugged it held. Well, here's to hoping...he leapt...swung...and bounced off the side wall slightly before quickly making his way up. The bricks seemed to shift, causing small pieces of the mortar to crumble and fall. 

Hefting himself through the window he let out a breath of relief before pulling out his journal to sketch. He added the crows' nest of the ship he found and then began sketching the room. Very similar to the one's by the volcano, the floor was covered in sand and there were cobwebs and grime covering the old brick walls. But the interesting part was two large rectangular slabs of stone on the wall facing the beach. Where they met in the middle was a stone circle with gold plating around it's perimeter and a golden arrow pointing up.

"Ugh." Sam rolled into the room from the window. "Agh. What do we have here?" He walked up beside Cal to inspect the arrow. "It looks like a compass arrow..."

 Reaching out he brushed some of the dirt and grime away, then after a pause, pushed against the circle. The stone gave way easily enough, and after it sank into the slabs behind it they both slid away revealing the view of the beach and their boat.

"How'd you know to do that?" Cal asked surprised.

"Well," Sam shrugged. "If there's one thing I've learned from you these past few days, it's to touch everything."

Cal snorted and rolled his eyes. Leaning out over the ledge he wondered what Avery would want them to look for. His eyes scanned the beach and as they swept over the white sand he spotted something glinting beneath it.

"There," He pointed down. "Let me know when I'm on top of it. I'm going to go check it out."

Sam hummed as Cal turned back to the other window, reattached his hook, and used the rope to shimmy down. He had to drop a good five feet onto the sand but that was nothing new. Jogging around to where he could see the same in the tower's window he waved up at him. Sam waved back and then motioned for him to step back. So he stepped back....back....back..stop....left....left....left....left...too far....right....stop. 

He inspected the sand at his feet, shuffling it around and kicking i-"YOW!" His toe hit something hard beneath the sand.

"YOU OK?" Sam hollered down to him.

"I WILL BE WHEN IT STOPS HURTING." He yelled back. Sam just gave him a thumbs up. Cal shook his head and dropped down to his knees so he could dig out whatever his foot found.

He found the edge of it and started clearing away the sand in earnest, wishing he had a broom. After a few minutes he found it was another stone circle, though this one was much, much larger than the first. Brushing off the sand he found that this one's arrow pointed southeast toward a small island beside this one.

"COME ON DOWN. LOOKS LIKE WE'RE OFF AGAIN." He called up to Sam.

"COMING DOWN." 

Cal went ahead and hopped in the boat to start it up as he waited on Sam. Once he was aboard they were off again. But as he set his on board compass to southeast, their path seemed to be heading just past the island.

"Hey, stop." Cal let up on the gas before putting in reverse for a moment to help cancel his movement.

"What?" He turned to see Sam pointing at something below the surface of the water. 

It was another arrow, this time pointing directly west. Cal looked up and from what he could see it was pointing to between the two islands.

"Better go slow." Sam said.

"Yeah, keep an eye out for me." Cal said as he adjusted their trajectory.

"Aye, aye Cap'n." He gave him a mock salute.

As they got closer it seemed as if they were to sail straight into a cave set into the smaller island. Sam had yet to report any more arrows and Cal hadn't seen any either, so he slowed down further and coasted into the cave. Once inside they could both tell that this was where they were supposed to be as there was a stone platform with a post that held a metal ring meant for docking and tying small ships. Just passed the platform was a large arching doorway with those same eerie statues from the cathedral. The hood figures looked over them menacingly as they solemnly held their scythes.

Cal ignored them as he maneuvered the boat alongside the dock. He grabbed some rope and tied to the post securely before he and Sam de-boarded. They both looked to the other for a moment, before continuing through the doorway and up the winding stone stairs.

When they came out and into the open they found themselves at the top of one of the bluffs along the island and right in front of them was a twenty foot tall statue of Henry Avery himself. The eagle stood proudly with a spy glass held up in one hand...but he wasn't looking through it.

"You know," Sam huffed as he got his breath back. "I'm beginning to think our friend there is a bit of a narcissist."

"What makes you say that?" Cal retorted, rhetorically. "Come on."

Heading around the backside of the statue they found a carved stone staircase leading up to his shoulder. Cal led the way up, to steps at a time, to the shoulder which had been flattened so it could be used like a platform. From there one could look through the long spyglass themselves. He had to squat to do it, but the old thing still worked and Cal was able to spot another, much larger island on the horizon.

"What do we got?" Sam asked from behind him. "A big skull shaped island?"

"Big Island," Cal motioned for him to take a look. "No skull."

Sam spied through the glass with a smile. "Libertalia..."

"That's a little optimistic, considering everything that's happened." Cal replied dryly.

"Ya know, it's just us here." He spread his arms wide. "You are allowed to feel a little excited over this."

He had been; he had been truly enjoying what was going on. But Donald needed to stay focused; they were doing this for a reason.

"I'll get excited when we get Alcazar's noose off your neck."

Chapter Text

The ride out to the island was silent as Cal focused on steering and Sam used a pair of binoculars to look for a proper landing along the beach. Other than the main mountain peak taking up the center, there were several rocky bluffs on the island-almost more than what was on the island back in Scotland. So spying any man-made structures from sea or shore was impossible; perfect for a secret pirate utopia. 

"Uh oh." Sam muttered.

"Uh oh?" Cal echoed. "What uh oh?"

Sam handed off his binoculars. "That uh oh."

Cal took a hold of the spying device and cut the engine before looking through the lenses. All along the shore were dinghies, as well as a couple larger boats, and soldiers running to and from them carrying locked boxes. Rafe had beat them there...

"...phooey" Cal clenched the binoculars tightly. "We'll have to sneak around. If we're spotted we could become dead in the water."

Cutting the wheel sharply to the left Cal then cranked the engine back up. They'd stand no chance just waltzing on up to the island, but if they could sneak in under their nose without being spotted by the guys still on the beach then they'd have a fighting chance.

It put him on edge knowing they were barely skirting disaster. But after several tense minutes, many of which Donald was sure his bad luck was going to give them away somehow, they made it to a decent stretch of beach a few miles down the shore from Nadine's army.

As they pulled close enough to the beach Sam jumped out with a rope to moor the boat to the shore. Cal cut the engine and went to the back to grab their supplies. He put on his bandolier, shoulder holsters, grabbed a water bottle with a carabiner, checked both of his glocks to make sure they were loaded and working properly before grabbing a messenger bag and Sam's stuff. With his load secured he hopped overboard and waded through the shallows to shore.

"Here." He handed Sam his guns, in his hip holster, before turning to face the island.

Dense jungle sat before them and Cal could already feel the humidity making his feathers curl. This was going to be a long day. Without any way to know where to look on the island they'd just have to wander around until they found something left behind.

Whatever welcome center Avery had built for Libertalia was probably long gone. So they set a brisk pace as they made their way forward and into the unknown, pushing aside leaves as big as they are and hanging vines. The terrain took them uphill quickly and soon they started having to climb up the face of the bluffs.

Two of them made climbing easier, but they were still sweating down as they made their way across jagged rocks and over worn ledges that groaned from their weight. The trees that grew all the way to the edges of the rock were both a blessing and a curse as they made great anchors to help them make their way up, but the tree's roots had also destabilized the foundation of the ledges. This made their trip nothing short of precarious.

One cliff in particular was proving difficult as most of its face was smooth, so they continued along its side to try and find any leverage in order to climb it. Going further and further back they found themselves between two bluffs and the cliff on the other side was also riddled with ledges. And the ledges were full of trees and fauna. As they made their way around, a shout of alarm caught them off guard.

"They're here! Call Nadine!" One soldier shouted to the others behind him and Cal was alarmed to find five soldiers lining the ledges along the other cliffside.

He dragged Sam down to the ground with him, both dropping to their bellies before the first shot rang out. Their only cover was the foot and a half tall grass that grew everywhere. This was not ideal; little to no cover, no way to sneak around them and no escape. Cal army crawled until he could peer out of the grass without being spotted. He needed to take care of these guys before he and Sam got pinned down.

Three hours...they had avoided being spotted for a measly three hours, and they hadn't even seen anything to indicate anybody had even been here before.

Cal's first shot nailed the guy in front and once he went down the others immediately opened fire. But one of them was slower than the others and he was the next to go. Sam had backed up as much as he could to use the curve of the cliff as cover and from there laid down cover fire to keep their attention off of Cal as he took them out from the grass.

"Where did Nadine find these guys." Sam asked as he came back around to help Cal up. "They're awful."

Cal shrugged, halfheartedly listening, his eyes roving over the edge of the cliff above them. "One more thing going for us and not against us." He spied another tree close to the edge. "There."

He pulled out his grappling hook and tossed it up and around the tree. It was easily fifteen feet above their heads. Donald's joints were starting to ache from the abuse they were getting in such a short period of time. But he ignored them as he steadily climbed the rope to the top and once there he turned around to help Sam up the rest of the way.

A rustle from the bushes behind them made Cal jump and draw his weapon, aiming straight for the head. He came face to face with the last person he thought he'd see aiming a gun at him.

"Scrooge?!" He lowered his weapon in shock. Scrooge did the same as Della came out of the underbrush behind him.

"Oh, good. You found him."

"There ya are lad! Finally, thought we'd be here forever." The old Scot holstered his weapon, placing it on his back. 

"Oh," Abner groaned. "Great...just great."

Donald stared, gobsmacked. "How did you find m-IS THAT A SHOTGUN?!" His brain finally caught up to what he was seeing.

"Aye, I figured some extra protection might be in order."

The younger duck blinked, still trying to process that his uncle not only found him but deemed buying a SHOTGUN as necessary.

"Okay," He said slowly. "But how did you find us?"

Della cut in. "Oh, we bribed the guy you rented your boat from. He gave us a tracker and everything."

Now both Donald and Abner were staring, beaks gaping in shock. Scrooge...Scrooge McDuck....spent money.....ON A BRIBE?!

"You....bribed him?" Donald said quietly as if questioning life itself. "With what?" There had to be some catch.

Scrooge pulled his can out and unscrewed the hook from the body and showed his nephew the compartment with money still inside.

"I always keep a small stash on me in case of emergencies." He screwed the top of his cane back on. "I don't believe in credit."

"Of course not." Abner muttered.

"Now. Which way boy-o?" Scrooge straightened and stamped his cane into the ground.

Donald frowned as he stared his uncle down. Now that Scrooge and Della had caught up to him there was no way to get rid of them short of fighting them off and that would waste too much time. Now if he still had his paralyzer ray, or maybe a tranquilizer gun then it wouldn't be as much of a problem. But thanks to his luck, they're stuck with them now. He sighed; he was just going to have to keep Della from getting into something she shouldn't and Scrooge's ego in check. As if this whole mess wasn't difficult enough...

"We're walking blind." He admitted begrudgingly.

"What?" Scrooge asked. "I thought you said you figured out where the treasure was?"

"Yes, and I did." Donald grit his teeth. "I found the island. Now we just need to find Libertalia before Rafe does."

"Libertalia?" His uncle whispered reverently. "The Libertalia?"

"That's my brother!" Della cheered. "What's Libertalia?"

Scrooge scoffed. "Libertalia is the greatest pirate legend to have ever been told, lass! Hundreds of pirates came together in days of yore to establish their own society away from the ever watchful eyes of the government and the law. Together they pooled their bounties to ensure their new civilization would survive...or so the story goes." He turned back to Donald. "Are ya sure it's true? We've been all over the backside of this island and haven't seen anything."

"Pro Deus quod licentia." Donald said simply and smiled in satisfaction as he watched Scrooge's eyes widen. "I found that phrase engraved in gold, in a hidden room beneath one of the old bell towers. Right between a statue of Avery and Thomas Tew. What do you think?"

Scrooge's beak opened and shut in suprise.

"I'd say this is our next clue." Abner walked past them to a large boulder covered in vines. They all turned and watched as he pulled back the natural curtain revealing an engraved sigil of a sideways skull with an earring and crossbones. Beneath them was an arrow pointing right. "Avery's sigil. We're getting closer."

Donald sighed in relief. "Now we just gotta stay one step ahead of Rafe."

"Who's this Rafe character?" Scrooge asked as they turned right, following the arrow.

Before Donald could answer him Sam interjected. "He's the competition."

"I see." The old duck said simply. "Well, let's hop to it then."

He picked up his cane and lengthened his stride, pushing right past Abner and Donald.

"I told you." Donald said over his shoulder as he too sped up. "Bullet train."

Sam just rolled his eyes as he brought up the rear, checking over his shoulder every now and then to make sure there weren't anymore Shoreline soldiers behind them.

The...somewhat trail, led back and to the left after a few yards. The path twisted here and there, but it was distinct enough to follow. The first sign of good news they found was stone steps that made it easier to climb the slight incline.

Sam pumped a fist in excitement. "You know what this means?"

"We can be in and out without having to confront Rafe or Nadine." Cal retorted.

"I don't get it." Della frowned from behind them. "They're just stairs."

"Yes," Donald continued. "Stairs that were made for people." He pointed out like it should be obvious. "Stairs...in the middle of the jungle."

"Ooooh," Della finally put two and two together. "I got'cha. So we're close."

"Aye," Scrooge said ahead of them. "I'd even go so far as to say we're here."

The three climbed the stairs to catch up and stopped at what they saw. A large stone gate, crumbling as vines and roots alike tear it apart, with a large ten foot door hanging crookedly, half off its hinges. Time had certainly left its mark on this entrance. It looked like it would completely fall apart with a good smack.

They stepped under the door carefully making sure not to disturb it's precarious positioning. Once inside Donald and Scrooge's eyes lit up and their beaks fell open. Though most of the walls were gone, the frames of the buildings still stood. It was a town, undeniably. Donald took off like a shot with his uncle hot on his heels. He rifled through drawers, in chests, stuck his beak in pots, anything to find out what exactly happened here. He and Scrooge climbed to the second floor of one structure and took a look around the quarters.

Donald stared out across the moss and vine covered frames of old mismatched buildings. Some looked French in design, others were distinctly German or vaguely European. Whoever had been here, they must have each built their own buildings. But, something was wrong...something about what he was seeing didn't sit right with him. This place was telling a story and he intended to find out what it was.

"Haha," Uncle Scrooge leapt out from behind a pillar with a rusty saber. "Avast ye scurvy do-" The blade fell off as he swung it. "Oh bother, it seems this village has been lost to time for far too long." He tossed away the hilt.

Scrooge looked at his nephew's pinched expression. "What's going on in that mind of yours?"

"No houses." Donald mumbled. "Wide street. This was some kind of commercial district."

He hopped down through the hole in the floor and walked back out to the main road. Looking up and into the distance he could see rounded dome roofs to some kind of official looking building. A directory? Depository? Supply office?

"You can tell all that from the road and old wood?" Della asked, coming up beside him.

"What were they doing here?" He asked aloud.

"What?" Della asked, confused. Scrooge and Abner came up behind them, waiting for Donald to continue.

"The colonists. What were they doing here?" He turned around taking in what would have been the liveliest place in this town. "This work, to build all this...that's stone masonry," He pointed out the strong foundations of all the buildings, the only thing keeping the frames standing. "Your average pirate crew might have some carpenters, and coopers, but not masons. Avery had other people besides pirates and his crew here." 

Sam stepped up next to him. "Maybe he used them to trade with other colonies."

"Maybe," He echoed. "But nowhere near here or else word would've gotten out about this place."

After a few moments Scrooge cleared his throat loudly. "Well," Donald and Abner turned around. "Now that we've found it, where do you suppose the loot would've been stored?"

Donald sighed. Leave it to Scrooge to care more about the gold than the literal history they're standing in.

"Well, that place looks promising." He pointed to the domed roof building, a large tower rising beside it.

Sam snorted. "You wanna check out the building with the guard tower?"

"Yeah," Donald said as if it was obvious and began walking towards his newly set destination. "Let's go find out what it's guarding."

Chapter Text

As they made their way through the old market place Donald started noticing a strange symbol painted on several surfaces. The most obvious was the one covering the plaque that sat on the base of Henry Avery's statue. He approached with a frown, taking in the forward facing skull-minus the bottom jaw- with a pair of crossed cutlasses beneath; whatever was used to paint the mark was a really rusty, brownish red, almost like...dried blood . 

"What do you think that means?" Sam asked as Scrooge and Della passed them.

"I don't know. But I don't think it's anything good." He pulled out his journal to sketch the mark before continuing on.

"It's probably just old timey graffiti." Della dismissed it.

"Or another pirate's sigil." Scrooge offered.

Donald shook his head. "That's not a sigil I recognize." He spied another skull painted across the inner walls of a blacksmith's shop. "I don't like this."

Della shrugged but Scrooge paused for a moment to look Donald in the eye. ' He knows what he's talking about .' Scrooge reminded himself. ' No one knows more about pirates than my boy. ' 

"We'll keep our eyes peeled then." The old duck said simply.

The road out of the market led along the edge of the bluffs. Donald and Abner paused for a moment to take in the scenery. The afternoon sun lit up the valley below in golden light and they were high enough up that they could see the mountain in the distance to their left. A big chunk of its side was missing, leaving jagged edges along its face. It looked like a shark sticking up out of the water from here.

"Come on lads," Scrooge called. "We don't have all day." Donald rolled his eyes and turned back to the path while Abner scowled fiercely.

They followed the path along the ridge for a while longer, but years of weather and storms had caused a lot of damage. The gap they found most likely had a bridge built for it, but all that was left were the stone pillars set at each end.

"Great." Abener sighed. "Now we gotta go around."

"Not necessarily." Donald reached into his messenger bag. "This is why I always carry rope." He turned to Scrooge. "If you bounce across the gap, I can toss you the other end of this rope and you can tie it to the other pillar."

Scrooge nodded in approval. "Good thinking lad."

While Scrooge bounced on his cane, preparing to bounce across, Della sidled up to Abner.

"So," She rocked back and forth on her heels. "How ya been?" She had never really had much of a relationship with Abner.

"In prison." He answered curtly.

"How'd you get there?" Della blinked at him wide-eyed. Abner grimaced, not wanting to answer her.

Donald interrupted. "Hey," He called from across the rift. "You coming?"

Abner quickly grabbed the rope, bent his knees to swing under it, jumped and wrapped his legs around it securely. From there he carefully made his way, hand over hand and legs sliding forward, to the other side. Once there Della just jumped on the rope and crossed it quickly like a tightrope.

After that they came to a long row of townhouses set along the cliffside. The road they had been following had been taken over by trees, so trying to find it was a waste of time. So they climbed the frame of the house in front of them and made their way through the old two story homes, hopping from house to house. As they made their way through one person's home Donald spied a piece of papyrus, old and splotchy, laying on a bedside table. Curiosity snagged him and he quickly walked over and picked it up. Maybe it would help explain some things. The old, elegant cursive was beautiful and Donald couldn't help but read it.

'Franklin,

Forgive me, I dared not speak of this in the presence of our families last night. I did not want to stress them.

I have not seen my cousin Jack for several days and I hoped you might know of his whereabouts. I have already been to the jail to check the stockades and cells, it wouldn't be the first time he was detained there, but I only saw the usual gathering of drunkards.

Something has surely happened to him, but no one dares speak of it. I must be forthright; I fear it is related to the meetings you both attend beneath the Church every half moon. They are an open secret, and if I know of them, it is certain the Founders know of them as well.

If you have heard anything, I implore you, please tell me.

Matthew'

Meetings? What were they meeting for? And why were they afraid of the Founders finding out?

"Whatcha got there?" Della asked as she past him.

Donald quickly folded the letter. "Just a letter..." And tucked it away in his journal. She didn't care about his musings.

They finished making their way through the houses and hopped back down to street level. From there the trek to their destination was short. Abner let out a whistle as they stared up at the gates to the enormous building. It looked so...official...almost like a government building from back in England. The outer buildings formed a square, where inside there was probably a courtyard, and the domed building sat in the back. To their right was the massive guard tower standing as this place's primary defense, but against what?

Grabbing their grappling hooks they scaled the outer wall and dropped into the courtyard. When Donald looked up from landing his brow creased in confusion.

"What happened here?" He asked aloud.

"Beats me." Abner answered unhelpfully.

Barrels, boxes and wagons-some turned over- tables and chairs were piled so high in front of them they blocked the view of the steps into the main building.

"This looks like some kind of...office building." Donald meandered closer to the stacked debris. He walked around the pile examining it.

"Woah," Della froze. "Looks like these guys went down fighting."

Donald looked up to see a pile of skeletons almost as tall as the mound behind him.

"Aye," Scrooge agreed. "Was wondering when we'd run into a skeleton."

Some weren't even with the others, there were smaller piles scattered around the steps and walls. Donald's eyes widened as he took in the scene.

Canons...improvised barricades. Were they to keep the people out? Did whoever they were fighting, know that the colonists were coming? The way the bodies were piled suggests some of them were moved...but not disposed of. So someone survived this. Some of the bodies still had metal armor on...so the colonists took on these...guards? For what? What happened?

"This was a massacre." He whispered. "Why were they fighting?"

"One way to find out." Abner said as he jogged up the stairs to the main building.

Donald jogged after him and they all went up and in through the main entrance. The doorway stood twenty feet tall and devoid of any door. Most of the building seemed to be made of marble with gold inlay along the edges of the doors and walls and all along the hallway were statues of angels posed like the figurehead on the bow of a ship. Ahead of them sat white marble doors decorated with gold swirls and accents and they were slightly open.

"This must be the treasury." Donald realized.

"Well what are we waiting for!?" Scrooge shouted as he and Della ran forward and thrust the golden, twenty foot tall doors open.

They burst into the room with huge grins Della with her arms out and Scrooge with his beak smugly held high.

"The greatest pirate treasure is our-" Scrooge stopped dead, a frown of confusion on his face as he stared at the room.

The whole place looked ransacked. Ten foot tall cupboards, their shelves broken and missing; drawers empty and overturned, manifests with their pages torn out and shredded. All along the room there were ten portraits and at the front two statues of whom Donald was very familiar with.

"It's empty..." Della said, confused.

"Of course it is." Donald said, completely unsurprised. He had, had a hunch since seeing those corpses and realizing this was the treasury.

"Do you think Rafe-" Abner started bitterly.

"No," Donald interjected as he ran his hand along the wall. "Nothing in here has been touched in hundreds of years." He showed them the dust and grime that attached itself to his feathers.

"So," Della shuffled her feet. "What now?"

"I don't know." Scrooge admitted, still frowning at the empty room. "If the people took it, then it's probably long gone." The old duck's eyes suddenly snapped to Donald and Abner as they were going through the rubble. "What are you two doing?"

They looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Scrooge and saying the same thing. "Looking for clues."

"You really think you're going to figure out what happened by searching through all this trash?" The Scot asked in disbelief.

"Well," Abner said, straightening. "It's a start. Check this out." He handed over something to Donald.

"Woah," From here Della and Scrooge could see it was a gold coin.

"Did you find it?" Della ran up to them excitedly, Scrooge not far behind.

"This has Avery's sigil on it." He mumbled as he inspected it. "He must have melted down the gold and minted his own currency..."

"So based on this and all the manifests on the shelves..." Abner prompted hoping to get something out of Donald.

"He made Libertalia into a legitimate town...as much as a pirate town can be." He continued to speculate. "The commercial district, the nice homes, all the craftsmanship, this depository..." Something was missing. If Avery gave them all this, if they had good jobs, food and homes then....why were they trying so hard to get in here?

Donald looked up at the portraits of the Founders. Each one had a sloppily painted word scrawled across their faces and cuts through where their eyes would've been.

"So if the colonists took it," Della asked. "Where would they've taken it?" Her brother was good at this and she could see his mind putting the pieces of the puzzle together. This adventure was...weird, and she wasn't sure she was being helpful in any way. But Donald...her brother knew thing's she hadn't even thought about. He was right when he said he didn't need them, she had thought he was just being stubborn but...he was right.

"I don't think they did." Donald answered as he stared at something high on the wall. They followed his gaze. "These pictures...Avery, Tew, Bladridge, Bonny....the Founders, all of them are marked with the same word...thief. Not murderer , not tyrant ... thief ."

Abner sighed. "So when they busted in here..."

"The treasure was already gone." Donald finished. "Because these guys had already taken it for themselves." He scowled at the figures in front of him. "It was all a con ."

They were up in the air and well on their way to Morocco when boredom hit. They had played twenty questions with April, who for fun was refusing to answer anything but yes or no questions about uncle Donald, and were quickly going through their phones' batteries playing games.

Huey was reading over and perfecting the wording on his questions he wanted to ask, Louie was staring at the wooden medallion with a different rune etched into each side while Webby and Dewey were playing an improvised version of charades.

Louie contemplated the symbols, on the one side was an arrow facing upward and on the other a...rake? Or a long chicken foot. He wondered what they meant and why uncle Donald had handed the necklace to him. The duckling hadn't thought much of the gift until now.

"Nice runic necklace." Webby said excitedly as she plopped down next to him. "Where'd you get it?"

"Uncle Donald gave it to me." He rubbed his thumb over the arrow and smiled.

"That's so cool!" She squealed. "How many languages do you think he knows? I bet he found lost cultures no one's even heard of! I can't wait to get my hands on his Shangri-La journal!"

"You'll just have to wait like the rest of us." Huey piped up. "I have an extra page left if you want to write down your questions."

"No thanks." She waved him off politely. "Though I do wonder why he gave you a necklace with the symbol for the one handed god."

"Wait, what?" Louie asked, confused.

"This rune here," She pointed to the arrow. "Is 'Teiwaz', it means one-handed god." She flipped the medallion over. "This one is 'Algiz', it means 'shield', 'protection' or 'elk'." Louie gave her a look. "Without anything paired with the first rune it doesn't really say anything."

"Well he said it would protect me, just in case." He took it from her and stuffed it back down his shirt.

Webby blinked and then pounded her fist into her hand. "Of course! You guys aren't Norse!"

"Nooo?" Dewey said confused.

"You're Celtic!" She threw her arms up as if it made perfect sense. "Uncle Donald wouldn't have written these as Nordic runes, he would've written them as Celtic runes." She reached down Louie's shirt and grabbed the medallion.

"Hey!" He yelled in surprise.

"They're protective runes. Teiwaz in this case means power, fortune and success. It's often engraved on warriors' belongings to bring good luck." She flipped it over and showed them the other side. "And Algiz is a divine protection spell."

"So, when uncle Donald gave this to me," Louie said slowly. "He literally meant that it would protect me..."

"One way to find out." Webby said ominously. 

She lifted the cord over Louie's head and raised her hand to smash the medallion on the floor of the plane.

"Wait." Louie tried to stop her but she had already chucked it at the ground.

When the wood hit the ground it lit up with blue light and bounced a little before stilling. The kids stared at it in surprise for a moment before gasping as it rose, surrounded by blue energy, and flew back to Louie's hands.

The kids were nearly speechless...except for Huey. "I'm going to need more paper..."

The moment was interrupted as they heard April gasp and stand to her feet, her laptop screen shattering as it fell to the floor. Quickly she rushed over to Louie and knelt down.

"Louie, I need the mirror." She said calmly, but by her reaction earlier it did nothing to help calm him down.

"Why?" He nearly shouted. "What's wrong?"

"Mirror." She insisted.

He pulled it out of his hoodie pocket while the others watched, curiously. She grabbed it and started speaking frantically.

"May? June? Come in, we have a problem." She spoke into her reflection and Webby squealed as she watched her reflection fade away as another face replaced it.

"We're here, what's up?"

"Magic mirror!" Webby started jumping up and down to get a better look. But Louie was feeling none of her excitement. If April was calling in backup...

"It'll take too long to explain. How fast can you get to Madagascar?"

"Within the hour, I just need to find a transport scroll."

"Good, we'll see you there." She handed Louie back the mirror before heading up toward the cockpit. "Turn around Sully. You're not going to believe what I just read..."

Chapter Text

April grit her teeth as she ran rescue plans through her mind. It wouldn't do to show up and help dad if they were caught off guard. But then again, both Sully and her have been tasked with taking care of the kids. She couldn't just send them back into danger, but she couldn't sit by while the only true parent she had was in danger either. She thought over her options before the idea came to her. Penumbra...

When they landed she could have the Lieutenant guard the kids to make sure they stayed safe. And to keep them as far from trouble as possible she'll ask Sully to drop them off back in King's Bay. With the new discovery Rafe'll be too excited to leave any crew behind. He probably took them with him thinking that it would give him an edge in finding the treasure. The fool...

The young duck's fists clenched as she grew angrier. First Scrooge and Della, now this? When will the world leave her father alone? He's a hero, a patriot and more importantly a good man. What did Donald Duck ever do to deserve this? Losing his parents, being left with an adult that couldn't care less about what happens to him as long as the old geezer gets what he wants, a sister that ignores him, snakes that call themselves family who use him to get what they want and a world that shows no mercy. Those three don't deserve him...

"I know that look." She turned to look at Sully. "You got a plan?"

April released a breath, glad that the old pilot wasn't going to poke or prod. "Yeah, I was thinking it'd be best to drop our cargo off before heading in."

"Sounds good to me. You call in someone to watch it?" 

Thankfully Sully followed her lead and continued talking in code. If the kids found out they were being left behind they'd have time to plan something. She used to do it all the time with her sisters when they were that age. They had always been so determined not to be left behind.

"Young recruit, fresh out of training, and more importantly loyal to a fault."

Sully hummed, a frown on his face. "That sounds exactly like what we need right now." He sighed. "Good thinking, kid."

Abner chuckled ruefully drawing the others' attention.

"What?" Donald asked and Abner pointed at the ceiling.

Half of it was gone, but the half that still remained had a painted map of Libertalia. The hole ate away at the edges of the image of the treasury they were at, but they only needed the half that was still up there. The road led from the treasury to a gated community that held eleven mansions bigger than Killmotor and a manor easily triple their size. Beside each was a sigil.

"If the founders took it. Then that's probably where it'll be." Abner stated.

"Those are some pretty big houses." Della remarked. "New Devon?" She read off the name below the group of mansions.

"Yep, Avery was from Devon, England." Donald explained. "Now let's go climb that guard tower and get our bearings."

Abner and Della took off and Donald was right behind them until Scrooge grabbed his arm.

"Wait a minute lad. How do we know the treasure's there?" He asked.

"We don't." Donald answered honestly. "But that's where we'll find clues to help us figure out what happened to it." He frowned at his uncle. "Why?"

"That jungle out there is crawling with soldiers who'd like nothing more than to bury you both six feet under." Scrooge grumbled.

Donald jerked his arm out of his uncle's grip. "No one asked you to come. In fact, I remember asking you to go away." He scowled at Scrooge. "And since when has danger stopped you from going after treasure?"

"Danger? Adventure isn't an adventure without danger." The old duck admitted. "But this is life or death, they won't hesitate to SHOOT AT US!"

"Sounds like a personal problem." He snarked before turning back toward the door.

"Lad, the odds are not in your favor."

"They never have been." Donald growled out. "Abner needs that money in exchange for his life. I'm not leaving here without at least enough for that."

Scrooge swallowed thickly as he watched his boy walk away. When Donald had said he was helping pay a debt, he hadn't thought that it would be a life debt. He weighed his options as he watched his nephew walk away. He had come on this trip to prove he wouldn't make the same mistake again, that he did in fact care, that he wasn't going to leave Donald behind again, that he had his back just like his boy used to have his. Of course there's the bonus of one of the greatest treasures at the end of this, but he still couldn't help the worry from gnawing at him. He's taken on many villains, all kinds of scoundrels and schemers...but never an entire army. And yet, Donald held no fear of taking on these mercenaries who were out for his blood and somehow this isn't the first time?!   

Well...if Donald wasn't worried, then neither was he. Scrooge shook his head and stuffed his emotions down. Avery was waiting for them at the finish line and they needed to get there first.

Della scrambled down from the tower and ran over to her brother. She smiled wide in determination as she told him what she saw.

"I saw New Devon in the distance, that way," She pointed to her left and slightly away from the treasury. "Just past a bunch of those houses we ran through earlier."

"It must've been a residential area." He mumbled to himself before walking that way.

She watched Abner and Donald walk away together and frowned. She'd expected a good job, or maybe a thank you but Donald just took off without even acknowledging her. Was it not good enough? Did she not need to do that? Was she still not being helpful?

"Are ya comin' lass?" Uncle Scrooge walked past her and frowned.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She jogged to catch up to the others and wondered what she could do to help. She hated sitting on the sidelines.

The trek through the wood was rough from years of growth as the trees' roots grew so densely together they constantly threatened to trip anyone daring to traverse through their claimed territory. To avoid this the flock of ducks chose to hop from root to root to stay above the tangled mess. As they made their way under the dense canopy of leaves Della kept glancing at her brother and wondering when and how he had gotten so good at this.

Della had to wonder what had changed with her brother. How did he know so much about history and building and all those other...things that helped him figure what was going on? When did he have time to learn all that?

When that old dog had insulted her, said she wasn't a mother and that she wouldn't be any good at it, she had been sure that- if not Scrooge- her brother would've jumped to her defense. He should've angrily told the dog how wrong he was, gotten up and into his face before kicking him out and comforting her....but he didn't...she thought she knew her brother, but after a decade apart...

Donald didn't say a word against him, didn't do anything to defend her...and that meant...it was true. As much as she  loathed to admit it, the one thing her brother did that wasn't out of character...he told her the truth...how she messed up...what she did wrong. He just let his friend say most of it.

But she could fix this. She'll prove to her brother that she could learn to be a good mom and he'll teach her. She just needed to think and act more like Donald.

Chapter Text

They made their way into the next section of houses which stood at least four levels; much taller than the last ones. These, Cal noted, were built right along the cliffside. One look out the second story window and he knew that they'd have to be careful, cause it's a long way down.

These houses were far more intact, so the best way they found to travel through them was by grappling from balcony to balcony as many of the second story homes' ledges were still rather sturdy.

As they walked through the third home Donald held up a finger in a shushing motion.

"What?" Della whispered.

"Do you hear that?" He whispered back.

As one they leaned forward into Donald, straining their ears to try and hear whatever made him pause. After a moment Sam heard it too.

"Sounds like voices." He said quietly.

"Yeah," Cal agreed. "They beat us here."

"Who?" Della asked. "That Rafe guy? Where is he?" 

Before either Donald or Abner could stop her she rushed over to one of the windows and stuck her head out.

"Della!" Donald lunged for his sister and snagged the collar of her jacket, yanking her back. "Never do that again! They could've spotted you!"

Della shrank under the reprimand. "Well...maybe they did'nt?"

Abner and Donald shared a look. Donald sighed and Abner just shook his head. "Let's hope so."

No sooner had the words left his mouth when the entire house shook and the room began tilting sideways.

Donald's eyes went wide. "RPG." He whispered.

"What?" Scrooge shouted in surprise as they all made a scramble for the door leading to the balcony.

"RPG!" Cal shouted angrily.

With the way the house was falling, against the one beside it like a domino, the balcony wasn't going to be of any help. But it was their quickest escape route.

Scrooge hit the doors and they burst open just in time for them to see the two floors above them crash into the building across from them. The impact nearly threw Scrooge over the balcony railing as the other three ducks slammed into him.

Luckily, the weight of the top two floors snapped the middle supports for the house before the whole building could tip over. So while the angle was steep at least they hadn't been dumped out of the house. But that was only a minor problem now, the big problem was the soldiers occupying the other houses, and each and everyone one of them were aiming guns at their heads.

"JUMP!" Cal yelled as he used the railing to  leap from their floor and grab ahold of the old wooden window sills along the side of the house. The sound of gunfire rang out, making his heart race with adrenaline. 

Abner, Scrooge and Della followed after him. Hanging from the underside of the house afforded them cover just long enough to pull out his grappling hook and aim for the balcony on the other building.

"Grab on!" As Donald readied himself to let go he felt Scrooge's cane grab his ankle. He wrapped the line around his hand once more before letting go.

Donald felt the weight of three people rip at his shoulders as gravity pulled them down before swinging across the expanse. He had aimed for the one place he hadn't seen a soldier, so with his fingers crossed he began to climb up to grab the balcony's railing.

He looked below him and let out a breath of relief to see his brother, sister and uncle holding onto the rope tightly now. As he started to pull himself up and onto the balcony he suddenly felt someone grab him by the front of his shirt and throw him into the house.

Cal groaned as he rolled over to see who had grabbed him.

Nadine put her booted foot on his chest, gun aimed at his head.

"Wait, wait," He put his hands up in defense. "We can talk about this right? I'm willing to make a deal." And he was, because Nadine was in charge of Shoreline. If he could make a deal with her then this adventure would get a whole lot safer.

"Yes, you and your brother have proven yourselves the more capable treasure hunters." She admitted bitterly, surprising him. "Shame we're not on the same side."

"There's still time." 

"Trust a Drake?" She huffed in amusement. "I'm not falling for that again."

Cal's brow furrowed in confusion, but before he could think anymore on what she'd said Scrooge came over the railing.

"Get off HIM!" He caught Nadine by surprise, tackling her off of Donald.

Jumping to his feet to join the fight, Don was afraid his uncle was  going to get himself shot. 

Nadine grappled the old duck easily and used his strength against him. Dropping on her back she used her feet to kick him over her head and away. By the time Cal came after her she was up and ready for him.

He swung, she ducked and tried to sweep his legs, he jumped back and she followed.

Della was in the room now and charging at Nadine. So was Scrooge. At the last second she dodged letting the two ducks run into each other.

Cal was trying to assess the best way to take her down. But there was a reason Nadine Ross was considered the best.

"Stay out of this!" She yelled at the two before coming back after him. So much for making a deal.

This time she swung and he ducked, but she grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the beak, then pushing him away pivoted and kicked him across the room.

He stumbled back a few steps before landing on his tail feathers. All of his weight landed on a rotten board, the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, making most of the floor collapse as he, Nadine, Della and Scrooge fell through to the next floor.

"Cal!" He heard Sam call out above him.

Cal coughed a few times. "That was rougher than I expected."

A fist flew out of the dust and knocked him back a few steps. He rubbed a hand across his beak and eyed Nadine wearily.

"Can't we just talk about this?" He tried again.

"After everything, you really think I'm just going to let you walk away?" She growled at him.

"Aye." Scrooge dusted off his hat and put it back on his head. "That'd be the wise thing to do."

Sam dropped down beside him and Della held her fists up, ready to charge as soon as anyone else did. Essentially, Nadine was surrounded.

"C'mon Nadine, really?" Cal really wanted to do this the easy way, but he knew that look in the soldiers eyes. "We know you're a badass and all but, there's four of us."

"My men are on their way here right now. All I've got to do is buy some time. That is, if I don't finish you myself." 

Donald barely had time to think, oh shi-

Nadine rushed him, why him and not the others he'd never know, and she was furious as she threw punches and kicks. One landed to his stomach knocking the wind out of him. 

Sam tried to pull her away from him, but an elbow to his ribs and a twist of his arm to turn him around and she shoved him into Della and Scrooge.

While she was turned Cal got in a jab to her side and a leg sweep, but she wasn't down for long. As she popped back up Della jumped onto her back and started pulling her hair. This didn't last very long as Nadine fell onto her back, slamming Della's head against the stone floor. 

Scrooge rushed her next with his cane and in retaliation she grabbed Della's prosthetic and used it to block Scrooge's blow.

"Hey! That's mine!" Della was having difficulties getting up between the possible concussion and a missing limb. 

Nadine was undaunted as she dodged a swing from Scrooge's cane which smacked Sam right in the face. One of the reasons Donald wasn't going in.

In one swift move she used the metal leg to knock Scrooge's feet out from under him and then threw it out of the room through a hole in the wall. Right past Donald's head.

"HEY!" Della shouted angrily. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO MAKE THAT?!"

Nadine ignored her as she went back after Cal. He was getting better at predicting her moves, but it wasn't helping since she was doing the same thing with him. While he was getting better at holding his own against her it still didn't matter, because she was faster and he hasn't fought like this in over a decade.

She deflected his next punch, put both hands on his chest and shoved him hard into the wall behind him. With her so close, getting away is very difficult.

"I'm tired of this island." She punched him. "I'm tired of your brother," She kneed him in the diaphragm."and I'm tired of you!" Grabbing his collar Nadine wheeled him around and threw him out the crumbling opening in the wall.

"Not AGAIN!" He yelled as he fell, eyes scanning for something to grab a hold of.

Della's prosthetic had gotten tangled in the ivy that grew along the side of the house. Desperately Donald scrambled to reach it. He managed to grab the leg end but his weight began ripping the vine from the crumbling brick and with his sweaty hands the metal was too slick. It did help slow him down enough to grab onto the rocky base of the house.

Breathing heavily Cal could hear the clanging of Della's leg against the rocks as it continued to fall. Looking back up he could also make out Nadine grunting as Sam and Scrooge continued to fight her.

"I'm coming..." He said breathily as he began scaling the foundation of the building, up the crumbling side and into the floor above the fight.

Standing above the hole they made Cal could see Nadine and Sam wrestling over the gun she had dropped the first time around. From here he decided to do a drop attack.

"Watch OUT!" He yelled as he leaped and landed on the chocolate dog tackling her through the floor as the old wood finally cracked and splintered from all of the abuse.

They landed hard on a cave ledge beneath the house and rolled together a fair distance. They both scrambled to get to their feet, growling at one another.

Before Nadine could launch herself at Cal again Sam came through the hole they made brandishing her gun.

"Don't even think about it."

Nadine sneered at him, sighed and held her hands up. The way she glared at Sam was nothing short of murderous.

Scrooge and Della came next as the old duck kept trying to help her down and across but she just kept smacking his hand away. They made their way toward Sam; Della awkwardly hopping.

"Great job!" Della congratulated them. "Now what?"

The sounds of footsteps echoed behind them cutting off whatever was going to be said. Rafe and Shoreline were here.

Sam grabbed Nadine with one arm, using her as a shield, and held the gun to her head as they watched Rafe and four soldiers march out from the cave. They stepped around the debris from the ceiling, guns raised and undaunted.

Scrooge and Della quickly backed up to stay close to Donald, the problem with that is that they were backed up to the edge. A fall from this height could be deadly.

Rafe drew his gun as well and Donald knew he needed to intervene before this could get any worse.

"Woah, woah, woah...everybody just...calm down, okay?" He put his arms out placatingly.

"Well," Rafe cocked his head to the side. "This certainly is interesting." He glanced over each of them. "Cal...Sam..." His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Mr. McDuck...and company."

"Put your guns down! All of you." Abner demanded and Donald was worried about how nervous his cousin looked.

"No." Rafe didn't hesitate to answer.

"Rafe," Nadine grit her teeth. "He's on edge."

"Don't worry about him, Nadine. These guys don't kill people in cold blood, it's just not their style." Rafe's arrogant posture was bothering Don.

"You willing to bet her life on that?" Abner ground out. Donald whipped around to stare at him in surprise. 

"Go ahead then, shoot her." Was Rafe's careless reply.

It sent shivers down the other ducks' spines.

This was getting out of hand. "Sam-"

"I die, you both die!" Nadine spat.

"So be it." Abner growled back. "NOT ANOTHER STEP."

"You mean..." Rafe moved forward. "Like this?"

Abner twitched violently as if arguing with himself.

"Sam," Donald tried again. "Put the gun down." 

He looked back at Scrooge and Della whose eyes were wide as they watched the scene unfold. Thankfully they kept their mouths shut.

"I warned you." Abner said quietly and Donald knew what he was about to do.

"Do it!" Rafe dared.

It was all Don could take. He lunged for his cousin and wrestled the gun away from him just in time. It went off as he forced Abner's arm up before he took it from him and chucked it over the edge.

"It's done!" He turned back to Rafe and the soldiers. "Hold your fire! Don't shoot!"

"Hold your fire!" Rafe echoed.

"It's done." Donald looked around from Abner and Nadine to Rafe, the soldiers and then Scrooge and Della. "Okay? It's done." He soothed.

Nadine's breathing was heavy as she walked past Rafe to join her soldiers. " Don't worry Nadine, it's not their style ." She mocked.

"What can I say?" Rafe shrugged. "I didn't think he had it in him." He chuckled lightly before walking up to Abner.

"Sam," Donald tensed at his closeness. "I guess you knew this day was coming huh?"

Without warning Rafe decked Abner so hard he knocked him off his feet.

"Hey," Donald slid in front of Abner protectively, trying to keep their attention on him and not the other two ducks behind them. "You already got us." With his hands up he walked toward Rafe hoping to salvage the situation. "I know you're a businessman, so how about we work out a deal."

"A deal huh?" Rafe raised his gun again and aimed it at Abner. "I'd love to hear what you have in mind." He said darkly, making Don pause. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"Look, you wanna find Avery's treasure? Then we'll help you find it-"

"And in exchange I let you live?"

"Yeah," Donald swallowed. "That...and a small cut."

Rafe laughed and turned to look at Nadine. "The balls on this guy..." He gestured at Donald frivolously with his gun.

"Just enough to get him his freedom." Donald pleaded. "Okay?"

Rafe stopped laughing to stare at him confused. "His freedom?"

"Well yeah,Donald's ire grew a little. "He did hard time, OUR time, and the guy who broke him out, Hector Alcazar, he owes him a lot of money-"

"Woah, slow down." Rafe lowered his gun again. "What the hell are you talking about, Cal? Hector Alcazar died in a shootout in Argentina almost six months ago." He cocked his head to the side again, thinking. "I'm the one who got Sam out."

Donald blinked in confusion. Rafe got Sam out? Then why....why would he lie...Rafe has nothing to gain by lying to him about this...then why would Sam...no, Abner wouldn't lie about something like this. He knows how important the boys are to him, he wouldn't guilt trip him just to-

"Ohhh," Rafe broke through Don's thoughts. "What did he tell you?" He turned to Abner with a smile. "Sam, what kind of story did you cook up? Alcazar? Really ?" He walked closer, arms relaxed and with a wide smile. "You lied? To your baby brother?"

Donald watched Abner's face crumble at the accusation and he knew...it was true. Or really that none of it was true, everything Abner had told him was a big fat lie to reel him in.

"We're wasting time!" Nadine called out.

"Just a second." Rafe insisted. "There was no breakout. I kept running into dead ends, so I went back to Panama to pick up our residential Avery expert here. I bribed the prison warden to let him out and your brother just waltzed right out the front gate. He's spent the last two years with me hunting down another St. Dismas cross."

Two years ? Donald's mind stopped working. He wanted to be mad...he wanted to be furious...above both of those however he felt betrayed. Abner had used him...just like everyone else...played him like some noob...

"Well then," Scrooge stepped up finally. "You've said your piece-"

"Stay out of this old man." Rafe aimed his gun at Scrooge now. "I know your reputation. I put in the work to find this treasure and I'm not going to let some greedy old bastard steal it from me."

"I'll give ya greedy but I'll have you know I earned every cent I've got fair and square!" The old duck huffed.

Rafe stared at him a moment before letting out a loud belly laugh. "Is that really what you tell people!?" He continued to laugh though neither Nadine or the soldiers found anything funny. "Everyone knows Scrooge McDuck tricked his way to the top. Give up the innocent, hardworking act. You're not fooling anyone."

Scrooge didn't know what to say to that. Is that what people really thought of him? That he trick and stole his fortune?

"I don't care about your little games Sam," He continued. "But tricking your own brother? That's low, even for you."

"Sam," Abner couldn't look Don in the eyes. That heartbroken look was gut wrenching. "Please tell me he's lying." Donald pleaded quietly.

"The treasure was always supposed to be ours-"

"Sam...no."

"I promised you-"

"I don't care about that-"

"How can you not-"

"I LEFT MY LIFE FOR YOU!"

Tears gathered in Abner's eyes. His beak opened to speak but no words came out. He knew he shouldn't have...but he did it anyway...he didn't think it would become this big of a problem.

"Look," Rafe reminded them where they were. "If it's any consolation Cal, he duped me too. Pulled a Houdini and then invited you and that old has been, and whoever the hell you are."

"Hey-" Scrooge shushed Della.

"I'm not gonna lie Sam." Rafe continued. "This really pisses me off. But, I suppose that's all behind us now."

Abner seethed and clenched his fists as he stared Rafe down. "You don't deserve it."

"And you do? Cause last I checked, we're all a bunch of theives digging around where we shouldn't."

"Rafe," Nadine butted in again. "One way or another end it. Or I will."

"Alright," He shrugged and pulled his gun up again, aiming at Abner. "You heard the lady."

No matter the betrayal, Donald couldn't let Abner take a bullet.

"Wait," He put his arms up. "You miss one clue and you can kiss that treasure goodbye." Donald has to get them out of this somehow. "You said it yourself, you keep running into deadends. Face it Rafe, you need us."

The atmosphere was tense an Donald watched Rafe weigh his options.

"We'll send those two home, don't even worry about them. But you need me and Sam." He needed to get those two out of here.

"Yeah, you're right." Rafe shrugged. "Well...you're half right." Donald swallowed thickly at what that meant. "I only need one of you." His eyes widened. "Congratulations Cal, you've made yourself useful."

Wait, no...

Donald lunged for Abner as he heard the gun go off. He slammed into his cousin to move him out of the way. He felt something hit his shoulder, pushing him backwards as the joint felt like it was on fire. He lost his footing...and fell backward off of the edge.

"NO!" He wasn't sure who had said it. It sounded like more than one person.

Donald's stomach dropped from the feeling of free falling until the wind was knocked out of him as his back hit water and everything went black.

Chapter Text

Donald sat alone, hunched over his knees in the window seat, just staring out the window of the third floor bedroom. After begging uncle Scrooge to have his own room...this is what he gave him....gee, thanks .

He looked around the dusty unused room, dully noting the cracks in the wall and the peeling wallpaper. The duckling wondered if Scrooge did this to him on purpose, or if his bad luck was to blame.

Della and Scrooge had left him behind again, but that's fine with him. See if he cares. He brushed his fringe out of his face and let out a sigh.

"They'll be fine." He told himself. "It's not like they need me..." The duckling frowned harder.

A small clacking noise drew him out of his thoughts. He looked around his new room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except a new cobweb in the left corner.

THUNK

Donald let out a squawk as a stone hit his window, the noise scaring him. He grumbled under his breath and opened the window to look for who or whatever was throwing rocks.

"Hey! What's the big ide-oW!" Another stone hit him right between the eyes. He rubbed his head, muttering threats to the big palooka in the yard.

"DON?" Wait...he knew that voice. "YOU OK BUD?"

" ABNER ?" Looking out over the windowsill and into the back of the property he spied his cousin, poised to throw another stone. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

There his cousin stood, old flannel shirt dirty and worn from chores, hair a flying mess from being wind blown all day. Donald had never been so happy to see someone in his life.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M HERE FOR?" Abner slung a backpack off and pulled something out of it. "I'M BUSTING YOU OUT. NOW STAND BACK."

Donald scrambled back from the window and waited. After a few moments he watched a grappling hook snag the sill and pull taught. He grinned and started looking around for something to help him slide down the rope. After a few moments he decided to just take his own blue flannel off, wrap both sleeves around his hands and use that to slide down.

The descent was steep coming from the third floor to a tree down below, but Abner was there to stop his momentum. Donald crashed into the older duck sending both of them rolling back a ways.

"Sorry." Donald mumbled as he sat up.

Abner just laughed. "No need. I figured you'd come in a little hot." He ruffled his hair. "C'mon, I got a surprise for you."

Donald grinned as he followed the impatient older duck back to the main gate. There Abner gave him a boost over the fence before climbing over it himself. Once they both hit the ground he turned to Donald.

"I parked just down the drive. C'mon,"

As they made their way down the long driveway Donald couldn’t help but skip in excitement. There were a lot of things he missed back at the farm, Grandma, Abner, Fethry and even Gus were at the top of his list. The duckling had to resist the urge to grab his older brother's hand like he used to. He reminded himself that he wasn’t a baby anymore, as Scrooge put it, he didn’t need any coddling .

His eyes widened when they reached the bottom. Sitting there, all sleek and so cool , was a red Yamaha WR250R dual sport bike. Donald’s jaw dropped as he ogled the shiny new bike. It looked like it had just come right out of a magazine.

“No way! Grandma let you get a dirtbike?!” He ran closer to inspect Abners new ride.

“Well, it was either this, or teach me how to drive the old truck.” Abner rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s still going to, but in the meantime this let’s me get around town for chores and shopping so Grandma doesn’t have to.”

“Awsome.” Don whispered, a little jealous.

“C’mon, let’s go for a ride.” Abner pulled his backpack around so it hung on his front before he slung a leg over, easily mounting the bike. He patted behind him where the seat extended far enough for a second rider. 

Donald scrambled up and onto the seat behind Abner, who took his hands and directed him to hold onto the belt loops on his pants rather than just his waist. The older duck held back a snicker at the fact that the younger's arms still weren’t long enough to reach around him. Though Donald could feel him shaking a little and knew he was laughing anyway.

“Oh shut up,” Don grumbled. “My arms aren’t short, you’re just fat.”

“Hey!” The older duck said indignantly. “I gotta watch my girlish figure.”

“Well some of us don’t get to eat Grandma’s cooking anymore.” The younger one complained sourly.

That phrase seemed to sober up Abners good mood and Before Donald could ask what was wrong his cousin put his helmet on, then gave him one, though without a visor. Turning back around he started up the bike and they were off. Where exactly Donald couldn’t tell, with the wind whipping around their heads and stinging his eyes.

After a few minutes they slowed down and once the rumble and buzzing of the engine stopped he peeked around Abner to see where they were. His cousin had brought him to the beach. Donald smiled and hopped off the bike, taking his helmet off he left it sitting on the bike’s seat before following Abner to the shoreline.

They stood there for a moment in the late afternoon sun, just enjoying the sounds of the tide rolling in as waves crashed along the shore. This was perfect, this was wonderful, this was Donald’s most favorite place in the entire world. When Scrooge had asked him this morning what he wanted to do, this... this was it . Because this was where he always felt the most at peace.

But Scrooge hadn’t liked that answer, and when Della had mentioned some legend or myth or whatever, he jumped at the chance to do that instead. That’s when he had asked to stay home.

“I got something for ya.” Donald watched as Abner pulled an old book out of the backpack he’d brought.

Abner handed the large, thin, leather-backed book to him carefully. Donald’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets; they were so wide. Sitting down gently, he never took his gaze away from the book.

“This,” He ran his hands along the cover. “This is a ship manifest.”

“Yeah.” Abner nodded with a smile. His cousin was so cute like this, filled with wonder and amazement. Much better than all those bitter frowns and grumbles.

Donald opened the manifest slowly, reading through the supplies listed and the few crew names recorded. He mumbled to himself as he did and it amazed Abner that this twelve year old kid before him could read that swirly chicken scratch, that he even knew what the thing was at first glance. It had taken him at least five minutes of perusing the pages just to figure out what it was.

“This is from the...18th century at least!” Donald exclaimed. “I’m holding so much history right here.”

“That’s not even the best part.” The older duck flipped the pages back to the beginning and pointed to something on the inside of the front cover.

The duckling ran his fingers along the words as he read them. “Official Records kept by Pintail Duck for the Galley of the Fancy.” He blinked a few times before it sank in. “Fancy? As in...the Fancy?”

“Would you believe me if I told you that ‘Pintail’ was Grandma’s great grandfather?” Abner just kept grinning.

“So this...this is...it’s real ?” Donald asked in amazement.

“You bet, I found this while digging around the attack. But this is the icing on the cake.” He pulled a folded up, yellowed piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him. “This was inside of it.”

Donald gingerly unfolded the letter.

Elvira,

I found this in one of Granny’s old drawers where she kept her letters. All she’d tell me was that it was all her Grandaddy left her mamma when she was little. Thought it’d be worth something, or you’d at least like to have it. I know you like all that family history stuff.

Your brother, Casey.

“It’s worth something alright.” Donald retorted, making Abner laugh. “The story’s true then.”

Abner smiled at him. “Yeah, it is.” He scooted closer to Donald. “Somewhere out there, is a hideout full of pirate treasure, and me and you are gonna find it.”

Donald scoffed a little. “Scrooge’s probably already found it.”

“No, he hasn’t. And he won’t.” He put his hand on the duckling’s shoulder. “Cause I know for a fact, you’re the only one smart enough to find it. And when we do, we’re gonna be rich.”

The duckling frowned at him. “Gee, where have I heard that one before?”

“It’s not like that Don.” Abner rubbed his back reassuringly. “Think about it. We can fix up the old farmhouse, Grandma won’t have to work anymore, I’ll have money to send Fethry and you to college and the best part...you can move back in with us. You don’t have to get dragged around by that old money grubber anymore. Things can go back to the way they were.”

Thoughts and emotions swirled around Donald’s head, but the most prevalent was hope. Because that was the exact thing he’d wished for, he doesn’t know how many times in the last year.

“Promise?” He asked hoarsely.

“I promise,” Abner said sincerely. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

Donald hugged him fiercely. “I know.”

Chapter Text

“WHAT?!” Louie yelled the loudest, surprisingly. “You can’t just leave us here!”

April sighed and rubbed a hand tiredly across her forehead. They didn’t have time to argue about this. They were already wasting too much time flying all the way back here just to drop the kids off.

Thankfully the portal scroll worked like a charm and June, May and Penumbra were waiting for them at the docks. April had immediately pulled the alien aside to give her her orders. The look on her face, before she schooled it, was pure joy .

She saluted crisply. “I won’t let those kids out of my sight. You can count on me Ma’am.”

April smiled at the alien’s enthusiasm and was happy to note that her sisters had gotten the Lieutenant out of her old uniform and into something a little more relaxed. She had on a black t-shirt tucked into a pair of camo utility pants and nice heavy duty boots. At least she won’t stand out as badly as before. She sighed again and dismissed the Lieutenant.

Wait!” Louie snagged the back of her shirt in desperation. “Why can’t I-”

“We!” Dewey interjected angrily.

“Ugh,” Louie rolled his eyes. “Why can’t we come along? We survive McDuck adventures all the time. I can’t even count the amount of times I usually almost die in a week!”

“You’re really not helping your case.” April deadpanned. “Besides, I think you know well and good that this isn’t a McDuck adventure, this is an Uncle Donald adventure. Completely different.”

“But-”

“No.” April cut him off.

“We can’t let kids do something this dangerous.” June interjected.

“Besides, uncle Donald would kill us if we did.” May pointed out.

“So,” Sully backed the triplets up. “You’re staying here, where it’s safe.”

“Our family’s in danger, and we’re just supposed to sit tight?!” Louie asked, enraged. Uncle Donald had always been there for them, had even let them fight in the shadow war and now they were just supposed to sit back and let them handle everything? That just...didn’t sit right with him. He should be out there, helping uncle Donald with...whatever had gone wrong! “Are you at least going to tell us what’s going on?”

Sully and April shared a look before turning back to the kids. “If you’re Uncle wants to tell you when we get back, then that’s for him to decide.” With that the old dog walked back toward the plane.

“Oh, C’mon!” Dewey groaned.

“Sorry kiddo.” April whispered to Louie as she hugged him.

“We’ll bring him back; promise.” May ruffled his hair.

“We won’t be long.” June rubbed his back.

Webby and Huey were strangely quiet as the scene played out and the girls left with Sullivan. Though they too had frowns on their faces at the whole ordeal.

Louie huffed and angrily stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket as he watched the plane take off. Once they were gone he turned his glare to the Lieutenant. Penumbra didn’t even flinch under the accusatory stare, she just squared her shoulders and stared right back.

“So,” Huey piped up. “Who wants lunch?”

“Really?” Dewey turned to him, incredulous. “Now is not the time for food. It’s the time for action .”

“Well, we can’t do anything on an empty stomach.” Huey pointed out.

The green duckling kept his beak firmly shut, essentially pouting about being left behind while the other three turned to the alien with inquisitive looks.

“What?” She asked confused by the stares.

“You’re the one in charge. It’s your responsibility to feed us.” Huey said flatly.

The way the words came out made Louie pause. Huey was never one to speak to adults like that, so what was going on inside that well organized head of his?

“Uh, right. Food, I can do that.” Penumbra clenched her fist in determination. She looked around for a moment before gesturing to them to follow her. “This way.”

As they followed her away from the docks the ducklings clustered together so they could talk quietly amongst themselves. Hopefully the Lieutenant wouldn’t pick up on their whispers.

“What are we doing Huebert?” Dewey whispered crossly.

“We’re going to lose her in the market crowd and then head back to the marina.” 

Oh... oh . Huey was mad . And Louie wasn’t sure what to make of it, other than to point out the one major flaw with this very reckless plan of his.

“Even if we make it that far before she realizes we’re gone, how are we going to find the island they’re on?” Louie sped up to stay beside his brothers.

Penumbra seemed to be oblivious to their scheming, though she would look back to check on them now and again as she made her way back into the village in search of some form of earth food. These were the Admiral’s kids and it was now her duty to look after them until the Admiral’s return.

“That’s where you come in.” Webby added. “Me and Huey have been thinking; since your medallion literally protects you, then maybe your compass can literally find Uncle Donald for us.”

That...was a good point. And he knew one way they could test it. It was early afternoon, so the sun’s orientation was out, but they did have a certified Junior Woodchuck with them. Sometimes it comes in handy having a nerd for a brother.

Louie pulled the compass out of his pocket and opened it up. It was pointing behind them, back towards the docks. “Huey, which way is north?”

Huey pulled out his own compass and compared it to Louie’s. Whereas Louie’s pointed back toward the docks, Huey’s pointed just to their right. To test it further Louie turned around to walk backwards, wary of the Lieutenant watching them, and as he did the needle in the compass swiveled with him. It seemed almost insistent that it knew which way it was pointing.

“I think you guys are right.” Louie said as he turned back around. “You thought this all up while they were saying their goodbye’s? Huebert, I am both terrified and impressed, and they say I’m the evil triplet.”

Huey rolled his eyes at the joke at first but soon crossed his arms, his feet now stopping as he walked, which betrayed his mood. He was really upset about this, they all were and Louie could understand, but this reaction wasn’t what he thought Huey would have. Something else must be bothering his brother.

“What’s wrong?” Webby spoke his concern out loud.

“It’s...just,” He ground out through clenched teeth. “First Uncle Scrooge wouldn’t tell us anything, we had to find out about mom the hard way, then we find out Uncle Donald would have told us everything , but now something’s happened to him that we don’t know...and the people who do won’t tell us anything either.” He growled in frustration. Huey held his breath for a few seconds, trying to calm down.

“Is everything alright back there?” Penumbra asked a little uncertain.

“Fine!” Webby jumped in front of Huey. “Just fine, just….really hungry you know?” She chuckled awkwardly.

Thankfully the alien just nodded and continued to walk through the streets toward the sound of a crowd. Webby and Huey both let out their breath.

Louie and Dewey walked on either side of their brother, shoulders touching to help reassure him without making him feel trapped.

“I don’t want to lose him.” Huey admitted quietly. “All those bad guys...all those guns ...I,” Huey took another breath. “Why...why did we leave? Why did we move in with Scrooge? We were fine where we were...we were happy where we were…”

“We’ll get him back.” Dewey assured him quietly.

“The girls are all trained to kick butt. They’ll get him out of there, and when we show up to foil any of the bad guys' back-up plans we’ll all go back home with Uncle Donald and relax.” Louie added.

“Yeah,” Dewey continued. “We’ll have a movie night with popcorn and M&M’s and pretzels and hot cocoa. Then we can all sit on the couch with Uncle Donald.” 

Louie glanced over at Webby, who had been watching the brotherly moment with a small sad smile. “Of course this time will be different.” He smiled at his first sister. “This time we’ll have April, May, June and Webby with us. That’s enough for an epic pillow fort and featherpile.”

“Featherpile?” Webby asked with a tilt of her head.

“You’ve never heard of a feather pile?” Dewey asked, confused. “But, you’re a duck?”

“A featherpile is when we all sit down with our blankets together and snuggle up to Uncle Donald and take a nap together.” Huey explained. 

“Oh,” Webby exclaimed with a smile. “That sounds nice.”

“What sounds nice?” Penumbra startled them with her question.

“Uh…” The boys floundered for an excuse.

“Those bananas!” Webby shouted as she pointed to the fruits. “They’re the perfect snack you know!” She chuckled nervously again making the boys cringe. “If only we had some peanut butter.”

“Oh yeah,” Louie decided to back her up. “Those bananas look perfect.”

“Yep.” Huey popped the ‘p’.

“Totally delicious.” Dewey gave a thumbs up. “I’m always a monkey for bananas.”

The Lieutenant stared at them for a moment.

“Hmm,”

They held their awkward smiles.

“Ok. Four...buh naanis...coming right up.” 

As she turned to walk toward the fruit vendor they all relaxed, letting out relieved sighs. After a moment they all exchanged glances before speeding off back down the path to the docks.

Penumbra walked over to the stall examining the strange curved yellow...bu naanis. Earth was certainly a strange place, beautiful, but very strange. Everyplace that the Admiral and the girls took her was so vastly different from the last it made her head spin. Of course finding out why the Moon was not a planet had been...embarrassing, but seeing the difference certainly made sense. Still, the Admiral had been kind enough to have it referred to as a territory for their peace treaty.

The Admiral . 

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t worried. More than anything she wished she could be there to help. To repay him for helping her free her own people from Lunaris. But she knew he would be ok, after all she’s seen him go through; seen what he’s capable of. No one would be taking out her Admiral anytime soon.

Taking a breath she reminded herself that the job she’d been given was important too. After all, these kids were her Admiral’s pride and joy.

Exchanging the local currency for the strange curved yellow...food things, took longer than she thought, but after a few minutes she was successful. Turning around, ready to proudly present the children with their food, she nearly dropped the newly purchased items.

“Those sneaky little…” Penumbra took off as fast as her legs could carry her.

Her strong legs and long strides carried her back down to the marina where the flat water ships had been tied. She berated herself the entire way. She should’ve seen this coming, she knew they’d been acting suspicious. If she lost them...she’d never be able to face her Admiral again.

“Which one should we take?” Dewey asked excitedly as they walked the length of the pier.

“Can you please not talk so casually about theft .” Huey complained. “I already feel enough like a criminal.”

“Ooooo, can we get that one?” Dewey pointed as he ogled a large boat with a fancy engine.

“No,” Louie said flatly. “If we start up any of the engines on these boats, we’ll be found out faster than we could get out of here.” He motioned for his siblings to follow him. “We’ll take this one. It’s cheap so the guy won’t be out too much money, and we actually know how to work it.”

The boat Louie had picked out was a small single mast sailboat. Better than a rowboat, but still slower than what Dewey was hoping for.

“Awe, c’mon.” The blue duckling groaned.

“Don’t just stand there,” Huey called to him as he untied it from the dock. “Hop on, we have to row out a ways before we drop the sail.”

“I know.” Dewey sighed in defeat as he easily hopped from the pier to the deck of the sailboat. 

Webby followed him, though not as gracefully. Dewey reached out and steadied her out of habit when he felt her wobble as she landed.

“Thanks.” Webby’s smile was small but grateful.

With the rope removed and all four ducklings aboard, Huey and Dewey began rowing out of the arena under Louie’s direction. The green duckling looked down at the compass in his hand and stared at the needle as it pointed him towards his dad.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?!”

The shout startled all of them. Their eyes grew wide as they looked back to see the Lieutenant running full speed down the dock.

“You don’t think she’ll jump do y…?” Dewey trailed off as they watched her leap from the end dock.

“YOU’RE NOT LEAVING MY SIGHT!” Penumbra flew through the air farther than they thought was even possible. They watched, mouths agape, as she landed squarely on they’re boat.

The small vessel rocked back and forth from the impact, knocking Webby and Louie onto their backsides as the only two ducklings standing.

“Turn this ship around.” Penuumbra demanded.

Dewey crossed his arms, Huey glared, Webby had her hands on her hips in a defiant stance but Louie was the one who spoke for them.

“No.” He stood up. “I’m not just going to sit and stay like a good boy. My dad’s in danger, he needs help, and if I can help him then no one on this earth is going to stop me. Not even some G.I babysitter!”

The Lieutenant clenched her fists. “I understand your frustration. But I gave my word that I would watch you.”

“Fine, than watch us.” Louie shrugged. “We’re going that way.”

At this statement Huey and Dewey began letting down the sail.

“But,” The alien growled. “I have orders-”

“You promised not to let us out of your sight.” Louie pointed out. “Congradulations, you can still see us. Now do you want to help us save our dad or what?”

Louie ignored the stares he could feel aimed at the back of his head. He knew what he said and he’ll say it again. Uncle Donald has always been more than an uncle. He used to be all they had, he’s all Louie really wants anymore as far as parents go.

Penumbra wrestled with herself. She couldn’t make them turn the boat around without physically making them and she knew nothing about how to operate this vessel. And her job was to watch the children, she really wasn’t letting them out of her sight.

“Fine.” She crossed her arms and remembered that she still had the food in her hand. “Here, eat your...yellow...food things.”

“They’re bananas.” Huey told her as she handed each of them one.

“Whatever.” The alien grumbled.

Holding out the compass so the others could look at it, Louie stood at the bow of the ship and looked out over the horizon.

Dewey stood beside him for a moment, eyes darting from the compass to his brothers face.

“ What ?” Louie sighed.

“Dad? Really?” Dewey asked with a teasing smile.

When they were little it had taken Louie the longest to stop calling Uncle Donald dad. Both had been adamant.

“Shut up and eat your yellow food thing.”

Chapter Text

“NOOOOOO!” Della screeched, but Scrooge’s ears didn’t register the noise.

For one heart stopping moment he simply stared at the cliff's edge in disbelief. Then he felt himself lurch forward as he followed his boy over the edge. 

Eyes wide, the old duck took in the canopy below, the spaces between the tops of the trees and the sight of Donald disappearing as he smacked into the rushing river below. He straightened himself out, preparing to hit the water.

The wind rushed past his ears, making them ring before he hit the broken and rushing surface like a ton of bricks. He could hear his own heartbeat, the rushing of blood through his body, in the terrifying silence within the river’s flow.

Scrooge held his breath, pushing from the bottom to make his way back up, he broke through the top current and twisted every which way, frantically searching for blue flannel and white feathers.

“Donald!” He yelled, trying not to swallow any water.

His mind chanted to him, find him...find him...you can’t lose him...not again…

The current dragged him downstream easily and he worried that it was too fast. Did he miss him along the way? Did he need to swim up the river? Did he slip below the surface? How badly was he bleeding? Where did the water take him?

There! Caught on a fallen branch down river Scrooge spied a white feathered arm.

“I’m coming Donald! Don’t you worry!” He panted as he swam. “You’re not alone, not this time.”

Thankfully the downed limb had stopped his progression down the river, but it also seemed to have trapped him within his branches. His head was above water but Donald appeared to be unconscious. 

Scrooge pulled and tugged at the limb, but without any purchase beneath his feet, lifting the deadwood was nearly impossible.

“Go under!” He heard a yell from behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, startled, he saw Della coming toward him. She followed him down here? ...of course she did.

Taking a deep breath Scrooge dove under the water and swam underneath Donald. He found the base of the limb caught beneath a few rocks; it would take too long to dislodge it, but they could pull Donald from underneath its branches.

As Scrooge came back up for a breath he noticed the current was beginning to drag him away from his boy. Frantically he began swimming back upstream, and reaching out his hand, grabbed ahold of one of the branches. His grip came loose along with the bark as it came away from the branch.

The bough had been in the water so long that it’s branches were slicked and smooth from being wet, and the smaller ones were completely rotted within. Every branch he tried to grab was either too slick to hold onto or would break off from rot. With every branch Scrooge inadvertently removed, the more Donald’s body was being tugged by the river unbeknownst to either Della or Scrooge.

Finally he was able to grab onto something firmly, gripping the strangely shaped object caught within the branches. Scrooge hoped whatever it was held long enough for him to-

“Agh!” Scrooge reached out and snagged Donald’s leg before he could float out of reach, the jerking motion causing his body to sink a little; his head was dangerously close to going under. “Lass! Get on the other side and help me pull him toward the bank!”

Dutifully Della swam around the fallen tree limb to take a hold of her brother by the shoulders. Very carefully, making sure his head and beak stayed above the water, she began kicking her one leg as hard as she could to direct him out of the river's current and onto its bank.

Rafe stared, unblinking, in surprise at what he just witnessed. Nadine herself was confused as to what kind of person would willingly fling themselves off of a cliff.

But Abner felt tears gather in his eyes. Donald took the hit for him...he defended him even after he found out that he’d lied.

He killed his little brother

Tears freely fell from his face. This wasn’t what he wanted, this wasn’t how this was supposed to end. He failed...he failed Donald...he failed Grandma...he failed Uncle Quackmore…

He was just trying to keep his promise, and in doing so had broken his promise to Uncle Quacker...he was supposed to look out for Donald and take care of him. This...this was all his fault.

“Well,” Rafe broke the silence. “You don’t see that everyday.”

Abner grit his teeth and bowed his head in shame.

“Now,” He could hear the click of Rafe’s gun as he addressed him. “Get up Sam. We have treasure to find.”

Donald woke up gagging. Instinctively he rolled over, clutching his stomach,, as he half coughed half threw up water and stomach bile. He tried to push into a better sitting position, but halted the movement as he felt his left shoulder light up as if it was on fire. He let out a groan and grit his teeth. ‘ Oh yeah ,’ he thought. ‘ Rafe SHOT me .’ His temper flared as he remembered what all had happened.

“It’s alright lad.” Scrooge’s voice startled him into sitting up fully as he backed away from the voice.

He regretted the movement instant and let out a hiss as his shoulder pulled at the open wound. Donald stilled and took a deep breath before opening his eyes. Scrooge sat in front of him, a pinched expression on his face and behind him he saw Della fidgeting nervously. Both were dripping wet and as Donald soon noticed, so was he. They must’ve jumped into the river after him.

“You ok?” His sister asked timidly.

“ Peachy .” He growled out.

Scrooge and Della took his temper in stride, seeing it as a good sign, and gave twin sighs of relief.

Donald ignored them as he gingerly began to move. Reaching around he felt the back of his shoulder for an exit wound, hoping it was a through and through. If it wasn’t he’d have to go digging around for the bullet in his shoulder. He was thankful for small miracles when his fingers came back red from the painful dip he found. Good, that made his job easier.

“We should get that looked at.” Scrooge supplied unhelpfully.

“Naw,” Donald retorted sarcastically. “I was thinking of rubbing a little dirt on it and walking it off.” 

Carefully he began taking his flannel off before moving his shirt aside to see the damage. Most of the bleeding had stopped, but it was still oozing some. Clenching his jaw, Donald pressed the heel of his palm into his shoulder, his fingers reaching around toward the back, and mentally recited a basic mending and pain relief spell for it. He felt the warmth of magic leave his fingers and ebb the pain in his shoulder. It was a minor one, he’d prefer to heal it in one go, but he didn’t need Della and especially not Scrooge asking any questions about that.

“Shouldn’t we bandage that?” Della protested as Donald stood.

“With what?” He asked pointedly. “Even if we had bandages they’d all be soaked from the river. Who knows what kind of bacteria lives in there.” He wrung out his flannel and tied it around his waist using the sleeves.

“Then we can use one of our shirts, or your flannel.” She insisted, not listening.

“Della, our clothes are wet from the river .” Donald checked his pockets, happy to find he still had his knife, a granola bar...and his phone and radio which were now useless. Well, no way to go but forward. Thankfully he also still had his shoulder holster on. “It’s stopped bleeding, so I’ll take my chances.”

Donald turned and started walking away, back up the river, much to their confusion. Scrooge scowled as he caught up with him.

“Hold on there.” He tried grabbing Donald’s hand, but the younger duck dodged and kept going. “Where do ya think yer going?”

“After Rafe.” He answered curtly.

“Why?” Della asked from his other side.

“To get Abner back.”

Scrooge and Della both went red, though the older one exploded first. “WHY IN DISMAL DOWNS WOULD YOU GO AFTER THAT TURNCOAT!?”

“After he lied about everything?!” Della added. “They deserve each other!” She spat.

“Rafe’s going to kill him when he’s no longer useful.” Donald grit out.

That little fact made them both pause. But it seemed to only garnered Abner the tiniest amount of sympathy.

“Maybe he should’ve thought about that when he sold you out.” Della grumbled, but neither she or Scrooge were trying to stop Donald anymore.

“You’re one to talk.” Donald muttered darkly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” She asked angrily.

“Children don’t belong at a black market auction. If you don’t like the idea of something bad happening to the boys, then maybe you should have thought about that before leaving .” He didn’t look at her when he bit the words out, but he felt her falter beside him.

“Still,” Scrooge butted in. “It was a poor move on his part.”

“Stop, before you say anything else.” Donald threatened. He knew they were right and he’ll deal with Abner after they save him, but this was hardly the first time he’s been betrayed and by family no less. “You’re no better.”

“I may have made mistakes but I’ve always car-” Donald didn’t let him finish.

“I SAID STOP!” Donald screamed in Scrooge's face. "STOP ACTING LIKE YOU CARE! You wanna do something for me?" He scoffed. "Then leave. I've never needed your help before." Then he muttered. “It’s not like you’d help even if I asked anyway.”

Donald ignored them as he continued making his way forward. He had no idea how long Abner had before Rafe decided to cut loose baggage. Forget the treasure, Rafe can have it, he was grabbing the liar and they were going to get out of here.

“I,” He turned a glare to Scrooge, warning to watch his mouth because Donald was not in the mood. “I just don’t understand how you can forgive him after all that.”

“I forgave you, didn’t I?”’

Chapter Text

Donald turned away from them and began to follow the river. He figured it was the easiest way to get back onto the path to New Devon, no doubt where Rafe was heading. It was a safe bet since most towns are built by water.

Scrooge and Della had paused for a moment, just watching him march ahead, before trailing after him. They stayed silent as each of them turned over what Donald had said in their minds.

Particularly, Scrooge thought about how Donald said he felt. He said he didn’t think Scrooge would help him, even if he asked. His nephew thought so little of him, it wasn’t just anger either. Anger he could handle, anger he knew very well. But this was something worse; Donald had sounded defeated because he had completely lost faith in him. The more he chased after his boy, the more Scrooge had no idea how to mend what he broke. He was trying so hard to prove that he was here for Donald...wasn’t he? Or did Donald think he was here for the treasure?

Of course the treasure had never strayed far from his mind, but after fighting that woman and being held at gunpoint, Scrooge could see that this was not his usual type of trip. Donald, much to his surprise, was taking to it like it was an old routine...and that scared him. What happened to him, to not even be phased about getting shot?!  

Scrooge grit his teeth. Forget the treasure, at the end of all this he would still have a pile of his own gold back at the Bin. He didn’t need anymore, no matter how much he wanted more. He needed to prove to his boy that he wasn’t acting, that he truly did care. Perhaps that will begin to convince him...

Della however was sulking more than anything, because she knew Don was right. She left her boys to do something dangerous and stupid. If she had just put more thought into it or listened to her brother, then she would’ve been here to be their mom. Instead of some overly excited palooka that encourages them to do dangerous things, like going to an illegal auction . She hadn’t even thought there was anything wrong with it at the time! If she hadn’t taken them somewhere they shouldn’t have been then they wouldn’t have been caught up in this mess, gotten shot at, chased after by bad guys who would actually hurt them. She was their mother, she was an adult, she should know better...but she doesn’t , and none of those frightening possibilities had even crossed her mind. That was the hardest thing to realize, next to almost losing her kids in general, was knowing that she didn’t have the skills to look after them like she should; now that was a blow to her confidence.

Never once has she ever thought she couldn’t do something. Even if it wasn’t the best, or first place, or pretty, she was still capable of succeeding . She’s never really failed...that she knows of. But then again...she hadn’t realized all the bad choices she’d made until they’d been shoved back into her face.

As they trailed behind Donald they barely registered the terrain as he led them upstream. It wasn’t until the dull roar of rushing water drowned out their thoughts that they started paying attention to their surroundings.

“Woah.” Della took in the view of the waterfall spraying minute water droplets into the air, making the mountain backdrop appear like it was rising out of the mist.

As they got closer to the falls Donald spied what he was looking for. Erected within the falls to the left was a water wheel. A large wooden wheel designed for the use of mills. It harnesses the power of the water to move the grinding stone to make flour. Except this one was easily three times larger than any water wheel Donald’s ever seen and it was used to move a large wooden platform from the bottom of the falls to the top.

“Is that an elevator ?” Scrooge asked, flabbergasted.

Donald didn’t answer him, he was more interested in the fact that their path had just turned from mud and tree roots to cobblestone. This was definitely the way to New Devon. Why couldn’t they have found this nice path earlier? He growled in frustration before sighing.

This was what he had been hoping to find, a new way forward. He didn’t really care that Scrooge and Della had continued to follow them as he couldn’t really get rid of them. It was probably better this way, however frustrating having them around was. If he left them alone they were liable to get themselves shot.

He sighed again as he resigned himself to figuring out how to work the old platform elevator. Not that he couldn’t climb around the side, but with his shoulder mending as slow as it was it would aggravate his wound. Donald crossed his fingers in the hopes it wasn’t broken.

The wooden platform was set to the right, away from the falls, and built large enough to fit a wagon and a horse. Wooden planks criss crossed the frame, resembling scaffolding more than an elevator shaft. But really, it’s only purpose was to keep things from falling off the lift as it went up.

Spanning across the river between the water wheel and the lift was a large metal pipe with a gear on each end. Except, it seemed to be disconnected from the wheel. Stepping onto the wooden platform Donald saw a rusted lever sticking out of the floor. The other end of the pipe sat close enough to the side of the elevator that he could reach out and grab it, as it almost came through the wall. In fact, it looked like there were handles on either side of the gear on the pipe.

“So,” Della said, glancing around. “Is there like an up button or…”

On a hunch Donald grabbed both handles and pushed the pipe forward. It was satisfying to watch as the other end slid into the center of the wheel. Both gears on either side of the pipe now lined up perfectly, one within the wheel and the other into the pulley system attached to the lift. Reaching down he grabbed the lever with both hands.

“Here laddie,” Scrooge tried to grab the handle from him. “Let me…”

Donald just growled as he forced the old rusted metal back. With a lurch, whatever was holding them down was released and they began to rise.

“Or...not.” Scrooge finished lamely. “Good work lad.”

The ascent was awkward and unbelievably slow as they all just stood there within the confined space, waiting to reach the top. Donald looked out at the view of the island that their elevation had revealed.

Della walked closer to her brother, feeling more like she was approaching a stranger than her twin. She stood beside him, quiet for a moment.

“I’m sorry Don.” She said quietly. “I really am. For everything.”

Donald let out another breath. That was the thing about Della, he knew she didn’t mean to. She simply never learned to think about consequences, and that made it really hard to hold a grudge...or trust her with anything.

“Yeah,” He whispered back. “So am I.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. Why are you apologizing?” Della asked, so confused.

For a few moments Donald didn’t speak, and Della was beginning to think he wouldn’t when he finally explained.

“If I had known you were on the moon, I could’ve brought you back myself.” He admitted, almost confessed really.

“Donnie,” Della began.

“No,” Donald insisted. “We all have something we’re at fault for. We all wish things had been different.” He took a breath. “Everyone has something about their past they wish they could change, everyone has mistakes they wish they could erase. But if that’s all you ever think about, then you lose your present and your future in the what-ifs.”

“Learn from your mistakes and leave them in the past. That’s what it means to move on.” Donald turned to look at his sister. “Somewhere in those ten years I forgave you, knowing that you understand what you did wrong makes it easier to do it the second time.”

Della blinked as she thought. This was her brother? This individual who should be kicking and screaming, was her brother? Since when was he so mature? Hearing him say those things made him sound so... old . Della had to wonder what had changed him since she was go…. oh .

She was lucky, she realized, that after a decade away she even still had a family after everything she’d done.

“Still, there wasn’ really anything you could have done.” She mumbled crossly. “It’s not like you had access to a rocketship or anything.”

“I know a guy.” He replied vaguely.

Before either Scrooge or Della could ask what he meant the lift had made it to the top. Donald quickly lifted the gate to let them out and continued along the cobblestone path beside the river.

“Wait!” Della yelled as she ran to keep up with him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Scrooge stayed quiet. He knew that Donald wouldn’t answer if he didn’t want to. It was a frustrating habit that his lad had picked up. He only began noticing it when Donald would make his way in and out of Killmotor this past year with barely a nod of recognition to either himself or Beakley. Hearing him speak of how he forgave reminded Scrooge that he was also given that same amount of compassion from Donald. He scowled when he realized that Abner would be receiving the same consideration as well. Though he was impressed with what Donald said. Learn from your mistakes and leave them in the past. Wise words learned from hard choices.

“What?” Donald asked over his shoulder. “I have friends. Unlike this guy.” He stopped and pointed up.

Just beyond the edge of the falls, alongside the cobblestone road there was an eight foot tall wooden post. Hanging from the plank attached to its top was a cage containing a skeleton and nailed to the front of his cramped prison was a sign proclaiming the man a rebel.

Della grimaced at the sight. “That’s got to be the worst way to die. All crammed inside a little cage like that.” She shivered.

“Gibbet.” Both Scrooge and Donald corrected.

They stared at each other for a moment before Donald continued. “It’s called a gibbet or gibbetting. It was a popular form of execution between the seventeen, to early eighteen hundreds.”

“Why?” Della couldn’t help but ask.

“As a warning.” Scrooge said gravely. Donald nodded in agreement before continuing past the execution. 

The path wound away from the river and through the rocky foothills of the mountain. The ducks climbed over boulders as they made their way up and into a carved out path through the dell.

Walking through the tunnel in the rock Donald stopped short at the sight in front of him.

“What is it lad?” Scrooge asked from behind him. After a moment Scrooge and Della stepped up beside to see what he was looking at. Laying in a pile, almost blocking the exit, were the bodies of more colonists. Among the many that lay there, several could be identified as female from the tattered garments, while others were too small to be adults.

“ Dia ghràdhaich .” Scrooge whispered when he caught sight. Usually the sight of the dead wouldn’t bother him. But these...these were innocent people...women, children ...all caught up in something they shouldn’t have been. “It’s a mass grave.”

Della was having a similar reaction. She hadn’t ever thought of a skeleton being a person before, usually they were just...skeletons. But these, these used to be people. She stared at the small, brittle bones of a child and felt herself grow angry.

“What kind of monster does this?” She turned away from the sight of too small bones .

Her brother didn’t breathe a word as he turned from the ghastly sight and continued on.

“Come along lass.” Scrooge called to her. “Let them be.” 

The mood was heavy as they all trudged onward. Donald was just as disturbed however. Seeing those bones lying there...that was his worst nightmare when it came to the boys. That they’d be on an adventure somewhere and when they get hurt or in trouble it takes him too long to get there. He’s always too late. All he finds are their bones in the end.

He shook his head trying to get rid of the mental image. The kids are safe, he reminded himself, with April and Sully while his other girls were out training...camping really. Everyone was fine…the sinking feeling in his gut was just nerves…

...and the sight of all of those gibbets.

Looking up, the view wasn’t much better than back in the tunnel. All along the front gates of New Devon were dozens of gibbets, most of which were occupied. Some were leaning over precariously as the ground around them was slightly flooded creating a swamp amongst the hanging grounds.

Moss covered nearly every inch of the large stone wall sealing off the Pirate Captain's paradise from the horror they left in the wake of their scheme. It made Donald wonder if the carnage had been part of their plan all along.

He grit his teeth and began wading through the two feet of water outside the gate. From the sound of splashing behind him he knew Scrooge and Della weren’t far behind.

Thankfully, the old wall was made from large stones and through the years had lost most of the mortar stuck between them. So even while covered in moss and pond scum, the crevices amongst the rocks made it rather easy to climb. Once on the top he turned and helped Della up out of habit, but he left Scrooge to see to himself.

They sat, crouched together on the wall, perched like robins on a telephone wire. The sight laid out before them was equal parts magnificent and confusing. There might’ve been a swamp on one side of the wall, but on the other there was a lake. New Devon was flooded beneath easily ten feet of water. The first and at least half of the second story of nearly every house was under water.

“This spot wasn’t the best place to build.” Della muttered.

But Donald shook his head as he took a look around. “No, someone as smart as Avery wouldn’t have just built all this here if it flooded so easily. We’re missing something.”

“Well maybe-”

“ Shhh, you two .” Scrooge hushed them. “ Look .”

He pointed across the aquatic expanse to the only house left untouched. It was much grander than any of the flooded houses and remained quite dry as it was built upon a ridge that overlooked the other residences. Standing at the door were several people who were difficult to make out. But one thing was clear; a single person was being held at gunpoint as they made their way into the house.

“Abner.” Donald whispered, worried for his brother. “I’ll get you out of this,” He promised. “And then I’m going to kick your ass .” He mumbled angrily before dropping down and into the water.

Della smiled, glad to know Abner wasn’t completely off the hook. She cannon balled into the water after her brother. Scrooge for his part was still reeling over what he was seeing. He knew well why criminals were strung up; gibbeted until their bones fell apart and rotted. 

It was an old way of warning people not to break the rules. To stay in line and be good . The only reason a pirate would gibbet someone...the only reason he could think that Avery would set up that gruesome display outside was to warn people from trying to steal back their gold . He was protecting his treasure...if you could even justify calling it that. Slaughtering countless people wasn’t protection in Scrooge’s book, it was a result of severe paranoia. And he hated the fact that he understood that .

How many times had he been willing to go above and beyond to protect his money bin, even at the cost of his allies? Scrooge shivered to think he’d be capable of doing such heinous things. Money made the world go round but it wasn’t worth killing for, fighting for of course, but not killing.

Scrooge brushed off the sombre thoughts. He was nothing like Avery and he never will be. Simple as that. With that taken care of he jumped in after his kids and swam toward the first house.

Donald climbed out of the water and up the side of the house. There he was able to open a third floor window and climb inside. He turned around again and helped Della up and through.

“Why don’t we just swim all the way?” She asked as worked the joint in her leg back and forth to make sure it worked.

“Because we...when did you get your leg back?” Donald asked in surprise.

“OH,” She looked back at him and smiled. “When Nadia-”

“Nadine.”

“-threw it out the window it landed in the river and got caught in the same downed branch you did.” She explained excitedly. “That’s how Uncle Scrooge was able to pull you out. It was pretty stuck in there.”

“...cool.” He pointed to the other side of the house...which was missing leaving the room wide open to the elements. “The current is too strong in some parts. We’re liable to get sucked under the flow if we’re not careful.”

“Right.” She agreed with a nod. “More house jumping.”

The distance between the houses wasn’t too far, Donald supposed, that if he kicked out one of the support posts on this corner, that it would make a decent bridge to the next mansion. Water damage made the wood soft, so he just had to hit it hard enough to fall without making the rest of the house too unstable.

The house was already missing it’s south wall, the one facing Avery’s mansion on the ridge, so kicking out the one support post that...wasn’t really supporting much anymore shouldn’t be bad. 

Key word being shouldn’t .

Bracing his feet Donald began to push against the post. He could feel the wood groan and split as he gradually applied more pressure. Too much too soon and he could snap it in half giving them a useless bridge. Eventually the wood gave way and fell toward the other house. He watched as it landed perfectly against the home and stayed put.

Donald smiled in satisfaction as his plan had worked out. But, as he felt the house shudder beneath his feet, perhaps his victory was short lived. All was still for a moment...before they felt the floor suddenly shift forward with their weight as it fell in the same manner as the post.

“Really!?” Donald yelled as they went crashing toward the water.

Quickly, he grabbed both Scrooge and Della by the hands and yelled. “JUMP!”

Arms outstretched they flew towards a set of  bay windows set into the other house. Donald closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms. Glass shattered as they hit the window, a large splash could be heard as the floor beneath them shook from their landing. The old wood groaned and gave way beneath them, dumping them into the water pooled into the second story.

All three ducks swam up on instinct and gasped for air. They tread water for a moment, heads swiveling to check on each other.

“Well.” Scrooge looked at the crumbling building through the window. “That could've been w-”

“Don’t.” Donald warned. “ Don’t say it .”

Donald sighed before swimming over to the staircase that led back up to the third floor. Whoever had owned this mansion had really liked the color purple...and paisley. Everything about the decor screamed lavish and faintly victorian. Odd for a pirate to emulate the style of those they considered to be their enemy.

The third floor held marble busts and old paintings along it’s hall and a plush purple carpet to match the purple paisley drapes. Donald stopped to open one of the windows along the hall and was pleased to note that the next house was much closer.

Taking a bit more caution, he grabbed one of the busts and threw it through the next house’s window. It shattered on impact and even from the distance they could hear it thunk onto the floor.

“Help me take down the curtains.” Donald asked as he began ripping them from their places above the windows.

Unlike most modern day curtains, these were dense and thick as they were made from velvet lined with heavily starched linen to keep them in place. Donald took out his knife and began cutting them into strips.

“I see.” Della exclaimed happily. “The old bed sheet trick.”

“Sorta, leave that end on the rod there.” The wrought iron rods used to hang the curtains certainly came in handy as well. Donald left one length of the curtain around it and began tying the other lengths to its end.

Once he was satisfied with how long their homemade grappling line was, he picked up the rod and threw it like a javelin through the broken window of the other house. He pulled the line taught before tying the last bit around the second rod.

“Hold this.” He handed the metal pole to his Uncle. “Make sure it holds.”

Scrooge held the rod sideways as Donald hopped into the window sill. He lowered himself over the side and hung onto the sill by his fingers. Slowly he took a hold of the velvet line and let his weight tug the rod forward until it was flush against the window frame.

Scrooge let go of the rod carefully. He smiled out the window at Donald. “Clever lad, this’ll do the trick.”

“Still,” Donald said as he now hung from the line. “We should go one at a time. Better safe than sorry.”

“Aye.” Scrooge agreed with a nod. This was Donald’s adventure and if he thought it best, then so be it.

One after another they crossed the velvet rope, hand over hand, to the next mansion.

“The current's not as bad over here, I think we can swim to the next house.” Donald motioned for them to make their way downstairs.

As they descended into the house, a garish yellow in color and just as cush as the last, they found themselves swimming through the second floor. Out they went through a window as they crossed a stagnant area. The house they were swimming toward was an off white color, either from age or the stone it was made from, and trimmed in red.

With a dome on its top and statues barely peeking out of the water near it’s entrance, Donald had a hunch that this one was Tew’s mansion. The lower windows were gone as well making it easy to get inside. The decor was far more subtle and dare he say tasteful. A rich red carpet adorned the stairs, the walls were neutral in color and the whole ensemble was trimmed in gold. Upscale and snobbish...but classy .

As they ascended they looked through the many rooms lining the hall, looking for a way to cross from this mansion to Avery’s. Dust flew as doors that hadn’t been used in over a century were thrust open, making the ducks sneeze occasionally.

Getting nowhere, Donald decided to head straight for a pair of double doors, thinking that it might lead to an office or perhaps a dining room. The doors were stubborn as Donald pushed against them, he leaned back and gave a harder shove. He stumbled forward as they opened and had to catch himself.

When he looked up his jaw dropped at the scene. He’d been theorizing for the past few hours about what could have happened to the founders and what he might discover...but finding them all dead at the dining table in Tew’s house was not it .

No, not all of them. He counted ten, five on each side of the table. Two were missing. One on each end; the head of the table for Avery and the other end for his second in command.

“What happened?” Della asked as she stepped in beside her brother.

“Why would they all have died here?” Scrooge wondered, as he followed in behind.

Donald stepped forward to examine the table closer. Each captain was dressed to the nines, making it possible by their clothes to identify them. Though if there were any doubt, they each had a name card set before their plates. The plates themselves seemed clean, other than tarnish there didn’t seem to be any gunk on them from food and there were no serving dishes along the table. They each did have a glass of wine, however. There was even a goblet sitting at Tew’s place.

He walked along the length of the table toward Thomas Tew’s seat, spying a piece of paper on the table. Picking it up he read the letter aloud.

“ On behalf of Lord Avery, I invite you to my manor at sundown tomorrow. The time has come to abandon our animosities and reunite under the banner of our Captain and Liberty. Signed Thomas Tew .”

“So what?” Della asked. “He killed them? Why?”

The little things that were bugging him from before were starting to make sense. The people going missing, the secret meetings, the revolt, the gibbets , the FLOODED MANSIONS. Libertalia wasn’t about ripping off the common folk...it was about being a pirate among pirates . Avery took their treasure and made it his own.

“Lad,” His Uncle called out to him. “What happened?” Surely, Scrooge thought, Donald could deduce what happened. 

“These guys sparked a revolt when they took the treasure for themselves right?” He started. “So they had to deal with the colonists, but then they had to deal with each other .”

“They got greedy.” Scrooge guessed.

Donald nodded and continued. “So Avery and Tew invite them up here to ‘ abandon the animosities’ .” Donald grabbed the goblet from Tew’s place. “Tew raises a toast; ‘To Liberty! And they all take a drink, except Tew.”

Della looked over a skeletons shoulder and into the goblet still clutched in its hand. “He poisoned them.”

“And just like that, all the riches of Libertalia become the sole possession of two men.” Donald huffed and shook his head. “These are some of history’s greatest pirates, and they all died in an instant at this very table.”

Scrooge and Della took in the look of awe on his face as he stared at the skeletons sitting askew in their seats.

“No one ever knew what happened to them.” He whispered. “They all went down in history as legends.” Donald knew not every pirate was a bad guy. There was more than one reason to be labeled a pirate back in the day. Usually many people became pirates to rebel against the crown, or to gain liberty from the oppression of their country. But these guys, knowing what they did to those people… “They didn’t deserve it.”

Silence reigned for a few moments in the wake of his declaration. Scrooge easily agreed with him and Della wasn’t far behind. In fact, as far as she was concerned pirates weren’t even cool anymore, ninjas all the way from now on.

“Come on.” Donald blinked as he stepped away from the table. “We need to get into Avery’s manor.”

Chapter Text

Donald backed away from the table slowly, brow drawn and frowning at what the people before him had become. After another moment passed he silently turned from the massacre and walked back out the door. 

Everything that took place here was vying for his attention and he didn’t like it. The history, the architecture, the mystery …Donald shook his head. He had put this fairytail to bed a long time ago, when he had lost Abner. Now, drudging all of this back up; the hopes, dreams and promises of something better that he was promised used to be what helped him sleep at night when he was a kid. Knowing that his cousin had his back, even when it seemed like no one else did made him think he could do anything. Abner always believed in him…and for what?

No, Donald refused to believe that Abner did this for the money. His cousin was unfortunately nearsighted when it came to what he thought was being helpful. Abner somehow convinced himself that this was the only way to help him in life and he hasn’t let it go.

As he made his way up another set of stairs in Tews mansion Donald sincerely hoped that the treasure wouldn’t blind him like it had the captains.

Della and Scrooge came along beside him as he eyed the rather large hole in the wall. They seemed to realize he didn’t really want to talk.

At the end of the hall they stood among glass and brick debris from where a tree had fallen over and into the top of Tews house. The dead plant made a decent bridge from Tews mansion to the base of the steps leading to Avery’s mansion. Looking up Donald could feel the arrogance in the building’s placement as it was still over a dozen feet above their heads.

Wasting no more time Donald quickly tested the integrity of the fallen tree. Once satisfied that it was indeed stuck and certainly going nowhere he crossed it quickly. His uncle and sister weren’t far behind as he then began to climb the broken stone stairs carved from the cliff face leading up to Avery’s mansion.

Half way up Donald began to grumble as he noticed their ascent was cut short. Several steps leading to the top were missing and more were following them, as their weight shifted the stone more began crumbling into the water below.

Looking around for another way, Donald noticed roots growing out of the rock wall beside them. He grabbed one and gave it a tug to see how sturdy it was before deciding to use it to climb the side of the cliff face.

“Wow,” He heard Della remark behind him. “He’s like a freakin’ Terminator.”

“ Lass .” 

Donald ignored them as he crested the top and pulled himself up. He’d been hoping that this platform would allow them access to the house. He was partially right. The rest of the steps were still destroyed, but so was a corner of this house, allowing entrance through a lower level.

Once he heard Della and Scrooge make it he went ahead through the hole in the deteriorated foundation. Inside appeared to be a kitchen leading to store rooms with wine barrels and drying racks. Further in the ceiling had rotted and fallen in.

“Grab one.” He muttered to Scrooge as he began moving a barrel over to the hole.

Donald crossed his fingers in the hopes that holes would be a recurring thing. They certainly were making things easier.

Scrooge rolled his barrel next to Donalds and they hopped up on them to get a boost into the room above them. Once in they picked their way around rotten floorboards carefully.

“What a great time to have a metal leg!” Della grumbled as the old planks groaned under her.

“Shh.” Donald hushed her. “We haven’t seen any Shoreline guys yet and it’s making me worried.”

Della kept silent as they crept up another set of stairs and into the main floor. Donald led the way as he cautiously checked around each door frame before entering the room. Finally they found the foyer, he could tell from the grand double staircase on each side of the white marble room. Above them was a gold and crystal chandelier.

Donald sighed as he looked to his right. “They barricaded the door.” Two trunks, a desk and a lounge chair had been shoved against the door. They wouldn’t have been able to get in this way even if they wanted to.

“Not just that,” Scrooge stamped his cane in annoyance. “They left a muddy mess!”

“Which makes them easy to follow.” Donald interjected. “We need to catch up, c’mon.”

They followed the wet, muddy trail up the right staircase. At the top they turned right sharply to walk along the upper hallway to stop at the first  door to their left. When Donald tried the door it wouldn’t budge.

“They barricaded this one too.” He complained. “They must’ve found something.”

“Alright, lad.” Scrooge stood beside him. “On three.”

They counted down together before ramming into the barricade. The first hit knocked the thing back a few feet. One more hit and they burst through the doors. Scrooge kept his balance but Donald tripped over one of the chairs they’d used to block the doors. He landed on a chaise accidentally knocking whatever was on it off and onto him as they both hit the ground.

“Oh,” Donald looked into the empty sockets of a skull. “Excuse me.” He pushed the parrot skeleton off him so he could get up. In doing so he knocked loose the contents of his leather shoulder bag he still had on.

Looking down, Donald saw a sextant, compass and piece of paper from the pirate’s bag. Curious, he picked the piece of paper up and unfolded it.

“It’s a letter,” He mumbled in surprise.

“So?” Della asked.

“It’s signed by Avery…” Donald began reading aloud.

“ My loyal subjects,

As the sun sets on our glorious paradise, we must endeavor to preserve its riches. The traitorous Tew knows our secrets, so we must act quickly. Destroy the dam, cleanse New Devon and move my treasure through the passage to my ship. ”

“So he’s a triple crosser?” Della asked in surprise.

“Are you really surprised?” Donald asked with an eyebrow raised. “Four hundred million in gold and treasure was already a lot back then. Now add every other famous pirate’s treasure to that. Anyone would get dragon sickness.”

“Dragon sickness?” Scrooge asked, confused. “Don’t you mean gold sickness?”

“No, most pirates are known to have Dragon Hearts.” Donald explained. “This kind of greed, what they were willing to do to have it, keep it…it wasn’t about being rich, it was about having gold .”

“What’s a Dragon Heart?” Della asked.

Donald debated how much to tell them. The history of those with Dragon hearts and why some people have them is long and complicated. Most people…most magic folk don’t even learn this kind of history unless it directly involves them. Like it does Donald…

“People who have Dragon Hearts are predisposed to gold sickness, meaning they get it easily, only it’s a lot more intense. That’s why they call it Dragon Sickness instead. It turns them into beasts .” Not worthy of being Dragons, which is why their ability to transform was taken away…  

“C’mon.” Donald cut them off from asking any other questions.

Della and Scrooge gave each other a look, curious to know where he learned that from.

The obvious trail led down this secondary hall and under a set of double doors at the end of the hall.  Pushing against the doors he was happy to find these opened relatively easy.

Upon opening Donald realized this would’ve been Avery’s study. The room was obscenely large, more befitting a library though there were only bookshelves on the upper floor. Towards the back of the room near the large paned glass windows was a circular dais where a single writing desk sat, a standing globe setting beside it.

“The footprints end here.” Scrooge grumbled as he looked around.

The sun glinted off of something metal lying on the floor catching Donald’s attention. Walking over a few steps he picked up the lighter they had grabbed from the waiter back in Italy.

“Abner was here.” Donald began looking around earnestly. “Whatever we’re looking for, it’s here.”

Della began looking around the suits of armor decorating the walls, Scrooge began inspecting the desk, but…Donald was eyeing the globe.

From here he could see a single dark, rusty brown smudge marring it’s surface along the coast of Madagascar…roughly where Libertalia sits.

Donald walked over to the globe and moved it so he could see the mark better, curious as to why it was oddly shaped. Upon closer inspection he found it was actually a thumbprint, too big to be any other, over top of a raised surface kind of like a button… 

Pressing his own thumb over the mark there was a loud clicking sound before the stones set along the dais lowered into a winding staircase that led below the room.

“Oh cool,” Della stopped her fiddling with the candle holders. “You found it.”

Donald had to wonder for a moment exactly whose bloody thumbprint that was. Avery? Tew? Or someone else? Did Tew catch up to Avery…or did Avery fail to kill Tew? Who chased who?

He shook his head, it didn’t matter. “Down we go.”

Chapter Text

They walked down the stairs and into the underbelly of Avery’s mansion. The tunnel ahead was blocked off by an iron bar gate. Donald and Scrooge both had to turn the crank to raise it. 

Donald had to wonder if allowing Scrooge to come was a good idea. After all, his uncle was the most renowned Dragon Heart still living. Would he come to regret allowing him to come? With the army that awaited them, Scrooge and Della were the only allies he had to depend on.

As the gate finished raising he stood there for a moment, staring into the tunnel that continued to descend into the earth. Tree roots hung from the ceiling obscuring some of the path, twisted and curled around each other like tentacles.

“Ya alright lad?” Scrooge looked over his shoulder, wondering why Donald had yet to follow them.

He shook his head, “Yeah, m’fine.” and grabbed the lighter from his pocket. 

Still clinging to the wall of the tunnel was a torch. Donald sniffed it to see if it still had any gun powder residue on it beneath the cloth wrappings. The torch easily lit, bringing a bit more light to their path. Readying himself to move forward, unsure of what secrets the tunnel held, Donald only took a single step when the chain holding the gate up snapped.

All three ducks dove under it in the nick of time. While Scrooge and Della landed on their stomachs, sliding a ways, Donald had rolled onto his shoulder and landed in a crouched position. The sound of the metal slamming onto cobblestone rattled their teeth.

“Well,” Scrooge stood up and dusted himself off. “No way but forward.”

Donald sighed, something about this was making his feathers stand on end. The cave before them seemed… sinister in a way. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but he was sure to find out soon.

Putting the torch out in front of him, Donald led the way down and through the cave. His gaze swept the walls for any weak spots and the floor for any footprints. It didn’t take long to spot them thanks to the soft earthen floor.

The atmosphere was cold and damp and every few feet they were splashing in puddles. Donald worried there might be cave-ins if not soon then sometime between Avery’s time and now. The stones used to keep the integrity of the walls were bulging and warped. Not to mention the roots that broke several of the bricks from the walls.

Still, very carefully, they followed the tracks deeper and deeper beneath New Devon. All the while Donald was waiting for that one dreadful thing he knew was going to happen.

The sound of their sloshing footsteps was interrupted as the tunnel shook, knocking loose small rocks from the walls. Donald frowned, wondering if Shoreline was really dumb enough to use dynamite in these tunnels. Another explosion rumbled through the walls around them making him wince.

“What was that?” Della asked, startled.

“Nadine’s men’ll use any excuse to throw dynamite.” Donald growled.

After a moment, when all was still, they continued on. Just down the way, through a stone archway they came to a hollowed out cavern. 

Before them was a pit of spikes, on top of which sat a grid of wooden squares, though some appeared to be missing. Underneath those, impaled on the spikes, corpses could be seen. Painted on each square was a different image, the key to safe passage for this puzzle.

It’s a good thing they figured this one out for them. Slowly they shuffled across the groaning wood planks, following the muddy path left behind. Once through to the other side Donald had to groan. The path split two ways, and the tunnel that Abner and Rafe took seemed to have collapsed.

“What are the chances that there’s another way through?” Della worriedly asked her brother.

Instead of answering her, Donald merely trudged onward taking the only other path available. He wanted to comfort her, tell her that in case of cave-ins of course they’d make more than one way out. Because that’s how it’s usually done, that’s how builders survived making tunnels, by having more than one way out.

But this wasn’t made by a rational thinking man. These tunnels were made as a means to conceal and protect Avery’s treasure from being taken from him. These tunnels were made to be a deathtrap. 

Up ahead the tunnel widened into another room almost entirely obscured by roots dangling from the ceiling. Walking into the opened space, a shiver ran down Donald’s as he realized…these aren’t roots .

“Don? What’s wr-” Della brushed some of the dangling things out of her way causing them to fall onto her. “WHAT THE HUH?!”

“Are those…?” Scrooge asked aghast as he looked on.

Across the room was a crude sign. The message carved into its surface declared these to be “ The hands that stole from me .”

Most of the appendages were nothing but bone, but some still had dried flesh clinging to their surfaces.

“When you said Dragon sickness was worse than gold sickness…” Scrooge stared at an arm that was clearly removed with a saw blade. The serration marks left in the bone made him pale.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg.” Donald warned before moving on. How deep into the madness had Avery fallen? How had Tew not noticed? If they were finding these warnings, then were they on the right or wrong path?

Della shivered as they left the demented room behind. She huddled closer to her brother, suddenly very done with this adventure. She’s used to skeletons, she’s seen death tons of times before. Why was this bothering her? Why were these bones different? Just because this guy killed them and then chopped them up and hung their arms…ok, nevermind.

She almost ran into Donald when he stopped in front of her. Peering around him she squinted as she took in what she was seeing.

“Is that…a mummy?” Della wondered if this adventure was going to get any weirder. 

Tied to either side of the stone walls, wrapped in linen and old rope, were two corpses. One on either side, just…sitting there.

Walking a few steps closer to inspect them, Donald wondered what they could have possibly been set there for. He received his answer when a single ember from his torch suddenly lit the corpse on fire, quickly jumping to the other one.

“MOVE!” Instinctually he grabbed both Della and Scrooge, dropping the torch in the process, and pulled them back as far as he could leap.

A breath of a second later both corpses exploded, showering dirt and bones all over their crouched forms and actually knocking them back further. Their ears began ringing from the concussive sound, their heads pounding from where they hit stone.

“What was that?” Scrooge yelled as he coughed from the dust that was  kicked up.

“A trap.” Donald was breathing heavily from the rush of adrenaline. “He mummified people using gun-powder and left them down here.” He picked the now smoldering torch back up and blew on it to re-ignite it.

Getting back up, Donald coughed a little before shuffling forward. Thankfully the tunnel didn’t collapse, but just beyond where the first two mummies were set was another three. 

“Stay here.” Carefully Donald moved forward with his torch. If he could just sneak past them without-

Donald ran back toward Della and Scrooge as another set of explosions rocked the tunnels. Going back once the dust cleared he was relieved to see the rest of the tunnel was clear.

But that wasn’t the end of the horror…

Not far along they came across more body parts strung from the ceiling. This time ribcages, some with more, others less spine. These were declared, by another wooden sign, “ The hearts that hardened against me .”

Scrooge took in the macabre sight and thought to himself, all of this just to protect his treasure? He was already in charge of the entire island, had everyone else’s gold…what caused all this paranoia?

Seeing the lengths Avery took to covet his treasure…it scared him. When it came to his own gold in the bin, Scrooge knew there was very little he wasn’t willing to do to protect it but…could he really become a monster like this ?

The following tunnel held more mummies, and as he watched his nephew carefully set them off Scrooge had another thought, far more terrifying. Was this how Donald saw him? As someone who would do anything for treasure, without caring what he did to get it? To keep it? If that was the case, then he didn’t blame Donald for hating him all these years.

“Hey, I think Avery just did us a favor.” Donald said between coughs. “The mummies blew a hole between this tunnel and the one Abner took. Looks like we’re back on the trail.”

Their tunnel appeared to be higher than the other one, they had to drop down into the room. They landed amongst lower jawbones and Scrooge winced as he read the sign. “ The mouths that spoke ill of me .”

“They were definitely here.” Donald remarked picking a flare up from off of the ground. “Here, we could do with a little more light.” He tossed the flare to Scrooge.

With that they were back to following the footprints along the secondary tunnel. It wasn’t a few minutes later they found two dead Shoreline soldiers that had the unfortunate task of setting off the mummy bombs. Donald searched them both for weapons and was happy to find a revolver. Not much ammunition, but he’s worked with less.

Further up was another room and they braced themselves for whatever body part may be strung up, but instead they found a few whole skeletons that seemed to have been locked in a fight with each other.

Donald wasn’t one hundred percent certain, but if he had to guess based on every other piece of evidence they had… “These were Tew’s men. They went after Avery’s crew.”

“So…we’re almost out?” Della asked.

“Only one way to find out.” Donald passed the corpses, some with cutlasses sticking out of them, and toward the back of the room.

Stairs led up and out of the chamber, a relief so far, though they still had a ways to go underground. More and more of the tunnel seemed to be constructed out of brick, thankfully becoming more stable along the stone corridor they found themselves now in. At the end they could see a large metal reinforced wooden door.

They hastened their steps in anticipation of freedom. Donald grabbed the metal ring to open the door and as it swung open it seemed to catch on something on the other side. A skull came rolling from behind the door, the body it was once attached to had once been leaning against its frame. Clutched in its hands were, ironically, a metal skeleton key and a note.

Picking up both Donald read,

“ Even now Avery is readying his escape. If we allow him to leave these shores, he will surely disappear, along with our treasure. This master key will open the gates in the depths of his tunnels, but be wary, Lieutenant. He will no doubt expect us to pursue him. While you and your men search the tunnels, I shall take a small detachment of men through the valley so that we may cut off his escape.

If God grants us victory, by sundown tomorrow we shall be Pyrates once more, sailing to unknown ports with the treasure in our hold, the wind in our sails and the freedom to live as we choose.

Captain Thomas Tew.”

Donald flipped the letter over, examining it more closely as he thought. “Tew knew he was going to double cross him. He prepared for it.” On the back of the letter was the key to the puzzle over the spikes. Tew really had been prepared. “We can use this key to get out. Let’s get going.”

“ Finally .” Della mumbled in relief.

Except, instead of going up…they continued to descend into the tunnel. Further and further into Avery’s madness and no footprints in sight. It made Donald wonder if there had been another branching path that Rafe and Abner took.

“This doesn’t look like the way out.” Della complained as they took in the room. “It looks like another deathtrap.”

“And no cheats this time.” Scrooge pointed out unhelpfully.

“Actually,” Donald pulled the letter Tew had written to his men back out. “I have the answer here.”

According to Tew, only the upper left square is safe next to the three crosses. Both left squares and the top right are safe next to Avery’s sigil, while only the bottom squares were safe next to the picture of the ship. Which meant…

Holding the paper up Donald precariously picked his way around the wooden maze, Scrooge and Della trailed behind him. Both held their breath, but they trusted Donald to get them through this.

It was a tense few minutes as he had to stop twice trying to decide the best path forward so they could actually make it to the other side. But once he was sure, he finished crossing as quickly as he thought the old wood would allow.

“Is that?” Della pushed past him to go up the stairs. “I see DAYLIGHT!”

“Della! Wait!” He rushed forward to try and stop her. Avery seemed to have a pension for booby trapping things. If she wasn’t careful she was going to get caught.

They rushed after her up the steps. Suddenly bathed in light both Donald and Scrooge had to squint just to see where they had emerged. It looked like a glen between the mountains and straight in front of them was a large metal door set into a wooden frame taking up the entire width of the narrow little valley.

Donald looked around but he didn’t see his sister. “DELLA!”

“Up here!” He looked up at the sound of her grunt.

Hanging above them by her feet, Della was one more body that joined several others strung up by Avery’s booby traps.

Della swung around wildly, trying hard to reach for the rope above her. Maybe if she undid her leg…and then pulled on it to loosen the rope…then she’ll have enough room to-

“AhCH!” Della slipped from the rope and fell heavily to the ground. She braced for impact, but was pleasantly surprised to find her brother had caught her easily.

“Uh, thanks.” 

“Wasn’t the first, and it won’t be the last time I’ll save your skin.” He grumbled as he put her down.

Hearing Donald say something so blatant…it made her think about all the times he’s had to do this...how many more times has he saved her and she didn’t know? How many times has he cleaned up after her and she doesn’t know ? She was afraid to ask; she didn’t want to think about how bad or how long she’s messed up for.

Donald took the key from his pocket, took a deep breath…and slid it into the keyhole of the door. He held his breath for a moment before turning it, hoping the door itself wasn’t booby trapped. After a moment the door swung open innocently and he stepped through.

“Well,” He let out the breath he was holding. “If Abner’s anywhere it’s wherever Avery hid his treasure. Onward…”

Chapter Text

As the door swung open Scrooge heard a pop and then a fizzling sound, very similar to the lighting of a match-

Oh no!

Scrooge grabbed Donald and he in turn had grabbed Della. No doubt his nephew had also heard it. They drew each other close, trying to both shield and drag themselves back away from what was undoubtedly a trap.

They’d barely jerked back a single step when the doorway around them exploded. The debris threw them out and onto the ground, the force propelling Scrooge’s kids from his arms.

The old duck hit the packed dirt, slamming shoulder first, before continuing on; skipping across the dirt like a stone tossed across a lake’s surface. He clenched his teeth and held in a pained yell as he continued to roll. The momentum of his tumbling continued to beat against his throbbing joint until his back hit a boulder and stopped his progress. 

Stopping so suddenly, the force of his body slamming into the hard surface of the stone, stole his breath from him. With his eyes clenched shut and with the ringing in his ears there were a few heart stopping seconds where Scrooge was blind and deaf to the world. Sucking in air for a moment, he had to wait to call out for Donald and Della to see if they were all right. 

Once he managed to level his breathing, Scrooge noticed the wailing siren beating against his eardrums was finally starting to fade; His hearing coming back.

“ -ooge! Scrooge, can you hear me?! ” Looks like his boy beat him to it.

Donald slid to his knees beside his uncle. He helped prop him upright before looking him over for any injuries. Placing a hand over the old duck’s heart he closed his eyes for a moment making Scrooge wonder what he was doing.

When Donald’s eyes flew back open he grimaced. “Your left shoulder’s dislocated. We’re gonna have to set it.”

Scrooge frowned, trying not to look like he was grimacing from the pain, as he watched Donald put his hand on Della like he did Scrooge. If he didn’t know any better he’d say it looked like Donald was…sensing(?) their injuries. But… how?

His nephew came back over to him, bracing one foot against the tree beside Scrooge, and asked Della to hold him down.

"Make sure to keep him still Dels." He nodded to his sister who had Scrooge by the waist, weighing him down with her own body. "This is gonna hurt." Donald mumbled.

"I know. " Scrooge breathed through clenched teeth while his nephew grasped his hand.

"One…Two…" Donald paused for a moment to stare into his uncle's eyes. "I love you uncle Scrooge." 

Scrooge's shoulders drooped and he stared at Donald, trying to keep back the tears. He hasn't heard his boy say those words in year-

"YOOOOOOWW!" What followed Scrooge's painful shout should never be repeated.

Once the expletives slowed the old duck turned a glare to the younger.

"YOU CALL THAT LOVE!?"

Donald looked unimpressed. He dusted his hands off on his pants before standing.

"Yeah," he offered Scrooge a hand up. "It's called tough love ." Grabbing his right hand he hauled Scrooge to his feet. "Besides, suffering builds character. Remember?"

Scrooge grit his teeth but had the decency to look sheepish. He recalled saying those words to Donald once.

"Come on. We need to get to Abner before he becomes dead weight ." Taking off his flannel, Donald used it to make a sling for Scrooge. Which he refused, so Donald tied it around his waist.

The crack between the mountains foothills, where they got blown into, led them out from craggy rock and to a ledge overlooking a beach.

Crumbling sea stacks were scattered throughout the inlet to the beach Donald could barely make out to their right. 

"What happened here?" Scrooge asked him plainly, expecting an answer.

Donald looked at him out of the corner of his eye, wondering when his attitude had shifted, before turning back to the ship graveyard.

Easily a dozen galleons litter the inlet, nearly pristine if not for the shredded sails. Though they were all splintering from their time moored here in the water. Some were leaning against sea stacks, others were overturned. One was even sideways.

"The sails are shredded. These ships were stranded here on purpose." Movement caught Donald's eye and his gaze snapped to the deck of the ship closest to the beach.

"More of Avery's doing?" Scrooge asked, though it was probably rhetorical.

When no answer came from Donald he turned to look at him. His eyes were locked on to something garnering his blazer focus.

"What is it lad? What do you see?" 

"Shoreline." Growled Donald lowly. "They're scavenging the ships."

Scrooge wished he hadn't dropped his cane before jumping from the cliff. Donald was the only one of them with a weapon.

Donald grabbed the pistols from his holster and checked each of them over and counted his ammo.

"Looks like we found where all the rats scurried off to." Keeping one pistol in hand Donald glanced over the ships looking for hiding spots and places for cover. 

He turned a hardened stare to his companions, catching them off guard.

"We go down there...you gotta promise me you'll do exactly what I say. No heading off on your own," He poked Della. "No changing the plan." He took that finger and pointed it right in Scrooge's face. "I am not losing anyone else today."

Scrooge and Della blinked.

" Understood? " Donald barked.

"Yes sir!" Della answered quickly with a mock salute. Donald'll have to fix that...it looked pitiful.

"Aye." Scrooge said simply, with a look in his eyes Donald couldn't quite put a name to. "What's the plan?"

Putting that look away to think about later, Donald began explaining his strategy.

"If we have any hope of making it to that beach then we gotta get past those guys without being seen. Which means we gotta be quiet ." He looked at Della when he said that. "Stay silent, stay behind me and I'll clear the way. Got it?"

Della blew a raspberry. "I can be quiet ."

Donald leveled her with a stare, but didn't say anything.

Famous last words...

Chapter Text

Taking a deep breath, Donald mentally prepared himself for the battle ahead. He released the air with a sigh as he crouched along the edge, trying to focus on the battlefield's terrain. 

For a single peaceful moment everything was still as he felt his heart steadily beating in his chest.

Like the snap of a coiled spring he leapt from the ledge, expecting  Scrooge and Della to follow. Air rushed past his ears and whipped through his feathers as he descended. Knees bent to absorb the impact and rolled once across the available space atop the first sea stack before launching himself to the next.

Bend, land, roll, push, jump…

Donald went from the last sea stack to grab a hold of the mast to the closest ship. Swinging around the solid wood like a fire pole, he used it to both slow his momentum and descend to the deck below. He landed as carefully as possible, afraid of rotten planks falling out from beneath him.

He rushed to the fore and ducked behind a group of barrels, gun drawn, breath heaving and praying that all went well…

"Port is…the front?" Penumbra answered, unsure.

Huey shook his head, Louie rolled his eyes and Dewey facepalmed.

"No," Huey had taken it upon himself to teach the Lieutenant about the basics of sailing. Sitting in front of her he had his JWG open on his lap. "That would be the bow. Try again."

The lilac E.T blinked a few times before blurting out another guess. "Right."

"No."

"Okay…" She let out a sigh. "Bow is the front , stern is the back and starboard is…right and port is…left?"

Huey nodded, happy with her progress. "Now, going fore is heading toward the front of the ship, going aft is heading toward the back of the ship, astarboard is heading toward starboard and aport is heading toward port."

"...why?"

Louie groaned. "Look, hundreds of sailors came before us and they named them cause they were the first to do it so they had dibs. Any other questions?"

"If it's aport and astarboard then why isn't it abow and astern?"

Huey opened his mouth, ready to answer for a second before pausing, eyes widening. He looked down at his book and began furiously flipping through its pages.

"...that…is a good question…" Louie admitted, eyeing his oldest brother worriedly as he mumbled to himself.

Heading aport Donald dropped onto the next ship and snuck across deck. So far so good. His eyes stayed on the lookout for any soldiers while his ears kept track of the civilians behind him.

A pair of thuds sounded behind him and he motioned for them to crouch like him to stay out of sight. Peeking over the railing Donald spotted a group using a dinghy to transport whatever they found among the ships.

He counted six. Two had pistols, three had automatic rifles and one had a sniper rifle. They were headed ashore, finished with their looting.

If they could stay behind them, then sneaking into Avery's secret harbor would be a breeze.

"Aha!" Huey poked the paragraph he'd been reading. "Stern is the name of the part of the ship making up the backend. Astern refers to anything behind the stern nautically, while aft refers to around the stern and abaft means to head toward the stern or to refer to being behind. Like, the crows nest is abaft and aloft the bow. So saying aft helped to distinguish the difference."

Webby looked over his shoulder. "What about abow?"

"Not a word." Huey declared. "Fore refers to heading toward the bow and forward refers to anything nautically ahead of the ship."

"...you earthlings are unnecessarily confusing." Penumbra grumbled.

The four ducklings blinked at her.

"Well, I think that's enough school for now." Dewey stood up and went aft to check their sails.

Louie went fore to make sure they were still heading the right way.

Huey went port to check the knots along the side, then starboard to check the anchor.

Webby sat down beside Penumbra and fiddled with her fingers in her lap. Penny looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to help?"

The duckling looked up at her and gave a little shrug. "To be honest, you know about as much as I do now. I mean, granny trained me to do a lot of things but…sailing wasn't one of them."

They watched the triplets work in tandem to get them where they needed to go. The Lieutenant smiled. "The Admiral taught them well."

Donald snagged his sister by her jacket and pulled her behind the boulder he and Scrooge were using for cover. Another round of bullets chipped away at the stone saving their tails.

He glared at her and she ducked her head. "Sorry…"

Della hadn't accounted for the noise her metal leg would make against the stone along the ragged shore. When they had landed behind the last of the soldiers heading inland the resounding 'CLUNK' gave them away. Without hesitation, they had opened fire on the ducks. 

So much for stealth…

Popping up between reloads, Donald picked off the Shoreline soldiers one at a time. He needed to dispatch them quickly, before they gave away their tactical advantage.

"Hokey pokey, winky wong~ Parley magoo, agoo agong~ Hangaree bangaree bingaree bong~ The King of the Cannibal Islands!" The boys sang to pass the time.

"Oogaba, oogaba, oogaba, oogaba, oogaba, oogaba ooh!"

Webby and Penumbra stared at them confused.

"The king invited us up for tea, his name was Toracha-toracha-chi, and we were as thick as thick could be, among the Cannibal Islands!" Louie sang the second verse as Dewey had kicked the song off with the first.

"Hokey pokey, winky wong~ Parley magoo, ago agong~"

Jumping up, Webby interrupted the song with a shout. "Guys look!"

" Awe , Webby!" Dewey whined. "The oogabas are my favorite part."

Louie sighed. "Ya know, we could've been singing Henry the eighth."

"Henry the eighth?" Asked Webby.

"I love that one!" Huey exclaimed. "I'm Henry the eighth I am~ Henry the eighth I am, I am~"

Dewey cut into Huey's song. "We were singing King of the Cannibal Islands." He complained.

"Go for broke," Louie suggested. "Why not sing Louie, Louie?"

"Did you just…"

"Was that a pun ?! I'm so proud of you!"

"Guys!" Webby yelled. "LAND HO!"

Three heads snapped forward to stare ahead at a large island growing bigger by the second. Tall sea stacks touched the cloud filled sky and between them were several ships run aground, their sails shredded.

Penumbra stood at the bow, taking in the dreary sight.

"I think we're here."

Rummaging through the belongings of the soldiers strewn about the beach, Donald was able to salvage some ammo.

After a moment of debate he handed off an extra pistol to Scrooge. "Only if absolutely necessary." He told him. 

"What about me?" Della asked.

"I'm trying not to get shot." He told her flatly before following the trail Shoreline left behind.

Beach transitioned immediately into stone that rose into the mountain they'd been heading towards all day. A small trail led around into a cave dug deep into the heart of the solitary peak.

The tunnel led them deep into the mountain where a secret inlet held a single dock. The cave opened up, a jagged gap in the ceiling letting light spill into the cavern, and their eyes landed on Avery's ship.

The Fancy sat calmly, untouched, in the still blue water of the hidden cove.

Shouts caught their attention and Donald's head whipped around looking for somewhere to hide. Without hesitation he ran for the water, Scrooge and Della right behind him, and he waded into the water until he could back himself as far as he could go beneath the dock.

All three ducks used the posts to hold themselves under the old wooden planks, trying to stay quiet while the sound of heavy footsteps echoed above them. The dock shook.

They held their breath when they heard Nadine barking orders…

April trekked across the exorbitant tree roots knotted beneath her. Sully beside her, May and June bringing up the rear. Ever since they landed, they've been following the carnage and destruction.

The girls tried not to let their nerves get the better of them. But April was having the hardest time. She'd been an officer, a desk worker. She's never been out in the field. She was a lawyer. A trained lawyer, but still…

April tightened her grip on her weapon and grit her teeth as she took in the sight of New Devon. According to the Medallion, dad was still alive and somewhere ahead of them.

She had no idea when they'd come across dad. She didn't even know how much time he had. What she did know is that when she got there, she was going to make Abner wish he'd stayed dead.

No one messes with the Ducks. Not even a Duck.

"We almost done here?"

"This is the last of them ma'am."

The sound of soldiers grunting and the distinct tinking of metal met their ears. Boots stomped across the moss covered boards over their heads.

"Good." Nadine sounded tired. "If we hurry we can catch up with the others."

"Not yet." Rafe barked.

"What do you mean not yet?" Nadine's voice dropped. "We're done."

"We're done?" Rafe asked incredulously.

"Most of my men are dead, Rafe. And those who aren't have already left." Nadine was trying to leave while she still could. 

"Can you see that? The end is literally in sight!"

"That maniac pirate of yours has rigged this entire cave. I'm not setting foot on his ship!" At least she had some sense…

"Nadine," Rafe growled threateningly. "If you cut and run right now , the loss of your men- everything we've done- is for nothing."

"We have millions in gold, right here. I'd say that plus our lives means something." They heard steps walking away.

"...no wonder so many of your men have abandoned you."

There was a tense moment where silence hung heavily.

"Excuse me?" 

"We're on the verge of making history here, and you're willing to just.. walk away with a pittance- a fraction! - of what is on that boat?"

"If you can walk away from that ship alive …then you can have it. Maybe then you'll have actually earned it."

A resounding slap echoed off the walls and Nadine gasped.

Did…did he just slap Nadine Ross…?!

"Now look, we can stand here and insult each other all day. Or we can finish what we-OOF!" Rafe grunted from Nadine's retaliation. The dock shook from something landing on it, hard.

A distinct click of a cocking gun had Donald grabbing onto Della and Scrooge.

"Oh, I'm finishing it alright."

Several more guns cocked in answer.

"Sorry ma'am." One of the soldiers said simply.

Had they turned on Nadine?

For a few heart pounding moments all he could hear was Nadine's heavy breaths and the creak of wood as Tafe shifted to stand.

"The thing about mercenaries Nadine," Rafe sounded like he was catching his breath. "Their loyalty? It's bought. Not earned." He took a few more breaths. "Now c'mon, either we can finish this thing together…or we can just… end it right here."

All was quiet as Nadine thought over her choices. Honestly, Donald had no idea what she was going to do. Her ire had already been raised. So was she going to do the smart thing? Or was she going to rebel?

"Alright…let's go make history."

Chapter Text

"Move it." The soldier used the butt of his rifle to hit Abner in his lower back, forcing him to move forward. It was all the motivation he had to continue on. By now he cares very little about what happened to him. He was hoping to make it out alive, if only to make sure that Louie didn't end up Donald.  Stuck with Scrooge and miserable for years. Even if the kid ended up hating his guts, which he deserved, but it was the only thing he could think of as a way to apologize for his failure.

His arms ached from where they were tied behind his back and his head hurt from crying. Tears dripped down his beak as he hung his head, splattering on the ground at his feet. He was shoved roughly again, falling onto his face in the bottom of the dinghy.

"Boss wants this sorry piece of trash on board."

"Think he knows how to avoid the traps?"

Abner didn't bother raising his head. He deserved this and worse. His brother was dead and he killed him.

After several retreating footsteps and a few moments of silence it seemed like the coast was clear.

Stay here. Donald mouthed to Della and Scrooge. He even added a glare to make sure they understood not to move. 

Peeking out from under the dock he couldn't tell if there were any stragglers along the path. He had little choice but to check himself since they were short on time, so he slid soundlessly from the water and onto the stone ground beside the dock. Training with the Seals paid off.

Large stones along the edge of the water made for easy cover, for him and others. Slowly he crept, eyes peeled, along the path looking for any Shoreline soldiers. He hadn't pulled out his gun, number for fear of making noise and number two, because of it being water logged.

The sound of a cocking pistol had his spine straightening, ready for a fight, as Nadine stood up from behind a boulder five feet away from him. Gun aimed at his head.

"How are you still alive?" She growled.

Donald raised his hands automatically and gave her a shrug. Her scowl deepened as she stared at him.

"I'm not here to fight you, or Rafe. I'm just here to get Sam. You can have the treasure." He tried to reason with her.

"After everything that double-crossing traitor did?" She asked in disbelief. "That's it? You're just going to rescue his sorry ass and leave?"

"No offense, but this is kind of a family matter." His mind was going a million miles an hour trying to figure out a way to get past her. He crossed his fingers, hoping that thing one and two would stay put beneath the dock.

"You were in the water…" She mumbled more to herself than anything.

Donald kept silent, wondering why her attention had suddenly switched to his appearance.

"You took out my men single handedly…you survived me throwing you out a window, twice. You knew how to circumvent my patrols back on the island," Her eyes widened as she had some kind of revelation. "How did I not see it before?" Nadine leveled him with an indecipherable look. "You…"

He blinked in confusion. "Me…?" He echoed her.

"Of course the greatest adventurer isn't just some lucky bookworm!"

"Hey." Donald had a bad feeling about this. "Bookworms can be badasses too."

"You, you're the Duck." Nadine lowered her weapon slightly.

"I-I'm the what now?" The last thing he needed was to be recognized in any capacity. It's been decades since he's been active in any national regard so there's no way she kno-

"Sully, that old dog, would've had no way of teaching you that trick you did to get out of the water unnoticed." 

Oh, that's why she made a remark about his wet clothes…

Donald's hands lowered as he considered Nadine. "I'm just here for Sam."

"It really is you." She said as she put her gun away. "Everyone thinks you're either dead or retired somewhere, and yet the truth is more accurate innit?" Nadine glanced over her shoulder, checking for any onlookers. 

"Look," Donald said evenly, garnering her attention. "I don't know who you think I am, but I just want to get Sam and leave. Take what you want and get out of here, I'll cover your tracks if you want."

Nadine strolled forward til she was standing an arms length away. She leveled him with a serious look. "You were my hero growing up." She admitted quietly. "My dad told me stories about you….Petty Officer Donald Duck."

Eyes widening, Donald stood there shocked to his core as she saluted him, handed over one of her spare pistols and walked away.

When Nadine had appeared from behind her boulder he had expected a brawl and bloodshed, whether from him or her or both. Not a salute of respect and recognition.

"Wait," He called out to her before she could get too far. "I owe you. Anything you need, call me up."

She smiled. "Yes sir."

Taking Della and Scrooge's hands he helped them up and out of the water. Dell began wringing out her shirt and jacket.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to swim to the Fancy." Donald said, eyeing the boat sitting deceptively innocent across the way. "There's no dinghies or life boats around."

"Well," Scrooge stood resolutely beside him. "Back in we go."

"No," Donald put out a hand to stop him. "You stay here with Della, just in case."

"What do ya mean, just in case?" Scrooge eyed him.

Donald didn't want to say what was really on his mind. You're a Dragon Heart. If I take you with me you'll never come back…

But Scrooge would only see it as a challenge to prove him wrong. So he tried reasoning with him with strategy.

"It'll be easier for one, trained, person to get aboard unnoticed than three. And if things go sideways," Della looked up at that phrase and frowned at him.

"...the boys need their mother." Was all he said to explain.

Scrooge's eyes widened at the implication. He frowned, hard, and opened his mouth in protest.

A loud boom echoed through the cavern interrupting the moment. The Fancy rocked back and forth making a gentle wake in the water. A moment later all was still.

"They must've set off one of Avery's traps." Donald whispered fearfully. Turning back to Scrooge and Della he fervently told them, "Stay here." Before handing Nadine's pistol to Scrooge, diving into the water and shooting off toward the boat.

Scrooge watched his boy as he glided through the water.. He waited just long enough for Donald to dissappear over the ships railing before handing the gun to Della.

"Watch yerself Lass, this is not a toy."

"Wait, where are you going!?" 

Scrooge gave her an apologetic smile. "Someone has to go after him. And the boys need you. Stay safe."

With that he left her with his hat and glasses before jumping in to swim after Donald. Della watched as the last of her family left her behind on a dangerous mission, not knowing if they'd even come back.

A thought suddenly hit her and she stopped as she realized… was this how they felt when she took the Spear of Selene?

Chapter Text

Avoiding the soldiers aboard the ship was easy, most of them had unknowingly triggered Avery's traps while the others were sneaking off to abandon Rafe. The hard part was circumventing the traps that were still active.

Five, he counted their corpses as he went abaft, had met their end on deck. Their bodies were strung up by various means, though one managed to get impaled, leaving a bloody mess on deck.

Another explosion reverberated through the hull of the ship nearly knocking him over. After taking a moment to steady himself, he hastened abaft to go below deck to the hold, where all cargo should be stored.

Except, Rafe must have really not wanted to be followed. The way down was blocked by barrels and chests and what even looked like a liquor cabinet. The psycho was becoming as self destructive as Avery.

Luckily, with how old the ship is and damage from the two explosions, there were a few busted boards in the deck. Donald kicked them out making a hole large enough for him to drop down into the first hold.

The air was thick with smoke and he could feel the heat of flames through the wood. Through the haze he could see gold coins and various other treasures scattered all about the first room.

"Sam!" He called out, hoping to get an idea of where the asshole was.

A coughing fit came over him, the smoke already getting to be too much. He waved a hand in front of his face and continued forward. If Abner wasn't here then they must've gone deeper into the ship.

The door down was inlaid with gold and iron, a handle at its bottom and two counterweights attached at the bottom corners to help lift it. Donald didn't hesitate to raise it and enter.

The moment the seal broke more smoke bellowed out and a wave of heat hit him. The grandeur of the treasure room was tarnished, what with being on fire and all, even with sacks of gold spilling into giant piles while crates and chests were held aloft in nets above his head.

"Sam!" He coughed again, trying to see through the smoky atmosphere.

Movement within the swirling gray smog caught his attention. A figure emerged and Donald drew his gun.. it could be Abner, but this person didn't call back to him. He was betting on it being Rafe.

"Hey Cal." The crazy duck came into focus, left hand holding the side of his abdomen while the right held him at gunpoint. His head was bleeding from the right temple.

  I hate it when I'm right…

"Where's Sam?" He asked hoarsely.

"Oh, he's right there." With his head Rafe gestured just behind him.

Along the side of the room, where iron cages sat, Abner was sprawled atop a pile of treasure…and he wasn't moving.

Donald cocked his gun and glared at Rafe.

"Relax." Rafe tried to appease. "He's alive. But the idiot nearly got us all killed."

"I'm getting him out of here." They stared each other down with their guns trained on each other.

"No, you're not."

"You can have the treasure, alright? Just let me save my brother."

Rafe chuckled. "After everything he's done? How noble of you…but no."

"We stay here any longer and we're all dead. Is that what you want?"

"It's not what I said. What do you think, Lieutenant?" 

Widening his stance, Donald stepped back a bit so he could keep his eyes on Rafe and the newcomer. Nadine's second in command descended into the hold with them, gun out.

Rafe smiled. "Relieve Mr. Drake of his weapon if you would."

The overly dressed soldier stalked over to him with clunky steps. "Hand it over."

Donald glared as he eyed the ill-fitting gloves and pants. "You really think you can trust him?"

The thug gestured to his gun. "That's none of your concern. Weapon." His voice was muffled by a gas mask.

The voice made Donald pause, now that he could hear it better. And when he made eye contact he stared into familiar blue eyes.

It took everything in him to play along.

"Now, why are you trying to instigate? Cal, Orca here and I are partners." Rafe stepped closer, waving his gun loosely. "I don't screw over my partners."

He bit his tongue in an effort not to call Rafe a hypocrite as he took his gun from him. He's taunted the people with guns enough today.

"But you and your brother," Rafe continued on his soap box as he handed 'Orca' Donald's gun. "Right from the start, you took advantage of my generosity. You tried to cut me out and it's high time you learned-"

Rafe hadn't been paying attention to 'Orca'. The cocking of a gun right behind his head made him stop, eyes widening.

"...what are you doing?"

"Now give me your weapon."

"You're not Orca." He growled.

"Now, laddie."

Jaw clenched, Rafe took his finger off the trigger and held his gun over his shoulder to be taken.

"You are being profoundly stupid right now old man." Rafe growled as he turned to look behind him.

Scrooge pulled the gas mask off and glared right back at him. "I've got this one Donald, grab a box and start loading."

"What?!" Both Donald and Rafe stared at the old duck, their jaws dropped in disbelief.

"I am not loading anything! I'M here for Sam, not you!" Donald yelled indignantly.

"Look around you lad, I can't pass up this opportunity." Scrooge was practically drooling already over what treasure he could see. "You were right. It's real and it's all mine! "

He couldn't believe that his uncle had come after him…okay he could. But this was bad, really bad. Forget that Rafe was piecing together his true identity, Donald could tell from the crazed look in his eyes that Scrooge's Dragon Heart had taken over.

"Let me get this straight." Rafe glared at Donald in disbelief. "You…you're Scrooge McDuck's nephew ? All this time you used me because the old man wouldn't give?" If Rafe had been angry before, he was livid now. "Then you turn around and tell the greedy bastard all about my treasure?!"

"Not yours anymore." Scrooge grinned. "This here's my find and we got to it fair and square-"

"YOU CHEATED!" Rafe lunged for Scrooged and grabbed at his gun.

Startled, Scrooge fell to the floor as Rafe began trying to wrestle the gun from him. 

Donald was torn for a moment between helping Scrooge or Abner. Abner was priority one being unconscious, and if he ran into Scrooge's struggle he was likely to get shot.

'I think I'll take traitor number 1 please…

Rushing to his side he knelt to check for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief once he found it before patting Abner down,  looking for any other injuries while keeping an eye on the two idiots.

Other than a bump to his head and a few scrapes he seemed fine. The only worry now was a concussion….and getting past Rafe if he happened to win the scuffle.

They both had their hands on the gun and while Scrooge was stronger he was also tired and Rafe kept up a barrage of kicks and punches, trying to gain an advantage over the Scot.

With the tangled mess of fingers, one managed to hit the trigger, setting the gun off. With a resounding series of bangs Donald heard the bullets hit and  splinter wood before the rattling sound of the door closing hit his ears.

Looking up in time he watched the door fall closed and seal them in. The mechanism that helped it open shattered. It looked like the door could be lifted manually but not by one person.

They'd have to make it past Rafe…

Now that the door was closed there was nowhere for the smoke to go. The room began to grow more hazy as it filled up.

Rafe managed to kick the gun away from Scrooge. The old duck backed up, accidentally hitting a trigger that caused another explosion. Rafter beams fell from the ceiling smacking him across the head and taking him down for now.

Rafe barely dodged, seeming to know what would happen when the trap was triggered. Is that what had happened to Abner?

Donald wanted to call out to his uncle, but he knew it wouldn't help. If anything he and Abner were better off on the floor and away from the smoke.

"Rafe!" Donald called out. "It's not worth it! Help me with Sam and I'll help you get outta here!" A deal was their only way out, with Scrooge and Abner down now and the room on fire…no matter how impossible he hoped that Rafe would see reason.

Rafe Adler stood up seething in rage and contempt. "No…no that won't work." He looked around and spotted a pair of skeletons behind him near the corner of the room. Both had swords sticking out of their chests.

As he walked up to one and pulled the cutlass from between its ribs Donald realized it was a Duck skeleton…and the other was an eagle…

…it was Avery and Tew…they killed each other…no one… no one had made it off this island…

"I'm not going to be able to enjoy a single coin," Rafe turned to look at him. "Knowing you and your worthless "brother" are still sucking air."

Donald stood up and backed away from Rafe with his hands up. "Rafe…don't make me do this…"

"Donald," He spat. "Shut up." Advancing toward Donald he held the sword out determinedly.

"This is insane, even for you." The dance had begun and Donald was starting to sweat from the heat and the pressure. He could hear Scrooge groan under the wooden beam to his right.

"You wanna hear insane?" He asked as he began circling Don like prey. "Calisota Drake raced a madman and his entire army to the steps of Shambala!"

Rafe swiped at him and Donald dodged left.

"Calisota Drake found the lost city in the middle of the Rub' al Khali desert!" He raged bitterly as he lunged.

Donald jumped backward. "C'mon Rafe! The whole ship is on fire! We could get out of here together!" He knew the pleas were falling on deaf ears but he had to try.

"Calisota Drake discovered the fabled El Dorado!" Jealousy dripped from every word. These were all the discoveries Donald had made after he thought Sam had died.

Rafe swung wildly, the blade glinting in the firelight as he slashed at Donald three times. Finally he nicked his side on the third.

Holding his side Cal took stock of his environment. If he could just make it back to Avery, then he could pull Tew's sword from his bones.

His opponent came in swinging again and Donald managed to avoid every blow.

"Rafe…stop…" He pleaded tiredly.

"Calisota Drake is a legend." Rafe chuckled darkly. "You know, I shot the man that told me that."

"I get it. You don't like me very much. Take a number."

"You know, for all your greatness, Cal, you have nothing. You are nothing. And I warned you to get out of my way."

For all of Rafe's confidence in wielding the cutlass he was swinging it around like a fencing sword. Whereas Donald had actually fought people who knew how to wield the weapon.

On his third swing Rafe over reaches in a classic lunge. So Donald grabbed his arm to redirect the blade down before head butting him then pushing Rafe away from him.

Rafe growled and shook his head. "I've sacrificed everything to find Avery, and I'm not going to let a couple of two-bit thieves, a senile con-man and a washed up old has been take that away from me!"

Charging, Rafe led blade first making Donald drop into a roll to duck under the attack. The move placed him close enough to Avery that he was able to reach for Tew's cutlass. And just in time too.

Pulling the blade from the corpse Donald was able to block another blow from Rafe. The sound of metal on metal ringing in his ears. 

Standing back up they began to circle each other again.

"You care about that parade of losers so much," Rafe huffed from exertion. "I'm going to make sure they join you."

That was the last straw. "En guard, douchebag."

Rafe grinned. "That's the spirit."

Chapter Text

When Scrooge had followed his nephew onto this accursed boat, he had thought he could handle it. He's been on adventures, he's gone on missions, amassed the most wealth in the world. He could make sure his nephew and that deadbeat numpty would make it out of there alive.

…but then he saw the gold…and everything had gone kind of…hazy…

He remembers standing there, taking in every beautiful, shiny, brilliant, gold coin…

He shook his head, trying to clear it.

It seemed as though the precious metal was whispering to him though…

…he listened as it told him how powerful it could make him…

…how pretty it would look glinting in the light…

…it needed protection…

…someone to look after it…

…a horde to be a part of…

From there Scrooge knew he had been hooked and he began scheming. Had figured out a way to sneak in and take what was his.

And then that thief tried to take it…it was his gold, his treasure and no one was going to touch it except for him!

The rage and possessiveness that overcame him…he couldn't recall ever being that violent before…

He fought…with the intent to kill…and just recalling that feeling was making his gut sink with guilt.

Something had knocked him out though and he's glad it did.

But when he heard his boy cry out…he came awake kicking and groaning. But his mind was clear. No more anger. No more fog.

"You know how to sword fight?" Rafe asked incredulously.

"Yeah, actually." Donald settled into his stance. He couldn't really elaborate on the why, though it would be worth it to see his face if he told them he had actually fought pirates before and had been trained by King Arthur.

"This should be fun." 

Not really…

Rafe's strikes were sweeping and over the top leaving himself wide open for close quarters combat. Blocking his first swipe Donald moved in with a punch to the face and a kick to the abdomen to put some distance between them. This method aggravated his opponent.

"C'mon Drake." Rafe picked up on his mistakes rather quickly, after getting hit once more he adjusted his attacks.

Their swords clashed as strikes became more precise. Donald hadn't gone toe to toe with anyone like this in years. Adrenaline and memories flooded his system as Rafe became more reckless with his attacks.

Every time their blades hit one another, vibrations traveled up into his arms making them ache. He didn't want to draw this out, he needed to finish this quickly. But he didn't want to kill him. Killing someone in a swordfight wasn't new, his first time had been when he was fifteen…but it always brought up bad memories…

Blocking a lunge Donald grabbed Rafe's wrist and Rafe grabbed him. Shoving his adversary into the cage wall he glared at him hard.

"Now that's the Drake I've heard so many stories about." Rafe spat in his face.

Adjusting his grip, as Donald was much stronger than Rafe, he forced their blades up till they nearly touched Rafe's neck.

"We're done here." Don ground out. "I'm taking my family and we're leaving. You wanna stay and burn with the ship? Be my guest."

Rafe held his gaze for a moment, teeth grit. "You got me."

Cautiously Donald released his opponent, but the moment he did Rafe swung his blade. A long horizontal cut began to bleed along Donald's abdomen. Luckily it wasn't deep enough to need stitches, but it would hurt like an SOB for a while.

"You can't take this from me. I've earned this. All of it." Rafe advanced on him slowly.

"Lad…laddie." Glancing down Donald spotted Scrooge trying to get up from underneath the debris. He met his uncle's eyes……and they looked clear. 

Scrooge coughed as he struggled. "I'm sorry."

Rafe laughed. "I know Donald here is very talented with a gun, and I'll admit he's taken out quite a few of my soldiers. But he's not a murderer." He smirked confidently. "He won't kill me."

Gripping the hilt of his sword fiercely Donald internally debated with himself about what to do. He knew he needed to make a decision before it was too late. He didn't want to live through the guilt of another life on his conscience, more blood on his hands…

…but he supposed the choice had been made for him when Rafe had threatened his family…his kids…his sons.

Donald doesn't care what happens to him. He can live with the guilt.

He can't live without his family…

With even steps he advanced on Ra-his target. This time he swung first, putting the target on defense.

He struck the target's sword hard enough to jar his teeth and with smooth motion used the tip of his cutlass to hook and pull the target's weapon from his hands.

"Drake?" 

Target was now disarmed. First strike, a stab to the heart. Last strike, a slit to the throat.

Target eliminated…

When Scrooge had followed his boy onto this accursed ship, he thought he could handle it.

That was before he had been taken by whatever curse was on this blasted treasure…and watched his nephew kill someone.

"Donald…" He whispered in shock. 

His boy stood still. Too still.

"Donald!" He called out louder when he realized his nephew was just standing there.

Donald's head whipped around to stare at him for a moment before coming over to help him.

"You ok Scrooge?" He asked as they lifted the beam from across his back.

"I am now lad." Scrooge sat up rubbing his head. "Get the scoundrel and let's go."

He watched as his nephew nodded before heading off to help his cousin. 

Scrooge sat there staring…the fire light looked beautiful…reflecting off of the gold littered around them. One piece couldn't hurt…right? 

He slowly grabbed a fistful and stuffed it in his pockets. Then another…and another…another…more…

…more…

…more…

…MORE…

"...I said let's go!" A hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to punch the thief that snuck up on him.

Donald stumbled back from the blow and stared him down. But Scrooge went back to frantically shoveling coins into every pocket he had.

"Scooge, stop!" Donald tried to grab him again but Scrooge tackled him.

He grabbed at his clothes and collar, punching and screaming. Sitting up he reared back, arm locked and ready to strike the thief again when he saw his eyes…

…he had blue eyes…McDuck eyes…

…he has his mother's eyes.

Scrooge blinked and shook his head. The thief was trying to trick him wasn't he…

"Scrooge…" A familiar warbly voice said his name.

Taking a shaky breath Scrooge looked at the thief again.

"...D-Donald?" His breathing became labored as he stared down into his nephew's face.

Scrambling backward, Scrooge was quick to get off of Donald.

"What the hell Scrooge!" If Abner wasn't trying so hard just to stand, and trying not to puke, he would have yanked Scrooge off of Donald.

Donald stood and faced his uncle. Scrooge's beak trembled as he met his nephew's eyes.

Hortense's eyes…

"Donald I-" 

His nephew held nothing back as he decked him.

The hit made Scrooge stumble back a few steps and he rubbed his Jaw. 

"...I deserved that." With his brain rattled the last of the gold sickness seemed to leave him.

Of course, Donald wasn't about to tell him it was because of a protection spell his fist had kissed him with. Technically, all he needed was contact…

"Let's go." His voice modulator had been ripped from his neck when Scrooge had tackled him. "Before the ship goes down."

From the moment they went shoreside Louie's focus never wavered from his compass. He let his brothers clear his path and keep him from stumbling as he made sure they went the right way.

He nearly tripped a few times as they walked across the rocky beach. Sweat poured down his face in the late humid afternoon as he refused to take off his hoodie.

But that wasn't important right now. Finding his dad was. He's had enough time to think this whole situation over. To consider every piece of info he's been given. There's no going back.

Uncle Donald is his dad. His family. And no matter what secrets he and his brothers uncover, that will never change. Dad has always, always been there when they needed him…when Louie needed him. He's family, and you do whatever you have to for family.

Even if it's getting shot at on a remote island while using a secret identity to discover pirate treasure so you can pay off the gang boss that broke your "dead" cousin out of prison.

…just another day in the life of a Duck.

"Louie!" Huey grabbed his hood, halting his progress. Louie glanced up to see a wall of rock in front of him. A mountain, apparently, that he almost ran beak first into.

He shook it off and they began walking around the mountain. But the needle began to move, constantly pointing at it no matter how far they walked. As soon as they stepped past the treeline the needle seemed to become insistent, almost as if saying he was in the mountain and not on the other side.

"Now what?" Dewey complained as he craned his neck back, trying to see the top of the mountain, not looking where he was going. They were retracing their steps back to the beach.

"There's gotta be a secret door, or cave around here. Every treasure room has a secret entrance." Webby reasoned.

"But this adventure isn't like the others." Huey pointed out. "How do we know the normal rules apply?"

The Lieutenant stood behind them, weapon drawn and eyes darting around on full alert as they stepped out of the trees and back onto sandy rocks.

"We don't." Louie interjected. "But common sense does." He turned back toward the beach, eyes worriedly glancing over a few bodies.

Did dad do that? Is he okay?

"What do you mean?" Webby asked. "Like…look for clues?"

"If there's one thing I've learned this past month, it's that dad's always had to do things the hard way. More than even Scrooge did. So he learned to work smarter, not harder." He grinned back at his siblings as he got an idea. "If we want to find him, then we gotta think smart." 

Louie walked a little closer to the bodies. "These guys were all here for a reason. And the boats all look like they were put there for a getaway. So the treasure has got to be around here."

"We already know that." Dewey pointed out. "Because of the stupid compass."

"It's not stupid." Louie grumbled. "And the compass leads to dad, not the treasure. My point is that those guys must've known where it was, otherwise they wouldn't be here ."

"So if we can find their tracks they may lead us to wherever the entrance is!" Webby exclaimed before rushing off to do just that.

"That's…really smart Louie." Huey complimented.

Dewey crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"What?" Louie asked defensively.

"If you keep calling Uncle Donald "dad" you're just gonna get in trouble. So why are you doing it?"

"Because he is my dad." Louie answered easily, but both his brothers gave him a look. They knew there was more to it.

"Louie, I get it." Huey put a hand on his shoulder. "I want to call him that too but, he asked us to call him uncle for a reason."

"I know but…" Louie paused, wondering if he should tell them what he was afraid of. "Before… Della, I never worried about what would happen to us. Dad wasn't going anywhere and life was predictable. But…"

"But?" Huey prompted and Dewey uncrowded his arms.

"But… what if Della tries to get custody?" He admitted quietly. 

Dewey frowned, not quite understanding. "What are you talking about?"

Huey seemed confused as well, but mostly worried. "Louie, I don't think-"

"I FOUND THEM!" Webby called out from the trees, startling the boys.

"And we found you!" 

The kids all whirled around, terrified that more bad guys were coming through the brush.

Louie was relieved though when he saw April, May, June and Sully emerge from the treeline….and then he grew nervous when he saw the look on April's face.

"What," She ground out, a little too calmly. "Are you doing here?"

"I can explain." Louie began.

"What happened to watching them Lieutenant? Or did you just decide not to follow orders?" April swept past him to speak to the alien.

"Ma'am!" She stood at attention, eyes straight forward. "It's my fault Ma'am. I failed to keep my eyes on them and they slipped away from me. In my pursuit I was unable to think of a way to retain them all and bring them back to the designated area without harm." She hung her head. "I await whatever punishment you see fit to give me."

"What!? No!" Louie got between April and the Lieutenant. "It's my fault! I'm the one who came up with the scheme!"

"Not now Louie." April didn't even glance at him. "All of you are staying here, and when we come back with d- uncle Donald he will decide what your punishments will be."

"But-" Louie was cut off when he felt the ground shake as an echoing boom like thunder shook the mountain. His eyes grew wide as he stared at the stone. "Dad!"

"Admiral!"

With a yell they all ran toward the mountain following Webby as she led the charge. The girls and Sully yelled after them as they shot like rockets into the foliage. The path was rocky, tripping hazards everywhere, but all the boys could think was…

… don't leave me…

The scene they came upon within the mountain was like something out of a movie. There was a single ship sitting in an inlet within the cave. An exit leading to the open ocean was large enough to let in light so they could see that the ship was on fire.

Stranger than that, Della was just standing there staring at it on the dock. Holding a gun. She looked like she was crying.

"Della?" The Lieutenant asked in confusion.

Della turned, clumsily aiming the gun at them. The Lieutenant held her hands up. 

"It's just me…Penny?"

"PENNY?!" Dropping the weapon carelessly she jumped to hug the alien. Sobbing, she barely managed to speak. "They haven't come back…I don't know what to do…they haven't come back!"

"Mom?" Dewey stared at his mother wid eyed. The moment Della heard his voice he got scooped up into a hug and nearly smothered in her feathers.

Louie was really glad he kept his mouth shut.

"Mom!" Dewey drew back, sucking in air. "Where's uncle Donald?!"

"He left to go get Abner but he hasn't come back! The stupid boat's already exploded three times and I don't think it can handle another one!"

Tears gathered in Huey and Louie's eyes as they watched the old wooden galleon begin to slowly sink into the water, with no signs of their dad on board.

"Dammit kid!" Sully cursed under his breath, torn between staying here to help watch the kids and jumping in the water to go after Cal.

April looked down at the boys and her heart broke to see the feat in their eyes. Huey looked like he was about to hyperventilate as he tugged a JWG from under his hat and began frantically flipping through its pages.

Behind her, May and June spoke quietly with Sully about whether or not they should risk going aboard to look for uncle Donald. She placed a hand on Louie's shoulder,  hoping it would bring him some comfort.

He looked up at her, questions in his eyes and she wondered if that's what she had looked like, when she'd asked her dad if she was ever gonna see her parents again.

"He's ok." She said hoarsely, trying to convince herself as well. "He's been through worse."

"We can't, it's not that I don't want to but the fire is enough of a hazard without adding all the termite and water damage from Cal only knows how long that thing's been in the water." Sully explained, sounding distressed. "Not to mention it was a death trap before it became a dumpster fire. It's too dangerous…and he'd never forgive me if I let go."

It was a tense few minutes as they all sat there, watching the burning ship slowly sink. Every pair of eyes was scanning its deck, praying to see a glimpse of white and blue.

"I can't lose them…" Della was muttering over and over to herself. "I can't lose them…"

Chapter Text

Their vigilance had paid off. Relief, followed by elation swept through the group when Penumbra shouted out that she could see them.

Three figures leapt from the flames, sailing over the edge of the ship and into the water. They all cheered as they watched Donald, Scrooge and Abner's slow progress toward them.

That is, until they noticed that all three of their heads were going under too frequently. The fifth time Donald's head went under May sprung into action.

She took a running jump into the water and swam as fast as she could to her dad. When she got there she noticed that he was trying to carry both Abner and Scrooge.

Abner seemed out of it, coughing and spluttering. Scrooge only fared slightly better and was actually helping to kick. May went ahead and took Abner off her dad's hands.

Turning around so she was on her back, while holding Abner around the chest, she steadily kicked as they floated together. 

Dad turned on his back and did the same with Scrooge, though the old duck kicked up a fuss at the treatment. When they made it back to the dock May held a hand out, asking to be helped.

"He's too heavy for me, all water logged." 

Penumbra and Sully helped pull Abner up and onto the dock. May followed up after to look him over. Soon after they hauled both Scrooge and Donald up too.

"I'm not dreamin' right?" Abner huffed as he looked over at Donald, covered in clingy ducklings. "You're alive…"

"Yeah…" The look in eyes said he wanted to say a lot more. But…there were children present.

Donald hissed and the kids in his lap vacated quickly, scared they had hurt him. 

"I'm fine. Just sore." He reassured.

"What?" Sully blinked and gave him an odd look. "What happened kid? You sound like you've been gargling nails."

"He said he's just sore." Louie translated from beside him. "Though judging by the bloody cut across your chest and the hole in your shoulder I'd say you're lying." He glared at his dad.

Huey and Dewey stared at the blood on his clothes nervously.

"I'm fine." He warbled indignantly. Though it wasn't like he could tell them that he put a healing spell on it.

"But what on earth are you doing here?!" Donald yelled indignantly.

"It's my fault, sir." Penumbra bowed her head in shame. "I failed my mission to watch them so your soldiers could bring you aid."

Della's head whipped around to stare at her. "Penny, how long have you been here? And why are you calling my brother sir?"

"It's a long story Dells. I'll get around to telling you later." Donald waved her off.

"Jeez kid, is this what you usually sound like?" Sully asked as he bent to look at Donald's wound. 

Donald just nodded, not wanting to speak. He had forgotten that Sully had never heard his real voice before.

"That would explain a lot." The old prodded the wound a little, checking to see if he was still bleeding.

Della sat behind him, nervously grinding her teeth. Huey and Dewey sat next to each other in front of him. Huey wringing his hands while Dewey's gaze followed Sully's examination. Webby was practically glued to his side, taking mental notes about first aid.

"I said I'm fine." He croaked out, shrugging off the attention before standing and collecting his boys. "We need to get out of here."

He still had enough strength to carry them and they didn't complain as he lugged them out of the cave.

Though the girls protested plenty, asking him not to strain his shoulder before it could get looked at.

"I'll be fine." He reiterated. "I want to go home."

Truth be told, he didn't want to blow up on Abner or Scrooge in front of the kids. He just wanted to go back to the houseboat, down a mug of cocoa and hit the sack. His hammock was calling out to him.

They all made their way out of the tunnel and back onto the beach before Donald stopped to think. Turning back to Sully he asked how they got here. 

It took a minute, but the old dog deciphered his words.

"My plane, it's on the other side of the island though. And it won't hold all of us." Sully explained. "But the other problem is that we didn't see any other boats along the coast either."

"Shoreline." Donald growled. "The fleeing soldiers must've nabbed it."

Looking down the beach he spotted a single little sail boat…most likely the one the boys… borrowed… to get here. He sighed…at least he was only on the hook for the first boat…

But the boys' sailboat, even if they divided their numbers, wouldn't hold all of them.

Huey seemed to get what he was thinking. He looked up at Donald and asked. "How are we supposed to get off the island?"

Donald looked around. He could repair the boats in the harbor, but the elements made them unworthy for the sea. Better to use them for scrap wood.

He could build a boat…but that would take a couple of days.

"Sully, April, run the kids back to the bay. Then you can-wak?!"

A large shadow suddenly eclipsed them along the beach. Donald reared back, setting the kids down behind him to shield them from any possible attacks.

Some sort of leviathan was towering over them. It's strange blue and purple coloring lighting up as its fore limbs twitched and quivered.

"Kid, I don't take this the wrong way but," Sully eyed him. "Is this normal?"

"Is that…Mitzy?!" Huey exclaimed.

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" Dewey gasped.

"Uh, who's Mitzy?"

"Hey! Donald!" A familiar annoying voice floated down to them.

"Oh, no." Donald grumbled.

"Friend or foe kid?" Sully asked.

"Both."

Suddenly, a red blur tackled Donald. He was knocked back onto his tail in the sand.

Fethry clung to Donald so tightly that when he sat up his cousin came with him.

"We found you!" He exclaimed happily as he snuggled into his feathers. "We've been so worried."

"We?" Donald leaned back to ask.

"Don't let the cool attitude fool ya Don. Gladdy's been worried sick since you went missing." Fethry caught sight of the boys and grinned. "Little Donalds!" He stopped the triplets up in a hug.

"Missing?" Della snorted. "He was on vacation."

"Let me guess," Gladstone lazily strolled toward Della. "A cruise?"

"Lucky guess!" Della rolled her eyes.

"Not now Gladstone." Donald interjected. "We need to get back home." He inclined his head, gesturing to Abner. "All of us."

Gladstone's jaw dropped. Fethry burst into tears.

"Abner?!" They both yelled in shock.

Fethry ran to his brother and squeezed the life outta him. Gladstone just kept staring, muttering something about Abner and Della trying to kill the family with grief.

"I knew it!" Fethry had his brother fiercely. "I knew you weren't dead!"

True to his nature, Fethry asked no questions about where his brother had been, or why he was here on this island with the rest of the family.

Instead he just hugged Donald again and whispered 'thank you'.

"Ah, geez. Sorry about that, that looks like a nasty cut." Fethry pulled back to apologize.

"Yeah cuz, you look like crap. Well, more so than usual." Gladstone shrugged as he eyed Donald's appearance.

"Gee, thanks." 

"It must be close to supper time."  Fethry looked at his watch. "Hop on Mitzy, I'll give ya a lift."

Sully's eyes widened. "Thanks but…I uh….got a plane to catch…"

After giving him a lift back to his seaplane of course, Donald hugged the old dog goodbye and with a "See ya around kid." they went their separate ways and headed off into the sunset.

The ride back to Duckburg was surprisingly quick on Mitzy, the old girl got them there in a couple of hours…which shouldn't have been possible but Donald wasn't about to complain…

…it was probably Gladstone's doing…

Either way his plans for a nice meal were shattered when they came upon chaos within their own city. Hopping off the giant krill they waved goodbye to Fethry, Gladstone and Abner, who figured for his own personal safety it was better to skedaddle before the girls could 'talk' to him.

"Hey," Abner called out to Donald before he could hop off. "I'm sorry."

Donald looked his cousin…his brother in the eye. "I know."

While Donald dallied up on Mitzy's head the rest of the family stood at the dock waiting. The kids all talking amongst themselves about questions they wanted to ask.

Scrooge stuck his hands in his pockets just wai-

His eyes widened when he felt the familiar metal against his fingers. Taking out a fistful of coins he stared down at the images of skulls stamped into them.

…a symbol of death…

Swallowing hard Scrooge debated what to do with it. A small voice in the back of his mind whispered to keep it…

…but another voice reminded exactly what this gold could make him do. What he almost did to his nephew.

He didn't want to look at the blasted things any longer. They were nothing more than a cruel curse.

Quickly as he could Scrooge began emptying his pockets, every last coin he found, he threw into the harbor.

Shakily, he stepped back from the edge and looked back at the kids, still talking away like everything was fine.

…except for for Webby. She was.smiling at him. Grinning like she just saw something delightful.

Donald landed solidly on the dock. "Alright, let's head out."

From there they ran through the city, trying to figure out just what had happened since they'd been gone.

Apparently, Glomgold- no surprise there- had won the bet he and Scrooge had made. Making him the richest duck in the world while Scrooge was away.

"Ok….so why is there a huge zombie guy trying to kill him?" Dewey sat with his family atop a pile of hastily parked cars as they watched Glomgold get chased by a raging monster.

The girls had left to search for any civilians just in case. Leaving the rest of them to keep an eye on Frankenstein's monster.

"He's called the Bombie." Scrooge explained tiredly. He barely had the energy to be upset over Glomgold winning. 

Though, after everything that's happened Scrooge just wanted to keep whatever was in his bin and Kilmotor. That's what was his. Greed had taken a lot out of him today.

"Well thanks," Louie said sarcastically. "That explains nothing."

Scrooge sighed. "He's a curse that was sent after whoever holds the title for richest in the world."

"So…" Dell watched as Glomgold went screaming past them without his beard. "How do you get rid of it?"

Donald eyed the creature. A curse huh? Is this what that prison was holding? The one he had used all his most powerful protection spells on?

"You can't." Scrooge groaned. "I tried everything, till I was finally able to contain the beast within a magical prison on an island in the middle of the ocean."

"So what do we do?" Webby asked beside Huey as he flipped through his guidebook.

"I don't know." Scrooge admitted. "He cannot be bought, he cannot be fought. Though riches you've got, your life will be fraught, till you have earned the one thing you have naught." 

"It's a riddle?" Dewey complained.

"What is the one thing every rich snob has in common?" Donald asked the family.

"Money?"

"Big houses?"

"Pools?"

"Butlers?"

"Financial stability?"

Louie snorted. "They're all entitled snobs?"

Donald smiled. "Yep." They all stared at him, waiting for an explanation. "So, what makes them a snob?"

"They….think they're better than everyone else?" Huey guessed.

"They're rude?" Webby threw out.

"They're selfish." Dewey kicked his legs.

"I'm looking for the root of their problem." Donald hinted.

Suddenly it clicked in Louie's mind. "Pride."

"Bingo." Donald nodded.

"Pride makes them think they're better than everyone else, which makes them selfish, rude, snobby jerks." Louie realized what his dad was getting at. What was the root of the problem? Pride. If you have pride, what wouldn't you have? Its opposite.

"The one thing that they have not." Louie quoted. "They have no humility." 

His dad smiled down at him, pride shining in his eyes. "Exactly." He ruffled his feathers. 

"Should we tell him that?" Dewey asked as Glomgold came screaming toward them.

"SCROOOOOOOGE!" Glomgold panted as he got on his knees in front of them. "Take it back! TAKE IT BACK!"

Scrooge let out another sigh. "Fine." 

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou-"

"Get off of me!" Scrooge shoved him away before giving him his hand to shake. "You're word any good Flintheart?"

"I promise, it's all yours now. Every last cent! Just take care of this THING!" He frantically shook Scrooge's hand.

"Well…it'll have to do." Scrooge muttered grimly.

"Don't worry Scrooge." Louie held up his phone. "I've got him on video."

Scrooge smiled at him. "Sharp, lad."

It took a few moments of contemplation for Scrooge to try and figure out a way to show humility so the blasted curse would leave. But then he saw its shoes.

"Well now, those are a right sorry sight." The creature growled at him. "Prop your foot up here laddie. I'm an expert at this sort of thing."

Taking off his outer coat Scrooge began the tedious task of cleaning up and shining the Bombie's shoes.

Chapter Text

When Donald entered the bin's underground lab to meet with Gyro he didn't know what to expect. The family had just finished fixing the last of Glomgold's idiocy when he'd texted Donald out of the blue asking to see him.

Currently he was staying at Kilmotor for the time being, just to finish handling the havoc Flintheart had wreaked in his uncle's home. They'd been helping Beakley clean all week. Of course, once he was done he'd be headed back to the institute. He was pretty sure Louie was coming along but…with the boys getting along again he was also likely to stay.

Though he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep dodging some of their questions. He was happy to answer most of them but…

Some secrets weren't his to tell and others were just far too dangerous. When he explained that, they seemed to have understood, they pouted, but understood.

He was getting ready to head to bed for the night when Gyro's text came through. It was baffling. Of all the people he had expected to hear from, the scientist was at the bottom of his list.

Donald hasn't actually spoken to Gyro since…since he ate that Canary Chew. And that was almost two decades ago. What in the world could have happened for Gyro to contact him? As far as the genius knew, he and Donald were only third party acquaintances. They weren't friends anymore.

Walking into the dimly lit lab he spotted the crazy scientist leaned over a work table, staring at whatever was on it.

"Gyro?" He called out.

"You can fix him right?" Gyro quietly replied. "I've tried everything, but you can fix him." 

"Fix who?" Donald asked worriedly.

Gyro went quiet, so he walked closer to see what was holding his gaze. 

A small parrot android was laid out on the table. His eyes dark and chest cavity open.

Releasing a shaky breath, Gyro's fists clenched where they were holding him up on the table.

"Something's missing…he's not the same …I don't know what that moron did but…"

Had…had he been crying? Donald looked back to the android boy and something clicked. Oh no…

"He was my Pinocchio." Gyro whispered wetly.

Donald laid a hand on the scientist's shoulder. "What do you want me to do?"

"Fix him."

Donald backpedaled. "Why me?"

It seemed for a moment like he wouldn't answer. But he sucked in a breath and gave a rambling explanation.

"I was digging through my old notes, trying to find anything that could help and I came across a box of letters I had apparently written to myself." He turned to look at Donald. "They said to only open in an emergency and I figured this counted. So I read them and…" He grit his teeth, struggling to find words. "Can you…or can you not…use… magic to bring him back?"

Donald's eyes widened. Gyro wanted him to… oh…

His mouth worked up and down but no sound came out.

"Please, Donald. I may not remember, but I believe what I wrote was true. Please help."

After everything Gyro's done for him, Donald couldn't say no. Even though what he was about to do could very well land him in some pretty hot water.

"Alright." Donald sighed. "I'll help. But I need a few things."

"Anything." Gyro jumped at the chance to take action.

"I need one of those letters, specifically one that talks a lot about me. A piece of blueprint paper big enough for the…boy and a chalk pen." As soon as Donald finished Gyro scrambled to retrieve the items.

Laying out the blueprint paper on the floor. Donald carefully lifted the boy from the table and laid him on top. Taking the pen from Gyro he began writing out a summoning spell in Greek around him till it encircled his body.

"Here." Gyro thrust one of his letters in Donald's face and he took it carefully.

Glancing at the writing he was surprised to see what past Gyro had written about him. A wave of nostalgia washed over him and he shook his head to clear it of emotion. Now wasn't the time, he was trying to help an old friend.

Gyro sat taking notes over his shoulder as he watched Donald fold up the paper. But he kept his mouth shut.

"The cameras?" Donald asked absently.

"On loop." Gyro replied.

"Bowl?" 

"Here."

Placing the gift that held mutual sentimental value in the bowl Donald then pulled out a lancing device. Taking the little tube he pressed one end to his finger and hit the button at the other end.

Taking his pricked finger a carefully left a bloody fingerprint on the paper. Then he gestured for Gyro's hand.

"Be happy I'm using this thing. Usually people just use a dagger to slice their palms." Donald grumbled as he used the device on Gyro and the scientist added his fingerprint to the letter.

Now that a peice of themselves had been willingly added to the mix he whispered a quick spell to burn the paper. The another revealing spell to turn the ash into a gem.

A small green and blue crystal emerged from the bowl making Gyro's eyes widen.

Gently, Donald placed the crystal in…" What's his name?"

"...Boyd…"

…Boyd's chest. He the closed him up and began chanting the summoning spell under his breath.

A swirling wind swept through the lab catching Gyro off guard. He watched in shock as Donald's eyes shot open, shining with light as the encryption around Boyd's body began to glow.

Donald's words, his please, fell into the beyond and brought back a soul. The spirit of a small child materialized above them and Gyro fell over from shock.

"Gyro!" Donald called out to him. "This parts important. You need to ask the spirit if they're willing to come back! And promise to take care of them!"

The transparent spirit held little shape, but you could see its eyes. They were such sad eyes, drooping like fat tears. And they were looking at him.

"Gyro!"

Gyro collected himself as best he could. "Spirit," He tried not to feel silly, after all this was happening right in front of his face. "I would like to ask…please…if you would be willing to come back."

He had no idea how this was supposed to fix Boyd, but past him had implicitly trusted Donald…for some reason that he hadn't fully disclosed. But it must've been a good one.

"I could stay?" An echoing voice asked timidly. "You'd be my daddy?"

Gyro looked at the thing confused. Then to Donald for advice. The Duck was trembling from exertion as sweat poured down his face. It didn't look like they had much more time.

He said to promise to take care of it. Was this the price to pay for reversing whatever had happened to Boyd?

"Y-yes. I…promise to take care of you!"

The thing squealed and a pulse of light blinded them for a moment before everything went quiet. The spirit was gone.

"B-but…what about Boyd! Don-" Gyro watched as Boyd booted up.

Donald leaned over panting heavily, but smiling.

He could feel it. His Champion has returned! And had called upon the magic gifted to him to help a mortal in need! This was good- no- GREAT news!

With the return of his Champion the evil trying to creep out of its cage will cry for mercy.

It's time, finally time, for the world to see the return of Donald Fauntleroy Duck!