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Wearily, Drake tossed his bag onto the empty passenger seat next to him. He turned the key and started the engine. Drake lifted his head for one last look at the pitch black schoolhouse which had been his new place of work for the past 5 years. He sighed: “St. Canard's crime rate is on the rise and I'm teaching teenagers in the chemistry lab. And all because of Negaduck! If he hadn't shot me in the leg I'd most likely still be fighting evil, but instead I'm almost limping through a classroom full of uninterested students! What I wouldn't give to pull off a heroic feat one last time."

Lost in thought, he began to drive through the almost empty streets of St. Canard. It was already half past eleven in the evening, but since nobody will be home, it didn't bother him to be back so late. Launchpad was in Duckburg with Gosalyn, who was now an adult, to visit the Duck family. At the time, Drake was very happy that Launchpad stayed by his side and didn't let him down even though he had to give up his job as a sidekick. Without him and Gosalyn he would have been at the end, because he had not only lost his job, but also a childhood dream that he had worked hard for over the years. Since he was no longer of much help to SHUSH, they could not longer pay him. But they made sure he got a well-paying job that matched his skills. Since he was very familiar with chemistry and also liked to deal with it, it was easy for SHUSH to get him a job as a chemistry teacher without having to do an apprenticeship. When he asked them how they did it, the only answer he got was: "We have our ways."

Drake was promptly snapped out of his thoughts when suddenly three hooded people ran out of an alley into the street. Drake immediately hit the brakes. The car came to a standstill in time and the figures continued to run undeterred. Drake was watching them when he noticed that one of the three was holding a knife that gleamed in the streetlights. He looked more closely and noticed that there was blood on the blade. That awakened the heroic instinct in him. He waited until the trio were far enough away and then quickly got out of the car. Drake immediately opened the door to the back seat and grabbed the first aid kit. Then he ran into the alley.

And there was indeed someone. But as Drake got closer and realized who was lying on the floor, he nearly dropped his suitcase. It was none other than Negaduck! Unconscious and injured, he lay in front of the former hero. What happened? Why would anyone have interest, and most importantly courage, in killing or injuring Negaduck? And why did the trio manage to do this without dying themselves? Question after question swirled around in Drake's head. But he will only find answers if he helps the villain.

He knelt on the ground next to Negaduck and took a closer look at the injuries. Drake quickly realized that some cuts needed stitches. But there was only one problem. Which hospital will help a criminal wanted across whole Calisota? "I don't think I have any other choice. I'll have to take care of him myself”, Drake decided and began bandaging the deeper cuts to prevent excessive blood loss. Once he was done, he picked Negaduck up and carried him to the car. He opened the back door and was about to put him on the back seat when he suddenly had doubts. Why would he save a super villain? And of all villains it has to be Negaduck? After all, it's his fault that he had to give up Darkwing Duck! But Drake shook his head. No! There was no time for that now! Despite everything, he was still a hero. And a hero helps those who need help. Whether good or bad. With that in mind, he placed Negaduck in the back seat and drove off toward the Audubon Bay Bridge.

Drake took in every detail in awe. He hasn't been in his secret hiding place for years. Why should he? It only made him sad. At first he came here often, but one day he stopped. He felt that it was not good for him. Drake left the hiding place to the dust and spiders. With quick steps Drake, with Negaduck in his arms, rushed through the bridge pier. He came to a stop in front of what Gosalyn used to call the "patient bed", threw the white blanket aside and laid the villain carefully on the soft pillow. He himself sat down on the chair next to it and immediately began to undress Negaduck down to his shorts. Drake was about to reach for the first aid kit when he noticed something on the villain's body. He was covered with countless scars, which he only now noticed in the light of the hiding place. Drake was clearly amazed. Sure, he had scars too, but not nearly as many as Negaduck. He didn't know why, but something in him was sure that some of the scars had already been formed in Neg's childhood. What had he been through?

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The first thing Negaduck felt when he woke up was pain. Pain in various parts of his body. Next, was a blanket that covered him up to his neck. A blanket? He couldn't even remember going to sleep. He had no choice but to open his eyes, hoping that would clear up the confusion. Unfortunately, this action only caused more confusion.

"What? Where am I?”, he grunted exhaustedly and took a closer look at his surroundings. After a quick look, he found himself asking: "How on earth did I land on the pillar of the Audubon Bay Bridge? And why is it set up so strangely?” “Oh, you're awake”, a voice suddenly called out. "What?! Who's there?!”, Negaduck shouted and sat up, but he was immediately punished for this movement. "Ahh! Ow! Shit!” the villain roared as his injuries began to show. He kept cursing until he suddenly felt two hands pushing him back into the pillow. "Lie back down, Negaduck. You'll only make it worse!”, he heard the voice again.

Why did it sound so familiar to him? He raised his head to see whose voice and hands belonged. He had to look twice because he couldn't believe it the first time. It was like looking in a mirror. And then he knew. "Darkwing?", asked the villain, shocked, "Is that you?" "Yes, it is me, or rather it was", admitted Drake, tossing Negaduck's blanket aside.

It was only then that the criminal noticed that he was half-naked. "Tell me, are you okay?!", he started to rage and reached for the blanket, but was stopped by Drake, who grabbed his wrist. "Firstly", he said, releasing Negs, "I've seen you only in shorts several times. Second, we have the same body, and third, I need to see if your wounds have reopened after you felt like you had to sit up in a hurry. So don't be such a baby and keep still.” There was a certain severity in his voice, which made Negaduck capitulate. He lay patiently, waiting for Drake to finish. Aside from a few grunts of pain, there was dead silence. Drake's touch was gentle and his movements practiced. "There, done! Everything okay!", he announced after a while and covered Negaduck up again.

It was quiet again and Drake looked intently at the villain. "What?", Negs asked, his voice a mixture of annoyance and unease as he noticed Drake's intense gaze. Drake raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think it's time to tell me what happened?", he suggested, crossing his arms. "None of your shit", Negaduck hissed. Drake's voice rose. "It IS my business!" "No, it's not!" "I saved you!" "I didn't ask for it!" "Should I have let you die?!" "Wouldn't have mattered anyway!" "Not to me!" "Why not?! I'm a villain!" "Yes, that's right, you're a villain! A villain who needed my help because no one else would have helped him! I could have left you to your fate like you did it to me back then! I didn't do it because I care about you, like I do with all the other villains! Because I know that you are not born evil, but have been hurt inside! And especially with you, I'm sure it wasn't easy! I know self-harm scars when I see them because I have them myself! Because of my childhood and because of you! You ruined everything!” Silence. Drake's eyes were teary. "You ruined everything", he whispered again, getting up from his chair. "Darkwing, I-" "Darkwing Duck had died a long time ago, now it's just Drake Mallard", he interrupted Negaduck dejectedly, adding, "There's a glass of water and a painkiller on the table next to you. Just call me if you need anything. I'll be here in the tower."

As soon as he was sure he was out of sight and hearing, he sank to the ground, exhausted, a tear rolling down his cheek. Without knowing exactly why, he pushed the left sleeve of his pink shirt aside, revealing his scars. He had started cutting himself as a teenager. The reason was bullying. Worst bullying. His only friend was Elmo Sputterspark, who was also bullied. As it turned out a few years ago, he was his former enemy, Megavolt. But Drake finally managed to stop self-harm in the last school year. It stayed that way until the moment he realized he had to give up Darkwing Duck. He barricaded himself in the bridge abutment and cried, raged, screamed and cut himself. Almost daily he added new scars. Launchpad was the only one who knew about it. Gosalyn only found out a year later, when he had already managed to stop.

Drake hadn't expected a bouquet of flowers from Negaduck, a small "thank you" would have sufficed, but apparently even that was too much asked for the villain.

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"Hey, Negaduck, I thought you might be hungry. I hope you like lasagna", Drake greeted the injured man later that evening. Or at least he wanted to, because the bed was empty. His clothes were gone too. "W-What?! Negaduck?! Are you here somewhere?!” he called into the hiding place. No Answer. A mixture of anger and concern welled up in him. Why was he sneaking away when he knew he should rest and let his wounds heal? He will be in no condition to fight if attacked again. Before Drake could delve deeper into his thoughts, a piece of paper lying on the floor caught his attention. He hastily picked it up and began to read:

"Come to the old car factory at 9 PM if you want your daughter alive."

Drake's eyes widened. "He won't", he began to murmur, but then broke down into screams: "Gah! But of course he will! I would do the same! The only difference is that I wouldn't sneak away on the sly and hurt without any help like that idiot just did!” He flopped onto the bed worriedly and rested his head in his hands. He will never, ever survive this. An injured villain in public is as good as dead, that was an unwritten rule. "He needs help, but who willingly helps a criminal like Negaduck?" Drake had barely finished this sentence before raising his head, a confident expression on his face. It was time for a comeback of the masked mallard!

Negaduck groaned in pain as he bounced off the wall and landed on the ground. He felt another wound open, making his already bloody costume even dirtier. When he heard someone stop in front of him, he lifted his head and looked into the cold eyes of Agent Grizzlykoff. However, it was the Negaverse version of the good SHUSH agent, which was visible. Because this Grizzlykoff had significantly more scars on his face and wore leather clothes. Unlike the SHUSH in this universe, the one from the Negaverse didn't care about justice, but about unseating Negaduck. And now Lyn was held as a hostage by them. "Well, are you finally giving up voluntarily?", the bear asked him scornfully and looked amused at the badly injured duck. "Ne-never!" "Don't be so naive! You can't save your brat and your title! Make a decision! Power or burden!” “My daughter is not a burden!” It blurted out weakly from Neg's beak. That made Grizzlykoff laugh. He picked the exhausted criminal up by the collar of his suit. "Well, if that isn't a burden," he pointed to an unconscious, tied up young woman with long, red hair and immediately continued, "then I don't know what she is!"

Negaduck followed the agent's finger and it broke his heart to see his daughter, covered in injuries, wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt. She had been in the clutches of SHUSH for a week already and he couldn't imagine what she must have endured. But she was a strong young woman, if anyone could stand a week in captivity to these monsters, it would be her. He wished he could take her in his arms now and tell her that everything is okay and that she's safe. But unfortunately it wasn't that easy. Negaduck would have given SHUSH his might long ago, and thus saved his Lyn, if he didn't know for a fact that he was going to make it worse by doing so. Because then he not only loses his title, but also his security. As a lord and ruler, you make a number of enemies who would immediately seize the opportunity to kill him and his daughter. So he had no choice but to fight. But he became weaker and weaker and his ray of hope smaller.

"I'll give you five more minutes to get rid of your title, otherwise I'll kill your little Fangs!" He shouldn't have said that because when Negaduck noticed what Grizzlykoff had called his daughter, he snapped. Negs took all his strength and slammed a fist in the bear's face while yelling at him: "Only I get to call my daughter that! Nobody else!” The agent screamed and let go of the villain, who immediately took the opportunity and ran towards Lyn. But he didn't get far as Grizzlykoff immediately grabbed him again and threw him hard on the ground. He heard a crack in his right arm. Negaduck let out a cry of pain and immediately clutched his injured forearm. "It's the last time you tried something like that, Lord!", the bear growled, making Negaduck look up. His face was instantly scared when he saw Grizzlykoff holding a gun to Lyn's head, his index finger resting on the trigger. "NO!" "You missed your chance! Say goodbye!” Grizzlykoff said, about to pull the trigger. But before he could, the gun flew out of his hand. The reason for this was a gas can from which blue smoke was now rising.

"I am the terror, that flaps in the night!" It boomed through the old factory, "I am the flat tire on your getaway car! I am Darkwing Duck!” Before Grizzlykoff could make out where the voice was coming from, a foot was thrust into his stomach with full force. The agent immediately folded like a pocket knife. He angrily looked up to face his attacker and was startled. At first he thought that Negaduck was standing in front of him. But at second glance, he noticed that it wasn't the villain. Grizzlykoff snarled: "I don't know who you are, but you won't thwart my plans!" Darkwing grinned and replied, "I wouldn't be so sure! I'm a master at ruining plans!“

Negaduck, who had watched everything with a relieved smile, took the opportunity. As inconspicuously as possible he crept over to his daughter. Every movement caused him pain and he was sure that some of Drake's stitches had burst. As soon as he reached Lyn, he pulled out a knife and began cutting through her bonds. He had to hurry, because Darkwing won't be able to withstand this bear for long. After all, he had a weak leg and hadn't been in action for years. Negaduck looked at his daughter. She might be unconscious, but her face showed that she was in pain and afraid. The villain cupped her cheek and whispered, "Don't worry, Fangs, Daddy's here. Everything will be fine. You have to hold on a little longer.”

Darkwing Duck didn't know how much longer he could distract Grizzlykoff. He felt that he wasn't as fit as he was a few years ago and his leg hurt like hell. But the worst thing was that Grizzlykoff had discovered his weakness and was now targeting his leg. Suddenly, the agent grabbed his collar and lifted him up, as he had done with Negaduck before. "Didn't your momma teach you not to play with bad boys when you're a cripple?", Grizzlykoff scoffed, now slamming Darkwing to the ground as well. But he was prepared and was able to roll off in time. Before Darkwing could get up, however, Grizzlykoff took the chance and kicked the hero's leg. A cry of pain left his beak and filled the car factory. But the bear laughed in amusement: "Now you're definitely not running away from me again, Darkwing Duck!" The hero's eyes widened as he watched Grizzlykoff pull a large knife from behind his back. Now it was over with him. He could not run away, nor could he defend himself. Darkwing closed his eyes and braced himself for the sharp pain. But instead of the blade penetrating his flesh, a bestial scream penetrated his ears. He opened his eyes in surprise and saw the agent fly towards him. Darkwing was able to crawl aside in time. Not a second later, the bear collided with the hard ground. There was a hole in the back of his head from which blood flowed. The hero looked up in shock and saw Negaduck standing a few feet away. In his left hand he held the pistol, that Grizzlykoff had in his paws a few minutes ago. Anger and the need for murder glittered in his eyes, but he couldn't help the grin. "Thank you", Darkwing said, exhaling in relief. "It was nothing. That bastard has been bugging me for years! But I'm not done yet!”

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Darkwing looked in awe at the old factory, which went up in flames. With Grizzlykoff's body inside. Fire was Negaduck's sign. It symbolized his anger. Any other day, the hero would have tried to stop him from burning down another building. But not today. He let him. He could understand him. "Uhm, thank you for saving me and Lyn", the villain thanked and looked relieved at the hero who was carrying Lyn in his arms. He smiled and replied: "Likewise." "You, uhm", Negaduck began to fuss, "you don't happen to know how to fix a broken arm?" That made Darkwing laugh: "Forget it, Negs! You go to the hospital too! No discussion!"

Drake sat concentrated at his desk in the secret hiding place, correcting the chemistry tests from the previous day. Four months had passed since their rescue operation. He took Negaduck and Lyn in for a while after they were discharged from the hospital. Despite initial skepticism, Gosalyn and Launchpad had no problem with it. The two girls even became friends after a while. But Negaduck had also undergone a transformation. He was still no angel, but a lot kinder to Drake and his family. But Negaduck and Lyn weren't the only ones. No, Drake had changed too. He was much happier now than before. It was as if Drake had finally been able to wrap things up properly with this final mission.

"Drake? Are you here?”, A deep, rough voice was suddenly heard echoing through the hiding place. "I'm here!", Drake called back, turning around. Barely a minute later, an exhausted and wounded Negaduck trotted toward Drake. He pressed his right hand to his upper left arm. Blood seeped through the feathers of his fingers. "Uhm, uh, maybe you could...?", the villain asked nervously, nodding his head at his injury. Drake let out a little laugh: "Of course! Make yourself comfortable, I'll get the things quickly!” And with these words he got the first-aid kit so that he could patch Negs up for the second time this week.