So... If Della did not go missing... Then how is Launchpad doing? I would never forget him. I love his crashes so much!
Yeah don't worry launchpad is still around. Della might still be here, but she keeps pretty busy running her charity. after a ton of arguments with Scrooge about "I don't have time to fly you around all day!" "Then what am I giving you all this money for??" "Those are donations, ya old quack!!"
anyway Scrooge eventually just gets a different pilot do drive him when Della is busy.
Oh I actually made a Goldie playlist after I saw this a while ago
1. Metaphor - The Crane Wives
2. Diamond’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend - Marilyn Monroe (Swing Cats Remix)
3. Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked - Joey Cook Cover (Postmodern Jukebox)
4. Material Girl - Madonna Cover (Postmodern Jukebox)
5. Poker Face - Lady Gaga Cover (Postmodern Jukebox)
6. Tangled Up - Caroemerald (Lokee Remix)
7. Don’t Stop Me Now - Melinda Doolittle Soul Cover (Postmodern Jukebox)
8. Feel Good Inc. - Ella Fitzgerald Cover (Postmodern Jukebox)
9. Magic Trick - M. Ward
10. Will You Go Lassie Go - Joan Baez (1965)
Number ten is more from Scrooge’s perspective than a Goldie song, but she sings it so beautifully I just had to add it. This was a great load of fun to make thanks for inspiring me to give it a try.
War for Genius - Chapter 33 - A promise under the stars
Hello everyone! Well… I’ve sadly to say… that this chapter, is the last chapter of this story, which doesn’t mean it’s over. I’m thinking on write a sequel about this, but it could take me time, and I’d like first to finish other stories and also finish translating other ones. I beg you a little bit of patience to see a sequel for this story. That said, I hope you’ll all enjoy this last chapter 😊
Also, I made a little drawing for this story too 😊 I hope you’ll like it!
As always, I’d like to thank @empro-8 for helping me editing this story. Honestly, without her help this wouldn’t be as good as it is, so thank you very much @empro-8 you’re amazing!
Welp, I’ll stop talking and let you read the chapter, enjoy it! 😉
***********************************
Several days after Huey was finally released from the hospital, things seemed to be slowly improving. Huey started going to a therapist recommended by Dr. Owlfang, and that therapist seemed to be a very kind and understanding person, because Huey seemed to be very comfortable with her on the very first day, which was something good. According to the doctor, the older triplet needed to surround himself with people who would support him and help him regain the confidence that Beaks and Graves had taken from him.
The therapist appointments were twice a week, and despite having only visiting her for a short time, the results already seemed to be appreciable, at least a little. Huey spent more time with all of them, even told Fenton he would try to be alone with some of them, in order to also allow the Hispanic duck some rest, because – according to Huey – he was very aware that, being constantly with him was really tiring. The older triplet further acknowledged that Fenton had other business he had put aside just to take care of him, which he knew wasn’t fair. He practically called it selfish on his part.
The news that Huey would try to spend more time alone with them without Fenton or someone else was something that initially surprised everyone, but later made them happy, as it showed that the duckling in red was making efforts to reintegrate himself into life with his real family.
Although it must also be said that the first time Huey was left alone with any of them was a bit disastrous. The duckling looked like he was going to have a panic attack at any moment. The situation got to such an extent that they suggested calling Fenton to come. But Huey declined, saying he had already taken up enough of Fenton’s time.
Today, we animated a Star Wars parody song written and sung by, Silas Lindenstein. This song is part of his ‘Frozen in Carbonite’ album, where he changed (almost) every Frozen song into a Star Wars one! It’s great, and can be found on his YouTube channel or on iTunes.
We don’t own the music, lyrics, or anything in here except the animation and the theme song.
Go to our YouTube channel (KIJET Studios) tomorrow for our 3 year anniversary of YouTubing, where we will be talking about our future plans for the channel, and what the big thing coming to the galaxy of far, far away, is! You can also come back here tommorow to see, but it will have less details.
See you next time! And of course, ‘May the Fourth Be With You!’
I don't know if this question has already been asked, but if the characters of Ducktales 2017 were a song, which one would they be?
Which one song would the characters be?
“Life is like a hurricane
here in
Duckburg!
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes,
it’s a
duck blur!
Might solve a myst’ry,
or rewrite hist’ry!
DuckTales! Woo-oo!”
I don't know if this question has already been asked, but if the characters of Ducktales 2017 were a song, which one would they be?
Which one song would the characters be?
“Life is like a hurricane
here in
Duckburg!
Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes,
it’s a
duck blur!
Might solve a myst’ry,
or rewrite hist’ry!
DuckTales! Woo-oo!”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Welp this is another One-shot for Triplet De Spell AU. This one-shot happens at the same time than the last one but from other triplet POV. @empro-8 @localscissors @cinnabunni5123 and everyone I really hope you’ll like it 😉
Yay!!!! You posted another thing I always love your writing.
Huey’s possession was perfect! And creepy. Coming in like that, smiling like Magica and treating his brothers so horribly would be an immediate red flag. Huey always protects his brothers and this whole situation is so wrong. I liked how Louie figured out what was going on first.
Of course their true intentions will come as a shock to the duck family. They were definitely suspicious, but after the genetic test Scrooge knew for sure that they were his lost relatives. Knowing they were with Magica this whole time would come as a complete shock
This story is giving me more ideas on the details of their kidnapping I haven’t filled in yet....
AAHHH! And then Dewy and Louie decide to fight Magica together, protecting their brother and home. I honestly think that was my favorite part they are very good brothers
I loved this one shot. Thank you pily! Imagining this end scene is very hard for me but I love the ideas you write, they’re so good. Thank you for posting it!
It’s weird to think we used to not have Della Duck, that she was an enigma for such a long time. She just feels so naturally and deeply intergrated that it’s hard to imagine the show without her
Season 2 was about being sharper than your enemy, season 3 is about being smarter than your enemy, and the tougher part was kinda sprinkled throughout all the seasons together (and it’d be strange to have a big season villain try to beat Scrooge through sheer strength alone) so I’m gonna cross that off the list.
So what’s season 4 gonna be about? I mean, we’ve run out of triplets to focus on, so what’s that fourth strength our next villain will be combating?
One thing that the whole Duck family is learning is that they are strongest together, and that as long as they’ve got family, they can get through anything. Heck, several villains openly acknowledge this during Glomtales, and Lunaris made killing the Duck family his #1 priority.
So my theory is that the next villain is gonna try to out-family Scrooge’s family. Bonds will be tested, dark secrets unearthed, and the whole theme of legacy this season could set things up perfectly for a theme of family ancestry.
So yup, that’s my theory. If I had to guess who the villain will be, I’d definitely say Magica. She’s made comments about her family before, we know she has a mysteriously absent brother, and Frank said that the McDucks have this big rivalry with the de Spells. I mean, we’re gonna dive deep into their histories eventually, and next season is as good as any. The season is still young though, we’ll have to see.
Okay there were two great things I loved about this episode
One was how Louie’s big schemes are now actively helping his family, rather than hurting them. I mean, this whole thing was to help his Uncle achieve his dream! How sweet is that? (He was also trying to get rich but the point is that Louie is really trying to be better)
Second thing I loved? This scene, because it showed us some possible extra insecurities that I’ve always associated with Dewey but now might be relevant to Louie too.
Louie is afraid of being unoriginal, but I’m guessing unlike Dewey (who wants to stand out from his brothers) Louie wants to stand out from his family. His crazy, amazing, overly successful family of over-achievers. Since season 1, Louie was afraid of not being good enough and falling behind everybody else, but now that he’s finally found ‘his thing,’ Louie’s afraid of it not being enough to make him noteworthy. I mean, he’s got some pretty big legacies to measure up too, Scrooge’s company especially.
Anyway, I love Ducktales and I love how they’re constantly transforming the characters in unexpected ways, this being a good example of that
This is a oneshot for Triplet De Spell AU, from @localscissors @cinnabunni5123 is also writing a multichapter story for this AU, you should take a look on both blogs.
Actually, this oneshot is similar to another oneshot I wrote, but this one is more complete and it has more things that the previous one didn’t have. I hope you’ll like it!
Huey was arriving to a breaking point. He was sure about that. At those moments, he was arguing with his brothers. Something normal in the last days. It seemed that Dewey and Louie couldn’t see how bad was their situation. The eclipse was almost there. It was going to happen tomorrow actually. They managed to discover where Scrooge’s dime was, but they barely had time. They needed to get the dime!
The boys knew that, but Dewey and Louie didn’t seem to care about that.
“What do you mean that you won’t help me to get Scrooge’s dime?” Demanded Huey looking furious.
Oh MY GOSH!!! Guys my awesome friend wrote another awesome one shot !! Ugh I love your writing so much it’s so good
Arguing so much about such an important matter must be exhausting for them, especially when they’re already so stressed, but Huey is too stubborn. I liked how you included how Louie wasn’t as okay with this situation as he appeared to be. I wonder what’s going through his head?
Huey is so scared of his single stable knowledge being a lie that he’s not seeing logic or reason. He can’t believe that the person who raised them all these years would have stolen them, that his entire life was a lie.
Magica was scary and her utter betrayal was cruel, just like in the other one shot you wrote. And of course she’s a narcissist prick who doesn’t even try to excuse her actions, Just likes to gloat in it. Probably happy she doesn’t have to deal with three emotionally needy kids anymore.
Her magic isn’t nearly as powerful as it’ll be when she gets the dime, but it’s still enough to get the work done. I can’t imagine what she did and said while in Huey’s body. Insults and betrayal would hurt more coming from Huey then Magica’s words ever could. Oh how horrible, Huey must be feeling terrible.
Poor Huey. His whole world is crashing around him and meanwhile he’s left in the worst position possible s. I feel so bad for him. But I’m glad he hasn’t given up hope, and he still has solid faith in his brothers (as he should. They’ve been through everything together). He has a plan and Magica’s taking him somewhere. I don’t know if you plan to continue this, but it was awesome regardless.
I love your writing as always and this one shot was awesome. Thank you so much for sharing it with me and everybody viewing this. I loved it
Scrooge braced against his seat as Della flew in a loop, showing off for her supposed son. Scrooge will get to the bottom of these kids’ identities one way or another, but in the meantime, he would put up with them for Della’s sake.
As the Sunchasesr soared over the capped mountain peaks, Della sent a mischievous smile Dewey’s way. “Hey Dewey, how’d you feel about flying?”
Dewey’s eyebrows rose, and he glanced behind him as if checking to make sure she was really addressing him. “Me? You want me to fly?”
“Yeah! I was just about your age when I first tried. Switch me seats.”
And before Dewey could even process the demand or the implications, Dewey was in the pilot’s seat with both hands on the steering wheel.
Anxiety filled Dewey immediately, freezing his limbs in place and securing the throttle in white-knuckled grip. It was all he could do to keep a smile plastered on his face, because Dewey de Spell always did what Magica wanted no matter how impossible it seemed. And Della was still watching, still smiling. He wanted her to like him, and this is how you earned love.
“You’re doing great,” Della encouraged. “Just keep flying it straight, you’re doing fine.”
Dewey didn’t trust himself to answer right away, knowing his voice would betray his anxiousness, but as he flew further and nothing happened, he was able to gain some confidence back. “Hey… I’m doing it!”
“You mean you’re Dewey-ing it! That’s my son!”
Dewey’s fake grin turned into a real one, and he drove the plane a little faster. Maybe he could get them there faster than any pilot before. Maybe Della would be so impressed that she would take him on all her adventures. He would suffer through that anxiety again and again if it meant being liked.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a snowy peak rose from the clouds and filled the windshiled’s view. Dewey screamed and yanked on the throttle in a random direction. They were gonna crash right into it!
Della was over him in an instant, simultaneously shielding him and jerking the throttle up. The peak scraped the bottom of the plane. The sound of grinding metal and roaring engine filled Dewey’s ears as he braced against Della for impact.
The plane didn’t really crash, but tilted and slid down the mountain side. There was a brief sensation of weightlessness, like a drop on a roller coaster, before slowing at the bottom of the slope.
Dewey breathed a sigh of relief and realized that he was still hugging Della, and she was hugging him back. She pulled away slightly to check him over. “Are you okay hon?”
“Y-yeah.”
“What the blazes was that?!” Scrooge shouted from the back of the plain, hobbling over with his cane. “I leave yeh alone for five minutes and you two crash the plane on the side of the mountain!”
“Oh, stop your whining old man, Launchpad crashes this thing all the time. Besides, we’ve got more important matters. Dewey flew for his very first time!!”
“Guessing he crashed it too,” Scrooge grumbled, then eyed Dewey with a certain humor. “Must’ve been quite thrilling though, wasn’t it lad? Suppose you haven’t been in a plane before?”
Dewey mutely shook his head, feeling strangely detached as he watched their body languages closely. He expected them to start screaming any moment now, and was mentally preparing for any outcome. But neither of them seemed really angry. Scrooge was irritated for sure, but not… not enraged.
“I’m sorry?” Dewey apologized belatedly, his guilt and fear being overridden by apprehension and confusion. Why didn’t they seem angry?
Scrooge nodded, accepting the apology, but looked more irritated at Della. “It’s Della who should be sorry! What were ye thinking, lass? Letting some child steer by himself!”
“He’s not some child, he’s my kid. And I was watching him the whole time!”
“You flew into a mountain!”
“He flew into a mountain, and did a marvelous job of it. This kiddo is a natural.”
They continued to bicker, but surprisingly not at him. He didn’t know what to do or how to react, so he just backed away slowly.
The side emergency door had popped open. It was easy to hop out and roll down the snow like a ball. By the time he made it to the front of the plane and saw the damage he caused, Della was there beside him. Dewey Hid his face and moaned. “Oh No, ooh no…. mom, I’m so sorry. Please don’t kill me! I didn’t mean to—“
“Aw, don’t worry, just a little dented nose and torn bottom. We’ll get it fixed before nightfall. But are you okay? You look kinda shaken. I don’t see any physical injuries…” She was fiddling with her scarf, looking unsure. If Dewey was a mind reader, he would’ve known she was worried about him, worried that the crash scared him, wondering how a normal mom would comfort her son and whether she should’ve checked him more closely earlier instead of arguing with Scrooge.
But he wasn’t a mind reader, and took her anxiousness as disappointment. She was probably regretting bringing him along at all. Huey would’ve never crashed the plane, and even if he did Huey would still be focused on the goal.
If Della and Scrooge weren’t worried about the plane, then he wouldn’t be either. He’ll prove that he can be just as good as any of his brothers and make up for the destruction he caused.
Dewey laughed. “Are you kidding me? That’s how I Dewey-it! One little crash can’t bring me down. Where’s the cave?”
Della, relieved that she hadn’t scarred her child for life, grinned and pointed. “Just over that hill!”
The anxiety followed him like a shadow all the way to the cave.
Webby knew a secret back entrance to the Money Bin. She explained, “Uncle Scrooge says if there’s ever trouble in the mansion, to come through here. He even gave me a special key.” She showed it to them, grinning. She wore the key around her neck just like how Huey wore his amulet. Louie grinned back. Webby was way too trusting.
The vault was guarded by a giant steel door, with a lock too big for the brothers to twist. Webby helped them push it open, grunting with exertion.
And finally, they were inside. Louie couldn’t contain his squeal at the expanse of gold that piled beneath the initial platform.
“Ha! I knew it! I knew he swims in here!” Louie ran to the diving board and prepared himself for a jump, but Huey caught the end of his hoodie.
“Nope, not for you. You’ll smash yourself on that metal,” he warned.
“He’s right,” said Webby. “It took Scrooge months to build up the necessary muscles to dive into it.” She led them to the end of the platform and gestured to the golden mountains. “So, this is it! Uncle Scrooge’s treasures.”
Huey peeked over the edge, holding tight to Louie to make sure his brother didn’t jump or fall. Louie could see his brother’s expression go from hopeful to exhausted in a matter of seconds.
“I never expected there to be so much…” Huey whispered. “There’s no way we can look through all of that.”
“Well, we don’t need to!” Webby said cheerfully. “I’ll take you down and show you all the important stuff. C’mon!”
She slipped over the edge on a ladder that Louie didn't see and started to climb down. Huey just continued staring. Louie had to push him to get moving. When they reached the bottom, Huey sat down and picked at a random coin, looking lost. Louie experimentally dug a toe beneath the top layer of coins, and it shifted to reveal even more underneath. “How deep is this?”
“Deeper than the pool!” Webby answered. “My Granny can’t even touch the bottom.
Louie would’ve been excited if it weren’t for how his older brother was acting. He looked like a boy on his deathbed; pale and emotionless and not at all like himself. Louie had a pretty good idea of what the problem might be, but he couldn’t ask it out loud. He let Webby show him some of her favorite artifacts before yawning loudly and checking the time.
“Oof, all this excitement tired us out. We should head back soon.”
Webby deflated. “Aw, so soon? But we just got here.”
“Believe me, I know. Nobody likes treasure more than me, but I think having our dreams fulfilled so quickly broke Huey’s brain.”
Webby looked at Huey, who was half-heartedly sorting coins into organized piles before ultimately sighing and collapsing on his back. “There’s so much,” he moaned.”
Webby snickered. “I understand. That was pretty much my reaction when I first saw this place too. I’ll take you guys back. Granny will be wondering where I am anyway.” She ran toward the ladder and Louie helped his older brother off the floor, leaving his two miserable piles behind. It was a long walk back to the mansion, but Louie kept Webby busy with questions about Scrooge’s adventures. Somewhere along the line, he was able to ask, “So if all of Scrooge’s treasures are in there, does he keep his dime there too?”
Webby deflated a bit. “His number one dime? No, he doesn’t. Nobody knows where he hides it. He doesn’t tell me.”
Louie nodded and thanked her before she departed, leaving them alone in their room. Louie approached his brother cautiously, able to talk freely now. “Hey bro, are you okay?”
Huey rubbed his eyes and shook his head, sliding down to the floor. He brought his knees up and hid his face in them. “How are we ever supposed to find the dime, Louie?”
Louie winced, unsure how to comfort his older brother. He looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. He wished Dewey was here, Dewey so much better at encouraging pep talks. “Well, at least we know it’s not in the Money Bin! That crosses one thing off our list.”
Huey threw his hands up. “That’s the thing! We don’t even know for sure that it’s not in there! Nobody knows! Not even Webby.”
Louie bit his lip and sat beside his brother. “We’ll figure it out.”
“How!? We wasted the whole day! I didn’t even try to look. I just got there and sat. I kept telling myself that I should look harder, but there was just so much, and it was so deep. We could search there for a hundred years and never find it.” Huey huffed, staring at nothing. “And what if it’s not there? This mansion is huge! I just… I don’t even know where to start.”
Before Louie could fail again at offering comfort, Dewey burst through the door, grinning like he won the lottery. “Bros! I’ve just had the most awesome day. Della said she loved me and I flew a plane! Well, crashed it, but Mom says that she crashed a million planes while she was learning. And she wasn’t even mad at me for it! It was awesome! And—“ he cut off, seeing Louie’s harsh glare and Huey’s despondent position. “Ooh, and you did not have an awesome day, did you?”
Before they could respond, there was a glow from under Huey’s shirt and all the brothers jumped back. Huey fumbled for his collar and Dewey slammed the door shut.
“Have you found the dime?”
Huey yelped in shock and jerked the necklace out. “Ah! Uh, Aunt Magica! We weren't expecting you so soon—!”
Magica cut him off. “And I was expecting results sooner. My patience grows incredibly thin. The eclipse is fast approaching, and still nothing!”
Huey winced and covered his face with his hands, mentally beating himself up for not looking harder. “I know, I’m sorry. We—”
“—We did a whole TON of stuff today!” Dewey interrupted, glaring at the amulet. He was still riding high off Della’s praise and wasn’t in the mood for his Aunt’s verbal abuse toward his brothers. “Della trusts us completely and I actually got Scrooge to warm up to me too.”
“I wasn’t asking your opinion, Dewford, I was asking Huey. And where’s Llewelyn? Is he hiding from me?”
Louie sunk back. She must be in a terrible mood if she was asking for him. “No, I’m right here Aunt Magica.”
“Oh? Surprise, surprise, he can still speak. And what did you do that was so important, other than ride on your brothers’ coattails?”
Huey wilted, head lowering in shame. “No, we didn’t.”
Ingrates,” Magica growled. “Who’s to blame for this?”
A beat of silence as all the brothers looked at each other. Finally, Huey sighed. “Mine. It was mine. There were too many coins to look through.”
Magica scoffed. “Peasants’ work. This is why I taught you fools magic. Wasn’t Dewey there with you?”
“Um, of c-course! Of course he was there, I mean. Definitely.” Huey pulled on his collared shirt, hoping she would buy the lie. “We just didn’t know any specific spells for finding… dimes.”
“All that reading and you still don’t know a thing.” She sighed deeply, as if the three were incompetent burdens she was forced to bear. “I guess I will just have to prepare something for you, if you can’t do it yourselves. I’ve got an artifact that will be most… disruptive.” Magica chuckled darkly, which soon became manic laughter. The triplets relaxed slightly. Evil laughter meant that her attention was on her own schemes and not on them. When the cackling finally stopped, her voice was back to demanding. “Expect a package soon. I’ll message you when it’s time to pick it up. And boys? You’re running out of chances. Don’t mess this one up.”
The amulet went dark, and Huey tucked it back under his shirt. He looked exhausted as he rubbed a hand over his face. Even though she wasn’t listening anymore, he still answered. “We won't mess this up. I’ll make sure of it.”
You can assume Dewey’s adventure with Della went the same as it did in that Money Tree episode, in which Della is way too encouraging and Dewey tries way too hard to impress her, putting himself in dangerous situations even while knowing he can’t handle it. He’s incredibly anxious throughout the whole thing and eventually breaks down and apologizes for being such a ‘failure’ and Della hugs him and tells him that she loves him no matter what. That’s basically what happened, I just didn’t feel like rewriting a whole episode. You’ve already seen it.
@cinnabunni5123 ‘s writing motivated me enough to clean up my old writing and get it posted. I’ll get the rest of this out tomorrow, but if you want more of this AU writing then I seriously suggest visiting @cinnabunni5123 ‘s Ao3 page (where she’s writing a brilliant multi-chapter fic of my AU) or @pilyarquitect , who has written several amazing one-shots. Both are more reliable than I’ll ever be (plus they’ve got some awesome fics in general. Other than that, this is just one of my earlier ideas in which the triplets kinda bond with everybody in an episodic-type way. Really suggest checking out their writing though, I love everything about it.
The best thing about stealing the identity of a missing child? Is that you get to steal their life too. And the real Dewey Duck,( wherever he might be), had the best, most loving family ever. Dewey de Spell loved his fake life.
And Della was the coolest adult Dewey had ever met. She gave him hugs and kisses and had as much enthusiasm for trouble as he did. The real Dewey was so lucky to be born into this family. Who knew such cool moms existed?
So when Della invited him and his brothers to go on an adventure with her, Dewey immediately agreed. Every second he spent with Della were the best seconds of his life. He wanted more of them. He wanted all of them. He wanted to hoard as many as he could before Magica blew everything away.
So, given the choice between searching for the dime with Huey, or going on an epic adventure with his fake mom, he chose fake mom.
“But Dewey, we need you to search for the dime!” Huey shouted.
“Can’t. Gotta go with Della on an epic airplane adventure. Sorry you guys weren’t invited! I’m already late gotta go byyeee!” Dewey ran out the bedroom door before Huey could say any more, leaving his two brothers alone. He could still hear Huey screaming his name, but he was already out the hall and down the stairs. They had loads of time to find the dime. He could help any other day, but going on adventures with Della? That was limited.
Besides, getting the McDuck family’s trust was part of the plan anyway, and his siblings were doing a horrible job of that. Dewey was happy to pick up their slack in that regard.
When he made it outside to the Sunchaser, he saw Della dutifully polishing her plane with a rag, and Scrooge impatiently checking his watch. A sudden bubble of excitement rose in his chest, driving him to run forward and wave to both of them. Della waved happily back, but her smile immediately fell when she only saw him. His steps faltered. Did he do something wrong?
“Are Huey and Louie coming?” She asked.
From what he knew about mothers, they were supposed to love all their children equally. From what he saw on TV, they got worried when one of them went missing. Knowing all of this, and knowing he was being very unfair to his brothers, Dewey felt an overwhelming ball of possessiveness roll up his throat. Why did she ask? Does she prefer them to him? Did she not want him there? If she found out he said they weren’t invited, would she shut him out?
All of these feelings were pushed down with a simple shrug and lie. “They didn’t want to come.”
“They didn’t want to..?” Something troubled passed over her features, and all at once, the feelings rolled back up at full force. She’ll shut him out, send him away. Say the adventure wasn’t worth it if it was just Dewey on the plane. Huey was so much smarter anyway, and Louie was more likeable. They weren’t loud or annoying or destructive or—
“More seats for us then, am I right?” Della laughed and threw an easy arm over his shoulder. “Double the leg room. We’ll have fun, just the two of us.”
‘Just the two of us’ became Dewey’s most favorite string of words, ever.
They boarded together, Scrooge following closely behind. Dewey could feel him staring, but ignored it. Della was smiling at him and he wasn’t going to let Scrooge ruin this moment for him.
“So which ones are the torpedo launchers?” The young duckling asked, ogling at the array of buttons and levers.
“Yer thinkin of submarines, boy,” Scrooge grumbled.
Della laughed and sat in the pilot’s seat, gesturing for Dewey to sit down beside her. “Yeah, no torpedos. Here, I’ll show what these buttons do.”
Scrooge left for the back of the plane. Dewey could feel the old man’s irritation just below his forced calm facade, and that’s why he forced himself to stay completely still until he heard Scrooge take his seat. Angry adults were unpredictable at their best, and he didn’t want to do anything to set him off. Once Dewey was sure that Mr. McDuck was at a safe distance, he relaxed and let Della show him how to steer.
Dewey peered out the window as they lifted off, amazed at how quickly they rose. Aunt Magica sometimes told them about her flying broom, old and broken and sitting unused in the corner of the closet. He wondered if she felt this happy when she flew.
Huey, meanwhile, was fuming. “I can’t believe he would just walk out like that! Doesn’t he care at all—!”
Louie shrugged. “Eh, who needs him anyway. Let Dewey waste time with our fake mom if he wants. We know where the real treasure is.”
Huey sighed, nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. We know our priorities.” After a moment, he tilted his head. “...do you really think Della didn’t invite us? Actually, never mind. Doesn’t matter.”
The thought of not being invited did sting, but honestly, it sounded like the exact type of lie Dewey would spin.
“Where are we searching today?” Louie asked.
Huey pulled out two pieces of paper from his coat pocket and unfolded them. One was a map of the mansion grounds, and the other was a neatly organized checklist. Huey visibly brightened at the sight of his own handiwork, proud of the neat lines and careful planning.
“According to our checklist—”
“Which you wrote,” said Louie.
“—Our next stop in the Money Bin. That’s where Scrooge keeps all his treasures.
Louie grinned and rubbed his hands together greedily. “I wonder how much he’s got stocked in there? I’ve heard, he only piles up his gold to swim in it!”
“That’s so gross.”
“Maybe to you, but to me?” Louie put a fist over his heart. “this is the kind of wealth I aspire to.”
Huey snorted and shook his head. “Well, he’s got all his money in there. So logically, he’d put the dime in there too.”
Louie silently disagreed. If he had an important all-powerful dime, he’d store it someplace special! Not with all the common treasure. But Louie rarely spoke his opinions out loud. Coming up with plans (especially plans for Magica) was a risk, and Huey willingly took that risk every time. It was so much easier to follow than lead.
Also, he really, really wanted to see the Bin. No way he was ruining this chance by expressing his doubts now, of all times.
“Let’s get going then,” Louie said, pushing his brother out the door. “We’ve got treasure to see and dimes to steal. Let’s go, go, go!”
“Okay, okay. Wait, one minute. Just… there’s a problem. We don’t know how to get in, and it’s probably locked.”
Huey shook his head. “That’s not enough. Haven’t you seen how many protection wards there are in this mansion alone ? I can’t even imagine how many guard spells he’s got at the money bin. I was hoping Dewey could maybe break through them, but he ran off—”
“What are you guys whispering about?”
“AGH!” Louie jumped backward, clutching his heart in fright at the third unexpected voice that appeared above them. Looking up, they saw Webby hanging out of a ventilation shaft in the ceiling, grinning sheepishly.
“Wha—WEBBY! Were you spying on us!?” Louie cried.
“Not on purpose. I was just coming over to see what you guys were doing.” She hopped down and landed easily next to them.
Louie’s heart was still racing, and knowing that Webby could’ve been listening to them at any time scared him. He was unable to keep the irritation from his voice when he snapped,“That’s creepy. Just knock on the door like a normal person.”
Webby winced, sheepishly pulling on her sweater. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to see what you were doing.”
Huey was also startled, and made a personal note to be more aware of the vents next time they planned. He was annoyed, but didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “It’s fine, just please don’t do that again.”
Webby nodded seriously, and then tilted her head. “What were you guys talking about anyway? I couldn’t hear anything from up there.”
“Nothing,” Louie answered.
“Secrets,” Huey blurted.
Webby squealed and rocked on her heals excitedly. “Secrets are my favorite! I’m so good at keeping them. Let me tell you one of mine! I’ve hidden several spears all over the mansion, so that I’m always ready for attack.”
Louie smacked a hand on his forehead. Huey was the worst at lying. Why couldn’t he keep his beak shut?”
Webby continued. “I told you one of my secrets. Now what’s yours?”
While Huey panicked at the question, fumbling for words, Louie, saw an opportunity. He put a hand on Huey’s shoulder and squeezed, silently assuring him that he could handle this.
“We’ve got a lot of secrets,” Louie grinned. “But you wanna know our biggest one?”
Louie could feel Huey tense behind him while Webby nodded eagerly. Louie paused for dramatic effect, eating a good few seconds before revealing, “We’re McDuck nerds. We love all things Scrooge McDuck.”
Webby gasped. “You too!? I thought I was the only one!”
“Well, you’re not. We’ve been researching the McDuck family four entire lives.” Which was technically true. Magica has repeatedly cursed every aunt, uncle, and cousin of the McDuck family for as they could remember.
“That’s amazing! What do you wanna talk about first? The time he saved an entire city from King Akhum’s curse? Or how about that time he outsmarted a village of evil seers, who foretold false prophecies of death? Or maybe we should go all the way back to his birth; Glasgow, 1867. The night was cold, and the air was—”
“We already know all that,” Louie interrupted, waving away her words. Then he faked a sad expression. “That’s the problem. We already learned everything there is to know, but we still haven’t seen the real thing. His artifacts, his treasures, his adventures...”
“Oh. That’s because he keeps it all in his Money Bin,” Webby said.
Louie brightened. “Really? You’ve seen it?”
Webby laughed. “Of course I have. Uncle Scrooge takes me there all the time.”
“Do you think you can get us in?” Huey asked hopefully.
Webby immediately stepped back, rubbing her arm anxiously. “Um, I don’t know. I’m actually not allowed in there by myself…”
“You won’t be by yourself, you’ll have us,” Louie encouraged. “C’mon, we’re all experts. You can be our guide. Uncle Scrooge and Della are out, so they can’t escort us anyway”
Webby shook her head, still unsure. “I can ask my Granny… she can take us.”
“Please?” Louie begged. “This has been our dream our entire lives.”
Webby looked away, and he realized he needed a different angle. He crossed his arms, and changed his tone from pleading to accusing.
“This is the type of stuff friends do for each other. I thought you were our friend.”
Webby jerked back, as if burned by his words. He felt bad, but it had the exact effect he wanted.
“N-no no! I am! I am your friend! I Just don’t want to—”
Louie rolled right over her protests. “This is the type of stuff friends do for each other. It’s not even a big deal, you’ve been there a hundred times.”
Webby looked so torn and hurt that Louie almost apologized right then and there, but he hardened himself. He was good at exactly one thing and he wasn’t gonna backtrack just because of a little guilt. He looked toward Huey, silently hoping he could top this off with a little bit of his natural good cop routine.
Thankfully, he stepped in.
“You’re our best friend, Webby,” Huey said sincerely. “It would mean the world to us if you could show us around.”
Louie held his breath as Webby thought on their words, still torn between house rules and peer pressure.
This is… this is what friends do for each other, right?” Webby asked.
“Oh yes, definitely,” Louie assured. Huey also nodded. This is what friends did on TV, after all. They always snuck around behind the adults’ backs.
Webby sighed decisively,her expression determined. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
