DW/BtVS: The Building Blocks of Good and Evil (14/20)
Title: The Building Blocks of Good and Evil
By: PatriciaTepes (AKA Patricia de Lioncourt @ fanfiction.net; PatriciaLouise @ TTH)
Chapter Title: Piled Higher and Deeper
Links to Other Chapters: ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN NINETEEN TWENTY
Fandom: Darkwing Duck/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer:I do not own Darkwing Duck or Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of their related characters. Darkwing Duck belongs to Disney, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon. Also, I don't own the images used in the art. All is done for fun, not profit.
Author's Note: I had a professor once who was teasing us with the real meanings behind the initials of college degrees. He told us that what a Bachelor's of Science-BS-really meant was… well, you can guess. Masters of Science-MS-really meant "more of the same," and a Ph. D really meant, "Piled higher and deeper." Once again, I have no idea why I was thinking of this when I named this chapter, but that's where the title came from.
Chapter Fourteen- Piled Higher and Deeper
"Gosalyn! Gosalyn!" Darkwing ran, as soon as his eyes saw the wreckage of his front door.
He bounded through without stopping, Buffy and Mindy at his heels. Finally, he came to a skidding halt right beyond the threshold.
"Gosalyn!" he yelled again, scanning the surrounding area.
His eyes stopped as they fell upon the figure of Launchpad on the stairs. He leapt over the broken stairs, running to his sidekick.
"LP? LP, can you hear me?" he asked, kneeling beside his friend.
Buffy stepped up, crouching beside him. With a groan, Launchpad's eyes flickered open, and Darkwing breathed a sigh of relief.
"DW?" he asked, a little weakly.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's me. Are you all right? Where's Gosalyn?"
"Woozy," Launchpad murmured, as if in answer to Darkwing's first question. Then, his eyes went wide as he sat bolt upright. "It's Negaduck, DW! He took Gos. The Fearsome Five and NegaBuffy, they were here! They are taking her to… to… to the Nega… Negaverse."
With a groan, Launchpad half laid, half fell back. Buffy caught him, laying him back gently. Mindy ran up behind her, pressing two fingers to his throat. After a moment, she sighed.
"He's alive… he just took a bad hit. He'll probably be out for a while," she said.
"Let's take him to Morgana's. We'll regroup there and come up with a plan," Buffy said. "I can carry him."
"No," Darkwing said, standing. "You take him to Morgana's. I'm going to the Negaverse. Whatever it is that Negaduck's got planned, it isn't good. I have to go save her before he… before he hurts her."
Mindy shook her head. "No, Darkwing. Buffy's right. We need a plan."
Darkwing glared at her. "This wouldn't have happened. Not if you had told us."
The younger slayer looked hurt, and Buffy shook her head, standing.
"We aren't doing this. Not now. Mindy was only doing what she thought was right, I'm sure. Bad decisions happen. And we will save Gosalyn. But right now, Darkwing, she's right. We have to get Launchpad to Morgana's and form a plan. Maybe we can get Willow on board to give us a hand."
"No. I have to save her. There's a portal to the Negaverse here, somewhere in St. Canard. I can go through there and get her back."
"And where's the portal at?"
Here, Darkwing stopped, beak half open as if to answer. With a huff, he grimaced.
"It used to be inside of a huge cake at a bakery downtown," he said.
Mindy arched a brow. "What do you mean, used to?"
"Well, I kind of pulled a plug, and it got swallowed into oblivion. Literally on both counts. I really don't even know how Negaduck reopened the tear."
"Well, as evil as he is, I hate to say this, but… Negaduck's not stupid. I would lay big bucks down that that tear isn't where it used to be," Buffy said.
Darkwing collapsed down onto the stairs again, glancing back at his still unconscious sidekick. He removed his hat and rubbed the back of his arm over his eyes.
"I-I am sorry. It's just-"
Buffy laid a hand on his shoulder. "I get it. If we're lucky, you'll get a chance to ask my sister about my breakdowns. But, right now, our best bet is Morgana and Willow. For Gosalyn, and for Launchpad."
"This plan's better than having no plan," Mindy muttered, careful to avert her eyes from Darkwing's.
The Masked Mallard sighed, nodding.
"Let's hurry."
#
"You let us out of this big glass thing or you'll be sorry!" the red-headed duckling yelled, kicking and beating as hard as she could against her round prison.
Behind her, Dawn sat, legs scrunched up and arms crossed, just trying to get a hold of her current situation. She was locked inside one of the cylindrical things with a young duckling that the yellow-clad duck had dragged in with him. She was dressed in a purple, number one jersey and red sneakers. Dawn glanced up at the duckling as she jumped back. The one called Negaduck growled, getting as close as possible to the glass. He leaned back, laughing as NegaBuffy grinned. It was eerie, her resemblance to Dawn's Buffy. So eerie in fact that Dawn found herself closing her eyes against this version.
"I'd calm down, brat. Relax. Get to know your cellie… while you still have time," Negaduck chuckled.
NegaBuffy laid a hand on Negaduck's shoulder, shaking her head.
"You know," she drawled, "we really lucked out, with the other one just falling into our hands like that."
Negaduck stared up at her. "Meaning what?"
"I can see her for what she really is," she whispered.
The duckling looked back as Dawn opened her eyes. Dawn slid herself up the cylinder as Negaduck rolled his eyes.
"I reiterate my original question, chickie."
"She's the Key… the energy that binds all dimensions, made flesh… and blood," NegaBuffy grinned, looking too much like a snake right before it strikes.
The duckling's eyes narrowed at her as she gasped.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Trouble," Dawn whispered.
"I always like the sound of that," Negaduck said before turning back to NegaBuffy. "But how?"
The vampire said nothing as she turned, walking away from the glass prison. Negaduck growled.
"I hate that," he growled, following after.
The duckling turned fully around now.
"I'm Gosalyn," she said, extending a hand. "What's your name?"
"Dawn," she answered, taking it and shaking it once.
Gosalyn's eyes widened. "Buffy's sister?"
"You know Buffy?" Dawn asked, leaning forward.
"She talks about you all the time. She was really worried about you, you know. She sounded a lot like my dad when he worries about me… In fact, he's probably sounding like that right now."
"Who's your Dad?"
At this, Gosalyn turned back, as if to make sure that no one was listening. When she spoke again, she whispered.
"Darkwing Duck."
Dawn's eyes widened. "I met him! Well, uh, actually, I only heard him, while Willow and I were talking with Buffy at this witch's house."
"Morgana's?"
"Yeah! That was the name!"
"How were you there? I thought it was hard to travel from dimension to dimension?"
"I wasn't, really. Willow has a way to talk, only, through the dimensions. That's how I met your dad."
Gosalyn nodded. Then, with a sigh, she slid down the glass to sit on the hard floor of their prison.
"How long do you think it'll take for Dad and Buffy to save us?" she asked.
Dawn frowned. "Buffy doesn't even know I'm here, I don't think. But, if your dad is with you anything like Buffy is when it comes with me… I wouldn't guess long."
"I hope so. Because I think that, whatever Negaduck has planned for us, it isn't good. Not that it ever is."
Dawn nodded, her gaze drifting to the cauldron several feet across the room where NegaBuffy and Negaduck had gathered.
"I have a feeling that you're right."
#
"So, how do we use that Key to cause chaos?" Negaduck asked as soon as he rejoined NegaBuffy at the very cauldron he had used to cast the spell to bring her into the Negaverse.
"There's a spell, one that will bring down all walls of all dimensions. But, sadly, the cosmos aren't aligned for it."
Negaduck growled. "How does that help us?"
"We can still use her, Negaduck. The downside is that she must remain as she is… alive, and human. Having the Key at one's disposal makes dimensional hoping a much smoother ride."
"Well, I'll take what I can get. What about Darkwing's little brat? What're we doing with her?"
NegaBuffy grinned. "Oh, that is going to be so much fun. First, we set up our spell here."
She ran her hands along the edge of the cauldron, walking slowly around to the other side. There, she lifted an ebony-painted, sharpened finger nail to her neck, holding the tip of her right index finger to the left side of her neck.
As she slid it across, she said, "Then, we slit her little throat and let her young blood pour into the cauldron."
She then imitated the dropping of a piece of paper into the cauldron as she finished, "Finally, we drop the list inside the cauldron, and presto! We have a list of yummy victims."
Negaduck grinned a hungry smile. "Excellent. But you know the one thing I don't understand?"
NegaBuffy raised a pale brow. Negaduck jerked a thumb back in the direction of a rough wooden door just off to his right.
"Why in the hell are we keepin' those knobs around?" he said.
"You mean your former companions? Compadres? Chums?" NegaBuffy laughed. Negaduck released a low snarl, and the vampire shrugged, adding, "Honestly, they amuse me. But fear not, friend, we'll dispose of them as soon as the novelty wears off."
#
Megavolt, ear pressed against the door, had to fight the gasp rising up in his throat. How dare he! How dare they! After all they had done for them, used them for? And then, to be tossed aside as soon as "the novelty" wore off? Well, he was the master of electricity. He was not any tinker toy to be forgotten once its owner had outgrown it. He whirled back to the room, where Bushroot, Liquidator, and Quackerjack sat around a table that, like many other things her in the Negaverse, had seen better days. He strode over, slamming both of his hands down. Quackerjack huffed, crossing his arms.
"What's the matter, Sparky? Shorting out?" he chuckled.
He then pulled out his banana shaped doll, holding him in front of his beak.
"Yeah," the doll said. "One of your lightbulbs turn you down for a date or something?"
"Stuff it, Banana Brain. Didn't you guys hear that?" Megavolt whispered, looking around.
All shook their heads. Megavolt groaned, leaning in even closer.
"We're temporary. First chance they get, they're gonna cap our wires!"
Bushroot stood up, his leaves literally shaking.
"A-a-are you s-s-sure?" he stuttered.
"Heard it with my own two ears, melon-head."
"Tired of being double crossed? Of being bossed around? Why not try… betrayal?" Liquidator said, one finger in the air, very matter-of-factly.
"Betrayal? Oooh, sounds like fun!" Quackerjack said, bouncing out of his chair and landing on his hands and head.
Megavolt let a blue spark shoot from his right hand. "I would rather roast them."
"We wouldn't stand a chance. That NegaBuffy lady… there's more to her than what m-m-meets the eye," Bushroot whispered. "Revenge is out of the question. She would pluck us the first chance she got. And as much as I hate to admit it… she could."
"So betrayal it is!" Quackerjack squealed, causing the other three to shush him. "But how?"
The room went silent. It was not exactly like the four of them-truly wanted criminals-could just walk up to Darkwing and hand him Negaduck. Nor could they go to the police, for very much the same reason… not mention that NegaBuffy would probably just snap the necks of all the do-gooders anyway. Suddenly, Megavolt held one of his lightbulbs over his head, and it lit up.
"I know! Those girls!" he said. "The two that Negaduck and NegaBuffy have locked up!"
"What about them?" Bushroot asked.
"Well, Negaduck wants them around so badly… let's make them not around."
"Kill them?" Quackerjack asked, not one hint of shyness in the prospect of killing two innocent girls.
"No, Negaduck, I think, wants them dead. Not much of a betrayal."
"Let them go?" Bushroot asked.
"You know," a new voice said, causing the Fearsome Four to whirl around to the back side of the room. "This is a pretty risky plan."
Stepping out of the shadows were… four of the strangest bikers that they had ever seen. One was a very fat man, one was a very skinny woman, one was clearly a young boy, and the last… well, looked a lot like Darkwing's sidekick.
"Who are you?" Quackerjack asked.
"We're the NegaGang, and we wanna help you let those girls go," the kid said, swinging a chain very nonchalantly.
"And why would you want to do that?" Megavolt said, leaning in close to them.
"Because we're tired of being the number two gang as long as you four numbskulls are around. You leave the Negaverse with those girls, and we'll give you all the help you need," the fat one huffed.
"And what help would that be, exactly?" Megavolt said, crossing his arms.
"We'll tell you the location of the tear-since you were blindfolded coming in, and be a distraction, if necessary, for Lord Negaduck," the Launchpad look alike growled.
The Fearsome Four exchanged a glance. Then, they looked back at the NegaGang and nodded.
"And what a deal!" Liquidator said.
#
"Launchpad will be fine. He just needs some rest," Morgana said as she reentered her living room.
"I'm glad to hear that," Mindy said.
"Morg, we've got to hurry. Negaduck has Gosalyn… and she's one of these potential slayers… whatever he has planned can't be good," Darkwing said, his hat held, vertically, in his hands as he absentmindedly turned it around by its brim.
Morgana nodded, reaching over to her pedestal and snatching up her spell book. "I'll try a locating spell. I've never tried to use it for a tear between dimensions, but let's hope that it'll work."
"Buffy?" Willow's voice sounded suddenly.
The Chosen One stood, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm here."
"Buffy, Niblet is missing," Spike's voice rang out.
Buffy's eyes widened. "What? Spike, is that you? Dawn's gone?"
"We don't know where, Buffy. It looks like she was trying… that she was trying to separate the Key from herself. She blamed herself for you being zapped to St. Canard. But, the spell… well, no such magic exists as Dawn's situation is truly one of a kind. I think she poofed herself, unintentionally, to another dimension," Willow explained.
"Perfect!" Buffy shouted, throwing up her hands.
She walked over to Morgana's couch and collapsed, leaning an elbow on one arm as she rested her head in her hands. Darkwing sighed, glancing up at the ceiling.
"Negaduck and NegaBuffy have got Gosalyn," Darkwing said.
"Gosalyn?" Spike and Willow questioned.
"Darkwing's daughter," Mindy muttered.
"Oh goddess," Willow said. "What's happened since the last time we spoke?"
Darkwing took a deep breath and caught Willow and Spike up. When he had finished, Spike swore and Willow only sighed.
"I'm going to the other room to try this spell," Morgana said, standing with her book in hand.
She disappeared just as Buffy pulled herself back to her feet.
"It's a mess here, Will. And it's all my fault. Well, me and NegaMe. We've got to put her out of commission, but it seems like I just can't get close enough to stake her. She's… she's too much like me. We fight alike, and, as scary as this may sound, at times I think we even think alike. I've fought a lot of tough things, guys, but she's a challenge. I'm opening the floor for suggestions on what to do. Any thoughts?"
"A good, swift stake comes to mind," Mindy said.
Buffy gave a small laugh. "Oh, believe me, I've got one with her name on it, but I think I just listed that as a problem."
"Well, you could always send the bird back packing to her hometown," Spike said.
"No. I want something more permanent. I can't run the risk that as soon as I'm gone that Negaduck will call her back into this world."
Darkwing groaned, tapping his webbed foot. "If she hurts Gosalyn… I'll find the most horrendous way possible to hurt her."
"A soul!" Willow cried all of a sudden.
"What?" Mindy asked.
Buffy gasped. "You're right!"
"What're you talking about?" Darkwing asked.
"Punishment," Spike said.
"How is a soul punishment?" Mindy said, looking around.
"Vampires don't have souls. That's why we can kill without remorse. They're just a shell of the human they used to be. But, the soul is the conscience. Restore the soul, and all of a sudden, all the things that NegaBuff has done, ever since being a vampire, will come rushing back to her," Spike explained.
"Guilt," Darkwing whispered.
"Beyond compare," Willow said with a note of finality. "Buffy, I still have the spell that the gypsies used to curse Angel with a soul."
Buffy shook her head. "No, Will. That one won't work."
"What? Why?" Darkwing asked.
"Because, that way, the soul can be removed after achieving a moment of true happiness. Something tells me that Negaduck could easily find a way to get NegaBuffy to that. No, it has to be something else. There has to be another way to give a vampire a soul."
"There is," Spike said. "You can fight for it."
Buffy grinned. "Well, that I think I can handle."
"There's a demon, the same one I went to. He was a shaman, had a cave with all sorts of drawings on them… I think they were showing me what was happening while I was out of good ol' SunnyD. I fought through his trials, asking the whole time to be put back the way I was. When I won, he restored my soul, no fine print attached," the disembodied vampire explained.
"You mean Lloyd? I think D'Hoffryn mentioned him to me once," Willow said.
"Yeah, I think-wait. Lurky's name… was Lloyd?" Spike asked, chuckling.
"Guys! Not important! Do you know how to contact him?" Buffy asked.
"Shouldn't be too hard. I'd imagine that there would be some sort of magical mumbo-jumbo to do it," Spike said, and Buffy could almost imagine him shrugging.
"Then that's it. We'll do it that way."
"Dark! Dark, I found the tear!" Morgana shouted, running back into the living room. "It's in an old abandoned metal factory downtown."
Darkwing pulled his hat back atop his head. "I'm going after Gosalyn. I'm sorry, Buffy, but I can't help you here. I have to get my daughter back."
"I'll go with you," Mindy said.
Darkwing stared at her. She shrugged.
"It's my fault Gosalyn got taken. It's the least I can do to help get her back."
Buffy nodded. "That's fine. I'll stay here with Morgana, Willow, and Spike and try to find this demon. You guys go and save Gos."
Mindy rested a hand on Darkwing's shoulder. "We'll get her back."
Darkwing nodded, gracing the girl with a small smile. "I know."