Danger Lurks Behind, W/ Strangers Out To Find Ya!

The Putrid Prison of Paradise!

A/N: Thank you @zentthefirst ! I never would have finished without you! Also a few adult jokes 😆 and (- D) is Dewey.

The punch was a good one. He hadn't been prepared to stop it. His arm moved so fast and it sounded like thunder when it connected and everything went dark as it did. Lightning flashed, and I was somewhere else with different people. The light illuminated a giant metal machine at the base of a ravine and someone laughed creepily.

"Will you knock that off?" Bradford's voice made me jump.

"You need to loosen up. Embrace your inner villain." Black Heron laughed again, this time with humor. Bradford growled.

I shot straight up in the bed in a sweat. I wrinkled the fancy sheets. The nightmares were getting more life-like every time I had one. I marched to Scrooge's bedroom. Screw the sleeping arrangements. I forwent knocking and barged in on him, leaning against the headboard with an old rotary phone in his lap. He hadn't even changed out of his clothes, or maybe he had already gotten ready for the day. As I walked around the bed, he gave me a worried look. I curled up next to him. He wrapped his free arm around me.

"Beakley, let me know when you surface," he tried to hang up. "No, everything's fine here. Yes, I'm sure."

She refused to let him go and I fell asleep to the sound of his voice. I woke up when he tried to set the phone down.

"Sorry, Love. She wouldn't hang up."

"It's all right." He ran a hand through my hair. "I just had a nightmare."

"I'm sorry, Love."

"It's okay." I set up and rubbed my eyes. "Do we need to get ready?"

"Unfortunately," he sighed.

They would arrive at the harbor within a few hours. It gave us just enough time to dress, pack, and eat. It didn't take long for me and Scrooge to get ready. He readied the twins, and I woke up the kids. They didn't want to get up, but they could sleep in the car. I bumped into Matilda as we headed out. She gave me a bone-crunching hug.

"What did you need yesterday day?" I wheezed.

"Ya mean when I interrupted you and Scroogie?" she laughed. "I was just gonna tell ya. Ma, packed up that stuff ya were rooting through yesterday and Da told me to put it in the back of the car for ya."

"Thank you and tell them too." She nodded.

"I peaked." Of course, she did. "Can I give ya some sisterly advice?"

"You're going to regardless so," I motioned for her to go ahead.

"Ya know how much he values family, and he's choosing to make ya part of ours." Her eyes danced fiercely. "Think 'bout that."

"I will," I nodded. Honestly, I was frightened at how she had phrased that. She beamed and continue down the hall.

I never thought we were going to leave. Downy gave a hundred hugs and Fergus was nowhere to be found. Donald drove to the harbor. It was long, but the kids slept most of the way.

We came to a halt by the pier side market. Scrooge and I made our way through the chattering mini market to where the submarine was tied up. Scrooge banged on the metal hull and the hatch open. Darkwing and Beakley climbed out arguing. Launchpad followed them and made his way to the car to help with the kids' stuff.

"Oi, what's this about?" Scrooge asked.

"Obviously," Beakley started, "I should be in charge, seeing as how I have more experience."