The Love and Treachery of Scrooge McDuck!

The Putrid Prison of Paradise!

2020

He hadn't gotten the chance to sleep. He had been talking on the phone for hours. Beakley and he talked in circles for hours. He hadn't even gotten the chance to change. He had no clue what time it was when ____ barged in. She said nothing, just walked around the bed and curled up next to him. He wrapped his free arm around her and decided it was time to dispense with Beakley.

"Beakley, let me know when you surface." She found that suspicious. "No, everything's fine here. Yes, I'm sure."

She refused to let him go. Thankfully, ____ fell asleep. They worked over the details again and again. Finally, she hung up. He put the phone on the nightstand and ____ hummed.

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

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

"I'm sorry, Love." He knew she would have nightmares. They were getting worse by the sound of it. He should have insisted on her staying with him.

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

"Unfortunately," he sighed.

He went over the details one more time. Thankfully, not in as much detail as with Beakley. He showered, dressed, packed, and ate. ____ woke up the kids, and he got the twins. They didn't want to get up. Della threw a hairbrush at him, and Donald groaned into a pillow until he left.

He thought they were never going to leave. His mother gave a hundred hugs, and his father was nowhere to be found. He got in the passenger seat and finally got some sleep. It wasn't as much as he would've liked, however.

As the car came to a halt, he blinked awake. He got out and ____ followed him through the chattering mini market to where his submarine was tied up. He banged on the metal hull in the secret knock. The hatch opened. 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. He was already irritated from the lack of sleep.

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

"We need outside tactics to defeat this enemy," the vigilante crossed his arms.

"I agree with D." Everyone looked at ____, and regret flashed across her face. "No offense. You have the same training as Bradford."

"Of course, you would agree with him," Beakley rolled her eyes.

"Wow, put Launchpad in charge for all I care." They looked at LP, who was tangled in a fishing net, and waved. Beakley and the vigilante shook their heads.

"We will figure this out later. This is for you. Hotel argument near your Missing Mystery," Beakley held out their hotel arrangements. She snatched it up before he could take it. "Don't get used to this."

"Thank you, Beakley," he said, not wanting to argue. He had suffered the 'I'm not a secretary' speech one too many times tonight. He pulled the papers free from her grasp.

"Where's Webby and Louie?" the vigilante asked.

"Here!" Webby bounced up in between him and ____.

"Uh," Louie face planted dramatically into the deck on the other side of him.

Beakley picked him up and threw him over her shoulder. Webby's bounced up the side of the machine. LP followed, carrying their stuff.

"Radio silence, from here on out. Rendezvous at the Bin at 2200 hours in four days," Beakley said.