Stake Out (oneshot)

Stake Out

"I want to help with the stake out"

"I appreciate the support, but I don't think your mind is in the right place to even begin confronting him again."

"I wasn't asking for your permission, big hat. Besides, you're down a sidekick."

"He's my partner. Are you sure about this?"

"I can't sit around any longer, I'm ready. I can't last another day knowing he's still out there not getting what he deserves."

".. Fine. But remember, this isn't about getting revenge, Harper. Please just keep that in mind while you're out there."

"...Okay."

That was the last of any reasoning Darkwing Duck tried to give Starburn that night. Wouldn't even call it reasoning, perhaps he knew there was no stopping what Harper had in mind. After the many sightings of a familiar yellow clad wearing swan that have appeared on Wanda's surveillance systems, it was only inevitable to begin a stake out in those areas downtown, within the underbelly of St. Canard.

The two decided to split up the search, make it go faster. Harper was the one that gave the idea, Drake was hesitant, but the only reason why he accepted the idea is if Harper agreed that if one of them found anything suspicious, they'd contact the other right away, and to not engage on target until help came. What a dumb idea this was.

Starburn found herself alone on a distant rooftop. Following Darkwing's plan to stay put and wait. It was only the most reasonable thing to do. But there was nothing but the distant sounds of traffic, honking horns, and the city's nightlife atmosphere buzzing nearby. The clouds roll in, and the wind picks up. It ruffles through Starburn's feathers leaving a chilling sensation down her spine. Cold, hate the cold. She begins to warm herself making a makeshift tiny blueish green flame in the palms of her hands.

Sitting. Waiting. Seething. She wanted to follow with Darkwing's plan, it was only the most logical option. Really. She wanted to. And she knew exactly why he did this, he just wants to keep her safe. It's the least he can do, and maybe the only thing he can do. Probably feels like it's all he has left after finding Harper's relations with Negaduck. Using her to fill the void of failing to bring his beloved idol Jim Starling back. How patronizing. Starburn couldn't stand this. Idling by and watching. Waiting for something anything to happen.

And then, something did happen.

CRASH! Was the sound of some city trash can toppling over down below where Starburn had perched herself; a shadowy figure darts away like a bat out of hell. Finally something! Impatient as ever, Starburn jumps down, and forgets everything the plan was supposed to be, find suspicious activity, contact help, wait till help arrives, and THEN do we get to do something. But if Starburn waited any longer, she could lose whom she was pursuing.

"Hey!"

She shouts furiously hoping that maybe it is him and he'll just face her head on, she can take him. She's ready. She has to be. All this anger built up over every recurring encounter with her dear old dad has given her enough to fuel the fire to burn him alive. The mysterious figure only ignores Starburn's cry and darts off the other way.

"Oh no you don't! We have a score to settle!"

With all her might, she throws herself right after, keeping up with fierce intensity as her flames burn ever so brightly, lighting her way through the dim twists and turns of the dingy alleyways. And just when Starburn has this figure right where she wants it to be, a sharp pain travels painstakingly from her right foot up to her leg, with a loud CLANG! stopping her in her tracks as she trips and hits the cement ground head on.

"AUGH"

Yelping in pain, she stumbles to pull herself up only for that sharp pain sting to travel even farther up her leg, she can feel the fresh warm blood run trickle down to her foot. Looking over to see what is jerking her back, she finds herself to be caught in a bear trap. Starburn begins to shift her weight turning herself over to sit upright and try to pry the trap open just enough for her to escape. She hisses through her teeth.

"OW! Ow ow owowowow! Goddamnit. Goddamnit!"

Another crash can be heard from behind and she whips her head back to see if her pursuer was returning to finish her off, only to find the very thing she was chasing, was a little black alley cat. It gives a harsh meow and leaps up passed over a brick wall, never to be seen again.

"A cat. A cat?? I put myself in a bear trap, over a cat?!"

Starburn, now in a frustrated state of panic, attempts to heat up the bear trap enough to try and bend the metal apart. Within the struggle of freeing herself, the sound of thunder crackles above the clouds, and the first rain drop hits Starburn on her now chipped beak, great. Bad time for rain. Rain will only disable Starburn's abilities of creating fire, which means there goes the idea of just melting the bear trap away, and brute forcing it isn't working either. Her disguise begins to fade away too, and that cyan fire burning where her hair would be fizzles out into her natural dark hair color.

Well, might as well go with the original plan now, call for help. Harper starts to dig through her pockets reaching for that communicator device Darkwing handed to her before they split ways, but the longer she searches, the more empty handed she becomes.

"Oh no, don't tell me I dropped it going after that dumb cat!"

That's exactly what happened. Everything that could of gone terribly, went terribly.

The rain gradually grows from a sprinkle to a downpour, leaving our poor fire wielding heroine drenched and helpless in some random dirty alleyway, who places a bear trap in the middle of a city anyways?!

The rusty metal clamping, digging it's way into her leg starts to go numb, as long as she stays still. She has no other options but to call out for help, maybe someone will hear her. But with the storm growing worse and worse, there's no way anyone will be able to detect her voice while it's being drowned out by the howling wind, with thunder powerful enough to shake the very ground beneath her.

Darkwing is probably worried sick wondering where she is, maybe he found Negaduck first and is waiting for her to show up, and stick with the plan. This is all her fault, if only she just listened, just waited. But she was so ready for this moment, too eager to move. To fight. To be free. The irony of it all. Only to be wet and cold, caught in the metal teeth of a contraption that's chewing your foot off.

And that's when it happened. A shadow, suddenly looming over Harper from above, only seen when lightning strikes the air. She looks up to see a familiar silhouette, with the brim hat and cape flowing to the aggressive wind.

"Ah, Hey- ow, big hat! Ha, what a mess I'm in, huh? Could you help me out?"

The silhouette stays silent, and just stands there, menacingly. The rain keeps his face hidden and hard to identify.

"Dark? Bad time to go in shock over m-"

Harper's words disappear into thin air as soon as another lightning strike nearby lights up the sky, casting upon the truth of what's staring her down, with a menacing sharp tooth smile. That's not Darkwing Duck. And after all this big talk, to think she finally got the courage to face this very moment, the fire dies out, and slips away right then and there, you could see it as her face goes pale. The realization, and the fear of it all, it hit her quicker than the shaking thunder right after. Stupid Drake being right once again, she wasn't ready, not ready to face this alone.

"Looking for someone else, oh daughter of mine?~"