Duck Drama

Chapter 38- Zehra

I sit on the couch in one of the many living rooms, looking at the ground. Dewey holds my hand, rubbing my thumb, but I don't move. 

"So... what happened?" Scrooge McDuck asks sitting across from me. Matt, Huey, Lena, Webby, and Violet are in the room with us. 

"I- um..." How do I start this?! "I-"

"She hurt Louie, and I don't trust her with Dewey." Huey blurts. We all give him a dirty look. All expect me and Scrooge.

All he does is study me...

"I-" I get cut off again.

"She didn't mean to! And why not?!" Dewey yells at his brother.

"Because she's a F.O.W.L agent, Dewey!" I hear Huey yell back.

"Technically, SO AM I!" Dewey argues.

"What's this about F.O.W.L?" Scrooge McDuck asks us all.

No one says anything. The tension is so thick, I feel like crying.

"Zehra, how about we talk in private?" Scrooge McDuck says.

I nod and everyone leaves the room, but Dewey gives my head a quick peck.

"He seems quite taken with you, aye lass?" Scrooge McDuck says with a smirk.

I smile at that. I love Dewey. I just want to protect him... but how can I do that if he jumps into every dangerous situation to save me?!

"Care to tell me what's got everyone runnin' scared?" Scrooge McDuck says. "And start from the very beginning, dear."

I nod. "As kid, my abusive mom remarried after she left my dad, who experimented on me. Instead of one sibling, I got two. Matt and Athena. Mom hurt me, then she moved on to Matt, telling him to go away... So he did. And I haven't seen him in 3 years. In those 3 years, Matt joined F.O.W.L and Bradford took him under his wing." I pause, letting it all soak in on Scrooge McDuck. 

"We met the night before the gala for a mission for S.H.U.S.H. Then-" I smile. "- Dewey invited us to the gala. We went, and I saw Matt. He told where he's been, and that he's been/ always will be, watching me. He told me to join him and that we could be together again. I almost did, until Dewey convinced me otherwise." 

I take a deep breath. A lot has happened, huh?

"Then the whole rape thing happened, and Louie apparently felt bad for making me go home and explaining to my abusive mom where Athena was, so he pretended to be Dewey and asked me to come over. I did. Then he locked me in the basement. Then I asked Matt to save me, but he got mad. Then I started screaming, Webby and Louie came in to shut me up, Louie almost knocked me out, which scared Matt. Matt saved me and I ran out and I was looking for Dewey. I told him what happened, then he tells me to stay. Then I called Matt out to meet Dewey, then Athena finds us."

I look behind us. Does Scrooge McDuck really have enough time to listen to all this? 

"Matt says I could bring Dewey with me, so I do. He comes with me and we go F.O.W.L. I start training with Liam..."

Images of his dead body and dead smile go through my mind. 

"Everything was fine. Then Matt went on a mission and.. and he had to kill our step-dad." 

I study Scrooge McDuck's expression. He shows sympathy and care. It's nice...

"While he was gone, I got... I got raped by Liam. Turns out he's cousins with Theo, and Theo is a spy for F.O.W.L. Then Liam told me that I had a mission to take something of Athena's DNA to prove Theo's 'innocence'."

Scrooge McDuck looks like he's paying attention... but is he really? No one really pays attention to me. That's why I do most of the reckless things I do.

"When we came, Louie caught Matt. While that happened, Liam told Dewey to go ahead... so he could do whatever with me. When Liam was getting too close for comfort, I screamed out Matt's name, and everyone came. Matt soon realized I wouldn't scream like that because of Dewey, so he figured out it was Liam's fault. Then Liam admitted that he raped me and Louie got mad and a fight broke out. In the end, Matt killed Liam... 

I look at Scrooge McDuck with shame in my eyes. "He's upstairs, by the way."

He looks disgusted, but urges me to keep going. 

"Then Louie tells us Athena wasn't here, and that they took Auntie Beakley..." 

Scrooge McDuck nods sorrowfully. 

"I tired to attack Louie, but Dewey held me back. Then we meet the others. Webby blurts that Athena's gone into her assassin mode and is now killing S.H.U.S.H agents... I run off to the woods and fall asleep near a tree. Lena wakes me and she starts beating me with her magic. Then she threatened Dewey and my eyes turned blue... because of the experiment."

"What is the experiment?" Scrooge McDuck asks.

"When I was a baby, my dad experimented on me... but it went wrong. Now, whenever I have a big emotion, my eyes turn blue and glow and I get bolts of energy."

Scrooge nods.

"The experiment activated when she started choking Dewey, and I freed him. She told me I was controlling my superpowers and I told her that they're not superpowers. All they are is a mistake and cause my trouble then they're worth. Then I get mad at Louie for not looking for Athena..."

I close my eyes. I don't want to see the disappointment in Scrooge McDuck's face when I say the next part.

"I use my powers on Louie and really hurt him... no one stopped me... Then Louie ran away to look for Athena. And... now we're here."

I open my eyes and see Scrooge McDuck thinking. "Seems like you've been through a lot, haven't ye lass?"

I nod.

"How about ye stay here with us?" 

"I- I can't!" I say. 

"Sure ye can! What do you think Bradford will do to ye when we finds out you killed your partner?" 

I haven't thought of that...

"W-What about Matt?! I can't just leav-"

"He can stay too." Scrooge says and smiles at me. "No harm will come to ye two. I promise."

I nod and smile. "Thank you!!"