Aftermath

The Blade’s Aftermath
Kilthalia
Seven years after Blade left, Negaduck was getting lonely for someone. His kids Killer and Codey got the house he and Blade lived in and he’s on his own on the streets of St. Canard. There were too many memories that reminded him of her in that house and he didn’t want to admit he missed her.
Although, he did find a new addiction, Goldy Letrine, super star. Negaduck had a picture of her for every one of her movies. True enough, Negaduck loves gold and he thinks her as beautiful. The bad part is that she’s a whole lot younger than him. He had already gone through one marriage and has two teenaged kids.
He was at The Old Haunt, main HQ of villains and thugs, when he vaguely heard the name “Goldy Letrine” on the TV set. He reached over two people to turn up the volume. “…Yes, Goldy Letrine is coming to St. Canard to do her newest picture ‘Dying for Death’ in the bad part of town. She’ll be arriving in a week or so and will…” The bar tender cranked down the volume. As Negaduck started to leave the bar tender called, “Are you going to pay for that drink, or what?!!”
Negaduck quickly grabbed for the bulldog’s collar. “ ‘Or what’, am I going to have to cut out your other eye?!!” he growled deeply. Then released him and got no further complaints as he headed to his hideout.

A week or so later, most of the bad part of town was cleared out by the cops of all the thieves, muggers, rapists, and no good doers. All except Negaduck, cause they couldn’t find him.
That morning, Negaduck peered out the boarded window to see all the hubbub. He rubbed his chin and ponders how he’s going to get past all that. “If this is going to be anything like a real work day, they would clear out at night. Ah, my favorite part of the day,” He grins wickedly.

That night, 9:30 or so, Negaduck looked out again, after sleeping all day. “Where’s the security??! Huh. Oh well. Just make life easier for me!”
He cautiously goes outside and sees a light on in a trailer in the not too far distance. He goes over and peers in. “No one home. Eh, I suppose I’ll just wait for her inside,” he goes in and shuts the door.

Hours later Goldy returns from dinner and goes into her trailer. “Oh man, what a day!” she said tiredly, not knowing who was behind her green China screen. Goldy looked at herself in her light bulb lined mirror and walks around to go behind the screen, but her back faces the entrance in back as she looked out her window and closed the blinds. She turns around and looks up to eye level and sees a dark shadow of a person there. It stands up, eerily, the eyes seeming to glow white. She starts to back up, then runs for the door, but is blocked by an arm. She hits the wall between the screen and the dresser. She waits with her eyes closed for the final blow to end the battle. Nothing.
“Y’ know,” Negaduck starts. “You’re much prettier in person.”
Goldy panics, knowing who’s in front of her holding her at bay. Better say something or else he’ll kill me er something! , she thinks to herself. “Yeah, well. Lotsa people say that.” She gives a weak laugh and Negaduck chuckles.
“Listen, I’m not here to do anything rash. In fact…” As he speaks Goldy reaches for something on her dresser to hit him with in self-defense. “I’m an admirer. A ‘fan’, if you will.”
Goldy stops reaching. “Oh really?”
Negaduck nods his head.
“Well…I’m,” Goldy toys with her hair. “I’m a fan of yours too!”
“Really?! How nice!” he says, amused.
“Yeah!” She opens a drawer to reveal it filled with articles and pictures of him.
“Well, now isn’t this…”
“A coincidence?”
“Yeah,” Negaduck looks at Goldy from the drawer. Say, will you let me treat you some coffee or anything?”
“Oh, I ate just before…”
He cuts her off, “So late?”
“Yeah. One of the downsides to this line of work.”
He nods his head in understanding. The fact was that that understanding was the opposite from him; she got to eat whilst he didn’t; a downside to being a villain.
Out of his concentration, Goldy asked him, “Did you eat yet?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll treat you, how ‘bout that? I won’t eat, but you can have whatever you want.”
“Seems fair. I’ll drive.”

*************************************************************

“Must you drive so fast?!!!” she tried to yell over the roar of the engine.
He either couldn’t hear her over the adrenaline or he ignored her. Negaduck drove strait for a ramp that seemed to be the car-way to heaven. Goldy screamed as he took they and caught some air. He landed in a parking spot with cars on either side of them.
“We’re here.” He said as he hopped off.
Goldy took her hands away from her eyes and looked around. “I’m alive?” she said to herself.
“Far as I can see,” he looked her over her. “C’mon, I’m starved!!”
She got off and shakily followed his path. He waited around the corner, holding the glass door open for her. They sat in a booth away from the window and Negaduck ordered what he wanted, “Yeah, I want beef low mien, egg fried rice, ribs, General Chow’s chicken, chicken and cashews, aaaand…lemme see,” he said to himself. Thinking about what else to have he pointed to all the other choices. “Ah! And beef and broccoli!”
“Anyting fo you, miss?” the Chinese woman asked.
“No, no thank you.”
As the waitress walked away, Negaduck yelled at her, “And don’t forget the tea!!!”
Goldy smiled and giggled to herself.
“What?!!! Can’t I eat??!!!”
“It’s not that, Negs. Why so much? And tea??” she said the last more quietly.
Indignantly, turning away, Negaduck explained, “Whatever I don’t eat I eat later.” Whipping back to her and leaning half across the table he growls, “And I wanted tea cause I haven’t had it in years!”
“Alright, I’m sorry. Hit a nerve, did I?”
He ignored her and waited to eat.
The food came ten minutes later and no conversation was commencing in all that time. In fact, when Negaduck was well enveloped in his food, Goldy rested her beak on her hands, elbows resting on the table, she asked, “Are you some kind of night animal? Like a vampire?”
He looked up and her, from under the brim of his red fedora, shocked. “I’m no vampire, but nighttime is my time of day.”
“Hmmm. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be out all night and to sleep all day and cause mischief and havoc wherever and whenever I wanted.”
“It’s not half bad!” he said, surprisingly cheery, now that he has his food.

Minutes passed and they were silent again, except for the eating that Negs was doing. Then Goldy reached over the table and went for one of the food dishes. Out of instinct, Negaduck grabbed her hand, threateningly, and glared at her.
“I was just going to get your napkin out of your food!” she explained. As he held her there, for a second longer, Goldy used a finger to slid the piece of cloth away from the food, the corner damp and brownish orange. He let go and she withdrew her hand, less it get taken off with his appetite.
He had ordered enough for an army…and he ate every single bite! After his stomach was happy, he realized that he ate everything and was bumed that there wouldn’t be anything for him to eat the next time he got hungry. Goldy was happy to help pay for that as well, for she directed him to another restaurant that does takeout and got his reserve food. He should have been terribly grateful, but what she got was a grumble of miniscule thanks. It was enough, coming from him.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later then, huh?”
“But of course, my dear,” he bowed extravagantly then left in the nearing sunrise.

He dreamt of his love, while holding a stack of hundreds close, as she snuck in. She raised the long shining blade and thrust it down through the bed. He landed on his feet with a gun in his hands. She withdrew her weapon and took a swing at him. He ducked and elbowed her back. She hit the floor hard as he closed in.
His dark shadow loomed over her and the wall behind her, his eyes seeming to glow, evilly. There was only one thing left to do, she kissed him. Taking him off guard, she stood and he pushed her away. She retrieved her sword as he ungratefully wiped his beak on his sleeve. Then she struck again. He blocked her attack with his gun, making a loud metal on metal sound.
He needed a better weapon for this challenge. As their weapons slid off one another with a metallic ring, he reached behind his back to the endless depths of his cape and drew his Machete and their weapons clashed again. Shoving her to the wall, he quickly got some daggers and pinned her to the wall with them, though not hurting her. She was stuck.
He turned on the lamp.
“Blade!!!”
“Hey Negsie. Didn’t get weak in your old age, did you?”
“You’re slower than you used to be. Staring on becoming a couch potato?”
“Ha!! Hardly! Now get me outta here!!”
Negaduck removed the blades from the wall holding her to it. “What are you doing back?!”
“Oh and why can’t I come back??!!”
“You were gone seven years!! I didn’t think you were coming back!!”
“Yeah? Well now I’m back!”
“Why? Got bored?”
She seemed shocked and agitated. “N, no!! I… It was just that…” He found her with nothing to explain for the first time.
“Ran away from your husband?”
“NEGADUCK!!”
“Yes? That’s my name, don’t wear it out,”
“Grrr!!!” she growled, frustrated with her old love. She, surprisingly, calmed herself really quickly and asked, “How’s Gosalyn?”
“Wha? Don’t care about your own kids?”
“I WAS GOING TO GET TO THEM EVENTUALLY!!!!”
“Temper, temper, Bladey!” he cooed mockingly.
“Grrr!!” she growled again, and for the same reasons.
“Ha! Admit it! You like it!”
“WHAT??!” Blade screeched.
All of a sudden she was grabbed and dipped in Negaduck’s arms. “Admit it, you like it when I’m rascally.” His demeanor suave. Blade couldn’t resist; they kissed. Then he dropped her on the hardwood floor. “Oof! What was that for??!!”
“For leaving me!!” He turned his back to her and crossed his arms.
“You’re going to hold a grudge against me for that?”
“What do you think?”
“Oh come on, Negsie! Grow up! We’re adults and you still pout!”
“Oh! You’re the one who ran away from home like a selfish six year old!!”
“Selfish! You’re calling me selfish??!!”
“HEY!! I gave the kids the house!!”
“WHAT!!!!!!!!!?????????? They’re living alone???!! How dare you!!”
“How dare I what!!?? Give them responsibility being that they’re old enough to have it??!!” Then he lowered his voice to a deep, resonating, growl. “That house reeked of you and it made me sick!!” Once again, he turned his back on her.
“Negsie,” She took a step forward as he stalked to the boarded window. “You’re heart sick,” she finished. “I’m sorry. I was being suffocated. I needed---”
He cut her off, “You needed what??! What could you have possibly wanted that wasn’t good enough in a family and a home??!!”
“Adventure,”
“I coulda given you ‘adventure’!! You didn’t even ask!! You didn’t even talk to me!!” With the anger he built up he was in front of her in a flash and backhanded her to the floor. Her shoulder hit first, and it hit hard. Her blade was knocked from her hands with the force exerted on her and Negaduck held his Machete to her throat.
That was the problem with him, he had a short, hot fuse and he was among a list of common causes of fatalities in the world, right next to fires and drowning.
She looked at the blade with scared eyes, and then scanned up to her lover. He was pissed. Royally pissed. It hurt when she breathed, as he held the long knife stiffly, and it pressed on her neck with each breath. He wasn’t about to move, either. It was her chance to worm her way out. “Negs, please,” He pressed the Machete a little more on her delicate neck.
“The kids need us,” she pleaded.
“They’re old enough. They most certainly don’t need us.” he growled.
“But you know they’d hate you for killing their beloved mother,” she tried to work her way into a soft spot she’d once found, years ago.
“I could care less! And ‘sides, they hate you.”
“What!?”
“They hate you for leaving them. As do I!!” Now the Machete drew blood through the layers of feathers and barely in her neck.
Blade was now desperate and had no time to think about the irony. Infamous villainess Blade killed by a blade. She kicked his blade wielding hand away and landed on her feet as she performed a backwards summersault. Picking up her blade, she was ready for a fight, but a fight there came none. He was gone. Devilish duck!! Where are you!!?, she thought.
Then the feeling of a cold sliver of metal was felt on her neck. The deep voice behind her asked, “Looking for me?”
She froze as he spoke, knowing that it was the third time he got her. If only he had a “light-switch” mood-swing, it’d be easier to deal with him, but Blade knew that once he as mad, it took days to get him out of it. Not her normal three minutes.
She felt the machete on the other side of her neck. “Drop it, Blade.”
The black-haired duck complied and raised her arms, only to drop them swiftly and duck to kick him. He dropped the blade. She heard him hit the wall and turned around getting her weapon. Now they were face to face again, weapons in hand, his a gun now.
“Give it up. You know that everything you throw at me, I’ll counter act!!” she argued.
“And every time you counteract, I’ve already thought up the next two moves.” He had her there.
“Going to give up?” she asked
“Never.”
“You couldn’t kill me,”
“You wanna bet?”
“Sure.”
“I’d like my life back, but that’s out of the question.”
“How about a good back massage?”
“How about I massage some dirt on your face!?”
“How about I wipe that sneer off your face!?”
“I’d like to see you try!!”
As Blade put up her hand and grabbed his bill, he pulled away. Suddenly there was a loud noise and a scream. He looked and saw Blade gripping her hand between her sword-wielding arm and her side. She gave him betrayed eyes. He then looked down and saw that his gun was smoking. He’d shot her… Blankly he looked back up at her.
“Negs…” she said, faintly. “How could you?” She fell.
“I’m a killer. It’s what I do.” He walked past her. “Goodnight Blade. You’re worthy of a villain’s death after all…”

Her head was reeling and there was an odd odder to the air. Her gut hurt, but then she realized that she was laying on a bed, under sheets. The sounds of beeps came to her ears.
“She’s coming around.”
“thank goodness. I thought we lost her!”
“Well I did too! It was a nasty wound! Point blank range with a gun like that?! she HAS to be resilient!”
“What about the man that brought her in?”
“I don’t think he’s family. Maybe a friend or a lover. Strange. He just seemed anxious to get her help, not even wanting to be informed of her progress”
“Well you know couples these days are getting weirder.”
“Hmm.” The doctors walked away and she opened her eyes to look around. Sure enough, a hospital. She looked over and saw her reflection in the glass. “Well Blade, you survive cause you have a pretty face. That’s all you have now.” She said to herself.

A week later Blade was let out. The first destination was to meet the man who put her in that hospital. She found him…but he wasn’t alone. Was this why he wanted Blade out of the picture?! Blade felt betrayed; they were still married but…her husband was with another woman.