Season One: Episode One: Pilot

Chapter 1: Act One

Athlete. Archer. Witch. Mutant. Orphan. Hero.

Gosalyn Waddlemeyer Mallard-McQuack was a lot of things. But who was she? What did she want in life? Where'd she want to go? What did she want to do? She didn't really know.

"Gosalyyyyn! Did you remember your passport?"

There were some things that never changed. A purple jersey gets switched with a hoodie, high tops are replaced with boots, a dark green streak goes through a red ponytail rather than pigtails, a neck gets longer and pale yellow feathers turn white. But Goz stills lives at 537 Avian Way, helping her dad with crime fighting, hanging out with Honker, watching Launchpad fix this or that, playing videogames.

"Yes, Dad, I got it right here! Not like I actually need a passport..."

It's her routine. Familiar. Comfortable. Safe. Boring. Never enough time, really. Archery practice gets interrupted by a robbery, magic studies have to be put on hold due to alien invasion, even gardening would inevitably turn into a battle.

"Goz, did you pack your suit already?"

A fight.

"No, I did. No way my little girl's going away without a way to defend herself!"

Chaos.

"Daaad, stop crying. I'll call everyday, I promise."

Trouble.

"Don't worry about him, Goz, he'll be right as rain soon enough. Oh! Don't forget Screech's bag, I packed extra cat treats for him."

Honestly? Gosalyn just wanted a little peace. A bit of quiet. Some time to figure herself out. Things every twenty-year-old wants, really.

"Thanks Launchpad, you're the best."

It's not that much to ask for, right?

Goz smiled, hugging the large pelican. Her graceful neck lifted her head to rest just under his, and she hummed as the hug was returned.

"Gee, we're both really gonna miss you, Goz." Launchpad held her at arm's length to look her in the eye, smiling as a small tear ran down his own face. A black cat jumped onto Goz's shoulder with a meow, causing Launchpad to chuckle and pet it. "You too, Screech."

"A-are you sure you've got everything?" Drake asked, looking around frantically. "Toothbrush? Clothes? Cellphone? ID? Credit card? Extra arrows? You know what, maybe you should stay a little longer so we can unpack amd double check, don't want to forget anything after all-"

He was cut off by Gosalyn leaning down to hug him. "I'll miss you too, Dad."

Drake chuckled, returning her hug. "Be safe, Gosalyn."

"Oh, Dad." Goz grinned cheekily, straightening. "I'm always safe!"

Backpack strapped on, a suitcase in each hand, and Screech on her shoulder, Goz made her way out the door of 537 Avian Way.

"Oh, yoo-hoo, Gosalyn Dear?" Binkie's call was the only warning she got before being crushed in a bone-splintering hug.

"Hey... Herb." Goz wheezed.

"Herbert, you put her down this instant!" Binkie said crossly.

"Oops, sorry Gos'lyn." The old rooster chuckled, setting her down. "We're all just gonna be missing ya so much is all! You're all growed up! Doesn't it seem just yesterday we was taking the kids camping for the first time, Drakey? Remember that? Good times, I tell ya'..."

"Well, I remember a TV and a vampire potato." Drake grumbled, but he listened to Herb anyways.

"He didn't mess up your makeup, did he, dear?" Binkie asked, taking Goz by the hands to inspect the light purple eyeliner that was the only makeup the young goose would wear. "No, still just as perfect as ever. It's important to make a good impression when going to a new city, doncha know."

"Is it?" Goz asked, smirking.

"Yes, and I'm sure a beautiful young lady like you will make an excellent impression, dear." Binkie gave her a gentle hug. The canary smelled like pastries and the nice kind of cleaning supplies. "Now, you don't want to keep Mr Uber waiting, so go join Honker in the car and give our best to Tank, will you? And do not forget to write, or your poor fathers will be so upset."

"Yes, Binkie." Goz winked, grabbing her suitcases and running to the waiting vehicle. "Bye everyone! I love you!"

A chorus of 'love you too!', 'bye!', and 'be careful!' followed Goz as she threw her things in the trunk and slipped into the back seat.

"Sorry about the wait." Goz said, to both the driver and her fellow passenger.

"Told you you should've factored in more time for goodbyes." The barely-no-longer-nineteen rooster next to her smugly adjusted his cadmium red glasses. "My calculations are never wrong."

"Yes, yes, all hail Honker, King Of The Math Nerds!" Goz reached out a hand to ruffle his red mohawk.

"Awk! Stop, I just got it the way I like it!" He brushed it back, but a bit fell to hang in front of his face like usual. Honker had grown a lot in the eleven years they'd known each other, He'd even gotten big green tailfeathers and the start of a beak comb. He was taller, though not as tall as her, and bulkier too. He was still a nerd, but the strong type, even if he'd never match Launchpad for muscles.

It was funny, though, how he tried to downplay that strength sometimes. He wore bottomless shoes to cover the spurs on his feet, his green shirts were never the sort that brought attention to what they covered, even his backpack and glasses were oversized enough to make him seem small. It was funny, that's all, nothing more to why Goz noticed it. Really.

There was a peaceful silence before Honker broke it by saying. "Wow, hard to believe we're really doing this. I've never been this far away from my parents before."

Until she was nine, Goz had never even met her Dad and Launchpad. But, still, she could understand where he was coming from. "Yeah, it's weird, isn't it? But at least you won't be completely without family, your brother will be there."

"Ugh, don't remind me!" Honker groaned, throwing his head back, but there was a smile on his beak.

"Oh, come on." Goz rolled her eyes. "He's not that bad!"

"He is too!" Honker argued, staring at her in disbelief.

"Is not." Goz shot back.

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Well, he's not nearly as bad as my cousin." Goz shrugged.

Honker blinked, then burst into laughter, giving a playfully overdramatic shudder. "Alright, Q, you got me there!"

They lapsed into laughter and smalltalk, watching as St Canard flashed by. Suddenly, they were going over the bridge.

"Look, Honk!" Goz pointed as they passed the bridge towers. "We're really leaving..."

"Yep. No more St Canard." Honker hummed.

"No more supervillains, no more Darkwing, no more late nights." Goz grinned. "Just peace and quiet and time to figure out what we want to do in life."

"Time to figure out what you want to do in life." Honker corrected.

"Huh?" Goz grunted, not taking her eyes off the bridge they were slowly moving across.

"I already know what want to be, Q." Honker explained. "I wanna go for a PHD, be a Maths professor, part time hacker on the side. You're the one that needs to figure things out, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Then why are you coming along?" Goz asked, raising an eyebrow and finally looking at him as they left the bridge behind. Farewell, St Canard.

"Well... A change in scenery will be nice, and I haven't seen my brother in a while, but mostly?" Honker looked out his own window, talking quieter. "I always go where you do, I guess. Can't really imagine being in St Canard without you, Q."

Goz didn't really know what to say to that, so she was quiet for a minute. Then she punched him on the arm and chuckled "Sap."

"Oh, here I go, trying to be honest..." But Honker was chuckling too, and any tension was broken as the pair argued for the rest of the drive.

"Thanks so much! Have a great day!" Goz waved goodbye to the driver, following Honker into train station.

"Mreow?" Screech tilted his head, looking behind them with narrowed eyes.

"Somethin' the matter, boy?" Goz asked, but was distracted by Honker pulling her up to the ticket station.

"How many?" The old badger lady behind the desk asked.

"Two adults for the evening train to Firebird, Awrenzona." Goz answered, helpfully sticking up two fingers as a visual.

"Mreow!" Screech complained at the diverted attention, looking around them like he'd heard something.

Trying to calm the cat on her shoulder, Goz grunted "Oh, um, pet friendly, please."

"It'll have to be in a kennel or on a leash." The badger replied, preparing their tickets.

"Er, does he have to have to, or..?" Goz asked nervously. Her familiar wore his purple collar no problem, but the moment a leash came into view...

"I'm afraid so, station policy. Next!" The badger called, handing Honker the tickets since Goz had her hands full with a suddenly very uncooperative feline.

"Come on, you two, fight later." Honker whispered, pulling on Goz's hand.

"I just don't understand why he's so fussy all of a sudden." Gosalyn grimaced, though... Something was beginning to prick at the edges of her mind. "We haven't even gotten the leash out yet."

"Come on, Screech, I know you don't like the leash." Honker tried soothing the cat, who had jumped to his shoulder. "But we'll take it off once the train starts moving, okay? And you can have a cat treat so long as you behave yourself and be nice and still, alright?"

Normally, Goz would've been helping calm the cat, but she was distracted. There was something familiar, something she'd sensed before, but she couldn't quite place it...

Suddenly, an electrical burst followed by the lights briefly dimming and a barely-audible "Oops. Woah!".

A crash, yells, barking "Sparky! Now look what you've done!"

Barking.

"Don't call me Sparky!"

Goz turned, just in time to be tackled by something large with an even larger mouth.