Darkwing Duck: The Missing Mallard fan fic [G rated]

While driving her Kitt car, his red scanner scanning the area while driving over the St. Canard bridge, Meri sang on her way into the city proper.


Once the song finished, her magic had transformed her from a young human woman, into that of a dark haired young female anthropomorphic cat.


Once all the way across the bridge, a flying ship that Meri recognized immediately as the Thunderquack flew overhead. She noticed that the pilot spotted her & flashed his lights twice. She giggled to nod & park her car close by a local diner. Kitt asks; "So, he spotted you did he? I'm surprised he spotted you so fast, it's been a long time since we've been in St Canard." Meri smiled to say; "It's been since Drake & I broke things off.. I know he was more into Morgana then me & it's fine. He just didn't know that himself. But.. After Launchpad sent me that batch of flowers a day ago; asking me to come back & talk.. I got curious, thus here we are. It's been more then 5 years since I've been here. I wonder how Drake, Mogana & Gos are all doing. Oh & don't forget the Muddlefoots." She chuckled. Kitt says as she clicks out of her seat belt after she'd parked him in front of the diner; "I'm sure you'll find out sooner then you may think." She grins to nod & says; "Keep your scanners peeled." Getting out of the car, she sees inside the diner is the Muddlefoots, but she barely recognized them since they'd all aged 5 years since she'd last been there. She grinned as a waitress showed her to a table on the other side of the diner, she thanks the female dog waitress to order herself some milk to drink. Getting up she walks over to look at the jukebox she recognizes a song to get out some money from her back skirt pocket & outs in a few bucks to hit on the song she's looking for.


It's right as she sits back down at her table looking over her menu, that she looks to see him come into the diner the moment the male singer starts singing.

Meri looks up & he smiles seeing her to walk over to where she's sitting. Launchpad takes off his pilot hat to nod to her & ask; "Mind if I sit here?" She shakes her head & says; "No, I don't mind at all." He smiles to sit across from her & she says leaning into her folded hands with her elbows on the table; "I got your flowers. They were very lovely." Launchpad just laughs nervously to nod & says; "I was hoping it'd get you to show up at the very least. It's been a long time since we've seen you." Meri nods to say leaning back & says; "Well yea, Drake wanted to be with Morgana so I left. It's as simple as that. I went back to my job of fighting against crime for the STAR foundation & I'm sure things went on without me here too. But, tell me Launchpad; why after so long did you send me some flowers for?" Launchpad sighs to say; "Maybe, I shouldn't have. You seem to be doing alright on your own." Meri says; "Launchpad, come on... I can tell something is wrong. Tell me about it, I promise I'll listen." He sighs to nod & the dog waitress 'Molly' takes Meri's order of turkey on white with mayo, chips & a piece of chocolate cake for desert. Launchpad ordered a burger with chips & some water. Looking to Meri he says; "Meri.. Gos needs you. Drake's been missing for almost a year now."

"A year?! Have you tried looking for him.. I mean you know? In the usual evil villain lair area's? I mean he does have his enemies." She sighs looking to L.P. with a tired expression on her face. L.P. says excited; "Oh hey! You might be right. I never thought about that." Meri only face palmed herself; sighing slightly. L.P. was a great guy, if not a bit lacking in the 'brains' department. =_="

"Look, why don't we finish up eating what we ordered & I'll come with you to Drake's place & we can talk more about this there." She suggests & Launchpad's face clearly turns a bit whiter then she'd ever thought she'd seen. "Actually.. The bank repossessed his house last year. I've been doing odd jobs here & there to get buy, Gos & I are living in an apartment currently."
Meri asked; "Ok, is Drake's place still up for sale?"
Launchpad says; "Yea, why?"
Meri smiles to say; "Good, cause I still want you to meet me there. Do you know who's selling the place?"
Launchpad sighs to say running a hand through his feathers; "Yea, actually Mr McD owns it cause it's HIS BANK that repossessed it."
Meri sighs to facepalm herself; "Of course." She sighed; "I should have seen that coming a mile away." Looking over to L.P she says; "Well at least I know where Mr McDuck lives, so that's easy. We can go over to Duckburg & talk with him." Launchpad asks when the waitress shows up with their food & drinks asking; "D you really think he'll talk with ya? It's been a while since you've seen him." Meri grins to say; "It's fine, I do still have that number one dime of his. He asked me to hold onto it for him so that Magica DeSpell would stop taking it from him. It's safe inside my Kitt car atmo." She chuckles. "Besides, I'm sure Webby & the boys will be glad to see me again." She chuckled.

Once they finished their lunch, Launchpad looks to her & says; "Actually, I want to introduce you to the Private Investigator who I hired to look into what happened to Drake. His office isn't very far from here & I did tell him about you. He's the one who suggested I send you those bouquet of flowers." Meri looked over to him raising an eyebrow; "Oh he did now did he? What's his name?" L.P. says; "His professional name is; Private Eye McManon. He doesn't seem to let very many people call him by his first name though." Meri smiled to say; "That's fine. Did you want to take a ride in Kitt over to his place since you probably had to park the Thunderquack in a tight spot?" L.P just chuckles to nod & says; "Yea, hehe that would be great thanks." Meri smiles kindly to stand up & leave a tip to walk over & pay for their lunch. Launchpad is about to pay for his but she shakes her head to say; "Don't worry about it, lunch is on me." Launchpad blushes viably & nods to thank her. Leaving from the diner, they exit to go over to where cat sat int he front parking lot & she taps his top & he allows the doors to swing open. Both Meri & L.P got into her car; once inside they both buckle up as she asks; "Will we need to pick up Gos from school anytime soon?" L.P. shook his head to say; "Na, she won't be out for a good three hours yet." She nods to reply; "Ok, so.. Where's the office of this Investigator you hired?" L.P. says; "He's on 5th & main, in the old Shush building. He took it over once they went out of business." Meri merely shook her head; "Wow, everything changed so drastically once Drake vanished into thin air, it's kinda.. Creepy." She told him. Once in front of the old Shush building, she parked Kitt in front of it, inside the parking area on the outside & the two got out of Kitt to head into the building. L.P lead the way into the front of the office to be greeted by his secretary, Gandra Dee. Meri sees her to ask; "Wait, Grandra what are you doing here? Weren't you dating Fenton Crackshell 5 years ago??"

Gandra says; "Actually, I'm engaged to Gyro Gearloose. He made the Ipear 7 & everyone who's anyone has one." she says flippantly. "Besides I broke up with Fenton 4 years ago. He's with Morgana McCobber now, the two of them are very happy." Meri was surprised to hear the news but doesn't say anything; Gandra uses the speaker on the phone to say; "Hey boss Launchpad is here & he brought with Mis Knight with him, as you planned. Want me to let 'em in?" A male voice, deep in tone says; "Indeed." She nods & unlocks the door with a button to say thumbing to the open door; "Go on in, he's been expectin ya."


Walking into the detective room, Meri felt like she'd gone back in time. The old stock computer from the '80's on the floor behind the desk & standing the moment she walked into the room was a tall male dog, with blue fur & deep set blue eyes wearing shades.


The moment his eyes lay upon Meri, his usual gruff exterior seemed to melt away with a slight grin. Bowing his head to her, he offers her his right hand to say; "Name's Maximilian McManon. You must be Meri Knight, Launchpad has told me a great deal about you." Meri smiles to say while shaking his hand; "Well, I hope it's all been good." She chuckles; & finds McManon kissing the top of her hand after shaking it. Nodding his head he says; "It's all been good. I'm very impressed with your detective work on other cases, so I arranged for Launchpad to send you a bouquet of flowers, I picked them out personally. I hope you liked them."

Meri was actually taken back a bit by that bit of information. She had thought that Launchpad had picked the flowers himself, but then she realized in that same moment that she'd probably had given him way more credit then he was due. Sighing inwardly she smiles to say looking to McMannon, "Actually, I liked them so much I came all the way out to St. Canard. I do live kind of far away & am usually pretty busy with work most times." She admits easily; "Still, I came because of my friendship with LP & Drake after all, I do still care about the both of them." McMannon nods & says; "Of course you care, it's just the kind of person you are." He says smiling to walk over to stand before her; "So, where we going?" Meri looked to him confused to ask; "Us? Well, I was going to go & talk with Mr McDuck since it's his bank that put Drake's place for sale. He does still owe me a few month's back for protecting his precious number one dime from Magica DeSpell & all that." She grins. McMannon nods to say; "Why don't you call me Max, Ms Knight." She nods to say; "Alright, but only if you call me Meri." She tells him with a wink.

Following them out of his office, he tells Sandra to close up for the day since he was going to be out with Meri & Luanchpad. She nods & turns the answering machine on. Closing up his office, Gandra follows them out & everyone leaves after he closes up his business with a big 'CLOSED' sign on the door. Once inside Kitt, he sits next to Meri to ask; "So, what kind of car is this?" Meri smiles to say; "This car is like no other, this is the Knight Industries Two Thousand, an artificial intelligent car. There is no other quite like him in the world." To which Kitt replies; "Indeed so." Max smiles to say; "Fascinating!" Meri giggles to leave from the middle of St. Canard heading out from the city, across the bridge into Duckburg.

Once across the bridge, she headed Kitt over to McQuack's mansion. Once infront of the gate she parked Kitt & got out of the car to ring for someone to answer. The butler answered; "McDuck residence who is this?" Meri smiled to say; "Hello Duckworth it's been a very long time." Next thing she knew the gates opened & Duckworth answered with the Nanny at his side. They both looked very distraught & that brought McMannon & L.P. out of the car. The Nanny says; "Oh thank goodness you've come! We weren't too sure who to call for help since the local police won't be of much help!" Meri asks; "Why, what's going on??"