Jim came to in the darkness, groaning. It was pitch black save or the white light pouring in the chamber through the windows. The events that had transpired crossed his mind, 'Let's get comfortable!', meeting Negaduck, meeting the new fan, Launcher, Scrooge, Launchpad, and the trailer that was supposed to have Darkwing Duck. Darkwing Duck was actively going to be marketed as a reboot when in fact it was a sequel to the original series and it ended without closure just like the last episode that ended with a cliffhanger. Jim was miserable as he rubbed his head feeling an ache coming around.

"Oooh, where am I?"

"Audubon bridge," Launchpad loomed over him with a smile.

"AhHH!" He fell off the cot then crawled back, pressing his back against the wall, sweat dripping down his feathers.

"I'm the good one, Jim!" Launchpad reminded, softly, shaking his hands. "You're in one of the towers; safest place to be at the moment because no one would ever suspect!"

"SaFeSt PlAcE tO bE?" Jim repeated as he bolted up then clutched the side of his head. "Holy shit, I have a fan who wants to kill me!"

Launchpad peered out the window with a long telescope as the actor freaked out behind him.

"OH MY GOD, HE MUST BE LOOKING FOR ME!"

"He isn't looking for me, certainly." Launchpad surveyed the landscape of the bridge. "And neither is Launcher."

"MY LIFE AS WE KNOW IT IS RUINED!" Jim exclaimed. "No, wait, never-mind." he rubbed his forehead. "my big ego already ruined it." he fell down to his knees. "Why did it have to be THIS ROLE? My big break! The best role in my entire life!" he paced back and forth as he wailed. "Whhhyyy?"

Launchpad turned toward the aged actor in his old articles of clothing, freaking out, rubbing his shoulders, teary eyed.

"You were entertaining."

He glared back at Launchpad.

"But that's too far!" Jim stretched his arms out for emphasis. "This kid is nuts!"

Launchpad grimaced as he nodded in agreement then the aging actor folded his arms, head lowered, stewing.

"Do you have a place to go back to in Miami or Florida?"

"What a stereotype! That setting is used too much."

"The weather is great."

"Okay, yes, it was the first thing on my mind."

"Where do you live?"

"I live in California!"

"I can fly you there."

Jim rubbed his beak thinking it over.

"On second thought, nah." Jim shook his head. "My address is on my facebook page, my twitter place, and other social media pages, even my personal website, he's got to have an eye on it."

"That kid will forget about you in a few days, Jim." Launchpad said as Jim walked into the starlight as he gazed down, grumpy, scowling. "Maybe getting a low profile is the best way to spend your retirement years." Launchpad turned on his phone as the aging actor's head bobbed up. "And if things are good on my end, not crossing paths with Launcher, offering my ride for skydiving."

Jim looked aside. His life was already dwindling down to oblivion, there wasn't much low profile that he could get, there weren't many fans who attended his events these days as there once were decades ago.

"You do skydiving?" He lifted a brow.

"It's a very lucrative business!" Launchpad stretched his arms out as he withdrew his attention from the screen. "Took a year to build my ride with some trial and error, it works!" he finger gunned back at the older man with a wink. "Smooth landing!"

"You are telling me that Launcher can't fly."

"He only crashes all the time!" Launchpad set his hands on his hips. "He's still learning the flying thing."

"And you?"

"Learning faster." he pointed back toward himself. "I wanted to be flying something cooler than an average airplane, so my little passion project was born."

"Speaking of passion project." he looked around. "How did we get here?"

"I, uh, stole an old motorcycle," Jim's brows lifted in unison. "and ran over Launcher, twice, by accident, trying to get the hang of it, no, kay, three times, by accident."

"That sounds evil, Launchpad." Jim pointed back at him. "A very special kind of evil." he squinted as he lowered his finger. "Are you sure you're the good one?"

"Went so fast that he didn't know it was me." Launchpad pointed toward the motorcycle with a side car. "It's not my fault that he was still there looking for something to destroy."

"Maniac." Jim said.

"Yeah, and mighta ruined a lot of prop vehicles in the process." He winced with that reflection as he rubbed the back of his head. "Surely, my life is still functional!"

"Do you live here?"

"Here? No. Sometimes, I live in a hangar with my sweet ride."

"Then what about that bed?" He pointed toward the queen sized bed.

"When I want to experience the Darkwing Duck moody experience and can't sleep, I come here, and sleep, which isn't terribly often."

"Did you--"

"He."

"Come here when he was a kid?"

"Nah, Launcher was too busy being a rascal." Launchpad shook his head. "He drove a motorcycle, during his teen years, man those were fun days." he looked back with affection. "But eh, that's just not for me." Launchpad shook his head. "I like the part about flying, not driving, that's where my feet go, it's kind of a McQuack thing."

"Flying is in the air that you breathe like acting is to some families, like the Clooneys."

"Exactly like that, flying is like coming home, even if you're not good at it, eventually, you know how to walk around in it, even when you crash over stuff, it's like being in the dark learning your way around the house no matter how different it is, and the challenges are really fun."

"Did you happen to get a change of clothes or do you have to fly me home and risk being attacked again?"

"I did!"

Launchpad withdrew a rack of clothing then Jim shifted through it.

"I hate it!" Jim withdrew as he turned toward the pilot then walked away. "Fly me back to the house!"

"Uh, Jim. . ." Launchpad rubbed his head. "Why are you in the passenger car?"

"Because that's the means of transportation to the hangar." Jim folded his arms.

"Uhh. . ."

"Uhh, what, fan?" Jim unfolded his arms stretching them out for emphasis.

"You should really pay attention to your surroundings."

"I've paid enough attention, thank you very much." Jim folded his arms.

"Gee, Jim, thought you were more observant than that." Launchpad then pointed beside him. "My passion project is right beside me."

Jim looked toward Launchpad's side observing the distinctively giant mode of transportation. His beak fell open wide, his eyes widened, shoulders falling.

"You built this hunk of a thing?"

Jim leaped out then approached the shining craft.

"I take it out and put it into the hangar in St Canard, normally. Tonight was an exception, the incident on set, so it had to be moved here." Launchpad approached the Thunderquack. "Otherwise, Saint Canard's airfield is the safest place for it and my business. No one dares go there, well, nobody flies from there save for me."

"Where do you live, normally?" Jim asked, in awe.

"Iowa!" Launchpad beamed then slid the roof open. "I work part time as a mechanic, sharpening my skills, when not flying."

Jim leaped into the vehicle as he folded his arms then Launchpad joined him then the window slid open and the Thunderquack flew off with coordinates planted on the phone that Jim had keyed in to his apartment. Jim observed the darkened city then sighed, stewing, his brows hunched together.

"Everyone thinks that I'm dead."

"Yeah, maybe, well, Negaduck doesn't." Jim looked over toward Launchpad. "I overheard him."

"So I can totally go under the radar."

"A secret identity that no one expects, hah, that's like you can start anew, a rebirth, like in those superhero movies, or supervillains," then he looked toward the aged actor. "No, you're not suggesting! That--"

"Dangerous at my age?" Jim lifted a brow.

Launchpad fainted much to Jim's horror then propped the giant up and pressed random buttons until one of them kept the flight consistent. He walked right over, picked up a bucket full of water, then splashed it on to the giant, soaking the pilot.

"I can't pay for the damage like my brother Launcher!"

Launchpad looked ahead then relaxed.

"You. are. such. a. nerd!" Launchpad turned his attention to Jim and his eyes widened. "Don't you dare faint on me, fainter two point-o! I am not going to struggle getting the Thunderquack out of turbulence again!"

"You turned on the autopilot!"

"Yeah! WE NEARLY CRASHED INTO SCROOGE'S PLACE!"

"Are you sure you want to take that path? There's no doubles, no script, no actors, it's all real from here, and risk facing actual consequence. Like death, being put into handcuffs, and fates worse than death."

"I . . . am going to start by turning the water on for St Canard. It's a start. Then, the electric plant, it's likely heavily guarded, I'll need someone to flip the switch for St Canard while I distract the workers. Hopefully from there, they'll cower at the thought of turning it off, because I'll just beat their collective asses while the power gets turned back on."

"Oh, like, a side kick!" Launchpad said.

"Yes. . ." then he added as he looked toward the giant and smiled. "Sidekick."

The Thunderquack began to fall heading straight for a farm.

"LAUNCHPAD! STOP FAINTING!"