//------------------------------//
// Gathering: Take 16 
// Story: Dressed to Steal 
// by Tatsurou 
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After collating all the information they had, Bentley began to lay out the plan.  "Alright, here's what we have," he stated as he called up pictures Sly had taken of the city, Coco had taken of Magica's base, and he and Penelope had pulled off the net of the hero they were trying to recruit.  "We need the help of this...duck, if we're going to break through Magica's defenses and free Felicia.  Once Felicia is free, we just need to get her into the water, and then Mrs. Ruby will turn on Magica.  Without her support, Magica will have no chance against Morgana's enchantments.  That situation will then resolve itself, though our immediate concern is assisting Mrs. Ruby in rescuing her daughter."

He shifted to the photos of the hero's antics.  "This 'hero', however, has a bad habit of assuming the worst of any new situation he encounters, usually thinking with his sidearm first, brain later if he gets his ass kicked or into trouble.  As such, we can expect our first encounter with him to involve a fight."

"And how are we going to prevent that?" Carmelita asked hopefully.

"We aren't," Bentley replied.  "Since it's inevitable, we're going to plan around it.  Sly will move around the city in a specific area where Murray, Coco, and I will be.  When he moves to pick a fight with Sly as an 'obvious criminal', we'll back him up.  Records show that when he becomes outnumbered, he gets backup from two specific individuals."

The next slide slid into place, this one a picture of a tall, well muscled duck in a brown flight jacket and goggles and a young female duck - about Huey, Dewey, and Louie's age - dressed in a green Robin Hood style outfit complete with mask, bow and quiver.  "These two are never far from his side these days, though the young girl's presence appears to be despite his wishes, rather than at his directive...although his objections are never too strenuous."

"As though she was his particularly prodigious daughter who had been tagging along so frequently that he's given up trying to convince her it's 'too dangerous' or 'past her bedtime'?" Sly asked teasingly, glancing Coco's way.  Coco responded with a blown raspberry.

"Very much so, actually," Bentley confirmed.  "And that's where Coco comes in.  Murray and I will guard your back so you can hold yourself against this 'hero', and to force him to try and think his way through the fight.  Meanwhile, Coco will attempt to make contact with this Launchpad McQuack and the girl.  The girl seems to be the brains of the outfit, while this Launchpad is the main muscle.  One of them ought to be receptive...or at least think twice before attacking a little girl."

Carmelita frowned darkly.  "...I don't like it.  It puts Coco in too much danger."

"Would it help if I didn't reveal myself until after the girl showed up?" Coco offered.  "She uses mostly her trick arrows, and I can deal with all of those with my staff and get her talking."  She smirked up at Sly.  "Maybe we can find some common ground?" she asked teasingly.  Sly responded by blowing her a raspberry.

Carmelita groaned, burying her face in her hand.  "Would one of you please act like an adult?  At this point I don't care which anymore."





Despite Mom's objections, we went along with the plan...mostly because it was the best one.  I found a good spot to observe and triggered my invisibility technique.  Murray and Bentley found their own hiding places, while Sly moved into the open and prepared to draw attention.





Sly stood in the middle of the street, staring at the jewelry store window across from him.  He sighed theatrically as he bent and picked up a rock.  "This is so amateurish," he grumbled as he tossed it up and down a few times to check the weight.  He then leaned back to throw.

"Indeed it is!" a harsh voice called out.  "Which means it's time to take you to school!"

Sly dropped the rock.  "Who's there?" he called out as he braced himself for combat.  As if I didn't know...

A cloud of purple smoke appeared in front of the alley where Murray and Bentley were hidden, where Sly had had his back to before the voice called out.  "I am the terror that flaps in the night!" the voice declared loudly.  "I am the dryer that eats your left sock!"

Seriously? Sly mused, struggling not to burst into laughter.  Was that supposed to be intimidating?

"I am..."  A sudden flap caused the smoke to disperse all at once, revealing an older male duck in a dark purple button down jacket, cape, eyemask, and tando hat.  "...Darkwing Duck!"

Sly smiled as he crossed his arms.  "I was wondering when you'd show up," he mused softly.  "This makes things much easier."

"We'll see who has things easy, sneakthief!" Darkwing called out, pulling a curiously configured launcher from his hip.  "Suck gas, evildoer!"  With that shout, he pulled the trigger.

Sly easily spun his cane to deflect the gas canister into the distance where it detonated harmlessly.  "You know, calling out your attacks before you deliver them just asks for them to be deflected, right?"

"And what do you know about-" Darkwing started to say before something sent him flying forward to slam into the jewelry store facade just next to the window.

Murray unrolled from his ball form as he moved up to stand beside Sly.  "I call that one the KataMurray!" he declared proudly.  "Or the SpinCrash.  Haven't really decided yet."

"Both have a nice ring," Bentley mused as he shifted his combat wheelchair into play, completing the semicircle that surrounded Darkwing.

"Not good," a young female voice suddenly said right beside Coco, much to her surprise.  The girl dressed in green revealed herself as she reached over her shoulder for an arrow.  "Dad's walked right into an ambush.  I told him this was too obvious, but no.  Such an obvious ambush must be a double feint to trap those who observe carefully before acting!  Geeze, why doesn't he ever listen to me?"

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Coco mused aloud as she dropped her invisibility, making the girl yelp.  "You don't want to know the hoops I had to jump through to get my Dad down there to let me come on missions."  She held out her hoof.  "Coco Cooper."

The girl stared at her suspiciously, but didn't immediately try to shoot her.  Coco considered that a plus.  "Quiver Wing Quack," she introduced herself.  "What do you want with Darkwing?"

"Nothing bad, I promise," Coco responded readily.  "But is Launchpad anywhere around?"  Glancing down, she saw Darkwing had already leapt into battle, though Sly and the others were holding their own.  "I've got a message for him that should stop this comic crossover cliche before it gets any worse."

Quiver Wing's eyes widened.  "Wait...you guys are good guys?" she gasped in shock.

Coco grinned widely.  "So you read comic books too.  That should make things easier-"

"Beep!" Deik-Beck spoke up, revealing himself and looking between the two girls curiously.

Quiver Wing jumped, then glanced between the pair before her eyes widened even further.  "You know Scrooge McDuck!" she concluded incisively.

Coco blinked in surprise, and then her grin widened.  "Oh, we are going to get along famously.  You can tell your Dad that I'll be telling 'Uncle Scrooge' about how this went."

Quiver Wing chuckled wickedly.  "Oh, Dad's going to blow his top when he hears about this!" she purred, drawing an arrow with a whistle attached and aiming for the middle of the fight.