Disaster in the Shrunken City

Part 1

Louie laid on the couch mindlessly watching an episode of Ottoman Empire, not paying much attention.

"Kids! Come here! I got something to show you!" Scrooge's voice called from his office. Louie slid off the couch and headed out to the hall towards Scrooge's office. Webby sped by him from another room, nearly running into him. Huey followed more slowly behind. Dewey ran up from behind, adjusting his speed to match Louie as he caught up to him.

"What do you think he'll show us?" Dewey asked, partially to himself.

"What else." Louie shrugged, "it's either a random map to some lost something or other or some magic mcguffin to lead us on some adventure. as always."
Dewey opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by Webby's call for them to hurry. Dewey ran ahead, leaving Louie to catch up.
Louie walked inside the office after Dewey and stood between him and Huey as Scrooge gathered something together.

Scrooge turned towards the kids, "after years of searching and calculating," he began, launching into his usual dramatic spiel, "I have finally managed to track down the precise location of the lost shrunken city and the lab surrounding it." He unrolled a hand-drawn map onto the desk as he spoke. The other kids looked at it eagerly.

"Called it," Louie smirked to himself. He glanced at the map. On it, Scrooge had drawn a path leading to an area along a seaside cliff, a building drawn along the edge.

"A shrunken city? With tiny shrunken inhabitants!?" Webby squealed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Oh no, the whole place was abandoned years ago." Scrooge replied dryly, causing Webby to frown.

Scrooge pointed to the building on the map, "this was a lab built ages ago. A lab full of brilliant scientists who had developed technology far beyond their time, and maybe even ours." He paused as he waited for the kids to finish ooing, then continued, "they had developed a magnificent shrinking device capable of shrinking entire cities."

"So?" Louie interrupted, "Gyro invented a shrink ray, like, a year ago."

"Gyros ray could only shrink a few people at a time." Huey lectured him in response, "imagine how powerful of a machine you'd need to shrink an entire city!"

"Now if you'll let me finish," Scrooge injected himself back into the conversation, "the scientists used this technology to shrink a city so they could study the effects it would have on the inhabitants. Legend has it that they hid a journal with all of their technological findings within that shrunken city. If we can get our hands on it my scientists can study it and build things that will change the world."

"Imagine all we'll be able to learn and all the problems in the world we could solve!" Huey gasped, his gaze brimming with excitement.

"I don't know what any of this means but I'm in!" Dewey added.

"We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning! So I want you all packed and ready." Scrooge ordered.

"So wait, let me make sure I got this," Louie started, "we're going to an abandoned lab to search a tiny abandoned city for a book of nerd stuff?"

"Well I wouldn't word it that way but yes essentially." Scrooge replied.

"I think I'll pass!" Louie turned to head out of the office. This sounded like the most boring adventure possible and he was not interested.

"Oh come on lad! Where's your adventurer's spirit!" Scrooge chastised.

"Well, what's the point if there's no actual treasure?" Louie retorted.

"The journal is the treasure! Just think of all the technological advancements in the world we would be leading!" Huey urged.

"Look, If I'm not there by the time you're ready to leave just go without me." Louie said, walking out the door. He listened as his family's disappointed murmurs faded down the hall. All that nerd stuff might be enough for Huey, but to Louie, it all just seemed like a waste of time. He doubted they'd need his help anyway, so why not just let him sit this one out. He walked through the hall and back into the tv room, plopping back onto the couch. He pulled out his phone and started scrolling online. A little while had passed by when Louie heard footsteps approaching.