Disaster in the Shrunken City

Part 4

  Louie ducked behind the door frame of the elevator as the doors opened, glancing around the dark lab for Gyro or any of his interns. Hours had passed since they'd returned home and Louie had been biding his time till he could sneak into Gyro's lab. Luckily, the coast was clear. He began to wander the lab, opening up every door and scanning every inch. Where was it? As he searched he reached to open a door, intrigued to find it locked. this must be it. He went to work picking the lock, easily getting it open. He felt a rush through his body as he finally gazed upon the thing he had been looking for. Gyro's time-tub. He reached for it but hesitated. his mind jumped back to the timephoon incident and for a moment he wondered if this was really a good idea. He forced the thought away. He had to, he wasn't going to let anything stop him. He got into the time-tub, turning the knobs to the place and time. The beam of blue light rained onto him from the showerhead and in an instant he was suddenly blinking sunlight out of his eyes.

He looked around once his eyes adjusted. The time-tub now sat in front of the old lab, hours before anyone would arrive. Louie hopped out and made his way inside, heading straight for the largest room in the lab. He stopped in front of the table that held the city, glaring down at it. He picked it up and walked back outside with it. Now all he had to do was find the perfect place to hide it. He wandered around the vegetated areas around the lab, searching for the perfect hiding place. If his family couldn't find the city at all, then nothing bad can happen in it. But where could he possibly hide it where Scrooge, greatest adventurer and treasure hunter of all time, wouldn't find it? Louie paused when he heard waves crashing somewhere far below. He'd forgotten that the lab was near a cliff. He walked up to the edge and stared out into the ocean, stretching out far below him. He glanced from the ocean to the city in his arms and back again. He nodded to himself, affirming his own suggestion. He held the city up over his head and, with every ounce of strength he could manage, threw it. He watched as the city tumbled through the air before disappearing into the waves below, relaxing for the first time in hours. He turned and headed back to the time-tub, setting it to take him back to the lab though not changing the time. If he got back before they were about to leave maybe he could convince them not to go at all, double ensuring that nothing bad could possibly happen.

After he got back to Gyro's lab, Louie ran home as fast as he could. hoping no one had left yet. Once he finally reached the mansion he threw the front doors open only to find Mrs. Beakley vacuuming the empty foyer.

"Where is everyone?" Louie demanded, struggling to catch his breath.

"They left to go find that shrunken city." Beakley reported.

"Without me?" Louie asked, slightly hurt at the thought that they'd just leave him.

"If I was told correctly, you said and I quote: "if I'm not there by the time you're ready to leave just go without me."" Beakley stated dryly as if she were expecting to teach him a lesson.

"Oh." Louie just mumbled in response. It felt like so long ago, he'd forgotten he'd even said that. Beakley continued her cleaning in the other rooms, leaving Louie to pace anxiously in the foyer as he waited for his family to return. A few hours passed and Louie grew more anxious by the minute. He got rid of the city sure, but what would happen if that villain still showed up? Would she try anything? If only he'd gotten here sooner! Louie passed by the door as he paced, freezing when it flew open behind him. Louie turned around, but his view of his family was blocked by the door and he was too anxious to move.

"I can't believe we couldn't find the shrunken city! Even after searching the whole blasted area!" Scrooge yelled from the other side of the door, coming into view as he stormed in.

"I know right! What a letdown!" Louie's eyes widened as he heard the familiar voice, his breath caught in his throat when his blue-shirted brother came into view. It worked! His plan had worked! Louie struggled to breathe as he was overwhelmed with a relief and joy he never felt before.

"Dewey!" Louie cried in joy, rushing forward and throwing his arms around his brother. Holding him tight. For a few moments, everything else disappeared while Louie drank in Dewey's warmth, letting his joy take him.

"Uh...Louie? Are you ok...?" Dewey asked hesitantly, finally breaking Louie out of the moment. Louie pulled away from Dewey, his head clearing. He realized that all eyes were on him, each with the same look of concerned confusion.

"What's gotten into you?" Huey asked when Louie didn't respond. Louie realized how weird he must look, if his family couldn't find the city then to them nothing he remembered ever happened.

"Heh, oh well while you guys were gone I took a nap and had this horrible nightmare." Louie lied, forcing out a fake laugh, "guess I let it get to my head."

"Ok what on earth happened to me in your nightmare?" Dewey asked, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry about it. It's not important." Louie replied, trying to act nonchalant. His family went about their business, Louie standing back to watch Dewey follow Huey upstairs. A swarm of emotions wrestled inside of him as he watched Dewey go. His joy battled his lingering threads of grief causing a knot of anxiety. Part of him couldn't believe that Dewey was actually here as the horrible memory burned in the back of his mind. He had also realized that none of his family remembered what had happened, how would they when he changed it? Meaning only he felt this way now. He tried to force the memory away, it didn't matter anymore. He fixed it. He took a breath to soothe himself, ensuring himself that those memories and feelings would go away eventually. He ran to catch up to Dewey, sticking close by his side as his brothers continued upstairs. As he walked Louie made a silent promise to himself, that he'd never lose Dewey or anyone else ever again. No matter what.