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Chapter Text

ONE: 'Bruises are Black!'

A soft moan as he blinked in the darkness. Just awakened, had he been sleeping? He blinked some more, clearing his vision and his head, to find it wasn't quite as dark as he'd originally believed. Where was he? And how did he get here, he wondered silently as he pushed himself up and looked around, taking in his surroundings, which he listed off aloud. "Stone walls and... iron bars..? - AH! Oh-no! I'm in prison again!" A high-pitched chuckle rang out causing him to jump. He then focused on the bars and there stood a dark-clad figure. He could only make out a somewhat slender duck's beak, as the rest of her face was cast in shadow. That was odd, he thought. And how long had she been standing there watching him? .... "W-wardon? Or a n-nurse? Scientist...?" He wondered aloud and she laughed.
"Oh, don't worry, you're not in prison." She said, mirth in her voice. Or was that delight?
"I-I'm not?" He stammered.
"No. Are you okay? The chloriform didn't hurt you, did it?" She even sounded concerned.
"No, no, I'm fi- c-chloriform??" Whatever her reply was, he failed to catch it, becoming lost in his returning memory...

...He'd been making his way back to his hideout in the middle of the night, and had been jumped whilst taking a shortcut through the park! Actually, it wasn't a park so much as a public garden, and he'd only been there because, well, he loved the plantlife and flora there, just as he loved all of it everywhere. He'd stopped to 'smell the roses' when he'd been attacked!

"Hey! Did you P-PLANTNAP me?!" He accused her suddenly, cutting off whatever explanation for his predicament she had been giving, with his hands on his hips.
"Huh? I..? Uh, yes, I... guess you could say that I did...." She replied, sounding completely flustered by his interruption. What had she been saying, he wondered.
"T-that is not nice!" He quickly scolded, shaking a leafy-finger in her direction.
"Well, sorry...?" She offered, he folded his arms defiantly.
"Apology not accepted."
"Well...! What else was I supposed to do?" She countered, irritably.
"Well, gee.... not attack me in the first place?" How more obvious could the answer be?
"No, that wouldn't have worked." She dismissed the suggestion softly. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but then caught himself from taking the bait and losing a prime chance to find out what was going on.
"Well, now you have me, what do you want with me?" He asked.
"Well, your brains, actually." He started, horrified, leaping up and protectively covering his head with his leafy-hands.
"M-my b-brains!?? NO! They're M-MY brains! And I like them!" After a couple moments of receiving no response, he opened one eye to pear curiously at her. Her beak, the only part of her face he could see, was tightly persed in frustration.

"Uhm..?" He wondered aloud.
"Are you calm yet?" She finally asked and he nodded, feeling uncertain.
"A-all better now.... as long as you leave my brains where they are!"
"I don't WANT your brains! I want your brains!" She snapped, sounding thoroughly flabbergasted.
"Oh, well, in that ca- Huh?? That didn't make any sense!" He was wondering just what was wrong with this batty female.. with her short fuse and apparently precarious train of thoughts... he couldn't help but feel reminded of someone. Apparently enraged, she slammed her fist on the bars, letting out a growl. Then silence fell as she took a couple seconds to breathe, forcing herself to calm down, then she replied in a calmer tone of voice.
"I don't want your brains." She stated. "I need your help." He blinked. Just WHO needed help here?? HE was the one unwittingly taken prisoner, afterall.
"My help??" Was all he could manage.
"Yeah."
"Why.... What.... How...?"
"We'll get to that later, alright." It wasn't a question, so he closed his beak. "First, and more importantly, are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"Out of this cage would be quite nice.." He said, finding himself even more confuddled than before. Concern for his well-being was 'more important' than whatever she wanted? That was certainly unusual.
"Not yet." She said, in a small, apologetic voice. "But if you are hungry or thirsty...? I could get you water or... fertilizer?" He raised one of his eyebrows in disbelief.
"Fertilizer?" He repeated in disbelief. Not that it was a ridiculous question, rather that he just wasn't sure what to make of the entire situation. And he could just imagine her bringing him a bucket full of fertilizer fresh from a farm! He stuck his tongue out, nauseated by the thought.
"Sorry... D-do you eat?" If he wasn't mistaken, she sounded as uncomfortable as he felt.
"Eat?" He spoke the word sounding as though the concept was foreign to him, whilst, in reality, he was still trying to erase unappetising images from his mind.
"Y-you know, nevermind! You must be thirsty, I'll just get you some water, right?" She turned and dashed off before he could say anything more. That did, however, help him succeed in his mental struggles, freeing up his thoughts for more productive reflection.

And, left alone to his thoughts, now, he shook his head in disbelief at her. What a crazy lady... and did she REALLY believe she could keep HIM here? Well... He decided to take the moment to explore his cell, because there WERE options of holding even him against his will...

Eyes now well-adjusted to the dim light, the first thing he found, was that his prison was, in fact, not. Not a real prison, anyway. Rather, it was simply a large hole dug into an even larger rock, which formed a small cave. Within the cave-ling, was a cot (where he'd been laying when he'd awakened), and the bars at the other end. He went over to the bars, reaching out to touch one, but his hand connected with a hard surface some five inches short of the bars. He tapped it curiously. It sounded like glass. How thick, he wondered. He looked up to the cieling and down to the ground, but found no signs that it was affixed to the rock. Was it just standing there? He bent down to inspect the bottom more closely. Yes, it did, in fact, appear to just be standing on the rock floor. He tried to reach under in the hopes that maybe he could lift it, but it wouldn't budge. Not even enough for his flat, leafy fingers to slip between. He straightened back out and reached up towards the ceiling, his vine-like arms growing until his hands came into contact with the top of the glass. He gave a little push, but it wouldn't move, either. Then he retracted his arms and wandered along the perimetre, finding himself to be in something not unlike a very large upturned glass jar. With that thought, he felt a rush of alarm - how long before his air would run out? Through sheer force of will, he somehow managed not to panic. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts enough to work out some sort of a plan. Like breaking the glass, somehow. It wasn't unbreakable, was it? What if it was?

"Well, here you are." The female voice broke in, causing him to jump and spin around in surprise, abandoning his train of thought. "Sorry that took so long." She added. It now occured to him that he could hear her entirely too well, so it certainly couldn't be airtight. That was a relief.
"Uh, that-that's okay.." He murmered, taking note that his voice did happen to echo. He made a mental note to himself to be more observant next time. Then quickly made another not to let there BE any next time, tagging that one as high-priority. On that note.. he looked at his cloaked captor and noticed her holding up a bottle of clear liquid. He knocked on the glass, as though to remind her of it. "Oh, yes, that... well, don't worry, there's a little window, right?" She said, and reached through the bars, sliding a panel up (be more observant, next time, Reggie! He admonished himself), then handed the bottle through. "Take it." She said, when he made no move. After a second, she dropped it with a dismissive sigh. Alarmed, he dashed forward to catch it, aware that he had no idea what was in the bottle, nor if it was something he wanted to allow to break inside his make-shift cell, and came to land roughly on his stomach with the bottle safely in his hands. He heard her gasp. "...What're you..?? It's a plastic bottle! Nothing to hurt yourself over!" He shot her a glare, though realised she was right.
"Well, how should I have known?" He grumbled and stood up, making an inspection of the bottle. It was a perfectly normal brand-name water bottle, even still sealed.
"It's water, really. Drink." She told him.
"Uh..." He peered over at her, unable to say more and wondering just how gullible she thought he was. He gave the bottle a pointedly suspicious look and she groaned in aggrevation.
"Oh, I'm not going to poison you! It's unopened anyway, isn't it?"
"And how should I know what you're going to do?" He countered, half-expecting her to flip out on him. Instead, she replied perfectly calmly.
"You shouldn't. But, I did say I need your help, right? Poisoning you is rather counter-productive, wouldn't you say?" Well, she sort of had a point there... maybe...
"W-well, maybe it's not poison, but not water either." He suggested.
"Want me to take a swig first, love?" She asked sweetly, almost causing him to falter. He quickly pulled himself together.
"Why, yes, I think I do." He challenged, certain she'd never actually do it.
"Fine, then give it back." And to his surprise, she reached in through the panel. He considered grabbing her hand, but... hesitated, doubting the idea and, instead, surrendered the bottle to her, certain she wasn't going to actually DRINK it now. But, when she had it in her posession, she broke the seal, twisted off the cap and took a drink; then swollowed very prominantly, making a show of it before lowering it from her lips. His beak was on the floor. He pulled himself back together, determined that he wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.
"Drink more." He commanded. "So I know it's not just a little bit tainted." She shook her head, but brought it back to her lips and chugged down an entire third of the bottle before his astounded eyes. Then wiped her lips on the sleeve of her cloak.
"There. It's not poisoned or anything else. Happy now?" He just nodded, not daring to even try and speak in his astonishment. She handed it back through the window to him "And to further reassure you of my good intentions," She continued. "I'll leave the panel open." Then she turned away, as though making to leave.
"Hey! Where are you going?" He called after her.
"To bed. It's late. You should try to get some rest, too. Breakfast's at seven-thirty." She told him and, without another word, left him there, with only the water and his thoughts for company.
He didn't even get a chance to point out that he'd just spent who knows how many hours being unconcious before she was out of sight.

TWO: 'Roses are Red!'

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!" The voice stirred him from his dreams. "Breakfast is almost ready!"
"B-breakfast...?" He murmered, groggily, as he looked up to see his cloaked captor standing at the bars. Oh... right... His memory kicking in after - despite his original doubts - he'd ended up falling back to sleep last night anyway. As he'd found out after his adrenaline wore off, being chemically rendered unconcious didn't result in as refreshing a sleep as he would have thought.

"That's right." She said. "I just need to know what you'd like." She explained. "..If anything."
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, murmering. "Oh, just some bacon and eggs... or toast would be nice..." He wasn't ready to consider his predicament this early in the morning and felt slightly snarky - he'd probably regret it later, though, when his mind had fully engaged.
"Oh, so you mean you do eat food then, love?" She asked. Why did she keep calling him that? He wondered. But then dismissed it as a habit that otherwise fit with her odd habit of using British-sounding speech-paterns. "Does that mean I left you to fall asleep on an empty stomache last night?" At her decidedly worried tone of voice, he looked at her and felt a little foolish for his remark.
"Well... no, I'm just joking..." He admitted. "Well, er, sort of... Have you got any plant food?" Her beak curved into a frown.
"Oh... I'm terribly sorry." She murmered.
"What, you are?" He asked. He was sure this was now the wierdest 'hostage' situation he'd ever seen. What sort of captor was she, anyway? It didn't occure to him that it wasn't exactly disimilar to what he'd done with one Dr. Rhoda Dendron once upon a time.
"Why, yes. I might have taken you prisoner, but... I didn't mean to torture you." She replied, sounding geniune. "Now, look... I'll let you out so you can eat, if you promise me something." A-ha, here's the catch, he thought.
"What?" He asked, his tone suspicious, again.
"Don't leave until you've at least given me a chance to explain." She told him. He blinked..
"That... seems... fair... You'd really let me leave?" He had to ask, even though he was sure he knew the answer.
"Well, outside of that glass chamber, I can't very well keep you here." She told him.
"You can't? You're not lying, are you? 'Cause that's rude, you know." She shook her head.
"You're stronger than me." He began to feel a little dizzy from all this. "Do you promise? Just hear me out first."
"W-well... okay... b-but... don't try anything... no double-crosses..." His head was spinning, but he forced himself to stand up.
"Deal." She told him, and took out a set of keys to open the lock on the iron bars. He remained quiet, very curious to see how the glass chamber opened. "Stand back." She said and, to his horror, she produced a sledge hammer from her cloak, bringing it up over her head. He shrieked and scrambled backwards, coming to a sudden stop as he crashed painfully into the opposite wall. She swung the hammer, successfully breaking the glass on the first try. He remained crouched, sheilding his head against falling shards. And lost himself in pseudo flashbacks triggered by how uncomfortably familier it felt to be threatened with blunt and/or sharp objects...

Eyes shut tight, he didn't see her discard the hammer, nor was he aware of her approach; he wasn't aware of anything until he felt the patting on his shoulder. He shreiked and jumped backwards to his feet, only half in reality. "DON'T HURT ME!"
His captor was taken aback by his response, and he quickly checked himself over to make sure he was all intact.
"I... I wasn't going to!" She defended. Then the two regarded each other silently, neither sure what to expect now. Then, feeling more than a little self-concious, he pulled his gaze away to take in glass shattered all over the stone floor.

"Y-you are alright, aren't you?" She broke the silence.
"Y-yes.. You... the glass... I...?" He really wasn't sure what to say, and was seriously wishing he hadn't just made a cowardly fool of himself in front of her.
"The glass?" She glanced around, almost seeming to have only barely noticed it. "Well, yes... now you see that I couldn't put you back in, even if I wanted to. But, you do remember your promise, right?" He glanced up at her in question.. then he rememebered... 'Oh, oh, yes, the promise... shoot!' Unable to think of anything he could possibly say, or would even WANT to say, he just nodded and followed her to what one MIGHT call a makeshift kitchen... if one felt so generous. It had a fridge... a sink.. oh, and over there, an electric grilltop! Aww, and a backup generator, how sweet. Oh, and a cheap-looking wooden table with two chairs? Luxus! There were probably cupboards around there, somewhere, too, but he didn't bother to look, just as he didn't care about the light-source.
Well, okay, it was everything one needed... except the toilet, where was that?... He was both sure he didn't want to know and wouldn't be asking, lest she show him.

She motioned for him to have a seat at the little dining table and he did so, content to let his captor play server. And when she dropped multiple packages labelled 'plant food' on the table in front of him, along with two bowls and a box of cereal, he glanced up, one astonished eyebrow raised. Then she placed spoons and two glasses of water down, as well. And when she spoke, his other eyebrow rose to join it's twin.
"Well, I... er... didn't know which one you might prefere, Doctor Bushroot." She said, sounding like she could even be blushing under that cloak.
"Ah.... any one'll do..." Was the only response he could figure, whilst marveling over his captor's apparent nervousness and baffling desire to.... please him?
"I hope." She said as she seated herself. "Then, well... guten Appetit, right?" She murmered as she began helping herself to cold cereal (where had the milk come from? He wasn't sure). Without saying anything, he tore open one of the packages and the two ate in silence.

THREE: 'But, now, let's cut to the chase!'

Later... after a breakfast of plant food and water for him and cereal for her...
She'd finally explained what she wanted from him.

At some point during her sales pitch, she'd let her hood down, revealing her face to him for the first time. She had white feathers, shoulder-length black hair which was parted in the middle and fell to either side, framing her face. And she had a black half-mask with a large slit for her right eye. And that eye had given him chills. Her left eye, though silver, was perfectly normal, even pretty in it's almond-shaped slant, but her right! The white was slightly discoloured and no silver or other colour framed her tiny pupil. The effect was creepy, to say the least. He had decided not to even ask about it.

Eventually, though, he got over it... particularly since her actual goal was way more disturbing. In fact, he was completely taken aback and fifteen minutes after she'd finished pitching her plan to him, they were arguing about it.

"Let me get this straight, you WANT to be a freak?!" He had exclaimed.
"Well, in case you didn't notice..." She reached up to her mask and removed it. "I already AM a freak!"
He shrieked for her face was terrifying sight: Horrid scars over every inch.. not to mention that eye, now fully revealed in the midst! It was too much for him to take and he swooned.

...To be awakened a moment later by having a bucket of cold water dumped on him. He lept, sputtering, to his feet.
"There.. convincing enough?" She asked him, he couldn't bring himself to look at her face and, instead, focused on the black mask she still held in her hand. He gave a mere nod, helplessly defeated.
"Alright, you win... I'll do it.." He signed, feeling drained. "Just... put that back on.."
"Good." And she replaced it, to his immense relief.
"But, I can't promise it's not going to hurt." He said, hoping that might still talk her out of it, even if it was rather lame. "...Or work."
"Nevermind that. Let's get started!" He signed and rubbed his head, as though massaging a headache.

Then, with her help, he began his work to build a machine like the one that had transformed him and almost transformed his former love, Rhoda Dendron, if it hadn't been for that irritating Masked Mallard - no, not the one that wore a yellow suit and a black cape, but the one that wore.... purple!

To his surprise, and eventual pleasure, constructing the machine didn't prove to be as difficult or time-consuming as he'd thought. For his odd lady-captor had done her homework and rounded up most of the supplies already. All he really needed to work on, were the calculations - and some of the lifting... all the fine-tuning... and she'd need him to throw the switch, of course.

At the beginning of their task, he'd not missed a chance to make a snide comment here and there, or to otherwise irritate her - as a just show of gratitude for his winding up here against his will. But, as the work got underway, he felt his general irritation had washed away to be replaced with excitement and an acute case of scientific wonder. Could he make it work a second time? He had no idea, but he was certain he couldn't wait to find out!

FOUR: 'And now just *look* at your face!'

An agonised scream, fitting of any horror movie damsel-in-distress, rang down through the cave from a large hole in the ceiling (most likely caused by a cave-in) which had provided the open 'skylight' they needed to get the last ingredient for the experiment: Lightening.

"What, I warned you it wouldn't be a walk in the park!" He shouted up, indignantly. After the screams came to an end, he pulled the switch back down to lower the two tables, eager to see what had become of her. Would she look like him? Would she look different? Had she even survived? Of course, only time would tell.

The tables stopped and she wasn't moving. The rise and fall of her chest affirmed she had survived. And, just as with him, there were no apparent signs that he had been successful. He cast a glance over to the plant... yep, just as his hadn't before, this one hadn't survived either. He sighed and turned away to look back at Miss Schnabel, wondering if he should awaken her or just let her sleep. He decided to just let her sleep, expecting she'd probably sleep till morning. As any self-respecting mutant of science would do, he assigned himself the task of keeping watch over his subject.

"D-did it work?" She asked nervously as he undid the straps that had secured her to the table.
"How do you feel?" She sat up and examined herself, then her shoulders slumped.
"No different... not at all..." Her voice was as dejected as his had been. "A-are you sure your calculations were right?"
"Of course I am!" He grouched, offended. "But, maybe you're just not compatible." He couldn't help a chuckle, though it was only half-hearted. He hadn't been able to sleep particularly well and, especially after having spent so much time in the dark, cold, sunless cave, he was a little irritable. As a result of this, he wasn't about to tell her that he'd only noticed a difference after he'd stepped into the sun. That was his subtle revenge for all his current discomforts.
"Well, that stinks! Can we try it again?" She asked.
"What? No. No, I don't think that would be a good idea at all." Then, just to be sure she wasn't going to argue further. "Tomorrow, maybe." He added. "Come. After all that, I'm feeling all wrung out. Let's go have a drink."
"Oh... okay.." She said, giving in and sliding down from the table. She followed him to the make-shift kitchen and accepted his serving her a glass of water. "Thanks." She said, then took a drink, the moment the water hit her lips, she began to choke.
"Ah... Careful there. Drink first, then breathe." He instructed, amused by her plight as she continued coughing until her lungs were clear.
"S-sound advice, that.." She finally said.
"How do you feel now?" He asked her, curious if maybe she was noticing anything yet - he'd never observed the transformation as an outsider.
"Not very good... weak... I dunno.." She said, elbows propped up on the table and resting her head wearily in her hands. "...Groggy.." She added. "I'm not a morning person.."
"Let's, ah, go get some sunshine, why don't we?" She raised her eyebrow, less than amused, and he tried hard to forget that it was her ONLY eyebrow. "Plants... need light and I'm feeling a little.. stuck in the dark, you know? And you have to come along, because I don't know which way 'out' is." There, that sounded convincing. It was the truth, anyway; he just hoped it would also hinder any questioning.
"Oh... alright." She said, forcing herself to get up and lead him through the short maze of tunnels. He still found her willingness to see to his needs, even when she clearly would have prefered to do something else (or nothing at all), astounding. It had almost never failed, in the weeks that had passed.

Once out in the sunlight, he turned back and observed her, then gave a little display of how refreshing it was: Stretching his arms out and sighing luxiouriously.
"B-better?" She called from just inside the shadow-cover of the entrance, where she appeared to be hiding.
"Oh, much better, in fact! Why don't you try it, too?" He suggested and she shook her head.
"No thanks... I'd rather stay here.."
"Why? Afraid someone might see you?" He asked, doubting that anyone would pay attention to her with him standing there in all his green-wonder.... if anyone had been around in the first place, that is.
"No.." She replied.. "It's not that.. I... burn easily, right?" She explained and he blinked.
"Oh, c'mon!" He said and, as she prepared another protest, he reached in, wound his vine-like arms around her, causing her to shriek as he literally yanked her out into the sun. When her struggling suddenly ceased, he released her. At first, she shyed away from the sun, but then she seemed to consider for a moment and held her hand up. "There. Does it burn?" He asked as she stood back up and began pulling her cloak down from her head, her eye wide as could be.
"N.... no... it doesn't.." She admitted, her voice filled with awe.
"Are you sure? 'Cause you're looking a little green." He said as casually as he could manage, watching her complexion darken and change tone. In fact, he was having trouble containing his delight.
"No... I feel fine... in fact, I feel more than fine, I feel great!" She exclaimed, then pulled off her cloak and tossed it aside in a flourish. "I feel... ALIVE!" He silently observed her whilst she gushed, and, as she began to sprout, he could no longer hold back his smile.

Suddenly, she stopped her sun-romance and turned to him, her beak open. "D... does this mean... it worked?" She asked him, wide-eyed and almost pleading. He simply motioned for her to follow him to a nearby well and pointed to the water. She took a deep breath and peared over. She gasped at her reflection, which was, before her very eyes, sprouting. Around her neck, petels were growing and her hair was changing... puffing out, blooming, actually.
Reggie covered his eyes as her clothing fell away unbeknownst to her.

She touched her green face and watched as the petals around her neck grew to form a 'mantel', covering her chest and draping over her arms.

After a few moments of awing over herself, he heard her baffled and irritated voice demand "What are you doing, Doctor?" He peaked up and, realising her breasts were covered, he quickly lowered both hands and flustered words fell from his beak.
"Oh, nothing! Don't mind me, I was just giving you... some privacy, you know...!"
"Privacy?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. He realised then that this region of her body hadn't grown petals and, too shy to look, his eyes quickly darted back to her face and remained fixed there.
"Well, y-your clothing disappeared..." He explained and she gasped in shock, frantically looking herself over.
"Why... you're right... how did that happen..?" She wondered aloud.. "But, it's not like I need them, so..."
"Well... you are lacking, ah... b-bark.." He said.
"...Woof?" He blinked in confusion, then glared at her.
"No, dogbrain! Bark, you don't have it covering there!"
"Oh, ah..." She glanced down and, to his surprise, her cheeks turned pink as she covered her front with both hands, gasping. "...Oh my..! I..."
"H-here..." He produced a long leaf out of nowhere and held it out to her, turning his head away.
"Th-thanks..." She said, taking it gratefully and wrapping it around her waist.

Then both proceeded give her transformation a inspection. "Th-think I'm done..?" She asked, fingering the petels at her neck and giving them a critical look.
"I-I think so... something wrong?" He asked as he noticed her unsatisfied expression.
"Well... I did expect they would be red instead of... pink..." She said in a disgusted tone. He blinked - she'd 'expected' that? Then he noticed something, whilst she was turning around and he wasn't able to stiffle his giggle.
"If you don't like that, then you better not look at your backside." She shot him a questioning glare.
"...My backside?" He gave a silent nod to affirm, and she looked back.
"....OH FOR THE LOVE OF..." She turned back to him. "I have a BLOSSOM ON MY BUTT?!" And it was twitching in her frustration, he lost the battle against his laughter. She glared in silence, until he could get ahold of himself and saw her expression.
"S-sorry.. it's just... it... you..."
"Oh, nevermind!" She interrupted, waving a leafy-hand dismissively. "Let's just move on to other things... Did I get your powers, too?"
"My powers?" He repeated.
"Yeah.. Well, I'll try out that vine thing.. How do you do it?"
"Uh..." He blinked... how DID he do it? He just... did. But how do you explain that? "Just... reach for something that... should be out of your reach." He ventured.

She looked around, her gaze settling upon a rock in the grass on the other side of the well and reached out for it. Her arm did, indeed, stretch out... or grow, rather, like his did and she successfully retrieved the rock, to her delight. "Excellent!" She exclaimed, holding it up between them, her arm back to its normal length; then she looked up at him, an excited grin covering her face. "What else is there?"
"Ah... talking to plants...?" He was thinking aloud, then glanced to her, seeing her curious expression, plainly begging him to teach her. "Well, be very quiet and just ...listen to them." He instructed. "Then, uh, talk to one of them.. I dunno, ask them if they'd like to do something for you.. - Uh, be nice, fellas, it's her first time." He murmered to his brethren.
"Hmm.." She rubbed her beak thoughtfully and then snapped her fingers, looking at the weeds and grass on the ground. "Uh... okay... could you guys please... grow?" And they did. The plants and weeds reaching for the sky until they shrouded the two mutants, blocking their view of each other. A second later, she poked her head through to look at him. "COOL! Doctor, this is amazing!" She chirped.
"Heh-heh, bravo!" He cheered her. He couldn't help himself, for she was his experiment, afterall, and he felt quite proud that he'd finally been successful in making another plant-duck! Even if she did end up with a pink blossom on her butt. And sometime, he'd have to tell her that she didn't need to open her beak to communicate with plants.

SIX: 'The End!'

They were returning to the cave, now, after she'd worn herself out exploring her newfound powers, when, suddenly, she stopped him by placing her hand on his shoulder. "Doctor Bushroot?" He turned back to her.
"Yes?" He asked and she smiled warmly.
"I just wanted to say.... thank your for all your help." And, before he could reply, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, leaving the duck-plant standing there shell-shocked with his beak hanging open, and sat himself slowly down on her couch.

Chapter Text

RAP-RAP! He knocked on the door to her room, afterall he wanted to leave for he had an entire greenhouse to look after and he was worried that his family wouldn't be doing well after his two week or so absense. Plus, after having helped turn Miss Schnabel into a mutant, thus fullfilling his end of the bargain, he was free to go, wasn't he? He hoped she'd keep her word and wouldn't, like Darkwing Duck (er, and Negaduck), pull something out of her sleeve, er, petals and double-cross him.

Receiving no answer, he knocked again, not wanting to be impolite and just take off. Again, she didn't answer, and so he walked over to the couch and flopped down upon it to mope until she finally came out on her own, however long that was going to take.

When she finally did come out about fifteen minutes later, she was anything but relaxed, hanging onto her anthers frettingly. He sat up, giving her a dumbstruck look. "Miss Schnabel?" He asked, using the only name she'd ever given him in all this time.
"Oh.... hi..." She greeted him and he noted her reserved tone.
"You slept long."
"Oh... uh... yeah... A-after yesterday, you know, everything I learned and the whole mad-science thing... I was bushed!" He lowered an eyebrow at the pun. Rather than debating the topic further, he decided to get to the point.. Or would have, if he could find his voice. His little creation had just opened a crummy-looking wooden wardrobe, procured a snowhat and pulled it onto her head, over her light-yellow hair-like folliage.
"Uh....What are you doing?" He asked as she finished pulling it into place. She frowed at him.
"Ah... just trying to look a little more decent." She replied, trying to sound as off-hand about it as possible.
"Riii..." He murmered, only to be cut off.
"Are you hungry?" She asked him quickly.
"No.. A-actually, I only waited for you to say goodbye." He told her, finally coming to what had been on his mind since he woke up. Her face fell.
"G-goodbye?" Well, here it was, time to explain himself, and he did so in something of a rush of words, wanting to get his entire arguement out before it could actually come to that.
"Well, yes, I'm done here and I really need to get back home... there are things to do, plants to water, pet fly-traps to look after.." He paused as he was listing the choices off on his leafy-fingers to reflect that Spike had been alone for two weeks. "Ah... and greenhouses to tidy up, I'm sure! Yes, lots of work to do!"
"Oh..." She replied. He jumped ahead, anticipating her protest and wanting to quickly remind her of their deal.
"Don't forget, you did promise I was free to go after making you a mutant." At that, she nodded.
"And you are." She told him, nodding. He raised his hand in a wave.
"Okay, then! So, I'll see-"
"But.." She interrupted and his hand dropped. Here it comes. "I... need more help, though... since you know all this!" She spread her arms out to finish her sentance. He took it to mean: Being a mutant plant-duck, and was correct.
"Well..." He considered for a moment and she went on.
"You made me, didn't you? So, you have a responsibility." He glared, folding his arms indignantly.
"Well, yes, but... Under your oppression!" He cried. "So, responsibilities are void." He finished, punctuating with a firm gesture.
"Doctor," She began, keeping her tone calm despite his resistance. "I don't know the first thing about being a plant... duck... thing... you've got to teach me!" He blinked, and she continued her point. "I need your help, Doctor Bushroot." She added, dropping her head. Something about being needed, by name, tipped the scales for the lonely and insecure plant-duck and he fell for it.
"Well... m-maybe you could c-come with me... to my greenhouse in St. Canard..." He suggested, hardly believing each word as it fell out of his beak. She raised her head again, a huge grin on her face and he made up his mind. "After all you've done, the least you could do is help me get caught up back home."
"Okay! Thank you!" She agreed enthusiastically. It struck him as entirely too eager and he was suddenly very uncertain about having made the offer. It was too late to take it back now, though.
"Th-then... get ready!" He said and she scurried off.

A few moments later, she returned with a bag and he raised his eyebrows. "Ready yet?" He asked, his hands on his hips and she nodded.
However, before they left her cave, dropped the bag with a decidedly dejected air.
"I... don't really need any of this.." She said. "Oh, except this.." and she pulled out a grey mini-skirt with a belt and put it on. Not that she even needed that, in his opinion, for despite his initial reaction to seeing her essentially naked yesterday, she was, in fact, as anatomically correct as a quackie doll. He stayed silent, though, lest they be delayed longer and just nodded. They turned and left for St. Canard and his home.

Finally back in his greenhouse - after being thoroughly greeted and slobbered on by Spike... and taking note that his greenhouse was actually in very good condition, rather than looking like the war-zone he'd expected the fly trap to have put it in while he was away - Bushroot had retrieved and filled a watering can with the intent of watering his brethren. However, upon approaching some little potted trees, he noticed they were doing remarkably well. "Well, you don't really need water, do you?" He gave them some anyway, then went on and made the same discovery at the next group of plants. Wide-eyed, he took his entire green house in. It seemed that NONE of his plants were thirsty and all of them looked well-cared for. He was puzzled, for it wasn't as though Spike was a very good house-keeper and plant-sitter. "I don't get it.. You all should be doing... much badlier after two weeks!"

"Going out of town on a vacation, but can't leave your pet fly-trap alone?"
Said a very familier bubbly voice, causing both mutant plant-ducks to whirl around in surprise, their gazes landing on the fluidous member of the Fearsome Five rising up from a puddle into his usual canine form.
"Licky!" Bushroot gasped.
"Do you also need someone to keep an eye on your precious perennials whilst getting some much needed rest and relaxation? No problem! Just call up your friendly neighbourhood Liquidator to see to all the needs of your fauna and flora! That's right, folks! When the tough get going, you can rely one-hundred percent on the safisfaction-gauranteed services of The Liquidator! Surveys show that nine out of ten plants recommend The Liquidator as their favored method of plant-sitting! -- Only Spike, here, had a complaint..." The water dog added with a chuckle and a sideways glance at the panting fly-trap.
"You mean you..." Bushroot began, astonished.
"That's right!" The Liquidator interupted. "Count on the Liquidator in a tiff!" Bushroot smiled hugely. "The Liquidator aims to please all customers - even the green ones!"
"Th-thank you." He stammered, gratefully.
"So, where have you been? Inquiring minds want to know!" Liquidator added.
"I was, ah..." Bushroot hesitated, taking the moment to consider whether wanted to admit what happened.
"And who is this?" The Liquidator suddenly asked causing Bushroot to faulter. He followed Licky's gaze, though he didn't need to know his water-dog was refering to his visitor.
"This? Oh, this.. she's my, er, ah.... newest experiment."
"Your newest experiment?" The Liquidator inquired and Bushroot nodded affirmation. "Well... Double your pleasure, double your fun with the Mutant Plant-Ducks from Earth!" Exclaimed the Liquidator, which Bushroot took to indicate acceptance. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am." Reaching out for her leafy-hand and giving it a wet kiss. Startled, she wasn't sure whether to be simply flattered, horrifed by the touch, or shocked by the wetness. Yes, she'd read about the Liquidator, as she had the rest of Bushroot's Criminal Cohorts, but actually meeting him face-to-face was a very noteworthy experience indeed.
"Ah... th-thanks.. nice to meet you too." She stammered, withdrawing her hand. "And... just call me 'Fies', please." She added. "I won't be using my former name anymore... Except for the last two weeks, I haven't used it in years."
"'Fies'?" Liquidator repeated and Fies' nodded. "Just as the lady wishes, for the customer is always right!"

After a couple moments, Bushroot started to turn to go see if there was anything that still needed to be attended to - if that was only talking to his plants - when the Liquidator spoke up again.
"Say, does this variety of mutant plant-duck come complete with all the great features of her predecessor?" At the blank looks, the water dog went on to clarify. "Can she grow her viney arms out to unspeakable lengths, sweet-talk the cherry trees, and get crazy with the daisies?" Fies turned a baffled look on Bushroot.
"..Oh! Yes, she can do all that too." Bushroot answered and the Liquidator rubbed his watery chin.
"The Liquidator is not an easily convinced customer - as a businessman, I require a free demonstration before committing to buy!" At being likened to a marketable product, Fies shot both of them a glare which remained on Bushroot as though demanding an explanation.
"Well, go on... show him what you can do." Bushroot said and she raised her eyebrow. He made a 'go on' gesture with his leafy hands.
"Oh, very well!" She huffed, giving in. She glanced around the room, then her gaze landed on Bushroot again and she grinned. She extended her arm towards him and, before he could react, swiftly wrapped it around his waist. He let out a yipe as she hoisted him up and drew him through the air to hold him just before the Liquidator's nose. As Bushroot opened his beak to protest to the treatment, she motioned with her free hand to a creeping charlie, which quickly grew and wound around his beak, shutting it tight.
"Signed, SEALED and delivered! Do you want fries with that?" She asked snarkily and the Liquidator laughed.
"The Liquidator approves this message!" He exclaimed as Fies' set Bushroot back on the ground, her arm slowly withdrawing to it's normal length and motioned for the creeping charlie to free him as well.
"Why, thank you so MUCH for your support, Licky.." Bushroot groused the moment his beak was free, whilst giving it a rub to get rid of the phantom feeling left from the plant.
"Aww, don't let it get you down, Bushy, the Liquidator has a proposal sure to turn that frown upside-down - in no time at all!" Both plant-ducks looked at him expectantly.

Then the Liquidator proceeded to explain that their leader had a job for them. Details to be announced at 'a one-of-a-kind meeting they just couldn't pass up'. Bushroot shivered, slightly, knowing his teammates and their leader well enough to know that an 'or else' could be found in the fine print. He was also familier enough with Negaduck to be sure he didn't need to know what 'or else' meant.
"When... when is it?" Bushroot asked.
"Don't delay, act now, for this limited time offer expires at 9 o'clock tonight!"
"Tonight?!" Bushroot gasped, horrified whilst the water-dog nodded in affirmation.
"In fact, I came to offer you a lift!" Licky added, but Bushroot wasn't done fretting, yet.
"But, there's no time to prepare! I just got back and I still need to check on Rosy, Daisy, Lillian, Suzy, and Dougless, and Blue Eyes... and... and... Oh, no, what-what about Fies'??" He worried allowed.
"Bring her along!" Liquidator said.
"Wh... bring her along?" Bushroot cried. "Have you lost your marbles??"
"You know what they say, Bushroot: The more the merrier!" Bushroot just stared at him, beak agape. This was NEGADUCK they were talking about! 'Merrier' was never a word he'd use where Negaduck was concerned. Licky, however, continued on. "Has the boss ever protested to your bringing along friends?"
"Well... n-no, but.."
"Then it's a deal!" Liquidator interrupted, before Bushroot could say 'but those were different cases'. "Besides, our health-insurrance is void in exactly thirty-one minutes!" And Bushroot didn't need anymore convincing.

Fies', on the other hand, was not sure she was a 'satisfied customer' or not. Being kinda roped in without having even been asked? However, she had to admit that it just might be exciting... and worth-while. This was Negaduck, afterall, and he was renouned for his big-plans with the possibility of even bigger-payoffs. So, for now, she was content to just quietly go along for the ride this time whilst making a mental note to have one heck of a word with them about it later.

And now, it was time for her to meet the infamous Crime Lord and the last two members of his equally infamous band!

Chapter Text

So, after the they left the greenhouse, and because three undisguised mutants could hardly go waltzing down the street, even at twenty to nine in the evening on any night other than the 31st of October, they found themselves in the sewers. With the master of water himself providing transport for the two plant-ducks, they raced along at a very nice speed. A speed that, Bushroot was certain would prevent them from being late. And a speed that was thrilling his protégé far more than it should, he thought as he caught her display of open-mouthed and wide-eyed wonderment in this peripheral vision.

However, certified genius though he may have once been - in the last years, particularly after teaming up with the Fearsome Five, his official and public certifications had been changed to 'mad scientist' and 'super-villain' and 'plant monster' - Bushroot had still pegged his student falsely. Well, not entirely false, for he was half-right that the speed thrilled her, but there was something else, other than speed, attracting Fies'. And, if he wasn't entirely mistaken, she looked utterly enamoured. He turned his head to double-check. Yes, yes, she looked thoroughly, ecstatically in love. She even had one leaf-like hand over her chest.

But was she looking at Bushroot? No! Actually, if his eyes weren't misleading him, she was looking at... the Liquidator??! Well, that was silly! She was a plant, he was, er, water! That would never work out! The moment that sentance finished formulating in his mind, though, he realised how lame-brained it sounded - especially coming from a botanist.

He glanced nervously at her, feeling almost afraid she might have heard any of his ridiculous thoughts - she was part plant, and he had a telepathic link to plants, so it seemed a reasonable concern to him. Though, as of yet, he hadn't experienced anything like a telepathic link with her. In fact, most of the time, even when she verbally expressed herself, he wasn't quite sure he understood her.

But, his worries were then nicely alleyed by his glance at her, for she was no longer looking at the Liquidator -or anything else for that matter- at all. Her eyes were closed and she looked like she was fully lost in a moment which she further appeared to find very, very wonderful.. envigorating, even.

Oh yeah, Fies' was indeed thoroughly enjoying herself, he'd hit that nail right on the head. The actual reason, however, he'd missed by a mile. She was in love; she was extatic; overcome by a beautiful, almost orgasmic moment. But it had little to do with her current company and everything to do with... WATER!

Aside from drinking it, in which it was enjoyed in comparably small doses, Fies' hadn't had a whole lot to do with the substance since her her mutatation. Until now. Now, she was confronted with litres upon litres - uncountable numbers of litres of the stuff all at once! She was overcome by just how powerfully drawn to it she felt.

She'd closed her eyes, giving herself to the experience and, suddenly, was overwhelmed by the impulse to throw herself right into it, to feel it rushing all around her. Before she or her companions knew what was happening, she was doing just that in her daze.

She was aware only that suddenly, everything seemed entirely right. The world was just as it should be. She dove deeper - though the sewer wasn't quite deep enough for her tastes - and she kicked her large feet, which caused her to surge forward in an unexpected burst of power. As she swam along with the current, easily keeping up with the Liquidator's pace, she realised this... this was where she belonged, this was what she was meant for.

Her body felt entirely revived, thoroughly moisturised - she hadn't realised she'd been so dried out! And she now felt very, very functional. In her element. She also had never realised just how thirsty she'd been, until it was quenched.

As she began to get used to it, and was able to sort out the chaos of this new experience, she realised she could tell which water belonged to the sewers and which was the Liquidator himself, even though the two kind of faded together. She also realised that the Liquidator's water was much, much purer than that which belonged to the sewer.

After a while, she felt herself drawn to the purer water as she became more and more sensitive to the unclean waters. Still, even with all that, she felt better than she had in weeks - if not years... or her entire life!

'Okay, so I really AM a waterlily-duck, just like Dr. Bushroot kept insisting. I guess I can deal with that.' She thought to herself.

This swim continued until she felt the Liquidator slow down and come to a stop. Simultaniously, she felt something grab her and bring her to the surface. It pulled her out of the water, holding her up before the Liquidator and Bushroot. She saw it was, actually, the large watery hand of the Liquidator.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you need to know that, yes, we are finally there, Fishy!" She just blinked at his words, she'd completely forgotten about their destination. "But now it's up-up-up, where it's high and dry!" She finally gave him a nod and he sat her next to Bushroot on his, er, shoulders. "The Liquidator advises all mutant plant-duck passangers to keep their limbs and leaves within the specified safe boundaries until the ride has come to a full and complete stop!"

When he felt both do their best to cling to him, he shot upwards, bursting through a manhole and 'washing up' onto the street in a giant puddle, thereby effectively depositing the two passengers safely on their feet. He flowed out from under them and the canine form of the Liquidator emerged from the puddle in front of them.

Then he and Bushroot lead the way to the door of, what else? An abandoned-looking warehouse, and the entered.

"So, Bushroot and the Liquidator; finally decided to join us, I see." Negaduck greeted them, even though they weren't really late - fifteen seconds was, however, enough of an excuse for Negaduck to admonish them. Before he could continue with his fun, his scowl deepened as he saw the third party that walked in with his two hench-mutants. "Who is that?!" He demanded, pointing to the second plant-duck. "These are not open-parties!"
"This is Bushroot's new, special edition female mutant plant-duck!" The Liquidator answered lavishly.
"Oooh, a new playmate!" Quackerjack suddenly jumped out of wherever he'd been hiding and gave Fies' a delighted look, whilst Megavolt rounded on Bushroot.
"Bushroot, you dimwit! Have you been making brides again?!" Negaduck almost cracked an amused smile at this, not because it was especially clever or even funny for itself -it wasn't- but because he knew exactly how below-the-belt of a hit it was for the lonely, mopey plant-duck. But, misery was the most fun when it was caused by Negaduck himself, so, he felt not the slightest twinge of remorse over not showing any of these losers he was even minimally entertained by their babble. He just made a mental note, as he watched the electric madman's question successfully hit its mark (as evidenced in Bushroot's expression), to make sure the plant-duck knew he wouldn't live it down.

"Uh, gee, not exac-" Bushroot began only to be cut off by the toy-maker.
"Aw, come on, Sparky! The more the merrier!" Quackerjack rubbed his hands together with an all-too-delighted grin on his beak, which Fies', as Negaduck also noted, didn't like. Easy, he thought.
"Oohh, don't call me that!" The irritated electric-rat snarled. But, enough of all that, besides, the bickerings of his henchmen could go on and on if left unchecked, until it drove him up the wall. So, he put a prompt end to it.
"And what the hell is she doing here?" He directed the question at Bushroot, adding a hard glare just to make him squirm.
"Well, I-I thought... that maybe she could..." Again, Bushroot was cut off from answering, only this time it was by the Liquidator, this time saving his ass.
"The Fearsome Five, now with 200% plant-power!" Though this would hardly convince Negaduck, he'd already made up his mind.
"Whatever. Have it your way." He'd let the water-dog think he'd sold Negaduck with his sorry sales pitch, for now. He had much more important things to occupy their combined grand total of 2.5 brain cells with, afterall. But just to make SURE they all knew exactly who's terms they were on, he did have a couple conditions for 1.3 of the brain cells. He turned to Bushroot, "But, if she screws anything up I'll hold you responsible, Bushrot! And you split your profits!" The mutant gulped and nodded. Heh-heh, Negaduck chuckled, smugly. Even though he was supposedly very smart, Bushroot was too easy; it still hadn't ever occured to him that Negaduck's chainsaw couldn't really lay him out - for long, anyway. Or maybe it had, but he was just too much of a pussy to do anything about it - that's what Negaduck believed.

"U-understood, N-Negaduck, sir..." Bushroot stammered. Megavolt, however, still wasn't satisfied and made his opinion clear.
"So that's it? He makes another bride and she's in, just like that?"
"You got a problem with that, chump?" Negaduck asked, his expression challenging.
"Of course I have a problem with that! We don't even know her name, and how can we be sure we can trust her?" Negaduck eyed Bushroot and the other plant-duck, whilst pulling his aforementioned chainsaw out of nowhere - actually, his back pocket, but it made a much more intimidating impression when they didn't know that. Anyway, it was time to lay their little tempers and time-wasting to rest.
"First: I don't care WHAT her name is! And second: I TRUST that won't be a problem." He revved the motor to punctuate his words, getting everyone's silent but total agreement. As usual. "Good. Now, on to business, or does any one of you knobs have any more mindless babble to waste my precious time with?" They all shook their heads. "Good answer." Negaduck concluded, putting his chainsaw away. "Alright, you chumps - and chumpette - listen up!" And he began lecturing them all on his latest scheme and the roles they would play in it. Figuring the newcomer into the equation didn't take a rocket scientist, even though he doubted that their resident mad scientists could've done it.

"....And if that two-bit Darkwing Dork shows up, you all know what to do... GRIND HIM TO DUST!" Negaduck sat back smugly in his chair. "It all goes down at midnight; in the meantime, I'm gonna leave you all to get acquainted with Doctor Passionfruit's new main squeeze!" With that, he hopped up and left, slamming the door behind him, content that he'd left Bushroot in a most morbid state of embarassment. A moment later, he peaked his head back in the door to add in a low growl, "And don't be late - or else." Then he slammed the door again.

No sooner had Negaduck left than Megavolt confronted Bushroot. "Well, Dr. Frankenstein?" He demanded, hands on his hips.
"'Well', what?" Bushroot asked, having no idea what the electric rat might want with him now.
"Don't 'well what' me, fertilizer-breath! Who is she and what's she doing here?"
"Oh. She's, uh..." He searched his brain for the name she'd taken to calling herself.
"Fiesoduck." She answered, speaking for the first time. "Just call me Fies'."
Quackerjack jumped in. "Hey, this time I've really gotta hand it to you, Dr. Frankenfruit! This one can even talk!" Quackerjack applauded, mockingly mixing both nicknames and receiving a glare from Bushroot.
"Fizz?? What kinda dumb name is that?" Megavolt demanded.
"Fies'! And it means 'rotton'." Was her smug answer.
"Oh, whatever! I don't have time for any more of this idiocrasy! I've got lightbulbs to tend to.. they're probably missing me by now." He walked away, huffily.

Quackerjack edged over to her. "Say, Fizzy, do you want to play a game with me?" She eyed him warily, knowing the toy-maker only by reputation and therefore not at all sure in which way she should take that question.
"What kind of a game?" She asked without bothering to mask the suspicion in her voice.
"Hmm..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then snapped his fingers, "Oh, I've got it! How about.... 'TAG'? YOU'RE IT!" He smacked her on the shoulder and bounced off giggling. Fies', who hated to be touched, anyway - at least, unexpectedly, gritted her teeth and glared at him.

When the toy-maker realised he wasn't being persued, he hopped back over to her, "Hey, I said: TAG! You're it!" He smacked her again and bounded off. This time, he'd succeeded in setting her off. She thrust her vine-like arms out after him, catching him a couple moments later and wound her arms tightly about his waist. She uncarefully banged him down onto the floor and drug him over to her lilypad-like feet. He looked up at her in surprise, opening his beak to speak and a vine sprouted from her wrist to wind firmly around it before he could get a word out. She was going to be the first to have her say.
"If you ever touch me again, I swear I'll mulch you!" She snarled. "Understood?!" He just nodded, shocked by her harsh reaction and unable to reply, anyway. Satisfied, she released him and he quickly jumped to his feet and fixed her with a huge pout before turning from her to whine accusingly in Bushroot's general direction.
"Jeez, what a spoilsport! And I thought ol' Sparky over there was a GROUCH!" He walked away, effectively missing the embarassed and apologetic look the plant-duck had given him.

"Ah, Fies'..?" Bushroot said as he approached her, rubbing his hands together fretfully. "Don't you think you over-did it just a bit?" She raised her eyebrow. Being lectured by the doctor she'd come to respect and rather quite admire wasn't a light matter to her; but... the aggrevation caused by his associate was certainly no light matter, either.
"What? He's the one who wanted to play 'Tag'; I just showed him what happens when I catch him." She said defensively as she jerked her thumb in QJ's direction.
"But, did you really have to be so rough?" He asked, unable to let it go, even though he knew he'd probably be better off doing just that. She looked right at him, incredulously. That... hurt. She turned her disgust on him, narrowing her eyes. He knew he'd done it, he was in for it.
"Wait... are you actually LECTURING me?"
"Well, I, uh..." Bushroot stammered, very uncomfortable with having her bad mood directed at him. "I didn't mean..."
"You're one of the Fearsome Five and you're LECTURING me??" She further demanded and he gulped, now positively wishing the floor would swollow him up.
"Well, I-I..." He stammered, uncertainty washing over him. "T-that does sound kinda stupid, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does." She said firmly, too quick to spare him any feelings and he found he just had no words. Then she turned on her heal and departed with a mind to inspect the warehouse a little and, more importantly, to effectively bring this unhappy conversation to an abrupt end.

Fies' exploration of the warehouse (the terms of which specifically included inspecting areas where QJ WASN'T) had led her to conduct an examination of Megavolt and his lightbulbs, to his eventual consternation.
When she was only observing him silently, he was mostly okay with that, but when she took one of his precious little lightbulbs in her leafy hand, that was too much and he snatched it angrily back. "Careful! You're scaring him!" He snapped, flooring her with his strange words.
"I.... what?" She fumbled, not at all sure she'd heard right and, in fact, very certain she'd heard wrong. But, Megavolt wouldn't shed any light on the subject and, instead, ignored her, cooing soothingly to the inanimate object. That was already more enough of that for her.
"Nutcase..." She muttered and, exasperated, she walked back over to where Bushroot and now the Liquidator were standing, hoping that they would be more apt to clarify. They had better be, she thought grouchily.

"What's Einstein's problem?" She demanded, giving them an expectant look.
"Five out of five top studies conclude beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it is fruitless to try and figure Megavolt out." Liquidator answered first.
"So... you mean, he's flipped his lid." She concluded and both answered with enthusastic nodding.
"He's a loony." Bushroot affirmed.
"A real crack-pot! But an all around electifying kinda guy!" The Liquidator chided.
"Gotcha." She replied, deciding she probably didn't need a better answer, anyway. She found some place to 'plant' herself.

Bushroot was silently fretting over something or other, Megavolt was tenderly cleaning his lightbulbs, Quackerjack was playing a game of jacks (and providing the only notable sound to break the silence that had befallen the warehouse: Curtesy of his very own, 'made them myself' exploding jacks), Fies' was lost in her own thoughts (in between the pops, 'booms' and short-lived giggles from the mad toy-maker), and the Liquidator was generally keeping an eye on the group (mostly Bushroot, really, concerned for his friend though knowing better than to try and confront, talk or otherwise attempt to comfort the Doctor in front of the others, unless his services were directly enlisted by Reggie himself) - and the time (this was important, as all good salesmen know: Time is money!).

"Alright, all you crazy party animals! Clocks everywhere agree that it is time for us to go-go-go!" He finally announced, breaking into everyone's thoughts with his well-trained spokesman's voice.

Chapter Text

When Bushroot and his protégé arrived at the meeting place where two of the Fearsome Five were already waiting (the group had temporarily disbanded in order to quickly prepare), Fies' could barely believe her eyes.

"Well, this is just no fun!" Quackerjack, who was sitting on the ground with his back against a plain, cement fountain and making circles in the dirt and grass with a stick, lamented. "There's nothing but trees and grass and dirt!"
"And a water-fountain!" Megavolt chimed in, adding his own lament to the list as he eyed the water-filled fountain warily.
"The Liquidator considers the boss' choice of locations to be tops!" The water-mutant's head suddenly materialised from the fountain he was bathing in.
"You would." Grumbled Megavolt, testily.

Finding her tongue, finally, "Uh, what exactly ARE we all doing here?" Fies' asked Bushroot, after witnessing the complaints - and compliment - of their cohorts.
"Oh, we're waiting for Negaduck, this is where we're supposed to meet him." Bushroot answered, and if he found it remarkable that she seemed not to know despite her presense at the meeting, his voice didn't let on.
"In a PARK?" She asked, incredulously.
"That's the boss, Fizzy, you know how he is!" Quackerjack piped in, jumping to his feet with a look of delight on his face over the arrival of the two green mutants.
"What are you talking about? No, she DOESN'T know how the boss is." Bushroot pointed out, and was about to say more when Quackerjack pounced on Fies' and threw his arms around her. Bushroot groaned, giving in and placing a leafy hand over his eyes, knowing that any chance for further clarifications had just come to an abrupt end. Sure enough, vines sluddenly whipped out from the two-duck-tackle-fest to wind around the toy-maker and tear him from his quarry. The raging mutant-water-lily heaved Quackerjack through the air in Liquidator's direction.
"YIPE! DON'T DELAY!.." Liquidator merged into the water just before the demented toymaker fell on top of him with a splash.

Fies stomped over to the fountain, following him as she withdrew her vines, and hollered down at the water. "DON'T EVER TOUCH ME!" One second passed by, then the mad-toymaker jumped up and splashed her with enough force to send a few stray droplets in Megavolt's direction.
"HEY! Watch it, you dimwits!" The electric rat snapped as he shook his fist at the two ignorant criminals. Fies', now soaking wet and stubbornly ignoring the drops flowing down her face, was preparing to retaliate when, in a rather lavish display, the Liquidator shot up from the water between herself and Quackerjack.
"Are your schoolyard hijinks getting your best buddies down?" He quipped at the two. "Then the Liquidator recommends an icy cold drink to soothe those burning hot tempers!" Before either could respond, the water-dog's dripping arms encircled their equally dripping waists and deposited them into the fountain. "Count on your friendly neighbourhood Liquidator to put an end to even the pettiest of family squabbles!" He said, as he stepped down from the fountain and made his way towards Bushroot, leaving the two to sputter in the water.

Fies' and Quackerjack exchanged surprised looks. Then a gigantic, toothy grin spread over the toymaker's face as he splashed her once more before springing from the fountain and high-tailing it to safety behind Bushroot.

"Alright, you knobs! Recess's over!" Negaduck's booming voice caught their attention and put an effective end to further arguements as he emerged from the shadow cast by the tree. "Time to get your lazy rears in gear," He snapped. "You've got a crime to commit!"

"Here we are, kids." The group stood before a large building - it had been an abandoned warehouse, but was now enjoying a second life as a humble home for a rather large network of computers. St. Canard was trying to bring itself up to the Information Era standards, and had chosen this as the place to keep their many servers, routers and whatever else the mayor thought, or was lead to believe, was needed in such an endeavour. This meant, that along with very expensive equipment, there were also stacks of microwavable sustinance and cases upon cases of energy drinks to help keep the techs goin' strong.

Negaduck gestured to Megavolt, "You're in charge of, what else, electrics. Make sure the alarm system is down for the count!"
"I smell a blackout!" The rat said, his fists and prongs sparking with electricity.
"Quackerjack, you lend him a hand."
"I'll lend him as many as he wants, with or without exploding knuckles!" The jester giggled.
"Whatever. Liquidator, you and Dr. Love will be garanteeing our safe entry and exit when Megavolt gives the all-clear!"
"Are your plans being hindered by an inconveniently padlocked door in the middle of the night? Bushroot and the Liquidator bring you the very best in breaking-and-entering!"
"Just move it already, you freak-show rejects!" Negaduck snapped. Why did they always see the need to waste valuble time by flapping their lousy jaws, he wondered.
"And? What do I do?" Fies' asked.
"Huh? Oh, right... how very caulous of me to have forgotten that Melonhead had to bring his little science project along.." He eyed her. "Anyway, you get to play gaurddog. Watch for any unwanted visitors and warn the rest of us if any show up. Think you can handle that, Miss Fizz?" Despite being insulted, she decided it probably wasn't a good idea to start picking fights with the boss before she'd even had a chance to prove herself. Besides, it was clear that Negaduck wasn't giving her any special treatment. So, with that, she responded simply, "Yeah, no problem."
"Atta girl. And if you do a real good job, I'll try to remember to save you a bone."
"Rrrright..." She grumbled through gritted teeth, wondering how much more of this she was going to be able to put up with. Negaduck looked around pointedly as the others remained still.
"If it's an encore you clowns are waiting for, I'll proudly present the one I like to call 'Chainsaw Serenade by Moonlight'..." Negaduck snapped, pulling out his beloved power tool and effectively jolting the group into motion. "It NEVER receives a standing ovation." He said as the little villanous crowd quickly disbanded to go about their roles.

Fies' took post in a spot where she could keep an eye out for pigs and do-gooders and still keep tabs on the rest of the teammates. She concealed herself in the shadows.

Megavolt, of course, made short work of the security, with little need for Quackerjack's exploding hands, and let his comrades know they could open the doors.
"Hi, Honey, we're home!" Chimed the Liquidator as Bushroot -with the aid of a conveniently growing thornbush nearby- broke the lock and pryed the heavy doors open. Then the Four walked in, scouting ahead of Negaduck to make sure none of the geeks were putting in overtime (no chance of that, of course, for Negaduck had chosen the very same date of a computer con as the appointed night for his caper).

"Hey, Licky, look," Quackerjack picked something off one of the cluttered desks. "It's Koo-Koo Fizzy Water! I guess the geeks don't like your mountain fresh spring brand!"
"But wait, there's more!" Liquidator responded, picking something else up from another desk and holding a portable WiffleBoy game console out to him effectively taking the wind out of the toymaker's sails.
"Oh, the humanity! Why, why, it's just...!" He huffed, at an obvious loss of words over this great insult.
"Why, it's a sad state, Mate!" Finished Mr. Banana Brain.
"Hey, I know just what'll cheer you up, Quackers." Megavolt's fist glowed and he pointed his sparking index finger at the toy still in the Liquidator's watery paw.
"Uh-oh! Think fast!" Liquidator cried in alarm, tossing the console up into the air and flowing aside as Megavolt shot it. "WiffleBoy, now available for a limited time in sssssmokin' charcoal edition! Get yours now while it's still hot!" He quipped at the sparking entertainment system when it hit the ground.
"Gee, thanks, Sparky! You're my hero!" Quackerjack complimented his friend with a clap on the back.
"Oooh, I HATE that name!"

"Tick-tock, boys." Negaduck came in, urging the group back on track as quickly as possible, lest they DO receive unwanted company in the form of the morning crew. The point was to get in, get the goods and get out as quickly as possible, for this was, afterall, only the first step in his elabourate scheme. Last thing he needed was for his do-gooding Doppelgänger to interfere. Not that he would ever admit he might not be able to handle the vigilanté, especially seeing as how he had an unexpected wildcard to play on the unsuspecting Flapping Terror that would enable his clean getaway, but he'd rather the masked mallard didn't have any clues that might alude to Negaduck's latest plot. At least, not before he was ready.

Outside, Fies' was still at her post, her watchful eyes taking in everything in sight; her ears attuned, both to the sounds of the city at night, as well as to the whispering of her green family.

They had alerted her to the presense of that which she was stationed to gaurd against: Unwanted company. Specifically, a policeman, as near as she could figure from the description. And he was en route. Soon, his overweight, masculine form lazily strolled into view. In the darkness, he could've passed himself off as any weary man taking a midnight stroll. It was only when the shine of a streetlamp caused something to glint at his hip. Handcuffs. The police in St. Canard were still wearing them attached to their belts, rather than smartly stowed away in pouches.

She felt the rush of alarm send adrenaline through her body - at least, she guessed it was adrenaline... only Bushroot could've been able to tell her that for sure. Either way, it felt the same. She was frozen, her mind panicking over what to do. This was it, this was big time... She forced herself to calm down. This was one single cop, get a grip! She cussed herself out. The question was, what to do? What would HE do? Was he going to come and snoop around, or would he wander off on his way? Did he already know something was going down?

Her heart froze as he turned and began walking in her direction. For a moment, she was afraid he could see her, but he just glanced generally around, his gaze not remaining in her direction. However, her time was running out and she had to take action, for he was ambling along towards the warehouse. No chance he wouldn't notice or hear something if he was allowed to continue freely on!

She stepped out of the shadows, just as he was passing by and bumped roughly into him. She didn't have a plan.
"Wha-!" He gasped.
"Oops! Oh, dear me, I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't see you!" She spoke loudly, feigning her shame and concern. "Are you quite alright?" She asked. She kept her voice loud, hoping this would achieve two things: Evidencing that she wasn't sneaking about, and alert her teammates from within the building. He aimed his flashlight at her, blinding her.
"What in tarnation are you doin' out here this late, sister? And dressed all up like that? It ain't halloween, y'know!" He demanded.
"Halloween?" She repeated. Oh! That was it! "Ohhh, yes, well, you see, officer.." She gave him a warm grin. "I know that and you know that, but my little brother, well, he's a little slow, er... retarded, you see, and... he believes it IS halloween and so, I'm taking him out 'trick-or-treating', so our dear parents could get a bit of a shut eye." She explained, having absolutely NO idea where this hair-brained story was coming from. "See, when he gets some idea in his head, he just won't let it go until you indulge him a bit." She went on, wondering if the cop believed her any more than she did herself. "But, don't worry, we're almost done here, then we're on our way home - he just had to take a little leak."
"Your brother, 'ey?" He eyed her suspiciously. "An' how old's he? Do you have any idea how irresponsible it is to take a young lad out at this time of th' night?"
"Oh, he's twenty-six, officer." She added, chuckling. He eyed her some more and she felt her temperature rise - could plants sweat? The officer was rubbing his chin, but had finally lowered the flashlight. It didn't help much, because now she could only see black - until her eyes began to adjust.
"Well.. have you seen anything funny goin' on 'roun' here?" He asked her and she just shook her head.
"Nothing funnier than a duck takin' her bro out trick-or-treatin'!" She hoped that sounded good and hadn't just sealed her fate.
"Indeed..." He said, suspiciously. Actually, she had the feeling he was even considering it. "Well, so you ain't seen a rough lookin' group o' thungs up to no good?"
"Thugs? Oh, dear me, no! Why, it's been quieter than a silent alarm out here!" She added, giving a stupid little giggle for added effect. She hated herself for this dirty role she'd put herself in. "Uhm... but if you think there are any, then... then I really should fetch my brother and get out of here. I don't want to meet any nasty old thugs!" She said and he nodded. "And, and you should get out of here, too. By the sounds of it, it wouldn't be safe at all for you alone. Why, I heard stories that some of the nasties here can manipulate electricity! That one looks like a monster out of a b-movie, and there's even another made of water!" The cop looked slightly moved. "Really scary sounding fellows. Of course, I don't believe a word of it, but... if there WERE such abonimable creatures here, I'd not want to be facin' them all by my little lonesome!" God, she hoped this cop was dumber than her lines.
"Do you want me to walk you and your brother home, miss?" He offered.
"Oh, no, that won't be necessary. Our house is just a few blocks up the street - I never take him out far, lest I cross paths with a nine-foot tall tentacled plant-monster!" Another giggle. She noticed the beam of the flashlight wavered ever-so-slightly and blinked as she realised the cop's hand was... shaking.
"Alright, miss. Then, you get your brother home as soon as possible! I don't want to find you two here when I swing back around after my break."
"Oh, no, of course not, officer. You have a safe night and don't let any of those thugs catch ya out all alone, y'hear?" He just gave a nod and almost scurried away.

Thank GOD, she thought. If this'd gone on any longer, she'd have turned herself in. As her self-respect wouldn't have allowed her to continue the charade any longer, and at least this way the Fearsome Four might still enjoy some success. Besides, she knew she was the expendable member.

A couple minutes later, Negaduck came out, with the other four following. "What the hell was all that racket about?" He demanded, coming up to a stop before her.
"Some night watchman making his solo rounds." She said, wondering how much of that humiliation he'd actually observed. She had conveniently forgotten how loud she'd been, with the very intentions of making them aware of the situation.
"Good. Time to make our getaway." He said, and began marching off. As the others, whom were carrying various pieces of equipment, followed after. Grateful to see her cohorts, she siddled up to Bushroot and fell in step beside him without speaking a word.

Chapter Text

They were all safely back in the headquarters setting up the stolen equipment to Megavolt's specifications. Well, all except for Negaduck and the Liquidator, because Megavolt wasn't about to let the fluid criminal near any of the equipment and had threatened him with harm to his personal body of water. Whilst Negaduck had proclaimed his need for some quality time away from the group. And Fies? Well, she was actually doing her best to help Bushroot out in an area she felt much more qualified in as opposed to his prefered scientific field. 'Trying' was the key word. She found herself with a nasty case of a wandering mind coupled with a bout of sleepiness. In short, she was tired and, after all she'd just gone through the last couple of days without having had time to sort it out in her mind, she couldn't keep focus on the task at hand.

This became apparent enough to her when, after she handed Bushroot yet another tool per request, his reply came in a frustrated tone.
"Fies, for the third time: Thank you, but that doll just isn't going to help me get this computer casing screwed back in place!"
"Huh?" She fixed him with a uncomprehending look, then her gaze travelled down to her hand and the object she was holding out to him. "Oh, for the love of...!" She growled and threw it over her shoulder. No matter what her intended object was, that damn toy always seemed to pop right back up. She fetched him the screwdriver, shooting an angry glare at Quackerjack's back before giving Bushroot the screwdriver he'd asked for. "Sorry, here." He signed and turned to her.
"Look, Fies, it really doesn't take two plants to screw a.." He halted right there, unable to finish a line that sounded like the start of a very over-used joke. His eyes darted quickly to the others, hoping no one, especially QJ, had actually heard it. To his relief, no one reacted and Fies appeared not to have noticed it either. He tried again. "Look, what I mean to say is, I can handle this by myself. You... go take a break."
"But... but.." She started to protest and he began wracking his brain for a good reason to get her to go away, before she handed him that doll yet again.
"Why don't you just..." He looked around the room again, his gaze landing on his watery pal. "...Go keep Licky company, he looks lonely." She followed his gaze to the wet one sitting on a bench.
"Alright... you win.." She conceeded, finding herself not up to arguing further.

Without a word, she turned and made her way over to the bench and its inhabitant.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked, getting his attention. "I... I'm not of much use over there.."
"Are you feeling tired, wilted and just plain rejected by your closest fiends? Well, don't be a weeping willow, come and take a load off with the Liquidator! With the Liquidator on your side, the sun's always a-shinin'!" She scratched her head, giving him a bemused look.
"Especially when you're sitting under a window on the east side of the building in the morning." She said.
"Hey, no fair reading the fine print." He scolded her with a shake of his finger, then patted the bench beside him. She took a seat, drawing her legs up to her chest so she could rest her head on her knees.

However, after a minute of finding nothing to say, and realising that she didn't really even want to talk, she did the most logical thing and spoke, "I'm sorry, Licky, I don't think I'm going to be very good company." She explained. "I'm just tired." And whatever the water-mutant's response was, she didn't hear it, for she was already drifting off into thoughts... or was that sleep? She was pretty sure they were thoughts, as she idly watched the others working on... whatever it was they were working on.

Time passed.... it must've, anyway; because things, things that usually took time to do so, had changed. Or rather, the positions and progress of her villainous comrads had changed. Even more baffling, was that they were also now sideways and walking, or standing, on the walls. What the hell, she wondered and in about the same moment came to realise that SHE was actually laying vertical.. and that the entire right side of her face was pressed against a hard surface - one that was also... wet? She deduced she must've dozed off and.... She suddenly bolted upright to stare in horror at the puddle of drool. She groaned aloud, feeling quite embarassed and wondered angrily over the sort of unjust forces that would allow her to do such a thing in front of others!

To further damage her self-confidence, two of those others had turned curious looks in her direction upon hearing her grouching. One of those two began to approach, his expression concerned.
"What's wrong?" The other plant-duck asked her. She began speaking, gesturing frantically whilst.
"I, uh, that's, er... bathroom.. towel... ulp..." She was simply flustered and nearly tied herself up in her own vines as well as tongue. Brain was working, sorta, and mouth was engaged, but the two were not yet properly synched. The embarassment of waking up to find oneself in the middle of their own slobber, with eye-witnesses, wasn't helping either.
"What?" He asked, persing his eyebrows and fixing her with a baffled look. She shrunk, quite certain he thought she'd gone insane.
"I, ah... slept..." She took a breath and just spit it out, for it had to be obvious by now. "...And drooled... I need a towel..." He glanced at the wet spot, then back to her, looking even more confused than before.
"Drooled?" He repeated, incredulously. "Fies..." He had begun his correction when bubbly laughter burst forthe, no longer able to be contained. Both gazes fell to the bench with varied reactions. Bushroot narrowed his eyes, whilst Fies raised her eyebrows, questioningly, before comprehension dawned on her like a train wreck.

Comprehension changed to speechless fury as the puddle rose and morphed into the laughing form of Liquidator. When he saw her expression, he fought to contain the fit.
"I..! I'm sorry!" He said when opening his mouth didn't mean succumbing to another bout of mirth. "But when you fell asleep on me, I just didn't have the heart to wake you."
"But turning into a puddle?" Bushroot had to ask.
"Why, not even the Liquidator, in his new and improved form, is immune to energy drain..." The water being responded. "...or the rhythmic breathing of a soundly sleeping sapling." He added almost sheepishly.
"Oh, joy." She grumbled. Then she turned and glared at him. "You know, I'd sock you right now if I didn't think my wet fist'd just hit the wall." She stood up with a growl and strode away.
Licky gave Bushroot a questioning look. "What did I say?"
"Probably nothing... she's a real zombie when she wakes up, believe me." Bushroot replied, rubbing his head with a groan.
"Then it was probably a good thing I didn't mention I was actually bored to sleep." Bushroot's eyes widened as he looked at the water dog.
"Surveys would say." He quipped, receiving an approving look from the Liquidator, which pleased him just a little more than he would've expected it to.

Meanwhile, Fies' attempts to remove herself from being the subject of entertainment had brought her into Megavolt's vicinity. Struck by an idea, she approached him.
"Hey, Megavolt!" She got his attention away from the computer he was wiping. "Can you give me something to do, please?" She asked and he gave her a blank look.
"Like what?"
"Anything! Whatever you still need done." He scratched his head, to her consternation.
"But there's nothing I still need done... I don't think.." He replied.
"What? What about the stuff you've been working on, that can't be finished!" She pleaded and the look he gave her told her he found that more than just a little offensive.
"W-why? Do you think it takes me all DAY to do what any idiot could do in thirty... -MINUTES!" The prongs on his hat sparked to punctuate the half-question.
"Alright, fine... is there anything ELSE I could do?" She asked, desperate to stop feeling so darn useless.
"Well..." He thought about it for a moment and she felt her hopes rise. "If you're really, really careful, you could help me clean my bulbs." And they went crashing down right alongside her beak. She closed her mouth again, teeth gritted.

Before she could respond, the door burst open, slamming against the wall as Negaduck strode in with a newspaper clenched in his fist. "Alright, boys, stop and get a load of the local news!" He announced, flattening the paper out on a table and beckoned the others over.

They obediently crowded around the table, each eager to see what had caught the boss' attention. Megavolt read the headline aloud, "Lady van Enterich to appear at St. Canard Museum..." He paused, then read on. "The van Enterich Widow will give a speech at the opening day of the exclusive showcase of the late van Enterich's works...?" He looked up at Negaduck confused.
"Yes! So, chumps, get ready, we've got new plans!"
"Since when did you become an art buff?"
"Oh, I don't care about those scribbles, it's the babe I'm after." Negaduck answered.
"Ah, this paper's old, Negaduck." Bushroot pointed out. "It's from last week." Before Negaduck could respond, Megavolt interrupted.
"You mean you want us to kidnap her?"
"That's right. Tonight."
"Tonight??!" Megavolt nearly exploded. "We're not even finished with your first scheme! And there's still a lot to be done-"
"We're dropping the old scheme! This is much bigger!" Negaduck broke in and received dubious looks from all around the table. "Oh, do I have to spell everything out for you knobs?" He demanded. "Fine! The late Lord van Enterich was only a painter by day, at night, he liked to play mad-inventor... and had an affinity for weapons. So, we're going to capture his sweet honey-buns and get her to give us the code to his lab and projects whilst she just happens to be back in town."

And, of course, Negaduck began filling them on the details of where they would find her - which he claimed would be the bank.
"But, how do you know she'll be there?" Quackerjack asked.
"Easy: Because it's monday!" Negaduck said, simply, ignoring the dubious looks exchanged by his minions. None wished to risk further irritating him with questions, no matter how little sense that made.

Chapter Text

A baby cooed happily from a pouch-style carrier resting against his mother's chest, folks standing in line at a bank shifted their weight or checked their purses whilst they eagerly awaited the next free teller to serve them. A mother's gentle hand stroked the soft down-covered head of her clearly very young hatchling. Everything was perfectly normal. Outside, even though the sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon, it was still a rather warm summer night with only a cool wind to give a little relief.

The woman was a white duck of average height, with long strawberry-blonde hair tied back into a pony-tail. She had sky-blue eyes and a pair of glasses rested upon her small, orange beak. Her snow-white feathers had been meticulously cleaned and preened, that along with her cashmere sweater and brown calf-length skirt attested to an above-average income.

The duckling was dressed equally nicely, 100% cotton, and a luxurious, fluffy green blanket.

It wasn't that she was so sickeningly rich, rather that she chose to have fewer things and be able to buy more expensive ones.

In fact, not only was she not rich at the moment, she had actually come to the bank to clarify a problem with her account. She should have money in it, should even have received her paycheck already; but, alas, the ATM's insisted her account was sitting at a very unacceptable null. Zero. Zilch. And it made absolutely no sense! Usually very calm and collected, even passive, she was, understandably, more than a little upset about this inconvenient occurance. Afterall, she was the single mother to an almost newly-hatched duckling and she had to buy food and other necessities.

With all that on her mind, she stood in line at the bank, waiting for a teller to become available. Completely unaware of the dark scheme that was already put into motion.

The trap was sprung the moment she stepped up to the desk and began to describe her problem to the weary teller. Without a warning, the lights went out and the hum of computers abruptly ceased. A fraction of a second passed, then the sounds of concerned and surprised people filled in the silence caused by the power failure. Eyes soon adjusted to the waning light coming in from the windows.

Before anyone had a chance to take action against the darkness, the door opened and a figure, silhouetted by the fading light coming in through the closing glass doors behind him, strode inside, holding something bearing the worrisome shape of a shotgun out before him.

"No one make a move, if you know what's good for you!" A deep and threatening masculine voice barked. The figure, his face obscured from shadows cast by a wide-brimmed hat, came forward as the group of startled people backed away to afford him plenty of space.

He made his way to the desk right next to a young mother duck, who appeared frozen in shock. "MOVE IT!" He snapped, then elbowed her roughly aside, nearly causing her to fall. He turned his attention on the teller. "I believe you have something for me." He said in a patrionising tone of voice, as though he were nothing more than another customer. Then he dropped his cape and held out his other hand, palm up. "Hand it over!"
"I-I-I.." The teller stuttered.
"NOW!" He snapped and the startled teller finally found her voice.
"I don't have anything for you, I-I don't know what you want!" She cried. Her attacker's gaze left her face to follow her arm, where she was going for the alarm button. Without warning, he reached out at grabbed her wrist.
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, LADY!" He bellowed, waving the barrel of the shotgun in her face. "...Or I'll turn you and all of them into swiss cheese!" He added in a much softer growl. "Now, cooperate and I'll be on my way." No one noticed how he remained near to the mother duck, his real prey. The less they knew of his true intentions, the less prepared everyone would be when he made his devious plans good. That was the point of this whole silly ruse, though a bit of extra cash in his pockets wouldn't be bad, either.
"S-Sir, I... I really don't know what you want!" The teller cried, tears beginning to roll down her face. "M-Money?"
"That's right, honey! Now, hand it over and no one has to get hurt!" Then a wicked grin fell over his face. "...Too badly."
At the same moment, the manager recognised the situation for what it was, or recognised it for what Negaduck made it appear to be, and had quickly taken appropriate actions to protect his cherished customers and employees from harm. He quickly filled Negaduck's order and held out a large bag of cash to the criminal.
"Oh, nice to see someone still practices good customer service! Hahahaha!" The robber laughed as he snatched the bag from the dog's hands.
"There, Negaduck. You have want you want, now go!" The manager said as the super-villain checked the bag, revealing that he was well-informed and knew exactly what kind of criminal he was dealing with. A super-villain who WOULD start shooting, if he wasn't appeased.
"Very well! Ciao, chumps!" He said, giving a wave and began slowly backing away towards the door. He paused, now it was time to spring his real trap, he eyed the lady duck standing mere feet from him.

Just then, a voice echoed through the room. "I AM THE TERROR THAT FLAPS IN THE NIGHT-" A hissing filled the room as the bank-robber's shoulders slumped.
"..Ugh..." He grumbled miserably as a puff of blue smoke began to form two metres in front of him. Negaduck mentally kicked himself for having played around so long.
"I AM THE CHIP IN THE CROWN OF CRIME! I AM...." The omnipresent voice continued and Public Enemy Nr. One wasted no more time. He sprung forward and grabbed his real victim, pulling her in front of him as he pressed the barrel of his shotgun against her head. He turned, with his hostage, to face his rival.
"-DARKING DUCK!" Negaduck's adversary presented himself lavishly with arms held out and cape billowing.
"Welcome to the party, Darkwing Dip!" Negaduck greeted him, beginning to edge towards the exit.
"A-HA! Negaduck, my lecherously lewd look-alike of larsony!" Darkwing shouted, pointing his finger at his evil Doppelgänger. "Now, let the lady go and give yourself up!"
"Or what??" Negaduck demanded in a mocking-tone of voice.
"Or....!" Darkwing aimed his gun at Negaduck's head. "I'll make you suck gas, evildoer!"
"Oh, well, since you put it that way, Dorkwing..." Negaduck slowly lowered his gun for a moment. "PSYCH!" He wielded it at Darkwing and fired, his target barely managing to jump out of the way. Negaduck fired off more shots at the vigilanté, sending the other mallard diving behind a marble desk and presenting Negaduck with an opportunity to make a mad-dash for the door, dragging his hostage along with him.
"Sorry I can't stay and play, Dipwing, but I've gotta run!" He shouted before he disappeared with his quarry.

Once outside, however, his victim suddenly began putting up an unexpected struggle.
"LET ME GO!" She cried, elbowing him roughly in the ribs. It took him but a couple seconds to regain himself and subdue her. With both hands wrapped around her neck, he grinned down at her.
"Say... you look familier... Do I know you from somewhere?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, one hand still firmly gripping her neck to keep her still.
"I doubt it." She said, glaring as she strained against his grip. "I'm not in the habit of hanging out with scum like you!" She spat the insult at him.
"No, wait! Well, if it isn't..." He said, his eyes glittering deviously. "....The recently-widowed lovely Lady van Enterich! Hahaha! Well, this must be my lucky day!" With that, she delivered a swift kick to his gut, doubling the surprised villain over and took flight.

Negaduck recovered after a couple moments and took up persuit, mentally kicking himself for having wasted even more time teasing her.

She darted into an alley, hoping to find some place to hide from her attacker. She turned a corner and gasped as she came across a dead end. She looked desperately around, but saw no way out and no place to hide. Knowing her persuer was on his way, she backtracked until she came upon a dumpster. She couldn't get away, that was certain, she thought already hearing his fast-paced footsteps growing louder, so she made her decision and quickly stowed her bundle out of sight behind it.
"Be safe, little one." She whispered to her sleeping infant, then backed away, lest her attacker catch sight of her and foil her attempt to give her baby a chance at safety.

She waited until he came around the corner, then she gave a shriek and dashed off back towards the dead-end and stopped before the building that prevented her escape.
"Why, what's the matter? No where left to run? Oh, tsk-tsk!" He clicked his tongue mockingly. "Hahahaha! Gotcha! - BUSHROOT! NOW!" She shrieked as vines dropped from atop a building and, seemingly of their own accord, began slithering towards her. In alarm, she backed away, right into the arms of her original persuer. Before she could make her next move, he smashed the butt of his gun against her head and her world went black.

Darkwing Duck had also taken up persuit, though had missed the brief struggle outside the bank and the opportunity it would have presented. Instead, the masked vigilanté had burst out onto the steps outside the bank just in time to see his arch-rival disappearing into a nearby alleyway and had immediately hot-footed it after the villain.

As he raced along, a woman's blood-curdling scream peirced the air and he forced his legs to move even faster, quickening pace in the hopes of arriving before it was too late.

He dashed around the corner and...

"Huh?" He gasped as he came to a skidding-halt before a dead-end, punctuated by the presense of a building blocking off what could have been a very convenient through-street. Panting, he cast a quick glance in every direction, including up and down, just in case his quarry had decided to scale one of the buildings. He found nothing.

"Ooohh, it's not fair! I almost had him!" He looked all around, again, this time scrutinising every crack and crevice for any possible clues. Still, he found nothing. Not a rope, nor a latter, nor a broken window, or a forced door.. not even a footprint. He heard no sound of a getaway vehicle of the land or air-going type.

"Not a sign! Zip! Zilch! Nada!" He groused in frustration, slamming his fist against an offending wall beside him. He paused for a few breathes, then shook his head to clear it. "Okay, get ahold of yourself, Darkwing! You've faced this type of thing before and always came out victorious! I just need to calm down... take a few deep breathes.." He inhaled, filling up his chest, then released it slowly and repeated the process a few more times until his heart had stopped its painful pounding. "...And think! - Think! - Think! - Think!" He punctuated the last three words by tapping his fingertips against his head.

He whipped out his super-detective magnifying-glass and telescope and began scrutenising the pavement. And the sidewalk. The corner where the sidewalk met the wall. And the walls of the building... And then did it all again, to return to the middle of the street before the building after having found a whopping... "Nothing! Not a track! Not a trace! Not a clue!" He dropped pathetically onto the sidewalk and folded his arms, glaring at the building.

He forced himself to breathe again, to keep himself from flipping out and to clear his mind. Then he resumed thinking, going over the situation, the possibilities... and then.... he heard it. Somewhere in the distance - most likely in one of the open windows above - the cries of a child broke through the still of the night and into his thoughts. He forced himself to ignore it, afterall, the mind of a detective such as he could not be hampered by minor disturbances!

Even when it got louder, turning into a wail. "Besides, surely the parents will take care of it." He murmered, ignoring the fact that it was growing louder, until he couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Well, if I can't focus, then I'll just wait." He told himself. "Any minute now, mom or dad'll come and make it all better." He concluded. "Yes, any minute now!" ... But the wailing continued on without interruption, growing ever louder with each breath.

After a few more minutes, he shot a glare up towards one of the windows in the direction of the cries. "Wha- Now just what kind of parent would let their child scream for so long??" Well, maybe they were warming up a bottle, he considered, for that could certainly take a few minutes. Or maybe the child had a nightmare, those always took some time to soothe away. He decided he'd just wait longer.

Time ticked away with each heartbeat, and the screams had long since reached their full-velocity. He could feel his blood-pressure rising, foretelling of his increasing discomfort and concern. He glanced at his watch, then jumped to his feet, all muscles taught with fury and fists balled at his thighs. "Okay! That does it! I'm going to go give those poor, parasiticly pathetic excuses for parents a piece of my mind! And a lesson in child-care!" He stomped off back up the alley in the direction of the screams.

Passing one apartment building and then another until, by the fifth building, he realised the screams were... "Not coming from one of these apartments! Hooo-kaaay...!" Instead, the screams lead him around a corner to the left and down another alleyway. He passed by a dumpster and continued on. Then he stopped, for he realised the screams were getting distant again. He turned around and back-tracked, stopping at the mouth of the alley where the screams seemed to be loudest.

He looked up at the windows of the apartments, but not a single one was open. "Well.. it-it can't be coming from inside a closed window! Why, it's simply much too loud for that! But... where else would a child be?" The scream was coming from the building to his left. His eyes trailed down the side of the wall and came to land on the dumpster he'd passed by before. "NO!" He gasped in alarm. All at once, he came to life, dashing madly over to it, lept up on it and peered inside. Nothing there but trash. "Phew! No darling little ducklings dropped off in dirty dumpsters!" Then he hopped back down and, as there was only one place left to look, he walked around and peered behind it. And let out a gasp. "OH, MY STARS!" There was a quivering bundle of baby blankets and, within that bundle, was a baby, indeed!

He knelt down and reached behind the dumpster, carefully retrieving the sobbing little bundle from its cold, uncaring metallic hideaway. He took the shivering baby into his arms and held it protectively against his chest. "Hey, little fella, you're okay now, don't cry." He spoke in a soothing voice whilst gently stroking it's back. To his joy, the baby's sobs quieted a little. "My, you're a tiny one, aren't you?" He continued talking in hopes of calming the baby more. "Now, what are you doing out here all alone?" He asked as he carefully stood up. "Oooh, and you're simply freezing, you know!" He drew his cape around himself and the baby. "There, that'll help." The baby snuggled into the warmth of his body, drawing a smile from the duck as the cries faded to a tollerable level of quiet whimpering.

Darkwing left the alley and brought the baby into the light cast by a streetlamp, then drew his cape down from the child's fluffy head to get a look at him. It was, indeed, a very, very young little duckling, barely able to keep his head up, though he was struggling hard to do so. Darkwing gently caressed his head, noticing that he didn't even have feathers yet, but, instead, the down of a hatchling. And, judging by the greyish tinge, he was the same species as Darkwing himself. He would probably turn white when he was older. The duckling finally ceased his whimpers and yawned.

"Now, let's go find your parents, little fella." He murmered, pulling the cape back up over the baby's head and cradling him to his chest again. "They're probably missing you just as much as you're missing them. I know I'd sure hate to lose a cute little guy like you."

Out on the steet, he looked around carefully, but there were no other people at all. The street was abandoned like a ghost town and a sad thought made his face fall. He had to consider that, just perhaps, this little guy had been abandoned by his parents on purpose. Terrible stuff like that happened, even in St. Canard. "Well, look... If we don't see your parents, I'll bring you to the police station." He murmered softly, though he was aware the baby had fallen fast asleep.

After searching for another twenty minutes, he returned solemnly to his bike, the Ratcatcher, and became aware of his next problem: He didn't have a baby seat. "Well, there's nothing for it." He said, and carefully unwrapped his cape, trying not to awaken the little one as he set him down in the side car and started fastening the seatbelt over him. The baby awakened the moment the seatbelt clicked into place and, with one forelorn and fearful look, began screaming anew. "Okay, okay, okay!" Darkwing cried, startled. "Then we won't do it that way." He undid the belt and picked the baby up, who immediately quieted down again. Holding the baby in one hand, he scratched his chin.. "However, I can't just hold you... I need my hands to steer, you know." Then he snapped his fingers. "I know!" He cried. "But, I've got to set you down for just a moment, first." He told the baby, then laid him back on the seat. The baby immediately began screaming again. "Now, now, this'll just take a moment!" He pulled off his cape and looped it over one shoulder, around his back and under his arm. He tied the ends, then adjusted it so the knot was at the top and it formed a pouch. He picked the wailing duckling up again and slipped him into the make-shift baby-carrier. The baby settled in comfortably and quieted once more whilst he stroked the child's back. "There, little one. What do you think of that?" He asked, smiling down at the once again calm duckling. The baby cooed. "Like that, huh?" He murmered.

Then he mounted his bike, careful not to jolt the baby around too much, and started the engine. He revved it, then sped off up the steet, heading for the main city of St. Canard and the police station.

Once he'd pulled up before the stone building that was the headquarters of the St. Canard boys-in-blue, a thought occured to him. Hadn't the woman that had been abducted by his rival been carrying something before he'd lost sight of her? Yes, she had! And, if his memory hadn't entirely failed him, whatever it was had been just about the size of a baby, too! Suddenly, it began to make sense! "Of course! She wouldn't have wanted anyone bad to get ahold of you! And that means....!" He gasped. "She knew she was going to be taken!" He needed to be sure, though, so, with a glance at the police station, he revved the engine and sped away again. This time in the direction of the scene-of-the-crime. He'd get the security tapes and just see, for sure, what she'd been carrying. It was something he'd wanted to do, anyway, for he still needed to find out who the woman actually was.

Darkwing pressed a button on the keyboard, freezing a frame from the security video which showed the bank just moments before the lights cut out.
"I'll bet you were that little bundle, weren't you?" He said pointing to a female duck on the display out to the little one still snuggled up in his cape-turned-babycarrier.

He'd already determined who the mother was, the wife of the late Lord van Enterich, a wealthy businessman - and hobby-painter - of around Drake Mallard's age before he was caught in an unfortunate lab explosion half a year ago. Despite their wealth, the couple had always kept out of public eye, rather than being regarded as celebrities. They had also chosen to live humbly, except for regularly going on trips together when their work had permitted.

Now, Darkwing's goal was to try and discover what Negaduck's motivation was, for the evil mallard was not in the habit of keeping hostages along on his getaways after mere bank robberies.

As he typed, the vigilanté became aware of a very unpleasant smell permiating the air in his hideout. He blinked, then wrinked his nose. "Blech.. Something sure stinks here..! I'm really going to have to have a word with Launchpad about leaving his dirty laundry laying around!" He exclaimed, disgustedly. The baby cooed, drawing Darkwing's attention. "Huh?" The baby smiled when their eyes met. "It sure doesn't seem to bother you, now..." Darkwing's face fell as realisation dawned on him. "Oh, no... y-you didn't..!" He pulled aside the edge of his cape-turned-carrier and sniffed. "Eeuhhgg!...You did..!" He groaned, releasing the fabrick.

He turned away from the computer and decended the latter. Then headed to the bathroom and rooted around in a cupboard. "I... I need to go shopping.." He murmered as he grabbed a couple towels and a rag, which he quickly wetted with warm water in the sink before exiting. He brought everything over to a table, spread one of the towels out over the surface, then removed the smelly duckling from his carrier and laid him down. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the job, then set to work.

"Peeeuuuwww! Mommy feeds you lots of fiber, huh?" He gasped, pinching his nose and taking a step back, swirling dizzily around. He snatched a hankerchief out of his pocket and wound it around his beak, covering his nostrils, then reapproached.
"There!" He exclaimed nazaly. "Darkwing Duck is not to be overcome by the stank of dirty diapers!" Then he resumed his task. Once the baby was clean and the soiled diaper was desposited in a garbage can - lid held securely in place with chains - he removed the handkerchief from his beak.

"Hey, look, I... I'm sorry, little guy, but I... I don't really keep diapers around here. You see, my little girl is a bit too big." He chuckled and swollowed nervously. "But, after we're done here and return the security tapes, we'll go to an over-night drug store and pick up some. Until then..." He held up one of the towels. "I hope you can bear with this?" The baby cooed pleasantly and Darkwing smiled, then sighed and began dressing the baby in the make-shift diaper. "OW!" He cried out as he stuck his fingertip with the pin during fastening. "I... I've never... done this before, to be honest with you.." He chuckled nervously at the little drop of blood forming on his fingertip, then stuck the wounded digit into his beak for a couple moments before completing his task.

After that, it was back into the cape-carrier with said duckling and back to the computer for them both, as Darkwing resumed his research on the baby's mother.

"Say, did you know your mommy worked for your daddy, once?" He asked and the baby cooed as he fingered one of the shiny golden buttons he'd just discovered on Darkwing's chest. "Lord van Enterich hired her as his... bodygaurd?" Blinking in confusion at the screen, he scratched his head. "That doesn't make any sense.." The petit woman he'd seen certainly didn't look like body-gaurd potential to him. He read on. "They married only six months after her employment... Man, talk about your fast-fling.." He murmered under his breath, then shrugged. "Honeymoon.. blah, blah, blah.. three months in europe... blah, blah... still served as personal body-gaurd..." He exhaled. "But, this doesn't exactly explain Negaduck's interest.. unless he wants her money..."

Meanwhile, stashed away in some abandoned warehouse - or so it appeared - was Public Enemy Number One (and two, three, four, five and a runner up) and a tightly bound Lady van Enterich.

"Oh, your money will just be the icing, lady!" Negaduck was saying, grinning at her. "What I really want..." He leaned down to look menacingly into her eyes. "...Is the location of your late husband's secret bunker!" Her eyes widened. "Oh yeah, and the code to get inside!"
"You're joking!" She said, eyes still wide with surprise.
"'Fraid not, sweetheart." He answered.
"You're really after Jim's bunker?" She repeated, incredulously.
"Bingo! Glad to see you're finally catching up."
"H-he made... candy there!" She exclaimed.
"Candy?" He shot her a look as though she'd suddenly sprouted a second head.
"That's right. And children's toys. Stuffed ones." She added, with an affirming nod. After a moment, long enough that she started to get her hopes up, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"Candy and toys? Really? What kind of fool do you think I am?" She glared back at him.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" She muttered, still glaring at him. Why wasn't he believing her? "Anyway, it's the truth! He started it when he found out we were to have a-"
"A baby, I know. I read the paper!" He interrupted, then shook his head at her. She shook her own head as well.
"Fine! If you don't believe me, just untie me and I'll take you there!" She exclaimed.
"Now, that is exactly what I wanted to hear!"
"And then you'll see for yourselves." She added as he reached for the ropes, picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

He carried her to his jet, the others following behind, then deposited her in the back seat and motioned for the others to get in.
"Hey! You forgot to untie me!" She snapped over her shoulder at Negaduck as Megavolt and the Liquidator took seats on either side of her and the other three criminals scrambled into their own seats across from the captive, including a short bit of jockying for position that ended up with Dr. Bushroot being uncerimoniously and firmly shoved into the middle seat between Fies and Quackerjack.
"Oh, I didn't forget.." Negaduck, having ignored the short scuffle in the back seat, replied to his captive as he started the engine.
"But, we agreed..!" The lady began her protest.
"I didn't agree to nothin', cupcake!" With that, he took off.

Flying high above the ground, the NegaJet took it's hasty leave of St. Canard, following the coordinates given by a still-bound lady mallard.

After she'd revealed the location of her husband's bunker to Negaduck, she found herself with the rare opportunity to observe this infamous and nefarious band of super-villains known as the Fearsome Five. Five? But here she counted six. Had they added a new member? She let her gaze fall on the one who she'd never seen in the papers.

This member was, well, either wearing the most ridiculous, but elaborate, costume she'd ever seen, or.. she or he was a mutant too? Lady van Enterich decided she must be a mutant, for the costume was just too... believable, without even the slightest seam to be seen.

During this time, the observee had not paid her any attention, choosing instead to keep their eyes firmly trained on the grinning clown, the look on their face decidedly supicious. Upon a closer look at that face, Lady van Enterich decided this member had to be female. Well, at least, one side of her face looked feminine... the other side was mostly covered in a black mask with a slit from which peered the badly disfigured left eye. Interesting, she thought. Wondering if this might give her some advantage. Could this other woman be persuaded to help her? Or was she just as nasty as her peers? She decided to find out.

"So..." She began in a meek, though conversational tone of voice. "You all work for Negaduck, hm?" She did manage to get everyone's attention.
"'With Negaduck', lady, we work WITH Negaduck!" The rat beside her corrected irritably.
"Uh, well, actually..." The green mutant with a duck's bill who sat directly across from her was holding up a leafy finger, but was interrupted by the watery canine to her left.
"Five out of five helpful super-villains agree that Negaduck is one heck of a guy!"
"Oh." Lady van Enterich murmered thoughtfully. "I see. So, you're all quite satisfied, then?"
"Surveys show that working for Negaduck pays off big time." The Liquidator answered again. She gave him a doubtful look. As far as the newspapers said, that survey was wrong. And as for this latest gig, well, they were all in for a huge disappointment when they got to their destination. That is, unless they were plushophiles, too - or were determined to get cavities.
"Well, he certainly seems like a very amiable boss. But what about your collegues?" She replied, this time directing her question specifically to the female, who had, the entire time, kept at least one wary eye on her brightly clad co-worker.
"It could be better." Megavolt replied.
"Aww, I happen to really like my collegues! Except for the grumpy ones!" Quackerjack chimed in. "No... on second thought, especially the grumpy ones!" And he pointedly eyed Megavolt and Fies. Megavolt just looked irritated whilst Fies looked as though she had anticipated an assault rather than just words.
"I'm NOT grumpy, you're just a pain!" She shot back and the feminine voice confirmed Lady van Enterich's gender assessment.
"I know you are, but what am IIIII?" Sang Quackerjack all too gleefully as he childishly baited the mutant. Lady van Enterich suddenly felt the sting of static electricity on her left side.
"Oooh, would you two cut that out already!" Megavolt snapped.
"I would... but it'd just grow back, right, Fizzy?" Quackerjack stated.
"Oh, I'll GROW you something..!" Fies grouched.
"Oooh! What? What? Is it a surprise? Can I see?" Quackerjack leaned over Bushroot in delight, whilst Fies drew back, clearly trying to keep some personal space between them.
"I'm going to give you the surprise of your life, in about three seconds, you madman!" Snarled the she-mutant. The male plant-duck, meanwhile, gave the Liquidator a look that unmistakably begged for help. 'Help', however, came in the form of a thunderous bellow from the front of the jet.
"SHUT UP, BACK THERE! OR ELSE I'LL EJECT YOU KNOBS!" The threat functioned most effectively, for all super-villains quickly settled back down. Yep, very amiable indeed, Lady van Enterich thought to herself.

And even though she had not managed to find out the sympathetic lean of the female mutant, she had discovered something else of exploitable value: The volatile relations between three of the six.

With her main captor nearly breathing down her neck - that is, if he had been as tall as she- and the rest of his minions surrounding them, she typed in the code to open her late husband's secret bunker. After confirming her identity with a retina scan, the doors slid open and she lead them inside and down the stairs to the main lab. When she entered, the lights flickered on. A moment of pause and then she gasped at the sight that met her eyes. Massive weapons of various sorts were every where.. missiles, rockets... fancy, powerful-looking guns.. she stood frozen in shock. Where was all the candy and the teddy bears her husband had always said he was working on? Was this a trick?

"Hahaha, candy and toys, indeed!" Negaduck delighted as he walked inside, looking around greedily. "What'd I tell you, cupcake?"
"But, but... this... this is all wrong!" She exclaimed in disbelief. "Where... where did all this come from?!" Negaduck's sinister laugh echoed through the room once more. Then he fixed her with a curious and thoughtful look.
"Could it be? Old James van Enterich didn't even trust his own wife??" He laughed again and two of the others laughed along with him. "Aw, now ain't that just precious! Well, let me shed some light on your honest and upstanding late husband!" He turned on her. "Darling James van Enterich's bunker is, in fact, a secret lab dedicated to the founding and construction of secret, high-powered weaponry! Sponsored and staffed by none other than the Fiendish Organisation for World Larceny! That's right, sweetcheeks, before his death, Jim-Dearest was an Agent of F.O.W.L.!" She simply gawked at him, then shook her head in denial. "What? Don't believe me?" Negaduck asked. "Then you tell me where all this came from."
"I... I don't know.." She admitted.
"I thought so. The only thing I can't figure out is, if you didn't know about the true purpose of this place, why'd he give you the code?" He rubbed his beak thoughtfully for a moment, then dismissed it. "Who cares! It's all the more lucrative for me, anyway!"

The rest of the villainous group looked around as well now. Megavolt suddenly dashing over to a machine, looking completely awestruck. "Oh, where have you been hiding all my life, you beauty?" To Lady van Enterich, it looked like nothing more than a computer with a massive monitor and an overly complex keyboard.
"Sparky, I thought water and electricity don't play well together!" Quackerjack approached him from behind. Megavolt gave him an irritated look, but scratched his head.
"They don't. And don't call me that!"
"Then you should be more careful what you're drooling on - Sparky!" Quackerjack cackled as Megavolt began sparking.
"OOOOHH!" He snarled as QJ skipped away.

Lady van Enterich noticed that the Liquidator, though looking around thoughtfully, remained beside her. She guessed that, as she was no longer bound, he had either taken it upon himself to gaurd her or had been ordered by Negaduck to do so.

Meanwhile, the she-mutant that everyone seemed to call 'Fizzy', was practically bouncing beside Bushroot as she looked around excitedly. She had grabbed his arm and began expressing her delight in a bubbly tone. "This place is seriously.. it's just.... Es ist echt der Hammer!" Bushroot, however, didn't appear quite as thoroughly impressed with all the weaponry, although his curiosity was unmistakable. Lady van Enterich settled her surprised gaze on female. She would have recognised that language anywhere: German! Did that mean Fizzy was somehow German? But Fizzy's English, when she spoke, was perfect and held no traces of a foreign accent.

Lady van Enterich, who was actually all-American herself, had taken it upon herself to learn German. She'd first learned it in highschool and had later taken a refresher course so she could speak with her late husband's very German grandparents - before they'd passed away. That was all a long time ago and she was sure she would be rusty.

Soon, the two plant-ducks, Fies tugging on his arm, disappeared from Lady van Enterich's view behind a huge something covered in canvas and standing in the middle of the room that Negaduck was circling.

Now, it was definitely high-time to start considering her next course of action. She couldn't quite bring herself to believe that this stuff was, indeed, her husband's, but regardless of who it actually belonged to, she knew she couldn't just let these villains actually get away with it.

Her goal was to somehow escape, lock them all inside, and call the police if she could just find a phone somewhere out here. She didn't have a cellphone, and even if she had, her captors had already searched her and relieved her of her belongings whilst she'd been unconcious. She shuddered slightly at the thought and hoped that had been all they'd done. She pushed the thought out of her mind quickly, for she needed to keep her head clear and her mind focussed if she was going to have any success. She could deal with the mental horror of it all later.

But, the hasty flight out of the city hadn't gone entirely unnoticed, for a certain Defender of the Innocent was on the case and had kept a vigil - in-between diaper-changings. He'd seen the duck-head-shaped jet in the skies and had called for his trusty sidekick and pilot to get his own jet ready. Then he'd called for Morgana to please come and babysit, for there was just no way he would bring the baby into inevitable danger. He just had to wait until she got there before he could take off, and he was drumming his fingers impatiently whilst waiting, his eyes darting to the clock.

It only took her a couple minutes, but it seemed like an unbearable eternity to him when he had an evil Doppelgänger to persue. He hated the fact that Negaduck'd gotten such a headstart and hoped he'd even be able to find him.

He also still wondered how he'd vanished into thin air with his captive in the first place. By now, however, he'd decided that probably meant he had the rest of his crooked crew with him, as they, with their powers and tricks, could have enabled his disappearing act.

"Dark-darling." Morgana's sweet voice announced her arrival. "Here I am."
"Hi, great to see you finally arrived, here's the baby, he's fed, changed and napped, thank you for your help, sorry I can't stay, got criminals to catch, bye, sweetums!" He gushed all at once, hastily pushing the duckling into her arms before dashing off towards his jet, leaving her standing there rather dazed.
"Uh... bye-bye, Fuzzy-wumpus!" She murmered after him as the jet took off.

"Well, little one, it's just you and me now, I guess." She said, looking down at the little one in her arms. She smiled and began cooing softly to it, falling in love immediately.

Negaduck had began gathering weapons together, some thrown in a bags, some simply carried and others strapped to his body - and, most certainly, some hidden in the many hidden compartments of his suit. This universe, he had discovered, defied known physics, enabling him to carry much larger things on his person than he really should. He took full advantage of it.

He strode up to the Liquidator who was still diligently watching their quarry, and grinned as he looked up at her. "Amazing stuff, your husband made. My compliments. And I owe you my deepest gratitude, for, without your help, I wouldn't have such a supreme arsenal at my disposal!" With a laugh, he turned and resumed his looting whilst she glared at his retreating back.

Her gaze drifted back to the ground as she considered her situation again, mulling her plan once more. She was broken from her thoughts by a feminine voice.

"Hey, Liquidator..." Lady van Enterich looked up to see the female mutant approaching them, her gaze fixed on the watery canine. "Negaduck wants to see you, I'm supposed to take over." She told him, but she was apparently not done. "Said he wants you to go look at one of the weapons - actually, I think he wants to put you IN it..." She gave a dismissive wave of her leafy hand. "But, either way, duty calls!" The Liquidator didn't say anything, nor did he appear apprehensive as he gave a simple nod.

A second later, Lady van Enterich found herself alone with the plant-duck. That was her opportunity to engage her privately. She keenly waited until the Liquidator was out of earshot before turning to look at her new gaurd. Fies then met her gaze, placing her hands on her hips as she sized up her ward.
"Listen, Lady, don't think that because I'm not one of them, you can annihilate me... Or skip out." The woman gave her a cool look back.
"Wouldn't dream of it, miss...?" She dared to make the first move.
"Fies. Just Fies." Her floral gaurd replied.

Chapter Text

"You ready in there, Drippy?" Negaduck's deep voice inquired as he peered into the transparant water tank which served as the weapon's cooling system.
"And waiting!" The bubbling voice of the fluidous villain affirmed, slightly muffled by the container which he was, indeed, inside.
"Excellent!" Negaduck exclaimed. "Now it's time to test this puppy out!" He fingered the controls with relish.

A deep rumbling filled the room drawing the complete attention of its inhabitants.
"Ah, there; looks like it works, huh?" Fies stated to the captive as both looked across the room where Negaduck had unveiled what appeared to be a gigantic ray gun taken right out of the cheapest of sci-fi movies. Both realised the female plant-duck was mistaken in her assessment of the sound, as the floor beneath Negaduck and the weapon began to raise up towards the ceiling.

When the weapon reached the half-way point, the ceiling opened to reveal opposing bay doors through which the platform slowly ascended.

"Hey, DW, look at that!" Launchpad's voice exclaimed. Darkwing, who was searching the ground with a pair of fancy infrared binoculars looked up. After a second, he lowered the binoculars.
"A-HA! Either mother nature is creating the most hi-tech volcanos I've ever seen... Or we've just found the location of those fiendish facades of fearsome farces! Bring 'er down, LP!"
"Roger, DW!" The pilot announced enthusiastically.
"No, wait! Drop me off on the roof over there!" Darkwing commanded.
"Can do!"

With that, Launchpad brought the Thunderquack down low and opened the beak where Darkwing was waiting with a rope in one hand and gas gun at ready in the other. Then, the masked mallard sprung from the aircraft, sailing through the air until the rope went taught, halting his free fall. Then he shimmied down to land safely on the roof of the bunker.

"Keep following his trail, boys! Let's see where he goes!" A voice announced to a group of agents within another aircraft.

"Maintain distance and bring us down one kilometer from where they land; we do not yet wish to make our guide aware of our presence."

"Understood, Suh!"

"Field Agents, ready yourselves."

"Aye, Suh!" The group acknowledged in unison.

Escape - and sabotage. Those were the two things on Lady van Enterich's mind now. She still had not figured out how two manage either. Was it time to try and make a bolt for freedom? She couldn't see a better opportunity than this moment with all villains' attention on Negaduck and the weapon.

She cast a glance at her gaurd, the female mutant's gaze was focused upwards as well.

Yes - now! She would have make a go for it and figure something out along the way.

NOW!

She coiled her muscles ever-so-slightly, then sprung forward, making a desperate bolt for the hallway. She heard her gaurd gasp in surpise behind her.

"You dirty rotten bitch!" Fies shouted furiously, springing to her feet as well. "I wanted to watch this!" She kicked it to high-gear, nearly stumbling over her large lilypad feet - of which she still wasn't fully accustomed to. "AU, MIST!" She cursed as she quickly regained her balance and forced herself forward.

Meanwhile, Lady van Enterich ignored all of this as she disappeared through the doorway and into the hallway.

Maybe she could find a place to hide from her persuer.. That was her thought as she headed to the left, which she hoped was actually the general direction of 'outside'.

She came to a crossing hallway and sharply turned to the right and down an adjacent hallway, banging into the wall and using it to help guide her without having to slow down. She had no idea where she was going, but the presence of multiple doors gave her the hope of finding a hiding place.

She ran up to the third door on the right and pushed the handle down. The door opened! She sprung inside and closed the door behind her as quietly as possible with a webbed foot, then locked it as quietly as possible.

She took a few seconds to catch her breath, then looked around the room. It seemed to be dimly lit by night-lighting, which must've activated when she and the villainous group had entered the bunker. Janitorial lights, maybe? Or for the night crew? She didn't know, but she certainly wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth!

She silently crossed the room to a desk and settled down behind it, out of sight in case her persuer should glance inside. It wasn't a great hiding place, and wouldn't work should Fies actually come inside, but the room provided no better options. Just a bookshelf against the left-hand wall from her position, and a cupboard - which looked to her like a wet-bar of sorts - against the right-hand wall.

It then occured to her that hiding behind the door was the best option, so she abandoned the desk without hesitation and silently made her way back to the door. It also provided her with a better vantage point, for she would be able to hear approaching footsteps.

Fies was now in the hallway as well, though her stumble had put an infuriating extra couple metres between her and her quarry and had it not been for the pounding footsteps coming from the left, she wouldn't have known which way to turn after exiting the main weapons room. She continued her hasty persuit, keeping an ear out for the footsteps until they abruptly ceased. She skidded to a halt to try and catch any other sounds without the slapping of her own feet on the tiled floor. She only heard a soft click of a door or lock coming from... somewhere out of sight, but couldn't determine the location. Now hearing nothing at all, she moved on at a much slower pace.

She came to another crossing and stopped to look and listen in both directions. Not a sign. Not a sound. Right or left... or straight ahead? She wasn't sure.. nor was there anyone to ask, neither fowl nor flora. She gritted her teeth and balled her fists, growling softly in her throat.

She forced herself to relax again, taking a deep breath. She couldn't just flip out now, that would be a very disasterous failure. Then she opened her beak and called out, in the most confident tone she could manage. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" She listened and, of course, heard nothing. "You can't hide, you know, because I shall find you." Met only with continued silence, her temper began to flare again and she added in a pissed growl. "And when I do, you're going to wish you'd stayed put!"

Still no revealing answer of any kind, and she balled her leafy fists again. She looked down both hallways once more, seeing only closed doors. Just great. Why couldn't most of them be open, then she'd know which ones she didn't have to bother with.

"Alright, fine!" She called out. "You want to play hide-and-seek, well I've got a better game in mind! It's called 'Who can wait the longest?' and I'll bet your prissy little tailfeathers that I can!" That said, she took up post next to a wall and leaned against it, folding her arms to wait. As far as she was concerned, she was going to pluck that duck the first chance she got for this humiliation. Her first REAL big gig with the infamous Fearsome Five and she'd nearly let the hostage escape! It was also entirely infuriating that the hostage had even dared to TRY under Fies' watch. Afterall, she was a mutant, a plant-duck with super-mega awesome plant powers... wasn't that intimidating enough in and of itself to keep someone in their spot?

Fies certainly thought it should've been.