A/N: I own nothing, Disney owns Darkwing Duck and my imagination owns me.

A/n: The rest of this story is from Gosalyn's POV, hence this part is in italics.

PROLOGUE

The lights in the Blue Parrot cabaret lounge were dim. There were no acts on tonight so the red curtain was drawn and only a few of the round tables had occupants. Mostly they were older people telling each other 'it's been such a long time'.

The lounge was in two parts: a round 'pit' area beneath the stage and then a raised 'bridge' area at the back. To protect anyone falling down from the bridge into the pit there was a banister railing and to protect the club from being ever considered distasteful, a line of dwarfed golden cane palms shrouded the banister.

What Steelbeak liked about sitting in the cushioned seat beneath the palms was the quarter of privacy they afforded. And even without the live entertainment, Steelbeak knew he could excuse himself for being here because Sheila worked here.

"Explain the factory scene to me again." The familiar voice of his boss said from behind his head.

Steelbeak took a deep breath and stared into his empty wine glass at the round cabaret table he was sitting at. "Well, it's kind of like it was the last time I explained it, boss."
"I'm sure it 'kind of' is." The dark male voice replied in an unimpressed tone from amidst the plant fronds behind.
Steelbeak swallowed. "The point is that your queen is still on the board, right?"

"And again I ask you: 'what was the challenge?' You used a tranquilizer dart, Steelbeak; you could not have been getting her out of the way just for your little S.H.U.S.H. decoy scheme."
"Decoy, nothing. I lost three guys in that factory." Steelbeak answered. "I don't know what got them: I was downstairs playing tag with Miss Purple."

"How convenient."
"No it ain't!" Steelbeak snapped back. "Why don't you tell me what I'm supposed to be knowing and I'll tell it back to you? And you know S.H.U.S.H. is still watching me-."
"I do not need that reminder!" His boss said with high irritation from behind him.
"Hey, is this Griz or Hooter you're mad at coz at least I got proof that I done my job."
"He says with sincere confidence." The voice captioned sardonically. "What warning did you get about this thing that got your men?"

Steelbeak rubbed the prickling feeling at the back of his neck. "They were just yelling about someone up there with them. Then the line cut out. I had two moves to choose from."
"And you chose to protect the queen."
"The line cut out." Steelbeak repeated. "You tell me if I was wrong."
"I don't employ you to be wrong, Steelbeak."
"So I figured when we started this little chess game." Steelbeak answered dryly.

"I find myself wondering, Steelbeak, ... endlessly mind you ... over exactly how conservative you thought you were being at that factory."
Steelbeak thought about that. "It was a close call, boss."
"Ah, well, close calls do come with greater favour in the eyes of F.O.W.L."
Steelbeak smiled in satisfaction. "Yeah."

"So what did you have your close call with?"
"Five minutes later and I still don't know!" Steelbeak complained, "Someone or some guy or something. I don't know; why the heck do you keep coming at me for?"

"Because I've lost him."

"Wow." Steelbeak breathed. That was not something his boss usually cared to admit.
"The most I have of him right now is in your head."
"Yep, that's pretty gone alright." Steelbeak commiserated, "Sorry, boss."
"Oh! You insist on infuriating me, Steelbeak!" The voice gritted from behind. "I know you have more!"

"Hooter's sticking in your craw the worst though." Steelbeak deflected, "Why'd they get rid of him anyway?"
"S.H.U.S.H. central command wants to 'move into the future'."
"Newsflash; Grizlykoff is my age and on the downhill curve. You should probably get in there and rewire those jokers."
"Do you really care about whether S.H.U.S.H. does a good job or not?" His boss laughed quietly behind.

"Heck no!" Steelbeak answered, "But this decoy gig won't last forever and S.H.U.S.H. can't even figure out my decoy plots without The Quiverwing Quack and she's about ready to keel over."
"She has keeled over; you're the one who sent her off the board!"
Steelbeak paused to assess what this meant to him, "I'll have to retire."

"No."

"What?" Steelbeak exclaimed, "You can't tell me I can't retire! What are you? You're a voice in a bush!"
"Not about that." His boss answered, "Although I still do require your services."
"It'll never be the end of it," Steelbeak sighed defeatedly, "So then you'll be out to rewire S.H.U.S.H.."

There was a thoughtful pause from behind him, "They only need to see Grizlykoff for the pawn he is and not the bishop they imagine."
"Hey, it's an easy play," Steelbeak added, "When are they having Hooter's retirement party?"
"This Saturday." The voice of his boss chuckled from behind his head. "An excellent idea; F.O.W.L. will simply love you for it."