Disclaimer: All of the characters invented by Disney as well as their respective environments, appearances, and other related intellectual properties belong to the Disney Corporation and are being used to tell these stories for absolutely NO monetary gain of any kind. All I receive is feedback from readers which I love to get so please enjoy the plot and let me know what you think thank you, Irual

Liquidator swished back and forth in the office space he had rented as Bud Flood and mused over his next move. It had been nearly a week since his encounter with Gretchen at the convention center and it was time to up the ante so to speak. Suddenly caught up in the memory of her and what had happened, he was taken back to when she had actually attempted to fight him. He recalled their conversation just as vividly now as he had when it had happened…. In fact, the sensual and very ticklish feel of her fur brushing through his liquid form had almost been too much for him.

He had been caught a little off guard at her roundhouse kick and had collapsed into a puddle to give himself time to consider how to react to her attack since he didn't actually want to hurt or frighten her. After all it wasn't as if threatening her was going to get him what he wanted; this sale was going to require a more soft sell approach. And while Liquidator was far more comfortable with the kind of strong arm tactics that resulted in mounds of cash being dumped at his feet, Bud was at least a bit more familiar with having far more…satisfying reward; especially considering their target demographic for this affair. Much to his shock and dismay, Bud and Licky found that once again both sides of him suddenly craved her with an intensity that was both unexpected and almost more of a rush than the adrenaline surge that resulted from a successful caper.

With this in mind he had waited quietly while she demanded, "Well? Are you just going to sit there in a puddle looking pretty or are you going to answer me?"

And of course, no salesman worth the title was going to let an opening like that pass him by. So Liquidator had swept her off her feet with one of his crowd pleasing and impressive displays of aquatic prowess. Then, keeping his lower half in a fountain like state; he had moved behind the stacks of supplies he had arranged and sequestered her within the cozy area he had left clear inside the stacks to ensure their privacy and settled himself comfortably to begin his sales campaign.

Leaning against the stacked, plastic wrapped bags of mulch Liquidator offered smoothly," While it is true that 9 out of 10 consumers would agree that my clear, cool form is always aesthetically pleasing; and to the untrained eye I am also delightfully accessible in any shape…."

He flexed his shoulders and arms in an undeniably male way and continued with more than a hint of a growl flavoring his usually bubbly tone, "I have to object to the term pretty, the Liquidator is much more than merely pretty….I am not only capable of problem solving on the corporate scale," he gestured to the surrounding merchandise and continued persuasively lowering his tone and volume to a much more intimate level, "But I am sure to prove innovative in other ways that you would find most profitable both professionally and personally."

With each phrase, he moved a little closer and at the whispered word 'personally' he brushed his lips against her muzzle before sliding smoothly back to gage her reaction. Gretchen was more than a bit thunderstruck by what she now realized was a personal interest that the Liquidator had decided to show in her. And to her amazement she found that the touch of his surface in her fur wasn't unpleasant; but her alpha nature insisted on figuring what his actual angle was.

She demanded cautiously, "What makes you think this can go anywhere? You and I don't seem that compatible."

Scooping her up and keeping her in his arms Bud offered softly, "I wasn't born like this Gretchen. And I have done my research…. We are more alike than you think, and a partnership between two talented people such as us isn't an opportunity to be wasted…."

Hearing noises outside the stacks Liquidator cursed the inopportune timing of the various underlings approaching but he was careful to keep his reaction hidden from Gretchen so that she wouldn't react aggressively. Listening intently for any signs that he had been discovered, and looking into Gretchen's golden, softly glowing eyes; Bud decided that he had made some progress showing her he knew how to treat an alpha and a lady and even more encouragingly; she didn't seem opposed to his offer.

Hearing the noises coming much too close for comfort and deciding that this was the perfect time to make an impressive exit; he added a rider to his statement by warming his watery form slightly and caressing his fingers against one of her pricked ears that was swiveling as she too heard the others approaching.

Gretchen shivered as the touch of his warm fingers against her fur and the subtle disturbance of the individual hairs along the edge of her ears triggered a strong desire to reciprocate the gesture. But her hands plunged into Liquidator's chest instead of pressing against a solid surface soaking her sleeves.

Gretchen gasped in surprise since she had temporarily forgotten that the Liquidator wasn't a flesh and blood male and this abrupt reminder broke the intimate mood. Undaunted by this minor setback, Bud swept the liquid off her leaving her completely dry and unaffected by this mishap, on the outside at least.

Licky left her with their offer saying, "A busy executive like yourself has many demands on her time, and I understand your position completely. "

He waggled his eyebrows (or more accurately the area he had formed into his forehead suggestively) and continued, "Why don't you have your staff show you more of my well documented and undeniable talents? My company, the Flood Bottled Water Company is actually one of the most stable blue chip companies in my industry."

He gestured towards himself and added as he prepared to disappear "and since I have been circumspect since my abrupt change to a new market no one even suspects that Bud Flood is anything but a law abiding and successful businessman with both excellent credit and a reclusive nature."

At this Gretchen raised her ruff and stared at the Liquidator, Clearly she was suspicious and not inclined to listen for much longer so Bud added, hoping to up his credibility saying, "I admit that Bud WAS investigated early on…but thanks in no small part to the Liquidator's flashy reputation and that Darkwing Duck's peripheral involvement in my current situation; I am actually in a better position now than I have been for almost two years. "

Brushing his watery lips against her hand he bowed and offered, "You don't need to concern yourself with my harming your underlings. I'm not one to let a valuable opportunity pass me by and I want you to see my flexibility both mentally and physically as an asset in out future together."

With this he had placed her carefully on her feet beside her display area as her underlings came closer and made sure he was posed attractively in the lights as they came on. Then he had swished away in a splash, being careful not to get any on her; before anyone else had discovered his presence. The satisfying sounds of their surprise at seeing her and the missing shipments waiting for them. And the sound of Gretchen's forceful voice as she took control of the situation and the organization of the supplies; had tempted him to stay and watch her, but…. Bud wanted to work out the next bit of his plan to make her his and that was going to require a clear head so reluctantly he and Licky had gone away to plan.

Grinning to himself at the pleasant memory of what he hoped was his successful opening move, Bud went to his specially constructed, water resistant computer and began to search for the items he needed. Granted being the super powered villain Liquidator meant he wasn't usually an online shopper, but looking at the available merchandise online was a good way to plan where he needed to go to acquire what he needed after all. Having given her a few days to finish her obligations and consider his qualifications now was the time to act….

Gretchen glanced around her small office space and growled in frustration. While it was good for morale and cost effective to avoid having large offices to maintain; being stuck in this tiny office was definitely a downside when she wanted to pace. Leland crept cautiously to her desk and placed the stack of reports and contracts on her desk before moving quietly back to his own cubicle. Gretchen started to ignore this, after all, Leland needed to get used to handling an Alpha's temper…but at the tremulous tapping on her doorframe she spun to glare at her niece who flinched visibly.

It was then Gretchen realized that she had been thrown far more off balance emotionally than she had first supposed by her encounter with the Liquidator. Calming herself and throttling down her annoyance as the younger female waited frozen in the doorway Gretchen asked carefully, "What do you need Heidi?"

Heidi gathered her wits and stepped into the room to say quietly, "I have the information here you requested and…well."

Gretchen sighed and calmed herself further before trying to encourage the youngster to say what she needed to. After all it wasn't smart to have her temper in control for long and none of her people had done anything wrong…. It was her with the issues not them this time. Gretchen hadn't built her position with the family company overnight after all, and she was smart enough to know that now wasn't a good time to undermine her position by intimidating her underlings.

With this in mind, Gretchen gestured to her desk and the chair in front of it and said, "sit down and take a deep breath, I won't bite…not today anyway."

At the wry tone in her Aunt's voice Heidi relaxed slightly and offered a sheaf of papers to her boss and smiled slightly before saying, "Clara and I have analyzed the available information on the Fearsome Five and the Liquidator and…as far as we can tell; The Liquidator is usually far more concerned with direct cash profit than he is in pulling a stunt like the one you described at the trade show. He is more of an extortionist and exhibitionist than he is a con man or a swindler but that is hardly a positive recommendation. And as far as we can tell he has never shown any interest in any sort of emotional blackmail or…. "

At this comment Gretchen was surprised to realize her ears had flattened against her skull but she was careful not to react otherwise as her niece continued cautiously. Eager to move the conversation away from whatever she had said that had further upset Gretchen Heidi shuffled her paperwork and continued "The one called Bushroot is usually concerned with plants in that he can evidently communicate with and use them in his criminal activities…. But we haven't found any confirmed evidence of the kinds of crimes that these people are usually associated with since approximately April in the tri-state area."

Heidi's sister Clara came in just then and offered her own report as her sister stepped to the desk and placed the hard copies and notes that showed her research on a new stack. Clara was as svelte and graceful as her sister and almost two years older. Like Heidi she had on her usual hooded cape and business skirt ensemble and in just a few seconds she had assessed the mood in the room and decided what to do. Clara's added maturity and poise shown through as she slid her hood down to expose her throat and used body language to diffuse Gretchen's temper and continued to report their findings s that their Alpha could focus on the actual situation and not on the weirdness from last week.

Speaking clearly Clara said, "There have been several reports of cash robberies and small scale vandalism that the SCPD had reported to be the work of the other two subordinate members of the gang. Quackerjack, a toymaker gone criminally insane and a rodent-like fellow called Megavolt who reportedly has electrical affinities. The only member of this cabal we haven't found much on recently is their leader…the masked, caped and violently inclined Avian Negaduck."

At this conformation of her instincts Gretchen sighed and visibly looked discouraged. This reaction concerned both Heidi and Clara but before they could switch gears and ask their Aunt what was wrong…aside from the involvement of super powered villains in their business of course. She gestured commandingly to her underlings who stepped out of the way before swinging her deep red, hooded cape around her shoulders and marching with her usual determined stride out the door…this situation called for room to move and the parking lot was big enough to provide a decent run around its outer perimeter if she circled it enough times.

Neptunia wasn't worried at first, Hal was just a few fathoms away and the warm current that they were following was a stable and well traveled roadway within the coastal migration routes for dozens of species. But her finely honed sense for trouble was starting to nag and she wasn't sure why. This was especially true since none of the local sea creatures were acting upset…well no more than they usually were at any rate. Everything in the ocean was always on the lookout for their next meal after all and it wouldn't due to be caught off guard.

Keeping this in mind and swimming strongly away from a pod of gossiping dolphins, Neptunia put her unusual intelligence and cognitive powers to work as she circled the pod at a discrete distance. The group of mammals were healthy and eight adults strong. There were several calves swimming freely between the surface and the upper current where the adults lurked and the females kept interrupting their conversations to call the calves back to them every few minutes and this distraction meant that they were gossiping at a far slower rate than was usual for them.

Listening closely Neptunia felt a rush of adrenaline as she moved south and east toward the oyster beds further out beyond the estuary after sending a call to Hal on her conch shell to bring him this way. According to the gossip there was something seriously wrong and as the self proclaimed protector of the oceans it was up to her to take care of this sort of thing.

Arriving at the nearest oyster beds, Neptunia focused her attention on the shellfish below her rapidly moving fins and was instantly assaulted by the thoughts of dozens of the disturbed bivalves. She moved quietly down to the bed of oysters and waited for the loud clamor to sort itself out. Hal arrived and waited attentively, guarding his friend as she shook off the effects of sorting through so many voices at once and then swimming along side her as she continued on to the next bed.

Noticing Hal, Neptunia said grimly, "something is really wrong Hal. Most of these oysters have begun new seed pearls, and they all say they had pearls already but someone opened them up and took out the old pearls."

She gestured to where a small patch of empty shells testified to recent activity of the fatal kind and grimaced at the rather gruesome tale that several of the oldest oysters whispered to her continuing her explanation to Hal in octopus, "Someone made an example of those bivalves and then the currents themselves demanded that the oysters open themselves up and give up their pearls?" That doesn't make sense!"

The ocean doesn't do that! And there haven't been any land dwellers here. This is a protected area and too deep for most non scuba divers. All these bivalves have been disturbed though and…."

Hal gurgled and her marine telepathy translated the huge octopus' thoughts as he communicated with her. 'The water here is definitely not the same as it was the last….'

Just then they were bowled over by a cooler and powerful surge of water that cloyed unpleasantly in their gills and they were so busy choking that a passing tiger shark eyed them with hungry interest; but the two of them recovered and at Neptunia's glare and fierce cussing telepathically in Shark he swam off to find more accommodating prey.

Cruising back toward Audubon bay and chuckling evilly over the memory of Neptunia and her inky companion's difficulty in breathing through him, and their apparent puzzlement over his activities. Liquidator relinquished control to Bud as they stepped out onto the waterfront of St. Canard. His plans would work out nicely no matter what happened with Gretchen. Those pearls had all taken hold and they would make a tidy profit in a year or so that would come in handy regardless of anything else, and if things went well he might even need a legitimate source of income by then. It was a little strange that he had been able to hear and understand Neptunia's telepathic projections but being made of liquid; and her powers being centered in the sea and water most likely accounted for that.

Bud grinned to himself as he retrieved their disguise and their present and admitted with reluctant admiration that Neptunia had quite the vocabulary of salty 'sailor' talk available to her especially for a hero. Then putting all thoughts of those dimwitted hero types out of his head, he swished quickly toward Mousetown and the headquarters of Gretchen's Garden Goods. Ordinarily this tiny hamlet was too smalltime to hold anything of interest for a big city operator like 'The Liquidator' but he paused just outside of the town to gaze at a bill board that had a proud civic slogan and a five pointed golden star on it.

At the top of the sign was the proclamation, Welcome to Mousetown home of the 'Fabulous Five' and friends! Centered within the star's glittering center was the name Mickey Mouse and scattered artfully around the large star were smaller stars.

The first he noticed had a pair of cheerful mice in it the female wearing a distinctive pokka-dotted dress and bow and the male in a red shorts set with yellow shoes. The next had a pair of mallard styled ducks in it. The male of whom was dressed in a naval uniform while the female had a pale pink dress and bow ensemble. The third star had a tall and gangly dog-like fellow in a green hat an orange shirt and a brown vest.

Beside the mice was a much more ordinary brownish yellow colored dog whose bright red collar had the name Pluto stamped on its front. While the forth smaller star on the billboard had a pair of happy chipmunks one with a small, dark nose dressed in a leather jacket and brown fedora and the other in a red Hawaiian shirt with a large red nose.

Snorting to himself, Liquidator muttered, "I hope Negaduck doesn't find out about that particular slogan…he hates cute, cuddly and sweet and the fabulous five is far too close to our moniker for comfort."

Grimacing as he continued to take in the small town atmosphere and comfortable, peaceful surroundings here, He continued to himself, "They are almost as bad as the cute little lost bunnies and I sure don't want to have to try and initiate damage control for one of Negaduck's rampages just now."

A police car puttered past and the cops inside didn't even notice the super villain was moving past them. In fact, the younger of the two policemen in the patrol car actually waved him on past the billboard and stopped traffic so he could cross the street.

As Liquidator fought to control his urge to laugh he admitted with a twinge of what might have been concern, although he would have vehemently denied any such emotion…thinking to himself as he hurried onward, 'I doubt the people here will be able to put up much of a fight if he decides to flatten this place. If Negaduck DOES take offence I'll have to remember to warn Gretchen…even if she decides to be stubborn, I don't want to risk her having to focus on rebuilding her business; I want her to focus on me.'

Ignoring the other signs, proclaiming various civic organizations and their local charitable works as well as his nerves at the thought of Gretchen being around when Negaduck was on one of his rampages; Bud moved calmly down the street and after consulting the map he had laminated and placed in his trench coat pocket he soon made the necessary turns and came upon his destination.

Moving smoothly towards the receptionist's desk he offered his card to the lady duck seated there and said, "The name's Bud Flood and I have an appointment to see Gretchen Growler at 10."

Surprised at the sight of Bud dressed in his trench coat, gloves and with his hat pulled down low so his face wasn't clearly visible, the secretary looked a little doubtful as she accepted the damp business card which read…Bud Flood CEO of the Flood water co. St. Canard.

Looking in the appointment calendar she matched the card to the 10 AM. Slot and said agreeably, "Please wait here Mr. Flood and I'll announce you."

But she was speaking to an empty lobby because the second she had looked down at her desk, Bud had swished almost silently down the hall and knocked on the door that had Gretchen Growler CEO on a discrete nameplate bolted to the door. At his firm knock, Gretchen looked up from her paperwork and tensed as he stepped inside and shut the door with a flourish.

Bowing he placed the small box on her desk and said, "Seeing as how we are both successful business people I thought that it would be best for me to formally introduce myself. And since I am hoping that we will develop a mutually close relationship…I thought that presenting you with this little token would meet with your approval."

Knowing that this would be her best chance to seize control of this meeting, Gretchen stood slowly and glared at him from across the desk. Just as she locked eyes with this male and started to speak they were interrupted by the rather breathless arrival of the secretary and Leland.

Breaking eye contact with her visitor momentarily Gretchen stopped Leland at the door with a glare and he dragged the Avian back with him as Gretchen said, "We don't wish to be disturbed until further notice."

As they backed out and shut the door Liquidator surged to the forefront of the conversation saying, "This special offer is only good for a limited time. Today only you can receive the following token of esteem at no extra cost or obligation to you. It is recommended that the wise consumer act now for best results."

And impatiently he gestured to the box on the desk but he was forced to pause in his sales pitch as Gretchen held his gaze and leaned forward slightly.

Placing a hand on either side of the box she demanded quietly, "I don't buy a pig in a poke especially not from a male. Take off that hat and let me see you."

In a daze, Bud removed his hat and said in a much deeper tone than Liquidator usually used, "Anything to please a Lady."

After holding his eyes for a moment she gestured to the box and asked, "Should I be concerned?"

And at this Bud's mouth quirked up and he replied, "Certainly, but with me involved your satisfaction is guaranteed."

At this boast Gretchen found her curiosity was peeked and even though the super villain was undeniably dangerous; the danger in having him interested in her was part of the appeal. SO far all he hadn't done anything that dangerous and it was rare that any male interested her especially since he was anything but subservient. Opening the box, Gretchen was surprised to find a delicate filigreed necklace in what she was sure was platinum inset with dozens of matched pearls. The fact that this was so extravagant a gift wasn't lost on her, nor was the fact that most likely it; or at least the precious metals and gems to make it had been stolen…but as the Liquidator removed it from the box Gretchen found that she couldn't object as it was fastened around her neck.

Speaking softly Bud said, "You can wear this with the pride and dignity you deserve. No one will miss those pearls since I harvested them myself; and it's easy enough for me to work different metals from raw ore with my watery affiliations."

Bud was delighted at the look of the necklace as it lay against the ruff of fur at the base of her throat and it was only with great discipline he remained still as she reached to touch the token. He hadn't expected to feel so strongly attracted to her in the first place, but the fact that his body was demanding that he pursue her so intensely was still something of a shock.

Bud had always assumed that his transformation into this liquid form had meant that his body's mating instincts had changed just as radically as the rest of him but now he knew better. Unable to help himself he moved closer than was necessary for a business meeting. A chemical rush filled him with energy and he could feel himself vibrating as the scent of the healthy and attractive Alpha filled his nostrils.

Following canid protocol he lowered his head and exposed his vulnerable throat and sidled closer hoping to encourage her to give him a personal opening to ask her on a dinner date. Gracefully, Gretchen swayed a little as her instincts responded to the gesture he had made, but then the feel of the gloved fingers against her cheek snapped her back to reality.

Stridently she spoke while reaching to remove the necklace saying, "I suppose you crafted the metals and such into this yourself as well then?"

Bud admitted, "No, but with access to the internet and my company's excellent credit. It is simplicity itself to hire the kind of delicate workmanship that I hoped would best display itself against the backdrop of your beauty and strength."

With a shake of his head, Liquidator objected to her trying to take off the jewelry saying, "Customer satisfaction is my specialty. If it doesn't please you I am prepared to try again. And I can offer you far more than just this kind of ornamentation."

Pausing Gretchen said carefully as all her fur fluffed at the touch of his gloves against her hands, "it's not that…. I just don't see how this can go anywhere Liquidator. I can't risk my company or my reputation by becoming associated with a known and notorious criminal."

He winced visibly and then said, "We have far more to offer than just our talents as the Liquidator Gretchen."

He glanced at the clock and tucked a stack of pamphlets on her desk outlining his proposed partnership between the Bud Flood water company and her landscaping business in order to fulfill the contracts she had bid on in St. Canard before placing his hat back on his head. Stepping back to a much less personal distance and adjusting his coat Bud prepared to take his leave. She still had the necklace on and he wasn't about to take it back now…when she looked at the jewelry, hopefully, she would think of them as suitors and not just the criminal Liquidator.

Rubbing his muzzle against her hands and bestowing a firm businesslike handshake on her and tucking his card in her hand he said, "You have my contact information in the proposal there and I hope you will allow me the honor of taking you to the Aviary in Duckburg next week. I have made us reservations in the Sirius room and if all goes well I will have something really interesting to show you then."

Intrigued, Gretchen found herself nodding and agreeing to meet him in Duckburg next Friday night which all by itself should have set off her instincts for trouble. Much to her chagrin however, those instincts weren't the loudest ones at the moment and before she could pull herself together Bud Flood or Liquidator had taken his leave and left her with the prospectus and her own circling thoughts.

Bud grimaced to himself, Gretchen still had spoken as though only Liquidator had been in the office and that wasn't what he had hoped for. But she had responded to his gift and to him, he knew that now was the time to see about changing his circumstances to meet his new goals and unless his instincts had gone completely Duckburg was the place to start.

In the next chapter I hope to merge this story with Grounding Elmo's timeline and I hope that the people who read that one find this recognizable and that the trio of villain stories are easy to follow and that people give me feedback. Thank You and I hope to have the next chapter of this worked out and posted soon.

I am working diligently on Through Rose Colored Glass and My son the Vigilante which will take my timeline through the wedding that I have been planning for since the series was canceled. And 00Duck is perking along nicely (although finding the time to type is getting a bit difficult.) Rest assured that I plan on finishing this and my next three stories in Darkwing Duck fandom and hopefully more as well so please let me know that I am not the only fan still out there.

(I JUST got the first 3 issues of the Brand NEW Darkwing Duck comic by BOOM Studios and So far its looking pretty good) Please support out favorite Ducky hero and go out and find his new comic if you can. Your friend and fan of Disney's Ducky-verse Irual.