A/N- Okay, so a long wait. I got busy focusing on some other fics of mine and lost track of what hadn't been updated in a while. I'm sorry to say that this one got lost in the herd that is my stories. Anyway, thanks for the reviews from last chapter—and your patience—and I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 6
It had occurred to Gosalyn to try her best to lose Negaduck and his group before arriving at her home. However, it had also occurred to her that surely Negaduck knew that to their old house would be exactly where she would run to. Or maybe he would think that she was too smart to go there.
It was that last bit of reasoning that Gosalyn was desperately clinging to as she finally came within sight of Tank's and her house. She paused, only for a moment, in the bushes of the house across from Tank's, trying to catch her breath. She had been running for as long as she knew she could possibly do so. She must have circled half of downtown St. Canard at least twice! But Negaduck and his cronies were no longer behind her—right behind her anyway; she knew that they would eventually catch up—and that was all that mattered at the moment.
No sooner had she caught her breath, she darted across the broken-up streets and ran right inside Tank's home without any preamble. She knew it was rude to enter a home without knocking and being invited—and she loathed to be rude—but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Tank blinked up at her as she all but slammed the door behind her, leaning against it to stable her weary limbs. He had several fossilized items splayed out before him with a ledger notepad to his right. He stood from his place on the floor and approached her.
"Gos, whatever's the matter?" he asked, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.
His own red hair was neatly combed back and his sweater was impeccable…not one bit of lint to be seen. Gosalyn was sure that she must have looked a fright by now. Several different things had snagged at her dress as she had brushed past them, a few spots tearing. Her pigtails were falling and their curls were becoming frizzed.
"It's Negaduck," Gosalyn finally gasped. "He's back, and he's captured the Friendly Four!"
Tank gasped. "We have to get them back. What are going to do?"
She shook her head. "We have to get to Darkwing. He's the only one who can save us."
"But that's impossible, Gos. The rift between dimensions has been mended. There's no way to get to that St. Canard anymore."
"He's got a witch now, Tank. They used some sort of spell to reopen the tear."
Tank shook his head. "Preposterous. Magic's just make-believe. That tear is a scientific anomaly, not a magically one."
"I saw her with my own two eyes. She was shooting down trees and all the buildings we worked so hard on with fire and lightning. Coming from her…from her hands. I heard Negaduck say that the spell he used to make her powerful made the rift again. Tank, we have to hurry. They were chasing me."
Tank didn't need to be told twice. He took Gosalyn by the hand and headed for the backdoor of the house, but she dug her heels in. He turned, narrowing his eyes at her in confusion.
"Maybe if we find the spellbook Negaduck used and take it to Darkwing…maybe it'll help," she explained, pointing towards the side of Tank's house.
The two houses shared an adjoining yard, and both families had long allowed the fence separating property lines to fall into horrible disrepair. There was now a gaping hole where the side fencing once stood. A window in Tank's bedroom was a direct route to a window in Gosalyn's living room. Tank nodded and began to gently pull her towards his room. He helped her out the window, following quickly himself, and aided her again in climbing through the living room's window. Once both children were inside, they paused.
"Keen gear," Gosalyn murmured with Tank nodding in agreement.
Negaduck appeared to have left the remnants of his spell-casting in place. The floor was scorched in one, almost circular area. Among the blackened marks one could see the lines to some drawing hidden beneath. The wall on the far side from the burnt flooring had a faint outline of a person to it. And between the scorched floor and the wall lay an open book. Gosalyn shook herself and ran to it, kneeling and flipping quickly through it.
"This must be it," she said, holding it up for Tank to see.
He nodded after giving it a once over. Gosalyn snapped it shut and held it tightly against her person. The two turned back to head towards the rear of Gosalyn's house, but stopped when they heard a loud crash.
"Quite, nimrod!" they heard Negaduck growl, followed by a resounding smack and a painful groan.
"Oh no!" Gosalyn whispered. "What are we going to do?"
Tank jerked his head in the direction of the front of the house, and Gosalyn nodded. They moved as quietly as possible towards the front door, careful to duck under the windows so as not to be seen. They were hunched down on either side of the front door when Tank motioned for her to stay still and silent. They both pressed their ears up against the coarse wooden door and listened for any sign that Negaduck had surrounded the home.
A moment passed with nothing. Then another. Finally, another sound came from the rear of the house, followed by another smack.
"We have to chance it," Gosalyn whispered.
Tank nodded and said, "On three."
"Okay…run for the bakery…for the rift."
Tank held up one feathered finger and Gosalyn held her breath. He held up a second, and she tensed, poised to dash out. On three, he leapt up and yanked open the door, pushing her out in front of him. He was quickly behind. Gosalyn felt herself ramming against and bouncing off—thankfully keeping her footing the whole while—a very solid pair of legs, but she didn't bother to look up and see whose they were.
"They're escaping out the front!" she heard the witch's voice shout, followed by a crack of lightning just barely missing the two.
"Run, Gos! Run!" Tank shouted.
She could hear her friend's footfalls behind her as she hugged the spellbook even closer. She duck and served as the witch continued her attacks. She was shortly joined by Negaduck and the rest, with the Mallard Menace shouting, "After them!"
Gosalyn took as deep a breath as she could muster and pushed forward more. Tank was soon shoulder-to-shoulder with her, dashing through the city's streets and back alleys. She glanced at her friend, willing him to hear the unvoiced question in her mind. Do we try to lose them or go straight for the bakery?
The look in his eye gave her all the answer she needed. To the bakery…fast. Because their odds were not looking good.
End Notes: Okay, so I hope that was worth the wait. I also hope it got some suspense up. I look forward to all of your reviews. Thanks!
