Though she knew nothing about the crime scene in Duckburg, Webby nonetheless knew miscreants when she saw them. The Beagle Boys fit the bill, though they were nowhere in the same tier of crime as Steelbeak or Black Heron. If anything, they were aspiring criminals, because they were far too stupid to work under FOWL. Wearing knives had actually helped them blend in; she wondered what Lena's game was, to crash a Beagle Boy party. Lena was running around looking for people to prank and Webby edged closer to a conversation that Burger Beagle and Big Time were having.

"I'm telling you, next time we catch the Duck brats, we kill them first and then ransom them," Big Time scoffed. Webby prickled, her feathers standing on end. If she'd been a cat, her fur would've puffed up. There was no way they were talking about the Duck triplets-Huey, Dewey, and Louie. If they were, they'd be sorry.

"Don't you think Scrooge would be really pissed off at us?" Burger Beagle responded and Big Time sneered.

"Worry about it later. He won't pay the ransom anyway, so we might as well be done with the Duck brats," he rejoined.

"You're not touching them," Webby spat. She was surprised by the rage stirring in her chest at the thought of someone hurting them. She barely knew them; where was this coming from? It wasn't like she owed them anything, except, well, maybe she did. If it hadn't been for them, she'd still be in FOWL HQ. They'd brought her back to Duckburg, even if she wasn't sure whether that was a mixed blessing at best.

"And who are you to tell us anything?" Big Time retorted. "Who are you, anyway? You look like a Duck brat, but I'd know if they had a sister."

"They don't," Webby said flatly. "But they do now."

She raised Stabby threateningly and conversation died. Lena, in the middle of causing one of the clowns to trip over their own two feet, looked up at her. Ma Beagle was watching Webby with a predatory gaze that Webby didn't much like. She didn't scare her, but she was wary.

"Who are you to threaten my son?" Ma Beagle snapped.

"She didn't come alone," another Beagle Boy said and shoved Lena out and into the spotlight that was mounted onto the top of the trailer, which had swiveled to illuminate both girls. Lena looked at Webby quizzically; Webby caught it out of the corner of her eye, but her attention was dominated by Ma Beagle.

"He's threatening people I care about," Webby said, uncertain why her heart had begun thumping in her chest. Perhaps it had something to do with walking into a hornet's nest. She could handle herself in a fair fight and even an unfair one, but not one against so many enemies. She'd never fought this many people before. Perhaps she shouldn't have spoken up.

Ma Beagle examined her and snarled at her sons, "Bring her up here."

Webby whirled, unwilling to let anyone touch her, and fought off the first three that approached her. Someone chucked a throwing star at her, which she dodged. She couldn't keep track of everyone at once, however, and soon found herself tackled to the ground. Snarling like an angry cat, she reached for her knives. Her captor pinned her arms behind her back and she shoved her head back to slam into their nose. They yelped in pain, releasing her, and she spun about, searching for Lena. Unfortunately, Lena didn't have Webby's training. Within a minute, the Beagle Boys had captured the older teenager. With Webby, however, they were hesitant to approach. It looked like she'd broken her captor's nose.

"Little hellion," Ma Beagle commented. From her, it wasn't a compliment. "How about this. Either you surrender to me or I throw your little friend off the dock with weights attached and we'll see if she floats."

Reluctantly, Webby allowed the Beagle Boys to seize her. Lena shot her an apologetic look. Oddly, Webby wasn't upset with her. Even though this had been Lena's idea in the first place, she didn't hold her accountable for this. Villains were villains the world over. You couldn't predict them. Sometimes the best thing to do was to stay out of their way.

"Now…" Ma Beagle sized her up. "What do you think we ought to do to these hooligans?"

"Throw 'em in the sea anyway!" One of the Beagle Boys called. Webby's gaze met Lena's and they proceeded to ignore the suggestions. Lena curbstomped on her captor's feet at the same time that Webby kneed hers in the groin, slammed both fists onto his head, and then roundhouse kicked him into Ma Beagle. She bolted, only waiting for a second to ensure Lena was following her before they fled the scrapyard.

Streets blurred by as the girls ran until, after a lengthy race, Webby was fairly certain she'd lost them. Lena panted, hands on her knees, as they sat in the playground. Lena's little pink striped lock was fluttering up and down in the wind and Webby had a strong urge to flick it. She sat on her hands.

"You got some moves," Lena said, smiling after she'd caught her breath.

Webby clamped her beak down on telling Lena she was cute. It was hard, but at least she'd gotten better at not blurting things out. That was another lesson beaten into her. The thought of Black Heron erased what little joy she'd had and she scowled, looking away from her companion.

"Woah, woah. What's with the dark brooding hero, Batman?" she teased.

"Nothing," Webby said. Somehow, it didn't seem right to tell someone she'd just met that she'd killed someone. Everyone kept claiming it was self-defense, but there was a small part of Webby that was glad she'd done it. That kept replaying the moment the garotte had bitten into Black Heron's neck and the blood had spurted everywhere.

"No, seriously. You're kinda dark for a kid. I respect that."

"Good," she bit out and glanced over the town from atop the slide they rested upon. Duckburg was a lot bigger than she'd thought it was.

"So…bad past?"

She was prying without prying, which Webby respected. She glanced over at the other girl and her heart skipped a few beats again. Her beak tightened. Damn it, she desired to tell Lena how cute she was and how her hair fell in her face just right and the way her eyes sparkled made Webby's stomach erupt into butterflies. She caught herself before she leaned forward. What was she doing?

Honestly. The first few people to show any sort of decency toward her and she was developing unhealthy attachments to all of them. What did that say about her mental state?

"I was kidnapped when I was five and raised by my evil father," Webby said flatly, refusing to expound any further.

"I hear you. I have an evil aunt and man, she's always riding me."

"Really?" Webby turned to regard Lena. She hated the hope that sparked in her chest and self-loathing quickly squashed it.

"Yeah. It's a total pain."

They were silent for a minute and she felt Lena appraising her.

"What?" she asked. She'd never been alone with another girl close to her age before, not that she could remember. Was this weird jittery feeling normal? Who was she to tell what was normal and what wasn't, anyway?

Lena opened her beak and then shut it, shaking her head.

"What is it?" Webby asked, softer this time.

"You never really got the chance to be a kid, either, did you?"

"Being a kid is overrated," Webby scoffed. She fell onto her back and stared up at the stars. Having spent all her life in FOWL HQ, she'd never seen them before. The night sky was bright and the stars shone down on them.

There seemed to be something else Lena wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to speak it. The other girl's gaze was sympathetic and she reached out to touch Webby's shoulder. Webby jerked back, flinching at the sudden movement, and Lena frowned.

"You too, huh?" she whispered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Webby rejoined.

"Well, fine, if you wanna play that game…" Lena rolled her eyes. Leaves crunched behind them and Lena stood, surveying their surroundings. Webby sprang to her feet as well.

"What was that?" Lena whispered. A flashlight pierced the darkness. "They're still looking for us. Got a safe spot we can hide?"

"I thought you said you lived in the theatre," she retorted.

"I do, but it's a public space," she pointed out. "Anywhere that the Beagle Boys can't go?"

Webby glanced up at McDuck Manor in the distance. Did she really want to go back? On the other hand, did she want the entirety of the Beagle Boy family searching for her and Lena? She grimaced. Damned if you and damned if you don't.

"Yeah, I do," Webby admitted after a minute. Her pocket buzzed and she groaned. The phone Mrs. Beakley had given her was in her skirt pocket.

"I kinda snuck out," Webby admitted.

"Away from your evil father?" Lena asked.

"Not quite. My granny...it's a long story. But my dad's still out there. He's just not in Duckburg."

"That doesn't explain anything at all, but we're running out of time…"

The lights were getting perilously close to the slide where the girls were hiding and Webby's heart was in her throat.

"I'll explain later," Webby promised, though at present she had no intention of doing that. "Let's go."

They'd returned from SHUSH HQ to discover Webby missing. The boys searched high and low for her, as did the adults, but to no avail. Wherever she'd absconded, it was outside of this house. Mrs. Beakley bristled, simultaneously worried and irked. On the one hand, if Webby was all right, then she had some explaining to do. If, on the other hand, Steelbeak had pursued her here and somehow circumvented the McDuck Manor security, they had a real problem on their hands. Where would children go if they didn't want to be detected in Duckburg?

She posed this question to the boys. The problem, she discovered, was that Huey would have gone to the library and Dewey would have just tagged along, possibly heading to the theatre if not to the library with Huey. Louie, on the other hand, seemed to have a more viable suggestion.

"The abandoned theatre could work," he said. "Or the playground. I've seen kids hang out there at night...but that's a different crowd than the kids that are there during the day."

Nodding, taking this into account, she readied herself to bring Webby back, assuming Steelbeak's fingers weren't on this in some way.

"No offense, Mrs. Beakley," Huey said. "But if Webby ran away from the manor, she probably doesn't want to talk to you or Uncle Scrooge. It might be better if we go and talk to her instead."

Mrs. Beakley stiffened and then sighed. She'd barely had her granddaughter back for a day and already, she was fighting a losing battle. The next time, she'd do better. She wouldn't let Webby out of her sight unless she was with an adult she trusted.

"All right," she agreed reluctantly. "Find her. Bring her back. Please."

"She can handle herself," Louie said, offering Mrs. Beakley a smile. "It'll be fine, Mrs. B."

"And she trusts us," Dewey said. Mrs. Beakley's scowl deepened. Yes, she trusted them, inasmuch as she trusted anyone right now, which was very little.

Webby wasn't sure how she'd explain Lena as a tag-along or how she'd explain that the Beagle Boys were after them. Deciding she'd figure it out later, she headed for the manor with Lena behind her. They ran for a few blocks until they realized there was no pursuit. Lena frowned, glancing around.

"Is it me or did they all just disappear?" Lena asked. "Did they get distracted or…?"

"Probably distracted by their own shadows," Webby scoffed. Her throat was tight. "So, uh, like I said, I snuck out. I'm probably gonna have to ring the doorbell and hope they're not too upset with me. It's kinda the first day I'm home after they took me away from my father who kidnapped me...for five years."

"Screwed up family dynamic," Lena said sarcastically. "I have no idea what that's like."

An air rifle cracked near them and they jumped, Lena inching closer to Webby. Webby stiffened, hands on her blades.

"Do you really think knives are gonna work in a gunfight?" Lena hissed. "C'mon. We're sitting ducks out here."

"I know, I know," she said, not appreciating the reminder. She sought out high ground. Chances were the air rifle shot had come from above them. If they could scale the buildings near McDuck Manor, they might have the advantage.

Finally, she located a fire escape and ascended, offering Lena assistance when she had difficulty making the leap. They dashed up past apartments, and onto the roof. And right into the Beagle Boy holding the air rifle. Lena cursed softly. However, Webby didn't see the problem. The Beagle Boy was alone, trembling, likely frightened out of his mind, and barely knew which end of the rifle was up. Barring a lucky hit, he had no chance of threatening her.

She swept his feet out from under him, grabbed the gun when it fell, and pointed it at him. He fled, howling, into the night. Webby swallowed hard. They really needed to get back to the manor. Chances were that the others had returned home and had already sent search parties for her.

Her phone was vibrating again and she pulled it out of her pocket. She debated answering it. Mrs. Beakley's number flashed on the screen and Webby toggled the phone over to silent mode. She knew she was due for a lecture, but that didn't mean that she wanted to contend with one right now.

Remaining on the rooftops was impossible. Sooner or later, they'd have to return to the ground. She had no idea how many boys Ma Beagle had and she wasn't sure they could outrun all of them. They didn't have to-they just had to beat the ones chasing them to the manor. Webby frowned, hand on her hip sheath.

"Let's go," she said and shimmied down the fire escape back to the ground. She and Lena bolted through the streets and although Webby didn't hear pursuit, she sensed it by the pricking of her feathers. Though her phone was on silent, she sensed it continue to ring. Not looking where she was going, she crashed into a kid and huffed, raising the knife.

"Holy crap, why are you still running around with those?" Louie cried and Webby lowered her knife.

"Louie?" she said.

"Yes, it's me," he snapped. "Why is your first instinct to pull a knife on people?"

Webby slotted the knife back into its sheath and saw Dewey and Huey nearby. Now that they'd stopped, she could hear footsteps pounding the pavement behind them. Hissing, she grabbed Louie and Dewey and gestured for Lena to grab Huey.

"We pissed off the Beagle Boys," Webby explained as she yanked two of the triplets along. "And now they're coming after us."

"What, did you pull a knife on them too?" Louie asked. Upon seeing Webby's expression, he groaned. "You really have to stop doing that."

They weren't too far from the manor, thankfully. As soon as they crossed the grounds and eased in through the gate, she and Lena released the boys. The gates closed just as three Beagle Boys turned up and glowered at them. Lena blew them a raspberry.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous they are?" Huey said.

"They're not that dangerous," Lena scoffed. "They're small-time criminals."

With misgivings, she turned her back on them. They hadn't gotten too far into the house before encountering Scrooge and Mrs. Beakley. Lena sidled away, but before she could escape, Mrs. Beakley tugged her into the group.

"What did you think you were doing?" Mrs. Beakley demanded. "You're home not even a day and you sneak out? And who is this?"

"What's with the twenty questions? She went out to have a good time. Chill," Lena scoffed.

"No, I will not 'chill'," Mrs. Beakley snapped.

"You could have been hurt," Scrooge said to Webby. "You dinnae know what you're doing in Duckburg. You barely know how to get around the manor, let alone town!"

Webby balled her fists. Steelbeak had never cared what she did in her spare time, so long as she didn't pester anyone and stayed out of the way. She wasn't used to being cross-examined and having her motives questioned.

"I had to get out, okay?" she said. "I felt like the walls were closing in on me."

"Considering she spent the last six years behind walls, it's understandable," Huey said and she flashed him a grateful look.

"Be that as it may, you deliberately ignored my phone calls," Mrs. Beakley said. "You walked out without telling anyone where you were going and who knows what could have happened. I just got you back."

"I never said I wanted to be here," Webby said, sullen. Memories crowded in on her and threatened to overwhelm her again. She was five and she had her Quacker Patch doll. She was staring at a picture of her mother...but no, she'd never seen her mother. How could she have had a picture?

A headache threatened to brew between her temples and she groaned, clutching her head. Steelbeak had ordered her to suppress the memories. Why weren't they staying down? What was it about the manor that had stirred them up again?

"Are you okay?" Dewey asked.

"I don't belong here," Webby snapped.

"You don't belong with FOWL," Mrs. Beakley retorted. "You are my granddaughter, like it or not, and you are under my guardianship."

"Family drama. Sounds like a good time to check out," Lena said, heading for the door.

"And who have you brought with you?" Mrs. Beakley said, shooting Lena a warning glance.

"Her name's Lena," Webby said. "I met her at the abandoned theatre."

Mrs. Beakley huffed. "Be that as it may...we are continuing this conversation in private."

Then, before Webby had a chance to object, her grandmother steered her into the kitchen and shut the door. This was the first time she'd been alone with her grandmother since before her kidnapping. Anxiety rocketed through her and Mrs. Beakley seemed to deflate. She placed her hands on Webby's shoulders and Webby flinched, anticipating a blow that never fell.

"You need to be a kid, I get that," Mrs. Beakley said. "But could you not start by sneaking out of the house at night and scaring me half to death?"

"I told you I didn't want to be here."

"You said you remember me. And McDuck Manor."

"Steelbeak told me to suppress all of it because I was never coming back here."

Mrs. Beakley bristled and then pulled Webby into a tight hug. Webby hugged her back and discovered she was shaking. She was still rattled from the abrupt 180 her life had taken in the last few days. Maybe she was making poor decisions as a result. What of it? Her beak quivered too.

"He's never getting anywhere near you ever again."

Webby's stomach flip-flopped. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. For one thing, she wanted Steelbeak in her life, no mattethat he'd hurt her. Perhaps, in some way, she felt she deserved being punished for whatever transgressions she must have committed. She didn't repeat this to Mrs. Beakley. She had a feeling the logic would fall apart if she spoke it aloud.

"I'm glad you've made friends so soon, but...I don't want you wandering around Duckburg at night. If you're going to go somewhere, take the boys with you. Don't do that again. Do you hear me?"

Webby nodded and drew a deep, staggering breath. It felt good to be in her grandmother's arms. For the first time she could remember, she felt safe and secure. This contrasted with her need to be independent and aloof, both traits Steelbeak valued. Oh god, she was so confused.

"You might change your mind about staying here," Mrs. Beakley said. "Give us a chance."

Yet Webby knew she had no real choice. She couldn't return to Steelbeak, not unless she broke him out, and she didn't want to do that. In truth, she didn't know what she wanted anymore.