Chapter 7

Dinner with Dad.

Lucy walked up the road, her skipping school to watch a movie had turned into a job interview, and she was now late. Lying to either of her parents was a dangerous thing to do if they found out the truth... she shivered and headed inside.

'There you are, what kept you?' Nat said the moment she walked in the door.

'Detention.' Lucy grumbled.

Nat rolled her eyes. 'What'd you do this time?'

Lucy shrugged. 'The teacher has a problem with me.'

Nat frowned. 'Have you tried to fit in?'

'Why should I?'

'Because we're here because of your Nega-attitude problem.'

'I think I'm starting to like it here.' Lucy admitted.

'Really?' Nat looked amazed. 'Why?'

'Because it's so easy to misbehave.' Lucy said with a smile.

Nat scowled. 'In that case I'll apply this universes punishments and send you to your room without dinner.'

'Fine with me.' Lucy said turning. 'Night.' And she walked away.


Nat felt nervous, the ease in which Lucy had taken the punishment was enough to get her suspicious, Lucy was up to something.

It was rare to see the little girl so happy unless she was doing something really bad.

Nat went to the door of Lucy's room and listened for a sound, the room was dead silent. Nat opened the door and saw Lucy scribbling out her homework.

Lucy looked around 'Yes?'

'What are you up to?'

'I'm not up to anything.'

'Right... so why the sudden ease?'

'I had a good day.' Lucy said.

'Sure...'

'I did.'

Nat eyed her warily for a moment.

'Where's Dad anyway?'

'He took the car.'

Lucy smiled. 'Is it coming back in one piece?'

'It'd better.' Nat grumbled.

Lucy shook her head and went back to her homework.

'So, what are you doing?' Nat asked coming over and looking at the papers on the desk.

'It's my essay, that was due in on Friday.' Lucy said with a smile.

Nat rolled her eyes. 'Good luck with that then kid.' She ruffled Lucy's hair and headed out the door.


Lucy flicked the hallway light off and went into the lounge-room, Nat was watching TV and Lucy rolled her eyes as she turned. 'He's still out.' Nat said.

'Yeah, I guessed as such.'

'You're still grounded, remember.'

'Yes, I remember, Dad grounded me.'

'And I did too.' Nat glared at her.

Lucy shrugged. 'Yeah, does he know that yet?'

'Not yet, now, go back to your room.' Nat stood and came over. 'You're grounded grounded, you're staying in your room and you're going to clean it!'

Lucy looked at her and raised an eyebrow. 'Yeah right.'

'Now!' Nat pointed down the hallway.

'No.' Lucy said simply folding her arms.

The door opened and in came Negaduck, Lucy and Nat looked to him and he raised an eyebrow at their argument.

Nat looked back to Lucy. 'Now Lucy!'

Lucy shook her head. 'No.'

Negaduck looked from one to the other and rolled his eyes. 'I'm-'

'Back me up here Negs!' Nat snapped at him.

'Oh sure, drag him into this!' Lucy scolded.

Nat glared at Negaduck and he shrugged. 'Whatever... Lucy don't go making her have to get me involved.'

Lucy looked at him and shook her head unimpressed that he had backed Nat up so easily, she spun around on her heel and left the room.

'Oh you're so eloquent Negs.' Nat mocked.

'Hey!' Lucy flinched and ran into her room slamming the door shut.

She shivered for a second forcing away her instinctual fear at the tone he'd used and looked around her room, clean it? She heard their raised voices and went over to her CD player, so she couldn't talk to him tonight, not now anyway. She scowled and switched on her radio, of all the times for Nat to decide to get into a fight with him again.

"Good evening to our out of town listeners, this is Canard radio live. Bringing you the hits of today, and tonight's topic is... 'Spooky stories.' Yep, ring up and tell us your Spoooooky Story, and the best one every hour will win a prize, from a gift voucher at discounts-r-us, to a CD album, even cash prizes. I've got chills... So call up and tell us your story."

Lucy smiled and thought about it, she picked up the phone and turned down the radio as she dialled in the number.


Negaduck watched as Nat stormed off into their room, he sighed and looked down at his chainsaw. He blinked as he suddenly realised what he'd just seen, he looked at the phone again and came over, the "engaged" light was flashing, Nat had only just left, he took a deep breath and spun around, heading down the hallway to work out who Lucy was calling.

As he reached her door he could hear her talking, he listened and picked up the conversation, he raised an eyebrow, it was a ghost story.

'...Standing all around her were transparent people. Men and women, all looking at her with glowing red eyes.

They came towards her and she ran again, straight through one of them and out of a window, suddenly her concern wasn't the ghosts any more, but the soldiers who were outside waiting for her.

The ghosts were nothing more than their latest weapon... and she was caught.'

Negaduck blinked. And looked around, no wonder Nat was so different now, after that horror story capture by S.H.U.S.H... he shook his head and opened the door giving her a gesture to speed up the phone-call.

'Yeah? I win you say? It's only been five minutes or so... hmm... hang on a sec I'll ask my Dad.' She put her hand over the mic. 'Gift voucher for Discounts-r-us or cash prize?'

He smiled and rolled his eyes. 'Go the voucher, Discounts-r-us has good stuff.'

She nodded and put the phone back to her ear. 'Gift voucher thanks.'


Lucy smiled and put the phone on the hook. 'Ghost story night.' She said calmly relaxing on her bed. Negaduck rolled his eyes and turned. Lucy looked at him and sat up. 'Dad...'

He looked to her, and she tried to gauge his reaction to what she wanted to say. After a moment he scowled. 'What kid? I haven't got all night you know.'

Lucy's brow furrowed. 'But you just got back.' She said simply. 'You never go out twice unless it's Fearsome business.'

He half smiled at that. 'You pay that much attention, eh?'

She shrugged.

'And no, you can't come.' He said giving her a point. 'Those idiots don't know about you and that's the way I like it.'

'What you think they'll try something?' She rolled her eyes. 'No...' She stood and glared at him 'You don't want them to know so they don't mock you about it.'

He shrugged. 'I've got an image to maintain.' He said simply.

She shook her head, sharp needles of hurt jabbing at her insides, she forced it all back, Negaverse remember... you're from the Negaverse. Criminals don't cry.

'So what'd you want?'

'Nothing.' She said bitterly, she folded her arms and looked away.

'Right.' He turned again and left.

Lucy smiled to herself, cor he's thick at times. She shut her door again and looked around her room, 'Right, time to...' The word choked in her throat. 'Clean.'


Negaduck stopped in the hallway, maybe the kid had something to say, but she'd just turned into an emotional wreckage on him, later then, if it was important she'd bring it up later.

He stepped into the lounge-room looking across to the shut bedroom door, he looked around to Lucy's now shut bedroom door.

He screwed up his face, little wonder why he didn't want the guys to know about this... those two were impossible.

He gauged for a moment what the Fours reaction would be to finding out that he had a daughter... they'd be stumbling over Nat mostly, it wasn't the Dad part he didn't want them to know, it was the whole situation with Nat.

He scratched his head, he was better off single, things made more sense that way, the saga was weird and he continuously tried to get his head around it... it didn't work.

The kid was enough terror to be believably his, but the fact he was still with Nat... that he now had a "Home, Hearth and Family" they'd be questioning him to the end of time, and if he did tell them that he and Nat had happened solely because of her being his major competition in the Negaverse... He could hear it now, Megavolt's droning voice mocking him about him getting into a relationship to get rid of his competition, and Quackerjack... His face screwed up and he stalked to the doorway to get out of this place, he couldn't get rid of the demented toy-maker's Mr Banana-Brain voice saying that "Doctor Slug was next".

He growled angry with himself, angry with the world, angry with that demented toy! He checked his chainsaw and flame-thrower, both had enough juice to pick him up.

He hopped onto his bike and took to the road.

He glanced back when he reached the peek, the only light of the house that could be seen was in Lucy's bedroom, he looked away, try as he might, his anger wouldn't reach to her right now, he tried making that annoy him, no, it forced everything else away trying to get mad at her. He shook his head and leant in on the bike, now that he was clearing up in his confusion he had to wonder what she had wanted to talk to him about.


Lucy threw herself down on her bed. 'That's as clean as I can get.' She looked around, the floor was empty and her things were haphazardly stacked on her desk, in the drawers and in the cupboard.

The door opened and Nat stepped in, she looked around and nodded, she turned and left leaving the door open.

Lucy scowled, why did her parents insist on doing that to her? She sat up and sniffed, something that smelt a lot like food drifted in through the open door.

Lucy's stomach grumbled in response and she collapsed back down on her bed growling to herself. 'Don't.'

The smell continued to waft in and Lucy hopped off of her bed and came over to the door, she shut it and turned to the room... Nat was tormenting her. Her stomach growled again and she looked around the room, she went over to the window and opened it.

She looked out and tried to let the fresh air wipe away her hunger, no such luck, her stomach growled again.

She scowled to herself and caught sight of something that made her night.

She slipped out of the window and grabbed hold of the guttering, she moved carefully along the gutter supporting her entire weight with her hands, finally she made it to the other side of the house and dropped down, the drop from the roof to the road made her entire body shake, she ignored the pain in her feet and crept along the road to the neighbours house.

Their car was parked outside, how could they be so thick? Negaduck lived next door and they'd parked their car outside? She pulled out a bobby-pin from her hair and opened it up, she started picking the lock.


He stopped at the service station and tried to calm himself down, the angry confusion continued.

Well he'd got to the station, he stalked in and got himself something to eat.


Lucy was too hungry to enjoy the thrill of sneaking out, having hot-wired the car easily she was now on the road wracking her brain for somewhere to eat.

She pulled into the petrol station and opened the petrol tank, little wonder why they'd left their car out, it was running on empty.

She went inside to pay and quickly ducked out again, hiding behind the gas tanks, did he see her?


Negaduck choked and stood quickly, rushing after the little brat. He looked around and headed over to the gas tanks. 'Explain yourself kid.' He growled at her.

'I'm hungry.' She said quietly, cowering against the wall. 'I swear, I only came out to get something to eat.'

He rose an eyebrow as her stomach backed up her statement, he looked to the car. 'They left it out?'

She nodded.

He looked to her and grabbed her arm pulling her out from the gap she'd hidden in, he brushed off a stay spider from her back. 'You filled it up?'

'Only a tenner.'

Enough to get back. He shrugged and turned. 'Come on then kid, you'd better eat something.'

She smiled at him and he led the way inside.


He watched her eat, quite disturbed, how long hadn't she eaten for? He shook his head and ate the remains of his hamburger.

She reached for her drink and gulped it down. 'Am I in trouble?' She asked finally.

He looked at her. 'Nah.' He said with a shrug. 'She was the idiot that sent you to your room without dinner, she can punish you.' He said leaning back in his chair casually.

Lucy scowled. 'She made me clean my room too.'

He rose an eyebrow. 'What'd you do this time?'

'Detention.'

'That's it? You always get detention.'

'I got back late.'

'Eat up kid.' She turned to the chips and started eating again. 'I'd be concerned if you didn't get detention.' She looked at him. 'You'd be up to something.' He looked her over. 'So... What movie was it?'

'Huh?'

'That you went and saw instead of going to school.'

She shrugged. 'I didn't see any movie.'

'Right...' He could tell she wasn't lying now. 'So what did you do all day?'

'I...' She looked around. 'Uh...'

'Well?'

She shrugged. 'I wanted to see the movie. But well, I didn't get to.'

'Really? What happened?'

'Some weasels showed up.'

He blinked. 'Okay... weasels...'

'Yeah.' She started eating again.

'Who're they working for?'

'Mith Co.'

Negaduck straightened. 'What're that lot on you for?' He wondered.

'What are they a bad lot?'

'Nah, not really.' He said looking at her calculating the reasons. 'They target bigger criminals.'

'Target...' She looked up at him confused, suddenly she perked up. 'Aw... thanks Dad.'

He rose an eyebrow. 'You ain't big time kid, but you aren't a law abiding citizen either.'

'I am in the Negaverse.'

He smiled and shook his head. 'Debatable.' He leant back and observed her. 'Did you teach them a lesson?'

She smiled at him. 'Of course.'

He nodded and picked up his drink. 'That's my girl.'

'So who are they?'

'Mith Co?' She nodded. 'Essentially their enforcers of the criminal code.'

'There's a code?'

'When you're big time yeah. You've got a lot to learn kid.'

'Well?'

He considered her. 'It's basically the obvious things that the insane don't see.' He started counting them off on his fingers. 'Don't try for world domination if you're not ready for it, don't destroy the world... Not every bank can be robbed-'

'What?'

He looked at her. '-all of the time.' he finished. 'You know, you have those days when a bank's security is really tight.'

'But you...'

'Hey, are you in my head? Do you know the processes I go through to work out where I'm going to hit?'

'No... But allot of the time you just do it on a whim.'

He glared at her for a moment. 'Yeah, and Daddy's whim does have it's moments where it gets him caught.'

She frowned.

'Anyway. Mith only go after people who are heading for ruining things.' He looked her over. 'I figured you were a terror, but that's a bit much.'

She shrugged. 'Guess they don't want me to get the chance.'

'Yeah...' He considered her. She finished her drink. 'The question is... do I trust you to drive yourself home?'

She smiled sweetly. 'I'm not going to cross you, Dad.'

'You say that...' He thought for a moment and scowled as the stupid doll popped up in his head again. 'Yeah... I guess I have to trust you.'

'Is it that hard Dad?'

'Don't you start, I get it enough from your mother.' She nodded and he stood. 'Now, you get home and back to your room, you've got school tomorrow.'

She nodded. 'Yes Dad.'

'And you're actually going tomorrow.' He added as he walked past her and out into the night, if she had the nerve not to then he couldn't care, it was just something he was expected to say as a parent.

He hopped onto his bike feeling numb again, he started the bike and took off heading to St Canard, he had things to do anyway.


Lucy slipped back into the drivers seat and started the engine, she pulled out of the station and contemplated not going home, no, Negaduck would find out, she didn't know how he would, but he would.

She headed back, now wondering how she was going to get back into her room without Nat noticing.

Parking the car where she had taken it from she walked back to the house, contemplating the ways she could get back in.

She pulled the wheelie-bin around and hopped up onto it, she jumped up and grabbed the gutter, she shimmied around the corner with difficulty and finally she made it back to her window.

She swung in and knocked over one of the precarious piles of boxes as she passed it, the contents spewed onto the floor and showered her, she got to her hands and knees amazed at how she had managed right until that point, she shook the toys off of her back and sat up looking around.

The door opened and Nat took a picture with the camera. 'priceless moments.' She said putting the camera away. 'You learning how to stack things correctly.'

'Not funny.' Lucy snapped getting up.

'What were you doing on the floor?'

'I fell over.'

Nat smiled more. 'Look at you, telling the truth, did it hurt?'

'A little.'

Nat shook her head. 'Clean your room kid.'

'Oh come on. It was clean!'

'Yes and now it's a mess again. Clean it.'

Lucy bent down picking up a toy and grumbled unhappily about it.

'You'll get there kid.' Nat said she turned and shut the door.

Lucy scowled at the injustice of being forced to clean her room twice, but then again it did stop Nat from asking too many questions, she weighed it up and decided it was better this way.


A/n: Isn't it weird how something that only took me a few hours to dream is taking me months to write?