Chapter 8
Coffee Lamp.
Negaduck walked through the aisles of toys, something for "Gosloid"... preferably heavy and quite difficult to move once it was set up in her room.
He weaved around the end of the aisle and found himself out of the kids section and into the barbecue set-up.
He looked around slowly, thinking about where to look next and spotted something up on a high shelf, a smile crossed his face, he'd found the perfect thing.
Gosalyn walked into the house with her usual spring in her step, heading for her room as usual, Negaduck's voice barked at her from the lounge room spinning her around on the fifth step. 'Hey!'
'Hello Dad.' She said skipping back down the stairs to him. 'How was your coffee with Gnat?'
He gazed at her for a moment. 'It went well.' He said bluntly.
'Oh that's good!' She said smiling at him brightly.
'Yeah whatever, kid.' He said rolling his eyes. 'I got you something.'
'Really?' Gosalyn asked in surprise.
'Yeah, it's in your room.'
'Keen Gear, thanks Dad!' Before she'd even thought about it she'd skipped forwards and given him a hug.
'Yuck! Get off!' She let go and caught a faint smile on his face that quickly turned to a scowl.
She smiled at him and headed for the stairs, it was little moments like that which made her feel loved, those few moments where he smiled at her and affection drifted out of his eyes, for a few moments he couldn't help but love her, it wasn't much to go on but somet hing made her just want to keep trying, those few moments were a window through to the real Negaduck, the more moments he had the more comfortable he'd become letting her be witness to it.
She couldn't help but hope that he and Gnat would be friends, her Dad wasn't really a guy who made friends, but finally someone had come along who was similar to him, she didn't like the fact that either of them were criminals but it was a start, he needed a friend, someone who he could talk to, share something with, Gnat was his competition, something he hadn't had before in the Negaverse.
Gosalyn opened her bedroom door and looked around, on her desk was the most beautiful lamp she'd ever seen, a ballerina holding the shade up above her head.
Gosalyn walked over to her desk and gazed at the lamp in awe, was it real? Her father had bought her something nice, something beautiful, what for? She looked around, she felt a tingle of doubt in her mind.
'Like it Gosloid?'
'I love it.' She said forcing the doubt out of her mind, he'd chosen it just for her, knowing her taste clashed with his own and despite that he'd bought it and taken it home for her. 'It's beautiful!' She said looking it over. 'It must've cost a fortune!'
She looked to him, expecting to see an evil smile on his face, a look that would tell her that he hadn't paid for it at all, but the look wasn't there, he wasn't smirking at her mention of the price, he shrugged. 'There's always more money where that came from.' He said, he turned slowly and stopped, casting a look back to Gosalyn Negaduck added. 'Just cos I got you a lamp doesn't mean I'm giving you permission to study, kid!'
Gosalyn smiled.
'I mean it! I'm sick of your straight A's and getting those letters praising your behaviour!'
She hung her head and sighed quietly to herself, some things never changed in this Nega-home.
'Get a B for once!'
He turned on his heel and marched off leaving Gosalyn to feel confused about the strange message she'd picked up from his last statement.
'Get a B for once...' She repeated as she shut her door and turned to look at her room. 'Get, a "B" for once.' One B and he'd be happy, Gosalyn frowned, one B wouldn't be so bad, not when it was something that her Dad would be happy with.
She picked up her school bag and opened it up, pulling out her assignment sheet and sitting down at her desk, she switched the lamp on and picked up a pencil. 'Okay, I suppose if I write a few wrong answers in this assignment I'll get a B for it.' She frowned and gazed at the lamp. 'But that's bad, if I don't do my best...' She shook her head. 'No, this is for Dad, if he can go against all of his badness to get me something nice, I can go against my first good instinct and do this for him.'
Nat walked out of the bank laughing, St Canard was such an interesting place to commit crimes in, she stopped laughing abruptly at seeing a familiar jester leaning on the hood of her Ferrari, her pistol came out and was snatched from her hand by a long leafy vine, Nat watched the vine contract back into the arm of the plant duck.
'Gnat...' Bushroot said stepping closer.
'Oh spare me the stupid "You're under arrest" line!'
'We're not here to arrest you.' Bushroot said.
'What really? Well in that case...' Nat turned to look at Quackerjack. 'Get off my car!' Quackerjack jumped off of the car quite alarmed.
Bushroot watched Quackerjack for a long moment then turned calmly back to Nat. 'Listen... you may be a family member of the Miami Mafia but even you should know that Negaduck isn't... safe to be around. Romantically or otherwise.'
Nat smirked. 'And you think I am?'
'This isn't about how criminal you are, Negaduck's... well...'
'Handsome? Successful? Dastardly destructive and devious?' Nat asked. 'Which one do you think is a minus, because to me it's all working for him.'
'Nothing works for him!' Bushroot snapped quickly. 'You're making a big mistake getting involved with him!'
Nat rolled her eyes. 'You'd know all about making mistakes wouldn't you Bushroot? After all, you're threatening me...'
'It's not a threat, it's a fact.'
'Ha!' Nat scoffed and stepped up to Bushroot. 'You do realise you're not the first to threaten me, right? And I assume you've asked around about me so have heard exactly what I do to vigilante's who decide to get in my way and threaten me?'
'Pete Hengist says "Hi" by the way.' Quackerjack said, Nat glared at him and pulled out her revolver and fired it at him.
Quackerjack jumped out of the way just in time and the bullet and it hit the lamppost, ricocheting into one of the store windows.
'Uh oh, someone's still upset about her undercover ex-boyfriend.' Quackerjack teased as he dodged another shot.
'Stick around and you'll see just how upset I am!'
Bushroot made a move to reach out a second time and take Nat's gun from her but the muzzle of a shotgun was pressed into his back prompting him to straighten in alarm, knowing who it was holding the gun Bushroot looked over his shoulder to see the look in Negaduck's eyes.
The familiar evil smile came slowly to Negaduck's face and he looked to Nat. 'These two bothering you, Darling?'
Nat looked to him full of anger and annoyance. 'Isn't it obvious they are?'
That was all the response Negaduck needed, cocking the barrel of his shotgun that was still pressed to Bushroot's back.
'Reggie!' Quackerjack made a move to pull something out of his clothes but Nat held up her revolver and cocked it again, pointing it at his face.
A freak tidal wave splashed down the pavement, knocking all four of them off of their feet, and leaving them soaked in puddles.
'Now everyone just cool off.' The watery hero gargled as he emerged up out of one of the puddles.
Nat stared at him for a moment and jumped to her feet. 'Yuck!' She said grabbing the hem of her skirt and wringing it. 'Did you have to do that?'
'Two out of three gun owners understand that gun warranty is null and void when the weapon has been submerged.'
'And what's the statistic's on wet money?' Nat said grabbing the bag and wrenching it open, lifting out a soggy pile of bills and glaring murder at the now uncomfortable hero. 'D'ya want to know how much you just destroyed?' Nat asked darkly.
Bushroot and Quackerjack took two steps away from the now upset Nat, Negaduck however walked over to her side and gazed from the wet money in Nat's hand to Liquidator.
'A hair dryer ought to fix it.' Liquidator suggested.
'A hair dryer!' Nat yelled. She forced the money into Negaduck's chest roughly and he obliged to take it from her. 'Sixteen thousand in small bills and you're telling me to dry it all with a hair dryer!'
Liquidator frowned and glanced from Bushroot to Quackerjack and made a retreat into the nearest storm drain as the others disappeared down the street.
Nat stood seething for a long moment before turning and marching to the boot of her car and opening it.
Negaduck turned to her, holding the bag of money and looking curious about if she was just going to leave him with it.
Nat unzipped a bag and took out two towels, using one to try and dry her clothes she slammed the boot lid down and walked back over to Negaduck, handing him the spare towel. 'Thanks.'
He shrugged. 'What was that about again?'
'You.'
'Oh...' He gazed at her for a moment and wrung his hat out onto the pavement. 'Don't they like the idea of us?'
'No they don't...' Nat smiled at him. 'Hard to say why.'
A trace of what it was crossed his face but slipped underneath a smile he brought out just for the public around them. 'Well I guess I chose a good time to buy chainsaw fuel.'
Nat smiled and looked away, shaking her head. 'Convenient, I suppose.' Her gaze returned to the bag of money and she scowled. 'Idiotic...' She gritted her teeth and looked up to see Negaduck wearing an expression of annoyance and guessed he disliked the idea of useless money just as much as she did. 'Need a lift Negs?'
'Not too much trouble?'
'Since my stop here didn't really get me anywhere, I might as well give you a ride.' She turned and walked around the car, inspecting the wheels intently for any indication they'd been tampered with. She opened the car door and slipped in.
A moment later Negaduck slipped into the passengers seat and Nat started the engine.
'Hate to pry...' Negaduck said looking to Nat.
'Yes, what?'
'Why'd you have these packed in the boot?'
Nat rolled her eyes. 'Haven't you ever moved before?'
He rose an eyebrow. 'You're leaving?'
'Just to a new hangout.' She said casually. 'I don't particularly like people knowing where to find me.'
'Security?'
'I suppose you could class it as that.'
He looked at her for a long moment. 'Something to do with that Pete guy?'
Nat slammed her foot down on the brake and glared at Negaduck. 'No.' She growled.
He put the towel around the bag of money and put it on the floor. 'Long story?'
'What don't you have history?'
He looked to her. 'Occasionally it comes back to haunt me.' He admitted. 'But I don't think my history is quite like yours.'
'You're asking for it you know.'
'Worried I'll use it against you?'
'I doubt you could.'
'Well?'
Nat looked to him. 'I need coffee.'
Negaduck leant against the wall of the Starducks waiting for Nat to come out with their coffee's, he looked around the footpath and then looked back to the Ferrari, it was by far the only thing Nat cared about keeping immaculate, not a chip or dent on the paintwork, the inside just like brand new, almost to an excessive level, almost as if she was carrying on the care of the car for someone.
He tapped his foot impatiently and the door opened, a coffee was held out to him and he looked to Gnat.
'Double espresso, no sugar.'
He smirked and took the cup. 'And you're drinking?'
'The same.' She said casually, taking a sip from the cup.
Negaduck sipped at his and waited a few moments before turning his attention to Gnat again. 'So... Pete is?'
'One big, stupid mistake.' She said walking over to the Ferrari and pulling a rag out of her pocket she rubbed the finger prints from the bonnet.
'Obviously.' Negaduck said stepping away from the wall. Gnat turned to him with a dark glare. 'Since you're so upset about it.'
'Ex-boyfriend, who was actually only going out with me to get the opportunity to arrest me.'
'And that's why you're so upset?'
Gnat looked away and took a large gulp of her coffee. 'He was the only guy I've been out with that I actually liked.'
'Aww...' Negaduck said putting on a hurt tone. 'And here I thought we had something.'
She scowled as she looked back to him. 'Never again.' She growled.
Negaduck rose an eyebrow. 'Does it look like I'm an undercover cop?'
'Doesn't matter...'
He stepped up to her. 'Am I an honest Duck?' He asked, putting his coffee down on the bonnet of the car, he took Gnat's waist and pulled her to him so he could whisper to her. 'I'm Negaduck, I am the worst that there ever was, or will be.'
'Let me go!'
'You had your chance.'
Her eyes narrowed on his. 'Negaduck we're drawing a crowd.'
He glanced around, sure enough there was a crowd appearing, the majority holding coffee cups.
'Problem?' Negaduck growled looking around with a glare.
Several people stepped back from him and Negaduck straightened letting Gnat go he turned, raising his eyebrow. 'I guess there is.' He launched into the air pulling out his chainsaw, Gnat shrunk up against the car and watched Negaduck send the crowd running away, some unlucky people taking the chainsawing.
People were screaming and running. Negaduck looked around and then turned to Gnat, his chainsaw still growling in his hands, blood staining the chainsaw and spitting out onto his jacket.
Gnat gazed at him blankly for a long moment then reached down beside her and picked up the coffee cup from the bonnet. 'Negs...' She said sternly. 'You're coffee's getting cold. Can't massacring the city dwellers wait until you've finished having your coffee?'
He smiled and took his chainsaw in one hand and walked back over to Gnat, taking his coffee from her hand and taking a large gulp of it.
'Thanks for proving it to me.' She said calmly. 'You're no Pete Hengist.'
'Undercover Cops, don't drink on the job and don't rob banks.'
'And don't kill people with chainsaws.' She said and drank her coffee throwing the empty cup aside.
He smiled and looked around casually. 'You doubted me till then?'
'I wasn't sure.' She said with a shrug. 'And nothing really proves it like that did.'
He rose an eyebrow. 'And?' He stepped up to her. 'You're satisfied with that, or do I need to do more?'
'Oh it'll do me.' She said with a smile. 'Will it do you?'
He scowled. 'I had control over these idiots.' He turned and glared around. 'Every one of them...' He clenched his teeth. 'I was in charge!' He took his chainsaw in both hands, gazing at the bloodied teeth. 'Until he showed up and ruined it!'
Gnat stepped up to him and taking hold of his arm said calmly. 'Well, that just means you get to have all that fun again.'
He jerked his arm from her grip and stalked to the door of the Starducks. Sure it'll be fun, but an awful lot of work.
'And you could always get revenge later.'
'Later...' He turned to look at her. 'How later is that to you? This Pete guy's still in one piece.'
She sighed and walked past him into the shop. 'That's one thing I need to talk to my family about.'
Negduck gazed after her for a moment and stepped into the shop after her, those losers were worried about "them", which meant that "them" had to happen.
A/n: Gasp... this is going to go on forever if I don't break this into two chapters!
