Half-sliding, half-running down the Audubon Bay Bridge, Gosalyn weighed her options.

She could jump onto the yacht as it sailed beneath the Bridge. Pro: she'd surprise the villains and be able to bargain with them face-to-face. Con: she might miss and fall in the water.

No.

Nope.

She wasn't willing to chance falling into the dark depths, the surface slipping away as she sunk lower and lower…

Shaking herself, she ran through other alternatives.

She could wait to see where they docked. Pro: she didn't have to worry about the water and could finalize her plan of attack more fully. Con: she'd have to wait so much longer to find out where they intended to go and then she'd have to play catch up once she realized where they'd be.

And she wasn't sure if she had enough energy for that.

All that running.

Just.

No.

There was always the use-a-megaphone-and-talk-to-them-from-afar method. Pro: she didn't have to worry about the water and she would still be able to talk with them without running after them. Con: the whole city would know about their negotiations and there was no telling who else would get involved. And it's super hard to hear what others are saying back to you in response when you're the only one with a megaphone.

It was these sorts of missions that made Gosalyn want her own airplane and a pilot. Or her own motorcycle. Or even her own car. She wasn't picky. But she'd never gone on missions by herself before. She'd always had Launchpad and her father alongside her. She'd never needed her own vehicles because she just used Darkwing's.

Except this time.

When she'd decided to go in by herself.

So, she had no one else to blame, really.

Which was the worst part of it all.

Focus.

Of her options, the first seemed the best. Even if it increased her chances of falling into the swirling darkness of the Bay.

On relatively sunny days like today, the waters were still dark and murky and you couldn't see to the bottom. Gosalyn knew how deep it was. How far down you could sink, gasping for the air that was long out of reach as you choked on the muddy water swirling down your throat and into your lungs as you coughed then coughed again…

Gosalyn heaved as she slowed to a halt on the bridge. Her hands came up to rest on her knees and she eyed the gently lapping water beneath her.

She was fine.

She wasn't underneath the waves.

She was above them. In the air. Breathing. Not coughing or choking or gasping…

But she did need to move. The yacht was approaching the bridge and she'd miss her window of opportunity to jump onto it soon.

Taking in another gulp of the readily-available oxygen, Gosalyn zeroed in on the section of bridge that would be the best place to jump from. Jogging, she kept an eye on the yacht as she dodged traffic, ignoring the screeching tires, honks, and shouts while she crossed the busy thoroughfare.

With how many times she'd nearly been hit by a car, it was a wonder why she didn't have a fear of getting pulverized by a careening hunk of metal on rubber tires.

But, no. It was water. Pools of water. Not, like, all water.

Focus.

Clearing the median, she jumped onto the hood of a Sudan before leaping onto the roof of a minivan. This side of the street was stopped dead, all the commuters going home after a long day at the office. She got a few more shouts and honks as she used the cars to cross the street like she was in a game of Frogger.

Seeing a semi truck near the edge of the bridge, Gosalyn came at it from the front, flashing the driver a grin as she used first his hood, then the roof of the cab to climb on top of the rectangular cargo in the back. Peering down into the Bay, the wind whipping her cape around behind her in what she hoped was a heroic way instead of a haphazard tangled way, Gosalyn caught sight of the boat's stern inching its way under the bridge.

Inhaling shakily, she removed her bow and quickly strung it, grabbing for her grappling hook arrow.

Just in case.

Because, otherwise, she'd never jump. Those waves lapping around the yacht as it cut through the water were enough to make her knees weak.

Another breath to steady her nerves, giving the boat more time to sail clear of the bridge, and Gosalyn jumped, twisting in the air to fire her arrow. The metal clanged onto the bridge's railing and she grabbed ahold of the rope, swinging down straight onto the deck.

Landing hard, Gosalyn rolled forward onto one knee. She nocked another arrow and pointed it at Quackerjack, who was currently steering the boat.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked, relishing in the surprise and shock splashing onto the villain's faces around her.

"Did you jump from the bridge?"

"How did you already know we were here?"

"Nah, there's a grappling hook and a rope hanging from the railing. That's how she got down."

"Still. She knew we were here."

"She always knows where we are."

"Yeah, in the Negaverse. It's just creepy that she knew we were here now."

"You know what's annoying?" Gosalyn asked as the Fearsome Three — Megavolt must still playing with the power plant — and the few other villains along for the ride argued amongst themselves. She fired her arrow, aiming just over Quackerjack's shoulder. It landed in the wood behind the toymaker, the high-pitched whistle sounding off as it made contact. All the villains covered their ears, faces pinching into pained expressions.

"When everyone talks like you aren't there," Gosalyn finished, her voice carrying over the whistle. Now," she said as the whistle died down and she nocked another arrow, "are you going to tell me what you're doing here or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

Quackerjack's eyes narrowed as he peered down at her from his perch, fingers twitching on the wheel.

"Just tell her, Quacky babe," Steelbeak said, massaging his ears. "My tinnitus can't take another one of dem whistle arrows. Did I tell you dat?" he said, turning and glaring at Gosalyn. "I got tinnitus from dat little explosion in the Negaverse when you and Negaduck cornered me."

"I didn't tell you to stand so close to your dynamite," Gosalyn said, shrugging. "I also didn't tell you to blow it up."

"I mean," Bushroot said, looking at Steelbeak, "she has a point."

"Oh, no!" Steelbeak said, throwing his hands in the air in his exasperation. "I am not gonna stand here and take dis abuse from all youse guys! Once we're off dis tiny little boat, I'm outta here."

"Tiny little boat?" Quackerjack steamed, his fiery gaze now locked onto Steelbeak. "This, my disgraced F.O.W.L. agent, is a state of the art yacht brought to you by my latest toy collection. It shrinks down to toy size for convenience and play time, but then becomes a full-sized yacht for those lazy weekends on the water or for a quick getaway."

"Order now for a limited time!" Liquidator's watery voice echoed around them. Clearly the watery villain was still in the Bay, helping to push the "toy" yacht along.

"And this one is called Seas the Day!" Bushroot added enthusiastically.

"I miss da perks of being a F.O.W.L. agent," Steelbeak said, running a hand along the railing and sneering at the grime he found collected on his finger tips. "Mostly da fancy vehicles and hotels they'd set us up with."

"Is that dirt?" asked Ammonia Pine, all but leaping towards the railing and scrubbing it down with her literal buckets of cleaning supplies she'd brought with her.

"I was a respected agent," Steelbeak lamented, stepping aside to allow Ammonia to go on her cleaning spree. "Not some schmuck floatin' along in a little toy yacht on a mission we ain't even sure is real…"

"Call my yacht tiny one more time," Quackerjack snarled, his free hand balling into a fist.

"For the love of…" Gosalyn fired another whistle arrow, all of the villains crying out and doubling over as they covered their ears again.

"Will you quit dat?!" Steelbeak raged, looming over Gosalyn after the whistle stopped its high-pitched whine.

"You chose the hard way!" Gosalyn said, standing up straight and thrusting her chin up at him.

"Again, she's right," Bushroot said.

"We ain't startin' this again." Steelbeak massaged his temples.

"I can do this all day," Gosalyn said, nocking another arrow. "I've got nowhere to be."

That was a lie. She'd have to break Negaduck out of jail at some point. Like she'd tell them that.

"We don't need to tell you anything," Quackerjack said peevishly, sneering down at Gosalyn.

"Yes." Gosalyn pulled back her arrow. "You do." She aimed over his shoulder again. Quackerjack's sneer darkened, the lines between his eyes and around his beak deepening. Gosalyn's fingers were about to release her third whistle arrow when Steelbeak stepped between them.

"We was summoned here," he said, his hands pushing Gosalyn's weapons down.

"Who summoned you?" she asked. She stepped back as Ammonia crawled in front of her, brush out, madly scrubbing the deck.

"It's being broadcast on all the TV channels in da Negaverse. Telling us dat the portal to St. Canard is open and the city is ready for the taking OW!" Steelbeak's fingers stroked the back of his head and leered up at Quackerjack who'd thrown a small tin soldier at him.

"Don't tell her everything!" Quackerjack cried.

"Tinnitus," Steelbeak said, pointing to his ear. "I ain't going through another one of dem whistle arrows again if I can help it. Not like you're doin' much good up dere yourself, pretendin' ta steer da yacht dat Liquidator is really steerin' from da water."

"Excuse me?" Quackerjack said.

Gosalyn sighed and brought up her bow and arrow again, ready to fire but Steelbeak pushed it back down.

"We came ta see if what was said was true."

"You forgot me in this plan," Gosalyn said, a hand going to her hip. "And Darkwing Duck. I'm sure he's on his way here to stop you."

He wasn't. Not like they needed to know that. In fact, there was a whole list of things these villains didn't need to know.

"Besides, won't Negaduck be upset that you all abandoned your assignments for this mysterious message?" Gosalyn asked raising an eyebrow.

"Negaduck?" boomed a new voice, the yacht suddenly swaying back and forth dangerously as something massive rose out of the water.

Gosalyn dropped her weapons immediately, reaching for the rail and hanging on for dear life. Water sloshed over the railings of the yacht, puddles splashing onto the deck.

This was bad. This was really really bad.

She'd sink to the bottom of the Bay all over again, this time with a yacht on top of her and drown. Gosalyn could practically taste the foul water. Her breath choked her as she gasped for as much air as she could before she was sent down to the bottom of the murky dark depths where she would never be able to breathe again…

"We haven't seen Negaduck in a week at least," said the booming voice, "Gave up on him, yes we did. And then there was this voice. This wonderful sickening dark voice coming from the television screens."

Speaking of voices, Gosalyn recognized that one. Focusing on its deep tones and playful lilts, she centered herself, trying to ignore the water still sloshing around the steadying yacht.

"So we followed this voice's instructions and now we're here! St. Canard is so much bigger than I remember and I'm so hungry…"

"Paddywhack!" Quackerjack screeched, trying to sound angry but Gosalyn caught the undertone of panic beneath his voice. "We'd appreciate it if we could get to the dock without getting capsized first!"

Yeah. Super appreciative. No capsizing. Please no capsizing.

Why hadn't she just run around to the docks and waited for them there? This whole jump-onto-the-yacht plan was not working out. She still had the rails in a vice-like grip and knew she wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

And then the name Quackerjack called out hit her.

Paddywhack.

The demon trickster duck who had almost spirited her away to whatever land he'd come from during their first meeting. During their second meeting, he had joined forces with Negduck and then ended up using Megavolt's tron-splitter to blast Negaduck into tiny microscopic pieces.

She'd never been clear on how Negaduck had come back from that, but Gosalyn could use his help right now. Why hadn't she broken him out of jail first? Met the villains at the dock with him at her side?

Why hadn't she just brought her father and Launchpad along? Come up with some plan of attack together and taken the villains down, Paddywhack and all?

And why oh why had she thought that jumping on a yacht in the middle of Audubon Bay had been her best option?

"You're far from home, little duckling," Paddywhack said, leaning down and looking at Gosalyn with a sickening grin on his face. She only had the strength to look up at him, her fingers having long since gone numb from clutching the railing tightly for so long.

"Oh, yes, yes," he said, his voice filled with glee. "That's it. Feed your fears. I'll be needing a little pick-me-up before I begin my feast on St. Canard."

Really wishing she hadn't picked the jumping-onto-the-yacht-with-no-backup plan.

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! I promise I'll make up for this short chapter later. Thanks for reading; I hope you're liking it!