A/N: There is some very strong language in this chapter. It's the reason the story ended up with the higher rating.

As if getting broken out of jail by his mortal enemy wasn't stressful enough, police cars barreled down the streets of St. Canard, their tires squealing as they took tight turns, their sirens screaming in protest. It wasn't helping that he and the police were all headed to the St. Canard docks; he couldn't just turn tail and slink off in the opposite direction. He had to be sneaky about it. Take streets and alleyways he was sure the police wouldn't wander down. Duck into stores and restaurants so they wouldn't see him.

Negaduck was grateful to see only police cars blazing down the streets and not hoards of ambulances. Because that meant the threat hadn't been contained. That the officials hadn't had to call for clean up services yet.

Which meant the fight was still going on.

And that proved that Gosalyn was still in the fray. That was mostly good: she hadn't been beaten. But it was also bad: she hadn't won.

But Negaduck wasn't worried. He wasn't.

Upon arriving at the docks, with police cars lining the edges of the warehouses and fishing markets in their feeble attempt to create a perimeter, Negaduck knew he'd just missed the action.

Paddywhack, larger than life, was looming in the Bay. Some of the Negaverse villains bobbed in the waves around Paddywhack's ankles next to a swaying boat. The large demonic duck looked like a child in a bathtub, splashing around and laughing at the other villains as he created tidal waves and small whirlpools.

There was one person Negaduck didn't see, though. The one he'd expressly come looking for. He was, in part, relieved to not see her as one of Paddywhack's watery victims. But another part of him was starting to panic.

And there was no denying it now, this was panic clawing its way out of the pit of his stomach and creeping up into his chest.

Because if she wasn't here, then where was she? His eyes scanned the waters and picked up nothing close to flame red hair or purple cape. No quiver. No arrows soaring through the air as she tried to take down the villains

Trying to swallow his manic heart where it was choking him in his throat, Negaduck continued to scan the Bay. Because if he didn't see her, and if the villains were distracted by one another instead of by a hero, then she'd either escaped or been…

No. He didn't even want to think that.

But it had happened before. A few years ago with Quackerjack's toy teeth clamped down to her cape, dragging her down into the darkened depths of Audubon Bay. Negaduck had had the benefit of seeing where she'd fallen into the water last time. But now. Now that he had just come into the fray and hadn't seen the fight at all, he had no idea where she'd be. If she was under the water again — and oh, god, say that wasn't it — he had no parameters set. Audubon Bay stretched along all of St. Canard. He'd have to search all of it for one girl and there was no way he'd make it. Not this time. He'd be too late.

It wasn't until he caught sight of Gosalyn, swimming desperately for the shore that he realized he'd been breathing erratically, practically gasping in shallow breaths. Relief coursing through him, Negaduck worked on steadying his breathing as he watched her swim to safety towards a small embankment between the docks and the warehouses.

He briefly wondered what she was going through now, having been tossed around in the Bay that had given her PTSD, and a shaking gasping Gosalyn came to mind. The one that jolted awake from nightmares, eyes blown wide and roving around the room for anything to convince her she wasn't beneath the waves.

But now she was actually there. In the waves. And she'd probably gone beneath them.

The thought of her going into a panic attack spurred him into motion. He neatly navigated the back alleys around the warehouses and easily evaded the police perimeter. They were all distracted by the larger than life Paddywhack; they weren't going to concern themselves with little ol' Negaduck right now.

He managed to find a decent hiding place in between two warehouses and he hunkered down, eyes still trained on Gosalyn who had managed to crawl up onto land. If one of his cronies even looked in her direction…

His thoughts abruptly stopped when he noticed her trembling, arms digging into the mud as she army crawled up the bank. It didn't escape his notice that she jolted every time she put too much pressure on her right hip. How she wasn't using her left leg at all; it was just dragging behind her.

Negaduck and Gosalyn had been partners for a few years. He'd seen her get injured before. Hell, a few times, he'd been the reason she'd gotten injured. Each time she was hurt, no matter if she was just scratched or had only a small bruise, it left him feeling hollow. Empty. Helpless. So Negaduck, not having any interest in rationalizing what happened, or what he was feeling, always turned to violence to make sense of the world again.

And this time.

This time he had targets for his malice.

This time he was taking no prisoners.

Stiffening, he glanced over to Paddywhack and the other villains. A growl unleashed itself from somewhere deep in his throat and he grabbed for his book of matches and his canister of kerosene, both carefully tucked away in his cape. Gripping them both, he took one last look at Gosalyn before darting out of his hiding place and down the docks.

He didn't care about the police. He didn't care if he was told to stop, or shot at, or anything. This wasn't about him.

Sprinting down the pier that was closest to Gosalyn, he came to a stop where he was more or less directly over her. He sprinkled kerosene in a circle around her, his anger growing when she didn't even realize it was happening. She was soaked through the feathers, not even noticing that liquid was falling around her. Curled up in the fetal position, Gosalyn's breathing was erratic.

Oh, those losers were going to pay.

He bit back another growl, striking a match and carefully dropping it on the ring of kerosene, pleased when it immediately caught. A wall of flames roared to life around Gosalyn, effectively shielding her from any other prying eyes and sending out a clear message to any other villains in the vicinity. She was off limits.

Fire was Negaduck's signature. Ashes were the proof of his visit. Flames signaled his entry. And anyone stuck inside a ring of fire had been given a death sentence.

Except for Gosalyn. She was the exception to all of his rules. As she came down from the panic attack, Negaduck hoped she'd remember that fire, for her and for her only, meant safety.

The sudden flames also signaled the villains in the Bay.

Paddywhack glanced over with some interest, his grin growing at the idea of another disaster sucking the life out of St. Canard. But when he saw the precision of the blaze, how it was a perfect circle, his expression fell. The others, still splashing around in the water, yelling at one another, fell deathly silent. Liquidator's head materialized out of the Bay's waves and Negaduck didn't bother withholding the snarl that tore out of his beak with a vengeance. He stalked back down the pier, his hands balling into fists, fingers gripped tightly around his matches and his canister of kerosene.

The stillness, where there had previously been chaos, only fueled Negaduck's ire as he walked down the docks towards the small hoard of villains. He struck another match as he prowled down another pier, this one close to the pathetic little group.

Looking up at Paddywhack, Negaduck snarled, "I warned you. One unplanned death or crime and you can say goodbye to your box. But I'll settle for this," Negaduck flicked the lit match up towards Paddywhack, "in the meantime."

The villain flinched when he saw the small flame flying towards his beak, Negaduck taking that reaction alone as a small victory. But he wasn't done there. Spraying kerosene up, Negaduck grinned maniacally when the liquid stained Paddywhack's black and white costume. It quickly ignited as the lit match fell and Paddywhack yelped, fanning the flames that had erupted on his chest. He shrank down to regular size, using the Bay's murky waters to douse the blaze.

Negaduck glanced around at the others still bobbing in the water, took in their terror-filled expressions, and felt some satisfaction. He was still the boss.

"On the boat," he barked.

"Technically, it's a yacht…" Quackerjack snapped his beak shut at Negaduck's dark look.

"Now," Negaduck growled.

It was a testament to how terrifying he was that each of them — including Paddywhack — scrambled towards the yacht without even a second of hesitation.

"How are we supposed ta… Get up dere?" Steelbeak asked, looking back towards Negaduck as he bobbed next to the yacht.

"You'd better figure something out," Negaduck said unhelpfully, fingering the book of matches. Steelbeak caught the action and began trying to scale the smooth painted wood, each attempt sending him splashing back under the waves.

"Paddywhack, you sent us into the Bay. You should get us out of it," Bushroot mentioned. Paddywhack whimpered, a hand coming up to gingerly trace his scalded chest. He would be of no help.

"There's a button… just…" Quackerjack felt on the underside of the yacht only to dive underneath the water. A second later, the yacht shrunk down to toy size as Quackerjack reemerged, shaking his head like a dog.

Negaduck rolled his eyes. Of course it was a toy. He crossed his arms and heard Steelbeak hiss, "Nice goin' genius."

"Just grab onto the side," Quackerjack said, his tone biting. Everyone did as Quackerjack instructed, but found it difficult for six adults to get a good grip on a toy boat. Quackerjack pushed the button again, the yacht reverting back to its larger size. All the villains scrambled for purchase as they were shot up into the air, flopping over onto the deck with complaints and grunts.

Negaduck watched calmly, which was impressive. Because he was seething inside. And by the way his minions were cowering on the yacht, trying to look presentable by squeezing out water from their costumes, straightening their posture, tucking their hands into pockets or behind their backs, they knew it.

He beckoned them over and, after some unsure glances, Quackerjack climbed up to the helm, steering the boat over to the pier. Everyone's faces lost more and more color the closer the yacht came; by the time Negaduck climbed aboard, the picture of composure, he was sure they could all pass as ghosts.

"I take it you've finished your fun," he intoned.

"Dat was not my idea of fun," Steelbeak assured, looking back at Paddywhack with a dark expression. "My suit might as well be garbage now."

"Not everything is about clothes," Bushroot mentioned.

"You've clearly never owned a Quackmani." Steelbeak straightened his damp collar.

"Well, it doesn't matter now! We're all filthy!" Quackerjack interjected.

"Filth! Dirt!" Ammonia started running around the deck, searching for her cleaning supplies.

In her panic, she slipped on Liquidator who cried out, "Easy!"

Negaduck sighed and located one of the two remaining guns in his cape. Pulling it out, he caressed the metal until he got the quiet he was waiting for. It came faster than he'd thought. Probably because he was acting so calm; his inferiors were used to him raging.

The old Negaduck they could predict.

But new was dangerous. The unknown is always so much more terrifying. And right now, Negaduck was nothing but a big question mark for all of them.

Negaduck squared his shoulders and looked at each of the villains before him. "I trapped that pathetic excuse of a hero," he motioned to his ring of fire, "and will deal with her myself. Figure out what the hell is going on. And if any of you so much as breathe during my interrogation, I swear to all that's unholy I'll put a bullet in between your eyes before you can exhale. Is that clear?"

They looked at each other, waiting for someone to say something.

Negaduck sighed and cocked his gun.

"Is," he shot Bushroot in the shoulder. "That," he shot Steelbeak in the arm. "Fucking," he shot Ammonia in the foot. "Clear?" he shot Quackerjack in the leg.

Each of his victims collapsed to the deck with varying degrees of yelps and screams. Paddywhack and Liquidator both held up their hands in surrender. Like Negaduck was gonna shoot them. He'd already lit Paddywhack on fire so he'd made his point there. And shooting Liquidator was a sign of insanity. Shooting at water? He might as well sign up for whatever asylum Quackerjack belonged in.

He took the moans and general fear as a sign of assent and he holstered his weapon. "Go detangle Megavolt from the power plant and get back to the Negaverse. Your little vacation is over."

With a dramatic swish of his cape that he was particularly proud of, Negaduck left his sorry excuses of lackeys behind.

Bushroot, however, stopped his dramatic exit. "We came… There was a voice," the half-plant, half-duck grunted. "The city is supposed to be ours for the taking!"

Negaduck stopped his progress and sighed, his shoulders moving up and down dramatically. "A voice?"

"On all the televisions and radios in the Negaverse," Liquidator confirmed.

A voice calling all the Negaverse villains to St. Canard prime to take over the city. That had Stellar's fingerprints all over it. It was definitely a big enough distraction for Stellar to slip away unnoticed. And it left the Negaverse empty and vulnerable. Stellar had been after the Negaverse since he'd lost control of it to his son all those years ago. And now he would probably take it back.

Or try to.

Negaduck turned on his heel, eyes flashing dangerously as he surveyed his minions-turned-doormats. Motioning towards the police blockade, he asked, "Does that look like any sort of easy takeover to you?"

The group exchanged glances, none of them willing to meet Negaduck's gaze.

The Masked Menace nodded as he slowly walked in front of his hoard of followers, ensuring his words were heard. "If I find out that you've disobeyed me again, and wandered off where I haven't sent you, you'll be going back to the Negaverse in body bags. Get out of my sight before I drown each of you in this Bay."

With another flip of the cape that he was less proud of than the first one, Negaduck jumped off the yacht, landing smoothly on the pier. He turned to watch the boat leave. But, when there was no movement forthcoming, he rolled his eyes and removed his gun. Checking the magazine, Negaduck reloaded, cocked, and aimed the barrel towards the sky. Firing off the remaining three rounds in quick succession, he took pleasure in watching the losers scramble around the deck, Liquidator taking the helm as the others nursed their injuries.

Glancing back towards his ring of fire, Negaduck jogged back down the pier and disappeared down an alley between two warehouses. Without drawing too much attention to himself, he climbed down to the banks of the Bay. Approaching the fire, which was starting to die down, he quickly loped around the circle, spilling the rest of his kerosene on the base of the blaze and watched as the flames grew once more.

Tossing the empty can aside, Negaduck straightened his suit, took a deep breath, and stepped through the fire to the other side.