Summary: When Gosalyn goes on a camping trip with the Muddlefoots, it takes an unexpected turn for the worse when NegaGosalyn decides to have some "fun"...
Rating: K
Author's Note: Had a wild idea one day about the Muddlefoots meeting their Negaverse doubles, which is where this chpt come froms.
And sorry again for another late chapter. By all accounts, it should've been up yesterday, but I had to leave for work before I could finish uploading. :|
37.
Mirrorism
"Gosalyn, are you sure about this?"
"Dad, I've never been more sure about this in my entire life."
"But you don't have to go."
"I know. But I want to."
"But I don't!"
"It's too late to make amends, dad. I'm going, and that's that."
Gosalyn placed the last item into her suitcase. "I'm going camping with the Muddlefoots." she said decisively.
"Drat." Drake muttered, kicking at the doorframe of the bedroom. "Really, what's wrong with going camping with me, like we always have?"
Gosalyn thought for a moment as she closed her suitcase. "Well, it's too...too..." she began, looking for the right word.
"Natural?" Drake offered, having a good guess why.
"Yeah, that's it." Gosalyn said. "The Muddlefoot's style of camping is much better."
"Their idea of camping is packing up everything they own into a motor home, drive out into the wilderness and then do everything they would normally do at home there." Drake pointed out.
"There's the charm that I like about it." Gosalyn said with a grin, picking up her suitcase. "Look, Honk invited me to come, and I couldn't say no. Besides, school's only just ended. There's still plenty of time for me to figure out other ways to get out of camping with you."
Drake rolled his eyes. "So there's no way I can talk you out of this." he said.
"Yep." Gosalyn said, taking her suitcase and stepping out her bedroom door. "Besides, we're only going to be gone for a couple of days. I'll be back before you know it."
Drake sighed as he followed her downstairs. "I don't know Gos." he said. "I just think there's something wrong with one's adopted daughter wanting to go camping with her neighbors that her adopted father."
"Oh, you'll live, dad." Gosalyn said as she stepped out the front door. "If it makes you feel any better, go camping with Launchpad, or maybe Christine."
"I was hoping to go camping with you, Gos." Drake said as he followed her over to the Muddlefoot's driveway where their large motor home was parked. "Besides, what do you see in the Muddlefoots anyway? They are so..."
"Hiya neighbor!" Herb Muddlefoot said, seeing Gosalyn and Drake approaching. "Fine day t' go campin' ain't it?"
"Sure, Herb." Drake said, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Whatever you say."
"You all packed and ready, Gos?" Herb asked Gosalyn.
"Yep." Gosalyn said, holding up her suitcase. "Where's Honker?"
"Right here." Honker said, poking his head out the door of the motor home. "But um, Gos, there's something you should know..."
"Hey bro!" a voice called out suddenly. "I wasn't done with the knuckle sandwich I was making you!"
Gosalyn and Drake's faces both paled as they saw Tank Muddlefoot join Honker in the doorway. Gosalyn blinked. It had been several years since she had seen Honker's bully of an older brother. He hadn't really changed much. He was still taller than Honker, still had the long and messy brown hair, still had the oversized gut of his father's, and still had the perpetual sneer of annoyance. All that was really different about him was size, and clothing. He currently wore a black t-shirt with the words "The Call of Death" written on it in blood red letters, which Gosalyn presumed to be the name of the band Tank was allegedly in over at Duckburg.
Gosalyn gulped. Tank glanced at her. "Oh, it's you." he said. "I heard you were coming."
"And I didn't hear you were coming!" Gosalyn exclaimed, shooting a glance at Honker.
"Is he...?" Drake began to ask Herb.
"Coming?" Herb finished. "'course he is, Drakey. Tank arrived from Duckburg last night, surprised us all! See, we gave him an invite t' this little event weeks ago, but he turned it down, saying he needed to be at some rubber band concession stand somewhere..."
"It was rock band convention, dad." Tank corrected flatly, and with a annoyed glare.
Herb didn't notice. "Somethin' like that." he said. "Anyway, plans fell through the floor due to an electrical fire the other day, and Tank suddenly had nothin' else t' do so he came t' be with his favorite family!"
He wrapped one arm around Tank's neck, who squirmed under it. "Sorry we didn't tell yeh yet, Drakester, but we hardly had the chance t', and I figured ya wouldn't mind either way." Herb finished. He laughed.
Drake nervously joined in for a moment. "Um, Herb, I feel I should remind you about those leash laws I keep telling you about..." he said quickly. He turned to Gosalyn. "Gos, are you so sure about going, now?"
Gosalyn didn't reply. Currently, she and Tank were staring each other down.
"Oh, don't worry about a thing, Drake!" Binky Muddlefoot said, suddenly arriving. "Gosalyn will be perfectly safe in our hands."
"It's not your hands I'm worried about." Drake said.
Tank pressed his face into Drake's. "Wanna make somethin' of it, old man?" he growled.
Drake gulped.
"Don't worry Dad, I can handle Tank." Gosalyn said.
Honker looked relieved at this. He and Tank never were exactly the closest of brothers.
"You sure, Gos?" Drake asked.
"I said I was going to go, right?" Gosalyn said.
"Atta girl!" Herb said, taking this end of the matter, and grabbing Gos in a one armed hug. "Then it's settled. It's time t' hit the road! See ya in a couple of days, Drakester!"
"Um, yeah, sure." Drake said, as he watched them all climb aboard the motor home.
What none of them knew was that they were being watched themselves...
"Let's see here..." Herb said once they were on the road and heading through the streets of St. Canard. "To get t' Great Falls National Park, we need t' head east..." he started to turn the steering wheel to head east.
"Actually, dear, I think it's to the west." Binky said, reading a map.
"Binky, m'dear, I know where I'm goin' here." Herb said. "I've gotten us there loads of times, haven't I?"
"Only after we stopped and asked for directions, sweetie." Binky said politely. "Now turn right at Cooper Ave."
In the back of the motor home, sitting at the table, was Gosalyn and Honker, playing a game of checkers. After a moment's hesitation, Gosalyn moved her red piece and took out one of Honker's black ones.
"Ha." she said with a grin. "It takes lot of thought to make moves like..."
Honker suddenly moved one piece all over the board, taking out half of Gosalyn's pieces.
"...that." Gosalyn said, leaning forward to try and figure out how Honker did that.
"Ha, he's got you beat, Gos." Tank laughed from where he watched nearby.
Gosalyn shot him a look. "I don't see you rushing forward to beat him at this game." she said hotly.
"Checkers is a sissy game." Tank said, putting on some earphones and switching on his G-Pod. "My idea of a great time is leaning back and listening to some tunes."
The sound of hard rock blaring in Tank's ears could be clearly heard even from where Gosalyn and Honker sat. The two shared annoyed glances.
"Your move, Gos." Honker said, trying to ignore Tank.
"You sure we need t' turn here, Binkie dearest?" Herb asked as they drove down the road. "I don't even recognize this road."
"Herb, this is the road Honker goes to school on." Binkie said.
"You sure?" Herb asked, having his doubts.
"That's what it says on the map." Binkie said, pointing at it.
"Lemme see that map." Herb said, taking the map from his wife.
"It's upside down, dear." Binkie said.
"No it ain't, Binkie, now let me drive." Herb said, trying to drive as he read the map at the same time.
"At least let me help." Binkie said, leaning over to look at the map as well, both of them taking their eyes off the road.
Far above the moving motor home, however, someone was eyeing it closely, waiting for the two people sitting up front to take their eyes off the road. Grinning, the figure pulled out a remote and flipped a switch. While Binkie and Herb argued over directions, a flash of light appeared in front of the motor home. Catching sight of it, both Gosalyn and Honker jerked their heads up to look at it. Seeing them move, Tank followed their line of sight.
"What the..." he said, staring into the multicolored light Honker and Gosalyn knew all too well.
The motor home surged into it, and then the light suddenly vanished. They were still driving down the same road, in the same city of St. Canard, but the road and city looked vary different from what they were used to. Gosalyn gasped.
"All right, maybe it was a good idea t' turn onto that road." Herb admitted finally, handing the map back to his wife and returning his attention back to the road. He blinked. "Now, where are we now?" he asked.
"I don't know dear." Binkie admitted, looking at the road again. "It looks familiar..."
Herb frowned, then jerked the steering wheel. "I'm gettin' us off this road." he said. "I'm pretty sure this is the wrong road we need t' be on."
In back, however, Tank was awestruck. "What just happened?" he asked slowly.
Gosalyn and Honker, however, were giving each other startled glances.
"That was a transdimensional portal we went through just there." Honker said softly.
"And the only people who have the kind of technology to create portals like that wherever they want are Negaduck and NegaGosalyn." Gosalyn replied in the same soft tone.
"Which stands to reason." Honker said, looking out the window. "Because unless I'm greatly mistaken, we're in the Negaverse."
"Where the heck are we?" Herb muttered as they drove along down the battle worn and dirty streets of NegaCanard. "I don't think we've ever been here before."
"I'm not sure, Herb darling." Binkie admitted, scanning the map. "According to the map, we should be on Jacques Street, but this certainly doesn't look like Jacques Street."
"Maybe we're in another town already..." Herb muttered.
"I don't think we could go from St. Canard into another city so quickly and without knowing it, dear." Binkie suggested. She laid the map down on her lap. "One thing is for sure, though, this map isn't of any help."
"There's a gas station." Herb said, pointing. "Let's stop and get some directions."
Gosalyn and Honker, who were in back silently trying to figure things out as well as a plan of action, looked up.
"Yes, lets!" Gosalyn said, standing. "Maybe then we can figure things out."
"Then it's settled." Herb said, turning the motor home into the gas station and parking it.
They all climbed out. Tank gagged and coughed when he took a breath.
"Gee whizz!" he muttered in-between gags. "The pollution here is worse than back home!"
"I don't like the look of this place, honey." Binkie said, moving closer to Herb.
"Neither do I, Binkie." Herb agreed. "Lets get those directions and get out of here."
He moved to the door of the gas station and pulled the handle. The door didn't open. Herb tugged at it a few times, then pressed his face into the window, trying to look through the dirty glass.
"I'm not sure anyone's here." Herb said suddenly.
"That's weird." Tank noted. "It's after ten now. Normally all these businesses are open by now."
"Maybe it got closed down." Binkie suggested. "Maybe we should try somewhere else."
"Hmm, let's look around first." Herb said, looking around as he started to circle the station.
Gosalyn elbowed Honker. "Honk, don't look now, but there's a certain someone watching us from the roof of that neighboring building." she whispered to him.
Honker resisted the urge to turn around and look. "Which one?" he asked.
"The one with the pigtails."
"Ah."
"I'm going to confront her. Cover for me, will you?"
"Got it."
The figure standing on the nearby building continued to watch the group down below, suddenly realizing that Gosalyn had vanished from view. Frowning, the figure looked around for the missing figure.
"Oh, realized you lost sight of me, did you?"
NegaGosalyn whirled around, seeing Gosalyn standing behind her in casual attire.
"No costume?" NegaGosalyn inquired, surprised.
"I figured I didn't need to confront you on the professional level." Gosalyn said, stepping towards her double. "Besides, you're the one in costume. If anybody sees us, I'd doubt they'd put two with two."
"Bit of a risk, isn't it?" NegaGosalyn asked.
"What I want to know is what you're up to." Gosalyn pressed. "Why have you teleported me and the Muddlefoots to the Negaverse?"
"Who said I did?" NegaGosalyn asked.
"Don't lie to me, we both know each other too well for that." Gosalyn said.
NegaGosalyn rolled her eyes. "If you really must know, I needed something to have fun with." she replied.
Gosalyn frowned and furrowed her brow. "Bringing us to the Negaverse is your idea of fun?" she asked.
NegaGosalyn nodded. "Negs is out of town currently, and the Fearsome Five are all taking some time off." she explained. "I was left with nothing to do. But I did have a portal remote, so I made use of it."
"What on earth for?" Gosalyn asked.
"So I can do something like this." NegaGosalyn said, and suddenly pounced on her double.
Yelping, Gosalyn tried to roll out from under her double, not making much progress, for when she rolled, NegaGosalyn rolled with her. So Gosalyn tried to use that to her advantage by rolling them to the edge of the roof. Once there, halfway dangling off the edge, Gosalyn looked down at the Muddlefoots, hoping to draw Honker's attention. But Honker was looking in completely wrong direction, as he stood conversing with Tank.
"I don't get it." Tank said as he watched his father search the seemingly abandoned gas station. "This place, wherever it is, seems so much like St. Canard in so many different ways."
"Really?" Honker said, out right lying. "I didn't get that impression. Maybe you haven't been in St. Canard often enough these days."
Tank glared at his little brother for the comment. "You wanna make something of it, little brother?" he growled, jabbing a finger into Honker's chest.
Gosalyn tried everything she could in her predicament to try and draw Honker's attention to her short of shouting to no avail. NegaGosalyn eventually prevented any further attempts by rolling them back away from the roof edge and more into the middle of the roof. Fed up, Gosalyn decided to turn the tables.
Pulling out her gas gun, thankful she had it on hand, she pointed it at NegaGosalyn's chest and fired a canister of normal colored gas at point-blank range. NegaGosalyn was blasted off of Gosalyn and vanished from sight in the smoke that plumed out from the canister. Coughing, Gosalyn quickly stood up, a plan coming to mind.
"I am the heir to the cape!" she exclaimed loudly, hoping Honker would hear. "I am not the sidekick who packs up his family and flees! Yadda-yadda-yadda!" and with that, she surged forward and pounced on NegaGosalyn.
Honker turned when he heard the exclamation, seeing the smoke plume upward on the roof. Tank heard as well, and looked up.
"What the..." he muttered.
Herb then returned from his search, unaware of what was going on. "Looks like there really isn't anybody here." he announced, as if there was any room to doubt.
"Then let's get out of here." Honker said, having caught onto Gosalyn's cryptic message, though he didn't know why Gosalyn wanted them out of here. "I...uh...don't like this place."
"But what about that Gos..." Tank began to say, but Honker cut him short.
"Really, I don't think we should stick around here." Honker pressed.
"I'm inclined to agree with Honker, dear." Binkie said to her husband. "Besides, there's no point in staying here any longer. Let's go find another place we could get help from."
Herb shrugged, indifferent about the matter. "Alright, we can do that." he said. "Everybody aboard!"
They all started to climb aboard the motor home, Herb and Binkie not noticing that Gosalyn was absent. Up on the roof were the fight was taking place, NegaGosalyn noticed they were leaving.
"They're leaving." she noted in puzzlement. "Why did you have them do that?"
"So I can do this." Gosalyn replied, tackling NegaGosalyn and pushing her off the roof.
They toppled down onto the roof that overhung the abandoned gas station's pumps. Once there, NegaGosalyn threw her double off of her, taking a few steps back. Hearing the motor home start in preparation to leave, she got an idea.
"Well, maybe it's time to end this fight, then." she said.
"Yes, let's." Gosalyn said, and charged her double, gas gun drawn and at the ready.
NegaGosalyn, however, pulled out an Uzi with a silencer on it, and fired it at Gosalyn's feet, the bullets ricocheting everywhere. Gosalyn jumped back to avoid getting hit. NegaGosalyn then pulled out a hand grenade, pulling the pin.
"Catch!" she said, hurling it at her double, then vanished in a cloud of red smoke.
The grenade clattered to Gosalyn's feet, it's timer ticking down. Gulping, Gosalyn saw the motor home pull away from the gas station and begin to move to safety. It drove under a street lamp as it did so. Getting a quick idea, Gosalyn pulled out her gas gun, and ran for the edge of the gas station's overhang.
Knowing time was short, Gosalyn quickly leapt off the edge of the gas station, simultaneously firing off her grappling hook at the same time. The hook latched onto the street light, and swung Gosalyn over to the motor home. She dropped down onto it's roof, next to it's sunlight, with a soft thud. A moment later, the grenade went off, igniting a chain reaction as the blast mixed in with the blast of igniting gasoline that was apparently still within the station's pumps. Very quickly, the whole station was up in flames.
In the motor home, both Tank and Honker whirled around and looked out the back window as they heard the roar of the explosion, and the shockwave briefly shuddering the motor home. Herb and Binkie blinked and glanced at each other, oblivious to the explosion.
"Did you hear somethin' Binkie dear?" Herb asked.
"I was about to ask you the same thing, Herb." Binkie said. "Honker, did you hear anything?" she called behind her.
"No, mom." Honker quickly replied, still watching the flaming gas station as they drove away from it.
"How about you, Tank dear?"
"Mom, don't call me dear!" Tank wined, not answering the question. "I'm NOT a little kid anymore!"
"How about you, Gosalyn?" Herb asked, getting back on subject. "Did ya hear anything? Gosalyn? Ya there, Gos?"
Gosalyn then suddenly dropped into the motor home through the skylight she had opened, startling Tank and Honker, both turning to look at her with surprise.
"Right here, Mr. Muddlefoot!" Gosalyn said, breathing heavily, but otherwise unharmed.
Herb turned to look at her. "Ah, so you are!" he exclaimed. "Good! For a moment there, I thought we had left ya behind! And Drake certainly wouldn't have been t' pleased with that."
"Oh, no, I course you didn't leave me behind, I was there the whole time." Gosalyn said, and looked back at Honker and gave him a wink.
She then turned back, and saw Tank giving her an odd look, not fooled at all...
The Muddlefoots drove their motor home aimlessly around NegaCanard, trying to figure their way back on the right route. Naturally, they didn't make any progress. Neither did Honker and Gosalyn, as they couldn't plan what they needed to do very well with so many ears listening. Gosalyn couldn't even relate her encounter with NegaGosalyn with Honker.
Fortunately, they didn't run into any trouble. The streets were virtually empty, and NegaGosalyn didn't reveal herself again during all of this, though Gosalyn was sure she was somewhere close by, watching them go on. Eventually, they arrived at a littered, but still usable, park, and since it was lunchtime, Herb decided they could stop here and have a picnic.
"We were gonna eat on the road, but since we've been kinda delayed, I figure we can turn lunch into somethin' fun." he explained as he parked the motor home near a picnic table. "'Sides, I think better on a full stomach."
So they sat down and had an actually fairly decent and peaceful meal, despite the fact that they were currently in the Negaverse. Gosalyn and Honker ate their lunch quickly, and then wandered off a few feet from the others to sit at a tree, and discuss what had happened at the gas station, and what they should do now.
"She brought us here simply because she's bored?" Honker repeated after Gosalyn had completed relating the tale.
"Yeah, I know, but consider who it is we're talking about here." Gosalyn pointed out. "The point, though, is that we will probably have to get at her before we can get back."
"Right, she's got the remote, and thus the only means of getting in and out of the Negaverse." Honker said. "But that's easy said than done."
"If worse comes to worse, we can always go to the UIO and the Friendly Four, and ask them open a portal back to the Posiverse." Gosalyn said.
"But if we do that, there's no way we could hide the truth from my family." Honker said.
"I know, which is exactly why we're not trying that first." Gosalyn stated.
"So what's the plan?" Honker asked.
"First, we need to loose your folks for awhile." Gosalyn said. "NegaGosalyn seems uninterested in them, so I think they'll stay safe."
"This is the Negaverse, Gos." Honker pointed out.
"I know." Gosalyn said. "It's a risk, but I can't see any other way to do it. Second, we need to track down NegaGos. She's bond to be nearby. And I think this time, when we confront her, we need to be in costume. I have mine, do you?"
"Yes." Honker replied, having learned that keeping it on hand at all times was a wise practice.
"Good." Gosalyn said. "Next time we meet up with...well...me...we'll be ready."
A loud snap rang out that made Honker jump. "What was that?" he asked nervously.
Gosalyn looked around. "I think it was nothing, Honker." she said. "Not every twig snapping in the Negaverse means we're about to be attacked."
She turned around and came face to face with NegaGosalyn.
"You sure about that?" NegaGosalyn asked with a smirk.
Herb finished off the last of the lunch with a gulp. "Well, that settles lunch!" he proclaimed. "Let's pack up and hit the road."
"Tank, dear, could you go get Honker and Gosalyn, please?" Binkie asked nicely as she packed things up.
Tank rolled his eyes, grumbling, but obeyed, walking off in the direction he had last seen them at. Only they weren't there. Frowning, Tank looked around for them for a few seconds.
"Honker? Gos?" Tank called out. "Where are you twits? We need to be going, so lets GO!"
No response. Already suspecting that the two were up to something, particularly Gosalyn, Tank increased his search for them. The deeper into the park he went, the more trees that started to crop up. At first Tank didn't think anything about them, but then saw the bark for one of the trees had been torn up.
Frowning, he came over to study the torn bark, peeling it back with his hands. Eventually, he found a bullet.
"A bullet?" he repeated to himself. "How did that get here? And when?"
Suddenly that more leery about this odd place he was in that was the Negaverse, Tank moved deeper into the mass of trees, not quite thick enough to become a forest. He then heard a faint popping sound, followed by distant voices. Thinking he was close to finding Honker and Gosalyn, he moved towards the sounds.
He heard the popping sound again, followed by a faint hiss. A voice then rang out, this time loud enough for Tank to hear.
"You missed me!"
"Gos?" Tank said, thinking he recognized the voice.
He moved towards it, listening to the conversation as he went.
"Yeah, well, you didn't get to sneak up on me that time!" another voice, or possibly the same voice, said.
"Bet you're still kicking yourself for that one time, though!"
"I should've seen it coming, I admit it, but nothing came out of it for your advantage. In fact, I daresay we got the jump on you after you revealed yourself like that."
"Yeah, I should've just shot you, rather than make the witty remark, but the chance was too good to ignore."
"Yes, well, it would've been a lot easier for you had you resisted temptation."
Tank heard more popping sounds, and the sounds of someone running around.
"I notice you're in costume now." the voice continued, which Tank determined was really two voices talking together, sounding similar enough to mistake as one. "Something wrong with the no-costume policy of before?"
"Our last encounter brought things up to the professional level, like that wasn't obvious."
Tank started to run around a tree, only to duck down when a gas canister smashed into the tree next to him, spreading crimson-colored gas everywhere. He stayed ducked down when he saw a figure run through the colored gas, looking to be armed with some kind of weapon with a silencer on it. The figure suddenly stopped and fired it a few times in one direction, confirm it was a gun of some sort.
Wondering just what the heck was going on, Tank watched for a few moments what was going on. Then, two shadows appeared in the fading smoke. One looked like the first figure, only armed with a different weapon with a larger barrel. The other figure Tank hadn't seen before. The two appeared to converse for a few moments, then the figure Tank recognized ran off and vanished and the other moved towards him.
Deciding he wanted to get to the bottom of this, Tank waited until the figure came close, then stuck out his foot suddenly, tripping the figure. He crashed to the ground with a yelp. Tank quickly jumped on top of him and rolled the fallen figure over. Tank then stopped, believing he had seen this guy on TV before.
The figure, however, recognized Tank immediately.
"Tank!" Techno exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing herrrAHHH!"
Tank picked up Techno and slammed into the truck of the tree. "How do you know my name?" he demanded. "What's going on here? Do you know where my idiot brother and his bratty friend are at?"
"Uh..." Techno began, unsure how he should address this.
"There, I think I lost her." a voice near Tank said suddenly, and Crimson suddenly materialized through the smoke that still hung in the air. Seeing Tank, she immediately went on the defensive again.
"All right, you...you." Crimson said, more cautious to not address Tank by name than Techno had been. "Put my sidekick down."
"No!" Tank said. "I want some answers first! Something really strange has been going on here, and I want to know what!"
Crimson hesitated for a moment. "I can't tell you, not all of it, anyway." she said.
"Oh, but you will!" Tank said. "I know you, you're that...that...Crimson person from TV. You're a real goodie-goodie-two-shoes. You can't stand it when someone hurts or threatens another."
"Well, actually, that depends on the person..." Crimson admitted, thinking of a half a dozen people she would stand someone hurting or threatening.
"Well, I pretty sure this guy isn't one of those people." Tank said, holding up Techno. "Now, start talkin' or I'll start hitting!"
"You wouldn't!" Crimson said.
But Tank, to prove his point, punched Techno in the face. In the process, Techno lost his visor, and it fell to the ground, revealing Techno's face to Tank. Tank immediately released his hold on Techno.
"Honker?" he said, backing up into Crimson. He froze, and then suddenly whipped around and snatched Crimson's hat from her head.
"Hey!" Crimson exclaimed and quickly grabbed back the hat and placed on her head, but Tank had already seen the red pigtails underneath.
"Gosalyn!" Tank exclaimed. "Alright, now what's going on here?"
Techno and Crimson glanced at one another.
"Well, it's kind of a funny story, really." Crimson admitted. "But can we explain it later? I'm after us, and I could catch up with me at..."
"'I'm after us'?" Tank repeated. "What?!"
"Me, as in my evil twin!" Crimson said. "Look, we'll explain later! But we should really get out of here, I think NegaGos went to go get help..."
"Hold on a moment." Techno said, picking up his visor and putting it back on. "I know this'll seem a bit of topic, but did you feel something?"
Crimson and Tank were about to reply that they didn't, when they felt the ground suddenly tremble beneath them. Then, without warning, the patch of ground they stood upon slid away, letting them drop into the hole beneath, and then the ground slid back into place after them like nothing had happened...
Herb looked around impatiently. "Where do ya think those three got to?" he asked.
Binkie looked around, worried. "I don't know dear, but I need to find them." she walked off. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dearie me. Herb, you go that way, I'll look this way."
"Got it." Herb said, standing up and walking in the designated direction. Studying the ground for any trace of the missing threesome, he wasn't watching where he was going, and eventually bumped into someone.
"Oh golly, I'm sorry!" Herb quickly apologized, straightening and taking a few steps back from the person he had bumped.
"Oh, don't worry about it, there, bud, no harm done." NegaHerb replied, taking a few steps back as well. He rubbed his chin, looking at Herb standing before him. "Gee, you look mighty familiar..."
"Y'know, I was just gonna say the same thing about you." Herb replied, looking over NegaHerb's outfit consisting of gangster-like clothing. "Mighty fine outfit you've got there, though."
"Well, if it's any constellation, I like your shirt." NegaHerb said, pointing at Herb's Hawaiian shirt. "Might have t' get me one of those." he shrugged. "Oh well, nice meetin' ya, sir."
"You too." Herb replied, and the two went on their separate ways.
A little while later, Binkie returned and found her husband searching in some bushes. "Oh dear, I can find any trace of them!" she said worriedly. "Have you, Herb?"
"Nah." Herb admitted, straightening and popping his. "But I did meet an interestin' fellow a little while ago. Which reminds me, Binkie, how do you think I'd look in a shredded white t-shirt with a black leather jacket and a hat t' match?"
Binkie thought for a moment, picturing the proposed outfit on her husband. "Actually, it might look rather dashing on you, dear, but I'd think you'd need to grow a goatee in order to pull it off fully."
"Really?" Herb asked, as they continued searching. "You really think so? Gee whiz, I might actually have t' try it then."
Crimson was the first to pick herself up, looking around the dark tunnel she found herself in. "Keen gear." she muttered, dusting herself off. "Where are we?"
"Ya mean you don't know?" Tank growled, picking himself up. "I thought this was your doing."
"No, Tank, not in the slightest." Techno said, also getting up. "We had no idea this was going to happen."
"But then, who did do that?" Tank asked.
"That would be us." a voice said suddenly.
The tunnel was suddenly lit when a row of electric lights flared on and flooded the room with light. Standing there before them was the Friendly Four.
"All right!" Crimson exclaimed. "You guy's timing is great! NegaGos is after us up there, and..."
"We know, we watched the whole thing from down here." NegaBushroot interrupted. "We waited until you were alone like this, and then dropped you into our little underground network here."
"You mean you guys built this?" Techno asked.
"Yes and no." NegaMegavolt, the unofficial leader of the group, said. "It was, uh, the UIO's idea, and they helped make it a reality, of course."
"Either way, it's absolutely cool!" NegaQuackerjack said. "See, now we've got a whole network of these tunnels stretching all over St. Canard! We can spy on Negaduck and his minions wherever they go! And better yet, they don't even suspect a thing yet!"
"And that's only the beginning!" NegaLiki added. "As we speak, these tunnels are being expanded to cover other key locations Negaduck has control over!"
"So it's like Elemental Underground back home, but on a bigger scale." Techno noted.
Crimson, however, was looking at NegaLiki. "Gee, Lik, it's been awhile I've seen you." she noted.
"Why, what happened?" NegaLiki asked, suddenly worried. "Haven't you seen my Posiverse double recently?"
"Actually, no." Crimson admitted, biting her lip. "See, in our universe, you're...kinda...dead."
NegaLiki paled.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Tank interrupted suddenly, completely lost. "UIO? Posiverse? Elemental Underground? Will somebody explain what's going on here?"
"Who's this?" NegaBushroot asked.
"Tank, from our universe." Techno explained, then grinned. "Hey, Tank, we should have you meet NegaTank. I'll bet you two would get along real fine."
"So, how will the Friendly Four be helping us today?" Crimson asked, changing the subject.
"Actually, it's Friendly Five now." NegaMegs said, and stepped aside to reveal...
"Rowe!" Techno exclaimed, seeing the otter step forward, no worse for wear. "You survived!"
"Just barely, mate." NegaRowe admitted, taking Techno's hand and shaking it. "It's really thanks to you guys that I even had a fighting chance against that poison."
"It was nothing." Crimson said, as she shook NegaRowe's hand as well, grinning. "Glad to see you're alright."
"I'm glad to see you alright as well, Crimson." NegaRowe greeted as well.
"Will somebody please explain what's going on here?" Tank asked again.
"Here, maybe I can explain a few things to you." NegaQuackerjack said, throwing an arm around Tank to Tank's discomfort. "And while we do that, the rest of you can explain to Tech and Crimson our plan."
"Sounds good." Crimson said, slapping her hands together. "So, what's the plan, NegaMegs?"
NegaGosalyn wandered around the woods aimlessly, searching for her prey. "They were here a few minutes ago." she muttered, perplexed. "Then I went to call for your help, and meet you at the park's edge..."
"Not t' sound disrespectful or anythin' your awfulness, but couldn't they get pretty far in just a few minutes?" NegaHerb offered, trying to be helpful.
"Yes and no." NegaGosalyn replied, searching for clues with a magnifying glass. "See, if they had left, they would've met up with the party they arrived with, and their party's still here. So if that party hasn't left, then neither has Crimson and her brat of a sidekick."
"Party, what party?" NegaHerb asked, misinterpreting NegaGosalyn's words. "I sure like a party. Was there any duck burgers being served there?"
"Oh, forget it, Herb!" NegaGosalyn interrupted, then continued searching for clues. "I just wish you could've brought more help beside yourself."
"Sorry, but Binkie is away visitin' her sister, Trudy, y'know the one that got sent t' jail for helpin' an elderly lady across the street without a license?" Herb said.
"Right, and I need Honk to stay at Canard Tower to supervise things while I'm busy with this and Negs is away." NegaGosalyn agreed. "And LP's...I don't think I want to know where he is."
"So, what should we do?" NegaHerb finally asked.
"Figure out where they went, that's what!" NegaGosalyn snapped. "They have to be around here somewhere! So start looking, Herb!"
NegaHerb jumped, and quickly started searching for clues. Some distance from where they were doing this, the ground suddenly opened, and Tank poked his head out. Looking around carefully, and seeing that they weren't looking in his direction, he climbed out of the hole, closed the entrance, and hurried off back to where the rest of his family still resided.
Binkie saw Tank coming first. "Tank darling, there you are!" she exclaimed, rushing over and grabbing her son into a hug, despite Tank's discomfort. "We were searching all over for you!"
"Where were ya, son?" Herb asked, coming over to join them.
"Out looking for Honker and Gosalyn, duh!" Tank snapped.
"And did you find them?" Binkie asked.
Tank shook his head.
"Oh dear." Binkie said, biting her lip. "I wonder where they could be."
"Betcha they ran off somewhere." Tank said. "Cause they certainly aren't in this park."
"Oh no, Honker and Gosalyn have more sense than that." Binkie said.
"I dunno, Binkie m'dear." Herb said, thinking about what Tank had said. "We certainly ain't findin' 'em anywhere around here. I think Tank's right, they must have wandered off somewhere."
"Then we better go looking for them!" Binkie said, jumping up and rushing for the motor home. "They could be anywhere by now!"
"Now Binkie, let's not panic..." Herb said, following her.
Tank paused for a moment, looking back into the throng of trees that lined one side of the park. "Honker, you owe me big for this." he muttered, then followed his parents, continuing the ruse.
Back at where NegaGosalyn and NegaHerb were searching, Crimson and Techno exited the underground hideout, being careful to not be detected.
"Here's hoping this plan of the Friendly Five's works." Techno muttered.
"It'll work, these guys haven't failed us yet." Crimson said confidently. "Now remember, you take on NegaLard while I get the portal remote from NegaGosalyn."
"Right." Techno said, then sighed. "Here's hoping."
They quickly and stealthily wandered to the appropriate positions to do their designated tasks. All the while, NegaGosalyn and NegaHerb were constantly searching for their prey.
"Hey, your naughtiness," NegaHerb said suddenly. "How do you think I'd look in a Hawaiian shirt?"
"You, in a Hawaiian shirt?" NegaGosalyn repeated, mocking the idea. "Herb, I'll level with you. If you ever wear such a shirt, I'll shoot you on sight."
NegaHerb, crestfallen, continued searching in silence. As NegaGosalyn walked along a row of bushes, Crimson quietly followed from the other side. Seeing a possible clue, NegaGosalyn turned suddenly, turning her back towards Crimson. Grinning, Crimson poked her head out from the bushes and spied the portal remote poking out from NegaGosalyn's pocket. Very carefully, Crimson reached out to try and slowly pull it from the pocket.
But the moment her finger touched the remote, NegaGosalyn suddenly whipped around and grabbed Crimson's wrist. A moment later, NegaHerb suddenly whirled around himself and grabbed Techno, who was sneaking up on him. NegaGosalyn smirked at her double.
"Seriously, couldn't you have come up with a better plan than that?" she asked mockingly.
"Maybe we're here, honey." Herb said, pointing at their map as they drove. "It says there's a Hamburger Hippo here on that street corner, and we just pasted one."
"I don't know, Herb." Binkie said, leaning over to look at the map. "Maybe we should just forget the map and just keep an eye out for Gosalyn and Honker as we're driving along."
"Honey, I know these kids, and they've most likely just wandered off to find a place that interests them." Herb said. "They shouldn't have, but that's probably what they did. If we can figure out the place that interests them the most, then we've found them!"
"Shouldn't you two be watching the road?" Tank interrupted suddenly, grabbing the map from them.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot." Herb said, turning his eyes back onto the road.
"You know, maybe you should let me drive." Tank offered suddenly. "I can, you know. And while I drive, you guys and go in back and work with that map."
"What a good idea, Tank!" Binkie exclaimed.
"Then it's settled." Herb said, stopping the motor home and getting out of the driver's seat, vacating it for Tank. "There ya go, Tank. C'mon Binkie, let's figure out that map of ours."
"Coming dear!" Binkie said as they both moved to the back of the motor home.
Tank quickly hopped into the driver's seat and put it into gear. "Time to rock and roll." he said, pressing down on the gas pedal.
NegaGosalyn gave the rope one final tug. "Alright, that should be tight enough." she said, taking a step back to survey her handiwork.
Tied together, back to back, was Techno and Crimson, dangling off the ground from another rope strung over a street lamp. Chortling, NegaHerb spun the tied up pair around.
"Pretty good tyin' there your evilness." he commented, watching Techno and Crimson lazily spin.
"Yes, you would be envious, wouldn't you be, Herb?" NegaGosalyn said, pulling out her P90. "All right, here's how things are going to work, Crimson." she pointed her weapon at her double. "You see, you've been a nuisance to me and Negaduck's cause for sometime now. And now it's going to come to an end."
"The games are over then, in other words." Crimson guessed.
"Oh, most assuredly." NegaGosalyn agreed. "Now, normally what I'd do in a situation like this is interrogate you for information that I could use to help gain control over the Posiverse. But, seeing that I already pretty much know everything you do already, I think I'll just cut to the part where I shoot you and end the whole matter."
She raised her P90 to aim at Crimson's head. She put her finger on the trigger, but didn't squeeze it. A long moment passed.
"Well?" Crimson asked impatiently. "Or are you just trying to savor the moment?"
NegaGosalyn didn't answer, nor did her aim waver. Regardless, she still did not fire. Now even NegaHerb seemed puzzled.
"There a problem your nastiness?" he asked quite innocently.
"'Your nastiness?'" NegaGosalyn repeated. "Herb, I don't like that name, don't use it again."
"Okay." NegaHerb replied. "But is there a problem? The location perhaps?"
"No, no, the location's fine." NegaGosalyn admitted. "It's just...just..."
Crimson waited expectantly. "Well?" she asked again. "What's the hold up?"
NegaGosalyn glared at her, gripping her weapon tightly. She still didn't fire. Crimson was just beginning to wonder just how long this was going to take when a manhole cover suddenly moved aside, and five people climbed out. NegaGosalyn and NegaHerb whirled around to face them.
"It's the Friendly Five!" NegaGosalyn exclaimed, surprised.
"Seriously, did you really think we couldn't come up with a better plan than the one we thought we were doing?" Techno asked, smirking himself.
NegaGosalyn shot him a glance, then turned back to the Friendly Five, pointing at her weapon at them. "Herb, attack!" she ordered.
NegaHerb launched himself at the five. They merely sidestepped him and he fell flat on his face. NegaQuackerjack then rolled over him and started jumping on NegaHerb's large belly.
"Hop on Pop! Hop on Pop!" he chanted.
The remaining four surged towards NegaGosalyn. NegaGosalyn readied her P90 to fire, but a well placed bolt of electricity from NegaMegs knocked it from her hands. NegaGosalyn went for one of her Uzis, but by that point, NegaLiki was on her, decking her with a watery fist, throwing off her aim. NegaRowe then slipped past them and to where Techno and Crimson were tied up.
"Hey mates, need a paw?" the otter asked as he worked to untie them.
"Yes we do, Rowe, yes we do." Crimson said, wriggling against her bonds.
Meanwhile NegaGosalyn had liberated herself from NegaLiki, and took a few steps back, looking for away to get on the higher ground. Something tapped her on the shoulder as she did so. She turned to look at it, and saw a vine growing there. When she turned, it coiled itself up and bopped her in the face. NegaGosalyn was whirled around to find NegaBushroot, who attacked her as well, knocking her backwards once more.
She landed in Crimson's hands, now free from the rope.
"Oh, fancy seeing you here." Crimson said, and pulled the portal remote from NegaGosalyn's pocket. "I'll take that."
She then pushed NegaGosalyn into NegaBushroot and MegaMegs's hands, then turned to Techno, tossing him the portal remote.
"Think you can get a portal open back to the Posiverse, Tech?" she asked.
Techno studied the remote for a moment. "Easily." he replied, and started working with the controls.
Crimson pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Tank, you in position yet?" she asked into it.
Turning the motor home around a corner on the other end of the street the group was on, Tank pulled out the walkie-talkie he had been given. "Getting there." he said into it. "Just be patient!"
"Does Mom and Dad suspect anything?" Techno asked, taking Crimson's walkie-talkie for a moment.
"Is that a trick question, Honk?" Tank asked. "Of course they don't."
It was then that chaos suddenly broke loose. Pressing a control for a concealed device up her sleeve, NegaGosalyn was able to zap NegaBushroot and NegaMegs into releasing her. Once she was free, she pulled out her Uzi, and pointed it at the closest person.
"Nobody move!" she exclaimed.
"Tank, pedal to the metal!" Crimson shouted into the walkie-talkie.
Tank slammed the gas pedal to the floor, the motor home surging forward to it's top speed. Binkie and Herb were caught off guard by the sudden surge of speed.
"Whoa there, little man, don't go over the speed limit!" Herb called to his son, not looking up from where he and his wife were studying their map.
"I'm not!" Tank assured them, and tried to get the motor home to go faster.
Back where everyone else was gathered at the other end of the street, Techno got the transdimensional portal to flare into existence. NegaGosalyn still didn't back down, however.
"Nobody move!" she ordered. "I've sent out a signal to engage an alert! Everyone one under Negaduck's command will be coming straight here to help me out!"
Crimson and Techno exchanged alarmed glances, and the Friendly Five audibly gulped. NegaQuackerjack stopped jumping on NegaHerb, allowing NegaHerb to brush the clown from off of him and stand up.
"But..." NegaGosalyn continued, "...I'll be willing to let you all go on one condition."
The motor home continued to surge towards the location, heading for the open portal. Tank reached out and opened it's door, letting it flap open. Crimson watched it approach for a moment.
"Decided things weren't fun anymore, huh?" she remarked to my double.
"Things are getting out of hand, yes." NegaGosalyn admitted. "And I'll be royally punished once Negs finds out about it. But let's not get off subject here."
"All right, what's this one condition?" Crimson asked with a frown.
"I get the portal remote." NegaGosalyn said.
"That's it?" Techno asked. "You're willing to let us all go home free if we just give you the remote?"
"You don't know how much that remote is worth." NegaGosalyn said. "Now, will you hand it over, or will things get dangerous?"
Techno turned to Crimson. Crimson hesitated, watching the motor home come even closer, and knowing that trouble was on it's way here as well. Finally, she nodded, taking the remote from Techno.
"Here." she said, tossing it to NegaGosalyn. "Keep your stupid remote!"
NegaGosalyn caught it nimbly, and smirked. "Have a nice day." she said, moving over to NegaHerb and creating a cloud of red smoke the pair vanished behind.
"NegaMegs, you better get out of here." Crimson said to the Friendly Five's leader. "I wouldn't trust NegaGos to keep her word."
"Right!" NegaMegs agreed, and motioned to his cohorts. "Everybody scatter!"
The group ran off in random directions. The motor home surged closer. Crimson took Techno's arm.
"Hang on." she said.
The motor home then surged past them and into the portal. But as it went, Crimson quickly threw herself and Techno into the motor home as it went by, and they landed with a thump safely within. A split second later, they were cruising down the bright and sunny street of St. Canard of the Posiverse.
"Hey, mom, dad!" Tank called out, slowing the motor home to more normal speeds. "I think I managed to get us to familiar territory!"
Herb and Binkie looked up from the map, oblivious as always to what had happened, and saw the familiar streets of St. Canard.
"Hey, good work, Tank!" Herb said.
"Now we just need to find Honker and Gosalyn." Binkie said.
"Somebody say our names?" Gosalyn said, as she and Honker revealed themselves from their hiding places, now back in their casual outfits.
"Hey, there you are!" Binkie exclaimed, relieved. "You were here the whole time!"
"Well, I'll be!" Herb said, then suddenly looked thoughtful. "Y'know, we've had a lot of excitement today. Let's forget goin' campin' and lets go home. Tank, if you could?"
Tank nodded, and turned the motor home to head home.
"Besides, there's somethin' I want t' do." Herb said. "Wait till y'all hear my good idea..."
The motor home finally arrived back at the Muddlefoot home, and once there, everyone clambered out. As Tank climbed out, Honker stopped him.
"Tank, about what happened today, with the Negaverse, and you finding out our secret identities..." he began.
"What are you talking about?" Tank said.
"Huh?" Honker repeated.
"I have no clue what your talking about, Honker." Tank said, walking off. "When you're ready to star making sense, then come to talk with me."
Honker watched him go, a little surprised. Gosalyn joined him.
"So, think he'll keep the secret safe?" she asked.
"Somehow, Gos, I think he will." Honker said, with a grin.
Gosalyn grinned as well, then motioned for Honker to follow. "C'mon Honk, let's go surprise dad with our early return." she said.
As they walked over to the Mallard home, Drake just so happened to step out the front door, carrying a bag of trash. He noticed the pair instantly.
"Gos? Honker?" he said. "You're home early?"
"Yeah, something came up, so we decided to call of the trip." Gosalyn explained as she and Honker went to step into the house.
"So what happened?" Drake asked, puzzled.
Gosalyn paused for a moment. "You're better off not knowing." she replied.
She then walked into house, followed by Honker. Drake stood there, stunned.
"Now I really want to know." he said to himself.
"Hiya neighbor!" Herb suddenly called out from the next house over.
Drake turned, and was quite surprised to see Herb standing there dressed in NegaHerb attire.
"How do you like my new look?" Herb asked, gesturing to the outfit.
Drake stared at him for a few moments. "Then again," he said, "Maybe I really don't want to know."