Again, sorry it's taking me so long to update this. The summer is proving to be a busy one and I've been falling ill frequently due to the heat. But it's almost finished; only two, maybe three more chapters left. And since I'm still figuring out format, I put subtitles to signify scene changes so you're less confused. Hope that helps. Thanks for your reviews!

CHAPTER 12

DOCKS

Darkwing weaved through the tight, low-ceiling corridors of the boat, looking in every cabin on his way towards the turbine room. He came across the occasional eggman, which was nothing that a shot of sleeping gas from his gas gun couldn't handle.

Elsewhere in the boat, Megavolt was also tearing through corridor after corridor, the shouts and screams of the FOWL eggmen and agents echoing through the hallways. But the look in his eyes proved that Megavolt was looking for the sources of the shouts. The villain seemed less interested in securing the cargo as he was in killing everyone onboard. He could scream like a lunatic, firing his electro-gun at anyone who crossed his path, leaving fallen eggmen in his path.

Steelbeak poked his head cautiously out of one of the cabins as Megavolt passes, checking both left and right for any sign of other enemies. Seeing none, he quickly bustled his way out of the cabin, dragging someone with bright purple hair and a green complexion behind him. Bushroot panted nervously as he did his best to keep up with the rooster.

"Where are you taking me??" Bushroot demanded in a panic. His eyes darted back and forth insecurely.

"I'm puttin' youse somewhere dat youse will be safe until we's can get outta here!" Steelbeak answered quickly as he continued down the boat's deck. Finally, they stopped in front of another cabin door. Steelbeak turned the lever of the metal door while Bushroot stood by, trembling in fear. A gunshot in the distance made the plant duck yelp and jump in surprise.

The door creaked open loudly followed by Steelbeak hastily shoving Bushroot inside. "Now, keeps quiet until I come back for youse!"

"He's here…" Bushroot suddenly spoke in a loud whisper. "I saw him on the deck!"

Steelbeak ignored the duck's panicked rants and quickly closed the cabin door with a loud 'clang!'. Bushroot absently sat down on the small cot directly across from the door, his eyes wide as he slowly began to shake his head.

"He's here!" he shouted through the closed door. "I'm telling you, it's Negaduck!!!"

Darkwing came to the four-foot high door to the hold. The door was opened slightly, which he found rather strange. He pushed the door open and cautiously stepped inside, finding the hold completely empty. A look of pure frustration spread across Darkwing's face, which instantly disappeared when he heard a noise form behind him. When he spun around, Megavolt was standing in the doorframe, an expression of satisfied sanity on his face and covered in blood.

"That's a shocking experience thos FOWL morons won't forget!" Megavolt laughed wickedly.

Darkwing rolled his eyes and rolled his eyes impatiently at the villain actually enjoying this escapade. "You really are a electrical idiot, Sparky."

"DON'T CALL ME SPARKY!" Megavolt raged, clenching his fists angrily at his side. But he immediately calmed himself. "Did you hear what I heard?"

"You mean the mixed sounds of terrified screams and gunfire?" Darkwing asked while rubbing his temples stressfully, knowing those sounds would haunt his dreams for years to come.

"Besides that! Negaduck is on the boat."

Darkwing stopped and looked up at Megavolt with a disbelieving stare. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me, Deafwing?? Negaduck is on the boat somewhere!" Megavolt snapped; there was a slight timid tone in his voice that he was attempting to suppress. "I heard someone screaming his head off."

"Perfect…" Darkwing groaned, running a hand down his face. He looked at Megavolt, his expression actually holding the tiniest bit of concern. "Are you alright?" he asked and motioned to the blood splattered on the rodent's face.

Megavolt blinked, having not noticed until he ran a hand down his face. The blood smeared onto his blue glove. "Oh, it's not my blood. But I don't think I've ever been so energetic in years!"

"Well, I hate to pull your plug, Sparky. There's no guns on this boat! Aside from the ones being carried by the FOWL personnel, that is!" Darkwing reported reluctantly.

Megavolt looked around the hold as though he would he would see dozens of crates filled with firearms that Darkwing would have missed. He redirected his stare back at Darkwing, the two of them staring at one another for a long, pregnant silence.

"Let's make like an old light bulb and 'go out'…" Megavolt finally spoke up in one of his electrical analogies.

Darkwing raised an eyebrow. "I hope you meant 'get out'…." he corrected for him. "But I'm right behind you!"

The two of them quickly stepped out of the hold but made sure to move carefully in the direction from where they had come. They heard the sounds of footsteps running on the deck above and the occasional hollered sentence.

"Where's Liquidator?" Darkwing asked, just now remembering the other villain.

"I don't think he even made it on the boat…" Megavolt answered the hero who lead the way down a hallway to the right.

Gunshots filled the hallway from behind them. Darkwing didn't stop to turn around but Megavolt did take a quick glance over his shoulder. In doing so, he got separated from Darkwing when the mallard took a left turn and he took a right, the sound of gunfire seeming right behind them.

In the cabin, Bushroot remained sitting nervously on the cot, staring forward at the door with wide eyes. He could hear the sounds of fighting not far away. His eyes wandered about the cabin uneasily.

Suddenly, the cabin door's handle slowly turned. Bushroot's eyes snapped back towards the door; his breathing had turned into heaving panting. As the door opened, it revealed Steelbeak. But his blonde feathers were stained with thick trails of blood running down his face and neck. The rooster fell to the cold metal floor in a heap.

Bushroot stared down at the fallen FOWL agent in a wide eyed stare of fear. The light illuminating the dead body slowly disappeared as a shadow stepped into the doorframe, standing over the body. The plant duck slowly lifted his head to face Steelbeak's murderer. Realization and terror overcame his face, a gasp escaping his throat as he attempted to find his voice.

"I…I told them nothing…I swear!" Bushroot whimpered pleadingly and lifted his leafy hands in defense. The attacker's arm slowly raised, a pistol in his hand as Bushroot continued to beg. "I told them nothing! Please…!"

BLAM! BLAM BLAM!

The entire boat suddenly became quiet. Darkwing walked back out onto the deck, noticing that Megavolt was no longer behind him. He looked over the pier and saw Draco, still standing at the van. Their eyes locked and Darkwing waved his arm frantically to shoo him away. Draco hesitated before finally bending down to agent that Liquidator had drowned earlier, beginning to frantically search his jacket pockets for the keys to the van.

Darkwing heard a shuffling sound from behind him and spun around, drawing his gas gun. But it was Megavolt who stepped into view, exiting one of the long corridors. Darkwing sighed and lowered his gas gun as Megavolt slowly approached him. There was a big smile on his face something not seeming quite right…

"Sparky, what's going on?"

Megavolt stopped several feet in front of Darkwing and smirked. "The strangest thing…"

Before Darkwing could find out what his crazy nemesis was talking about, Megavolt suddenly fell forward to the ground, landing on his face. Darkwing jumped back in surprise. When he squinted his eyes and stepped closer to get a better look in the dark, he could see the handle end of a large knife sticking out of the back of Megavolt's neck. A few sparks flashed from his sparkplug helmet and battery pack before ceasing completely.

Darkwing gulped, the fear finally sinking into his mind. He cautiously stepped forward towards Megavolt's now lifeless body in case it was a double-cross plan of playing dead. But he didn't move. Darkwing kneeled down beside the fallen villain. His eyes narrowed hatefully as he began to tremble in rage. After a moment, he stood up again, staring down at the dead body.

Draco was still in the process of trying to locate the keys to the van. He paused for a moment to look up and locate Darkwing. He spotted him standing on the pier. But then his gaze shifted upwards to the boat's deck, realizing something. Draco's eyes widen and he looked to find Darkwing again. He was too late to warn him.

BLAM!

Darkwing reeled around, sending his fedora flying from it's place on his head. He never saw the shot coming from the boat deck until he felt the bullet pierce the center of his back. He stumbled over his feet before crumpling to the ground, slumping against a large crate. The only sound that came form his bill was a painful groan. When he tried to painstakingly get back to his feet, Darkwing found that he could not move his legs. Thy bullet had probably pierced his spine.

Draco opened his bill but no sound came out. He slowly shook his head in disbelief as he witnessed Darkwing fall. Panicking, he ran down the ramp and away from the van as fast as he could on his lame foot, which was nothing more than a limping shuffle. The gun was still clutched tightly in his hands for protection, although he believed it wouldn't be help to him at this point. He came to a rope ladder hanging down the side of the boat. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks and looked up the side of the boat to the deck.

From where he stood, he could make out the form of a rather short white mallard in a cape and wide-brimmed hat walking along the deck. He moves quietly and calmly among the shadows towards the boat's boarding ramp. The boat's deck lights illuminated the figures outfit. He looked rather out of place wearing a bright yellow, double-breasted suit with a red turtleneck underneath. The black cape and red fedora topped off his attire. But his face remained hidden in the shadow of the fedora's wide brim.

Draco found himself unable to move, not yet noticed by the new mallard. Something about him terrified him….

RADEN'S OFFICE

"And that's what you said you saw in your statement," Cujo read form the transcript in his hand. "That you saw a rather short mallard in a yellow suit, cape, and fedora."

Draco did a double take and looked up at Cujo questionably. "Wait a minute…"

"I don't have a minute!" Cujo snapped, beginning to become aggravated. "Now are you telling me that you saw Negaduck? Because you told the D.A. that you didn't know who it was!"

At this point, Draco was drowning in Cujo's interrogation, beginning to look rather dazed. "I….I know there were guns to be traded on that boat."

"Stop stalling, Draco! You know what I'm getting at!"

"I don't…"

"Yes, you do!" Cujo roared. Now his patience was gone and he slammed the report down on the desk, causing Draco to jump in alarm. "You know what I'm getting at! The truth! Try to tell me you didn't know! Try to tell me you saw someone try to kill Darkwing!"

For the first time, Draco tried to stand and move away from Cujo, feeling intimidated and threatened by his demands. But Cujo jumps to his feet, quickly moving in front of Draco to block his way and remain in his face. He backed the mallard into a corner, who retaliated by closing his uncovered eye and holding his hands up in front of him.

"I know EVERYTHING!" Cujo shouted in his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about…!" Draco insisted while keeping his arms up protectively in front of him.

"Yes, you do! You've known this whole fucking time! Give it to me!"

Draco lowered his arms and looked up into Cujo's eyes with genuine terror. The brown fur on Cujo's face had turned a light shade of red and his body trembled in anger. His heavy, locomotive breathing is the only sound in the room.

"I don't understand what you're saying…." Draco repeated softly, his eyes not even blinking. "I saw Darkwing get shot, I SWEAR to you!"

"Then why didn't you help him?? You had a gun! He was your friend!"

Cujo's question caught Draco off guard. His expression held pure remorse as he answered disdainfully. "Because I was afraid. Okay? Somehow I knew it was Negaduck at that point. I couldn't bring myself to raise my gun at that point."

"But Darkwing…"

"I knew it was Negaduck!" Draco cut him off insistently, desperate for Cujo to believe him. "It was Negaduck, Agent Cujo. I mean the Devil himself! How do you shoot the Devil in the back?" he asked and paused to point to the black eye patch covering his right eye.

"What if you miss…?"