An Author's Note: I did take a few liberties in the magical aspect of the Negaverse. I pretty much saw the version we see in the show as a bit like the one in Harry Potter, before there was Harry Potter, what with the magical people living apart from "normals". Morgana was clearly evil at the start, but later in the banned episode Hot Spells there is no indication that all of the magic users are evil. Indeed though they did tease Gosalyn they didn't seem evil, just kinda dark. So, yeah, I am taking a few liberties with this.

And yes, this does expand on the relationship between Negaduck and Morgana. While I am going to be very, very clear what Negaduck is...Um…getting out of it, I hope it will all be under the rating guide. Besides, I am NOT writing a scene like…that with Negaduck. No way.

Chapter 8

The Witch and the Sandman

Part 1

"Steelbeak, you do realize you can't make us do this?" Megavolt folded his arms and glared at the rooster, who grinned smugly at them. None of them had been particularly thrilled when he had shown up at the greenhouse, and when Steelbeak had announced his intentions to them they had liked it even less. The folder of photographs he had brought showed Negaduck courting a tall, very pretty duck woman. None of the four recognized the young woman.

"Ya, but can you ignore it?" Steelbeak asked with a grin. He seemed to be under the impression that he could tell the four what to do. Megavolt didn't like that attitude at all.

"I can." Bushroot shook his head. "Magic? Come on."

"Magic and spells are a hard line to sell, Steelbeak." The Liquidator said. "Especially to such scientifically minded people such as us!"

"…I believe in magic." Quackerjack said. The other three turned to look at him. It was clear that none of them were really surprised at this statement. They looked more exasperated than anything else.

"Okay, aside from Giggles over there." Megavolt nodded at Quackerjack who folded his arms and glared at Megavolt. "None of us are buying this."

"So you're not interested that Negaduck is dating a sorceress?"

"I really have no interest in Negaduck's love life." Megavolt said with a sneer.

"I don't even want to think about Negaduck and love." Bushroot said. "I mean, that's just nasty." He shuddered.

"Still, we can't let him have a magical ally." Quackerjack said thoughtfully. He received more stares for this announcement.

"Look, if Negaduck wants to waste his time looking for things that don't exist-"Megavolt said, but Quackerjack interrupted.

"Do you know how many magical items I have in my lair?" He asked.

"Quacky, I don't think card tricks-"

"Three. I have three, for your information. A very scary puzzle box I am not letting any of you touch. A cursed baby rattler, that I'm not going to let any of you touch. And a music box that I'm not letting any of you get within five feet of." Quackerjack said flatly.

"…remind me to raid your place later." Steelbeak said.

"No, there is a reason I don't let people touch those things." Quackerjack said. For a moment Megavolt almost felt a small chill go down his spine. Maybe it was the way Quackerjack said those words. They didn't sound like words Quackerjack would normally say.

"Stop for a moment and think." Steelbeak said. "Even if you don't believe in magic you have to agree that Negaduck never does anything unless he has something to gain from it."

"He could just be after…you know." The Liquidator said. "I'm sure even criminals get…lonely."

"…this is Negaduck we are talking about." Megavolt said. "If it were any other villain I would agree with you, Likky, but Negaduck doesn't really do personal relationships unless they benefit him."

"How do you know that?" Bushroot asked.

Megavolt winched. "I…I knew him in high school, back when he was Drake Mallard. He had a girlfriend once…it…it wasn't pretty, what he did to her."

Quackerjack's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

"You really don't want to know." Megavolt said gently. Quackerjack dropped it.

"You almost sound like you agree with me, Megs?" Steelbeak grinned.

"Yes and no." Megavolt folded his arms. "I will give you that Negaduck is up to something. I don't believe that this woman is magic. And, Steelbeak, I do not the implication that we are under your orders. We are not." Quackerjack nodded.

Steelbeak sighed. "Look, I know that. I'm not your boss, but I'm not your enemy either. I want to work with you. That's why I brought this. I thought you'd like to know what my agents learned."

"Who found this out?" Bushroot asked. "And how did you learn of it?"

"Hey, you don't work for me. That means you don't get to know where I get my info." Steelbeak smiled. "Now if you want to join up…"

"No way!" The four chorused.

"Aww, you guys really know how to hurt my feelings." Steelbeak said.

"Don't complain, we're going to check it out." Megavolt headed for the door, a look of irritation on his face. The others followed.

"This is such a waste of time." The Liquidator grumbled.

"Agreed." Bushroot rolled his eyes.

Macawber Manor was a dark, sinister looking manor. However, despite this ominous outwards appearance the place was known as a bastion of good magic. The Macawber's were a well known family, and had a reputation for making good, trustworthy sorceresses and sorcerers. Indeed, Morgana's father was a great advocate of Magical/Normal relationships, and was generally kind to both groups. While Morgana had migrated to St. Canard, the rest of her family stayed in Transylvania, as they were more comfortable at home. Despite the fact that the family was filled with monsters, none of them could be called evil. Indeed, the Normal villagers considered the Macawbers their own personal band of friendly monsters, and would hear nothing bad about the family. Morgana, the latest owner of the house, which had been used to get close to foreign Normals, continued the Macawber tradition of helping and training magic users. Morgana had been working for the magical academy for years, and had agreed to take on an apprentice.

"But if you're going to have…him over." Gary O'Kult, Morgana's apprentice, sneered at the word 'him'. "Why can't I just go out and explore! I'm dying to see this Normal city!"

"Gary, I've told you before. You're…a little scary."

"Is it the fangs?"

"The fangs are part of it."

Gary's ears drooped. Morgana smiled gently at him. "You know that until you master that illusion spell you can't go walking around out there. If you aren't careful they might take you to the pound."

"…what is this pound again?" Gary asked. He scratched behind his ear.

"It's where Normals put dogs."

"But I'm a werewolf!"

"Gary, that's worse." Morgana said patiently.

Gary was a small, young werewolf, but still a werewolf. He stood about half of Morgana's height, and that was rearing on his back legs. Like most werewolves he had a furry, brown body with a long ruff and tufted tail. He had a beak, but this beak had two long fangs jutting from his overbite.

"But…mistress. I…" Gary shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" She frowned at her apprentice.

"I really don't like him." Gary hung his head and sighed. "Something about him doesn't smell right!"

Morgana put a hand on his shoulder. "I know he's a bit mean to you, but he just doesn't like kids."

"Then why can I smell a kid on him?" Gary said bitterly.

"Because he's trying to be a better man." Morgana said. Gary blinked. He didn't believe that for a second. His pointed ears pricked when he heard the doorbell ring. Eek and Squeak, Morgana's two bat familiars, flew in and chattered at her. They were followed by one of Gary's own familiars, a large African White Backed vulture named Ed. The huge bird bounced on the ground with its odd, hobbling walk. Ed flapped a bit, narrowly missing a vase with his huge wings, and jumped onto Gary's shoulders, one leg on each shoulder. Ed glared at the door. Gary bent under his familiar's weight.

Morgana never noticed any of this. At the sound of the doorbell she glided over to welcome her boyfriend. Gary and Ed glared at the door. Eek and Squeak flapped off of her and scolded, but Morgana paid no attention to either of them. Instead she opened the door with a smile. There stood Negaduck, doing his best to look handsome and debonair. Gary had no idea why his intelligent teacher was so enamored with him! To Gary that grin on Negdauck's face and the glint in Negaduck's eyes spoke of pure evil, but to Morgana…

"My sweet Morgana!" Negaduck oozed. "I think the sun has come early, for now the brightest light that ever shown is now before me in all of its luminous glory!" Morgana looked charmed.

"Oh blah." Gary leaned to the side and made a noise similar to one makes when one is throwing up.

"Hiss, blah." Ed seconded the emotion and the gesture at almost the same time his master did.

Negaduck gave the two a killing glare. Somehow Morgana managed to miss the malice on his face. It was only there a brief time before Negaduck's seductive expression oozed back and he had snaked his arm around Morgana's waist. Gary and Ed glared right back at Negaduck. Gary's beak curled a bit over his shape fangs and he growled.

"Go away, fleabag. And take the feather duster with you. Adults only." Negaduck said.

"I don't answer to you, Normal." Gary spat the word Normal.

Morgana gave her apprentice a disappointed look. "Gary…why don't you go study the principal of dream manipulation? You still need to work on that."

"I'll manipulate that rat's dreams…" Gary muttered, but the turned to leave anyway, his familiar dropping to the ground and walking after him with one last killer look at Negaduck. Gary walked up the stairs on all fours, and was soon gone to his private room.

"Now…where were we?" Negaduck said. He held Morgana closer, and Eek and Squeak promptly fled. They knew what was coming.

Gary muttered to himself as he entered his room. He waited till Ed had bounced in to shut the door with a grunt of irritation. Ever since he had met Negaduck Gary had hated him. Gary didn't know where the two had met, but one day she had come home practically dancing she had been so happy, and Gary had been happy for her. Then he met Negaduck. Oh at first the man had been charming and nice, and had treated Morgana like a goddess and Gary almost like a brother. But something always was off about Negaduck. He had tendency to ask the worst kind of questions, most of them about dark magic. As Morgana and Negaduck had grown closer Gary had seen a change in her. She was getting meaner, and more inclined to punishing him by hurting him, something she had never done before. Gary had begun to hate Negaduck more, but his influence over Morgana was getting stronger. Gary was afraid that he would push her to do something terrible, but he didn't know what he could do. Morgana didn't listen to him at all.

He grumbled and walked forwards, to his grimoire, which was sitting on a book stand waiting for him. Scuttle, his scorpion, was resting on the open book, while his third familiar, a king snake named Coral, slithered around the edges. Gary waved Scuttle away and began to read.

"Now, let's see, I read this part about Morpheus, King of Dreams…ah! Here I was!" Gary started to read aloud. "Good dreams and bad dreams are ruled by two different Dream Lords, both in conflict with each other. One of these is the being known as the Sandman, who has been known to cause bad dreams, particularly dreams that tap into a person's deepest fears. Invoking his power can cause the victim to go into an endless sleep of horror, which can even cause death through sheer terror. Victims can either be cursed by an incantation, or tossed though the Door of Nightmare." Gary gazed at the picture of the Sandman, a birdlike creature with no eyes, just a pair of black staring sockets. Its legs and arms were thin and wispy, and it didn't stand like a person or an animal, but something in the between. It looked terrible, and Gary gulped at the sight.

"He looks nice, doesn't he Scuttle?" Scuttle looked, and then backed away, tail ready to strike. Gary put a hand on the scorpion's body and stroked him. "There there. It's okay. No decent sorcerer would summon this thing!"

Scuttle begin to settle down at Gary's touch. Gary's ears twitched as he heard a loud thumping noise.

"Great." He rolled his eyes. "I don't need the Sandman to give me nightmares with that going on downstairs!"

"You know, with that loud yellow jumpsuit you are wearing are you sure no one can see you, Megs?"

"Bite me, Quackerjack. You're so bright that alien Commander can probably still see you in the Andromeda Galaxy!" Megavolt said.

"Can we get to the window without the pair of you killing each other or bickering? Just to the window?" Bushroot asked.

"As long as Negaduck doesn't see Banana Mouse here." Quackerjack said.

"You know your outfit is like an assault on the senses? It's like you're trying to offend people!" Megavolt said. "Those are colors that say 'I hate you, and I want you to know it!'"

"Your fashion sense is worse than mine!" Mr. Banana Brain said.

"Children, please. Later I can sign you up for the Windbag show and then we can discuss your fashion sense." Bushroot said calmly.

"Fine Doc." Quackerjack grinned and started to sneak towards a window.

"Since when do you call me doc?" Bushroot asked.

"Degree. You do realize that you are the highest educated among us! I don't have a degree."

"Meh, he is right. I don't even have my high school diploma…I kind of regret that. I almost wish I had stayed for it…" Megavolt looked sad for a bit.

"I have a Bachelor in business." The Liquidator shrugged. "Doesn't do me much good now."

When they came to the window they all peeked over. There were odd sounds coming from the window spurning their curiosity. It was…almost a thumping…

With four strangled noises they ducked as one.

"Oh god!" Megavolt whispered, appalled. "What was he doing? I'll never be able to unsee that!"

"I didn't know the body could bend that way!" Bushroot said.

"You'd think that'd hurt his back or something!" The Liquidator agreed.

Quackerjack peeked again, his beak open in awe. "Ooooh…isn't the word 'ki-"

"The word is gross." Megavolt pulled him back down by a bell. "And stop looking! You'll go blind!"

"I wish I was blind." Bushroot said with a groan. "I didn't think that was anatomically possible!"

"Well…at least they weren't…ah…" The Liquidator blushed. "I mean, it could have been so much worse."

"How?" Megavolt asked.

"Ah…" The Liquidator looked uncomfortable.

"You boys do know there's a video store for this kind of thing?" A sinister voice asked from the window. They all looked up to see a very annoyed looked Negaduck. "COME HERE!" The crime lord grabbed them all by the neck and pulled them into the manor through the window.

"Do you know what I hate more than people who try to ruin my plans? Its people who spy on my when I am busy with my girl!" Negaduck snarled as he finished tying up Megavolt, who was glaring at both Negaduck and Morgana. Morgana had her arms folded and was glowering at the Four. She had intended to use her powers to freeze the Liquidator, but had ended up turning him into chocolate pudding. The Liquidator was not happy. Negaduck had, for reasons that the Four hadn't waned to contemplate, had shown up to his lover's house with three feet of rope. He had used this rope to tie the other three down.

Now Bushroot, Quackerjack and Megavolt were bound together, back to back, while the Liquidator jiggled on the floor in a dark brown puddle.

"I don't know what you two are planning, but you're not going too succeeded!" Megavolt snarled.

"Planning! We were planning a romantic evening until you four showed up!" Morgana shouted, her hair starting to stand up a bit.

"If by romantic you mean sleazy…"Bushroot grumbled. Morgana shrieked at him and pointed a finger. He barely managed to duck as the blast hit a vase, which immediately burst into flames. Bushroot was horrified. Sure, he remembered Scrooge once told him that he had met a witch, but Bushroot hadn't really believed him. It seemed that he might have been wrong.

Quackerjack stared at Morgana. "You aren't supposed to do that." He said gently.

"How would you know, Normal?" Morgana asked.

"Just because I am Normal doesn't mean I haven't ever seen magic before." Quackerjack said. "And you're not supposed to do things like that."

"You don't tell me what to do!" Morgana's hair was now positively defying gravity.

"Is it that time of the month again?" Quackerjack asked.

"Quaky." Megavolt hissed at his friend as he stared at the fuming witch. "I really think you need to shut up now." He said.

"Morgana…darling." Negaduck slide closer to her. "Perhaps there is something you can do to get rid of these pests? Permanently?"

Morgana stopped for second. "Well…I…"

"What? You can't!" Gary rushed from the stairs where he had been listening in, drawn by the noise that hadn't sounded like Morgana's and Negaduck's usual...Er…escapades. He darted in between Morgana and the Four, his fur standing on in. "You can't use magic against innocent people!"

"Those are not innocents. They are rivals." Negaduck glowered. "That plant creature has already kille-"

"You're the killer, Negaduck! Not me! Miss, this man is a gangster and a thug! He killed my best friends!" Bushroot hollered.

"His first act as a villain was to burn a school prom to the ground!" Megavolt shouted.

"He killed my father. He shot my brother." Quackerjack added.

"He murdered my wife." The Liquidator bubbled angrily.

"Lies." Negaduck said airily.

"I believe them! You're scum! I can smell it on you!" Gary bellowed. "Mistress, you can't listen to this rogue! He's a monster! A lying, conniving, mo-"

"Enough!" Morgana pointed and blasted Gary into the air. He flew and crashed against a wall. She was looked into Negaduck's eyes. "You have no idea what he is really like. None of you do." Negaduck smiled at her warmly.

"If you think that then you are a fool." Megavolt said harshly.

"What did you just call me?" Morgana glared. She looked ready to blast him with her magic, when Gary got to his feet. He jumped and stood in front of the four again.

"Look at what he's doing to you! Look at what you've become! Is he really worth this?" Gary asked.

"Gary…" Morgana shook her head and looked into Negaduck's eyes one more time. "Go away!" She gestured, lifting him into the air. She tossed him through a door, which apparently was a portal to somewhere dark and hole like, because his scream echoed downwards.

"Did you just kill your own apprentice?" Negaduck asked, trying to hide his hope.

"Oh, no, that was just the portal to the Screaming Mountains. He'll be able to climb up eventually." She shrugged. She then turned her glare on the Four. "And yes, I think there might be a way to get rid of them…"

It's not real dark magic. Not really. I'm sticking them where he can find them. That's not dark magic…

At least that is what she told herself as she waved a hand, lifting the four into the air. They shouted and struggled, but if Negaduck could do one thing well it was tie a victim up, and the Liquidator couldn't do that much as pudding. Negaduck followed with a smirk on his face, a smirk that Morgana failed to see.

The Four soon found themselves totally lost in this place, with its halls that seemed to lead nowhere, the unexpected twists and turns, and the general creepiness of the place. Soon, however, they came to a room with doors that looked like they lead nowhere. They were just standing there; in fact you could have walked around one easily.

Morgana dragged them to a door near the end of the room. A sinister looking black door with a strange symbol one it. It looked almost like a staring eye with two triangles, one triangle pointed down and one triangle pointed up. There was a single dot at the point of the top triangle. Megavolt couldn't help but shudder at the sight of the door. It frightened him for some reason, sent a chill down his spine.

"Negy?" Morgana said. "Would you please open the door?"

Negaduck wiped the evil look off and bowed with a dashing smile, complete with sweeping his hat off his head. The Four looked at him with mingled incredulous expressions. He looked at them and winked, turning his head so Morgana couldn't see it. He walked over to the door and opened it.

Morgana pushed the three bound heroes into the doorway, and then shoved the plate of Liquidator as well. Negaduck slammed and door and tired to look concerned.

"What exactly is that place?" He asked.

"It's the world of the Sandman." Morgana took a deep breath. "He'll take care of them." As she turned around to walk away, Negaduck smiled a wicked smile.

"You're learning so fast." He muttered as he struggled not to laugh evilly. Somehow he managed to do it. He followed her, determined to make sure she…forgot about this.

Megavolt looked around him. "Okay, so we are floating in a black starless void."

"Sure looks like it." Bushroot said.

"With rocks all around us." Megavolt continued.

"A bit like platforms." Quackerjack commented.

"And I think this is a disembodied eye staring at me." Megavolt said as he glared at the eye. He didn't like it.

"At least the Liquidator is back to his normal self!" The Liquidator grinned as he reformed from the pudding.

"Well, great, why don't you untie us?" Megavolt asked. He was getting a little sick of looking at that eyeball. The Liquidator kind of swam through the void and untied his friends. Once they were finally free they peered around at the environment. All they could see was a vast dark void with the occasional platform like rock floating about. Unfortunately the darkness was so absolute that they couldn't see that far ahead of them.

"Well, now what?" Bushroot asked.

"Let's see if we can find that door and get out." Megavolt said. The others nodded. Unfortunately they had no idea where to go, as their line of sight ended a few feet away from their faces. It was very, very creepy. Megavolt looked around and pointed and the nearest platform. "Bushy, can you vine us over there?"

Bushroot nodded and extended a vine to wrap around the tip of the platform. The rest of them grabbed onto him and he dragged them towards the platform. Once they had gotten something reasonable solid under their feet they started to walk forwards, hoping they were going the right way.

"Wait!" Quackerjack looked around. "Did any of you see that?"

"See what?" Megavolt asked.

"See the thing that just rushed by us! It looked a bit like a bird!" Quackerjack said.

"I didn't see anything." The Liquidator said.

"I'm telling you I saw something!" Quackerjack said.

"Look…" Megavolt was about to dismiss Quackerjack, but then he remembered where he was and how he got here. "We need to be careful. Keep watch." He started to move forwards. Quackerjack followed, looking around him with slightly scared expression.

Megavolt continued to lead the four on, and after a bit he to began to feel that he could see something, just out of the corner of his eye. He would turn his head, but it would be gone into he darkness.

"Okay, there's the next platform. Give us a lift Bushy…Bushy?" Megavolt turned and counted heads. There were only two. "Bushroot?"

The Liquidator and Quackerjack looked around. "He was just behind me." The Liquidator said. "Hold on, I'll go back."

"Wait! It could be a slasher killer out to get you!" Quackerjack said. "Happens all the time in horror movies!"

"Most horror movie victims aren't made of water! I'm more concerned with you flesh and blood people!" The Liquidator said. "I'll be right back!" He slid back to where they had been, which was now obscured by the darkness. In a few moments he had vanished. Quackerjack eased closer to Megavolt.

"Megavolt...are you scared?" He asked.

"Me…naw." Megavolt tried not to listen to his knees knocking.

"I'm not scared either." Quackerjack grinned.

"Of course not pal." Megavolt smiled at him.

"…oh…" Quackerjack eyes suddenly widened, and a strange, blank look crossed his face. "Can you hear that?"

Megavolt listened. "I don't hear anything." He said.

"You really can't hear that? It's beautiful! It's like music!" Quackerjack said, and he seemed almost hypnotized by the sound only he could hear. "I…aahhhh!" All of a sudden he clapped his hands over his ears and fell to his knees. "It hurts!"

Megavolt ran over, wanting to help, but not sure how he could. He knelt down and grabbed Quackerjack by the shoulders. "Quacky!" He shook his friend, who was now starting to scream.

Megavolt saw something dart behind him out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw something tall and thin looming there. He growled and lunged forwards, electricity crackling to strike out at the tall thing. The thing vanished, and Megavolt heard Quackerjack groan. Megavolt turned just in time to see the tall thing dart away again; it had somehow circled around and done something to Quackerjack. Megavolt tried to attack the thing, but it fled. He rushed over and picked up Quackerjack.

"Quacky! Speak to me!" Megavolt stared in horror as his friend's head tilted forwards. Megavolt had half expected to see that his friend's eyes had been gouged out or something. Instead, Quackerjack's eyes were shut, like he was asleep. His eyes were crusted with dark, black sand. Quackerjack twitched and moaned, as if he was in the grip of a terrible nightmare.

"Wake up! Quackerjack!" Megavolt shook his friend, but he didn't stir. "Come on!" He gave Quackerjack a mild jolt, just enough so that he would wake up, but he didn't. All of a sudden he felt someone behind him. He could guess who, or what it was. He whirled with another blast of electricity, but nothing happened. There was nothing there.

He turned back to Quackerjack to come face to face with…something. All he saw was a pair of huge, glassy eyes and a long, pointed beak. Then, the thing had raised its hand and black sand filled Megavolt's vision. He backed away, rubbing his eyes. He tried to look again, but all he could see was a blur. He fell, and closed his eyes.

All of a sudden he just felt so tired….

Bushroot groaned and opened his eyes. He looked around. He was in his old room at the university. It looked just the same as it usually did. There was even the little lab rats spinning around in their cages. He got up and looked around. It was time to work. He walked over to his lab table and began to pour things into beakers and whatnot.

"Burn the monster! Kill the mad scientist!"

"Huh?" Bushroot looked up. "What's going on?" He walked over to the window and gasped. There was a mob there! Complete with torches, pitchforks and guns, all of which were being shaken in the air in time with the chanting. He backed away from the window, fear gripping his heart. He knew that he was the monster they were referring to.

He turned and fled out the door, heading for the back exit. He turned a corner and skidded to a stop. Three shadowy figures stood before him. They stepped into his sight, and Bushroot gasped.

"Dr. Gary? Dr. Larson...Dr. Dendron?" Of all the people in the world, these three?

"You tried to kill us." Dr. Dendron grinned as she held up a knife. "Now we are going to prune you!" She smiled evilly at Bushroot. The other two doctors didn't say anything; they just chuckled at him with grins that mirrored Dendron's.

"No! I never…I…oh I'm so sorry!" Bushroot's eyes started to fill with tears. "I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly…you didn't do a thing. Monster." Dr. Larson glowered. He raised a pitchfork, and Dr. Gary did the same with his burning torch.

Bushroot backed away, trembling. He tried to call the plants to him.

Please. Help me.

No.

What?

Never again. Animal. No brother of ours! Leave our minds. Freak.

But…but…

Go away.

"No!" Bushroot turned away from the dead people and fled. But he could still see their forms, shadowy figures that followed him as he ran. They screamed for his blood. And he could do nothing about it but run. The hallway stretched on and on, and then all of a sudden it began to drip fire. Bushroot looked up to see flames engulfing the hallway. He tried to speed up when the hallway suddenly opened. For a moment Bushroot thought he had reached open sky, save when he looked up to see the sky itself was on fire. He screamed and ran again. He could see a…windmill? Was that a windmill?

Yes, it was a windmill, and Bushroot ran right towards it. He didn't have any better ideas. He climbed the stairs, one at a time, till he reached the top. He looked down through a window and gasped. The crowd now circled the windmill, screaming and chanting and doing the entire mob routine.

He looked down at himself and screamed. His mutation…he was worse! Part of duck flesh and feathers were poking out of his leaves. More feathers, stuck to his stem, covered his chest and down to his stomach. One foot was webbed and the other root. He had always been a plant mutant, but now the mutation was going insane! He could see his flesh and stem merge and bubble, constantly shifting and mutating. The only thing that wasn't changing was the blood that was dripping down his hands.

Bushroot covered his hands and cried. He sank to the ground and rocked back and forth. They were right.

He was a monster.

Bud Flud opened the door to find his office.

He couldn't remember having an office.

But there was a secretary out there, grinning a strange, fixed, almost freakish grin at him. She insisted that his was his office. His company. His bottling business. Sparkling Crystal Pure Flood Water. He could almost remember the name.

He sat in his chair, but he couldn't remember telling his body to do this. He just sat, but he felt as if it had not been him who had sat. It was someone else, controlling his body and telling it what to do. His body sat down and started to look over papers. Papers filled with gibberish that he didn't understand.

"Sir?" The secretary stood in the doorway, that scary joker's grin plastered on her face. "The cattle are ready."

"Let them in." Bud Flud's mouth said. A long line of people, ragged, scared, poor people, started to file in. The first one came up, trembling.

"Sir, I have a family! Three kids and a wife! They'll starve without-"

"You're fired!" Bud Flud's mouth said, as his hand handed the man a pink slip. The man walked away, fading into the wall with a sigh. The next one came up.

"My grandmother is sick and-"

"Fired!" Said Bud Flud's treacherous mouth. He couldn't stop it! He wanted to stop it!

Stop! His mind screamed. Stop!

"Why should I stop?" Bud Flud said. He walked over to a mirror and grinned. "I can do anything I want! I'm the boss!" The man in the mirror smirked.

"It's not right!"

"I am the boss. I make the rules." Bud Flood said.

"What about Carla! What about Hank! What would they think?"

"Carla?" Bud Flood laughed. "Who's Carla?"

"Your wife!"

Bud Flood grinned. "I don't have a wife! I never needed some woman to hold me back! Chain me up with a family and all that crap! Not for this dog!" The man in the mirror leaned forwards. "You should really have let me run our life! I would have done so much better! I would have taken over that company in a year! You were held back."

"I was in love."

"She's better off dead! And I am better off without you!" The man in the mirror lifted his fist and punched the mirror, shattering him into a thousand shards. The Liquidator watched as Bud Flud turned around and laughed. He raised his hands to the sky like a mad dictator and let out the most horrible, mad laugh ever heard. He was surrounded by a dozen dancing bottle mascots, each with a pair of long, feminine legs. Bud Flud's laugh echoed as the bottles sang a jingle.

The Liquidator screamed. But no one could hear him over his double's mad, greedy laughter.

Megavolt practically skipped down the street. It was all over! Negaduck was defeated! And now he could go home! He had never felt so good in his entire life!

His home looked exactly like it always had, like nothing at all had changed since high school. There was his mom's herb garden, his old bike sitting against the fence, the lawn ornaments in the front. It was all here! He paused for a moment to look around, taking it all in. It was so wonderful! He walked slowly up to door and walked in.

"Mom! Dad! I'm back!" Megavolt shouted. The house was unusually dark and cold. He looked around. "Mom? Dad?"

Megavolt walked forwards, looking around the silent house. "Where is everyone?" He muttered. He turned the corner to the living room and gasped.

Sitting on the couch were his parents. The sat beside each other, his father's arm thrown around his mother's shoulders. They might have been watching tv, but for the fact that both their heads were bent back at awkward, unnatural angles. Their eyes were closed and they didn't move. Megavolt rushed forwards, leaning down to shake his father.

"Dad! What's wrong?" Megavolt gasped out as his father shook limply in his arms. His father's head fell forwards, and a little trickle of blood escaped his lips. Megavolt stared, unable to comprehend what this meant. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he was no longer in his house. Instead he was standing in a graveyard, in front of two tombstones. He looked down and screamed in horror at the sight of the tombstones.

"Ralph Sputterspark…Gwen Sputterspark…Mom…Dad…" Megavolt knelt at his parent's graves, tears streaming down his cheeks. "No!"

Megavolt scrambled away from the gravestones in horror, only to bump into a trio of new gravestones. He whirled around.

William Quacker Jr. "Quackerjack" Said one.

Dr. Reginald Bushroot Said another.

Bud Flud "The Liquidator" Said the last.

Megavolt placed a hand on the middle grave, Bushroot's, and looked down at the soil. A little flower poked from the ground, a small daisy. It seemed to glare at him in accusation. This was his fault! Somehow he knew it was his fault. He had led them to their deaths! His parents were dead because he had chosen to be Megavolt.

Megavolt sat there on the ground, staring at the graves like a zombie. He shook his head.

"You guys wouldn't want me to do this! I'll continue on! I'll still be a hero! I'll never forget any of you and…ahhh!"

All of a sudden the ground began to leak water. Megavolt shouted in fear and stepped back. He knew that if the water touched him he would short out, and he would remember nothing. Then who would be there to remember the sacrifice his friends and family made? He ran for the city as the flood waters came for him, lapping at his heels. He scrambled up a building, for some reason the buildings were bent and twisted, like malformed trees. He leapt from crag to crag, desperate to escape the water.

Finally he made it to the top of the building and he looked around, trying to see any sign of solid ground. What he saw filled him with horror. A few feet away from him was a pile of bones, ducks, dogs, rodents, and others. Sitting on the bone pile, perched on a throne, was Negaduck. He was laughing as masses of people flocked to him, kneeling down and swearing loyalty to the mad dictator. Megavolt roared and tried to attack, thrusting out a hand to zap Negaduck, but he lost his balance. Screaming he plunged headfirst into the black water, and sank like a stone. The cold water rushed over him, filling his mouth ears and nose, but didn't drown him. He fell into the cold, dark depths, unable to save himself.

"Wake up, Billy! It's time for breakfast!"

Quackerjack look up and his eyes widened. "Dad?" He said.

"Who else would it be? Come on; don't keep your mother and brother waiting."

"My…mother?" Quackerjack stared at him.

William Sr. smiled at him. "Of course. Come on." Quackerjack's father disappeared from the doorway.

Quackerjack got up and looked around. It was his room, all right. His old room. Toys and half built toys were scattered everywhere. None of them had any weapons or anything. They were all just normal, nice, healthy toys. Quackerjack picked up an old, stuffed snow leopard and smiled at it. "Oh, here you are Spot." He said absentmindedly. He stared at the stuffed creature. He had lost it when he had been sent to the insane asylum…Quackerjack shook his head. No. Spot was right here. There was no mental institution!

"You're having a psychotic break."

"What?" He looked around, but no one was there. He shook his head.

"Billy! Come on!" His father's voice echoed through the hall.

"Coming." Quackerjack paused, and then put the stuffed animal in his pocket. He wanted to keep it around. It was comforting. He paused at his door, half expecting something off to be there.

But nothing was off. It was the normal hallway that he remembered from his childhood. He took a left, and there was the stairs. He walked down the stairs, and everything was the same. He passed by the picture frames filled with the normal landscapes and still lifes. Nothing was off. Nothing was different.

Except when he went into the dining hall.

There was the same beautiful marble table, a round thing big enough to house all of the family. There was his father and his older brother, looked like they had years ago. His father was still a middle aged man, his brother around fifteen. He looked down at himself and realized he had regressed to twelve. There was nothing different.

"Please stop gawking at the door, dear." An unfamiliar voice said.

Quackerjack turned and looked up, his eyes growing wide. The woman standing before him had his eyes. She was also probably the most beautiful duck that he had ever laid eyes on. Her beak was almost perfectly proportioned. Her face was gentle and kind. She smiled at him, and Quackerjack felt something he had never really felt before. It was something similar to what he felt for his father, no, more like what he felt for his Aunt Cleo, but…different as well. Deeper then what he felt for Aunt Cleo. Sharper, clearer.

"…Mommy?" He asked, his voice barely a squeak. He had seen her before, but only in pictures. They didn't do her justice.

The woman's smile broadened, and she leaned down to hug him. "Of course, Billy. Who else would I be?"

Quackerjack tensed for a moment, and then he collapsed in his mother's arms. He hugged her close and, to his slight embarrassment, he began to cry. "Mommy." He sobbed. She began to rub his back and rock him back and forth.

"What's the matter? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I…I…" He couldn't say it. He didn't care if this was real or not. For a single, brief moment, he felt his heart soaring. He was hugging his mother! His mother! For the first time he was touching the woman he had never met before.

"Mommy, I-"All of a sudden he felt a horrible jolt. It was like Megavolt had just shocked him. He opened his eyes and gasped.

His house was gone. His family was gone. Instead he was in a brightly lit room, like a room in a hospital. He tried to move, but his arms were bound in that hugging position. He looked down and found the reason for this was that he was strapped into a straightjacket and laying on a metal table a bit like the ones the alien's had him on.

He jerked in surprise as someone strapped his feet down on a table. He looked at a man wearing a doctor's coat and mask. The man was green.

"Bushroot?"

"Dr. Bushroot. Settle down." Bushroot said coldly.

"But…but…what is going on?" He asked.

"Don't worry; it will be over very soon." Bushroot said. He looked up and nodded at someone. Quackerjack looked over and his eyes widened.

"Megavolt?" He asked.

The rat, who was dressed in the same way as Bushroot, shook his head. "No. I told you before. I'm not a superhero. Neither are you. I'm a doctor and you're the patient."

"But…but…" Quackerjack looked up at his eyes widened. There was the Liquidator, water and all. His eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, you are a doctor to?"

"Of course. You've been sick for a long time. You need to stop deluding yourself. You need to stop living in these fantasies of yours."

"What fantasies?"

Don't you remember?

What...you're not the Headboss! Or Mr. Banana Brain. The voice that spoke to him now was much deeper. Sinister. Complete with a reverberation.

Of course not.

Who are you?

I am what you have become.

What?

I killed them. I watched you do it. You've always known me. I was always here. I was there the day your foul egg slid out and destroyed the one that brought you to this world. You're a killer; you've been one since the day you were laid.

No! I didn't kill anyone!

Silly boy. Dreaming your little dreams. It's because you don't want to see what you've done. What you will do.

Quackerjack was too distracted to notice the fact that Megavolt had placed electrodes on the side of his head and turned up the power. His body tensed as the electricity flowed through his body. He screeched.

Wait a while. We shall get them to. All of your…"friends" will die. You will send them to their graves. What fun it will be!

No…

You don't have a choice. You belong to me…

Quackerjack screamed.

"Amy, can ya report? Where are they?" Steelbeak asked from the little red communicator.

"I haven't seen them for a while." Ammonia Pine said. "It's been almost five hours! I think you might need to come over here. I think they might be in trouble."

"…I'll be there in a few minutes."

Ammonia sighed as she put the communicator down and looked across the street at the Macawber mansion. She hadn't been sure about letting those heroes go in there like that, despite what Steelbeak said. Sure, she trusted Steelbeak. Trusted him with her life. Still…

Steelbeak, who never got a few feet away from a trouble spot, soon arrived in his limo. Ammonia exited the garbage truck, which was probably the cleanest truck in the city, to join him as he got out of his car. She was a little shocked to see a police car part a little ways down the road, and a big cop emerge from it.

"Oh, hi Bulba." Steelbeak grinned at the bull. "Nice to see you! We can use you. Amy, this is Detective Bulba. Bulba, this is Ammonia Pine, one of our undercover agents!"

"…did you suddenly forget the definition of 'undercover', Steely?" Ammonia asked.

He slid close to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's okay, sweetheart, I'm not gonna hide anything from this guy!" He lowered his voice. "I think he's more useful as a friend then a foe, and we got to be straight with him from square one or we lose him!"

She leaned up against him as Bulba stared at them. "I hope you're right dear." She muttered quietly. She looked up at Bulba and smiled. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Bulba said with a slight bow. He looked at Steelbeak. "What have you done now?"

"Oh come on, babe, why do you always blame me?"

"Because it normally is your fault." Bulba said.

"Awww, come on!" Steelbeak shook his head. "Look, Negaduck is dating the girl that owns that mansion over there, a girl I'm pretty sure is into magic…don't snort at me, bullhead." Steelbeak glared as Bulba snorted at him. "I'm not going through this 'magic no magic' debate. Negaduck is in there, and so was the Four a few hours ago. They haven't been out since!"

Ammonia nodded. "I've been watching the place since sundown. I haven't seen them come back out!"

Bulba nodded. "You stayed out in case they needed help, yes?" Ammonia nodded. "…you aren't as dumb as you look, Steelbeak."

"Thanks pal…hey!" Steelbeak glowered at him.

"Look, boys." Ammonia stepped in between them. "We need to focus. We have hostiles in that mansion, magic or no magic, and friends that need our help! We should be figuring out how to clean out the place, not argue."

"Ah, you are right as usual, Amy." Steelbeak smiled. Bulba rolled his eyes.

"Right, then let's come up with a plan of attack." Ammonia smiled at the pair of them and they walked closer to her, ready to work together.

"Okay, I'm almost back to the door." Gary growled to himself as he scrambled up a rock. He was concentrating very very hard on the climb. He was afraid if he started to think about what his mistress was doing then he would break down. He had trusted her! Served her and learned from her! Why would she do this!

"She knows how dangerous these mountains are, Scuttle." Gary muttered to the scorpion on his shoulder. "Even for a werewolf sorcerer….okay sorcerer in training. I can't believe she would do this! I mean, there are yetis on this mountain!" He shivered as the icy wind of the Screaming Mountains cut through his fur and skin and chilled him to the bone. Even his thick coat was useless in these temperatures. He clung to the side of the cliffs, his claws digging into the rough rock. It was dark here, nighttime, which just made it all the more colder. He was also having a bit of trouble breathing at this height. It was terrible, and he hated every minute of it. But he knew that if he stopped he'd end up a werewolf-sicle.

Scuttle cuddled closer to Gary's cheek. He clacked his claws in sympathy. Gary sighed. How did this happen? It was like Morgana was a totally different person! Once you tasted dark magic you couldn't stop! It was like a drug, it would tempt you more and more until you couldn't help but take from its deadly powers! Yes, there were some mages and warlocks that could control it, but they were rare. It was so easy to become like more than a dark magic addict. But in this case…it wasn't really the magic. It was the man who was leading her towards that magic. Gary knew had to get Negaduck away from her! He knew he could save her if he just talked to her one more time! His heart ached at the thought of giving up on her! He wouldn't! He would save her from Negaduck. He was so close to the end, there was just one more cliff!

Gary scrambled up the last cliff and yelp in terror. There, right in front of him, was a huge white, apelike being, with long claws and fangs, claws much longer and sharper then his own werewolf claws. It stood at least twice as high as Morgana, with a huge, barrel shaped chest and long arms. It stood on two stubby, but strong looking legs. The thing howled at him, and the icy wind picked up, nearly throwing him off the cliff. He knew what this was. What it had to be.

"Yeti." Gary muttered. "Nuts…"

A/N: The Sandman that appears in this is based off a freaky 1991 stop motion film called The Sandman. I took a few liberties, but not that many. The appearance is similar, and this Sandman is also evil. I kinda blended it with Freddy Kruger, but I didn't want a total Kruger due to the fact that I didn't think Kruger fits in this universe. He's a bit too dark.

While I was writing this I discovered that there was just too much stuff to shove into one chapter, therefore this is going to be a two parter!

Next time: The Friendly Four are trapped in a world of nightmares, and it's up to Steelbeak and the others to help them. Will they find and save the Four in time? And will Gary go against his teacher once and for all? Find out in the next chapter.