Chapter 16

Gravemoss

Megavolt couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as he tossed the last bank robber into the police transport van. Sure, a bank robbery was small potatoes when you considered some of the enemies the team had faced in the past few months, but it was always nice to clean up the streets of the classics from time to time. He breathed out a large sigh of contentment. Doing something straightforwards, a problem with no strings or weird twists was actually very relaxing for him, not to mention rewarding. He didn't this for praise, but the fact that the hostages were now giving him and the other Four that praise, well it reminded him of the other perks of being a superhero, other then main reason of helping people. It was nice to recognized for what he did best.

Now if only his teammates would get into the spirit of things.

Megavolt sighed slightly as he looked over the other three. Of the rest of the team only the Liquidator was engaging with the crowd, slipping into a bit of his salesman jargon as he talked to the one or two reports who wanted a play by play of the action. It was a good thing that despite his calm nature, the Liquidator could catch the attention of reports with his salesman act pretty decently. He and Quackerjack were the best at talking to press. Unfortunately, for the past two weeks every time Quackerjack was in a crowd he'd end up scanning the crowd with narrowed, suspicious eyes. It didn't start out that way at first. A few days after the sea mutant incident Quackerjack acted the way he normally would, then one night after a drug bust Quackerjack had looked at one particular point in the crowd and narrowed his eyes. He leaped to the corner, then blinked in confusion with the corner held nothing in it. If Megavolt didn't know better he'd have thought that Brazilian pirate parrot had laid some sort of black magic hex on his friend.

Although to be fair with all the magic stuff that had encountered that may be the case. With hoods like Macawber around it was hard to keep saying that magic wasn't real. In fact it was now on Megavolt's 'to study' list. If Negaduck was mucking around with it then it must be taken seriously. Even if it did turn out to be a bunch of nonsense, Negaduck would still hurt a lot of people to get what he wanted from it. It would be worse if was imaginary and what Negaduck wanted, whatever that was, was impossible to obtain.

A lot of heads would roll if that was the case, especially the ditz of a witch.

Quackerjack's weird twitchyness wasn't the only thing that was bothering Megavolt when it came to his team. Bushroot was, even now, currently staring at the sky, for all the world looking like he was just fascinated by the murky clouds above. At first Megavolt thought he was just suffering from some sort of sun deprivation. It wouldn't surprise him. Plants often had a rough time with the pollution of the city. But even when he was in his nicely oxygenized and sunlamped greenhouse Bushroot was oddly spacey. In fact, now that Megavolt thought of it even Spike was acting a little spacey as well.

Once the crowd started to break up and the police transport vans were on the road, Megavolt slide as close to the Liquidator as he dared and lowered his voice. "Hey, Likky, do you think the others are acting a bit...off? I mean, Bushroot is really spacing out and Quackerjack..."

"I know what you mean. He's odd, but something is obviously bothering him. You want to talk to him, or should I?"

"Maybe we should wait till we get back to the greenhouse."

"No." Bushroot suddenly snapped his head down to glare at both the Liquidator and Megavolt. Megavolt nearly took a step back. There was something...odd in Bushroot's gaze. For a second he looked almost furious at them. Then, Bushroot blinked and shook his head. "No greenhouse today. Go somewhere else."

"Reggie, are you-" The Liquidator reached out a hand, but Bushroot turned abruptly away.

"Not. Today." Bushroot's bill was clamped down tight, as if he was clenching in pain. Megavolt stepped a bit closer to the plant mutant, but Bushroot abruptly marched away, shoulders tense and shaking.

"...well now I'm sure something is wrong." Megavolt snorted. "He's never done that before."

"Never done what?" Quackerjack finally stopped glaring at the lamp post he had been giving his death stare to and blinked at the others. "Huh, where's Bushroot?"

"Done staring at the lamps I see?" Megavolt couldn't help but be a bit sarcastic. Something was wrong with two of his friends and he didn't like it. "You keep glaring at nothing and it's starting to worry me!"

"Is it nothing though?" Quackerjack glared behind him at the lamp post.

"I haven't seen anything, Quackerjack." The Liquidator said gently. "But you know you can tell is what's wrong, right?"

Quackerjack huffed to himself. "I just...you won't believe me, but I keep seeing...nothing. I'm just being crazy, like always."

Megavolt, who knew very well his friend was nuts and was the first one to confirm he was nuts, frowned in concern. He didn't like the way Quackerjack had said that. It had a strangely bitter tone that Megavolt didn't like.

"Is it that parrot? Because the way you've been acting I'd always swear he laid a voodoo hex of some kind on you" Megavolt said.

Quackerjack looked back at him in surprise and perhaps a bit of hope "You know?"

"More of an educated guess. IF magic is real, and that's a bit IF, you did spend a lot time with that wierdo and he could have done something to you."

"I just keep thinking I can see him in the crowds we gather, and a few other crowds as well. It's always in a crowd. Thought he was in line for the Hippo burger at one point. But it's only out of the corner of my eye. When I look again he's gone." Quackerjack sighed in frustration. "I can't tell if it's magic or paranoia."

"To be fair he probably can't blend in that well without some sort of mutant ability or *sigh* magical aid." The Liquidator said. "I think most people would remember a bright green parrot with a hook and an eyepatch. If only to wonder where the other pirates are."

"I...thought you guys wouldn't believe me..." Quackerjack sighed.

"I still think that all this magic has a logical, scientific explanation." Megavolt said. "But I am willing to grant that we just haven't figured out what it is. Once I have figured it out it will all make sense."

"Megavolt...you have like, no imagination, do you?" Quackerjack gave Megavolt a small, almost sad smile.

"I have imagination. For science." Megavolt snorted.

"Still, if those two are lurking around, I want to catch them." The Liquidator made a fist. "I have...inquiries."

"Join the line, my friend." Megavolt nodded.

"I just want to beat my twenty dollars out of Jose." Quackerjack glared once more at the lamp post. "But hey, I got the two of you to admit I'm right about magic!"

"Now just a moment, I never said that!" Megavolt said.

"Oh you so did!"

"I did not!"

"Boys!" the Liquidator raised his voice. "Maybe before we get to far into another magic argument, we should talk about Bushroot?''

"Oh...what's wrong with Bushroot, again?"

Megavolt let out a loud sigh and began to explain.

"So, please explain to me why the clown keeps glaring in your direction, Mr. Dance Magic?"

Jose, who had ducked behind a dumpster when the clown hero started to glare at him, for the sixth time no less, glared up at Panchito. Both of them were quietly speaking Spanish. "If I knew, I'd stop having to duck away before I get more then three wallets."

"Or maybe we just have to stop slipping through the crowds those four attract. It's happened every single time my friend." Panchito shivered. "I am not going to a North American jail."

"You think I want that? I don't even want to be in this city with all these weirdos running around. They have fire breathing lizards here!"

"It's either the city, or brave the wilds with the gun crazy hill folk." Panchito shuddered. "I'm not fond that that idea either."

"So you and I just have to stick it out until we can get enough to get out of here and away from here." Jose sighed. "If I ever find a way to get back at that duck..."

"You know, between the yellow traffic light and Bozo back there, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with ducks."

"I am not following the clown, Panchito."

"Suuure you aren't. Like I said, you and ducks."

Jose suddenly hooked Panchito around the neck and jerked his head down. "Stop referencing him, okay? I know what you are doing. Shut up."

"Alright, alright. I'm just saying, you-"

"Shut. Up." Jose growled.

Panchito narrowed his eyes. "What are you going to do, hurt me? You hate blood. I was the one who protected you in jail, if you recall."

"And a fine job you did." Jose pointed to his missing eye with the hook.

"If I wasn't around it would have been worse and you know it. It almost was. You need me more that I need you. I just keep you around because I like you." Panchito straightened and smirked down at the parrot. "In fact, I don't need you at all. Remember that. Technically, I still own you."

"That's illegal here."

Panchito laughed and turned away. He almost regretted bringing the subject up, but he wasn't going to let Jose know that. The pecking order had to be maintained, after all. "As if either of us care about that. Let's go. We might have better luck somewhere else." The rooster arranged his feathers, which had been dyed to a black color so he wouldn't be identified by his natural red coloration, and stalked off, chuckling gently.

Jose paused and shook his head, switching to his native language. "Bastard. Pull rank on me like that..." Still, he followed along just the same.

Megavolt and Quackerjack hung back as the Liquidator attempted to knock on the greenhouse door for the third time in half an hour. Still, Bushroot's greenhouse was locked and sealed tight. None of the plants moved or twitched. They couldn't even see or hear Spike rustling around, and the doglike flytrap was always a bit loud. It was eerily silent in the greenhouse, and none of them liked it.

"So...what are we going to do?" Quackerjack asked. "Break a window or..."

"I'm not sure we should just bust in. It could just be something related to winter or something. The weatherman says it's going to be a bit colder before it gets warmer." Megavolt pointed out.

"Yeah, but me and Likky have been around him for the last few winters and he's never done this." Quackerjack pointed out.

"Speaking of cold it's getting dark." The Liquidator flowed back to them and looked up at the sky. While winter was over it was still cold at night. "I think the two of you should go home for now. Hate to have you freeze out here. I can stick around in case something happens."

Megavolt wanted to argue but he also could see the sense in it. "Alright...my lighthouse is closer. Quackerjack and I can stay there until morning, or until you get us."

"Sounds good. I'll stand over a storm drain. Even if my main water freezes I can leak myself into the sewers and be at your lighthouse in thirty minutes or your money back!" The Liquidator grinned and did just that, flowing himself over a handy storm drain. "Enjoy your night!"

Quackerjack smirked at Megavolt. "Oh fun a sleepover!"

"Yeah, don't get any strange ideas, okay." Megavolt sighed and started to lead the way to his secret superhero lair, trying to ignore Quackerjack's light chuckle and the feeling of dread.

He could hear them all the time now.

At first it was only when he tried to connect with the plants, when he used his powers, or when he was alone at night. But now it was all the time. The screaming. He should have told the others. It hadn't stopped since the sea monster incident. Just the plants screaming in pain, all the time. Should have tried to get them to understand. They would have understood, he knew. His animal mind knew. He should tell them now. Something was wrong. He could feel the wrongness everywhere. But every time he tried to say something it was like he was being choked, and his brain would fade into a more plant state. He couldn't figure it out. He tried everything. He had pulled out a pen and paper and tried to write them a note, but it ended up being torn by...something. Had it been him? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if he was all there anymore. He didn't like it at all. He felt like he was losing himself.

Come. Now.

...who? Why was that voice familiar, but it was the first time the plants had communicated something other than screaming in a while. It was almost welcome but why was it so familiar?

Come. Now.

He shouldn't follow it. Not without the others. He shouldn't, he...

Bushroot opened the greenhouse, Spike at his heels. He started to follow the voice's command out of the greenhouse and into the forest at the edge of town. He didn't even notice that the Liquidator was calling out to him from the street. He didn't know what he would have said to his friend if he had heard him. He should stop. He should get the others.

He kept walking forwards into the darkness.

Megavolt glared into Quackerjack's eyes. The two's hands twitched above their chosen weapons as the seconds ticked on. All of a sudden Megavolt moved, lashing out with his hand and slapping the table between the two with a loud bang. Quackerjacks's hand descended a second later, the clown's confident grin never leaving his beak. Megavolt looked down and grinned.

"Ha. Seven beats three. I win again."

"Huh. Ya know, I can't help but wonder what kinda weird you luck have. I mean, five times in a row?" Quackerjack sighed and considered his three of clubs. "I always thought this game lacked something. Some basic strategy, you know..."

"Well, how would you change it?"

"Eh, maybe make cards where you can have a hand of them, like in poker. Only have cards that can, I don't know. Make your number higher. Or mess with your friend's cards, you know? Something to spice it up."

Megavolt shrugged. "Maybe. If you're going to do something like that why make it like a normal deck of cards. Maybe you could have something like cards with characters that fight each other. Use those cards you just mentioned to enhance them?"

"Oh, that's a good idea. Make different kinds of character so a person can make each deck unique instead of just the normal blah of aces or whatever." Quackerjack grabbed the deck of cards and begin to shuffle them idly. "You could make them fantasy themed, or space themed, or even monsters like that video game..."

"Why not all of them? Then someone who likes fantasy can still play with someone who likes science fiction. You'd just have to make sure the rules would work with any kind of custom deck?" Megavolt volunteered.

"Oh I like your ideas, Megsy." Quackerjack grinned as he made the cards fly the air from one hand to the other, never dropping a single card. "I need a new fun toy project anyway. Keep people on their toes, you know?"

"Is that how you make money, other then the performing I've seen you do?" Megavolt asked. He was sort of impressed at how Quackerjack was able to keep the cards in motion without seeming to look at them or even really notice what he was doing. It just seemed to be instinctive.

"Not on the scale I used to when I actually had a toy company, no." Quackerjack confessed. "I do make toys for the kids I see, and sometimes the parents or guardians pay me, but it's not a steady thing. You know. Heroics and all..." He placed the shuffled deck on the table. "Though if I do design something like that I'd share the profit with you. You helped come up with the idea after all."

"You don't have to do that."

"I'd want to. You know, if it ever happened." Quackerjack said softly.

All of a sudden water began to shoot out of the sink and land in front of Megavolt's cabinets. The water quickly formed the Liquidator, who had a near panicked look on his face.

"Guys, we got a big problem!"

"Bushroot?"

"It's worse then that. Look out the window."

Megavolt and Quackerjack rushed to the window, and both let out almost identical gasps.

Down below, it looked like every single potted plant that might have been in the city were crawling on their roots in the general direction of the forest beyond Bushroot's greenhouse. The crawled along, leaves floating in the wind and stems bobbing listlessly. It was almost like a group of planty zombies, marching their way to hunt for brains. Megavolt grabbed a telescope and looked through it, trying to get a better look at the plants.

Their roots. They all have fuzzy grey roots. Like they're covered in some kind of moss."

"Bushroot couldn't be doing this." Quackerjack said, almost defensively.

"No way, you're right." Megavolt nodded. "But that doesn't mean whatever is affecting them isn't affecting him."

"Then what are we waiting for! Follow those plants!" The Liquidator sloshed over to the door and was out, the other two following close behind him.

The trail of walking plants wasn't hard to follow, and soon enough the three heroes had found their way to the edge of the forest. It was the only place in the city where nature had any kind of hold. It was probably why Bushroot had planted his greenhouse so close to it. Somehow, despite the pollution, the green area stretched from the edge of the city to the bank of the river that separated St. Canard from the rest of the mainland. Ever since Bushroot had become a mutant, the forest had been persistently green and healthy looking, as if his very presence somehow made the plants more healthy and vibrant.

But now the forest loomed oppressively in the darkness of the night. Everywhere he looked Megavolt could see the same odd grey moss covering the bark of the trees in thin streaks. He shivered at the sight of the moss. It looked horrible. It looked sick and diseased. Megavolt steeled himself and walked into the forest, following the trail of walking once potted plants, the other two following close behind.

The further and further they traveled into the forest, the more of the grey moss clung to the trees. The trunks started to look thin and withered, and their branches were starting to bend and point to the ground. Megavolt shivered again, but kept walking. There was no way they were going to leave Bushroot out there. This was way to creepy. Despite the fact that the trees were starting to look emaciated, the forest grew darker and darker with each step, and Megavolt had to take out a tiny flashlight from where he kept it hidden in case of emergencies from a pocket in his suit. As he did this Quackerjack pulled out a clear ball from under his hat and pushed a button on it. It started to glow, giving the team even more light to use as they walked deeper into the forest. He tied the little light to an end of his jester hat, quickly swapping it out for a bell so he could keep his hands free and still have an extra light.

It felt like they had taken much longer than it should have, but that was probably just the general eeriness of their surroundings. Eventually they came to a clearing, and had to come to a sudden stop.

"Oh this looks creepy." Quackerjack said helpfully.

The entire clearing was filled with plants of every kind. Most of them were standing on their roots, and Megavolt surmised that they were all the once potted ones that had been walking here. Each one seemed to be shivering, like frightened children. Megavolt was certain if they could talk to him then they would probably tell them they were hurting. They just had the air of living things in agony, and Megavolt gritted his teeth in agitation. These were Bushroot's friends, and something or someone was hurting them. Off to one side Megavolt could even see the mutant plant Petalhead at the edge of the crowd, who was trembling and clenching his leafy fists.

In the center of the clearing was a gigantic pod of some kind, a gigantic plant pod with huge petals, folded and held tight to the body of the plant, like a rose that had yet to bloom, the head of the rose pointed to the moon. However, this rose was fuzzy and grey, absolutely covered with moss from petal to stem. It made Megavolt want to vomit. Every instinct in his body telling him that this was wrong. Very very wrong.

In front of the unbloomed rose stood Bushroot, who was shaking almost as badly as Petalhead. Spike cowered at Bushroot's roots, making small terrified whimpers.

"...Bushroot..." Quackerjack whispered, and all it took was a glance for Megavolt to realize that he was just as unnerved as Megavolt was.

So...you are here as well. The first animals to feed us.

The voice was low, female, and came from the rose pod. Megavolt tensed and walked forwards until he was a few steps from Bushroot.

"Who are you, what have you done with our friend?"

"It's her." Bushroot said, his voice almost completely toneless. "She's dead. She's here, but she's dead. Everything's dead. Everything she touches is dead. I can hear them dying. She will kill everyone."

"What?! Who?" Megavolt began, but suddenly the rose petals opened, flopping to the ground with a sickening splat and the smell of rot. Inside the petals something unfurled itself, stretching and extending long, scythe like arms, similar to a praying mantis. The bladed appendages sank into the ground as the creature lifted itself up, the rose petals now arranged almost like a rotten dress around the figure's lower body. It fully straightened, and lifted its head and upper body. The upper body was almost similar to Bushroots, though the face was that of an unfamiliar woman, a duck with a beak that was filled with rotten holes and dripped with sludge. It blinked its black soulless eyes at the team, and grinned a rotten grin.

"...Dr. Dendron..." Bushroot whispered.

You helped kill me, Bushroot. You and Negaduck. Now, all animal life will pay.

"Wait, who?" Megavolt asked again, confused. He never heard of this person before.

You didn't tell your pets about me? I'm insulted. I was his boss, back at the university He betrayed me. Let Negaduck kill me. Did you never wonder what happened to my body, Bushroot? I was...collected by S.H.U.S.H. All those bodies in the basement they have. Magic and science and things that would make your feathers and fur stand on end! Even the dead have no rest with them! I think Bellum wanted to see what a dead body that was exposed to that serum would do. It took a while, but they made me. Scraped my body off the street and infused me with so much sickness and rot and the moss. I can hear your friends, and I can make them scream. I can use them...and once I'm done here, I can use you. I can use your corpses, just as mine was used. I will use your body to spread my moss, and your pets will feed me.

"Doctor...Rhoda." Bushroot shook his head, as if bringing himself out of a daze. "I can help you. I didn't kill you. It was all Negaduck. You know that. You've blamed me for everything before, but it's alright. I can help you, if you let me."

Help me? HELP ME? There is no Rhoda Dendron anymore, fool!

The plant monster leaned forwards, expelling a dark grey liquid from her mouth that began to creep for Bushroots roots. She grinned.

I am Gravemoss.

With that the creature's bladed arms lashes out, one for Megavolt's neck, the other for Bushroot's. Bushroot suddenly moved, pushing Megavolt out of the way of the blades, but one of his own arms was nicked. To Megavolt's horror the limb began to wither and shrivel as the moss began to climb up the arm to the shoulder. Megavolt pushed Bushroot and Spike back.

"Get back, you can't touch that stuff! We'll handle it!"

Bushroot shook his head again, as if trying to shake himself awake. "No...can't...I." He looked down at the moss climbing up his arm. "I can't."

"We got you." Megavolt wasn't sure how in the world he'd stop the moss, but he was hoping if he hit the monster enough times a solution would present itself. He turned and fired bolts of electricity at Gravemoss, making the plant monster step back. A puzzled expression crossed the monster's face as she studied Megavolt. He shocked her with more electricity, and he could see Quackerjack dart to the side to flank the monster, tossing exploding jawbreakers at Gravemoss. To Megavolt's delight he noticed the explosions seemed to be burning bits of the moss that covered their enemy, baring pale, sick green stem underneath.

All of a sudden a withered dead tree swung its branch at Megavolt, attempting to knock him to the side. Megavolt managed to roll to the side as the dead tree pulled its mossy roots from the ground and reached for him. Slowly, with jerky motions as if the tree didn't truly want to do this but was given no choice in the matter.

"Oh shit it really is a zombie plant invasion." Megavolt hissed to himself as he dodged a few more blows from the zombified elm. Is that why Bushroot is acting so spacey? Is he fighting off some sort of mental zombie plague that only works on plants?

Meanwhile, the Liquidator had rushed to Bushroot' side, who was staring almost blankly at the moss climbing up his arm. The Liquidator stared at the moss and shook his head. Bushroot blinked, then looked at him.

"...fire."

"What?" The Liquidator blinked.

"Fire. Need to burn the moss."

"But, that could burn the entire forest down!" The Liquidator took a step back.

For a moment the Liquidator thought there was something else behind Bushroot's eyes, something older and far more wise than any of them. He couldn't help but think that for once the plants were trying to communicate with them directly, instead of just talking to Bushroot and letting him tell them what the plants were saying. Bushroot blinked again.

"I know. They know. Do it."

The Liquidator nodded and flowed over to Quackerjack. "Bushroot says we need to burn the moss."

Quackerjack paused and looked at him. "...you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, one fireball coming up." Quackerjack pulled out a firecracker and a lighter from somewhere about his person. He held the flame against the firecracker and waited for a count of three. He watched as by now Megavolt had drawn Gravemoss's attention, the rat dodging and circling the plant monster and avoiding the rapidly growing army of dead trees as he fired his powers at her. Quackerjack waited until Gravemoss's head was turned away from him. Then he tossed the firecracker.

The plant monster shrieked as the much more powerful explosion erupted from the back of her head. Her sickly, mossy skin begin to spark, and Quackerjack quickly whipped out a can of...something and sprayed it at the sparks in the back of her head. Gravemoss's entire head lit on fire.

There was a sudden surge as plants suddenly rushed her, extending their moss covered limbs and roots at her. The fire sprang up as the plants, in what looked like a suicidal rush, dog piled the mutant, burying her in a swarm of leaves and vines. She shrieked in rage, but was unable to move with all the plants surrounding her and wrapping their vines and branches and stems around her limbs. The zombie trees swayed and one by one began to fall towards Gravemoss, though the Liquidator wasn't sure if they were trying help her, or if they had come to their senses and were trying to crush her beneath them. The fire began to lick at the moss covering the trees, eager to be fed more by the zombified horde of flora.

Bushroot suddenly darted forwards and the Liquidator attempted to grab him, but missed. He thrust his withering limb into the blaze, and the Liquidator could finally see Gravemoss's head, struggling to pull herself free from the crowd of plants. Bushroot's withering hand pushed down on her head, thrusting her back into the inferno. One of the plants turned to him. It grabbed the limb and, with a mighty tug, ripped the dying limb out of Bushroot's shoulder. Bushroot staggered back, staring at the flames as they climbed higher, consuming the once beautiful forest.

"We need to go." Bushroot straightened, turned and gave Spike and Petalhead a look. Petalhead had been the only plant who didn't rush Gravemoss, and Megavolt guessed that was because it seemed like Petalhead hadn't been touched by the moss. It seemed the daisy mutant had followed whatever call Gravemoss had used, but hadn't been touched by her moss. Megavolt couldn't help but feel revealed by that. He didn't want to see the friendly daisy hurt by the moss.

"Right, let's go."

The four watched as the only place in St. Canard that was green was consumed by fire. The Liquidator held himself on standby, in case the flames spread to the city. However, it seemed the plants had somehow managed to pull in their roots and limbs, clustering together and keeping as much of the fire in as they could. It was as if they knew that this infection could not spread beyond this area.

Megavolt wasn't sure how long the fire raged before a familiar limo pulled up next to the greenhouse. He grimaced. He had not wanted to call Steelbeak, but he knew they would need the annoying rooster for what had to happen next.

"Okay, so...you guys mentioned something about an evil plant mutant around here...I mean, I know you aren't talking about ol' Reggie here, buuuut." Steelbeak watched the fire staring to die.

"...I know you probably have a file about me. About what happened the night I became a mutant."

"Oh my friend I have a file on just about everyone." Steelbeak grinned.

"You remember the name Dr. Dendron?" Bushroot asked.

"Yeah, I do. Your boss right? Got fired for fraud the night before. Vanished that same night as well. No one's seen her since the night you showed up."

"Really? Nothing on how she brought Negaduck to the lab and used me as test subject?"

"Bushroot, I have no idea what happened that night because every time I ask about it you tell me to mind my own business. And every time I give the you benefit of the doubt. You ready to tell me what happened that night?"

Bushroot sighed and gave Steelbeak a brief overview of what happened in the forest that night, and what he remembered of the night he last saw Dr. Dendron. By the time he was done the flames had been reduced to mere embers. Steelbeak frowned at the ashy forest in thought.

"I checked the morgue that night. Only Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson's bodies made it. But that's not a surprise. S.H.U.S.H is always collecting bodies of the streets. I've got a few informants lurking around in there. They do use some bodies for experiments. Dr. Bellum's a real Frankenstein, if you know what I mean. Hell, maybe Negaduck himself turned her over to them. The janitor you terrified never saw her and according to you she was alive and working for Negaduck when they hooked you up to that thing." Steelbeak shrugged and pulled out his white gun. "But I got a lot of different types of ammo for this baby. Whatever is left after that fire, I'm taking it with me. We can ask your plant monster herself what happened."

"Probably a good idea. If she's anything like me, and she might be, then she'll be able to regenerate." Bushroot said.

"And I'd rather her regenerate in a nice safe lab cell than out here in the forest so she will spread zombie moss." Steelbeak looked at the other three. "Any of you want to come with, just in case I need backup?"

Megavolt nodded and looked back at the Liquidator and Quackerjack. "You two make sure the fire doesn't spread, and make sure all the moss is gone. "I'll go with Steelbeak. Bushroot..."

"I need to do some...plant talking." He looked at Steelbeak. "Let me know when you get her back to...wherever it is you take evil mutants. I need to do something, but I want to talk to her when you have her secured."

Steelbeak nodded and he headed for the ashes of the ruined forest, Megavolt close behind. He sighed a bit as he looked at the darkened trunks of what was once a living forest. He wasn't as much of a nature person as Bushroot was, but even he was depressed at the sight. He could tell by the sorrowful look on his face that Steelbeak probably felt the same.

"...ya know, this is the first time one of you asked to see my base. Just gonna let ya know, Megs, I won't let anything happen to any of you. Already cleared everything with High Command. Agents like Logan might be a bit mutant wary, but I can make sure no one does anything, right?"

Megavolt snorted. "You're babbling, Steelbeak."

Steelbeak sighed. "Yeah, I know. Sorry. But I am glad you called me for help."

Megavolt sighed slightly. "Don't get weird on me. It's been a weird enough day."

Soon they came to the clearing once again, and Megavolt glared at the lump of ash and blacked burned logs in the middle of the clearing. He could barely make out the twisted forms of the plants that had sacrificed themselves to bring Gravemoss down. Steelbeak drew his strange gun and trained it on the burned pile, slowly walking towards it. Megavolt let his electricity flow across his fingertips just in case something jumped out at him.

As if responding to his thoughts not a second later a bladed arm tore out of piled of dead plants and scraped the ground an inch from Steelbeaks beak. To the rooster's credit he didn't scream, but he did leap back and aim his gun at the flailing limb. The scythe like appendage scraped across the ground as Gravemoss pulled herself out of the pile. Megavolt noted that there was no more moss covering her. Instead she was now a still sick looking pale green, almost white. She also seemed smaller and thinner, now giving the impression of a sick and wilted flower, instead of a monstrous thing bloated with rot. She turned her head to Megavolt as she writhed on the ground towards them, body jerking and cracking like a thing out of a horror movie. Despite the fact that the moss had been burned away she seemed just as deranged and sickened as before.

"Kill...you..." Her voice no longer held the same volume and force as it had before, though she still spoke with the slow tones of a zombie seeking brains.

"Naw, I don't think so lady." Steelbeak fired, and to Megavolt's surprise a bubble emerged from the end of the gun. It bounced to Gravemoss and encircled her. The monster hissed and struck at the bubble with a blade, but the blade didn't penetrate it.

Steelbeak smugly twirled the gun and holstered it. "Ya. I've done this before. There's no getting out of that bubble." Steelbeak tied a rope to the bottom of the bubble...somehow. Megavolt really wanted to know how that thing worked. Maybe he hadn't given the government scientists enough credit. It was pretty impressive. Still, it seemed to work.

Steelbeak grinned and turned to Megavolt. "Call me when you guys are ready to stop by. We should have her secure by then." Both of them ignored Gravemoss's hissing and shouting and threats of doom.

"No problem...thanks for coming and helping us, Steelbeak." Megavolt said.

"Hey, maybe next time you'll call me when you actually are going to a fight, instead of waiting for me to come in later and help you clean up. Not that I mind, but I like some action too, ya know?"

"I'll consider that for next Christmas." Megavolt chuckled.

"Aww, I made the nice list! I'm honored babe!"

Bushroot planted his roots into the earth of his greenhouse, allowing his mind to slow down and connect with the natural world.

Can you hear me now? Are you alright?

We are...better little brother. The dead one caused much pain.

Is that why you all were screaming? I thought it had something to do with what Steelbeak was.

Some things must be hidden.

Wait, what?

Roots run deep. Some things must be learned in pieces. The mind of the animal will break. You and your pets have met two whose minds have broken when they saw and learned to much. Do not make their mistake. Be slow. Protect your pets from the knowledge beyond.

Wait, if Gravemoss was the first...does that mean she was really dead? But how did she come back to life? And who is the second person?

Slow, brother. Slow. There is a matter we must settle with the one you call Gravemoss.

What is it?

Go to her. We will show you.

Apparently Steelbeak had settled his base under the basement of a casino and bar. A casino and bar catered to families. It made a certain kind of sense when places that catered to kids alone more often then not ended up being fronts for capturing kids. What happened to those kids was never good. However, often times places like casinos and bars, if they were owned by people who wanted to protect kids, often had areas where children where sheltered and looked after. Steelbeak's casino, which wasn't really his but owned by the government, was used both as a base to fund their projects, but also had an area to protect the innocent and families, as well as offering a place where people could indulge in a vice that technically only hurt your wallet.

There was an after school reading program. And a pool. And a gym. All under the name 'BH Casino, Bar and Arcade'

"Who or what is a BH?" Megavolt asked as the Four entered a secret elevator behind a supply closet.

"Aww, I could tell ya, babe, but I'd have to wipe your memory afterwards" Steelbeak smirked.

"I like it. Not a big gambler or drinker, but I like the air locked kids room." Quackerjack grinned.

"Even if we get robbed, the Panic Arcade has its own security and no money is held there." Steelbeak grinned. "It's as safe for kids as we can make it."

"I'm not sure about keeping the dangerous mutants below us." Megavolt pointed out. "But from what I've seen of the security they're safer here than they'd be outside with Negaduck and whatever else is stalking around the streets."

Bushroot sighed, silent. He remained silent as the elevator took them down, then sideways, for several miles. He was hardly paying attention, even as the others ooed and aahed as they passed by an underwater area that they could look out the side of the glass elevator to look at the fish and the sharks swimming around. It was nice, but Bushroot wasn't in the mood to admire it.

Soon enough they had stopped, and the elevator doors opened.

"Welp, three hundredth basement floor. Mutant holding area, mad genetics labs, and the laundry." Steelbeak grinned as he held the door open. "Out ya go, boys."

The exited to a plain circular hallway, far below the earth. It made Bushroot oddly nervous, but he could still feel the plants connected to him.

Are you ready for this?

Yes. Brother. We are sorry.

You have nothing to be sorry for.

Neither do you. Remember that.

Steelbeak has just stopped a random door. At least random to Bushroot. Before he opened the door Bushroot placed a leaf on his hand.

"I need to talk to her alone."

Steelbeak frowned. "You sure?"

"I'm positive."

Steelbeak nodded and opened the door. Bushroot walked in.

He couldn't imagine a worse place for a plant duck. It was wall to wall steel. Empty, cold steel. Just a room with steel walls and everything. Not a window, not a single sign of the outside. Just four walls, and a single glass panel separating Gravemoss from him. For a moment the two plant ducks stared at each other.

"Come to gloat, Bushroot."

"No. I've come to give you one last chance. Steelbeak trusts me. I can help you. I don't know what they did to you, but-"

"Negaduck pushed me out the window. S.H.U.S.H came. While you've been free, making friends, talking to the plants, I've been in Bellum's lab. You think I was a bad scientist? She's so much worse than I ever was. She doesn't even have insanity as an excuse. She doesn't even have scientific curiosity as an excuse. She wants to see things suffer, Bushroot, and she doesn't care what suffers. She only works for Hooter because he gives her money and the lab she uses to torture things."

"...I'm sorry that happened to you, but you don't have-"

"You're the reason it happened at all! If you just kept your mouth shut-"

"I wasn't the one that got involved with Negaduck! I wasn't the one that took him to the lab and I wasn't the one that threw you out the window. I wasn't the one that killed my two best friends! After all this time you're still doing it! Blaming other people for the things you've done! What happened to you was horrible, but that doesn't give you the right to hurt others. You were killing those plants. You were going to kill my friends! I'm connected to the plants too. I know you weren't bluffing. You were going to kill them and you were going to use their bodies as fertilizer! Damn it, Rhoda, even if you do blame me they did nothing!"

"I don't care what it takes, Bushroot. Even if I wait a thousand years, I will take everything you love from you. Your animal pets. The plants. Your family. Everything."

"...you really aren't going to stop, are you?"

"Never."

"...I'm sorry."

"It's to late to apologize for what you've done."

Bushroot closed his eyes and sighed. "I did nothing to you. I refuse to take blame for what isn't my fault." He opened his eyes, and Gravemoss drew back. His eyes, once blue, were now glowing deep forest green. "I'm just sorry it has to be this way." He raised his leafy hands to ceiling.

"Wha...what are you doing?"

"You used your own connection to the plants. Just like I use my connection to the plants. But instead of learning from them, befriending them, helping them, you sank your moss into their roots and branches and killed them. Then you puppeted them like toys and forced them to come to you. If you continued you would have set them against the people of the city. Who knows how many you would have hurt. You might have succeeded, if you weren't so obsessed with getting revenge on me that you just had to lure my friends and I out. You used the connection to the plants to bring me outside, but now that I know that..." He shook his head and breathed another side. "I can't let you do that ever again. And neither can they."

All of a sudden Gravemoss shrieked as something in her brain slammed down, like a door being closed and locked. She reached for her own connection to the plants, a connection that was rotten and sick, but still a connection nonetheless. However, when she tried to feel them, they were gone.

"You, WHAT DID YOU DO!" Gravemoss screamed.

"Nothing. They did it. The Green has rejected you. At least for now." Bushroot's eyes faded and returned to the normal color. "Whenever you are ready to become a better person, I'm always willing to talk." He sounded for all the world like a disappointed parent chastising a child.

He turned and walked back out the door, letting Gravemoss scream and rant at his back.

Many hours later Bushroot stood in the middle of the burned forest looking down at a now cleared patch of earth.

"Come on little one. You can do it."

Slowly, a small bud began to wiggle its way out of the ground, the sprout of what once would be a mighty oak. It stretched towards Bushroot like a kitten seeking its mother's warmth.

Bushroot smiled down it.

Hundreds more to go.

An Author's Note:

So hey, managed to get this one out in what...two years instead of five? Maybe at some point we will be back to more than one chapter a year. Life goals, am I right?

It recently occurred to me, when my brain finally got back into a Negaverse mood, that what the Four really need are arch enemies. Other than Negaduck, who is really Darkwing's arch enemy anyway. I thought of making a kind of dark version of four. Four enemies with similar powers and/or themes as the good guys, but evil. I'm a sucker for those. Most will be canons, but I think at least one is going to be someone I made up. You'll probably figure out who once this mini arch I'm hoping to get out before next year finishes. Fingers crossed.

And yeah, Jose and Panchito are characters in the Negaverse now. I have plans. Many plans.

Three guesses who BH is.

Hope yall enjoyed it.