Bushroot stood admiring their impromptu Christmas tree — really, the Four of them were well equipped to decorate for the holidays; maybe they could start a business if this whole villain thing went south — when he felt it. Faint but there.

Someone was coming right towards the Fearsome Four's little clearing.

Before disappearing to who knew where, Negaduck had warned them to stop anyone who tried to pass by. But what business did anyone have here? It was a dense forest half way up a mountain. Other than a few wayward cabins and a nearby ski resort, there was nothing resembling civilization for miles.

Which was how Bushroot was able to tell that someone was approaching; whoever it was was disrupting the plant life. The multitude of marching feet sending warnings like shockwaves deep into the earth. Hide away. Protect yourself.

Glancing around, Bushroot searched for any visual disturbances. Kept his ears open for strange noises. But the evening was still.

Grounding himself, Bushroot stretched out his roots and really listened.

Down the mountain. A very large group. Heading up towards them.

"We have incoming," he told the others. They all looked around, confused, but Bushroot was already calling nearby plants to battle. The trees around the Fearsome Four grew taller, sprouting more branches, giving them effective cover.

"It's a big group, they'll be here soon." Bushroot pointed down the mountain. "They're coming from that direction."

"Uh huh," said Quackerjack, crossing his arms. "You know this because…?"

"I can feel vibrations in the earth. Well, it's more like the plant's reactions to what's happening around them. It's hard to explain."

Megavolt, Quackerjack, and Liquidator glanced between one another.

"Have you always had this ability?" Quackerjack demanded.

Bushroot shrugged. "I guess."

"So you can always feel where everyone is? Through their vibrations in the earth?" Megavolt asked.

"Only if there's plants around. And if I focus."

"Oh, of course," sneered Quackerjack. "Plants. How silly of me to assume otherwise."

Bushroot sighed. "Okay, no, I didn't tell you about this and maybe you should have known before now, but that doesn't change the fact that there's a huge group coming this way."

"Well then," said Quackerjack, pulling out a small water gun and a set of wind-up teeth. "Let's give them an evening they'll never forget."

Megavolt grinned and balled his hands into fists, a surge of electricity dancing up his arms.

"The latest and greatest," agreed Liquidator, swelling up to a tidal wave. "Only for a limited time."

Bushroot hunkered down, spreading his roots to keep tabs on the approaching group.

Through the tremors in the ground and the disturbances to the plant life, Bushroot kept track of the thundering of boots. Upwards of fifty, all trampling unconcerned and unafraid across the landscape.

They drew closer, the dull roar turning thunderous. He squared his shoulders and followed the leaders' progress, trying to decide which areas of the forest to defend. To their immediate left seemed a popular choice, so Bushroot relocated a few firs.

When the world went silent.

Bushroot opened his eyes in surprise, reaching his roots out as far as he dared, listening intently.

There was nothing.

"They're gone," he said.

"If they were even there to begin with," scoffed Quackerjack.

"Where'd they go?" Bushroot asked, turning to the others. Quackerjack was lounging on a nearby outcropping of small rocks, tossing a bouncy ball up and down. Liquidator had shrunk down into a small pile of snow again, only his head and shoulders visible.

"There's been no one," said Megavolt, who was sitting on a nest of fallen nettles.

"Of course there was someone! There were a lot of someone's." And a group that size didn't just disappear. So Bushroot's question was still valid: where were they?

"You said there was incoming," said Quackerjack. "But that was, like, ten minutes ago. There's been no weird noises or lights or even so much as a slight breeze."

"No, they were right there," Bushroot pointed to where he'd sent some of his trees.

"Studies show that 75% of false convictions are from inaccurate eyewitness accounts," said Liquidator.

"I didn't make them up," said Bushroot, scowling at him.

"It's okay," soothed Megavolt. "Happens to everybody."

"I am familiar with delusions," Bushroot snarled. "I've been misleading myself for years. This wasn't my mind playing tricks on me."

"No one's saying it was you." Quackerjack glanced over with an eyebrow raised as he caught his ball out of midair. "Maybe it was your trees."

"Watch it." Bushroot scowled at the clown.

But Quackerjack shrugged and continued, "It's not like it's shocking to have someone hear voices in their head in this group. Sparky here talks to his lights all the time."

"You leave them out of this!" snapped Megavolt.

"At least my plants are alive and might actually have something to say, unlike inanimate lightbulbs!" Bushroot shot back.

"Hey," Megavolt whined.

"Enemy spotted at the gates," said Liquidator, sitting up straight and cocking his head to one side.

"That's a bit dramatic." Quackerjack rolled his eyes and threw his ball in the air. "We're just arguing, we're not enemies."

Liquidator rose to his full height. "Incoming."

Quackerjack snatched his ball out of the air and sneered at Bushroot. "One of your trees?"

Bushroot opened his beak to respond, but swallowed his retort when he saw a silhouette approaching, its hands waving wildly. He set his trees on alert and faced the stranger. The other three fell in line beside him, all wielding their weapons.

"They're comin'!" said the stranger. The accent was familiar…. "Get outta here if youse wanna be able ta walk dis holiday season!"

"Steelbeak?" asked Megavolt, a spark of electricity sparking at his fingers, lighting up the area.

It was Steelbeak with his suit askew, feathers disheveled, and panting heavily. He glanced up then straightened fully, glancing around. "Oh. Where's Negsy?"

"Who's coming?" Bushroot pressed.

Steelbeak turned to look at them. "F.O.W.L.. They're comin' for da girl. Seriously, I thought Negs would be here."

"F.O.W.L.'s here!" said Bushroot, relieved to know he hadn't made up a group of people trampling through the snow. "Where'd they go?"

"How should I know?" said Steelbeak. "Dey went inta stealth mode once we saw da tree line. They're probably crawlin' around in the snow behind yous. But where's Negsy? I wanna pledge my undying loyalty ta him so I don't gotta crawl around in the muck and mire."

"Just us," said Megavolt.

How could Bushroot have been so stupid? F.O.W.L. had split up for a surprise attack instead of the brute force from before. He'd been so distracted by the big congregation he hadn't thought of them splitting up.

Reaching his roots out again, he searched for smaller slower-moving groups.

Which he easily located.

All around them.

"They're everywhere!" Bushroot turned as one of his trees tossed a few Eggmen back down the mountain. "Split up!"

The Fearsome Four divided, each heading in a different direction. The thought of Negaduck's potential anger made failure a non-option.

"So, youse don't know where Negsy might be?" asked Steelbeak.

Bushroot used one of the nearby pines to flick the rooster away.