It had been almost an hour since the fight with the Fearsome Four. The police eventually caught up with Negaduck and arrested him, after Darkwing told them what had happened. After Negaduck was behind bars, Darkwing, Launchpad, and Gosalyn took Bushroot to his greenhouse, and buried him behind the building. Then went back home.
Later, Drake found Gosalyn looking through a gardening book.
"I find it kind of surprising to see you reading that," he said.
"I know," Gosalyn said. "Hey, Dad, is it true you can grow a plant just by planting a piece from the original plant?"
"It's possible," Drake nodded. "Why?"
"Just curious," Gosalyn replied.
The next morning, Gosalyn went over to the Muddlefoots' and knocked on the door. The minute Honker answered it, Gosalyn grabbed his arm, and dragged him toward her garage.
"Gosalyn! What are you doing?!" he shouted.
"You and I are going to work on our science project," Gosalyn said.
"But Gosalyn, why right now? The lima beans can wait until after school."
"Because we're not doing the lima bean project anymore!"
Inside the garage, Gosalyn found a pair of gardening shears and a shovel.
"These'll do," she said, grabbing the shovel and the shears.
"What do we need those for?" Honker asked, as Gosalyn handed him the shears.
"You'll see," Gosalyn said. "Come on, Honk. Let's go."
"But won't your dad be mad at you if he finds out we're skipping school? I know my parents will be mad!"
"Don't worry about it, Honker! Dad and Launchpad are going to be out all day at the tower, so they'll never know! Besides, we'll go to school once we get settled."
Reluctantly, Honker followed Gosalyn to the greenhouse. She led him around back and proceeded to dig. She stopped for a moment, gave Honker the shovel, and took the shears. Honker couldn't see what in the world she was doing, but he didn't think he wanted to.
"Let's see . . . ." she said. "There's got to be a good spot somewhere on here . . . . ah ha!"
Honker heard Gosalyn snip something, and then she climbed out of the hole, and filled it up again.
"Okay, Honk, let's go back to my place and start planting!" she shouted.
"But Gosalyn . . . . ." Honker started.
"I'll explain on the way!" Gosalyn shouted.
Once back at the Mallards' house, the kids began to work. They got some plant food and fertilizer from the Muddlefoots' garage, and Gosalyn started digging. She put her plant cutting into it, and filled it up, putting some plant food and fertilizer on the spot, and some water from the hose. Then they left for school.
A week later, Drake was walking by his kitchen window, and he saw something pretty out of the ordinary in his backyard.
"What the . . . ." he said. "GOSALYN!"
"What, Dad?" Gosalyn asked, coming into the kitchen.
"Gosalyn, what in the world is that thing in the backyard?!" Drake shouted.
Gosalyn looked out the kitchen window, and saw what her father was indicating. It was a pod of some kind, green, and rather large, covered in vines.
"It's just my science project, Dad," Gosalyn said.
"You're not growing a pod person out of those lima beans, are you?" Drake asked, suspiciously eyeing the pod.
"Don't be silly!" Gosalyn shouted, and she raced out the back door to work on her project. Drake noticed she had a video camera with her. Honker came around and took the camera from her, and began filming.
"I thought it was science class," Drake said. "Not science fiction class. That can not possibly be her lima beans!"
In the days that followed, not only were Gosalyn and Honker monitoring the pod, but Drake and Launchpad were as well. It appeared it was getting bigger.
"I wonder what's inside of it?" Launchpad asked, as he and Drake walked around the darn thing.
"I hate to think," Drake replied. It was at that moment the pod began to move, slightly. Gosalyn and Honker suddenly raced out of the house. Honker had the camera ready.
"Okay, this is it," Gosalyn said. "Are we rolling?"
"We're rolling," Honker said.
"Okay," Gosalyn said. "Aaaannnnnd action! Welcome to Day Twenty-Five of Gosalyn Mallard and Honker Muddlefoot's Science Project! And we're confident that today is the big day!"
"Gosalyn, do I even want to know what this is about?" Drake asked.
"You'll see when it sprouts," Gosalyn said. "Or hatches . . . . or whatever it's gonna do."
"Sprouts or hatches?" Launchpad repeated, a bit confused.
"This I gotta see," Drake commented.
"Roll 'em, Honk!" Gosalyn shouted.
Gosalyn, Drake, and Launchpad stepped out of the way, and Honker began taping the pod. It was moving a little. Suddenly, a small crack appeared in the pod.
"It's alive!" Launchpad shouted, nervously.
"Of course it's alive, Launchpad!" Drake shouted. "It's a plant!"
"Wait'll the class sees this!" Gosalyn shouted. "This is way better than that lima bean project!"
The pod rocked back and forth a little, and the crack gradually got bigger. A minute later, the pod seemed to split down the middle. Then, slowly, something came out of it. It looked like a vine, and there was a leaf (or what appeared to he a leaf) on the end of the vine. A second vine and leaf came out, and they started pushing against one side of the pod. Slowly, the two sides of the pod separated, and something started coming out slowly.
"Holy moly . . . ." Drake said, utterly speechless.
"Gee . . . ." Launchpad said. It was the only thing he could think of saying.
"Cool," Gosalyn said.
"Wow," Honker replied. "I didn't think it would work!"
Out from that pod emerged none other than Dr. Reginald Bushroot. He was covered in some kind of slimy substance, and he looked bedraggled and disoriented. He climbed out of the pod, and began wobbling around a bit, similar to a newly hatched chick taking it's first steps. Drake and Launchpad rushed over to Bushroot and caught him before he could fall to the ground.
"Gosalyn, what in the wide world of sports did you just do?" Drake asked.
"We planted Bushroot in the ground and grew him," Gosalyn said, shrugging. "What's it look like we did?"
"Yeah, but . . . ." Drake said. "But that's impossible, isn't it?"
"Not really, Mr. Mallard," Honker said. "Gosalyn and I figured it out. Bushroot has been mulched twice before, and he was able to regenerate himself both times."
"Yeah," Gosalyn said. "And remember what happened in Twin Beaks?"
"Oh," Drake said, but he wasn't quite sure he understood what was going on.
"So we went out to the greenhouse, took a cutting from Bushroot, and planted it in the backyard, and there you have it."
"Yeah, but . . . . but . . . ." Drake said. "But he hatched out of that thing like . . . . like a chicken or a duckling or . . . . . I mean, if he's a plant, he shouldn't have . . . . ."
"Well, he is half duck, Dad!" Gosalyn shouted. "He's not all plant, and he's not all duck, either. He's half and half, remember? So instead of sprouting like a plant, he hatched. Only instead of an egg, it was a seed pod. Just go with it!"
Drake nodded. It was about all he could do. Then he realized something. He was now covered in that slimy substance Bushroot was covered in.
"Eeeeuuuuwww . . . . ." he grimaced. "Come on, everyone inside. We've got some work to do."
So, Drake, Launchpad, Gosalyn, and Honker took Bushroot into the garage. Drake and Launchpad dragged out a large flower pot. Gosalyn and Honker put some soil into it, and Drake and Launchpad put Bushroot into the soil. Then Gosalyn poured some plant food, fertilizer, and water into the pot, and Drake found his sun lamp, and turned it on. Then, they just left him there overnight.
The next morning, Drake went out to the garage to check on Bushroot. He found the garage door open, and Bushroot standing there in front of it, stretching, and absorbing the sunlight. He had completely dried off, and he looked a little more alert than he did when he had hatched (or sprouted . . . . or whatever he did coming out of that pod).
"Hi," he said, turning around seeing Drake standing there.
"Yeah . . . . hi," Drake said. "So, uhh . . . . how are you?"
"I'm okay," Bushroot said. "I'm feeling a lot better now, Mr. Mallard. Thanks to Gosalyn and Honker, that is."
"Well, that's good. Listen, Bushy. We need to have a little talk."
"About the fact that you're really . . . . . uhhh, You-Know-Who?"
"Exactly. Now, it's obvious Gosalyn and Launchpad already know. Honker knows, too, and so does Morgana. And apparently, Megavolt, but I'm not worried about him. He can't even remember who he was before he became Megavolt! I can't let this get out, especially to the neighbors, and it'll be extremely dangerous if Negaduck, or any other super villain in St. Canard finds out my secret identity."
"I think I understand, Mr. Mallard. I promise, I won't tell your secret. Cross my heart, and hope to die . . . . again."
"Right. You know something, Bushy? I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Drake and Bushroot shook on it, and went back inside the house. Gosalyn had the video camera ready, and was about to head out to the garage when Drake and Bushroot walked in.
"Perfect timing!" Gosalyn shouted, holding up the camera. "Aaaannnd action! Day Twenty-Six of Gosalyn Mallard and Honker Muddlefoot's project sees the plant cutting was a success. As you can see, our subject, the former villainous vegetable, Bushroot, has successfully been re-grown. Say something to my class, Bushroot!"
"Like what?" Bushroot asked.
"Just say hi to Miss Wysmann's fourth grade class at St. Canard Elementary," Gosalyn replied.
"Okay," Bushroot said, shrugging. "Hi, Miss Wysmann's fourth grade class at St. Canard Elementary."
"Aaaannnnd cut!" Gosalyn shouted, lowering the camera. Then she rewound the tape, and ejected it.
"Science projects are due today," she said. "For the first time in my life, I can't wait to get to school!"
"It's a miracle!" Drake shouted.
And with that, Gosalyn raced out of the house.
Three o' clock rolled around, and Gosalyn raced into the house.
"Dad! Launchpad! Bushroot! Come here!" she shouted.
"What is it, Gos?" Drake asked as he, Launchpad, and Bushroot ran into the front hall.
"Well, thanks to Bushroot, Honker and I got an A on our science project!" Gosalyn shouted. "Miss Wysmann was impressed by the fact that we managed to actually grow a mutant! And they said comic books aren't educational! I'll play you guys my tape!"
Gosalyn raced for the VCR. Launchpad and Bushroot followed, but Drake lingered behind for a bit. Then he sighed.
"Yep-yep-yep-ahhhh," he said. "Just another day in the life of Darkwing Duck."
The End
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry about the rushed ending. I couldn't think of a better way to end this story, and I wanted to finish it.