Bushroot hated all of this. He couldn't figure out just what Negaduck wanted from him, and no matter what he did or how hard he tried it seemed to be the exact wrong move. He could regrow a limb in an hour, and Negaduck thought that he should be able to do it faster. He figured out how to regrow into another type of plant other than this duck plant form that he adopted, and Negaduck just said that his skill was useless.

The only time that Negaduck had been even remotely content with him was when he told him about how Megavolt had been talking to Quackerjack. Even then it had just left Bushroot feeling like he had a pit in his stomach.

Megavolt had been furious, and since that had happened he hadn't forgiven him for it. Bushroot didn't know if Megavolt remembered why he was mad, but that didn't make his anger or electricity less strong. Bushroot had been shocked countless times, and Negaduck had absolutely no sympathy for him.

When Bushroot tried to use his sore and singed roots and leaves as an excuse as to why he wasn't strong enough for Negaduck, the adult had just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You're a plant." Negaduck had said. "Put those useless powers of yours to use and grow a pair. If Sparky wants a fight, give him one. Stop being such a pathetic pansy."

But Bushroot didn't want to fight. Fighting meant pain, and not just physically. Bushroot knew that words could hurt, and the pain lingered a lot more than any physical wound he might get. He could regrow limbs, and he didn't really bruise or bleed much. On the other hand, when he was taunted and insulted, those words got under his skin and seemed to haunt him.

Pathetic. Useless. Pansy. Weak. Coward. Loser. Weed. Negaduck repeatedly said all of these things. He said that he didn't deserve his powers, and nothing that Bushroot did could prove him wrong. He felt like Negaduck was right. Bushroot really was everything that Negaduck said, and he couldn't change any of that.

He didn't want to rise to Megavolt's challenge, because if they sparred then the rat would just throw more insults his way, probably the same insults that Negaduck used, and Bushroot didn't need any more confirmation of just how awful he was. He'd rather just pretend that it was just Negaduck being mean, and that it wasn't the truth.

Bushroot tried to avoid Megavolt, but when Negaduck found out that he was scared to really know the other boy's opinion about him, he'd taken matters into his own hands. Bushroot had thought that Negaduck would lock him in a room with Megavolt and force the two of them to duke it out. What Negaduck did was so much worse.

He took Bushroot and dragged him outside. The boy thought that this would just be for plant training or something, but Negaduck seemed content to just let him figure out his powers on his own. The grown-up didn't seem to do more than insult him. Liquidator was the only one that Negaduck seemed interested in encouraging to get stronger.

At first it felt really nice to be outside. He'd been able to get energy from the sunlight that came streaming through the window, but that was nothing compared to the glory of standing directly beneath the sun's rays. He could have basked there all day, but Negaduck wouldn't let him linger.

He scowled and grabbed Bushroot's arm, dragging him along. They went to a park, though they lingered in the tree line, hidden by the shrubbery. Bushroot had no idea what they were doing here, but Negaduck's confidence and irritation was not a good sign.

"You're completely pathetic." Negaduck said. "You're so scared of what other kids have to say about you. You need to either get thicker skin, or actually fight back." He pushed Bushroot out of their hiding place, making him stumble right into a field. He yelped and tripped, landing flat on his face.

"What the-?" A kid said. Bushroot could hear the nervous and judgmental muttering of numerous kids. He lifted his head to see a group of children of varying ages. Some of the younger ones were cowering behind the older kids.

"What are you supposed to be?" A particularly brave girl asked. Bushroot wilted slightly. He fidgeted and got to his feet.

"I, uh, hi." Bushroot gave them a small wave and a smile. The kids flinched back. He felt his spirits sink even more. He lowered his hand and drew in on himself. The kids looked scared of him. He hadn't even done anything.

"No, no, I'm not scary." Bushroot said frantically. "I'm just a kid, just like you guys."

The kids didn't look as scared anymore, mostly just cautious, and Bushroot felt hope build up inside of him. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Like us?" The smallest child asked. They looked from their friends to Bushroot. "You don't look like us." They didn't sound like they were trying to be malicious, they were just a confused little kid. Their friends didn't see it that way. One of the bigger kids snorted, though he tried to stifle it under a cough. Other kids didn't even bother trying to hide their giggles and chuckles.

"He looks like an overgrown weed." A boy muttered. Bushroot felt a pang in his chest while the kids began to laugh at him even more.

"I-I'm not a weed." Bushroot said. Weeds were unwanted plants. Undesirable pests that nobody wanted and nobody cared about. He could learn how to shrug off being called a freak, or a coward, because he knew that they were just mean words to describe the truth. But a weed? He wasn't actually unwanted by everybody around him, was he?

Or maybe he was. After all, these kids just saw him as a joke. Negaduck didn't like him at all. The closest thing Bushroot had to friends were Quackerjack, Megavolt, and Liquidator. He hadn't so much as seen the other duck since Negaduck had dragged him off, and Megavolt hated his guts. Liquidator was friendly enough, but Bushroot hadn't spent a lot of time with him. What if Liquidator didn't really like him either?

"I-I'm not a weed." Bushroot mumbled more to himself than anything else.

"Really?" One of the kids strode up to him. He pulled on Bushroot's foliage-like hair, laughing. "You sure feel like a weed."

"S-stop." Bushroot batted his hands away, but the kid just grabbed onto his hands.

"Guys, check this out!" The kid called out to his friends. He yanked on Bushroot's hands. "They're leaves! They're actually leaves."

All caution was out of the kid's eyes. They all came closer, surrounding him, poking and prodding him all over. They rubbed their hands all over his hair and his legs. They weren't at all gentle. Bushroot tried to gently push them away, but he was outnumbered.

He tried to tell himself that the kids were just curious. He was something new that they'd never seen before. Kids were naturally curious. When they got used to him maybe they'd back off and he'd be left alone. Maybe he'd even be able to make friends with these kids.

One of the kids grabbed one of his tail leaves at the base and pulled. Bushroot felt a burning pain, followed shortly by a sense of loss. He was hurt, humiliated, and frustrated. He really couldn't help the tears that came to his eyes. The kids didn't seem to notice. They were just laughing and congratulating the child that had claimed his leaf.

"Leave me alone!" Bushroot whined.

"Don't you mean leaf you alone?" One of the kids shoved his tail leaf in his face. Bushroot felt like he was looking at his arm laying on the ground all over again. This experience didn't hurt as much, and it wasn't as terrifying because he knew that it was going to grow back, but he hated how weak and useless he felt.

The sounds of the kids laughing and taunting was ringing in his ears. He hated it and an ugly feeling started to build up in his chest. It kept on building, and building, and he'd had enough.

Bushroot clenched his teeth and his hands. He let out a cry of frustration as he released all of the feelings that he couldn't contain anymore. The grass beneath them grew longer and stiffer as they began to wrap arounds the kids' ankles. The younger kids panicked first, pulling at the grass to try to free themselves. Bushroot growled and made the grass cling tighter . If they hadn't left him alone, he wouldn't leave them alone.

"What are you doing?" The kid holding his tail leaf glared at him in fear and anger. Bushroot returned the look right back to him. Why was he acting like Bushroot was in the wrong here? They'd mocked him, forced themselves into his space, and hurt him. This was self-defense with just a hint of revenge, and he felt like he deserved it.

"Nothing that you don't deserve." Bushroot seethed. He reached for the help of more plants, summoning some vines with tiny thorns in them. He had the vines wrap around the older kids, not squeezing them so tightly, but being firm enough that if they struggled to get away they would just get poked. He didn't target the little kids. They probably wouldn't have done anything if the older kids hadn't started it.

The other kids were crying now, and Bushroot felt a little bit guilty, but mostly it made him feel better. He'd been pushed around and hurt for so long. Was it really so wrong that a part of him wanted to make somebody else feel that way too?

Bushroot took back his leaf, because he didn't want to leave any of these kids with a prize. The only souvenirs they would be getting from this was small scratches and minor rashes.

"You're a monster!" One of the kids cried. The word stung a bit, but not as much as other insults had. He had attacked the kids after all by using weird powers. Bushroot would probably call someone else a monster if he'd been attacked by that.

But these kids had gone after him first, so who was the real monster here?

Bushroot sniffled and brushed away the tears from his cheeks, though even he didn't know whether he was crying from pain, distress, or fury. He left the kids to struggle with the grass and vines as he slunk back to the cover of the trees. Negaduck could never be considered safe, but at least Bushroot wouldn't have any false hopes about what the grown-up might think of him.

Negaduck looked annoyed with him when he came into the foliage, but at least he didn't look angry. Bushroot thought that this must be the closest that he could get to pleasing Negaduck.

"You took way too long." Negaduck said. "Why'd you let those brats kick you around?"

"I'm not a fighter." Bushroot muttered. He fiddled with his leaf.

"You will be." Negaduck said. His tone sent shivers down Bushroot's spine. "With the right motivation."

They went home after that. As they walked Bushroot started to feel his guilt get stronger, though the anger didn't dim.

He didn't want to hurt people, but what was he supposed to do? Lay down and let them pick on him? They were hurting him. So what if his injuries healed quickly? That didn't stop him from hurting in the first place.

He was just protecting himself. Was that so wrong?

His head was pounding by the time he was shoved back into the house. He longed for some relief from Negaduck, but the grown-up wouldn't let him go. As much as Negaduck seemed to hate him, and hated his very presence and existence, he was keeping Bushroot right near his side.

He was kicked and his hair was pulled as Negaduck began punishing him for…something. Honestly, Bushroot didn't know what he was being punished for anymore. Not standing up to the other kids. Not being harsh enough when he did finally fight back. Maybe this wasn't a punishment and just a reason for Negaduck to get out his frustration.

The physical pain was barely noticeable anymore. Not even worth worrying about. Negaduck's cruel comments were much worse, even though at this point they were all blurring together. He'd heard all of this before. He knew that he was weak, and soft, and whiny, and everything else that Negaduck said.

When Negaduck said that he was a worthless weed though, Bushroot felt something snap inside of him.

A tree branch from outside burst through the window and knocked against Negaduck, making him groan.

"Don't call me that." Bushroot said. He didn't sound as stern as he wanted, but he didn't think his tone was nearly as whiny as it normally was. "I-I'm not a weed."

Negaduck was still for a long moment before he chuckled darkly. "Oh, I hit a nerve there, did I? Fine." He walked past the tree to loom over Bushroot. The boy forced himself to get to his feet and meet Negaduck's gaze. He'd been hurt, and pushed around, and he was tired of it.

"You're starting to hit back." Negaduck said. "There're just two things you need to figure out now. How to hit first, and not to hit me." He seemed to pull his chainsaw out of nowhere and before Bushroot could think he was chopped down and reduced to mulch and a sapling.

Being in this state felt weird, like he was in a constant state of being half awake and half dreaming. It was like he was stuck in a nightmare, but he really didn't want to wake up from it because that would just mean going back to the nightmare that was his life.

Time was weird when he was like this. It felt like both a lifetime, and just five minutes. Eventually he had his regular body back. He stepped out of his plant pot, relieved to see that it was dark out. Negaduck should be out with Liquidator right now, and Megavolt had probably closed himself up in that closet of his. Bushroot had a moment of peace and quiet.

*Crash*

Bushroot jolted at the loud thudding sound that could probably be heard throughout the whole house. It was quickly followed by a sharp scream of fury, which broke into unstable laughter that echoed down the halls. Bushroot frowned and wrapped his arms around himself. It was Quackerjack again.

Bushroot had no idea what his problem was. Quackerjack didn't get hurt by Negaduck at all, and yet both Megavolt and Liquidator had gotten hurt trying to help him. As far as Bushroot could tell, Quackerjack was the safest of all of them. He had the least to complain about, and yet he was the one that Bushroot always heard screaming.

He didn't even understand what Quackerjack was doing here. He didn't have any powers. Negaduck didn't seem to want him for anything else. All that Quackerjack was doing was scaring Bushroot and keeping them all awake.

He wanted to talk to Quackerjack and see why he was always making so much noise, but Negaduck had made his instructions really clear. No talking to Quackerjack.

So he spent the night curled up in the part of the house furthest from Quackerjack's room. He kept his hands over his ears to try to block out the sound. That was how Liquidator and Negaduck found him when they came back in the morning.

"What's your deal?" Negaduck asked.

"He won't shut up." Bushroot growled, even as they heard another loud thud. "I just want him to stop."

There was an odd look in Negaduck's eyes. "So why don't you stop him?" He asked. Bushroot frowned. Was this a trick question? He didn't stop Quackerjack because he wasn't allowed to.

"Find Sparky." Negaduck said to Liquidator. "I'm getting tired of waiting. The Fearsome Five is getting together again.

Liquidator dashed off. Negaduck turned to go back down the hall, and Bushroot trailed nervously behind him. Negaduck went to Quackerjack's door and unlocked it. The second the door was unlocked Quackerjack thrust the door open and came running out so quickly that he ran right into the wall across from his door.

Quackerjack fell to the ground clutching his bill. It had looked like it had hurt, but the kid was laughing. He never stopped. Bushroot went closer to Quackerjack, instinctively seeing if he was okay. Quackerjack's gaze snapped to him, and Bushroot was unnerved by the red-rimmed look in his eyes contrasting against his eerily large grin.

"You really are a plant." Quackerjack said.

"...Yes?" Bushroot hadn't known that was up for debate. He held a hand out to help Quackerjack to his feet. The other kid just stared at his hand like it was going to bite him. Bushroot was liking this less and less. "W-what're you-?"

"You have an arm." Quackerjack poked his hand. His grin broadened, which Bushroot hadn't thought was possible. He grabbed Bushroot's arm and gave it a sharp tug. It reminded him way too much of his encounter with the kids at the park yesterday.

"Leave me alone." Bushroot growled in warning. Quackerjack just snorted and started laughing in the way that had been grating on his ears all night. He still didn't let go of Bushroot's hand. If anything, he tightened his grip. Quackerjack's laughter sounded broken and he sounded like he was gasping for breath. Tears were falling from his eyes now.

"What is wrong with you?" Bushroot wrenched his arm away.

"You have an arm." Quackerjack giggled brokenly. He reached for his head and started tugging on his feathers, which were already looking pretty rough. "I thought…I thought…" He made a harsh sound and curled in on himself. Bushroot felt a little bad for him, because he seemed hurt, but what was he hurt about? Nothing was wrong. And why wasn't Negaduck punishing him for crying when he'd made it clear that it wasn't acceptable. It wasn't fair.

"What'd you think, Quackerjack?" Negaduck asked harshly. Quackerjack made a sound that was a cross between a whine and a giggle. The sound unnerved Bushroot in ways that he didn't even understand.

"Is your memory playing games with you again?" Negaduck asked. His voice was cruel.

"Games." Quackerjack muttered to himself as he pulled on his feathers so harshly that he plucked one right out. "I like games." Bushroot didn't understand anything, but Negaduck seemed satisfied, which was infuriating. Quackerjack hadn't done anything but cry and say nonsense. Bushroot had done everything that Negaduck wanted, and all he got from it was to be bullied and chopped down.

Bushroot was trying so hard, and he had nothing to show for it.

"Shut up," Bushroot's hands were shaking. His stomach was so twisted up that he felt like he was going to be sick. He was tense and couldn't make himself relax. "Shut up!"

"You wanna make him shut up?" Negaduck asked. "Make him."

Bushroot saw red. His mind seemed to go blank. He didn't act consciously, but where Quackerjack had been laughing and groaning on the ground, his noises were quickly quieted. It took him a moment to realize why the other kid had stopped.

A vine had wrapped around Quackerjack's neck and it was squeezing. Whenever he made a choked sound or tried to pull the vines away, they just tightened. Quackerjack was suffocating right in front of him, and Bushroot felt…he felt…

He felt powerful.

He hadn't meant to summon the vine, but he didn't try to pull it back. Maybe this would teach Quackerjack to just shut his mouth for five seconds.

He'd laughed at him. He'd poked at him. Bushroot had been picked on, and picked on, and he'd had enough. Those kids at the park. Negaduck. Megavolt. Quackerjack. They thought that they could push him around and he'd just take it. No more. Not again.

"Shut up." Bushroot clenched his fists and watched in satisfaction as the vines tightened even more. Quackerjack just stared at him with wide, scared eyes. It was nice to be the source of fear for once instead of always being the one who was scared. Maybe this would show Quackerjack, and even Negaduck, that he wasn't defenceless.

"Stop!" Liquidator rushed up to Bushroot. He grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back. "Let him go." Bushroot didn't even look at him. He didn't loosen his hold on Quackerjack. He held on, because if he let go now then he would just make the others think that he was weak, too cowardly to follow through.

Liquidator leaned closer to Bushroot to mutter in his ear, just for his ears. "You're not mean. Don't let Negaduck turn you into him. Don't let him turn us on each other. Let him go."

Bushroot blinked and looked at Liquidator in confusion. Why was this his fault? Megavolt had turned on Bushroot a long time ago. He hadn't given him a chance. Neither had the kids at the park, or Negaduck. Nobody did. Why should Bushroot be the one to back off and give someone a second chance when he never even got a first chance at all?

But Liquidator was nice to him. Even now he didn't sound angry, just desperate. He didn't see Bushroot as a bad guy, even though he was hurting Quackerjack.

He didn't want to give in, but more than that he didn't want to make the one person who treated him okay decide that he wasn't worth it.

Bushroot swallowed thickly and released his grip on Quackerjack. The kid gasped in pain and clutched at his neck. Somehow he was still giggling.

Megavolt looked like he wanted to run to Quackerjack's side, but he looked nervously at Negaduck and held himself back. As for Negaduck himself, he actually looked happy and amused. This had been what Bushroot had wanted, so why did it make him feel sick to his stomach.

"That's more like it." Negaduck said. He eyed the four of them. "Get comfortable with each other. Alone, you're each barely competent." It was strangely close to a compliment. "Together, we have a solid chance against Darkwing Duck. You don't need to like each other, but you need to at least be able to work together." He smirked at Bushroot. "Try not to kill each other."

Bushroot gasped and stepped back. His legs were shaking and he felt like if Liquidator wasn't holding him up he would fall. Kill? He hadn't been trying to kill anybody. He just wanted a second of quiet. He wanted things to be fair. He wanted the people that got under his skin to pay for it.

But Quackerjack was still on the ground, barely conscious. What had he done to Bushroot? He'd made him a little nervous with his inexplicable laughter and thuds, and he didn't like that Quackerjack had poked and pulled at him, but the other kid didn't really seem to know what he was doing. His mind had seemed to be somewhere else completely. Was it fair to actually blame him?

Bushroot didn't know, and the uncertainty made him feel horrified. He looked at his hands. He had tried to hurt and nearly killed Quackerjack because…what? He made noises? Negaduck treated him differently than he did Bushroot? That wasn't even Quackerjack's fault.

The kid at the park had called him a monster. Bushroot wondered how true that might be.