Negaduck seemed to be in a good mood, and it just made Bushroot nervous. Negaduck was a bad guy. Anything that made him even remotely happy had to be absolutely horrifying. Negaduck wasn't hurting or punishing him or Liquidator. He wasn't paying any attention to them at all, but that was what made Bushroot so nervous.
Negaduck's good mood wasn't going to last long. Sooner rather than later he was going to get mad again, and if Quackerjack and Megavolt weren't back by the time it happened, Bushroot was going to be the one to be punished, because it wasn't as though Negaduck could hurt Liquidator. At least, not as far as Bushroot knew.
The boy really wanted the others to get back, and he felt a little bad for that desire, because if they had done even the smallest thing to upset Negaduck then he would punish them for it. While Bushroot could be hurt, he couldn't be maimed or permanently damaged. The others could. He didn't want them to be hurt, but he didn't want to be hurt either.
A small part of Bushroot wanted to go to Negaduck at the first sign of him getting impatient and snitching on Megavolt's plan of looking for someone to help them. That would be a surefire way to divert Negaduck's fury onto the rat. He really didn't want to though. He wanted to get out just as much as the rest of them. And even if he thought to himself 'better him than me', he really didn't want any of the others to get hurt. He especially didn't want it to be his fault.
So Bushroot anxiously kept his mouth shut and just hoped that Megavolt and Quackerjack would either do as they were told for once, or they would find someone to save them. He knew which he preferred, but he wasn't holding his breath. Hope just made it easier to get disappointed later.
Bushroot had thought that the others would be gone until mid-afternoon. They'd probably take advantage of as much time out of the house as they could get. It was definitely what Bushroot would do if he was given this opportunity. He felt a general unease about this whole situation, but he wouldn't start to feel truly anxious and desperate until 4:00, at which point he would officially consider them late. At that point maybe he'd reconsider telling on them. Until then, he was going to avoid Negaduck.
Fortunately, this was very easy to accomplish, because Negaduck was avoiding them as well. According to the villain he needed some space from them, because he was tired of the constant babysitting. As though he wasn't responsible for them being here in the first place. Bushroot wasn't impressed with Negaduck, but he wasn't going to complain. Any break was better than absolutely nothing at all.
Liquidator volunteered to sit with him and wait, and Bushroot appreciated the offer, but he couldn't accept. He knew that Liquidator was absolutely exhausted. The only time he'd gotten a moment of rest had been when Negaduck had exploded and evaporated him. Bushroot knew that he took physical form again much sooner than he was ready for, and he felt like the dog was still feeling the lingering effects of that.
Bushroot could understand the feeling. His arm was still bugging him. He knew there really wasn't anything wrong with it. It had grown back fully and healthily. There was no phantom pain, or side effects, or anything like that, but Bushroot was still aware of it. It was like a phantom of a phantom pain. If Liquidator's recovery was anything like that, maybe he was still feeling warmer than usual, or hyper-aware of any evaporation he may experience.
Or maybe a terrible part of Bushroot just hoped that his friend was suffering in such a way, because it would make him feel validated about his own lingering non-feelings. The more Bushroot thought about that possibility, the more he pushed it to the back of his mind, because he really didn't want to think about how terrible a person he was.
While Liquidator just settled in the sink, somewhere where he could let go of his form completely, but open enough for him to not be trapped, Bushroot stayed in the living room. He didn't go outside, because Negaduck didn't let any of them out without explicit permission. He wanted to bask in the sun, but he found a nice alternative.
If Bushroot kept below the window he could open the curtains and let the sunlight shine through. He could lay on the ground, spreading out and exposing as much of his body as he could to the limited warmth he could find. Unless somebody came right up to the house and pushed their face against the window, they shouldn't be able to see him, because he was so low and somewhat hidden from view.
Bushroot closed his eyes and stretched out as much as he could. Though it was risky, he sent some tendrils underneath the front door and towards the yard. It felt nice to just feel the vague connection to plant life.
He wasn't quite able to relax completely, but he calmed down. He hadn't realized how much being around the others so much was wearing down on him. Even when he wasn't around the others, he had no idea when somebody was going to come up to yell at him. Now, with Negaduck avoiding them, Liquidator resting, and Quackerjack and Megavolt not even being in the house at all, Bushroot had some peace and quiet for the first time since this pain had started.
He knew it wasn't going to last, because of course it wouldn't, but it was still nice.
Bushroot just leaned into the feelings that the plants outside provided. It was only because he was specifically paying attention to them did he feel the change. Even though the grass, flowers, and trees couldn't talk, Bushroot felt like they were all shouting in his ear.
'Somebody's here'.
'Help'.
Bushroot felt a shiver go down his spine. He sat up and looked outside, despite Negaduck's constant warnings about being seen, he desperately needed to see what was upsetting the plants. He didn't know if it was a threat or not. All he knew was that they said that there was someone there, and they were either there to help, or the plants were asking for help and protection.
At first glance, nothing out of the ordinary was there, but Bushroot wasn't paying attention to the normal stuff. He looked at the plants, and he noticed how every blade of grass was leaning the same way. It looked like they were pointing at something, towards a shady tree at the edge of the yard.
Bushroot extended his reach to the tree. It was a mischievous old oak that had so many dents and scratches from neighborhood kids climbing it. Kids hadn't touched the tree since Negaduck had come here, because the villain had a way of frightening people when they didn't even know he was there. Still, Bushroot could feel the oak's humor and protective nature. It was hiding somebody in its branches, and Bushroot really didn't think it was a kid.
Bushroot took a deep breath and crept towards the front door. He looked over his shoulder, just to make sure that Negaduck wasn't watching him. Nobody was in sight. Bushroot was alone. Before he could chicken out, the boy crept out of the house. When he set foot on the grass he could feel his connection to the plants grow stronger.
"Let's see who we've got here." Bushroot extended his hands out and flicked them up. Vines shot out of the ground, twisted through the tree, and wrapped around their visitor. Bushroot tried to be careful, not wanting to really cause damage until he knew just what was happening. He heard a yelp from the tree. It definitely wasn't a child.
"Ow!" The visitor exclaimed. It sounded like a cross between a childish whine and a furious shout. "What's the big idea?" Bushroot felt like his insides turned to ice. He knew that tone of voice. It sounded like Negaduck. Did…had he just attacked Negaduck? The one thing that he'd been told he wasn't supposed to do? Bushroot shook and released his grip on the vines, making them drop their captive. A shadowy form dropped out of the tree with a yelp and landed on the ground with a pained groan.
Bushroot was trembling like a leaf. He closed his eyes shut tight and raised his arms defensively. He cowered on the ground.
"Sorry, I'm sorry." Bushroot could almost hear the buzz of the chainsaw now. His arm got that weird feeling all over again. Negaduck was going to kill him. He was actually going to kill him. "P-please, I'm sorry."
"Hey, hey, kid, it's okay." The voice said, and it made Bushroot pause. The voice still sounded like Negaduck, but the tone and words were all wrong. It sounded awkward, and kind. And Negaduck would never tell Bushroot that anything was okay.
There was a gentle touch on his shoulder. Bushroot whimpered and stiffened. The touch didn't go away, but it didn't hurt him either. He slowly, cautiously, opened his eyes and saw an adult kneeling right in front of him, concern in his eyes.
"Hey, Bushy." The grown-up looked a lot like Negaduck, right down to his outfit, but he looked too nice for Bushroot to mistake who it was for even a moment. He still sounded uncomfortable, and his kindness looked just a little forced, like he was concerned and didn't know what to do about it, but it was still far more than he would ever get from Negaduck. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
Bushroot's chest rose and fell rapidly as his breath refused to get under control. "I-I don't…who-?"
The grown-up's eyes became sad. "Negaduck's really done a number on your guys, hasn't he?" He shook his head. "I can't believe my life has come to this." It sounded like something that he was saying to himself, not to Bushroot.
"Kid, I know you don't trust me, but I'm your friend." The adult said with a smile that he probably thought was reassuring, but it just made Bushroot feel like he was up to something. His doubt must have shone on his face, because the older duck's smile fell and he looked a little bit sheepish. "Okay, maybe not friends, but I'm here to help you."
"Why?" Bushroot asked.
"I'm Darkwing Duck!" The adult exclaimed, beaming proudly, as though it was something that was supposed to make sense to the boy. When there was no recognition in Bushroot's eyes, Darkwing Duck looked disappointed. "Look, I'm a hero. I work against Negaduck."
Bushroot felt his heart thump so much that he could feel it in his head. He was excited, and absolutely terrified. "Megavolt said he wanted to get help."
"He did, did he?" The smooth, sly, and terrifying voice behind them made Bushroot jump in fear. He whipped around and looked to see Negaduck leering at them. Bushroot could have screamed, but all noise got caught in his throat. He couldn't breathe. He whimpered and took a step back.
Darkwing Duck stood up and pulled Bushroot protectively behind him. He didn't know this stranger, but he still clung desperately to him, looking for any bit of protection he could get.
"Negaduck, you fiend, what are you planning?" Darkwing growled. He smirked. "I didn't know you got into the babysitting business."
"Oh yeah, I'm great with kids." Negaduck drawled sarcastically. "Why don't you give me your brat and I'll show you just how good I am with them?"
Darkwing stiffened with fury. "I've seen all I need to see. You're traumatizing and hurting kids, and I won't stand for it."
"Don't pretend to be so noble." Negaduck said. "Even a numbskull like you has to know who, and what, these brats are. You know they're not innocent victims."
Bushroot felt tears come to his eyes. He was scared of Negaduck, yes, but that wasn't all. Negaduck spoke as though they were bad kids. Were they? Had they done absolutely horrible things before ending up with Negaduck? Things they didn't remember? Bushroot could remember the thrill he'd gotten when he'd hurt those kids that had cornered him at the park, and the rush of power and vindication he'd experienced when he'd nearly choked Quackerjack. Those weren't things that good things did.
Was Negaduck right? And if they were bad kids, would Darkwing bother saving them? He was a hero, after all. What should he care about some brats who couldn't control themselves?
"Whether they're innocent or not doesn't matter." Darkwing said stiffly. "They don't deserve to be under your thumb, and you definitely don't deserve access to their power."
"As though they do." Negaduck scoffed. "You like these guys even less than I do. What do you care what happens to them?" Darkwing was quiet for a minute. Negaduck smirked darkly. It wasn't a friendly look. "Oh, I see what's going on here. You want them for the same reason that I do."
"I'm nothing like you." Darkwing Duck snarled, sounding remarkably like Negaduck, though Bushroot didn't dare point it out, because he didn't want to find out what other similarities there might be.
"No?" Negaduck very nearly poured. "Tell me, why do I want them?"
"You want their power." Darkwing said. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"No, it wouldn't be." Negaduck said. "And if it wouldn't be the first time, why would I go through all this additional trouble? Why would I resort to taking care of brats?" Darkwing's silence showed that he didn't know, and hated it. Negaduck chuckled. "I'll tell you why. Power. Control. Not the magical kind either. Kids are moldable. With just a little bit of training, these brats will become everything I can ever want them to be. I can beat the flaws and imperfections right out of them."
Bushroot could hear Darkwing Duck's breath become harsh. "I don't want to control them."
"Oh?" Negaduck smirked powerfully, like he had Darkwing right where he wanted him. "Really? So you're telling me that you don't want the kids so you can manipulate them into being happy and nice law-abiding citizens? You expect me to believe that you're not going to jump at the chance to rid yourself of your enemies without having blood on your hands?"
Darkwing Duck took a deep breath. "It's not about what I want."
"Wouldn't that be a first?" Negaduck muttered. He finally looked past Darkwing to Bushroot cowering behind his shoulder. "You have three seconds to either get inside and out of my way, or to choke the living daylight out of this so-called hero."
Bushroot flinched. Darkwing Duck reached a hand behind him and gripped Bushroot's arm in a way that was either protective or possessive. It was really hard to tell.
"He's not going anywhere." Darkwing said. Bushroot suddenly realized that he really didn't have a say in any of this.
Bushroot felt fear and frustration build up inside of him. He was so tired of not having any control. He was tired of being scared, and hurt, and overlooked, and everything. He wasn't some toy for this hero and villain to fight over. Kid or not, plant or not, he was still a person, and he wasn't going to take this.
Knowing this was going to be a mistake, but tired of letting his fear stop him, Bushroot reached for the help of the plants around him and summoned some vines to grip both of the adults. It was strong enough to keep them both confined, though not strong enough to do any real damage. If they threatened him though, he knew how to grow thorns, and he wouldn't hesitate to do so.
"Stop it! Both of you." Bushroot growled. He kept his eyes glued to Darkwing Duck, because he was sure that he was going to break down if he saw the way that Negaduck was surely seething at him. "I'm not doing anything yet."
"You will do whatever I tell you to." Negaduck said. He wasn't quite shouting, but his quiet fury was almost scarier.
"I thought you said you had him under your control." Darkwing scoffed. He didn't look even remotely put off by the vines around him, and that just frustrated Bushroot. He had these two trapped and yet Darkwing was still worried about Negaduck.
The boy tightened his grip on the two of them. "Shut up." He needed some time to think about what he wanted. He looked at Darkwing. "Where are Megavolt and Quackerjack?"
"They're safe." Darkwing said. "I'm going to do everything in my power to keep them out of Negaduck's grip. If you'll trust me, I want to do the same thing for you and Liquidator."
Safety sounded nice, but Bushroot wasn't going to be fooled so easily. There wouldn't be a guarantee, but maybe if he at least knew how Megavolt felt about this then he would feel better about taking a chance with Darkwing.
"I want to talk to Megavolt." Bushroot said.
"Of course." Darkwing Duck said quickly. "Can I use my arm?"
Bushroot reluctantly released one of Darkwing Duck's arms, and then, when the hero needed to reach for something, he let him do it, just so long as he did it slowly and carefully. The first sign of Darkwing being a threat and he would attack.
Darkwing Duck just pulled out a communicator. He spoke into it. "LP, you there?"
"I hear you, DW."
Darkwing looked at Bushroot as he spoke. "Let me talk to Sparky." There was a pause
"Drake?" Megavolt's voice came through the communicator. Negaduck chuckled and Darkwing stiffened, looking scared for a moment.
"We'll have to talk about that later." Darkwing muttered to himself. Speaking more clearly, he said, "Yeah, kid, it's me. I've got your friend here, but he's a little nervous."
"Bushroot, nervous?" The sarcasm in Megavolt's voice was clear. "You're kidding.
"Very funny." Bushroot stepped closer to Darkwing. He adjusted the vines on Negaduck and made sure his mouth was covered. "Are you okay?"
"I think we are." Megavolt said.
"What about Jackie?" Bushroot felt weird asking about it, because just a short time ago he'd seen Quackerjack as just an irritation. He now knew that there had been a lot of things that Quackerjack had been through that maybe he didn't understand. The boy had not taken solitude well, and he also wasn't adjusting well to being around others.
"He's having the time of his life." Megavolt said. He sounded like he was trying to be annoyed, but the relief in his voice was clear. "He won't stop laughing. Not in the bad way, but because he's having fun, the weirdo."
Fun. Bushroot had a hard time even imagining what having fun might be like. Fun. Joy. That wasn't something that he got to have. At least, not with Negaduck. Maybe…maybe that could change.
"Can this hero be trusted?" Bushroot asked.
"I think so." Megavolt said slowly. "I want to try."
Bushroot looked at Darkwing Duck and clenched his fist, making the vines around him fall, releasing him. "So do I."
He could feel Negaduck struggling in his vines, glaring with fire in his eyes. Bushroot averted his gaze and leaned towards Darkwing Duck, who stepped protectively in front of him, blocking him from Negaduck's view.
"You've gotten gutsy, kid." Darkwing sounded impressed and surprised. Bushroot was amused, but also confused. Did Darkwing Duck know him? What did he expect from him? Bushroot wished that he knew, but he was trying hard to not let his uncertainty change his mind. Megavolt had been brave. Bushroot could at least try.
"I've had no choice." Bushroot said. He swallowed thickly. "I'll see you soon, Megs." He nodded at Darkwing and the hero ended the conversation.
"Where's Liquidator?" Darkwing asked.
"In the sink." Bushroot said. Darkwing Duck held his hand out to Bushroot, and the boy took it.
"Let's go get your friend." Darkwing said. "You think you can keep this villain tied up while we're gone?"
Bushroot hadn't tried, but he could feel the plants' support for him. If he wanted Negaduck restrained, he would stay that way, at least for a little bit. He nodded and let Darkwing pull him inside. They both faltered slightly when they saw a puddle of water sitting just by the door, a small stream of water feeding into it from the kitchen.
Bushroot frowned. "I thought you were resting."
The water path increased and the puddle grew larger as Liquidator came into his solid form. "It's hard to rest when you sneak out and Negaduck runs after you. I thought he was going to pull out the weed whacker."
Darkwing looked at Liquidator. "I don't think I'm going to get used to this." He shook his head. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know that we're getting out of here." Liquidator smiled. "Right?"
Bushroot nodded. "We're leaving." He looked at Darkwing. "What are we doing about Negaduck?"
"Let me deal with him." Darkwing said. He held his free hand out to Liquidator, and the boy took it. "If you guys are kids now, your only job should just be to be safe and have fun, and maybe keep your rooms clean, but that's it. Dealing with villains is my job."
Something about what Darkwing said sounded wrong, but Bushroot was too hopeful about getting away from Negaduck to think deeply about it. Maybe he wouldn't be able to trust Darkwing, but he couldn't possibly be worse than Negaduck. It just wasn't possible.
Hope wasn't an easy thing, but it was worth a shot.
