Chapter 27

The River Between Worlds

Poe DeSpell ruffled his feathers as he picked up a glowing rock in his claws and offered it to his sister. "Mind putting this in the bag for me, Magica? I'd hate to lose the Navigator and not have a spare."

"Of course." Magica smiled at her brother and placed the glowing rock in a small back backpack, perfect for a raven to carry. She sighed at her brother. She hated the fact that, for some reason, she had never found the spell to turn him back into the skilled wizard he had been. She wasn't sure who had cursed him, and neither did he. One night he had simply woken up as an animalistic raven, the only parts remaining from his duck body being the color of his beak and feet, which were still orange instead of a true raven's black coloration. Oh, and that hat he liked to wear when he went around the city and didn't want to look like a wizard. It was now tiny and raven sized and almost cute in a way. But she still would rather have her brother back. Whoever had cursed him must have been a skilled magic user.

She was shaken out of her musing by Poe tapping her hand with his beak, gently. "Hey, none of that, sister. I know what you're thinking. It's not your fault."

"I know, it's just…" She shook her head. "The last time you were there you were a duck, not a beast. I can't help but wonder if the person who made you this way is still there."

"Hmm, a possibly, but I'll be alright. Who else do we know that's as good a guide as I am?" Poe ruffled his feathers again. "Besides, the wings will give me an advantage, and the people I'm guiding are professional crime fighters."

"Speaking of that, can I have a word with you, Poe?" Scrooge's voice came from the doorway, and Poe turned his head to nod.

"Of course, what can I do for you, Mr. McDuck?"

"I've decided I want to go directly to that Steelbeak fellow about the Gizmoduck incident." Scrooge said, a soft frown on his face. "As much as I trust the Director and his fellows, the man is notoriously cautious, and I think that the longer Fenton stays around that Negaduck character the harder it will be to help him. Especially since he keeps siding with Negaduck publicly, or at least appears to. Most won't understand, so unless he has some way out, he might end up in the same situation as before. Since you are going there to help those young men, you can easily fly over there and talk to Steelbeak. That is, if you are willing to do this favor for me."

Poe spread his wings. "Of course! I'd be glad to!" Poe tilted his head to the side. "Do you want me to tell the Four as well? Since Negaduck is their arch enemy they should know what I saw. Honestly, I wanted to tell them a long time ago, but-"

Scrooge raised a hand. "I know. Buzzard has been a great ally in the fight against S.H.U.S.H, but as I said he's a cautious man. Young Steelbeak is more willing to reach out to others." Scrooge smiled. "He's a lot like his mentor in that way."

"How is Heron anyway? Still worried about that anomaly?" Magica asked.

"Yes, she, or whatever it is, keeps showing up on occasion, always in the middle of some crime or another. It looks enough like her to fool some. No one knows where it came from, but it worries Buzzard. Maybe S.H.U.S.H is working on cloning Buzzard's agents. I'm not sure." Scrooge shook his head. "The real Heron is retired, but she keeps following leads regardless."

Poe nodded and started to shrug on the backpack. After a few seconds Magica helpfully arranged it on his back. "I'll keep an eye out. Don't worry about a thing, Mr. McDuck."

Scrooge smiled at him. "I trust you, Poe."

Poe couldn't really smile anymore, but he did give that impression as he sort of tilted his beak in acknowledgement as best he could. Animal beaks couldn't flex as well as a person's beak, and they didn't have teeth like a person's. But, as if his body could still respond to the memory of what he once was there were times when Poe could almost give off the impression of a true smile or an expression. He still couldn't cast real spells though. That would never feel good.

Still, he mused as he took flight. Flying is great. I miss everything else about being a man, but flying is almost a decent trade off. If I do ever find my way back to my real self I wonder if I can find a way to make this transformation something I can turn on and off. This raven form is useful.

He worked his wings to get into the air, and found a nice breeze to lift him up high above the trees and buildings of Duckburg. While he couldn't stay in the air and ride it like a bird of prey, or even soar for hours like a buzzard or a condor, or even power though the sky like a goose, he could still fly well enough. His small wings carried him through the clouds, a raven on a mission. He could see almost everything from up here, including the bay and harbor, and he knew that ships went from here to St. Canard.

All he had to do was find the right ship from the air to get to the one that was going there. He would normally have bought a ticket, but Scrooge insisted that since he was a bird now, he shouldn't have to pay for a ticket. It was a waste of money when no one would take it seriously in the first place. Also, why let everyone know that Scrooge McDuck had a raven spy as an ally? Scrooge owned the ship in question anyway, and if Scrooge wanted a raven on the ship he would have a raven on the ship. Of course, since he also didn't want word of Poe to spread he hadn't told the ship that it was carrying a passenger, but again all they would see was a random raven. Nothing to be concerned about.

Poe gently landed on top of a box of cargo, sliding into a corner and making sure his form was harder to see. It would take about an hour or so for the ship to reach the St. Canard dock, so Poe settled into a comfortable position and waited. He could have flown on his own power, but this was easier and wouldn't tire him out as quickly.

He had a feeling he'd need all the energy he could get by the time he reached the Academy.

Megavolt fiddled with the small stack of papers he had collected. In addition to the work they usually did protecting the city, the Four had spent their time going around to various animal shelters and asking if any of them had picked up a dog or a wolflike animal similar to what Gary had looked like to them. While they had seen the werewolf boy only once Moloculo had been kind enough to describe the illusion that young werewolves like Gary would use to look like either normal dogs or humans to Normal eyes. It hadn't really worked on the Four because by then they had known that Gary wasn't a dog or a Normal, but usually could fool someone who wasn't in the know or who hadn't been around magic. Apparently, it was true that seeing magic even once made you prone to see through certain passive illusions and the more you saw the more your brain accepted it which meant you saw more and more. In fact Megavolt couldn't help but think maybe that's why Quackerjack had seen through the magic before any of them. Maybe he had seen something when he was younger? If he had he hadn't mentioned it but it was still a possibility.

Unfortunately for all involved, the various animal shelters they had gone to hadn't kept any records of what went in and out, and neither had any of the orphanages they had tried just in case Gary had adjusted the illusion to look like a normal duck child instead of a werewolf. Megavolt wasn't sure if that was because Gary had never made it to either place or if they were hiding something, and so far they had no evidence. So the trail went cold.

"Honestly, I hate to bring up the possibility." The Liquidator said as watched Quackerjack and Megavolt eat breakfast in the greenhouse. "Because I don't want to come across as selfish, but there is a possibility that S.H.U.S.H took him the same way they took other children. It fits their pattern and it's not like we don't know that other kids have been taken by them."

"True. Probably would take a random looking dog as well, just to have another test subject." Megavolt mused. "Getting through to spy on S.H.U.S.H is going to be hard…I'd hate to say it, but we might need Morgana's help after all. Surely Negaduck keeps an eye out on S.H.U.S.H even if he works for them sometimes."

The Liquidator snorted. "After the way she acted last time? I wouldn't trust her to help me pick a piece of paper off the ground! There has to be a way to sneak in and find out what they are doing without having to go through her."

"W-w-what's shush?" Tanya, who had again come with Wraith to help pick the Four up and take them to the Academy, had been silent and very quiet ever since the two aliens had teleported in. She also hadn't had the opportunity to eat again, but Quackerjack had helpfully gone to the store and bought some small cartons of cereal for the alien woman to try. So far she seemed to like the bland corn flakes the best. "Your e-e-enemies?"

"Among many." Bushroot said, shooting her an odd contemplative look, as if he was trying to figure something out. "They're a spy group, they do a lot of illegal and immoral experiments. Espionage, blackmail. They have at least one scientist that we know that likes to experiment on children and anyone else she can get her hands on…" Bushroot shuddered. "I knew one of her victims. Bellum is a twisted psychopath."

Megavolt didn't miss the fact that Tanya sort of flinched at the mention of mad science. He wasn't surprised. While he didn't think she did anything like Bellum did, and certainly didn't indulge in the sick pleasure that Bellum supposedly took from her experiments, the whole conversation probably was uncomfortable.

"Problem is that it's hard enough to find where S.H.U.S.H hides out, never mind what they could have done with Gary if they found him." The Liquidator growled. "They took my son; I've been looking for him for a while. I have no idea what they did to him or if he- "The Liquidator turned his head away, closing his eyes.

"We'll find him, we just need a foothold in S.H.U.S.H, or at least a way to spy on them." Megavolt said. "And a way to find out where they are hiding."

Tanya paused and seemed to think. "I-I can p-probably come up with s-s-something f-f-or you." She sort of focused on the cereal, making sure not to meet anyone's eyes. "I-i-if you want."

"What, like a spy robot?" Megavolt asked, curious. He didn't miss Wraith in the background giving him a very firm series of nods. Not for the first time he wondered what was going on with these aliens. He had a few assumptions, but no real evidence for his thoughts. He got the impression that Tanya wasn't really fitting in with the Saurians, even with a friend on their team, and it sort of worried him. Megavolt had seen enough villains to know that someone could be pushed into that life if the circumstances were right, and it would probably be easier for someone who had been a villain, even a reluctant one, to go back to that life. Megavolt didn't know if they could truly befriend her, but at least the Four didn't have to alienate her. Especially since Bushroot had taken the trouble to reach out to her. "That sounds like a good idea. S.H.U.S.H is probably unfamiliar enough with your technology they might not have a counter for it. Magic might work but there's Morgana to consider. I don't want to clue her in until I'm sure she won't try and prevent us from helping Gary. Considering she's the one that kicked him out on the streets she might want to keep it covered up."

"I-I could see h-h-her doing that." Tanya said, her eyes narrowing at her breakfast. Megavolt half expected her to continue the thought, but she fell silent again. It was odd. She seemed to stutter a bit less around them, what that meant Megavolt could only speculate. But she also seemed less inclined to talk to them in general. Last time they saw her she had seemed utterly baffled by the concept of small talk, and while Megavolt hadn't thought too deeply into it he could see that she still didn't seem to want to engage them. In anyone else Megavolt would have chalked it up to either shyness or perhaps arrogance (like Morgana), but he got a feeling it was something else. He looked back at Bushroot, who was tilting his head in an odd way. After a moment's contemplation he walked over to where Tanya was sitting and sat across from her. For a moment she seemed focused on her own thoughts, but then she blinked down at Bushroot in puzzlement.

"How have you been doing?" Bushroot asked gently.

"H-h-h-how h-h-have I been d-d-doing w-w-w-hat?" She blinked again, still clearly puzzled.

"In general, you know? How are things going?" Bushroot asked.

"I-i-i-i-i don't u-u-u-understand the question. I h-h-h-haven't been d-doing anything other t-than that magic stuff." Tanya shook her head. Megavolt made a mental note of her behavior. Interesting.

Bushroot gave her a gentle smile. "I'm not concerned about what you're doing. I'm asking how you've been feeling."

"I…fine." Tanya appeared flabbergasted at Bushroot, giving him a look of increasing bafflement and a tad bit of frustration. "I'm…" She trailed off.

"You just seem a little upset. You know if you have a problem, or if you just want someone to talk to, I'm here." Bushroot smiled. "I got my PhD in botany, but I did take a few psychology courses, and I'm a good listener."

She continued to stare at Bushroot, then slowly looked at Wraith as if asking permission for something. He gave her an encouraging nod, and sort of slide out of the greenhouse and out of earshot. Megavolt picked up on this and muttered something about asking Wraith something and followed the wizard. The Liquidator also made an excuse and flowed away, while Quackerjack got up and headed in the general direction of the bathroom. Now that they were alone, Tanya gave a small sigh, she turned back to Bushroot.

"W-w-what d-does 'g-g-going out' m-mean?" She asked quietly.

Bushroot blinked. "Well, it sort of depends on the context. Can you give me a little more information?"

"It's j-j-just…it's strange." Tanya sighed. "S-s-siege hates me, I know w-why but it's still awkward. I'm p-p-pretty sure the others d-don't even know w-what to with me around, even Wraith. But Lucy k-keeps trying to get me to 'go out' with her places and I-i-i just don't know what she wants. She's not asking me to do anything like a j-j-job or a mission it's just stuff about food or looking around this planet and I-i-i don't know what the point is."

Bushroot blinked. "You've never hung out before, have you?" He asked.

"H-h-hung out what?" she asked, the frustration creeping back into her voice.

"No, it means…" Bushroot paused. "Your crew never just spent time together doing things they enjoyed or watching something entertaining?" He asked.

Tanya nodded. "Yes. M-m-mostly their idea of fun was s-s-stealing from other ships and their entertainment was w-w-watching other beings suffer."

"Ah." Bushroot replied. "I see." It explained a lot about her behavior, at least.

Her eyes trailed outside almost wistfully. "I-i-i-i'm not just an alien h-h-here, am I? I'm not even n-n-normal around other aliens."

Bushroot sighed. "Unless I'm mistaken, you didn't have much choice, did you?"

"No." She admitted. "W-w-what you're describing s-s-sounds like things that c-c-children do. We aren't s-s-supposed to do a-a-anything that d-d-doesn't advance our captain's agenda in some way. J-j-just sitting around talking to others, t-t-that's something kids do. I…I can almost remember p-p-playing with Lucy, b-b-but those memories are s-s-so blurry I can't tell how real it was." She shrugged. "N-n-now she's asking me to do all of t-t-t-these things and I just don't know what she w-w-wants from me."

Bushroot nodded, taking a second to think. "People of all ages can play games, you don't have to be a child. Heck, Quackerjack's entire thing is based on childlike games. It sounds to me like she's just trying to reconnect with you the only way she remembers. What did you used to do together as children?"

"I d-d-don't really r-r-r-remember." She sighed again, still staring out the greenhouse window into nothing.

"Hmm, you could find something on our planet to do together. Something new that you can learn together. Or you could just do what she suggests. Go out to eat or go to a movie or something. Laugh at the stupid things we believe about aliens down here?" He smiled at her, and she tilted her head.

"Wraith keeps m-m-mentioning something called a sport. N-n-no idea what he means. Do you?"

Bushroot studied her. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. "Sports are a good way to bond with other people. There are a lot of different ones to choose from. You might end up making friends with some other people here as well…" He contemplated. He only knew a few sports and but... "You could try something like roller derby."

"What?"

Bushroot smiled. "In my parents old gang we had our own little roller derby team. My mother led them. You have five people skating around a track and…"

What followed was a brief explanation of the sport of roller derby, which vanished Tanya's general frustration and instead replaced it with utter bafflement. At the end of Bushroot's weird diatribe about jammers and blockers and pivots and nicknames, he finally paused and looked at her.

"Sorry, that was probably a bit confusing. But I know that the local roller derby team with take just about anyone who shows some interest. At the very least you can try it and see if the two of you like it."

"I…maybe." She shrugged.

"Hey, starting anew is hard. I know. I wasn't raised by the nicest people either. When I decided to break off from my family, I had no idea how to act around normal people either. But I took a few chances and made a few friends and it became more and more easy until it was second nature. I have no idea what this Siege guy has against you, but that doesn't mean you should stop trying. Nobody really wants to be alone."

"…f-f-friends huh…m-m-meet two witches at the Academy. T-t-they want me to c-c-come to t-t-their world…is t-t-t-that something friends do?" She asked.

Bushroot smiled. "Yep! Usually you just go to a friend's house or they go to yours, but I guess this is similar enough. You should go for that too. You don't have to choose between them and Lucy either. Just try do both things, not at the same time of course, and see how it goes. You might end up making new friends and reconnecting with your old one at the same time. Trust me, it will be worth it."

She sort of quirked the edges of her beak upwards. "You r-r-really b-b-believe that don't you? M-m-maybe y-y-you're right." She finally looked him in the eyes. "Thanks."

Bushroot smiled. "Any time. You can come to me about anything. Tell me anything. I'll always be willing to listen." Finally, she actually smiled a real smile. It was a small one, as if she was afraid of being too happy, but it was a start.

Poe arrived in St. Canard with no trouble. He was pretty sure the crew never noticed their feathery wild looking passenger and that was just fine with him. The city itself was a lot darker looking than Duckburg. Despite Duckburg's fierce reputation the place was still bright and sunny, while S. Canard had an air of darkness around it. This was probably due to Scrooge and Glomgold, who controlled all the factories around Duckburg and who both had strict environmental regulations. It cost them money, but helped the environment and made it so their workers didn't have to worry so much about their physical health. In Scrooge's words it cost more money to pay for a worker's medical than it did to just make sure the place was safe and healthy to work in in the first place. Something about penny wise and pound foolish. Poe couldn't help but think he was right, but it probably also helped that this made jobs at one of Scrooge's or Glomgold's factories more appealing.

Still, it was easy enough to find the old Academy, especially from the air. He thought he was right on time. He looked down and saw a group of people in front of the gates. Yep, there was Moloculo, thankfully without his daughter along, the Four (while Poe hadn't really met them Scrooge had given good descriptions and it wasn't like there were lots of plant and water mutants wandering around), and two very tall people he had never met before. He folded his wings and swooped down, landing on the gates to the Academy and readjusting his slightly ruffled feathers.

Moloculo smiled at him. "Ah, here's your guide now. Mr. DeSpell, welcome back to the Academy."

"Nice to be back, Master Macawber." Poe sort of bobbed at the vampiric wizard. It was the closest thing he could do in place of a bow. "…how is…everyone?"

"Fine." Moloculo said, a bit abruptly. Odd. But Poe decided not to pursue that line of questioning.

Poe turned to the Four, who were all sort of staring at him in various states of confusion. Then, Megavolt (Poe assumed it was Megavolt) blinked.

"Wait, DeSpell…are you related to Scrooge McDuck's witch friend?"

"I am. Magica is my sister. Someone cursed me into a raven a while ago. Haven't been able to figure out who did it and how to change me back. I really can't do much magic this way, but I'm pretty good at traveling the Ways, and I've met the great dragon before. We shouldn't have much trouble at all." Poe reassured. He fluttered his wings and flew towards the entrance of the Academy. "Follow me!"

He turned his head and noticed only the Four were following him. "Are those other two coming?" He asked.

"They have their own thing going on." Megavolt said.

"Oh, okay." He could probably ask Moloculo about that later. Right now he should probably concentrate on getting them to their destination. He was confident in his abilities, but he knew that taking the Ways for granted or taking them lightly was a good way to get into a bad situation. So, he flitted from one perch to another, guiding them down the Academy's hallways, past the Library of Forbidden Spells (cue scare cord) and into a particularly dark area of the Academy. In front of them, at the end of the dark hallway, was a towering door. Symbols of unknown origin were carved into the surface, although Poe knew they were just names in several different languages. He could spot the door's name in their own languages somewhat in the center of the door, though it sort of blended into the rest of the scripts. Two statues sat next to the door, flanking it, although no one ever figured out why the two statues resembled a tiered cake. Most worlds had statues that were significant to the world, but why cakes were there no one had ever figured it out. Still, it was a good place for a raven to sit.

"…why are there cake statues?" The clown man, Quackerjack Poe remembered, asked.

"Each door to each world has a pair of statues, though no one knows why ours is cakes. It's a bit of a mystery." Poe hesitated and flicked his tail. "While the Ways are well recorded and reasonably safe due to magic users exploring and documenting them, they still have their dangers. At the risk of sounding like an amusement park operator, always keep all of your appendages and bits inside the boat. If you see something looking back at you and you can't tell what it is, don't bother it. Don't talk to it. Don't try to engage it. If you start to feel anything strange, tell me. Even if you think it's your imagination, if you start to feel inexplicably afraid or nervous or unsettled, let me know. If you hear unfamiliar whispers, let me know. If you see anything with leathery wings or the impression of leathery wings, let me know. If we end up stopping at an island other than the one we intend to find do not go through the door unless I say you can. Do not eat or bring anything back from the Ways unless I or the dragon tell you it's okay."

Poe turned around so the Four could see and reach the little backpack on his back. "Can one of you please reach in and grab a key? There's only one in there. Please don't mess with anything else."

Megavolt shrugged and wordlessly reached into the backpack and pulled out what looked like an old fashioned, but simple looking key. He studied it as Poe turned back around and gently took it from him. Poe grasped the key in his beak and fluttered to the door, hovering as he stuck the key into the keyhole and turned it. The door opened with a nice ominous creak.

Poe fluttered through the door and flew across the small grassy hill they now stood on. He knew that the Four would need some time to take in the sight, but that didn't mean he couldn't prepare the boat for launch. To the Four it would look like they had just stepped onto a grassy hill, but the grass was a strange, dull grey color. In fact, the world around them had been reduced to black and white like an old cartoon. There was a song in the air, some sort of old timey, whistling tune, like something from an amusement park, though it was too soft to hear it clearly or make out the tune itself. There was no sky above, just a blank smokey void of nothingness. Around them, twisting and turning and flowing, were large streams of water, or at least a liquid that acted very much like water. Defying space and time and the laws of physics, the streams of water flowed everywhere, in every which direction. While the Four were taking in the sight off the Ways Poe had landed in what looked like a model of an old sailboat, smaller than a normal one, or at least it seemed that was. It could fit as many people as needed. It was, from some perspectives, bigger on the inside. It was a simple design, just a bit of carved wood and a single sail, the most simple and basic of boats there was. The only thing that looked remotely magical was a large simple metal plinth standing at the front of the ship, on which was a large circular white glowing orb. Poe perched near the orb and began to tap at it with his beak and mutter. Formulas and symbols and glyphs skittered over the orbs surface, some flashing into small pillars of light while others dimmed. After a few seconds he waved the Four over with a wing.

While the boat didn't look like it would contain two of them, all of the heroes fit into the benchlike seats of the sailboat very easily. Quackerjack was grinning in sheer glee, while the others gazed around in varying degrees of trepidation. Megavolt couldn't help but be a little fascinated by all of this. It looked like that mouse might have been right. The wizards clearly used magic as some sort of power source, and it was apparently capable of creating a kind of interdimensional spaceship. Granted it looked like a fishing boat for a dad and his kid, but a spaceship nonetheless. It was very interesting. The Liquidator just seemed unnerved, pulling in his water and not letting a single drop touch the strange twisting curves of liquid out there. In fact, after a few seconds he focused on the bottom of the boat, as if unable to look at the twisting waters at all.

Bushroot, on the other hand, just sort of stared into space with a frown of unhappiness. His eyes kept darting to the dead looking grass as if he expected the ground itself to try and swallow them.

"Hey, you okay?" Megavolt asked. "Something up?"

"It's not grass." Bushroot said, still staring at the grass.

"It…what?" Megavolt blinked.

"I don't know what that is but it's not grass." Bushroot looked at the bottom of the boat, imitating the Liquidator. "I can't sense any plants at all."

"Not surprising. This place…it can mess with you. Other than not being able to sense plants do you feel anything else?" Poe apparently finished with his tapping and flapped around to face them.

"No…really." Bushroot frowned. "I just…feel more like the way I did before I was a mutant…it…actually doesn't feel that good anymore. Maybe I've been part plant to long but it feels more like there is something missing."

"Just as long as you don't feel drawn to a place or want to try and fling yourself out you are fine." Poe said. The Liquidator shuddered.

"No thanks, I can't look at that…stuff out there. It's unnerving."

"Best you don't then. Some minds just can't handle it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people can't do it." Poe looked at the other two. "What about you two?"

"I just feel curious. Nothing else." Megavolt shrugged.

Quackerjack for a moment, frowned and shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Nothing's changed."

Poe tilted his head slightly and flicked his feathers. "Just remember the rules, alright? Let me know if you start to feel anything different at all." He hopped around back to the orb and tapped it once again. What appeared to be a bubble formed around the sailboat and, as if pushed by invisible hands, the boat launched, sailing off and dipping into a stream of water. The Liquidator somehow managed to turn seasick green before closing his eyes. The boat continued to sail through the stream of water, or perhaps it was being carried by a current none of the others could detect.

While the island containing the door leading back home was quickly vanishing into the foggy distance, Megavolt really didn't feel like they were going anywhere. Especially when the island faded completely from view. There was no breeze, no ripple in the water, no indication that they were doing anything more than hovering in a small bubble in the middle of a stream of water suspended in nothingness. The only indication that they were moving was the orb, which now hovering over its perch, writing sliding across it. Megavolt thought he recognized some of the writing, but they slid around too fast for him to reason them out.

Poe hopped back to face them, one eye on the orb. He shrugged off the backpack and offered it to Megavolt with a claw. "If you dig around in there you will find five amulets. Each of you take one. This Way is generally safe, but there is still a chance of a disturbance in the streams. If we hit something that throws us or disrupts the spells on this boat, we might lose one or two of you. If you say, fall off the boat you could end up anywhere and it would be hard to find you. The Ways go on indefinitely or at least they seem to. These will help you be found."

"Oh…reassuring?" Megavolt shrugged and took out five small amulets made of the same white stone as the orb up front. He handed one to each of his friends and gave the smallest to Poe. Poe just ducked his head through the small chain holding his small amulet and let it rest around his neck.

"So this place goes on forever? And it reaches other planets in our universe? Like, all of them?" Megavolt asked, to get more clarification.

"Mostly, yes. But there has to be enough magical energy to open the doors. Without them you will just open a door and there will be nothing on the other side. Nothing as in, it will just open like a normal door not that it leads to, you know…Nothing," Poe said 'nothing' as if this other nothing he spoke of was actually something just something very bad. "There are also doors that lead to the same place but at different time periods. We don't generally go through those doors because then the Time Lords get angry at us."

"The who?" Megavolt asked.

"Time Lords. Beings that travel through time. They don't usually bother people unless they are messing with what they call fixed points in time. I don't know how they know but if you do any kind of time travel and someone called the Master shows up to stop whatever it is you are doing it means you are messing with an event that will have disastrous catastrophic consequences that could rip apart the fabric of our universe. The Master isn't a bad guy but he's not really magical, but you should listen to him when he tells you something. He's usually right."

"Great, what does he look like?" the Liquidator, still focused on the boat floor, asked.

"Honestly, he changes appearance. He and his people always resemble humans. You know those people at the Academy that look like bare apes with only bits of fur on their heads. Those. Time Lords look like them only they change their appearance every so often. One time the Master shows up as a fancy looking guy with a really villainous looking goatee, another time he shows up looking like a burn victim. Sometimes he's a she. I don't know why they do that but he always has at least one or two humans with him and always in a blue rectangular ship that kinda looks like a telephone booth. Only it has the words 'police call box' and you can't see through it. Like this ship it's bigger on the inside but it has a lot more rooms. Think there's even a pool in there. Calls it a 'TARDIS'."

"Hmmm, so does he and his telephone ship ever show up here?" Megavolt asked.

"Actually if you do end up lost and you see that box he'll probably give you a lift back to our ship or our world…granted he might accidently take you on an adventure through space and time for a few months before he drops you off back home but he gets people where they need to go eventually." Poe flicked his tail. "So if you do get lost and I can't find you don't worry to much. Even if I can't find you he most likely will."

"Well, reassuring." The Liquidator eyed the water out there with great suspicion. "But why does he call himself 'the master', doesn't he have a real name?"

"I'm sure he does, but no one knows it." Poe shrugged. "We call him the Master because that's a magical rank. Actually, it's more like when you Normals go to college and get your mastery in science. Among magic users it means you've mastered a school or a type of magic. Heck, I could have been a master myself if I wasn't a bird right now. It was just a way of honoring him after he saved a world or two with some very famous witches centuries ago. It just sort of stuck since he never gives what his real name is."

"Oh." Megavolt nodded. "Makes sense. Anything else we should know about these 'time lords'"

"Uhhh, yeah. There's one other one that's out there. Remember how I said the Master goes around making sure the universe doesn't collapse? Well there's another one out there half the time is trying to twist time to make the universe collapse. Calls himself 'the Doctor'. And for him it's more 'mad science' than 'healer.' He's had a lot more different forms than the Master, not sure why, but he also travels around with stray humans. And, occasionally, a robot dog." Poe sort of a made a bobbing motion similar to a shrug. "His ship can look like anything, so just be aware of that."

For a long while they rode in silence. Occasionally, Megavolt would see their river twist around another river, and sometimes another ship, different kinds from old fashioned galleons to steamboats to a yellow submarine, would float past them in another river. Sometimes the river would split and the ship would take one turn or the other, although Megavolt had no idea why. All the time only he and Quackerjack would watch. Megavolt curiously, and Quackerjack with a strange grin that was bordering on concerning. Megavolt shuddered as his friend had one hand on the banana puppet he still had with him. The clown's tendency to play around with and make it talk had faded and faded so that Megavolt had almost forgotten that he still kept the thing around. Now, however, his friend had gone back to at the very least touching the thing. Maybe Quackerjack was more nervous about this Megavolt thought. Either way, he didn't like it. Maybe he should mention it to Poe?

However, before he could say anything, Poe flapped his wings. "Hey, we're here." He said as he tapped more glyphs on the orb. "Prepare for landing."

"So, what's this Middle Earth place like, just so we're prepared." The Liquidator asked.

"Oh, the way to Middle Earth is closed. The entire place is an apocalyptic wasteland of magic and light. The entire placed was cleansed and destroyed centuries ago. There are refugees all around. Humans on other 'Earth's'…that's actually where Third Earth, where Mumm-ra lives comes from. I think there's a least two other 'earth's around. A few other places where orcs and trolls and other people have settled down. There are even other, lesser dragons around, but Smaug is the last Great one." Poe gave the orb one last tap and fluttered to the ground of the island. Unlike there island this one was made of pure rock. In fact it looked like the entrance to a cave. Megavolt took a deep breath and went after the raven wizard, the other three following him.

Megavolt almost expected the cave to be dark and foreboding, like, the kind of dragon's lair spoken of in tales. A place where light never shined save for the dragon's fire glinting off gold and the only living things were the dragon itself and perhaps a maiden it had taken for lunch later. But he found that, after a few steps, they instead came to a large circle door, surrounded by friendly looking torches giving off gentle light. The door was green and covered with golden decorations in the shape of vines and leaves. It was a beautiful door, and Megavolt wondered if it was the door to the destroyed planet on the other side. But, if Poe had told them there was no way to Middle Earth, why was he tapping the door with his beak.

The door pushed open without a single creak. Deep within beyond the door a deep commanding voice rumbled. "Come, then, visitors. I can smell you out there. Come in and help yourselves to my hospitality." Megavolt wasn't sure if the voice was supposed to be reassuring or intimidating. Still, the tiny raven who was once a man walked in readily enough, so Megavolt nodded and followed.

Again, the interior of the cave surprised him. It looked like a large version of a home. A friendly, well lit home that, despite being in the earth, was friendly and welcoming and cozy. There wasn't a hint of gold or skulls or the remains of dead things or melted bones. Just a friendly looking giant living room and large cavernous halls that if Megavolt was right led to a kitchen across the hall from the living room. The hall carved deeper into the cave, and if it were a normal sized place Megavolt would have bet that it led to bedrooms and libraries and other things a normal person would have.

From deep within the cave something stirred and slithered towards them. The ground rumbled gently as something huge and red and gold lumbered towards them. Megavolt gasped at the sight as the huge dragon finally stepped into the living room, the warm welcoming light revealing the true size and majesty of the beast before him.

It wasn't just that the dragon Smaug was huge and gold and red and the perfect model of a traditional dragon. There was something in the way the ancient being stood and carried himself that spoke of age and wisdom and kindness, despite the fierce appearance. The dragon's head resembled a cats or perhaps a wolfs, and smoke curled from his nostrils. He had long, curved claws like spears and sharp bladelike teeth.

The dragon gazed down at them and rumbled. "What goes up a hill and down a hill, yet stands still?"

For a moment they all just stared at the huge dragon, then Poe flapped up towards the creature's huge maw and responded. "A road."

The dragon smiled and laughed, clearly pleased. "Correct." He then gave Poe an expectant look.

Poe paused and then said. "What do I have in common with a writing desk?"

The dragon let out a delighted laugh. "You are a raven. That's not a fair one, though. It never had a real answer in the first place."

"I heard they came up with an answer at some point, but no one told me what it was." Poe laughed.

"Very well, was still fun." The dragon looked down at the Four. "Welcome, little ones, to my lair. I am Smaug, as I am sure you know. Please, sit down while I put some tea on. As an old friend of mine would say, it's almost time for second breakfast." The dragon turned and carefully walked towards its kitchen. "Please, there are ladders on the sides of the couches so my smaller guests can seat comfortably. Make yourselves at home."

Bushroot laughed gently. "Well…I didn't expect this."

Poe seemed to smile. "No one does."

The ladders on the sides of the chairs and couches led up to little alcoves at the edges of the tables, where smaller creatures like the Four and Poe could sit up next to the huge table in the living room. Megavolt wondered if this was what it was like for Gadget all the time. He could almost feel sympathetic towards her and might have if she hadn't sounded like she was up to something and that she clearly admired a historical villain so much. Still, it was an odd sensation to feel almost like the animal he resembled.

It didn't take long for the dragon to come out with two tea sets, a big one for him and a much smaller one for them, as well as dragon sized scones and toast and what looked like, to Megavolt's surprise, country style biscuits and rolls, as well as pads of butter and jams. Next to that was a smaller platter of normal sized ones. Megavolt had no idea how the dragon managed to cook tiny foods for them, and apparently ranging in styles as well.

"I get many visitors, and a few of my friends will occasionally help cook these things for me." Smaug said as if knowing the Four were confused. "Magically preserved in case I get a guest who is smaller than me. Frankly, most are smaller than me, but I do get the occasional younger breed of dragon here." The dragon sat at the far end of the table after placing the platter on top, turned so that the smaller snacks were in easy reach of his guests. Smaug leaned his head down, sitting like a cat and arching his long neck so he could easily hear the Four.

"Thank you, we appreciate it." Poe said and the others made various agreeable noises. All four of them were still trying to mentally adjust to this. Megavolt wasn't really expecting this. He had always been a more superhero and mystery fan rather than a fantasy one, but he would have expected some sort of test or trial or something more medieval, rather than old fashioned teatime. It was always vaguely disappointing.

"Now, I know that you have probably come for something that is very important to the land you hail from. It normally is when someone new comes along. Very rarely to new people come to just chat with me, though it does sometimes happen afterwards. I enjoy company, and all are welcome in my home. However, unless this is a dire time sensitive emergency, I would ask that, before you make your request to me, for you to tell me a little bit about your home world and yourselves in particular. You don't have to give me your deepest secrets, just tell me anything about yourselves."

"Ummm, why?" Megavolt asked. "You're an ancient dragon, why would you care about our lives?"

"A few reasons, and a fair question." Smaug smiled gently and waved a claw around the room. "When I was young and foolish and trying very hard to be a proper Great dragon I thought I needed to vanquish evil and drive the greedy to ground. And I did. I drove the tyrant dwarf kings from under the Mountain and brought peace and prosperity to the town of Dale, and even helped raise a second town on the lake. But I was miserable and alone. People worshiped me, but they never visited me or talked to me. Until I met Bilbo Baggins. A hobbit from a far away land. Years after my great victories he would come into my cave every night, telling me riddles and stories and keeping me company." The dragon sighed sadly. "Little did I know that he was being used by the last dwarf king and an evil wizard, bent on stealing a treasure from the hoard I had won and using it for their own purposes. They almost killed little Bilbo after he defied them and told them he would not steal for them after he became my friend. A very long story short he lived, but he could never go back to the home he loved after that, and he spent the rest of his days with me. But, as I said, he did love stories. So, instead of keeping treasures for myself, as some dragons these days do, I keep stories. Oh I still have many dangerous artifacts I protect, but the stories are my treasures." Smaug looked at them, a small sad smile on his maw. "Just as I loved hearing Bilbo's old stories, I love to hear any from my visitors. I have heard countless ones, but to me they never get old."

"How many do you remember?" Bushroot asked, puzzled. "It sounds like it would be a lot."

"Oh, countless. Stories from all sorts of people. Just because magic beings are most common travelers through the Ways that doesn't mean they are the only ones. Why, if you have heard of the Master he brings people from the stars with their wonders of science here very often. I've even met a companion of his, a being that called himself a Dalak, who could not travel outside a strange little metal house he was encased in. Very odd." Smaug shrugged. "A true Great dragon can never forget a single piece of his hoard, and since stories are my hoard I never forget a story." He continued to look at them, politely but expectant.

Megavolt blinked. He wondered if he should start. Maybe this would be more useful than he thought. His own memory was destined to become worse and worse. By telling this dragon everything he remembered…at least someone would remember. Fumbling for a bit he brought out the notebook he kept around and flipped to the beginning.

"Well, you see, it started in high school…" Megavolt began, not even realizing that in a strange way they were already telling Smaug their problem. For a while it was just Megavolt, retelling the story of his first meeting with Negaduck and who he had been before. Then, after a bit, Quackerjack chimed in with his story of his first meeting with their enemy, followed by Bushroot and then the Liquidator. They told the dragon about the fights they had with villains like Phyros and Dr. Khola and Gravemoss and Gadget and Fathom and even went over the insane woman that called herself Dollface. Even the Great dragon shuddered at that particular story, as if he could only imagine being pursued by someone like that. They told Smaug about their allies like Steelbeak and Scrooge and even a few stories about more legendary figures of their world like the Duck Avenger and his two partners, Iron Hound and the Mousketeer. Poe would chime in on occasion with a few stories from the Academy that he was fairly sure that Smaug didn't know about. It took hours, so long that the food was all gone, not even a crumb remained, and Megavolt was sure that if there had been the sun outside it would have already set and the stars would have bene out. But no light shone in the Ways. At least not natural light. Even so, it didn't feel long at all. Despite the time that he knew he had spent it, Megavolt almost felt that heh could sat here for hours, just talking to this old creature before him.

At one point they went over their encounter with Morgana, the first one, and what Steelbeak and Bulba had found there. And what he had told them later about the magic items that Negaduck was probably searching for. At that point Poe had looked at him in astonishment, but he didn't interrupt. Smaug had let several smoke rings emerge from his nose, but Megavolt had a feeling they should probably just continue with the story instead of trying to stop to ask the dragon what they wanted to know.

Finally, they had reached the end of the stories, wrapping up one last story that Megavolt had about his cat.

"So then last night he got out, again, and this time I find him on top of the water tower. I don't know how he got down and how he got out of the lighthouse and halfway across the city but I swear that animal's crying can be heard across the city!" Megavolt sighed.

"You shouldn't complain. You aren't the one who had to go up there with a butterfly net in the vain hope that he won't tear your face off." Quackerjack sighed. "I have tried everything and that cat still hates me."

"Cats are particular animals." Smaug shrugged. "There is a reason even the non magical kind often find themselves in the company of magic. They are favored by many magical beings." Smaug chuckled. "Even I cannot explain that."

There was a brief pause, then Poe ruffled his feathers. "I was wondering on how to bring this up, but there is one more thing I know that I think everyone here should know about. Actually, it comes from Scrooge himself. Remember a few…about an hour I think it was, when were talking about the incident at the Great Battle where Gizmoduck showed up with Negaduck."

"Yes, I was wondering about that." Smaug said. "I have several concernes with many things you hae told me, but this is something that I think I may not help with. Still, the idea of these two cooperiating seems puzzling from your earliest story of their encounter."

"Negaduck doesn't team up with people, he uses them." Bushroot commented. "It makes no sense though. Gizmoduck is more of a powerhouse than him, so we have no idea what isi going on."

"I do." Poe ruffled his feathers again. "Giz…Fenton didn't go willingly. A few days before he showed up alongside Negaduck he showed up at the mansion with one of Mr. McDuck's nephews. Huey the oldest one. He had tracked him down and freed him. He was going to look for the others, but then Launchpad and Negaduck showed up. They wanted the suit, and for some reason they seemed to think that they needed to grab Fenton as well to operate it. I'm not sure why he hasn't tried to slip away. Maybe he has but it hasn't worked but I know he intended to help find Mr. McDuck's kids before this, and he didn't seem like he was lying. There's something wrong with that suit. I don't understand it, but there's some scientific formula that is somehow warping Fenton's mind and making him do the things he is doing, or at the very least making him paranoid enough to be influenced by people like Gearloose and Negaduck. I know that Gearloose is in on it as well, but I'm not sure how."

The Four stared at the bird man in stunned silence. Then, the dragon spoke.

"It seems to me that this Negaduck is playing a game that could be…disastrous." Smaug stretched his neck to the ceiling and twisted it a few times as if to work out a kink, then dropped it back to them. "I cannot aid you with this…Gizmoduck's situation. But I did take note of things in your story that I think led you here. The items that the Macawber girl was telling him about when you first encountered the two as a couple. The further reassure done by your Steelbeak friend. And the other dimension that you went to, Megavolt. All of these things are connected, but the problem is, we have only half the story."

"What do you mean?" Megavolt asked.

"You went to a world where Negaduck was commanding a group of your evil doubles. Btu what of Negaduck's double, the purple one, Darkwing? He also was accompanied by the double of Negaduck's right hand. So, why would he gather doubles of seeming random people. Unless, they are not random at all."

"Wait, you think that Darkwing might be allied with his version of Negaduck?" Bushroot's eyes widened.

"And perhaps there are other doubles of his companions as well. Including Gizmoduck. This might be why he was so insistent on our version of this man working for Negaduck." Smaug nodded. "Perhaps he has seen them work together and wishes some sort of synergy between the two realms. And, if synergy is his goal, or at the very least completely mirroring, we might have a worse situation on our hands."

"What do you mean?" Quackerjack asked.

"What happens when two things collide, especially if they are opposites, Megavolt?" Smaug asked.

"I mean, they can't. If it's something like a magnet they just repel each other." Megavolt commented.

"True. That is not necessarily what would happen in a magical sense, but it could. Either the two would destroy each other, or something new will be made." Smaug said. "In either case, the world could be reformed. Or even the two could be reformed. But the problem is, we don't know what could be lurking in this other realm. The relics he is seeking, the descriptions are far too vague, you see. They could be anything. I can think of at least one item I myself own that could be described as an 'orb of blood'. Indeed, it was called that for some time."

"What item." Poe asked.

Smaug snorted in disdain. "The Arkenstone, a stone that meant a great deal to the dwarven kings under the Mountain. So much so that Thorin Oakenshield saw fit to deceive, use and then attempt to kill an innocent hobbit who only wanted to see new things for just once. A stone I hide in a golden orb to keep others from looking at and growing the same sickness the dwarf kings caught. An orb that at least five armies, at once, fought over before Bilbo gave up a magical ring he found to confer invisibility to the orb so none would see or be cursed by it again." Smaug closed his eyes. "All that bloodshed, you, see? An orb of blood. The objects could be metaphorical, or they might be literal, but unless your friends can find more information we don't know. But what if the answers are not here. What if they are in the other realm? And what if the people that Negaduck is recruiting are connected over there as well?"

"Connected how?" asked the Liquidator. "From what Megavolt said the other uses were evil villains, except for Bushroot. How could we have any connection to them."

"Many before have said the phrase, the walls of the Negaverse are thin." Smaug said. "Do you know what that means?"

"No." Megavolt said.

"I…" Smaug paused. "I have heard the Master speak of this, of other realms and other paths, but it is a matter of science, and that is beyond me. That, in a way, scares me. Some of what this Negaduck is up to is rooted in magic, but some of it is rooted in science. I cannot provide the answers myself, but I know who can."

"Let me guess, we have to go find and talk to a Time Lord now?" Megavolt nodded. "Where do we go from here?"

"You cannot. None but those that walk the roads of time and space can reach Gallifrey, the land of the Time Lords. But I can pass on your need to the Master and, in time, he will find you."

"So, wait, we're supposed to just go home and wait for some time traveling wierdo to show up?" Quackerjack asked.

"No. As I said, I think this other realm might hold the key, or at least have the other half of the puzzle. You must find a way over there. You must find a way to either spy on Negaduck and find his way there or make your own way. You must find out why he is recruiting the people he is recruiting. I then meantime, I will take what you have told me and try and figure out what he is planning. Matters of stories and magic you can leave up to me, or you can trust those of the Academy." Smaug paused and his tail thumped. "Darkwing…hmmm."

"What is it?" Poe asked.

"I just recall one of my oldest stories. Do you know how this world came to be?"

"Ummmm, do we have the time?" Megavolt asked.

"I think we have room for one more." Smaug smiled, then for some reason his spotlight eyes seemed to linger on Quackerjack. "In the start there was nothing but Suffering. Suffering played its cruel games, laughing at pain and horror and disgust. Ripping through Time and Space and gnawing at the roots of the mind. Then, one day Suffering came across Madness, and for a time the two played nicely together. Then Suffering wished to inflict its pain upon Madness, who only wanted to do what it wished. Suffering trapped Madness in a cage, and for a while was entertained by its pleas.

Then, Madness' enemy, the Wings of the Dark, tore through the Light of Suffering to flap and spread Terror to Suffering. It covered Madness and, for a moment, the two unleashed Chaos to give unto Suffering what it gave to others. In the end the Wings of the Dark and Madness won, and vanished into the night.

Suffering roared and cried in pain, for it had never been defeated before. But then, from out of the Dark again came wings, but these wings were different. While the Wings of the Dark protected, these new Wings were made of evil Light, and they hated the Wings of the Dark.

The Wings of the Evil Light said to Suffering. "My creators abandoned me and cast me aside. I seek vengeance and suffering. You are suffering. Help me make a shadow. We shall call it the world, and we will bring forth living beings. They will suffer for the sins of their fathers, and the ones that they wronged will bring forth that suffering.

And so Suffering and the Light brought forth a world where all must suffer for the sins of those they wronged, even if they could never understand or know why they must suffer for what others did to them. But sometimes, in the Dark, the wings will remind you of what you could be, and what you have lost.

For the walls of the Negaverse are thin."

The silence stretched through the room, casting the shadows deeper. While the room didn't change Megavolt couldn't help but feel the chill creeping up his back, as if he could feel eyes watching him from the dark corners of the space. He was suddenly keenly aware that anything could be lurking in the shadows or lurking just outside Smaug's door. As if, were he to step outside right now, he would just a bit closer to something whose eye's could see right through to his soul. He hated the feeling. Megavolt, not turning his head, looked towards Quackerjack and nearly fell off the high table.

His friend was looking down, teeth gritted in a terrible grin, a smile that was more pain than joy and more hate than anything else. The look on his friend's face reminded Megavolt of the other Quackerjack whose voice and eyes sometimes haunted him whenever his Quackerjack got into a weird mood. There was something…uncanny, something that unsettled Megavolt greatly. For a moment he was starkly reminded of a horror movie he had seen as a child that had made him use a nightlight for months. The look on the possessed boy's face had been like the one that Quackerjack wore now, and for a second Megavolt thought that his friend was going to snap his head in Megavolt's direction and give him that same insane possessed grin that haunted Megavolt's nightmares for so long.

But then Quackerjack took a deep breath and it was gone as if it was never there. It was as such a practiced, almost instinctual action that Megavolt could only come to the conclusion that it was second nature. That Quackerjack had done it millions of times. Just…had some weird episode and then just snapped back to reality…

But no, he was never in reality, was he? He was always a bit off in his own space, wasn't he? There had always been something wrong with Quackerjack, but Megavolt always sort of dismissed it after he got used to it. Quackerjack meant well, he really did.

But that was the thing about insanity, wasn't it? You didn't want to hurt others, but sometimes you couldn't help it. Didn't even know it was happening until it was over.

He would have to keep a closer eye on his friend. For Quackerjack's own sake.

"We should make our way back." Poe said. "I need to talk to this Steelbeak guy about Fenton. Maybe, since he's a federal agent, he could help us spy on Negaduck as well." So the others hadn't noticed Quackerjack going odd on them. Only Megavolt. He shook himself and nodded at Poe.

"Yeah, if Negaduck needs Fenton specificallfy for his plans, there's one angle of sabotage right there. I might want to know what';s going up with these objects, but all I really need to know is how to make whatever Negaduck wants stopped. He wouldn't care if he destroyed our world and our universe if he gets what he wants."

"What he wants isn't a mystery, I think." Smaug said. "He clearly wants power and control, but he's not content with just a gang and spreading terror through your city. He wants to either control our entire universe, I think, or even control ours and the other one. The only question is how he is doing it, and how we might spoil his plans." Smaug flicked his tail again. "You should make your Way home. You should never linger to long in the Ways, unless you are a being such as myself. It is not a place for the living."

"But, you're alive?" Bushroot asked.

"Yes, but the stories keep me…grounded. Make sure I remember to care." Smaug stretched. "It is easy for a dragon such as myself to forget to care. It is like when you pass by a hungry animal. Some will take time to feed the animal and give it shelter. Others are to busy to bogther. I try to remember that even the smallest things need to be fed."

Bushroot nodded, as if that made perfect sense to him. Maybe it did.

AS they started towards the door and back to the boat, Smaug placed a tail on Megavolt's shoulder. "Give me a moment, I want to say one last thing to him, privately."

The others nodded, though the Liquidator looked like he might object. Still, the dragon was able to communicate his sincerity to the water dog, who reluctantly followed the others to the boat. Megavolt looked up at Smaug, who was leaning down till his face was inches from Megavolt's. Gently, quiet as a whisper, the dragon spoke one last time.

"I saw it in your friend's face as well. My story affected him in a way I've never seen before. It is…troubling."

"He's my best friend, he's not a bad person, he- "Megavolt started, then trailed off. "I'm worried about him."

"No. You shouldn't be worried about him." The dragon said.

"Then…what should I be worried about?"

"You should be worried for him." The dragon said. "Do not forget what you just told me about him. That he is a good person. Sometimes good people have problems they can't help, and the worst thing you can do is blame them. Remember, always, that he is your friend, so when the shadows come for him, he will have you to reach for."

"What do you know about this?" Megavolt asked.

"I know nothing, but I know a troubled soul when I see it." Smaug replied. "Sometimes not all who wander are lost, but sometimes the lost don't know they are lost. But no one is lost when they have something to guide them. I think he already has something to guide him, but one should never have only one thing to ground them. Do you understand?"

"I…think so." Megavolt nodded. "You mean if it gets to bad I might have to help him, right?"

"Exactly." Smaug smiled.

"Hehehe, you don't have to be cryptic, I'd do it anyway." Megavolt laughed.

"Well, a good quote should never be excluded if one can help it." The dragon laughed as well. "Good luck then, little wanderer. May the road lead you home, one day."

Megavolt nodded and turned to leave, somehow feeling a little lighter now.

As the door closed the dragon Smaug sighed and looked towards his table.

"That was a cruel trick." He glared; his spotlight eyes set in a firm glare.

The black foxlike being sitting on his high table grinned at him, rows and rows of teeth glittering in the cruel lights of Smaug's fire.

Poe departed the Academy, leaving the Four to go back to their homes. They had promised to call Steelbeak right away and tell him Poe was coming. If they managed to reach the agent they told Poe they would send Steelbeak to the casino named after his old mentor. AS soon as Poe saw the name of the place he almost chuckled. BH. That was just about right. Sure enough, as Poe looked down he saw a well dressed steel mouthed rooster leaning against a streetlamp, looking as casual as casual could be. It was only Poe's keen eyes noticing the slight tension in the man's shoulders that gave him away. Steelbeak may project an air of confidence and ease, but to take the rooster for granted would be a mistake.

Poe dove and landed on top of a road sign near the rooster and called out gently.

"Mr. Steelbeak I presume?"

Steelbeak gave the wild looking bird a huge grin and smirked his way over. "Ah, you must be the guy. The Four are making friends all over the place aren't they?"

"Oh you have no idea." Poe laughed.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." Steelbeak said.

"Me. Surprised. Ha. Nevermore." Poe ruffled his feathers again, and Steelbeak laughed.

"I can imagine that this." Steelbeak sort of gestured to Poe's body. "Must kinda suck but it's nice to see you have a sense of humor about it."

"Well, at the very least I can sit above a door and creep poets out." Poe laughed. "But enough about that. I have a story to tell you."

"Lay it on me, babe."

Some time later, Steelbeak took out the mobile phone given to him by the higher ups and dialed a very specific number. He hung up before anyone could answer and went to do some crosswords, deciphered a few codes for fun, read a book and was happily eating a midnight snack before the phone rang again.

"You haff something for me, sir?" Said a low growly voice on the other end.

"Hey, Agent G. Yeah. You guys have Gizmoduck there with you."

"We do, sir. He's…not pleased with Negaduck. Happily, neither are Lamont and Chris. So much so that they are a little more…loose lipped these days. In fact, there was an incident involving Mr. Crackshell earlier today. A…situation, that I think we can take advantage of."

"Oh, that's very interesting, Mr. G. Do tell me more."

"Chris let it slip during a nice vodka session. The Gearloose fool has been using a drug to keep Mr. Crackshell in line. And from a few comments he made tonight, I think that Mr. Crackshell has clued into it. He knows he is being used. I think that we might be able to recruit a new asset."

"Well that's good. Because apparently there is more to all of this then we thought, Mr. G."

"Oh, boss." Steelbeak could practically hear the grin on the other end of the line. "It goes far deeper than even you know. Tell me, my friend, have you ever heard of Darkwing Duck?"

A/N:

And the plot thickens.

This is a little late than I wanted it to be. A few weeks ago the cat I bottled raised from a kitten that we had found abandoned in my Aunt's yard died suddenly. He was three years old and he was a totally shit but I loved him just the same. He had a sudden seizure that the vet thinks came from a blood clot. There was no way we could have known and he died pretty much instantly. Which at the very least was a quick way to go. I miss him, but I have two other cats that I need to take care of. He was a great cat, and losing him sort of threw me for a bit. Still, I hope that this was satisfactory. I'm not sure. I hope so.

Anyway, next time will be…interesting. It may be either a chapter dedicated to what Tanya is doing with her new witch buddies, or the incident that Agent G is talking about regarding Negs and Fenton.

I need something to interrupt the info dumping, you know.

Until next time.