Megavolt had no idea what was going on. Everything was moving too fast for him, and his memory was not making it easy to keep up. He knew that he was upset with Drake and couldn't trust him, but he couldn't remember why. He knew that Quackerjack was upset with them, and it had something to do with Negaduck, but the details were escaping him.
All Megavolt knew was that Quackerjack needed their help. Whether he needed to be saved from himself or from Negaduck, he didn't know, but either way he wasn't going to fail his friend. Bad memory or not, Megavolt was strong enough to save his friend. If only he could figure out just what was wrong. Maybe then he'd understand just why his friend had apparently turned on Drake and was helping Negaduck.
Megavolt just took a little comfort from the fact that Drake, Liquidator, and Bushroot all looked as alarmed as him. They were just as in the dark as he was, so this wasn't just him forgetting what had happened. They were all on equal footing, as bad footing as it may be.
Megavolt was scared of going anywhere near Negaduck, but he'd ducked away and let the villain walk all over him, making him do things that he didn't want to do. He was done with doing that. He may have a bad memory, but he was fairly sure that he remembered Drake telling him that he could be a hero, even if it was just for his friends. He was done with letting Negaduck manipulate him and his friends.
He could save his friend, even if the other boy didn't look like he knew that he needed to be saved.
Megavolt slowly approached Quackerjack. He paused when he saw Negaduck's glare and Drake's stern gaze, but Quackerjack gave him an encouraging smile, and that was all he needed to keep going. He walked towards his friend, touching his arm.
"Quacky, what's going on?" Megavolt asked. "I thought you weren't going to play Negaduck's games anymore."
"At least he lets me play." Quackerjack hugged Mr. Banana Brain close.
"Drake plays games with you." Megavolt said. "I play with you all the time."
"I'm not talking about those games." Quackerjack pouted. "I'm talking about the bad stuff. The mean games that hurt people."
Bushroot and Liquidator looked at each other. "You want to hurt people?"
"I…no?" Quackerjack looked confused. "Maybe." He looked at Negaduck. "I don't know."
"What games?" Megavolt asked.
"Like…uh…" Quackerjack looked confused. "I can't think of any."
"So how do you know you want to play them?" Megavolt asked.
"Well, Negaduck said-" Quackerjack started. Megavolt took his hand, shocking him.
"Why are you listening to him?" Megavolt asked. "He's mean."
"But he's right." Quackerjack said quietly. Negaduck smirked and Drake made an offended sound, but Megavolt wasn't paying any attention to them. "I'm not normal. I'm dangerous. Drake's nice because he wants to fix me, but what if when he fixes me, I'm not really me anymore?"
Megavolt didn't know if this was something that Quackerjack had been worried about before, or if this was something that Negaduck had put into his hand. But even if this was a new fear, Megavolt wasn't going to dismiss it. His friend sounded genuinely scared.
Quackerjack sniffled. "Negaduck's scary, but he doesn't want to change me. He…he likes me the way I am."
"He likes that he can use you." Drake said.
"Don't act like you're any better." Negaduck rolled his eyes. Quackerjack whined and held Mr. Banana Brain close. Megavolt pulled his friend closer, adjusting his hold on him to turn his gaze from the grown-ups.
"Don't listen to them." Megavolt said. "Neither of them. Just listen to me." Quackerjack was still for a long moment before he nodded. "Don't worry about what they want. What do you want?"
Quackerjack rocked on his heels a little bit. He clutched Mr. Banana Brain close. He looked back towards Negaduck, who was watching them. Waiting. Negaduck wasn't making the next move. He was waiting to see what Quackerjack was going to do, and that scared Megavolt. He couldn't imagine how it made his friend feel.
"Yeah, Quackerjack, what do you want?" Negaduck asked slowly. Quackerjack shuddered. He looked at Mr. Banana Brain in his arms.
"I-I want…I want…" He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut tight. "I don't want to hurt anybody. I really don't want to."
"I thought so." Negaduck growled. He stormed up to Quackerjack and grabbed Mr. Banana Brain from him. Quackerjack screamed like he was being stabbed. He reached for his doll, but Negaduck held it out of his reach and kicked him away.
"You're weak, Quackerjack." Negaduck said. "You're soft. You have potential, and even when I'm whispering in your ear just what you need to do to reach it, you throw it away. It's pathetic."
"Give him back." Quackerjack cried. He wasn't trying to reach for his doll. He just sat on the ground like an upset toddler. Megavolt thought about shocking Negaduck and taking the banana back himself, but Quackerjack grabbed his hand, squeezing it so tightly that it hurt. Megavolt knew that his friend probably just wanted something else to hold, but it was frustrating that he was holding him back from helping him.
"Negaduck, just forget the kids." Drake said. "Your plan backfired. You can't control the boys. Why don't you move onto your next evil scheme?"
"Who says I haven't already?" Negaduck raised an eyebrow at Drake. "I don't put all my eggs in one basket, Dorkwing. I already have other plans in motion even as we speak. But I need to teach these traitors a lesson." There was a crazed look in Negaduck's eyes that sent shivers down Megavolt's spine. He shuddered and accidentally shocked Quackerjack, who just tightened his grip on his hand.
"Please." Quackerjack whined pathetically. He was sobbing now. Megavolt didn't know what he thought he was going to accomplish. They all knew that tears and pleas just infuriated Negaduck even more.
"Caring about people, or things, is a weakness." Negaduck growled. "It's about time that gets through your head." He pulled out his chainsaw and revved it. Knowing what was about to happen, Megavolt turned towards his friend and wrapped his arms around him, hiding Quackerjack's gaze from the destruction of his doll that had come to mean so much to him in a short amount of time.
Megavolt heard the chainsaw, and he heard Drake yell at Negaduck. The next thing he heard was an odd yelp from Negaduck, which then turned to a shout of fury. And then Quackerjack was laughing.
Megavolt frowned and looked back over his shoulder. He saw Negaduck shouting and squirming, but he was basically immobile and he looked like he was stuck in some weird kind of goo. Mr. Banana Brain was on the ground in front of him, ripped up, but it didn't look like he was full of stuffing.
"What…what just happened?" Megavolt asked. Quackerjack just giggled and finally released Megavolt. He clapped and got to his feet, wiping away his tears.
"I did what Negaduck said." Quackerjack said. He walked over to the semi-torn up Mr. Banana Brain, picking him up off the ground and cuddling him close. He completely ignored Negaduck cursing at him. Quackerjack pulled a small pair of scissors out of his pocket and went to Drake. He began to cut him loose from the silly string. "I made him think I was playing one game, and then I changed the rules when he wasn't expecting it."
"You brat!" Negaduck screamed. "I'm going to tear you apart!"
"You…you tricked Negaduck?" Drake laughed while Quackerjack freed him. He then pulled the boy into his arms, holding him tight. "You're a crazy little genius, you know that?"
Quackerjack giggled, and then gave Mr. Banana Brain a sad look. "I had to hurt my new friend."
"We'll fix him up." Drake said quickly. "And I'm sure he'll forgive you." He looked at Negaduck, who was still raging and cursing at them. He pulled Quackerjack away from him. "Okay, let's get you guys home before something else happens." He took Quackerjack's jester hat off and gently brushed his feathers.. "No more running off on me, Quackerjack."
The boy giggled and hugged the torn Mr. Banana Brain. "Okay."
"And, uh, Negaduck's not going anywhere, is he?" Drake asked.
"Not for a few hours." Quackerjack said. "I think."
"How reassuring." Drake sighed. "Let's get out of here." Holding Quackerjacker's hand, Drake started to lead the way out. "You think you can turn your game traps off so we don't kill ourselves?"
"Huh?" Quackerjack blinked. "Oh, there were no traps."
Megavolt grinned, knowing that his friend had blindsided them again. People underestimated Quackerjack, and he kept on using that to his advantage. He was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for.
Drake groaned. "So you're telling me that if I lost hopscotch or red light green light, then, what, nothing would have happened?"
Quackerjack shook his head. "Nothing would have happened. But the fun was that I made you think I would."
"You tricked Drake and Negaduck." Liquidator tilted his head curiously at him. "I wouldn't have even tried."
"I knew I could." Quackerjack said. "Negsy said he wanted me because he knew I could trick Drake. And I thought that since they're so simple, then if I could trick Drake, then I could get Negaduck. And I did!"
"You're nuts." Bushroot shook his head. "I don't even want to know what you were like as a grown-up."
Megavolt felt like his memory was jolted. Right. That's why they were mad at Drake. Because they were actually grown-ups. Megavolt would have to write that down or something, because that was something too important to forget about.
"Huh?" Quackerjack looked confused. He hadn't been there during their realization. Megavolt wished he had been. He didn't know how they were going to explain this. Quackerjack wouldn't forget it as easily as Megavolt would, but it wouldn't be surprising if he thought it was all in his head and took it as another sign that he was crazy.
"I'll explain everything." Drake said reluctantly. "To all of you." And to Megavolt's knowledge, he kept his word. Drake told them that they were villains. He told them about different battles he had with all of them individually. He told some not so nice stories. Megavolt felt confused and frustrated when Drake said that they'd gone to school together once, though that was something his adult-self had forgotten. Megavolt didn't like to hear about that bit, because apparently even before he became a villain and got his powers, he was too weak and scared to stand up to people. He had let himself get bullied into bullying other people, just to get a target off his own back.
Drake assured him that he didn't blame him for anything that might have happened in high school, and he told him that he could already tell that he was a different person than he used to be. Megavolt hoped that he was right. He was tired of being a coward. He was through with stabbing someone in the back just to save his own skin.
Bushroot looked like he was about to break down when Drake mentioned that his grown-up self had been more than a little petty, and very violent. Bushroot hadn't gotten mad as quickly as a grown-up, but his anger lasted longer, and he was more brutal. Bushroot looked terrified at the thought of growing up to be that same kind of person, just who Negaduck had been trying to manipulate him to be. He cheered up when Drake mentioned that Bushroot, when he wasn't provoked and angry, had been nice and had even helped save the day. It was nice for all of them to hear that even when they were villains, they'd had the potential for good.
None of Drake's stories seemed to bother Quackerjack very much, but that in and of itself worried Megavolt. The harmful stories were the ones that had to do with their past. Their origin stories. The times when they had been dealing with their personal issues. Drake didn't seem to know very much about why Quackerjack was the way he was. He knew about a failed business, a hatred for video games, and a love for toys and games. That was it, and it really wasn't a lot.
Megavolt was a little concerned about what had happened with Quackerjack's past, but before he could get himself worked up about it, Drake started another story. One about Liquidator, and it was one that made Megavolt's stomach churn.
"I-it was your fault?" Liquidator stopped in his tracks and looked at Drake. Even though it could be hard to read emotion through his watery eyes, the look of betrayal was clear. "You did this to me?"
"I didn't try to." Drake said defensively. "It was an accident." The four kids just stared at him. Liquidator's form was shaking. Drake sighed. "But I'm sorry. Really."
"And you didn't try to help him?" Quackerjack asked.
"You didn't try to help any of us." Bushroot said.
Drake fidgeted uncomfortably. "No, I guess I didn't. I made a mistake. I'll do better though. I am doing better."
Liquidator clenched his fists. Megavolt thought that he was about to attack Drake. "I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't rest or stop existing for five minutes, and it's all your fault, and you didn't do anything about it! You didn't care!"
"I'm sorry." Drake said. He reached out for Liquidator, but the dog shook his head and let his form drop. He slipped out of the way, staying in liquid form.
"I don't want to hear it." Liquidator's watery voice said. His water started to slide away. He wasn't going to listen to Drake anymore, and Megavolt couldn't blame him. Bushroot towards where Liquidator was fleeing, and then he turned to Drake with wide eyes.
"I'm going to keep an eye on him." Bushroot said. "I think he just needs some space." He sighed. "And I think I do too."
Drake looked conflicted, but finally he sighed. "Take care of each other. Keep out of trouble, and if you need anything, you know where to find us."
Bushroot gave him an appreciative smile. "Take care of them. No more lies."
"I'll do my best." Drake said. Bushroot nodded and ran off after Liquidator, who had been waiting for him. Drake watched them leave, a sad, conflicted look in his eyes. He shook his head and turned back to Quackerjack and Megavolt. "What do you guys want to do? You can come back with me. I can help you guys figure out how to get back to normal, if you want, and I'll still be right there to help you with whatever you need. Or if you want to stay little, but don't want anything to do with me, I can find you good families. Whatever you want."
Megavolt and Quackerjack looked at each other. What do you want to do?" Megavolt asked. "Whatever you decide, we'll do it together." They'd come this far. They weren't splitting up now. Megavolt could learn to be fine with wherever he went and whatever they did.
Quackerjack gave him a small smile. "I like Drake. He's fun. And even if he tries to tame me, at least he still lets me play games. I don't know if anybody else would."
"I'm not going to try to tame you." Drake said. "At least, I'm going to try to not try to tame you."
Megavolt's brain was starting to hurt. Quackerjack looked content though. "That's good enough for me!" He took Drake's hand, and Megavolt took the other. "Let's go home."
Megavolt didn't know what the future held for them. He didn't even really know what had happened in his past. All he knew was today. Here and now. He had Quackerjack at his side. They had a friend and guardian to keep them safe.
Their enemy probably wasn't gone for good. Negaduck would return. And who knew what would happen with Bushroot and Liquidator, if they would come back, or if they'd slide back into villainy. Maybe it would be something in-between. Megavolt just hoped that whatever they did, they were happy, safe, and together.
But those were problems for Megavolt to worry about in the future. Right now, he was just going to go home and have fun. Maybe he'd make a pillow fort with Quackerjack, or booby trap the house. Maybe they'd finally convince Gosalyn to show them Darkwing Duck's hideout. Maybe he'd just sit on the couch and do Gos' homework for her, which was something he really did consider to be a good time, both because he got to learn more, and because a little innocent cheating was fun.
It didn't really matter what he did. He could do any of it. Or all of it. Or none of it at all. What was important was that it was his choice, and he could do whatever he wanted with it.
So what if he wasn't supposed to be a little kid? So what if his past was a mystery, and if he had his memories he would probably be a completely different person? This was who he was now. He liked who he was. He was safe. He was content. And he wasn't alone. What more could he ask for?
Maybe when he got older he would choose to be someone else. He might choose to be a villain after all, or he'd become a hero for more people than just his friends. Or maybe he'd just be an every-day person living a normal life, who just so happened to have electric powers. He didn't know, and right now, it didn't really matter. He was happy like this. Quackerjack was happy like this. Liquidator and Bushroot weren't happy right now, but they would surely figure out how to get there.
It wasn't perfect, and maybe it never would be, but it was good enough.