A/N: Sequel to Fledgling Four, The Mask of Normality, and Peace at Last.
Megavolt was both good, and absolutely terrible with technology. Working in a traditional way, he couldn't get any bit of technology to work the way he wanted to. Everything developed too quickly, and he could understand things, and then forget it the next day. It was just too frustrating and pointless. Why figure out how things were supposed to work when he could just use his powers?
Megavolt could send a small shock and his will into anything powered by electricity, and it did what he wanted. That was how he did everything, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Not only could he do the normal stuff that everybody else could, but he could do so much more.
Megavolt had spent years getting used to his powers. Under Drake's supervision, he was able to control his wayward sparks, so there was a lot less risk of shocking someone and hurting them. And he had been able to find exactly what parts of him were most vulnerable to water so he could keep them safe and avoid shorting out.
When he got his powers under control, Megavolt had started playing around with just what he could do with it. The thing that he relied most on was what Gosalyn called hacking. He could connect to any computer or phone line.
Drake hadn't approved of this use of his powers at first, but then he saw just what Megavolt did with this ability, and he approved. It was questionable and illegal, but it was also undeniably good, and Drake understood better than anybody just how important morally gray behavior could be sometimes. Drake's work as Darkwing Duck toed that line, and now Megavolt was following in his footsteps.
Drake told him he could be a hero, and Megavolt believed him. But he had no interest in being a hero for the city. Megavolt had watched Darkwing Duck, and he'd learned that he couldn't save everyone. Darkwing had protected the city as a whole, but in doing so he had hurt individuals. Bushroot had been isolated. Megavolt had lost himself in his poor memory. Quackerjack had floundered, stuck in his own head and oblivious to how much help he needed. And Liquidator had his entire life pulled from under his feet.
Darkwing had been in a position where he could have helped them, and he hadn't, because his priority had been the city. Megavolt understood, but he didn't agree. He cared about nothing more than protecting his friends, and other people like them.
Negaduck was the worst person that Megavolt knew. Nobody else had ever scared him, and even now that he wasn't a little kid, and he was strong enough to protect himself, he still had nightmares about the villain.
But just because he didn't think anybody could be worse than Negaduck didn't mean that he couldn't recognize an unforgivably horrible person when he saw one. And a disgusting amount of those terrible people had responsibility over children.
Abusive parents. Neglectful guardians. Policemen and social workers who looked the other way because of a bribe. Countless teachers and club supervisors who bullied the kids under their care. There was way too much of it, and it made Megavolt feel ill and furious.
There were systems in place to help such kids, but those systems were worked around, and abused, and while they helped a lot of kids, many others went unnoticed and uncared about, and that wasn't okay. If a system failed just a single child, then it wasn't good enough.
It took a few years and a lot of trial and error to figure something out, but Megavolt now had his own system in place. If he saw a child that he thought wasn't being taken care of as well as they should be, he would watch that kid. He spied through cameras, phones, and he'd even figured out how to get a radio to pick up an audio transmission and send it back to him.
He found undeniable proof that the kid was in a bad situation, and that he wasn't just looking for something that wasn't really there. Then he would work with Gosalyn to expose the adult responsible, and make sure the kid had a safe place to go.
Megavolt could never express enough gratitude to Gosalyn for all that she helped him with. She had her own work to do. She had taken up the mantel of being the city's hero after Darkwing had reluctantly retired. She had a part-time job. She took a few classes at the local community college. Megavolt frequently wondered when she slept, because despite how busy she was, she made time for him when he needed her.
At first Megavolt had told himself that she just believed in protecting kids just as much as he did. She'd spent some time in an orphanage where she was deemed as a trouble, and that reputation stayed with her all throughout her childhood. She had a lot of sympathy for kids in trouble.
These past few weeks, Megavolt realized that while she was helping the kids, a big motivation of hers was just that she wanted to help him, and he couldn't be more grateful towards her, because he didn't know what he would do without her.
He'd lost his focus and motivation. He still tried to help poor kids in need. He had four or so kids that he had suspicions about, and he was keeping an eye on them just in case there was a real emergency. But he couldn't bring himself to investigate as much as he normally would. He only had one thing that stayed in his mind.
Quackerjack.
His best friend. His roommate. The two of them had stuck together for longer than either of them could remember. Megavolt had tried to look out for Quackerjack as much as he could when they were stuck with Negaduck. They'd stuck together and stayed with Drake. And when Megavolt felt like he needed space and decided it was time to move it and have his own place, Quackerjack didn't hesitate to join him.
Megavolt didn't think he would have been able to get through school without Quackerjack. Gos had studied with him, and Drake helped him keep focused, but Quackerjack did more than anybody else, because he made it all a game.
It was a lot less frustrating and discouraging if Megavolt forgot something and lost focus if it was just for a game. It took more time, but Megavolt could work for longer, so he had been able to accomplish much more.
And according to Drake, they had been really close back when they were villains. They were made for each other, but Quackerjack was gone, and Megavolt blamed himself.
He didn't know what had happened. He knew that they'd finally exposed an abusive foster parent, and that they had been waiting with the kids until the authorities could sort things out. Quackerjack didn't join them all the time, but he was there that night.
They'd been watching the kids, and everything had been fine, and then it all went wrong. Megavolt remembered flashes after that. A little girl crying. Holding onto Quackerjack, who was either hurt, or laughing, or both. Paramedics. Police.
And then Quackerjack was gone.
Megavolt's memories of that night failed him after that, though he remembered the next morning with perfect clarity.
He had woken up back at Drake's house, with no memory of getting there. He was sitting on the couch, with Gosalyn curled up at his side. Bushroot had been in the kitchen, talking in hushed tones with Liquidator, who had only been there because Drake wasn't home.
And neither was Quackerjack.
Whatever had happened the previous night, it had landed Quackerjack in trouble, and Drake had been out all night trying to sort it all out. Megavolt had joined his friends at the table, not really contributing to the conversation. He just listened to them conspire to break Quackerjack out of whatever trouble he'd been thrown into.
It was only because of Gosalyn's passionate arguments did Liquidator and Bushroot reluctantly agree to back down and wait for a day or two. She convinced them to give her dad the chance to at least try to help Quackerjack before they resorted to less legal means.
Megavolt hadn't really talked at all that morning. He was going through the motions as he tried to figure out what had happened that night, even as his brain did everything in its power to keep his memories from him.
As numb as he had been that morning, he had been fully aware of Gosalyn sitting next to him, squeezing his hand reassuringly when his fingers started to tremble. He could vividly remember the way that he had leaned against her, looking for anything to ground him. He could remember the way his tail instinctively wrapped around Gosalyn's waist, pulling her closer to him, like he was afraid of any more close friends disappearing.
And he hoped that he never forgot the way that Gosalyn had smiled and gave his tail a small tug to tighten its grip around her.
Eventually, after several hours of tense waiting, Drake called, telling them that he was bringing Quackerjack home, but that it would probably be best if they kept stressful interactions to a minimum. Drake wouldn't explain why, and he wouldn't even tell them if it was his idea or a required condition of bringing Quackerjack home, but Jackie wasn't allowed to see any of them.
Liquidator and Bushroot reluctantly returned to their greenhouse. Gosalyn practically dragged Megavolt back to his apartment, where she stayed with him while Quackerjack was at the Mallard house.
The following few days had passed in a blur, and then Megavolt was told that Quackerjack was being admitted to a hospital for his own good.
The thought made Megavolt feel frustrated and guilty. His friend had needed him, and he'd obviously failed, and he couldn't even remember what had happened.
Gosalyn kept on telling him that it wasn't his fault, but Megavolt couldn't bring himself to believe her. He wouldn't even consider forgiving himself until Quackerjack was home and he was able to see for himself that he was just fine.
He knew that Quackerjack had opportunities to get out for a few hours during the weekends. He visited Bushroot, and played some games with Gosalyn. Megavolt knew that Drake visited him every other day, but Megavolt couldn't bring himself to see his friend. Not until he came home.
He was scared of Quackerjack changing and being turned into a completely different person. He knew that Drake and Bushroot said he was doing better, but Megavolt didn't think that he'd needed to be better. Quackerjack was fine the way he was. He'd just had a bad day. It happened to everybody. Why should Quackerjack be sent away just because of it?
If he ended up changing, Megavolt wanted to hold onto his memory of his old friend as long as he could. He knew the others told him that he was being unfair, but he was scared, and not ready to accept potential change.
But just because he was scared didn't mean that he was ignoring Quackerjack completely. He wouldn't visit with him, but Megavolt kept a close eye on the hospital from a distance, the same way he would watch out for kids in danger.
Night after night, Megavolt would make himself comfortable on a roof across the street from the St. Canard Psychiatric Hospital. He wasn't close enough to see what was happening, but he was able to get a sense of what was happening through the electrical currents that passed through telephone wires.
He didn't get everything, but he got enough, including some information about kids who, according to their records, had been admitted and treated when they really didn't want to be. Megavolt made a note to himself to keep an eye out for those kids later. Right now, he was just there for Quackerjack.
"Hey, Sparkbutt." A teasing, but not unkind voice behind him said. He started when he heard Gosalyn unexpectedly, but he immediately relaxed. It was hard to stay tense when she was there.
"I told you not to call me that." Megavolt practically whined. He dragged his eyes away from the hospital to look towards her. He was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing her cape and cowl. "Not going patrolling tonight?"
"Dad's been getting kinda restless, so he and Launchpad are taking care of it tonight." Gosalyn sat at the edge of the roof, right next to him. She ran her finger across his tail, smiling when it sparked and made her feathers stand on end. "And you know there's a reason why I call you that."
"Quackerjack hasn't stopped teasing me since he heard you call me that." Megavolt scowled. "He keeps calling me Buttplug."
Gosalyn snorted, and despite his annoyance, Megavolt found himself smiling too. He didn't really like being teased by Gosalyn and Quackerjack, but he loved how they were when they were happy.
"Speaking of Quackerjack, how's he doing?" Gosalyn asked. She looked over towards the hospital, as though she was hoping to see their friend walking around in the middle of the night.
"I don't know." Megavolt said. He glared across the street. "The hospital is too new, and keeping their computer records updated isn't really their priority. I have the names of the patients, and I can hear phone calls made, but that's all I get."
Gosalyn gave him a meaningful and sympathetic look. "Can't you just talk to Quackerjack yourself? You could probably visit him." She took his hand. "You know, he really misses you."
Megavolt grimaced. "I know. I just…I can't. You know I can't."
"I get it." Gosalyn assured him. "But I also know that Quackerjack doesn't."
Megavolt sighed. "I know. I'll make it up to him when he comes home." He was already planning a day together for the two of them. The city's museum was hosting an exhibit next month, featuring ancient toys. Quackerjack had been looking forward to it for months, and even if there were so many other things that Megavolt would rather see at a museum, he would be more than happy to accompany Quackerjack.
He didn't really care what they did. He just wanted his best friend back.
Megavolt was really bad at hiding his emotions. Gosalyn could read his expression so easily, and she always knew just what to say to make him feel better. Sometimes he needed comfort and a reassuring word. Sometimes he needed a distraction.
After weeks of watching the hospital and beating himself up about Quackerjack, he definitely needed a distraction.
Gosalyn stood up. "Come on." She held her hand out to him. Megavolt just stared at her. "You know Dad's going to be out all night, which means we've got the house to ourselves. He left way too much money for take-out, like always, so why don't we get some Chinese, go back to my place, and play this new horror game Honk gave me that Dad doesn't even know I have.
Megavolt perked up ever so slightly. "A video game?" Megavolt liked to play video games, because they let him get really creative with the control he had over electronics. He could do some insane cheats and glitches.
But he didn't get to play them very often, because Quackerjack had a very passionate hatred for them. He claimed that they were brain rotting and made people more violent. Megavolt didn't agree, but Quackerjack cared so much more about it than he did. He didn't keep video games at their apartment, because avoiding upsetting his friend was more important to him than some mild entertainment.
But Quackerjack wasn't around. Megavolt couldn't ever be happy for that, but maybe he could let himself find at least a little bit of joy in it.
He smiled and took Gosalyn's hand. "That sounds really nice." Gos beamed and pulled him away from the hospital. Away from Quackerjack. They climbed down from the roof to her motorcycle. She tossed him a helmet.
"Do you want to drive, or should I?" Gosalyn asked. Megavolt loved riding the motorcycle, but his hands were still shaking, and he didn't want to be responsible for getting them into an accident. Drake would kill him.
"You drive." Megavolt said. Gosalyn smirked and seated herself on the bike.
"You'd better hold on tight." Gosalyn said. "Remember, I don't bite, and I don't shatter, so don't hold back."
Megavolt got behind her with ease, wrapping his hands around her and giving her an unnecessary squeeze, just for emphasis. "That tight enough for you?"
"It'll do." Gosalyn said smugly. There was a teasing edge in her voice that made sparks fly from his whiskers. He hummed to himself and leaned closer to Gosalyn, nuzzling the crook of her neck. She leaned against his touch for a long moment before she nudged him back with her shoulder.
"Rein it in, Sparky." Gosalyn said. "I told you, we have all night, and the whole house to ourselves. Just us."
She was coming on strong, but Megavolt appreciated it, because he needed some grounding right now. Gos was really adaptable. She could be soft and gentle when necessary, but she also knew how to put her foot down and demand control. Megavolt had been spiraling since Quackerjack had left. He needed someone else to take charge, and Gos was the perfect person to do that for him.
Gosalyn was a fairly reckless driver, so they got to the Mallard house really quickly. Megavolt was given the job of ordering the take-out while Gosalyn went into the living room to 'set the mood'. Megavolt could think of about a dozen different ways she could mean that. A few minutes later, when he joined her in the living room he saw that all the lights were off except the television, where the game was already set up. Quiet, creepy music was playing from the game's main screen.
So, Gosalyn was going for a creepy mood for their game. Megavolt could work with that.
Ignoring Drake's rule about not messing with the house's electronics, Megavolt sent a shock to the air conditioner, turning it on low and aiming it just right so that when they were sitting on the couch it would feel like something or somebody was breathing down their necks.
Gosalyn grabbed two controllers, tossing one to Megavolt. She flopped on the couch, lounging on it, with her legs splayed across the cushions. She smirked at Megavolt. He just rolled his eyes and sat on her legs, making her let out a squawk-like sound. This time he was the one who smirked as she wiggled her legs out from under him.
When she was finally free she kicked him harshly in the gut, and then she threw her legs across his lap. This was their normal kind of sitting position, though sometimes Megavolt was the one on top of her.
The only thing that was missing was Quackerjack squeezing himself between them, being so intrusive, but fitting in so perfectly.
Megavolt didn't quite sigh, but Gosalyn could tell what was on his mind anyway. She gave him a small smile. She reached over and rubbed his leg.
"I promise, Quackerjack's okay, and he's going to be back before you know it." Gosalyn said. "I'd tell you if I thought there was something wrong with him. You know that, right?"
"I know." Megavolt said. He looked her in the eyes. "I trust you." And he did, more than anybody else. He trusted Quackerjack of course, to always be there for him and to have his back. But there were a lot of things that Quackerjack just didn't understand that seemed so obvious to Megavolt. It wasn't Quackerjack's fault, it was just part of who he was, but it was why Megavolt was drawn to Gosalyn.
He needed both of them. Quackerjack motivated him and got him out of his own head. He got Megavolt to unwind and have fun, and not care what other people might think of him. Gosalyn kept him in check, supporting his morals, even when they differed from hers, and giving him the kick in the pants he needed when he found himself straying off his path. She grounded him, and made him feel like he was better than he actually was.
An idea came to Megavolt's mind, and something that Quackerjack had taught him was to just say whatever thought came to him, the moment it came. It was more than a little tactless, but it left Megavolt with a lot less moments of forgetting what he was going to say, and having it bother him for hours, weeks, or even months.
He'd gotten a hard time of it at school, and multiple times he'd made Bushroot or Drake uncomfortable. But Quackerjack and Gosalyn both understood. They let him have his say, and they knew that just because he said it didn't mean he was going to follow through with it. He just needed to get his thoughts out of his head.
"You should move in with us." Megavolt said. Gosalyn blinked and raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't think Quackerjack would like that very much." Gosalyn said.
"Are you kidding me?" Megavolt chuckled. "He'd love it. You know he'd never say no to another friend to play with." Megavolt knew that this wasn't something that they should decide on a whim. Tomorrow, looking back on this idea, he would probably realize how bad it was, as he frequently did.
Or he would think about it more, actually talk about it with both Gosalyn and Quackerjack, and realize that there was nothing else he wanted more than to have his two favorite people with him.
Gosalyn didn't immediately reject the idea. She grinned, and there was something cautious, but excited in her eyes. "Your apartment is tiny. There's just one bedroom."
"So?" Megavolt genuinely didn't see the problem with that. From the way that Gosalyn's eyes gleamed, it felt like he'd said the right thing.
"Dad would probably hate it." Gos said. "But it sounds like an adventure to me, and you know how much I love a good adventure." She rubbed his leg. "We'll let Quackerjack come home and get settled, and then we'll talk about it."
"You won't let me forget?" Megavolt asked. It had been a spontaneous request, but a sincere one. He needed to talk about it, even if he changed his mind and didn't want her to move in anymore. They would still need to clear the air and settle things between them.
"Not a chance." Gosalyn said, and Megavolt immediately felt better. As far as he knew, she had always kept her promise of not letting him forget something. Even Quackerjack, who had a bit of a scattered memory himself, struggled with that sometimes.
"Now, let's see if we can get a level in before the food gets here." Gosalyn turned her attention back to the screen, starting the game. Megavolt smiled and clutched his controller tightly, connecting to the system with a small spark.
In the back of his mind, he still desperately wanted Quackerjack there, but he knew that his friend wouldn't want him to wallow in guilt and self-pity. Quackerjack was all about living in the now and having a good time. He would probably be so mad if he was told when he came back that Megavolt had moped while he'd been gone.
His heart wasn't completely in it, but Megavolt did his best to just enjoy the night with Gosalyn and relax. He knew he needed to have fun more. And sitting in the dark room with Gosalyn, spilling Chinese food all over the floor, and getting so scared of the game that he accidentally sent off sparks that turned the television off, it was the most fun that Megavolt had had in a long time.