Darkwing Duck sat brooding in his house. It had been only a short while since they had returned home from the fight in the flower shop, and Bushroot's successful abduction by Negaduck's goons. It had been the perfect plan...it just hadn't worked.
"What do we do now, DW?" asked Launchpad.
"What do you want me to do?" snapped the crimefighter. "I have no way of finding Negaduck, and no way of fighting him if I did find him. Let's just drop it, shall we?"
"Dad, you can't abandon Bushroot! He's our friend!" said Gosalyn. "If you won't look for him, then me and Launchpad will go." She started for the door, clearly assuming LP would follow her. "Gosalyn, don't be ridiculous." said Darkwing. "Just let me think a minute, will you?"
"There's no time for that!" exclaimed his daughter. "Who knows what Negaduck could be doing to Bushroot?" Darkwing shook his head. "If I know Negaduck, he wouldn't just rub out Bushy. He'd make it slow and methodical. He'd want the pain to last as long as possible...what's that?" He looked out the picture window in the living room and saw a small tree's branches tapping against the window. "Must be the wind." he said.
"But, DW...there's no wind." said Launchpad. Darkwing took a second look at the tree, and noticed its tapping was not random, but in a rhythm. And it was getting increasingly urgent. "Wake up and smell the hot cocoa Dad!" said Gosalyn. "Bushroot must have sent that tree here to get us! It'll lead us right to him!"
"Darkwing Duck following a tree?" asked the crimefighter. But obviously there was nothing else to go on. When they went outside, the tree ran across the snowy lawn and into the driveway, clearly intending them to follow it. "I feel like a Lassie movie." said DW. "Let's go!"
The cold was really setting in now, and Bushroot found it hard to think. He tried to tear the Freon tubes from the wall, but lacked the strength to do so. He had hoped his telepathic message would get through, but so many things could have gone wrong. "Negaduck!" he called out. "I give up! I'll join you!" It was sheer desperation, but it was all he could think of.
"Too late, bush breath." sneered Negaduck's voice from the speaker. "You had your chance. I'd guess you only have ten minutes or so left--choose what you want to say carefully." The plant-duck sighed. He couldn't move his arms or legs now, and he could feel his thoughts fading. "Ask Darkwing to look after my plants..." he said telepathically to any plants who might hear him. A tear squeezed from his eye and rolled down his cold cheek.
The Ratcatcher screeched to a stop outside a warehouse. "He's in here?" asked Darkwing of the tree, which shook its branches in what the crimefighter hoped was an affirmative. Pulling out his gas gun, DW motioned for Launchpad and Gosalyn to stay back, and opened the door. Everything seemed empty and quiet. Looking around carefully, DW saw a light shining through a door at the far end. He advanced slowly, never letting his guard down, never lowering his gun.
Then he heard a groan as he passed a door. Suspecting a trick, he opened it slowly with his foot, gas gun at the ready. Then he felt sick. Hoof was sitting there, almost unrecognizable with his face covered with blood, his eyes blackened and teeth missing. "Launchpad, don't let Gosalyn come over here." said Darkwing. "Who did this to you?" he asked Hoof.
"N...Negaduck...I...kicked Bush...root..." whispered the badly beaten horse. Then he passed out. "Call an ambulance, LP." said Darkwing. "I'm going after that maniac now." He abandoned caution and raced for the door.
Darkwing kicked the door open and found himself in an empty supermarket. There was nobody in sight. He moved forward...but there was no indication of anything unusual. Could the plant have been wrong? It didn't seem likely, who else could have spoken to the tree and given it directions? Then DW saw the tree standing by a freezer door, hitting it for all it was worth. The crimefighter immediately ran over and pulled it open.
Bushroot was lying there, curled up. For one awful moment Darkwing thought he might already be dead. But he could see the plant-duck was still breathing, barely. He was unconcious, though. Moving fast, the crimefighter carried him out of the freezer to where Launchpad and Gosalyn stood in shock. "Is...is he..." said Gos, barely able to speak. "He's alive." said Darkwing. "But only just. Here, hold him close, warm him." he instructed as he ran over to a large sink and started running hot water. "We'll immerse him in this."
"Well, here's an inspiring sight." came an all too familiar voice. "Darkwing Duck playing nursemaid to an overgrown weed." Negaduck stood there, pointing a gun at them. Hammerhead and Mouth were next to him, also armed. "Drop it." said the crimelord, nodding at Darkwing's gas gun. "I knew you were sick, Negaduck...but I never knew you were this sick." said DW, looking at Bushroot being hugged by Launchpad and Gosalyn. At least he was starting to move.
"Whatever." sneered Negaduck. "You're wasting your time, in fact you shouldn't have bothered to come for that useless piece of compost. Now you're all going to freeze, just like him. Put them all in the freezer!" Negaduck ordered Hammerhead. The goat moved forward, pointing his gun at them. "You heard Negaduck...move!" But he had reckoned without the small tree. It leaped forward and wrapped a branch around Hammerhead's wrist, with the intense strength that all plants possessed. The goat yelled in pain and tried to throw the tree off, as he did so his pistol went off, nearly hitting Negaduck.
Darkwing Duck didn't hesitate a moment with the distraction. He jumped forward and delivered a solid web kick into Hammerhead's midsection, knocking the goat backwards and into the freezer. Mouth fired a shot at him, but DW was anticipating that and dodged. Launchpad carefully put Bushroot down and put a headlock on Mouth that caused him to faint after a moment. "Get Bushroot out of here!" said Darkwing.
"You knobs!" Negaduck yelled at his henchmen. "Do I have to do everything myself?" He dropped his gun and advanced on Darkwing. "It's going to be a pleasure kicking the crap out of you." he said in an ice cold voice. Then he launched himself into a kick meant to break Darkwing's neck. But DW ducked at the last second, and Negaduck crashed into the wall and fell into the sink full of hot water. "AAAIIIEEEE!" he screamed, splashing water all over the floor. Darkwing grabbed him and flipped him over his shoulder, sending him into some metal shelves that used to hold meat, which crashed to the ground.
"Give up yet, Negadope?" asked Darkwing, and his answer came a second later when Negaduck leaped up and slammed into DW, landing them both in the hot water that had by now overflowed the sink and was flowing across the floor. Darkwing was on top, and kept punching Negaduck in the face. He couldn't keep this up for long, however, as the crimelord was piston kicking him in the stomach. Finally Negaduck shoved him off and grabbed Darkwing by the suit. "You like water?" he snarled. "Here!" He shoved Darkwing's face into the sink full of water, and the crimefighter had no time to adjust to the shock of the water before he realized Negaduck intended to drown him.
By this time, the ambulance had arrived and was loading Hoof aboard. Launchpad could see he was badly hurt, and was grateful that Gosalyn was too busy looking after Bushroot to pay attention. The plant-duck was shivering badly, but at least he was awake. He clung to Gosalyn, sobbing, which she overlooked just this one time. "It'll be OK Reg." said Launchpad. "Negaduck..." mumbled Bushroot through his tears. "Darkwing is taking care of him right now." LP assured him.
Darkwing knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Negaduck's grip was like iron, and he was losing oxygen fast. Even trying to kick the crimelord was difficult because of the water covering the floor, making it slippery. But then DW thought of something else. He brought his left hand up in a karate chop aimed directly at Negaduck's lower arm. With a yell, Negaduck immediately let go and Darkwing was able to pull himself out of the water. With no hesitation, he delivered a spinning crescent webkick that sent the yellow-jacketed villain flying into Hammerhead, who had just emerged from the freezer and now went back in with Negaduck. "The perfect place for you two--the cooler!" said Darkwing as he slammed the door.
After summoning the police, DW went to check on Bushroot. The plant-duck was much calmer, and looking much warmer. "Thank you for saving me." he said. "I should be thanking you." answered Darkwing. "If you hadn't sent that plant to my house, I never would have known where to look for you." The crime fighter turned to Launchpad. "How is Hoof?" "Pretty bad." said his sidekick. "They say he'll make it, but he'll be out of the crime business for a long time." "The price of dealing with someone like Negaduck." said DW with a knowing nod. "Well, let's get out of here. Bushy, I gather you could use a warm bath and a bowl of hot soup?" Bushroot nodded eagerly. "You bet. But not vegetable soup, please!"
EPILOGUE
Gosalyn threw down her pencil for the third time. "This homework is IMPOSSIBLE!" she complained. "Can't I call Bushroot to help me?"
"Noo, because homework is your job, not Bushroot's, and you know he's taking a nice long rest in his greenhouse." said Drake.
Launchpad looked thoughtful. "You know, Bushroot had a lot of guts to come here even though he knew Negaduck was after him, and to use himself as bait."
Drake nodded in agreement. "Not to mention sending a message to that plant when he was trapped in the freezer. He didn't know if it would be heard, and he knew that was the only chance he had. I give him credit for that."
"I'm glad you feel that way Dad." said Gosalyn.
"What do you mean?" asked Drake. There was something suspicious in the tone of her voice.
"Bushroot was wondering, when he's finished his rest, if you could use another sidekick. One who knows the best salad bars in town."
Drake groaned.
THE END
Darkwing Duck and related characters are the property of Disney. This story was written for non profit entertainment purposes only. (C) 2007 Eric Smith.