#I really like drawing megavolt if you couldn’t tell

[astradella]

More doodle dumping

[strawberrytheduck]

Belle Quacks Chapter 9

Strangely, the rest of the evening was uneventful, mostly just Belle, Jack and Megavolt catching up. Bushroot, Liquidator and Camellia were talking too, gushing over Belle and Quacky’s bonding. Megavolt didn’t seem to feel awkward around the siblings, Quacky was holding his hand and kissing him on the cheek every now and then and Belle was charming, trying to include him where she could and being affectionate towards him. Megavolt seemed to like her a lot, complimenting her jewellery and her business. It was clear that Belle was happy, especially because she got to talk about what she loved, the rodent and her older sibling doing the same. “Quacky has not stopped talking about her, he really loves her.” Liquidator said, dropping his usual speech pattern. Camellia raised an eyebrow. “He kept saying how she seemed to draw people towards her but how that also lead to potential danger. Apparently, bully children were quick to try to get near her and try to point out her flaws or something?” Oh. That was a reoccurring problem then. “Yeah, she seems unable to register red flags. We had some fake friends a while back and we had a fight. It was fine, she knows I wouldn’t want to hurt her and she understood, dropping them.” Camellia stated, watching her friend bounce up and down. Jack returned the statement, holding one of her hands. Megavolt, poor guy, looked a little tired but clearly enjoyed seeing his boyfriend so happy with his sister.

Belle looked at the rodent, confused. “Are you okay, Sparky?” She asked. He didn’t seem to mind hearing Belle call him that but did correct her. “It’s Elmo, actually. Megavolt is preferred but Elmo is my real name. I don’t really like being called Sparky.” Belle nodded, seeming understanding towards him. She clearly wanted to make sure she wasn’t leaving him out, offering he chose the subject they talk about. He decided to talk about his inventions, making sure Belle could understand. Quackerjack looked at him lovingly, enjoying his significant other’s passion as much as his sister’s. The jester pulled out Mr. BananaBrain, getting him to compliment the rat., causing him to blush. There was a look of childish happiness and wonder on the short female duck’s face, watching the plushie in his hand. “Hey Sweet, nice hair! You’re dress is cute too!” Jack made the plush say. A childish but flustered giggle arose from the small business owner, clearly entertaining. “Impossible, you’re cute Sir, not me!” She laughed, kissing the plush on the forehead and then her brother’s forehead. The older duck blushed, giggling. The whole store was laughing. Four out of six because of the sibling-bonding in front of them, the other two just having fun in each other’s presence. Megavolt kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, hugging him to his side. “Y’know, you’re really great at this Jack, she seems really glad to see you again.” Belle had ran over to the two mutants and the pagan, asking a lot of questions from the looks of it.

“Yeah, she does. I’ve missed a lot though, she’s all grown up now. It feels like just yesterday she was the frightened little girl helping me patch up my injuries and hiding from our parents with me.” He reminisced, remembering how he held her as they hid in his closet, trying to keep her calm. The way she clung onto him, whimpering as their parents yelled. She was so small and frail back then, as was he, but he had to be strong for her. He even practically raised her at times, caring for her when no one else did. And yet, here she is. She’s still short but luckily, not as thin and frail as she was back then. She was still quite thin, worryingly so, but she was still okay. She was more independent and luckily had a best friend who cared for her. Belle seemed so much more free, no longer held back by their parents. It was almost enough to cause him to cry again. He was like a good dad who just saw his daughter on her wedding day, despite it being his sister who was only five years longer than him. Could anyone blame him? They were apart for years and Quacky would do anything for her to remain this happy. “She’s a sweet girl Quacky, she’s lucky to have you as her brother. Besides, if you ditched that hat and wore civilian clothes you could hang out with her.” He hadn’t done that a lot, the idea made him a little nervous but it would be worth it. Naturally, he was worried about Darkwing and Negaduck. Darkwing would likely keep him away from her, separating them again and Negaduck, oh boy, Negaduck. He’d likely kill her or hurt her or even torture him, using her as leverage to manipulate him.

Megavolt could tell he was distressed, pulling him closer. “Hey, she’ll be okay. I promise that we’ll protect her, all of us. Rumour has it Morgana will too.” The jester stiffened, seeming to put something together. “Darkwing’s sorceress friend? Why would she need to be mentioned?” Camellia walked over to the two, leaving Belle with the mutated villains. “I think that Ms. Macawber has a thing for Belle and Belle might have a thing for her too. Belle is oblivious to her own emotions at times so, y’know.” Quackerjack looked floored, staring at the fox. His sister might have a girlfriend? Why was he feeling negatively towards that idea? He’s glad that it is someone who was kind and could keep her safe and happy and yet, the idea of her dating didn’t sit right. He was likely just being overprotective. “They aren’t dating but I’m willing to bet it’ll happen.” She stated. Yeah, it was likely. Belle suddenly came running over, practically dragging a laughing Bushroot behind her. “Reggie said I could come visit your hideout if it’s okay with you! I wanna meet Spike!” She looked so excited, beaming. “Of course you can Jingles, anytime.” He couldn’t say no to her face, especially not now. “Belle, we should probably get back to my place, it’s getting late.” Camellia said, taking Belle from Bushroot. Belle nodded, looking a little saddened but she couldn’t argue with that. The small duck hugged her brother goodbye, kissing him on the cheek. “Love you, Jacky! I’ll see you soon!” She waved, walking off with her friend. The usually hyper villain smiled, squeezing Megavolt’s hand softly. “Let’s clean up this shop, eh? After all, we clearly have a happy customer among us!” The others agreed, making sure the store was spotless and organized before leaving, not noticing the figure watching them from across the street.

[sandyferal]

The Vacation part 7

Not much but eh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“What is this stuff?”

Bushroot looked up at Liquidator’s question.

It was late, and the two were now the only ones awake. A few hours after they had arrived back Quackerjack had finally pulled Megavolt to bed, leaving the two mutants awake on their own.

Liquidator was looking at himself curiously. One of his arms had been severely tinted green.

“It’s been this color ever since we visited the fountain,” Liquidator said.

“You mean ever since we robbed it.”

“Reggie, when it comes to us, there’s seldom a difference.” Bud let the green tinted arm drip off his body, then sprouted another limb in its place.

“Y’know, you might not want to let that stuff go,” Bushroot said. “It’s actually kind of valuable.”

Bud’s ears perked up. “It is?”

“Yeah,” Bushroot said. “I mean I was going to mention it at the fountain but I got interrupted! It said on one of the signs that there’s a rare breed of algae in that fountain that turns it that color. People used to think it had healing powers, part of the reason no one is supposed to touch the fountain.”

Bushroot could almost see the thoughts forming in the canine’s mind.

“Oh geez,” Bushroot said.

“Reggie, I think I have an idea!”

“I can see that.”

Bud grabbed the trench coat and hat that Bushroot had left on the floor earlier. “I’m going to head out for a bit, but I’ll be back before you know it!”

“Do you have to?”

Bud frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Y’know, we kinda got a good thing going here. No one knows we’re here, no one is looking for us, there’s no Negaduck,” Bushroot said. “Maybe we should just try to enjoy ourselves for a bit?”

“This is how I enjoy myself Reggie,” Bud said. “Do you just miss having a normal life Reginald?”

Bushroot sighed. “I wasn’t really trying to say that but I guess? It’s just, it’s our first day here and we already started doing all these little things. Can we just go a little while without doing some sort of petty crime or scheme?”

“I think when you’ve been a criminal for so long breaking the law just becomes a bit of a habit,” Bud said.

“Not for me.”

“Yes,” Bud said with a smirk. “You don’t have a habit of breaking the law, you just have a habit of breaking the laws of nature for your own personal gain. That’s completely different.”

“It is!” Bushroot said. “My experiments don’t hurt anyone… intentionally… I mean at least not people who don’t deserve-but that’s besides the point!”

“I get it Reggie,” Bud said. “But hey I promise that I won’t let this get too out of hand. Just one little scheme and then I guarantee that the Liquidator will be on his best behavior for a while!”

“Why do I somehow not believe you?” Bushroot sighed. “But go ahead, it’s not like I can stop you.”

“Listen I’ll be in disguise, no one will recognize me.” Liquidator planted a quick kiss on Bushroot’s cheek. “This won’t get in the way of you relaxing or my name isn’t Bud Flood!!”

With that, he left through the window.

…

“Spaaarky…”

Megavolt grumbled and rolled over.

“Hey Sparky!”

He felt himself being gently shaken for a few moments. Then he heard the creaking of springs. Suddenly the bed beneath him began to shake and before he knew what was happening he’d fallen onto the floor.

“Quackerjaaack!” Megavolt groaned, peeling himself off the floor. “You could’ve just turned on a light or something.”

“The lights are on plughead,” Quackerjack said. “You still wouldn’t wake up!”

Mumbling to himself, Megavolt opened his eyes to see Quackerjack was right. He couldn’t make anything out, but it was very bright. With his hands he began searching for the bedside drawer, only to have his eyewear slipped into his fingers by Quackerjack.

“Thanks,” he said absentmindedly as he placed them on his face.

“Y’know Sparky, it’s not fun for me either when I have to be the one to keep dragging you in and out of bed,” Quackerjack said.

“Then don’t,” Megavolt said.

“Well if I didn’t you’d be asleep all day!”

Megavolt yawned and stood. He made his way out of the room, Quackerjack following him closely.

“Well there’s other people here,” Megavolt said. “Why don’t you go bother Liqui or plant...head… ugh I can’t make good insults right now.”

“Well they’re both gone. Besides I always prefer bothering you.”

Megavolt smiled to himself. “I’m sure you do.” As he said this he walked over to the kitchen where there was a single fork lying on the empty counter. Taking it, he made his way over to a electrical socket, and stuck the fork in.

Immediately a surge of electricity shot through him. When it was over he stretched and shook himself out.

“Oh yeah!” Megavolt grinned. “That’s the good stuff!”

“Maybe I should get a taser and shock you every morning. I bet that’d be an easier way to wake you up,” Quackerjack said.

“Did we not get one?” Megavolt asked. “I thought we had something that one time?”

“We had a cattle prod and a joy buzzer,” Quackerjack said. He giggled. “But those weren’t exactly used for waking you up.”

“Oh yeah.” Megavolt looked around. Then something clicked in his brain. “Hey where are the others?”

“I just told you Sparky, they’re not here!” Quackerjack said. “They’ve both been outside for a while.”

“What are they doing?”

…

Bushroot watched the crowd of people surrounding the small stand from the shade of a nearby tree. If there was one thing he admired about his partner, it was his uncanny ability to draw people in.

“Only a thousand dollars a piece!” Liquidator’s voice rang out from across the street. “Quite a bargain for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

“Wow, he really does love scamming people doesn’t he?”

Bushroot looked around and saw Megavolt approaching, with Quackerjack trailing alongside him.

“That’s an understatement,” Bushroot said. “He’s been at this for hours.”

“And you’ve just been watching him this whole time?” Megavolt asked.

“Yeah,” Bushroot said, not taking his eyes off the crowded stand. “He’s kinda fascinating. D-did you know, it only took him ten minutes to get a crowd of over forty people? It’s been three hours and the crowd has only gotten bigger. I don’t know how he does it.”

“Yeesh, you’re talking like it’s magic,” Quackerjack said, his face darker than usual. “I’ve seen it before. Guys who talk big draw in the crowds to buy their bullshit, while everyone starts to ignore the actually interesting ideas. It’s nothing special.”

“Yeah…” Megavolt looked at Quackerjack quizzically. “Well I wouldn’t have gone that much into it. But yeah, he’s just selling… what is he selling again?”

“The water from the fountain,” Bushroot said. “It’s worth a lot of money.”

“It is?” Quackerjack asked. “And you didn’t tell us?!”

“Oh I tried to, but you interrupted me!” Bushroot said.

“Hey, let's not point any fingers,” Quackerjack said. “But I can’t believe all those saps are paying a thousand dollars for water from a crummy old fountain.”

“Well it does contain Chlariaphyta, a very rare species of algae that’s known for being used in some forms of medicine. That’s probably why people thought the water had healing properties back in… in the…” Bushroot trailed off, realizing that he was overexplaining again. “Anyway, my point is that it’s-it’s actually kinda valuable for a good reason.”

“Right, well unless I was an aquatic plant enthusiast, I still wouldn’t think it’s worth that much for fountain water, algae or no algae,” Megavolt said.

“You wanna go somewhere else until waterboy gets done with his little sale, or are you going to keep staring at him for a few more hours?” Quackerjack asked.

“I think I’ll stay here for a bit. Just to make sure nothing goes wrong since it’s technically illegal to even touch the fountain, which makes it definitely illegal to sell the water,” Bushroot said. “Besides, I have to keep all these layers on to make sure no one recognizes me and the only thing keeping me from sweating to death is the shade of this tree.”

“Suit yourself!” Quackerjack said. Then he grabbed Magavolt’s arm and dragged him away.

[strawberrytheduck]

Belle Quacks Chapter 8

Belle was jolted back to reality when Morgana tapped her on the shoulder, being greeted with a smile. The sorceress sat across from her, sipping the caramel latte she ordered. “I love your dress.” The tall woman commented. Belle blushed, smiling. “Thank you, I think I actually got it a thrift store. I love yours too, you look like that woman from the Addams Family.” She hoped it was a compliment, that Morgana would like that. “Really? Great! She’s been an inspiration for my wardrobe for years.” Okay, good, it was a compliment. Belle was worried she’d take it the wrong way. The two began talking, Belle about her brother, time with Camellia and her business. Morgana asked about her childhood but, upon noticing a sad and scared look on her face, began talking about her time as a villain and a hero. Belle did struggle to pay attention but didn’t want to seem rude and forced herself to listen. The sorceress noticed and stopped talking, checking on Belle’s comfort. The smaller female explained how she struggled to pay attention at times which Morgana assured her that she understood, telling her that her comfort was important. She nodded, pulling out more paper to design more jewellery. Morgana kept talking, Belle was half-listening. There was a question biting at the back of her mind. “How do you act so understanding towards me?” Upon realising she said that out loud, she looked up. Morgana went from surprise to calm. “I had a friend like you, still close with them actually, I learned to be patient and the behaviours they might exhibit. They’re not as energetic as you but still similar.” Ah, that explained it. Morgana had a close friend similar to her, meaning she knew how to talk to her. Belle smiled, apologising for the sudden question but thanking her for her patience.

Why Belle cared so much about what Morgana thought about her, she didn’t know but she wanted to make Morgana happy and showed she cared. Sadly, time flew by, meaning Belle had to leave and head to her store. “Well, I’ll see you soon Belle. It was nice hanging out with you.” The black haired duck said, smiling and waving goodbye. Belle waved back enthusiastically, excited to see her again. The small pink and blue haired duck began walking to her store, watching people as they walked passed. Multiple thoughts went through her head at once, most of them about her childhood. She remembered some of the horrible things her parents said to her such as how it was unladylike to eat so much or how her smile was ugly and unlovable. This happened and she didn’t know why, why she remembered these or why they would surface randomly after a good day. Belle bumped into someone while she was distracted. Upon looking up, Belle noticed it was just Camellia who was unlocking Belle’s store for her. “Oh, I forgot my keys again.” She muttered. Camellia helped her friend up, smiling. “Well, look who it is. Did you have fun, Jingles?” The duck smiled, babbling about how Morgana had a friend like her and that it made her understanding towards her. The fox’s ears perked up, latching on to the information. She looked like she just figured out something, nodding understandably. Sunlight hit the various pieces of jewellery, causing a kaleidoscope of colours to paint the store. The door opened and Belle felt like her heart just stopped upon seeing who it was. ‘No, no no no no no, they’re here for me.’ She instantly thought. How could she not think that? There, standing in front of the door, was the Fearsome Four. “So, this is the Quacks Jewellers? A lot of treasure here, boys.” The Liquidator said, smiling.

“Not r-r-really treasure, I-I-I-I don’t c-charge much.”She stuttered, tearing up. “I-I-I do m-make them b-by h-hand.” The supervillains looked floored, looking around. Bushroot walked to the counter with Quackerjack, reading over the prices. The jester seemed to lose it.”No way! You should be charging more, you’re super talented at making jewellery!” He exclaimed, scaring the small female into hiding behind her friend. “Quacky is right! The key to good business is pricing. One needs to trust their talents and price accordingly. However, you’ve got a high quality product for a cheap price, likely drawing in more business. A smart move.” The Liquidator praised. Bushroot waved at the smaller duck, who just sobbed into Camellia’s arm in fear. Quackerjack looked sad, leading to Megavolt hugging him, comforting him. “I scared her, I scared her Sparky.” He sobbed slightly. Megavolt ignored the nickname for once, stroking his boyfriend’s arm. Belle looked over, confused and still teary eyed. He was sad he scared her? Why? And why did he seem so familiar? She began to hum the lullaby Jack sang her as a child as a way to calm herself. The colourful villain was wide eyed, hearing a melody he nearly forgot existed. He should know it, he did create it after all. After so long, she still remembered it, did she remember him? He stepped closer to her, trying not to scare her more. He knew just what to say, or rather, sing. “When I am near, there is no need to fear. I will fight to protect you, no matter what anyone might do.” His voice was shaky, close to whining or crying. Belle looked more confused. “No need to cry, for on me you can rely.” The jester walked over to the smaller female, holding her and one end of his hat. With a gentle tug, he pulled it off.

“No one loves you like your brother, I promise I do.” Gasps echoed throughout the store, the other villains never having seen Quacky’s face and Belle recognising him. “J-Jackson...? I-It’s really y-you?” Jack nodded, holding his breath. “I-I know y-you likely d-don’t l-like me n-now because of my n-new career p-path and my lack o-of contact. I-I just was s-so busy at first, then c-couldn’t find you a-and then wanted you safe.” He cried as he held both of his sister’s hands, his mismatching eyes staring into her green ones. “I don’t e-expect f-f-forgiveness b-but I’m sorry.” Megavolt rubbed Quacky’s back, trying to calm him down. Camellia put a hand on Belle’s shoulder as she tried to process the information instantly dumped onto her. Jack seemed scared, waiting for Belle to say something but Belle was just trying to retain the information and turn it into a response. She looked stressed and worried, hiccupping as she looked at Camellia. Camellia took this as a cue to step in, something she wished she didn’t have to do. “Belle’s brain doesn’t work the same as ours. She has problems with listening due to zoning out, impulse control and memory. She doesn’t fully understand and she’s overwhelmed.” She looked down at her friend, who was patting her hand, indicating she wanted to take control again. “I-I-I need y-you to repeat t-the important i-information a-a-and to be patient with m-me.” She explained. Her older brother exhaled, calming himself the best he could. “I couldn’t find you, trust me, I tried.” A nod from Belle. “Then, due to being a villain, I wanted to protect you.” Another nod. “I don’t expect forgiveness, but I am so sorry.” The other villains walked over to their friend for support, patting his back or placing a hand on his shoulders. Belle hugged him, seeming to understand what he said. “I just missed you and was worried about you. I don’t condone what you did but you’re my brother. You’re not evil naturally, I know that. I forgive you for not getting in touch sooner.” Jack held onto his sister, hugging her tightly. Nothing would tear them apart, Quacky would make sure of it.

[sandyferal]

The Vacation part 6

“Are you sure you don’t just want to go out in the trench coat and hat?” Bushroot asked.

“No need!” Liquidator stepped into the flower pot and fell into it in a splash that left him looking nearly indistinguishable from ordinary water. “For a casual stroll there’s no need for me to navigate on my own. Besides the Liquidator now comes in convenient travel size!”

“Well I guess I’ll get some use out of this then,” Bushroot said, picking up the pot. “Though, no offense, but it’s not exactly a great flower pot since it has no drainage holes.”

“Oh sorry,” Quackerjack said, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t know you needed such specific requirements in a flower pot.”

“Oh of course you need drainage holes!” Bushroot said. “If you don’t have holes in it, there’s no place for the water to go.”

“Reggie…”

“And,” Bushroot continued. “If there’s no place for the water to go, then on top of being stuck in stagnant water, then the roots won’t get air and the-“

“Reggie?” Liquidator said, causing the plant to look at him. “I think they get the idea.”

Bushroot turned Quackerjack and Megavolt who were looking at him quizzically. Quackerjack looked slightly amused.

“Right!” Bushroot flushed. “Oh, w-well my point was, it’s much better suited for this th-than for a plant.”

“No, no, go ahead,” Quackerjack teased,grinning. “Sounded like a fascinating topic of conversation. Tell me, Bushy, do you do research before you go shopping for gardening equipment?”

“Believe me, Doctor Bushroot has no shortage of information on proper plant maintenance!” Liquidator said, a hint of pride in his voice. “A lot of which is actually quite interesting! But since we have other plans for this evening I wouldn’t advise it.”

“Yeah,” Quackerjack agreed, gesturing to Megavolt. “I’m sure it’d be like asking Sparky about Tesla coils.”

“Yeah.” Megavolt furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, what does that mean?”

“Anyway, we were just about to get going weren’t we?” Quackerjack said, linking his arms in Megavolt’s.

“Right!” Megavolt said, forgetting his previous confusion.

In a few minutes the group left, Quackerjack pulling Megavolt along, and Bushroot carrying Liquidator. It didn’t take long after that for Bud to notice that Bushroot was to starting getting visibly uncomfortable. A quick glance out of his container showed nothing out of the ordinary.

“Is there something bothering you?” He asked, his voice low enough that passersby couldn't hear him.

Bushroot grimaced. “I didn’t think about the fact this outfit would be so hot,” he said. He tugged at the neck of the sweater he was wearing. “I wish I could wear less, but I’ve seen what happens when I go in public without a proper disguise.”

“You do realize that even in your disguise, you look like a weirdo talking to a flower pot right?” Megavolt said, butting into the conversation.

“Says the guy who talk to lightbulbs,” Bushroot replied.

“Yeah? What’s your point?”

Bushroot sighed. “Oh nothing. I’m not sure you can understand the irony.”

“Y’know speaking of lightbulbs,” Megavolt said. “I haven’t actually seen a ton around. No big flashy signs, not a lot of street lights, this place may actually treat lightbulbs somewhat humanely!”

“Well, you know there’s still lightbulbs inside the buildings, right?” Quackerjack said.

“Yeah, I said ‘somewhat,’” Megavolt replied. “I’m still definitely going to have to free a lot of them. Just y’know, nice to not see their enslavement out in the middle of the street.”

It was true that there weren’t as many light fixtures in this city as there were in Saint Canard. There were actually a few things that the four noticed as they navigated the streets of the city.

The first was that, yes, it did draw a bit of attention to them when Bushroot talked to Liquidator out loud. Fortunately, no one really got a good look at the contents of the flower pot, and the watery felon only really emerged when Bushroot told him he wouldn’t be noticed.

While Bushroot was more interested in his surroundings, the plants and people, Quackerjack, Megavolt, and Liquidator seemed focused on the content of the buildings. Being the odd one out, Bushroot allowed himself to be dragged into various places.

The second thing they noticed was that there seemed to be a good deal of old buildings in the area. Intricate architecture was scattered around the area, creating some interesting sights. Some of these seemed to be a big draw for tourists. Tourists who…

Third thing, were very wealthy.

It seemed that some higher class tourists favored this city as a destination. The level of wealth Quackerjack and Megavolt saw on their ride here, was the same as the average tourist.

The group couldn’t help but stare at some of the people who passed, decked out in accessories that cost as much money as any one of them could snatch in a small robbery.

They couldn’t wait until they could openly commit crimes.

It was a few hours later when the group finally thought about having to head back to the hotel. For the fifth time that afternoon, Quackerjack had dragged the group into a food establishment, only for them to leave without buying anything. This time however the group was discussing doubling back the way they came.

“But I’m hungry!” Quackerjack whined. “What's the point of going to a place that has good places to eat, and then not getting anything!”

Liquidator emerged slightly from the flower pot. “Though the Liquidator needs no nutrients to keep himself going, remember that additional food will be required for both of you during our entire stay here. We need to keep our prices low, and our criminal activity even lower! I wouldn’t say that eating there would have been a great deal, the food there wasn’t exactly cheap.”

“Besides, since when did you care about quality food?” Megavolt asked. “From what I’ve seen, you’ll eat anything, even my cooking!”

“You cook?” Bushroot asked.

“I burn things,” Megavolt replied. “Which is how I like it.”

“Just because I can eat anything doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate actual good food.” Quackerjack folded his arms. “But fine, if you wanna eat junk then that’s fine.”

“Well…” Megavolt sighed. “If you really want to eat our or y’know...something, we should probably do it on our own, since those two can’t actually eat.”

“Oh! A play date! That’d be nice,” Quackerjack practically purred. “It’s not as fun without some kind of police chase, but still.”

“Uh, I’m going to go check something out,” Bushroot said, slowly stepping away from the pair. “But if you two want to stay there and keep flirting, go ahead.”

“Oh you’re one to talk!” Megavolt said.

“Yeah.” Quackerjack followed Bushroot, tugging his partner along with him. “We were talking about this earlier, you give us weird looks when we do anything, but you and Liqui can be sooo sappy sometimes.”

Bushroot grew dead silent.

“At least we don’t spend ten minutes coming up with compliments for each other,” Megavolt said. “Have you ever heard how that wet dog talks about you when you’re not around? I think you can put up with a little bit from us if we have to hear that.”

Liquidator poked his head out a little. “The Liquidator will not take heed of criticisms concerning how I talk about my own superb partner. I have no complaints with how you handle your relationship, don’t bring my methods of affection into this.”

“Okay!” Bushroot’s face was red and his voice was a slight bit too loud. “A-anyway, did anyone else notice that-that crowd? I wonder wh-what that’s about, why don’t we check it out?”

The other three exchanged a look. Quackerjack and Megavolt both looked slightly pleased at the flustered reaction they had elicited from the plant. Then the group turned their attention to where Bushroot was pointing.

It seemed there was a decent crowd gathered loosely around what looked to be a fountain. The four moved closer to check it out. When they approached they saw a few informational signs around it.

“Says it’s just an old fountain,” Quackerjack said, reading one of the signs. “And no one’s allowed to touch it? Ugh, then where’s the fun in that?”

“I mean, there are some interesting things about it,” Bushroot said. “Like it says here that-”

“Weren’t we going to head home anyway?” Quackerjack said.

Bushroot frowned. “Yeah, I guess we were.”

“Wait a second,” Megavolt said.

“What?” Quackerjack asked. “You’re interested in a boring old fountain? I thought you didn’t like water?”

Megavolt squinted at the fountain, then a horrified look crossed his face. “Do you see that??”

“See what?” Bushroot asked.

Megavolt grabbed ahold of the plant’s face, and turned it so it was facing the fountain. “Look at that!”

“I don’t see anything,” Bushroot said. “There’s just a bunch of water and lights.”

“Oh no…” Quackerjack’s eyes widened.

“Exactly!” Megavolt said, now very loud. The rest of the group gave him looks imploring him to be a bit quieter. “Some monster stuck those lights there underwater! Imagine those poor things spending all their time in that awful thing!”

“But Megsy, babe, you couldn’t even get them out of there without short-circuiting yourself,” Quackerjack said.

“I know that Quacky, dear,” Megavolt said, giving his partner a huge pair of puppy-dog eyes. “But maybe you could-”

“Oh no!” Quackerjack shook his head. “I’m not helping you just because you give me that look. Besides, what part of stealing a bunch of lightbulbs from a public fountain that no one’s allowed to touch works with keeping a low profile? I’m pretty sure I’d be spotted immediately!”

“There may be a solution to both problems!” Liquidator said.

Megavolt looked at the flower pot container the watery canine with hope in his eyes.

“The Liquidator can create a distraction and relocate the water, while you liberate your lightbulb pals!” Liquidator said.

“You’d really do that?” Megavolt asked, grinning widely. “That’d be great!”

“No problem! The Liquidator specializes in water-based trickery and manipulation!”

With that, Liquidator jumped out of the pot and into the fountain. Across from where Megavolt and the others stood, small jets of water began to arise from the fountain. Then it began to really move, jumping up, swirling, and bubbling in visually pleasing patterns. Slowly, the crowd started taking notice, and moving away from where the three criminals stood.

When almost all of the surrounding people were on the other side of the fountain, a wave of water rose up, causing the crowd to make noises of appreciation, and blocking the three from their view. The water in front of the lights pulled back, leaving it open for Megavolt to start removing them.

After all the lightbulbs were removed and stuffed into various bags and clothing articles, the water settled back down and Liquidator hopped back into the flower pot.

“Let’s get out of here before anyone else notices they’re gone,” Bushroot said.

The others agreed and they quickly absconded with the lightbulbs, heading back towards the hotel.

“Well I’d say that was a good first day of vacation,” Megavolt said, looking very pleased.

“The Liquidator would have to agree!” Liquidator said. “Because the lightbulbs weren’t the only things I helped ‘liberate’ from that fountain.”

“What do you-” Bushroot’s eyes widened as he looked in the flower pot. “Holy cow!”

It seemed that when Liquidator had removed himself from the fountain he had taken a huge amount of coins with him. In fact, he was now taking up much less room in the pot, since much of it was filled with pennies, nickels, dime, and lot, and lots of quarters.

“Seems like the tourists are fond of the whole ‘wishing fountain’ idea,” Liquidator said with a smug grin. “Personally I think they’re going to a better cause now.”

“You mean helping us fund the rest of this vacation?”

“Yep. Like I said, better cause.”