Playing with Nightmares

Chapter 5

It was common for Megavolt and Quackerjack to sleep in the same bed. Of course, they really had no choice, because either hideout they were staying at only had one bed. The two of them laid there sleeping through the late night/early morning. The two of them were huddled close together, almost in an embrace. They stayed like this until Megavolt pulled away and moved about on the bed.

Quackerjack stretched and yawned loudly, twisting his legs under the sheets. Or at least, he tried to. The jester’s eyes flew open in alarm as his mind came to realize that his legs were bound. And then his mind reeled when he found that his arms were bound too, only they were both separately caught in the rope that was attached to the top corners of the bed.

“Wah--!!” he gasped, high pitched, in alarm. “What sort of game is this!?” he struggled to get out and as he did this Megavolt began to stir, after having finally settled down. The rodent sat up and regarded the jester calmly. An evil grin formed on his face which made a shiver go down Quackerjack’s spine. Megavolt’s eyes seemed hazed over, as though he wasn’t really there.

“Will you plaaaaay with me?” he asked in Paddywhack‘s voice.

Quackerjack screamed as the words came out of his mouth, the haunting of Paddywhack coming back to him. “Megsy!? Is that you!?” screeched Quackejack as he started hypervenelate. Megavolt leaned in closer to Quacjerack, who pushed himself further into the mattress. The jester couldn’t help but notice the dazed look on his friend’s features, making it all the more disturbing.

‘Yesssss…..I will teach you a lesson for messing with me….’ spoke Paddywhack through Megavolt‘s mouth. Just when Paddywhack was going to start his torment on Quackerjack, the ghostly creature suddenly found it harder to control Megavolt’s body and to his dismay and fury he found that the rodent was waking up.

“Quacky?” spoke Megavolt in a confused tone.

Quackerjack blinked, noticing that Megavolt was no longer using that creepy voice.

“Megsy! Would you stop playing around with me and untie me! I know that sounds weird coming from me but just do it!!” demanded the flustered villain.

Megavolt just sat there for a moment though, still leaning over Quackerjack, trying to get his frazzled mind to focus on what was going on. He moaned sleepily, trying to shake the tiredness from his body, placing a hand over his eyes, which were bare from his purple goggles. “Hurry Megs!”

Megavolt finally looked down to see what was going on and gasped, pushing himself away from Quackerjack with wide eyes, taking in the sight before him.

“Just what is this all about Megsy!? If you wanted to be kinky, all you had to do was say so! But this is totally uncalled for!” screeched an annoyed and slightly disturbed Quackerjack.

Megavolt seemed to be at a loss for words, going cherry red at Quackerjack’s insinuation of the scenerio before them.

Megavolt immediately started trying to untie Quackerjack, starting with his hands. Once Quackerjack’s hands were free, he slapped away Megavolt’s helpful hands and untied the ropes at his ankles. Megavolt glumly watched, wringing his hands together.

‘Hmmm…..That certainly was entertaining….’ hissed Paddywhack’s voice in his mind. Megavolt’s mouth formed into a sneer at the sound of his voice. ‘But it would have been so much……fuuuuun…..had you not interrupted…’

“Shut up” hissed Megavolt aloud. His eyes widened as soon as the words were out of his mouth and he glanced at Quackerjack, who was now looking at him incredulously.

“Excuse me!?” demanded the jester, his long red bangs down in his face, his long hair a complete mess as well.

“I was….I was…..ummm….” the electrical rodent looked around himself in hopes to think of an explaination. His crazed eyes landed on a light bulb that was sitting on the table not too far away from Quackerjack’s bed. “I was talking to the light bulb” he said quickly, pointing over to it.

Quackerjack just gave him a long look before a smile soon formed on his large beak. “Silly, Megsy. You know I can’t stay mad at you for too long!” he kicked his legs off the bed and stood up with great energy for someone who had just woken up.

‘Will you plaaaaaay with me?’ asked Paddywhack in Megavolt’s mind, as the rodent pulled on his pinkish-red robe around himself. Megavolt winced. 'Do you think he’s willing to plaaaaaay with me?’ Megavolt shook his head frantically, knowing that speaking aloud was no longer an option like he had had the night before.

‘I’m telling him!’ shouted Megavolt in his mind. He knew Paddywhack was able to hear what he thought, but he didn’t care.

“Quackerjack, there’s something I need to tell you!” started Megavolt determinedly. He walked up to Quackerjack, who was over at his half broken dresser pulling on his jester outfit after getting up from the bed.

‘You stupid toy! I warned you last night what I would do to hiiiiiiiim if you interfered!’

‘I don’t care!’ Megavolt shot back inwardly. ‘Either way you’re going to hurt him!’

Quackerjack, now clad in his full jester outfit, turned to his favorite playmate and Megavolt was stopped abruptly at the sight of Mr. Banana Brain, suddenly inches from his face. “What can I do for you, Stu?” Quackerjack asked in his doll’s higher voice.

Megavolt blinked for a moment at the doll and scratched the back of his neck. “Ummm…..I….had the thought a moment ago….”

‘Oooooohhhhhh, this is fascinating…….So THAT’S your flaw. Quackerjack didn’t program you with a good memory. What a shaaaaaaame.’

Megavolt groaned a bit, getting frustrated.

“Why are you so mad, Brad?” asked the doll before him. Quackerjack cocked his head to one side, waiting as he held out his doll.

Megavolt shrugged. “I lost my train of thought. I can’t remember anymore….”

Quackerjack put down his banana doll and wrapped an arm around Megavolt’s shoulders, drawing him close and placing a little kiss at the end of the rodent’s nose. A spark emitted from one of his whiskers and fizzled out at the end of it.

‘Ewwww.....Disgusting…..’ whined Paddywhack.

Megavolt ignored the shadow monster’s comments and moved closer to Quackerjack, who at that moment, brought out a paddle ball. Megavolt blinked at him. “You still in that kinky mood, Megsy?”

Megavolt turned cherry red as he nodded, feeling his body want him more and more.

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It was sprinkling lightly outside and the sound of the rain softly hitting the glass windows above them was oddly peaceful. However the clouds in the far distance proved that a storm was coming, as lightning could be seen in the distance.

The air was thick inside the Greenhouse; humid, but it was a welcoming tempature to the mutant plant duck who could feel tremors and shivers go up and down his spine as he thought about the canine who was standing behind him and about Paddywhack and the nightmarish place he had been in.

“So…..You wanted to see me?” began a jittery Bushroot, his baritone voice sounding off.

Liquidator nodded, taking one of his fingers and snaking it up and down Bushroot’s right arm as he thought about what he wanted to say. “All polls say that you’ve guessed correctly!”

Bushroot finally flinched from Liquidator’s innocent touching on his arm and turned around, wringing his leafy hands together. He took in a deep breath. “And so you wanted to see me so badly that you had some shadowy……viscious…monster come and kidnap me?”

“You were in hiding. I didn’t know where you were. I couldn’t find you for the life of me. Trust me, this ultra-powered Liquidator searched everywhere for you!” explained Liquidator indignantly. Bushroot nodded. He walked over to some of his plants where they were growing in the middle of the Greenhouse. They shivered slightly as he touched them, whispering little greetings to their master, feeling estatic that they had his attention.

“I see…” sighed Bushroot. He started walking along the path slowly, examining his plants. Liquidator could tell that this was simply Bushroot’s way of dealing. They both knew this was an awkward conversation and they both definitely knew that Bushroot didn’t handle these kind of confrontations well. “I went into hiding because I thought I had no other choice… Negaduck was after me…and everything else that had happened….”

“Did you feel trapped? Did you feel like there was no way out!? Did you feel as though the world was crumpling at your feet? Then why didn’t you come to the Liquidator!?” demanded the watery villain, sloshing his way down the path beside Bushroot.

Bushroot whipped around to look at him, having been facing the other way. A sneer was on his beak. “Why would I go to you!? You’re half the reason I was in hiding! Do you not remember the last time we were together!? The last conversation we had!?” he snapped, glaring at Liquidator. He looked as though he was going to say more, but he just kept looking at Liquidator in the eyes and found that he couldn’t seem to say anything else. He felt warmth on his cheeks as he looked away. “It didn’t end well…”

Thunder rumbled in the distance but neither of them seemed to register it, though Spike ran under a table to hide, nearly knocking over some of Bushroot’s equipment. This earned the Venus Fly Trap dog a glare from his master.

“Look, Reggie, I’m sorry, okay?” sighed Liqudator, sagging his shoulder in dismay. This was odd behavior for Liquidator. He wasn’t one to admit his faults and flaws right off the bat and to hear him apologize sent Bushroot off guard.

Silence ensued afterwards, in which the two of them didn’t know what to say to one another. Bushroot went back to examining his plants, seeming to have all the interest in the world in them while Liquidator awkwardly stood there, waiting.

Just when Liquidator was about to speak, Bushroot beat him to it. “It’s okay…”

Liquidator blinked, not sure of what Bushroot just said. “Come again?”

“I said 'it’s okay'” repeated Bushroot evenly.

Liquidator looked at Bushroot and cocked his head to one side, a puzzled look on his face.

“You mean it?” was the question. “Even after all the compaints from you and the teasing and the harassing?”

Bushroot nodded. “Yeah, because…..I have been SO lonely these last few months” he turned to Liquidator, walking up to him and letting the liquid villain embrace him. He shook his head. “You have no idea, Likky…..I can’t…tell you where I was hiding….but I can tell you…..that that place was even more lonely than here….and I never thought that would have been possible….”

Liquidator nodded. “You haven’t been the only one who was lonely…” Bushroot looked up at him at this. “Being the only one of a kind Liquid Master is a lonely job too, you know.”

Bushroot nodded, understanding Liquidator’s pain perfectly. “What I’m trying to say is, let’s just forget about the past. You know what you have to work on and I know what I have to work on. Let’s just…..re-start. Because its obvious we have both missed each other…”

Liquidator nodded, now beaming with satisfaction. He took one of his hands and gently rubbed the other mutant’s back while Bushroot closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling, his plant body soaking in his companion’s watery form. Liquidator snaked his hand and brought it up to Bushroot’s foliage, which he knew the plant duck loved.

They held onto each other for quite some time, just enjoying the closeness of finally being back together. The storm outside inched closer and closer to the Greenhouse but neither of them cared or paid it any mind. Not even when the thunder shook the glass of the building. Though finally Spike became brave enough to come out from the table he had been hiding under to come over to Bushroot’s root-like feet, nudging him to the point where the mutant could no longer ignore him.

Letting go of Liquidator and looking down, Bushroot hissed at his pet. “What is it, Spike!?”

Liquidator released Bushroot as well and looked down at the creature curiously.

They then both looked up after a bright flash of lightning went off above them and a boom of thunder came seconds later. Bushroot’s eyes widened in realization as he looked back down at his pet. “Oh, that’s right, Spike doesn’t like thunderstorms. He’s all worked up about that…”

It was at this moment that they both heard a loud crash from the back of the Greenhouse, making Bushroot press his palm to his forehead and sigh loudly. “Ooooh, great! There goes the roof back there! It never has been very stable! I’ll have to fix it….” He looked back over at Liquidator, who was just standing there, taking it all in. “You can come…”

“Are you sure about this Reggie? Are you sure you want us to be together again?” he asked flatly. Bushroot stood there, several feet away from him and thought about it for a few minutes before nodding determinedly.

“Yes, I’m sure…” There was another crash, which brought Bushroot out of his thoughts and back to reality. The mutant squeaked, putting his hands on the sides of his head as he ran back to check what was going on. “My petunias! They’ll die from the sudden tempature change if I don’t do something!!” And with that he was gone, checking on his beloved plants. Liquidator could do nothing but smile after him before going to follow.

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Boxes of all sizes filled up the large space that was known at Quackerjack’s Toy Kingdom. The kingdom was located beneath the streets of St. Canard, safely hidden from the purple caped vigilante that was always on the jester’s tail feathers.

The Toy Kingdom was currently in shambles; having been since Darkwing wrecked it and destroyed all of his hard work of creating it by running into one of the walls of it. The whole place had fallen to pieces after that, which had made the crazed toymaker cry in despair.

But now everything was starting to get more organized. Hours and hours of sorting through all the toys and all the large heavy boxes that looked remarkably like a child’s ABC building blocks, had finally paid off.

Quackjerjack’s muscular and evil looking teddy bears were all busy working, carrying all sorts of toys from one side of the Kingdom to the other. Toy teeth were picking up smaller toys and hopping their way over to where Quackerjack pointed them to. Toy soldiers looked over the work, making sure all the toy teeth and teddy bears where doing as they were told.

Quackerjack was on the left side of the of Toy Kingdom, with Megavolt not too far away from him, stacking boxes on top of each other against the wall. The boxes were filled with Quackerjack’s toys and equipment to make his creations. It had taken a while, but the place was finally looking back to normal.

Megavolt had, of course, been helping Quackerjack in the process of re-building his second hideout, the other being an abandoned toy factory. Megavolt glanced over at Quackerjack with wry smile as the jester whistled the song the dwarves from Snow White whistled as they went off to work.

The rodent shrugged and went back to minding his own collection of boxes that he was supposed to be stacking.

‘Oooooh, none of this is aaaannnnyyyyy funn….’ whined Paddywhack. ‘Work. Work. Work! Ooooh, my…….do we need some plaaaaaytiimeee…..’

Megavolt stopped his work and placed his hands on the sides of his head, nearly tipping over his plug hat. ‘No!’ he hissed in his mind. But even as Megavolt tried to deny Paddywhack, the electrified villain watched as his arms and hands moved without his permission, knowing Paddywhack was behind it.

‘Oooooh, but it will be so much fuuuuun!’ drawled Paddywhack, sounding more and more enthused with each word. Megavolt glanced over at Quackerjack, who was oblivious to his turmoil as he continued to stack boxes and direct his toys. Paddywhack raised Megavolt’s hand to eye level, which caught the rodent’s attention, and allowed several sparks of electricity to form around his hand. ‘Quackerjack had you charge your battery after what happened last night….. Good for me…..Bad for you….’

‘I’ll just short myself out again if you try anything funny’ warned Megavolt.

‘But it hurts you when you do that…….Why do that to yourself when you can just let meeeeee have my fun?’ questioned the ghostly creature inside him.

‘Because you’ll hurt Quacky if I don't….’ responded Megavolt. But even as he was answering, Paddywhack began having Megavolt walk over to Quackerjack, who was facing the other way, trying to separate two toy teeth that were obviously fighting and not getting along.

“Down boys! Down!” cried out the jester, crouched down beside the two bouncing set of toy teeth. After separating them, he stood and placed his hands on his hips, glaring down at the toys disapprovingly. “Oh, honestly….It’s toys like you that give me a bad name….Tsk tsk….” he shooed the toy teeth off with a wave of his hand.

Megavolt forced himself not to do as Paddywhack wanted him to, but it seemed useless as he was still walking over towards Quackerjack.

‘Talk to him’ insisted Paddywhack urgently. ‘Tell him we would like to play with hiiimm…’

Megavolt growled under his breath, hating the thought that he was now being told what to do. ‘No…..’ He heard Paddywhack whine and groan at his refusal and seconds later he felt the air in his lungs escape and suddenly the rat was gasping for air, clutching at his chest and his crazed eyes wide.

‘I will make you stop breathing and operating if you don’t do as I te---ll you to…’ snickered Paddywhack, knowing he still had the advantage. Megavolt nervously caught his breath, panicking slightly, and looked up at Quackerjack. Once he was able to breathe properly he cleared his throat.

This grabbed Quackerjack’s attention immediately, who turned to him. “Hmmm?”

“Let’s play” said Megavolt in a rasping voice since he was still short of breath. Quackerjack blinked at him, surprised, but a large toothy grin formed on his beak.

“Wow! Really? You want to play, Megsy!? This is a first! What has you in such a playful mood!?” giggled the jester, hopping next to Megavolt and wrapping an arm around his favorite playmate.

“A nasty ghost inside of me that wants to get revenge on you wants me to play” Megavolt answered simply.

The stunned silence that came afterwards lasted several minutes, leaving Quackerjack to stand there and gawk at Megavolt, frozen in his spot. Megavolt just stared back at him, his face dead serious. After several minutes, Quackerjack finally threw his head back and laughed hysterically, stomping his foot down several times, he was laughing so hard. Howling with laughter, the jester managed to say, “Hahahahaha! You’re pullin’ my leg, Megsy!”

“I’m being serious….” sighed Megavolt desperately, groaning slightly as he watched Quackerjack continue to laugh, knowing that the chances of telling him and having himself be believed, wasn’t very high.

‘He doesn’t believe you…..’ chuckled Paddywhack, finding this all the more amusing. ‘Poor little toy…..He doesn’t belive you….Oooooh, the misery of it all…..Just so lovely…’

‘What are you going on about?’ hissed Megavolt in his mind.

‘Enough talk……..let’s plaaaaaayyyy….’

Megavolt felt himself jump on top of Quackerjack, his eyes wide since he hadn’t expected it and neither had the jester. Paddywhack had Megavolt hug Quackerjack closely, which simply brought curiosity to Quackerjack’s mannerisms, but before the toymaker could ask anything, Megavolt said under Paddywhack’s influence. “Let’s play….” he paused, thinking, then said. “We’ve been working enough. Let’s play tag. I’ll chase you.” He let Quackerjack go.

Quackerjack giggled, playing with one of then ends of his harlequin hat. “Hmmm…I really don’t know what’s gotten into you Megs, but I find myself unable to resist such an offer. Whatever you’re on, stay on it, I like you this way! You tryin’ some sort of new electricity kick or something??”

Megavolt shook his head, playfully and forcefully pushing Quackerjack. “I’ll be it. I’ll come and chase you…” Quackerjack’s large toothy grin somehow grew wider and a second later, he was running off in the other direction.

Megavolt forced himself not to run after him but found that Paddywhack wasn’t giving him a choice this time. With all his might, Megavolt tried to gain control over his body once more, even as Paddywhack had him running off after Quackerjack, who was giggling insanely, unbeknownst to Megavolt’s struggle.

‘Please stop….’ begged Megavolt. ‘I want control of my body again. Just leave me alone!’

‘Ahhhh……yesssss…….That feels wonderful. You’re pain tastes so delicious…’ cooed Paddywhack, almost managing to tag Quackerjack on the shoulder before the jester made a sharp turn behind a tower of boxes. Paddywhack stopped, watching after Quackerjack as he ran. ‘Let’s make this more fun……Shall we?’

Megavolt shook his head. ‘No! Let’s not! Let’s give Megavolt his body back!’ cried out Megavolt inside his head, hoping he would convince the ghost. None of the what he spoke was out loud, for he knew Quackerjack would be able to hear him. And while that did sound promising, he didn’t want Quackerjack to think he was insane. Or…..more insane than he already was. ‘Maybe I am insane….’ thought Megavolt softly. ‘Maybe I’m just insane…’ Megavolt stopped trying to reject Paddywhack and his actions over him, too deep in his own thoughts.

Paddywhack either didn’t hear him or didn’t say anything for he was too focused on watching Quackerjack run away. ‘Let’s make this even more fun….’ He looked over and saw that he was still standing next to the tower of boxes. He took Megavolt’s gloved hand and touched it, slowly moving one of the boxes back and forth, testing how sturdy the tower of boxes was.

“What’s the matter, Megsy!? Did you give up already!?” shouted Quackerjack a ways ahead of Megavolt and Paddywhack.

“Not yet!” called back Paddywhack. “Let us use your electrifying abilities….” whispered Paddywhack aloud to Megavolt.

‘Please don’t…’ sighed Megavolt.

‘You’re getting awfully angst on me…..I looooooove it…’ Paddywhack took Megavolt’s hand and made sparks of electricity spark through it.

‘You might start a fire--’ Megavolt tried to warn.

Paddywhack didn’t listen and shot several bolts of electricity towards the boxes, the shock making the tower of bozes sway heavily. The boxes didn’t catch on fire, but they tipped, falling in the opposite direction of Megavolt and Paddywhack and in Quackerjack’s direction.

On the other side of the boxes, Quackerjack had stopped running and was now just trying to figure out where Megavolt had gone. “Awww, come on, Megsy! Don’t tell me you want to stop playing games now!! We just started--” he trailed off, looking up and seeing the boxes swaying back and forth a small distance from him. The tower of boxes fell and hit another tower of boxes and soon a domino effect was happening with all of this tower of boxes and toys that he and Megavolt had worked hard to try and organize. “Oh….no fun!!!” he cried out, pulling down on his hat and stomping his foot down. It then occurred to him that everything was coming in his direction; falling towards him. He gave a loud squeak and started running away from the falling mess.

There was an enormous crash, in which Megavolt forced himself to run over to see if Quackerjack was alright, thrilled that Paddywhack let him.

“Quackerjack!?” he called over as loud as he could. All of Quackerjack’s toy soldiers and evil teddy bears were doing what they could to move things away, trying to find Quackerjack. He pushed them aside, ignoring them and their efforts all together, his eyes searching for Quackerjack. “Quacky!?”

“Oi…..I’m---- umm….” he heard Quackerjack’s muffled voice. The rodent’s ears perked up at the sound, trying to figure out which direction it came from. He hopped on top of some of the boxes and toys that had been inside them. He then halted, his eyes wide as he looked at the sight before him.

Immediately Megavolt’s mind was filled with Paddywhack’s laughter and the electrified rodent found it hard not to laugh himself. Quackerjack was caught up, upside down, in a giant spring that he had used from is larger version of a jack-in-the-box.

Quackerjack growled as he tried to get himself untangled from the spring of the jack-in-the-box, the scary head that had been attached to it, missing. “Stupid thing!” he snarled, trying to get out. “I thought I got rid of this pathetic, idiotic toy!!”

Paddywhack stopped laughing at this. ‘Jack-in-the-Boxes are not stupid….’

Megavolt ignored this comment and made his way through the pile and over to his friend, starting to help him get out of it. “Here, I’ll hold this and see if you can’t wriggle yourself free…” he offered, taking hold of the large thick wire and pushing it towards him so that it allowed easier access for Quackerjack to get out.

Quackerjack grunted softly as he wriggled out of the tangled mess. Once he was out of it, Megavolt let go of the wire, which sprung back and forth several times. Helping Quackerjack stand up, Megavolt asked, “What is that thing?”

Quackerjack glared at the toy, dusting himself off. “What does it look like? A Jack-in-the-Box. Or at least, it was. It was originally the frist Jack-in-the-Box model I made......before I made the……larger one….” He faltered, remembering what had happened that day several months ago. Megavolt seemed to remember, for he frowned deeply.

“Oh, you mean, that one…that you had wanted me to--”

“Yeah. That one” Quackerjack didn’t let him finish. He sniffed and started walking away from the mess. “So tell me, Megsy….Was it your intent this entire time to make a mess out of all our hard work…?”

“No, Quacky…..I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it….It actually wasn’t even my fault…” Megavolt started to apologize. The jester shrugged.

Quackerjack then smiled broadly. “Does this mean I’m ‘it’ then?”

Megavolt smiled, shaking his head and sighing, grateful that something worse hadn’t happened to Quackerjack. He then frowned when he heard Paddywhack begin to talk again.

‘Well……that was entertaining……Now what should we do?’ he asked openly, almost as though he was expecting Megavolt to answer. But the rodent didn’t.

‘Nothing. Just leave me alone. Just leave us alone’ sniffed Megavolt, crossing his arms. Quackerjack was busy directing his toys and telling them what to do now with the mess of boxes and toys.

‘Noooo…….I need revenge on Quackerjack for stopping me the last time. He betrayed me……Thought that he could……control…..me….Thought he was the boss of me…..He outwitted me….and now I want to make his suffer….’ Paddywhack informed him. Megavolt shook his head.

‘I don’t want to be a part of this….’

‘You have no choice…..I control you….’ He lifted Megavolt’s hand so that Megavolt was staring at in emphasis. ‘Hmmm….You feel it don’t you….?’

Megavolt didn’t understand what Paddywhack was referring to, but he could feel his body start to ache and feel tired, no longer having the same engery he had a few minutes prior.

“Megsy! Come on over and help me!” cried Quackerjack, who had started kicking aside boxes to make a pathway for them to get through. Megavolt sighed, following. Megavolt started off to where Quackerjack was, his mind going back and thinking about what Paddywhack had said.

‘What do you mean, ‘I’m starting to feel it?’ he asked.

‘You are a toy that is under my control. Given, you are no average toy……But soon you will be all mine….’

“Heads up!” cried Quackerjack and suddenly a large beach ball was launched at the rodent, who just barely had enough time to react, let alone catch it. He looked at the beach ball with wide eyes, then looking up to give Quackerjack a questioned look.

Quackerjack saw this and shrugged. “Just found it. Saw it. Blew it up! We’ll have to play with that later!!" giggled the jester, turning back away from Megavolt.

Megavolt tossed the beach ball aside and continued walking through the mess, his mind trying to go back to what he had been thinking about. ‘Wait a minute….what were you just talking about? Something about light bulbs?’

‘I said nothing about light bulbs’ corrected Paddywhack. He chuckled darkly. ‘Poor little toy with a bad memory. Before long, you won’t remember anything…..You’ll just be a little lost toy….’

‘I’m a toy?’ asked Megavolt, finding that it was harder and harder to think.

Quackerjack was now bouncing up and down on his pogo stick, saying something about how he was happy that this had happened.

“Yes! I can see it now! We can make a bridge, Megsy! A bridge and it can lead up to my Toy Kingdom throne! Oh, this is gonna be fun, Megsy!” he was shouting out throughout the kingdom, not caring how loud he was.

Megavolt was oblivious to what Quackerjack was saying, trying to hard to think and focus on what Paddywhack was saying to him. ‘Yessssss…..that’s right……You’re nothing but a toy….’

‘No, I’m not. I’m Megavolt….’ argued Megavolt weakly, but even as he said these words, he found himself doubting them. Paddywhack used this advantage to stick more thoughts into Megavolt’s already frazzled and fried mind.

‘Yes…..you are Megavolt. But Megavolt is nothing but a tooyyyyy…..’ he insisted, raising Megavolt’s hand and letting a few sparks emit from it. ‘Why else would you be able to do this? No one else can….’

‘Oh…..it’s because I --….Because I was…..bullied….a school bully tied me to---’ he managed to say, starting to feel tired as he now stood there, trying to make sense of everything.

‘Shhhhh……. No…Forget what you know….Now….you’re just my little toy puppet….’ hissed Paddywhack.

Megavolt jolted when a hand grabbed his, bringing him back to reality. “Come on, Megsy! We need to start making that bridge!” Megavolt allowed Quackerjack to lead him to the base of the pile, where the clown immediately started rambling about his plans on what they were going to do with the wreckage. Megavolt nodded along, realizing that as long as he stayed near Quackerjack, it was easier for him to think, and easier for him to remember things, and harder for Paddywhack to have an influence on him. So he listened to Quackerjack animatedly ramble as he held tightly onto his hand.

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Author’s Note: Whooo! I was finally able to update a chapter! Yay! I hope you all liked it!