Ode to Oddity
by the Chronicler
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Ch. 1
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One move and it would be all over. One move and the child would fall into the water. One move and he would be dead. One move...
Buckaroo Banzai didn't even breath. Why the hell did the damn Clan always have to hide behind children?
Before him, no more than four yards stood one of Uilc Dochas Clan's preciouse Lords. He was young, stupid, arrogent, and, as he held a small toddler over the side of the bridge, hanging her helplessly over the raging river, extreamly dangerouse.
"You don't want to do that." Buckaroo advised. he knew his team was close, only a few minutes behind him. He could already hear Oddity's frantic barking, letting everyone know that he still had the trail. All he had to do was buy time.
"What ever gave you that idea?" the Lord hissed. "What is this mongrely child to me?"
Buckaroo couldn't help but stiffen at the refrence to such a small, innocent, beautiful child being disregarded in such a way. Hell, he hadn't even noticed she was oriental. To him she was life, and that was all that mattered. "Fine, then." he growled. "Think about yourself. All we have you on is stealling weapons. You want to go down on murder too?"
The Lord laughed. "Do you honestly think you could keep any of us in jail?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Then why not just surrender? Save us both a lot of time." he suggested.
Again the Lord laughed. "Call it dignity." And, with that, he released the child.
"NO!" Buckaroo yelled, lunging forward, One fist took the lord in the jaw, slamming him to the planks of the bridge. The other reached out for the child. His fingers snatched the blanket she had been wrapped in. But it unwrapped, sending her falling into the racing water below.
Oddity was suddenly beside him. He peered over the edge and barked at the quickly vanishing child. Without being ordered to do so, he leaped into the river, and swam after her.
"Oddity!" Knuckles screamed for her pet as she and the rest of the Hong Kong Cavaliers broke through the trees behind Buckaroo just in time to see the dog's dive.
"The baby's in the water!" Buckaroo yelled over his shoulder at them. "Follow Oddity!"
Knuckles, Perfect Tommy, New Jersey, Reno Nevada, and Pecos all scrambled down the rocky shore line, trying to catch up to the rivers two struggeling occupants. Rawhide and Peggy Banzai hurried up the trail to the bridge.
"Buckaroo, look out!" Peggy cried.
Buckaroo, so distracted with getting help after the child, he didn't notice the Lord recovering. He took a high kick in the gut, slamming him back against the rail of the bridge.
Rawhide pushed passed Peggy and raced on to the bridge, pulling his Colt revlover as he went.
In one, smooth motion, the Lord rolled to his feet, pun around, and aimed a kick at Buckaroo's head.
But Buckaroo was expecting it this time. He brought up his left arm to block the kick. His right balanced him against the rail while his left foot swept about, kicking his attackers pivoting foot out from under him.
Again, the Lord was slammed to the planks.
Rawhide pounced on him then, slamming a huge fist against the man's head, knocking him out cold.
Peggy reached her husband's side. "Buckaroo, damn it." she half growled, half sighed with relief. "Are you alright?" She was already running her hands over his bruised ribs, assuring herself that nothing was broken.
"Oddity! Get her, boy! You can do it, boy!" came a soft call from down stream as Knuckles called to her dog.
"The baby!" Buckaroo cried. He grabbed his wife's arm and ushered her off the bridge so they could join the chase.
Knuckles could see Oddity bobbed up and down in the water, despertly fighting to keep his own head above water as he swam after the child. "Keep with it, Oddity! You can do it, boy!" she continued to call to him as she ran along the shore.
"There!" Prefect Tommy suddenly shouted. "I see the kid!" He stopped on top of a large bolder so as to direct them all in the right direction. "Oddity almost has her."
Knuckles dug in her belt pouch for her lead rope as she ran. She knew, once Oddity had the child, it would take all his strength just to fight the current. She would have to get the line out to him and pull him and the child back to shore and safety.
A bark barely heard over the rour of the river.
"He has her!" Perfect Tommy shouted from his perch.
"Reno, I need you!" Knuckles shouted over her shoulder as she turned, cutting through the trees. If she remembered the map right, and she always did, the river wrapped around a jeety. If they crossed the jetty, they could come out in front of Oddity.
Reno was a step behind. He didn't question the young woman, her call for help, or her change in direction. If there was one thing he had learned about Knuckles and Oddity over the last couple of years, was that neither ever did anything just to do it when there was a job to be done.
Within minutes, breathing hard, they broke the trees and stumbled ankle deep into the river.
"Where are they?" Reno despretly searched the water.
"There!" Knuckles pointed.
Oddity's white head bobbed into view coming around the bend in the river. Holding his head as high as he could, he tried to lift the toddler as high out of the water as he could, clutching her only by the back of her pajamas between his teath. His legs worked figorously, fighting the current, trying to stear them both to the shore.
"Reno." Knuckles tossed him the guide rope. "Can you put a loop around him?"
Reno didn't waste time answering. He whipped the rope over his head, swinging it around and around.
"Come on, Oddity! Over here, boy. You can do it! Come on, boy. Come on, love. Bring her home!" Knuckles called encouragement to her dog.
Seemingly renewed by his mistress call, Oddity fought toward her.
"Almost..." Reno whispered to no one in particular. "Come on, Oddity... a little closer.... Now!" he released the rope.
With perfect accuracey, the loop landed around the dog's head.
"Don't pull it yet!" Knuckles stopped Reno before turning her attention back to her dog. "In, Oddity! In!" she gave the order.
The dog kicked up with his front paws, pulling the loop around his body.
"Now! Pull them in now!"
And Reno pulled.
Perfect Tommy and Pecos had caught up and hurried to help pull the dog and his preciouse targo to shore.
"Come on, Oddity." Knuckles continued to call. She stepped out into the water until she was thiegh deep.
"Careful, Knuckles." New Jersey warned. The water was too fast and too cold. Both conditions too dangerouse for the lone girl to wander too deep.
Exhausted, it was all Oddity could do to hold onto the child in his teath. By shear determination, he did not let go. Even as Knuckles wrapped her arms around him and dragged him the rest of the way to shore, he would not release his hold. Not until Knuckles gave the command.
"Release! Good, boy!" Knuckles hugged her pet close as New Jersey carried the toddler further back on shore. She tore off her coat and wrapped it around the shivering dog, rubbing her hands over him, scratching his ears and his chest, and doing every rewarding thing she could think of. "You're such a good boy. You are a great boy. You are a fantastic boy."
Perfect Tommy stood over them. He frowned. "Sounds like our last night out."
Knuckles grinned up at him, then quickly turned back Oddity.
By the time Buckaroo and Peggy reached them, Knuckles and Oddity were rolling on the ground, therely enjoying each other, despite both being exhausted.
New Jersey looked up at them as the little girl in his arms, securely wrapped in his coat, wailed at having such a rude afternoon. He smiled. "She's fine." His nose wrinkled. "In a bit of a need of a change, but fine."
Buckaroo returned his smile. "Start back for the road. Rawhide's going to need back up with the prisoner." he told them. Then he made his way to Knuckles. He crouched down beside her and grinned.
The fierce bounty hunter was lying on her back, her Austrain shepard spread out over top of her, chewing on her arm. Knuckles giggled, shaking her arm, which brought a playful, but weak growl from the dog.
Buckaroo reached out and patted the dog's head. "Good boy, Oddity. You are one great dog."
Knuckles beamed.
Buckaroo noted the dog's shivering and tired state. "Is he alright?"
Knuckles sighed, running her hands down his side. "He should be alright. Warm him up, feed him, rest..."
"And a huge 6" steak on me." Buckaroo offered. "Well, lets get to it. No one on my team goes without care."
Again Knuckles beamed.
Perfect Tommy crossed his arms over his chest. "On the team, eh, mut?" he mumbled to the dog who looked up at him with his sparkling blue eyes and barked. "Well, then, I can officially say it... Don't ever chew on my guitar again!" He took the leash and lead the dog back the way they had come. "And my leather loafers... or should I say loafer? I wouldn't exactly call the left one a shoe any longer. And would you happen to know where my fighting staff is? Oh, and exactly who slobered all over my socks?"
by the Chronicler
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Ch. 1
----------
One move and it would be all over. One move and the child would fall into the water. One move and he would be dead. One move...
Buckaroo Banzai didn't even breath. Why the hell did the damn Clan always have to hide behind children?
Before him, no more than four yards stood one of Uilc Dochas Clan's preciouse Lords. He was young, stupid, arrogent, and, as he held a small toddler over the side of the bridge, hanging her helplessly over the raging river, extreamly dangerouse.
"You don't want to do that." Buckaroo advised. he knew his team was close, only a few minutes behind him. He could already hear Oddity's frantic barking, letting everyone know that he still had the trail. All he had to do was buy time.
"What ever gave you that idea?" the Lord hissed. "What is this mongrely child to me?"
Buckaroo couldn't help but stiffen at the refrence to such a small, innocent, beautiful child being disregarded in such a way. Hell, he hadn't even noticed she was oriental. To him she was life, and that was all that mattered. "Fine, then." he growled. "Think about yourself. All we have you on is stealling weapons. You want to go down on murder too?"
The Lord laughed. "Do you honestly think you could keep any of us in jail?"
The Doctor shrugged. "Then why not just surrender? Save us both a lot of time." he suggested.
Again the Lord laughed. "Call it dignity." And, with that, he released the child.
"NO!" Buckaroo yelled, lunging forward, One fist took the lord in the jaw, slamming him to the planks of the bridge. The other reached out for the child. His fingers snatched the blanket she had been wrapped in. But it unwrapped, sending her falling into the racing water below.
Oddity was suddenly beside him. He peered over the edge and barked at the quickly vanishing child. Without being ordered to do so, he leaped into the river, and swam after her.
"Oddity!" Knuckles screamed for her pet as she and the rest of the Hong Kong Cavaliers broke through the trees behind Buckaroo just in time to see the dog's dive.
"The baby's in the water!" Buckaroo yelled over his shoulder at them. "Follow Oddity!"
Knuckles, Perfect Tommy, New Jersey, Reno Nevada, and Pecos all scrambled down the rocky shore line, trying to catch up to the rivers two struggeling occupants. Rawhide and Peggy Banzai hurried up the trail to the bridge.
"Buckaroo, look out!" Peggy cried.
Buckaroo, so distracted with getting help after the child, he didn't notice the Lord recovering. He took a high kick in the gut, slamming him back against the rail of the bridge.
Rawhide pushed passed Peggy and raced on to the bridge, pulling his Colt revlover as he went.
In one, smooth motion, the Lord rolled to his feet, pun around, and aimed a kick at Buckaroo's head.
But Buckaroo was expecting it this time. He brought up his left arm to block the kick. His right balanced him against the rail while his left foot swept about, kicking his attackers pivoting foot out from under him.
Again, the Lord was slammed to the planks.
Rawhide pounced on him then, slamming a huge fist against the man's head, knocking him out cold.
Peggy reached her husband's side. "Buckaroo, damn it." she half growled, half sighed with relief. "Are you alright?" She was already running her hands over his bruised ribs, assuring herself that nothing was broken.
"Oddity! Get her, boy! You can do it, boy!" came a soft call from down stream as Knuckles called to her dog.
"The baby!" Buckaroo cried. He grabbed his wife's arm and ushered her off the bridge so they could join the chase.
Knuckles could see Oddity bobbed up and down in the water, despertly fighting to keep his own head above water as he swam after the child. "Keep with it, Oddity! You can do it, boy!" she continued to call to him as she ran along the shore.
"There!" Prefect Tommy suddenly shouted. "I see the kid!" He stopped on top of a large bolder so as to direct them all in the right direction. "Oddity almost has her."
Knuckles dug in her belt pouch for her lead rope as she ran. She knew, once Oddity had the child, it would take all his strength just to fight the current. She would have to get the line out to him and pull him and the child back to shore and safety.
A bark barely heard over the rour of the river.
"He has her!" Perfect Tommy shouted from his perch.
"Reno, I need you!" Knuckles shouted over her shoulder as she turned, cutting through the trees. If she remembered the map right, and she always did, the river wrapped around a jeety. If they crossed the jetty, they could come out in front of Oddity.
Reno was a step behind. He didn't question the young woman, her call for help, or her change in direction. If there was one thing he had learned about Knuckles and Oddity over the last couple of years, was that neither ever did anything just to do it when there was a job to be done.
Within minutes, breathing hard, they broke the trees and stumbled ankle deep into the river.
"Where are they?" Reno despretly searched the water.
"There!" Knuckles pointed.
Oddity's white head bobbed into view coming around the bend in the river. Holding his head as high as he could, he tried to lift the toddler as high out of the water as he could, clutching her only by the back of her pajamas between his teath. His legs worked figorously, fighting the current, trying to stear them both to the shore.
"Reno." Knuckles tossed him the guide rope. "Can you put a loop around him?"
Reno didn't waste time answering. He whipped the rope over his head, swinging it around and around.
"Come on, Oddity! Over here, boy. You can do it! Come on, boy. Come on, love. Bring her home!" Knuckles called encouragement to her dog.
Seemingly renewed by his mistress call, Oddity fought toward her.
"Almost..." Reno whispered to no one in particular. "Come on, Oddity... a little closer.... Now!" he released the rope.
With perfect accuracey, the loop landed around the dog's head.
"Don't pull it yet!" Knuckles stopped Reno before turning her attention back to her dog. "In, Oddity! In!" she gave the order.
The dog kicked up with his front paws, pulling the loop around his body.
"Now! Pull them in now!"
And Reno pulled.
Perfect Tommy and Pecos had caught up and hurried to help pull the dog and his preciouse targo to shore.
"Come on, Oddity." Knuckles continued to call. She stepped out into the water until she was thiegh deep.
"Careful, Knuckles." New Jersey warned. The water was too fast and too cold. Both conditions too dangerouse for the lone girl to wander too deep.
Exhausted, it was all Oddity could do to hold onto the child in his teath. By shear determination, he did not let go. Even as Knuckles wrapped her arms around him and dragged him the rest of the way to shore, he would not release his hold. Not until Knuckles gave the command.
"Release! Good, boy!" Knuckles hugged her pet close as New Jersey carried the toddler further back on shore. She tore off her coat and wrapped it around the shivering dog, rubbing her hands over him, scratching his ears and his chest, and doing every rewarding thing she could think of. "You're such a good boy. You are a great boy. You are a fantastic boy."
Perfect Tommy stood over them. He frowned. "Sounds like our last night out."
Knuckles grinned up at him, then quickly turned back Oddity.
By the time Buckaroo and Peggy reached them, Knuckles and Oddity were rolling on the ground, therely enjoying each other, despite both being exhausted.
New Jersey looked up at them as the little girl in his arms, securely wrapped in his coat, wailed at having such a rude afternoon. He smiled. "She's fine." His nose wrinkled. "In a bit of a need of a change, but fine."
Buckaroo returned his smile. "Start back for the road. Rawhide's going to need back up with the prisoner." he told them. Then he made his way to Knuckles. He crouched down beside her and grinned.
The fierce bounty hunter was lying on her back, her Austrain shepard spread out over top of her, chewing on her arm. Knuckles giggled, shaking her arm, which brought a playful, but weak growl from the dog.
Buckaroo reached out and patted the dog's head. "Good boy, Oddity. You are one great dog."
Knuckles beamed.
Buckaroo noted the dog's shivering and tired state. "Is he alright?"
Knuckles sighed, running her hands down his side. "He should be alright. Warm him up, feed him, rest..."
"And a huge 6" steak on me." Buckaroo offered. "Well, lets get to it. No one on my team goes without care."
Again Knuckles beamed.
Perfect Tommy crossed his arms over his chest. "On the team, eh, mut?" he mumbled to the dog who looked up at him with his sparkling blue eyes and barked. "Well, then, I can officially say it... Don't ever chew on my guitar again!" He took the leash and lead the dog back the way they had come. "And my leather loafers... or should I say loafer? I wouldn't exactly call the left one a shoe any longer. And would you happen to know where my fighting staff is? Oh, and exactly who slobered all over my socks?"