Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro. Is that good enough to keep me from getting sued? I hope so... I own Jimmy and David, though, so don't steal them without asking me first, k?
Hamtaro's Greatest Adventure! Chapter 8: The Plot Thickens!
"Boss is missing?" Oxnard asked. "Yes, he is. He's been missing all day. I came here earlier and David was here, but he said Boss was out. He hasn't been back all night," Pashmina explained. "This is horrible!" Bijou exclaimed. "We have to look for him!" "But Bijou, we don't even know where to begin. He could be anywhere in the world by now," Dexter said.
Just then, David walked in. "Oh, I didn't expect to see you all here. Where's Boss?" he asked. "He's missing. He hasn't been here all day, not even after you left," Hamtaro explained. "Do you know where Bossman was going?" Stan asked. "I haven't the foggiest. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually. Maybe he'll be here for the party," David suggested. "Well for now, waiting is all we can do," Howdy sighed.
Boss was doing his best to loosen his ropes, but they were tied a lot tighter than they felt. Just when he thought he was making progress, he found that the knot was doubled. Once he got that one out, he found a figure eight-knot. His paws were getting tired, so he decided to give it a break for awhile. He was also very bored, not to mention his growling stomach.
Suddenly, the door opened. "Good afternoon, Boss," David said. "I know you're bored, hungry, and uncomfortable, but don't worry. By tomorrow afternoon, I'll have cleaned out the clubhouse and you'll be free to go." "I don't get it. Why release me when you're done?" Boss asked. "I don't see any reason to hold you. I just want to make sure no one is expecting me, thus ruining my plans," David explained. Boss sighed and squirmed in the chair.
Hamtaro and Bijou were walking home. After a long day of helping the others try and locate Boss, they were both rather tired. "Hamtaro, do you think we will ever see Boss again?" Bijou asked. Hamtaro couldn't help but wonder about that. He though Boss would be back eventually, but this is something he had never done. "Hamtaro? Are you ok?" she asked. Hamtaro snapped back into reality. "Oh, sure, I'm fine," he laughed nervously. "I asked you a question. Do you think we'll find Boss?" she repeated. "Sure we will!" Hamtaro exclaimed. "We've been in tougher spots than this before...I think."
Hamtaro thought about the problem while falling asleep. 'Boss has never done anything like this before,' he thought. 'I hope nothing bad happened to him.' Hamtaro rolled over and climbed out of his cage, careful to make sure that the door didn't slam too loudly and wake up Laura. He looked out the window. Tomorrow would be New Year's Eve. The little hamster didn't really understand the concept of a year, but he knew that it was a way of telling long periods of time.
Hamtaro turned from the window, which was nearly frosted over. He almost felt jealous that Bijou showed such concern over Boss (although jealousy wasn't exactly something he understood either). It's not like he didn't feel the same way. He wanted to find Boss as much as the rest of them. He sighed and walked back to his cage. It's been an interesting few months since his birthday party. He couldn't help but smile when he thought back at the recent adventures he had had with his girlfriend. Hamtaro climbed back in and fell asleep. No sense worrying and being dead tired tomorrow.
David woke up feeling refreshed. He knew that it would soon all be over. He would take his sorrows out on yet another unsuspecting group of hamsters. He wished there was some other way, but it was the only way to get rid of the gnawing feeling of loss in the back of his mind. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Boss anymore. Reluctant to untie Boss, David had to hand feed him his meals.
"This is ridiculous! Isn't there a law about holding a small rodent against his will?" Boss shouted from his room. He sighed. There wasn't anyone out there. His only hope was if one of his friends came and saved him. He sighed again. "What are the odds of that happening?" he groaned.
Hamtaro and Bijou were walking towards the lake hand in hand. "I'm so glad you wanted to go ice skating with me," Hamtaro said. "The ice should be thick enough now that we don't have to worry," Bijou replied. She squeezed Hamtaro's hand. "Hamtaro, I feel so happy being with you that I could dance!" Hamtaro grabbed her other hand. "Well what's stopping you?" he asked as he started to dance with her. "Oh, Hamtaro, you are so funny!" she laughed as she danced with him. They danced all the way to the lake. When they got there, they began to skate around, dancing and laughing all the while.
David started walking towards the clubhouse. "Everything in the clubhouse will soon disappear without a trace, as will I," he said quietly.
Hamtaro and Bijou continued to skate around on the frozen lake. They spun around in circles, holding onto each other. Suddenly, Hamtaro slipped and let go of Bijou. She fell over and landed on the ice, but he kept moving. "Bijou, help! I can't stop!" he cried. He slid all the way across the length of the lake and slammed face first into a small sapling. Bijou skated over to him quickly. "Hamtaro, are you alright?" she asked. "My...face...hurts..." he replied. She helped him up and they slowly skated back to the other side. "Let's go to the clubhouse for awhile while you warm up and recover," Bijou said softly.
David opened the door to the clubhouse. He walked in slowly and looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary, except today Snoozer was sleeping on the top of the sliding board. David quickly snuck to the top of the slide and crammed Snoozer into his own sock/blanket. He tied the top securely and slid back to the bottom to begin his mission. Snoozer, being Snoozer of course, never woke up.
David took everything he could fit into his bag and hauled it outside. He picked up another bag and started filling that. He was about halfway done with the clubhouse and had filled up 6 bags. He walked back in carrying an empty bag and a smile on his face.
"Come on, we're here," Bijou said to Hamtaro, who was still half out of it. Bijou had helped him keep his balance on the way back. She opened the door and helped Hamtaro over to the couch, who had just slipped into unconsciousness. "What do you think you're doing?" David asked. Bijou jumped and turned to him. She hadn't noticed that he was standing there taking things off of the shelf and stuffing them into a big bag. "I'm helping Hamtaro. What are you doing?" she asked. "Bijou, you know I can't lie to your beautiful French accent," David said. "I am stealing everything in this club." "But why?" Bijou asked. "Ask Boss someday. Meanwhile, you must never let the others know it was me," David said as he began walking towards Bijou.
Bijou didn't stand still long. Wishing she could stay with Hamtaro but knowing she had to warn the others, she bolted for the door. By the time she got there, though, David had already blocked her path. He grabbed her arm tightly and she screamed. "Laissé allez de moi!" she shouted (I believe that translates to "Let go of me!" I used an online translator, so it may be wrong.). David twisted her wrist and she cried. "Don't wake up your boyfriend or else it'll be a lot harder on him than I am with you," David growled. Bijou fought tears, but managed to be quiet.
David tied her up and set her on the oak table. "You won't get away with this," Bijou said, still nearly crying. "You watch too many cartoons. In real life, the villain has a fairly decent chance of getting away with it," David said as he filled up his last bag with the last of the clubhouse possessions. "That is not true!" she said, beginning to cry again. She was scared, but she couldn't do anything about it. Hamtaro had slipped into unconsciousness when she laid him on the couch, so he couldn't do anything either.
David had thrown the bags onto a small sled and grabbed the ropes. He nestled Bijou in between the bags in the middle, partly to keep her warm, partly to keep her quiet as she continued to cry. He had blindfolded her so she could not see where they were going. He dragged the sled all the way to his human's front yard. He discreetly entered a tunnel and dragged the sled with him. He "parked" the sled and carried Bijou to a room. He opened the door and sat her on a chair.
"You're a very cruel person, you know that?" she asked. "My dear Jewel, I'm not a person at all. I'm a hamster," David replied as he took off her blindfold. Bijou narrowed her eyes at him. "My name is not Jewel," she said angrily, tears welling up in her eyes again. "On the contrary, Bijou means Jewel in French," David said as he tied her to the chair. "I know that, but my name is Bijou, not Jewel!" Bijou cried. "Don't cry, it's not very becoming," David mock-soothed.
David dragged the chair Bijou was tied to into another room. The door opened and Boss immediately shouted, "When's dinner? I'm starved!" Bijou turned around as much as she could. "Boss, is that you? We've been looking everywhere for you!" she said, still almost crying, but glad to see a familiar ham. Boss, on the other hand, lit up when he saw Bijou. "Bijou, am I glad to see you!" he said. David left the room and locked the door behind them. "Boss! How did you get into this horrible place?" She asked. "I suspect the same way you did," he sighed.
Meanwhile, Hamtaro woke up back at the clubhouse. He had recalled some screaming, but he couldn't remember who it was or why they did it. He had been halfway unconscious when it had occurred. Then it hit him! Bijou had been screaming, but he recalled another voice. Hamtaro dug deep into his memory. "David? Was it you?" he asked himself. "It must have been him," he said. Hamtaro sat up and gasped in surprise! Everything in the entire clubhouse, besides the couch he was lying on and the oak table, was gone!
TO BE CONTINUED...