One of my characters here is named Screech, who's personality is inspired by the wacky character by the same name from the 80's TV show, "Saved By the Bell". Also, one of my characters says a line about 'getting the license number...I have just been violated!!' This is one of my favorite lines from a Chris Rock character.

Chapter 6: The Gang's All Here

Boss traveled all day through the fields, not really knowing where he was or where he was heading. In shorter terms, he was lost. But after wandering a bit, he found a road streaming right through the middle of the fields. He looked down the road to where, far in the distance, he spotted the tall skyscrapers of the city. At least it leads somewhere, he thought. So, he began to follow the main road.

By the afternoon, Boss had made it to the place he had heard so much about from his friend Howdy. The city was a lot less peaceful as it had seemed from the distance. It was a lot more crowded and loud. People walked both ways and Boss had to constantly weave about to keep from being stepped on. He stayed away from the roads, for the sights and sounds of the enormous things Howdy had described to him as 'cars' scared him a bit.

Deciding he should find something to eat, Boss began sniffing the air. It was so full of new smells that more than once, he found himself beginning to wander off in favor of a new smell. But finally, his nose led him to a dark alley lined with trash cans. Boss followed his nose and crawled into one of the trash cans that were tipped over. But almost as soon as in had gotten in and started nosing around for food, he heard something zip by behind him.

Someone was following him. He looked around the dark alley, unsure of where his stalker was hiding. He gasped and swerved around upon hearing the tink of something moving around the trash cans. With a quiet gasp, Boss bit his lip and very slowly backed up against the brick wall of the alley's end. He kept on hearing the sound of something stalking around the cans. And whatever it was, it was getting closer.

Suddenly, the head of a mouse poked out from around one trash can. It blinked at Boss, then squeaked and ran off.

Relaxing his tensed figure, Boss breathed a sigh of relief and slumped against the wall.

"Hey!" a voice suddenly exclaimed.

With a shout of surprise, Boss ducked to the ground and covered his head.

"Kiddo, chill out! I don't bite!"

Boss lifted a paw and peeked up at his visitor. She was a striking hamster with light brown and white fur that looked to be in her early 20s. She had her hair pulled back in a pink hair tie in a ponytail. "Who are you?"

"Uhh…" Boss started nervously. He gasped as the girl hamster suddenly leaned in and began sniffing him. After a minute, she pulled back and furrowed her brow. "You're not from around here, are ya?"

"Um, n-no…I live out in the forest, down in Nagoya."

"What??" A voice called. "That's miles from here!"

Boss looked and watched as a scrawny hamster with orange and cream colored fur came sulking out of a knocked over trash-can and whimpered. "A little kid like him could easily get lost or stepped on or eaten or worse!" The hamster whimpered again and sat down, scratching behind his ear with his back leg.

"Hey, ya'llllll!!!" Another hamster with light gray fur and a tuft of hair suddenly jumped down to the scrawny hamster's side from the top of the trash can, making him jump and yelp in surprise. The hamster began talking rapidly. "What up, Screech? What's the dealio, my man??"

Screech growled and jumped on him, shoving his face down into the trash. "ROCKY, DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!!!"

Pushing him off, Rocky laughed and stood up. "Geez, you're so paranoid, man!"

"Am not, I'm just alert to my surroundings!"

"Paranoooooooid." Rocky taunted coolly.

Screech growled and tackled him. The two began wrestling with each other.

Bewildered, Boss watched them as they rolled about and argued.

Then, yet another hamster came running up and jumped on top of a half-eaten cup of yogurt that was lying out among the trash. This one was probably the biggest hamster Boss had ever seen. He was a huge guy with black fur and a white snout. He looked at Rocky and Screech wrestling. "Hey!" the big hamster exclaimed in a gruff but goofy voice. "What's everybody doin'?"

The female Boss was standing next to winced. "Oh, um, Victor, I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Then, under her breath, "Thank heavens I'm not."

"Do what?" Victor asked obliviously.

Suddenly, the aluminum seal of the yogurt top gave way from under him and caused him to fall into the cup with a shocked yelp. The cup tipped over and, with Victor still in it, went rolling rapidly down the wooden board it had been on.

Boss and the female hamster watched as the cup went barreling towards Screech and Rocky, who were still fighting. The two onlookers shut their eyes and flinched back as the CRASH! of the impact was heard. When they looked up, Rocky, Screech, and Victor were all heaped together in a pile, their fur patched with strawberry yogurt.

Rocky lifted his head up from under Victor's tail with a ticked-off look. "Somebody get the license number on that Semi! I have just been violated!!" He squirmed out from under the big hamster. "You'll be speakin' with my lawyer, PAL!"

Screech stumbled back out of the pile with the yogurt cup on his head. "Help!" he yelled in a muffled voice. "Help! Get me outta here!" He finally managed to get his head out and stumbled back.

As Rocky began to walk forward, he looked ahead and spotted Boss. His eyes widened and he suddenly gasped deeply. "Field dweller!!" he exclaimed and held his arms out to keep the others back. "Freeze!"

Screech and Victor skidded to a stop, all three of them bunched together in a line. They all stared at Boss like he had three heads.

Rocky held as still as he could. "Don't let them see ya sweat. They can smell your fear just by lookin' at ya. So don't move a muscle."

The female rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Overreact much, Rocky?"

"Shh!" Rocky silenced her, still staring at Boss. "Don't say a word…"

Blinking in confusion, Boss looked at them and opened his mouth to say something.

"It's after us!!" Rocky yelled suddenly. "SCATTER!!!" The three hamsters all screamed and dove like crazy into the trash piles.

"Will you three knock it off?!" the female asked, exasperated.

Rocky and Victor stepped out of the trash with chortles. "Hee-hee." Rocky laughed. "Fine, fine, okay."

"What?" Screech poked his head out, having not expected it was actually a joke. "Oh, fine then!" he frowned. "Give us all a heart attack, Rock."

"Don't tell me you actually believed it."

"I never said that." Screech said cockily.

"Cool it, guys." the female said to them. "The kid's from Nagoya and I think he got a little lost."

"A little lost?" Screech repeated and rolled his eyes. "…No dip."

"No!" Boss started. "I'm not lost! Well, I mean I wa- but I am- well, ya see-"

"Aw, no worries, kid." Chrissie smiled at him. "We'll look out for ya. What's your name?"

"B-Boss."

"Well, Boss, I'd like to introduce ya to the gang. She pointed to the three boys. "That's Victor, that's Screech, and that's Rocky."

Rocky walked up and put his arm around Boss's shoulder in one of those side-hugs. "Yo, my brother!" he pointed to the female who had walked over to join the rest. "And that there's Chrissie. She's a display, eh?" Rocky laughed deviously and called out. "Chrissie! Hello, sweetie!" He jockeyed his eyebrows. "Talk to me! Talk to me, baby!"

Chrissie shot him a glare. "Shut up Rock, before I stuff you."

"Ooh, she's got spunk!" Rocky grinned and darted after his love-life.

Victor leaned in to get a closer look at Boss. "Hey, how'd you get all the way out here anyway?"

Boss stuttered. "Well, t-there was the fire in our forest a-and this big hawk came down and grabbed me and brought me here and dropped me into a hay car and then I found my way here. But Mom and Dad will be looking for me; I know it!"

"Eh, I dunno, little buddy. That's a loooooong way from here." Screech said.

"You know," Chrissie said to Boss. "Maybe you should hang around with us, kid. It's pretty dangerous out here, especially once the sun goes down. You're gonna need somebody to look after ya."

Boss frowned, a little unsure, but then he looked up at her. "Well...I guess I could stay just a little while…"

"Well, kid," Screech suddenly reached his arm around Boss's shoulder and pulled him into a death-hug. "Welcome to the gang!!"

"Whoa, whoa!" A voice called. "Hold up, there, Screech!"

Everyone turned around. The silhouette of a hamster was seen in the shadows as it slid down the last railing of the fire escape stairs, leaped onto a leaning trashcan, and then jumped onto the ground in front right as the trash can tipped over and made a crash. Boss couldn't make out anything but the silhouette of the hamster as it lifted its head up to them. Then slowly, it walked out of the shadows and into the light.

The hamster was a shady-looking figure with dark gray fur. He had a patch of white on almost his entire face and another small patch on his left leg. But his most noticeable feature was a large scar that branched over his left eye and down that side of his face.

That's the chap!! And if you're curious, here's a list of voices for the gang. X)

Young Boss - Sam Gifaldi (Fluke's Yong Fluke and Hey Arnold's Sid) Note: I don't watch Hey Arnold, but I saw he was credited for it and you would know the show, not me)

Raphael - Denis Leary (Ice Age's Diego and Bug's Life's Francis)

Chrissie - Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls' Lorelai)

Screech - Austin Pendleton (Finding Nemo's Gurgle)

Rocky - Max Casella (Dinosaur's Zini and TLK on Broadway's Timon)

Victor - Wayne Knight (Space Jam's Stan and Toy Story 2's Al)