Hey folks, sorry for the long hiatus on this! Satu-Suzu, Duckie P.O.V., MSS123, thanks for your reviews! Duckie – I know, it is all still very confusing at this point. But as you'll see at the end of this chapter, things will start to be explained soon! So hopefully if you keep reading you'll enjoy it more – and I promise to have the next chapter up within the next…let's say…2 weeks. That's my goal.

Yay! Thanks guys. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Boss couldn't even think. He felt rage boiling inside him, and without warning he sprang forward, eager to free his friends from his enemy's grasp. But Scuzz was quick to react, unsheathing his blade and raising it in front of Boss so that he stopped just short of piercing his own heart.

"Let them go!" Boss demanded, anger now flooding away all of the fear he had felt earlier. "They're innocent bystanders! This is between you and me, Scuzz, they have nothing to do with it!"

"Collateral damage, I suppose," Scuzz replied, tracing the tip of his blade across Boss's chest. "But you know, I would be more than happy to let them go. If you'll oblige my wishes first."

"I – I can't!" Boss stammered, anguish now mixing with the anger he felt so passionately.

"Well, it's either Bijou, or these two," Scuzz mused, turning to his captives. "And you know, I don't really have any use for these two. So I guess, if you aren't ready to comply with my demands, I should just get rid of them." A grin spread across his face as he draped one arm around Dexter's shoulders and with the other paw, raised his blade to Dexter's throat.

"Oh god oh god oh god," Dexter whimpered, eyes focused on the knife hovering uncomfortably close to his jugular vein.

"Get the hell away from him!" Howdy shouted, trying to wrestle free of Rock's grip.

"Or what?" Scuzz laughed. "You'll spit on me?"

He did.

"You arrogant little bastard," Scuzz growled, lowering his blade to wipe the spit from his cheek. Then he lunged at Howdy, blade drawn and ready to draw blood, but he was stopped abruptly mid-strike when Boss grabbed his arm.

"Don't hurt them," he pleaded, releasing Scuzz's arm. "I'll take you to Bijou. Just – don't hurt them anymore."

"Wait, Boss, you can't just give up like that!" Dexter shouted. "I'm willing to die for Bijou's sake. And I know that means you'd be willing to die for her a thousand times over! You can't just give up that easily!"

"Then what? I let them kill you?" Boss asked, tears welling in his eyes. "They'll do it. They don't even need a reason."

"To hell with them!" Howdy joined in. "And to hell with me, I guess, if that's where I'm headed. But you can't just give Bijou to 'em."

"Don't you get it? I don't have a choice in this. Your blood will be on my paws if I let them kill you! I can't live with that! You're two of my best friends in the whole world!"

"But you love Bijou." Dexter's eyes were brimming with tears as well. "How can you -" He stopped abruptly, feeling the sharp point of a knife at his back.

"Sorry to interrupt," Scuzz smiled. "But we really should get this show on the road. Boss, lead the way. Mitch, Rock, fall in behind and watch the hostages."

"Yes sir," the two minions replied, roughly taking hold of Howdy and Dexter's arms again. Boss breathed in and closed his eyes, hoping against all hope that Bijou wouldn't be at home. But he had told her to stay there himself. He'd sealed her fate. Oh, cruel irony.

Boss opened his eyes, now red from the tears, and pushed his way past Mitch and Rock, then turned to look back at Howdy and Dexter.

"I'm so sorry this is happening," he whispered. "No one was supposed to get hurt. If we get out of this alive, I owe you guys big time."

Howdy attempted a smile. "If you can get us out of this alive, I think we can call it even."

The night was clear and warm, and the moon was bright enough to light a path through the forest. It seemed the trek to Bijou's house would be an easy one tonight. Scuzz was counting on it; Boss was dreading it. As he led the group ever closer to their destination, his mind was racing, trying to conceive any possible means of foiling Scuzz's plan. He couldn't simply lead them in the wrong direction – Scuzz would know, because Scuzz knew where Bijou lived. And he didn't want to risk doing anything rash for fear that further harm would befall Howdy or Dexter as a result.

"Walk faster!" Scuzz commanded at length. "You're dragging your feet, Boss. As if you don't want us to get there before daybreak."

At the spurring of Scuzz's blade, Boss increased his pace, though he knew it meant he'd only have to face the inevitable even sooner. After a short while, he and Scuzz were a fair distance ahead of Mitch, Rock, Howdy and Dexter and paying little mind to them. They were both focused solely on what lay ahead.

Mitch and Rock were making no real concerted efforts to keep up with Scuzz, partly out of sheer laziness, and partly because Howdy and Dexter wanted nothing more than to be by Boss's side. But they were at the mercy of Mitch and Rock's unyielding grip, keeping them a good distance behind.

Mitch and Rock had amused themselves for the first part of the walk by finding as many creative ways as they could to threaten Howdy and Dexter. But they'd eventually grown weary of those pursuits, especially seeing as how Scuzz had promised to set the two of them free once Boss's end of the bargain was fulfilled (although Scuzz's word wasn't good for much), and they had resigned themselves to small talk and petty conversation.

"Nice night tonight," Rock mused, gazing heavenward. "Lots of stars too."

"Mmhmm," Mitch responded. Then he yawned.

"You know, you guys don't really seem all that bad," Howdy interjected. "At least, not compared to that jackass you take orders from. Why is it you let him boss you around?"

Rock raised a questioning eyebrow and seemed ready to respond when a dark figure draped in a hooded cloak suddenly emerged from the shadows before them. Boss and Scuzz were too far ahead to notice.

"Who the hell are you?" Mitch demanded.

Without a word, the stranger – quick as lightning – grabbed both Mitch and Rock by the nape of the neck and yanked hard so that their heads collided, instantly knocking them both unconscious, before either had a chance to react.

"Holy shit!" Howdy stammered.

Dexter was about to say something similar when the stranger clamped a paw over his mouth.

"Don't move," the stranger whispered, in a very feminine voice. Then she pulled something out from beneath the cloak she was wearing.

Dexter saw a glint of metal – a knife. Bracing for the worst, he squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the impact of blade on flesh. Instead, he immediately felt the ropes at his wrists loosen and fall to the ground. By the time he opened his eyes the stranger had already finished cutting Howdy's bonds as well.

"Geez, what are you?" Howdy asked of the stranger, massaging his chafed wrists. "Some kind of ninja angel?"

She smiled, put a finger to her lips, then ran straight towards Scuzz and Boss. As she approached them, she reached under her cloak and withdrew something small and round.

Scuzz turned on his heel when he heard the sound of footsteps quickly approaching. He saw the hooded figure coming towards him and reached for his blade – but before he could pull it from its sheath, she hurled the spherical object toward the ground in front of him and it erupted in a cloud of dust and vapor.

As Scuzz was overtaken by a fit of coughs, the stranger grabbed Boss's paw and pulled him away. "Cover your mouth!" she whispered, and he did as instructed. Then she pulled the collar of her hood up over her own mouth as the dust cloud spread and began to run, taking Boss with her.

When they were a safe distance away, she stopped running, released Boss's paw and looked back to where Scuzz had been. The dust had begun to settle, and Scuzz was now lying motionless on the ground.

"Did you – poison him?" Boss asked.

"Sort of," she replied. "But he's not dead, only unconscious. And not for too long, either, so we can't just stand around. Come on, let's find your friends and get out of here." She turned back and headed towards Howdy and Dexter, who were gaping at her in utter awe.

"What?" she chuckled, seeing their surprised looks. "Never met a woman who can defend herself before?"

"And save everyone else around her from certain doom..." Boss added, following her closely. "Can I ask...who are you, anyway?"

She turned to him then, and, without a word, lifted the hood of her cloak and let it fall behind her. She smiled warmly, watching Boss's expression change to a mixture of astonishment and joy.

She was a beautiful hamster with golden-brown fur and delicate features. Her eyes were a deep shade of lavender, and several strands of her fur fell softly over her right eye. She looked to be about Boss's age, perhaps a little older.

"A-Amy?" Boss stuttered, gazing into her eyes like they were crystal balls.

She nodded, and that was all Boss needed. He wrapped her in his arms and started bawling like a baby; she returned the embrace, gently stroking his back as his tears soaked into her fur.

"I...I missed you...so much!" Boss said between sobs. "I thought I'd never...never see you again!"

"I know," she told him, then pushed him back, releasing herself from the embrace. "But I'm here now. First things first, though – we need to get to shelter before Scuzz wakes up. Bijou is safe. I'll take you to her."

Boss nodded and turned to Howdy and Dexter, who both wore curious and confused expressions. "I'll tell you guys everything once we're safe," he said. "Let's go."

Well, what do you think so far? Review please!

Love & peace,

Genie