I followed him in the mineshaft.

"Hey, where does this lead to?"

"Gizzard Gulch."

"What the hell is Gizzard Gulch?"

He stopped, and looked at me funny and chuckled.

"Ya don't know what gizzard gulch is?"

"Nope." I said with a bit of agitation in my voice.

"It's a town full o' squabblin' Clakkers." He sighed, obviously seeing I was getting irritated.

"Clakkers are the short and fat birds, right?"

"Yup."

A moment past.

"Do you live there, or what?"

"Nope. I'm a free lancin' bounty hunter."

My agitation turned into fear. Oh crap a bounty hunter?! I could already be a target for any bounty hunter, including him!

"No wonder why you got an outlaw." I chuckled, trying to hide my nervousness.

"Sorry, but another question," I paused," do you know where I could get something besides this disgusting lab coat, it stinks." He turned around and faced me

"Yeah, da general store should 'ave somethin' in yer size. It ain't gonna be anythin' fancy though."

"I could steal something if it would be more convenient"

"Naw, I got enough to buy some."

I nodded my head.

"Thank you..."

"Thank you!"

I giggled and looked at my Fuzzle.

"You silly little guy."

He purred and nuzzled me.

"What should I call you, little one?"

He paused, and closed his eyes in deep concentration.

"Bolt!"

"Okay Bolt!" I giggled" Why did you choose that name?"

"I'm super fast!" He bounced off my shoulder and hopped several yards ahead of me, and hopped back and up my shoulder in almost an instant. Damn, he was fast! The Vykkers must have done something to him to make him so fast.

"Well, I got my ability and you have your gift!"

I giggled and rubbed his head. He purred and snuggled me. I heard stranger chuckle.

"I see ya are good with dem Fuzzles!" I nodded my head and rubbed under Bolt's chin

"Yeah. We saved each others lives..."

He looked slightly confused, but nodded his head and walked forward, with me tagging along like a Sleg to its master. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. But, yet again, I don't know who or what he is.

I soon began to see the real sun light, and not the half burnt out mine shaft lights. I also felt the blazing heat of midday. I gotta say, the Vykkers labs had a cool, and comfortable air, when there weren't screams of pain and the grinding of saws on bones. I became nervous and uneasy when I spotted some more outlaws through the entrance. I am sure as heck didn't want to get shot again.

The outlaws were standing on top of what looked like a large water tower. They began to bicker and fight over which button would set the timer and which one detonated on contact.

"Okay, I'll press the green one!"

"NO YOU IDIO-"

I shielded my eyes from the explosion, and I was practicably un-stunned when a hand came flying and landed at my feet twitching. I've seen 10 times worse, and I've had horrible things that were more gory and painful done to me that I don't want to talk about at all, let alone think about it. I coldly kicked the hand, sending it flying off the cliff onto the ground much farther beneath us. I chuckled as one of the outlaws squealed like a little girl at the sight of the blown up hand.

I noticed that Stranger had a surprised look on his face at my nonexistent reaction to the hand. I looked at Bolt, and he was horrified. I giggled at Bolt, and he huffed and glared at me, which amused me further. Stranger motioned for me to follow him further, and we hopped down a couple of reed filled cliff edges. When we reached the last pair of reeds, we hid.

"Can ya fight?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I can take out a couple, just signal me."

"Do ya 'ave any weapons?"

I grew my nails out until they were as long as my fingers.

"Do these count?"

He nodded and opened up his crossbow. He reached into the pouch on his hip, and pulled out a Bolamite, instead of what I figured would be an arrow! Now that I looked at his crossbow, he didn't have slots for arrows, but little platform slots. He set a Bolamite on the little platform and he placed a rock on the other. He aimed it far off into the distance, and fired the rock. At first I was confused, but when two from an abandoned house, and one from the group bellow us ran to inspect the source of noise, I realized. He then pulled out a little rodent creature that I haven't seen before. I looked at bolt, and he looked horrified.

"What do ya think ya doin'?! Put me down fuzz face!" I had to stop myself from snickering. Stranger simply ignored it, and aimed it near on the ground below us and fired.

"HEY! Uglies! Why the hell are two dim-witted fools standin' out here with a stupid look on ya'lls faces?!"

The outlaws ran at the critter," stupid Chippunks!"

"Get over here!"yelled another

The Chippunks dodged their stomping, while at the same time throwing witty insults at them. Stranger lifted his hand up

Three

Two

One

Stranger fired a Bolamite at one, and I jumped down and speared the outlaws head on my long nails. I felt the outlaw gasp and crumble down to the ground. I felt the warm, delicious blood seep from the wounds, staining my fingers and oozing its way down his head. I felt my wild side rise, though I quickly pushed the thought of blood out of my head. No, blood wasn't made to drink. It was made to sustain life. Not to lick, not to taste. Only savages did that, and I wasn't a savage. I was a sentient being. I had something more than instincts. I had the ability to think besides of licking that blood, feeling the warmth ooze its way down my tongue- no. NO! I completely shoved blood out of my mind.

"Ya okay?" that defiantly pulled me out of my mind

"Ye-yeah . . . " I stuttered. I yanked my claws out of his skull, and I wiped the blood off on my coat before retracting my nails. He gave me the look that one would give if you didn't believe them, which I couldn't blame him. I was never a good liar. I looked at bolt, and he looked terrified. He was scared of me which made me feel horrible.

"Who's that?!" Yelled an outlaw that walked out from behind the cliff wall. I whipped around and barely dodged a bullet. I pounced on the outlaw, knocking him on his back. I wrapped my hands around his face and snapped his neck with ease. I stood up and stared down at it. I spat on the carcass and walked toward a stunned stranger. Heh, I must have been faster than I thought I was.

"Well, how do you transport these outlaws?"

"Ya'll see." He walked up to the outlaw, and pulled out a curious looking canister, he took the top off, and it created a suction, sucking the outlaw into the canister. And he fit! He frikin FIT! How in the hell did he fit?! He chuckled and I snapped out of my daze. He motioned for me to follow him, and he quietly walked in a slightly crouched position and I followed him, sneaking also. I followed him to the old, battered, and abandoned house. I saw movement and then I remembered that there were two outlaws in there. Stranger motioned for me to stay put, and he loaded two Bolamites on his cross bow as he snuck around the front.

"KILL 'IM!"

"YOU NO GOOD SON OF A-"

The outlaw's voices were both soon muffled by the Bolamite's webbing. I heard a sucking noise, and then the muffled screams vanished. He soon came back around the front and motioned for me to follow him. I ran up next to him and walked at the same pace as him.

"Why won't ya tell me where ya came from?" he questioned. I sighed.

"I need to know if I can trust you first."

He stopped and coldly looked at me. "Are ya an outlaw or somthin'?"

I gave him a bewildered look. "Are you serious?! Why in the heck would I be an outlaw?! Lets just say this; I'm running from someone. They were holding me hostage in a hell hole! I get tortured at the goddamn place!" the last two words cracked. I sniffed and began to quickly begin to walk ahead of him. He caught up to me. He placed his enormous hand on my shoulder, and I flinched. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze despite my flinch. I didn't care if he did, it's just I wasn't expecting it.

"Look, I'm sorry about dat. I won't press any more." I looked at him, and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"I-It's okay . . . "

I looked down at the ground and sighed. I hate Vykkers labs. It's a hellish place, full of experiments and torture. I remember the time they strapped me down to the table, and they slit my stomach open, and took tissue samples. I remember my shrill screams and the pain. All they gave me was some sort of gas. I shivered at the memory of seeing my own organs. I wanted to throw up.

He removed his hand and he sighed himself. I wiped my eyes, and I looked ahead. I heard gentle purring and I looked at my shoulder. Bolt was purring, and he began to rub his head on my cheek. I smiled and petted the lil' guy. We came up to a giant metal tunnel.

"How much longer till we hit town?"

"After this tunnel, the town is strait ahead."

"Okay . . . " we walked a couple minutes till we came around a corner. Strait ahead was a house, and a large gate.

"Is there a bunch of outlaws around here?"

"Yup. That's why they have such a huge gate."

"Hm."I replied

We continued to walk without a word until we reached the entrance. There was a Clakker inside a room with a glass wall.

"I need ta take yer weapons, stranger." Stranger unattached his crossbow and then the Clakker looked at me.

"Do ya have any weapons miss?" I shook my head no.

"All right. Go on through!" he opened the gate, and I followed stranger in.