2-

"Careful with that, Roddy! I'd like to get this thing to the client without any nicks!"

"But...ergh...it's just a lava lamp!"

Rita had just moored the Jammy Dodger to the docks just outside Chinatown, and in true Malone fashion. Having hand-sprung to the dock, simultaneously looping the rope around a pylon, then deftly kicking the gangplank to the edge of the deck for Roddy. She stood in her typical Rita pose, waiting for Roddy, who was awkwardly half-carrying, half-walking the lamp across the gangplank. She caught it as Roddy neared the end of the plank, where he nearly overbalanced and cast it into the river. They both steadied it on the dock.

"This, ungh, lava lamp is gonna pay for some much-needed expansion for the office! I don't know about you, but I'd like to move up from a double-wide outhouse!"

"Oh, I don't know," Roddy quipped. "I find it kind of cozy, as it is now."

Rita gave him an icy glare. "Save the comedy for the clubs, major domo. I hope that curator gets here pretty soon..."

"You mean this guy?"

Roddy and Rita whirled around at the same time to see the rat gang, with Spike in front, snickering and offering them taunting looks. Ladykiller and Fat Barry flanked a shorter, older mouse who was tightly bound and gagged. "Rita, Rita, Rita! Heh-heh, we meet again. And Millicent! How's the new gig goin'?"

"Spike," Rita growled.

"For the last time, it's Roddy!" Roddy exclaimed.

"It's gonna take more than you changin' yer name ta throw us off, Milly-Willy!" Ladykiller laughed.

"'Milly-Willy...heh...that's a good one..." said Thimblenose Ted.

"Let 'im go, Spike. You wanna take things out on someone, take 'em out on me." Rita demanded.

"Oh, I plans to, love. But this time's gonna be organized. Whitey?"

"You yankin' Chinatown now, Spike? That's gonna be a good trick..."

"Just put the old mouse and the stupid lamp outta our way. No interference."

"Right-o." Whitey dragged the struggling, muttering curator over to the lamp, pushing it over to the side as he went. As Whitey got further away, Roddy impulsively tackled Spike.

"Roddy!" Rita yelled, more in surprise than anything.

"No, Rita! Run for it! I'll delay them!"

"I'm comin' Spike!" Whitey called from the far side of the dock, dropping the curator.

"No, Whitey! Stay put! Keep an eye on the lamp!" Spike managed to kick Roddy off, but by that time, Rita had spring-kicked Fat Barry, knocking him off-balance, so that he stumbled into Thimblenose Ted, who had the wind knocked out of him. Ladykiller attempted to grab Rita from behind, but Rita was again too quick, spin-kicking him in the side.

Roddy rolled once and got to his feet, just in time for Fat Barry to grab him. He then saw Spike touch his wrist. "That's it, mates, keep Millicent busy! I'll handle her..." As Rita was turning, Spike bulled into her, knocking her against a flagpole at the edge of the deck, and stunning her for a second.

"Rita!" Roddy yelled. He elbowed Fat Barry, who gasped and released him. Roddy then made a mad dash toward Rita at the same time as Spike.

"Time for that payback, Rita Malone!!" Spike yelled, drawing back his right hand. He thrust it at her just as Roddy reached her, so that Spike ended up thrusting his right hand into Roddy's back.

Still standing against the flagpole, Rita heard Roddy make a strange sound. He began to slide down, but Rita caught him, attempting to hold him up. "Roddy? What is it?" Roddy only moaned in response. As she held onto him, she noticed a strange feeling on her left hand, something warm and wet. Rita slowly drew her hand from Roddy's back, to see her palm covered in red. Her eyes widened as she looked into Roddy's dimming ones.

"R-Rita...I'm...s...sorry..." Roddy gasped. Speechless, Rita came down on one knee as Roddy slid from her grip and sprawled face down on the deck, a crimson stain spreading through the back of his blue jacket.

"Roddy! N-NO! You slimy little BUTCHER..."

During the dramatic scene, Spike had had plenty of time to ready his razor, and Whitey had time to reach them both. "No worries, love! You can JOIN HIM..." Rita grabbed the flagpole and did a gymnastic swing around it, horse-kicking Whitey into the river.

As Rita stood recovering from the move, Spike was already dashing toward her, aiming his deadly palm strike at Rita's abdomen. The razor sliced through thin air. Not even a second later, Spike saw a bright flash, and the universe spun about 90 degrees. The next thing he knew, he had slid off of Rita's knee, and lay on the dock completely stunned.

Shaking off the shock, Rita ran for the curator and cut his ropes with her bowie knife. "Please, you have to help me. That's my friend over there, and he's badly hurt."

As Rita removed the gag, the curator gasped. "Of course, my dear. We should try to stop his bleeding before anything else."

They ran over to Roddy, the curator washed off the gag and wrung it as Rita removed Roddy's jacket. They pressed the cloth into the wound, using two of the strips used on the curator's hands to hold it in place.

"We must get him to a doctor--I know of one nearby. Do you have anything with which we could carry him?"

"Sure, let's just hurry before these blokes come to..."