Despite the angered glares from the ostrich army, Stryker held his ground, putting his body between them and Ducky. He gave the birds an equally harsh stare, and shifted one foot back, putting himself into a fighting stance.
The woodpecker was mildly nonplussed, and he narrowed his eyes at the imposing rabbit. "Who do you think you are, blasted rabbit? ...Bah, it doesn't matter. Ostrich army, level arms. Prepare to fire on the rabbits on my mark."
Ducky wasn't one to be completely helpless, however, and she readied Firefox's blastgun behind Stryker's back. If there was going to be action, and there were enemies to be toasted, she'd have a part in it. Especially after what they did to her War Tavern.
"Ready..." the woodpecker called out. There was a series of clicks as the ostriches cocked their guns. "Aim..."
Faster than the woodpecker could compensate for, Stryker bolted forward, and dropped to his back, feet forward. The woodpecker commander only had time for a surprised, gasping squeak as Stryker's foot connected with the underside of his beak, and there was a sickening snap as the bird's neck cracked, rendering him immediately unconscious.
Then Stryker dove headfirst into the massed army.
It wasn't long at all before chaos spread through the ranks, as the slow-witted birds, in an attempt to stop, or at least slow down, the fighting rabbit, shot each other. Stryker was a cyclone of pain, dealing fists and feet in every direction; as soon as there was a target even remotely close to him, it was knocked for a loop, staggering backwards in agony as it clutched a broken something.
Stryker only flinched for a moment as numerous, regular booms rang out from where he had dashed from, as Ducky pounded at the outside of the clustered ostriches with Firefox's blaster. Feathers flew up into the air as the confused birds were quickly eviscerated by the high-powered shells set loose by the blaster. Stryker leaped upward, using a nearby ostrich's face for leverage, and was able to grab hold of a tree branch to use in swinging to Ducky.
Stryker landed neatly on the ground a few feet to Ducky's left, and came up beside her. "There are too many of them. We have to get out of here."
Ducky, despite her adrenaline rush, nodded rapidly. "I concur."
The ostriches were still befuddledly shooting at each other as Stryker and Ducky made a hasty exit.

A generous distance away from the battlefield, Ducky slowed to a stop, and listened to the sounds of the revived woodpecker's enraged squawking. She turned around as Stryker approached. "Thanks for saving my behind, but who are you?"
"Name's Stryker. I'm a friend of a good number of the regulars at your Tavern. I heard about what happened, and I decided to help you out in finding them."
Ducky thought about this for a moment. "So... you're just following me to make sure I don't get myself into trouble, I take it?"
"Yeah, that's about the size of it."
"Oh. Okay." Ducky glanced at a tree, and thought some more. "Well, um, do you know where we're going?"
"By the looks of it, we were heading towards Velo City."
"Okay then. Let's resume heading towards Velo City."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
They continued their journey, Stryker keeping an open ear and a quick eye out for trouble, and Ducky holding Firefox's blaster loosely in one hand.
"By the way, what was with that 'You shall not pass!' bit?"
"I haven't the slightest, to tell you the truth. I don't even like Lord of the Rings."

"Urgh, my head..." Curvegrinder muttered. "I feel like I got hit by a truck. Justice? Are you arou-- why do I smell beer?"
"Wozzat?" came a voice from a short distance away. "Who's there?"
Curvegrinder could only managed a confused "Huh?" as he felt someone nudging his leg.
"Who are you?"
"Um... depends, who are you?"
"Toxic Bunny, at your service, or something."
"Oh. Um, call me Curvegrinder. Or Grinder. Or whatever."
"Okay, whatever." He saw the shadowy outline of a hand extended to help him up, and he took it, grunting as he came to his feet.
"Oog, my aching head. Is Justice around?"
"Here," Justice replied, a short distance away. "You've been conked out for almost two days now, man."
"Seriously?"
"No."
"Oh."
"Well, get your lazy butt up, man! There's free beer around!"
Curvegrinder groaned. "No thanks. I already have a hangover to end all alcohol."
"Suit yourself," Justice replied, as he strode off to get some more beer.

To be continued.