coming in here to pump those titanium triceps?"

Blitz didn’t know what triceps were (for that matter, all he knew about titanium was that a lot of their weapons were made from it), but he decided to take it as a complement. "Oh, lots. I’m an expert at garbage sniffing, I make amazing peppermint milkshakes, and of course no one can touch my-"

"Ah, yes," said Abby with a giggle so low-pitched it was almost a chuckle. "I’ve heard all about that." She batted her eyes at him. "A big, strong dog like you ought to be the leader," she flattered. "Not a grouch like Exile."

Blitz set the weights back on the rack with a grunt and sat up, hitting his head on the bar in the process. "Yah," he said once he was done seeing stars. "Or a mutt like Hunter."

"I know," laughed Abby. Blitz liked her laugh, soft and low. Her eyes were attractive too; dark and mysterious. "What an airhead he is. Hey, I’ve got an idea," she added, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What if you find out what’s happened to Hunter? That would prove you deserve to be the leader."

Blitz brightened. "You think so?" he asked.

"Oh, absolutely," said Abby. "Maybe it would even get Colleen to notice you. Why don’t we get up tonight and search for clues?"

Blitz nodded. "Just the two of us?" he asked, not wanting anyone else to be in on the plan. Besides, if Colleen continued to ignore him, Abby might be just as good. Maybe better.

"Just the two of us," she assured him. Then, as if she were reading his mind, she added, "And maybe after that, we can swing by the kitchen for a couple of those delicious milkshakes you told me about."

The next morning Blitz was missing too. The camera glitch had struck again, leaving no evidence. Exile was all but out of his mind trying to figure it out. "First Colleen, then Hunter, and now the weird boy! They are dropping like ghosts! Vanishing like flies!" he burst out in consternation.

"Hey, I found this," said Abby, holding up a small recording device. She hit the play button.

"Greetings, Road Rovers," sneered an all-too-familiar voice. "This is General Parvo. I have your leader and the Doberman as well. If you want them back, come to the coordinates written on the side of this device at noon today. If you do not come, or if you try to trick me, we will see how strong your loyalties are once your friends have been re-conditioned in the cano-mutator. Oh, and a message to your newest member- Abby, I believe. I was impressed by your recent battle with my mutants. Perhaps if I’m pleased by your performance today I will release someone else unharmed as well."

"Abby!" came a panicked female voice over the recording. "Stay away! Parvo’s…" but before she could finish, the recording ended in static.

"Felicia!" Abby cried. She looked around at the others. "I’ve got to save her!"

Shag put a paw on her shoulder. "Ruh. Ruh row ruh ruh ruff."

"Shag is right. We will all go," said Exile. "It’s all for all, and one for one."

Exile had gotten the saying wrong as usual, but Abby understood the meaning. Looking around at the firm nods from the other Road Rovers, she smiled grimly. "I can’t thank you guys enough." Raising her fist into the air, she shouted, "Let’s hit the Road, Rovers!"

A howl went up from the pack.

"I’ll send for Colleen," said the Master. "She’ll come when she knows what’s at stake."

"No time!" snapped Abby. That meddling pest is the last thing I need, she thought. "Come on, guys!" And she raced for the Sky Rover.

"Um, you are forgetting about the coordinates, "Exile called, running after her with the device in his hand.

"I saw them!" she shouted. "Now come on!"

"What are the coordinates?" asked the Master. Exile read them. "I’ll give them to Colleen when she gets here. You’ll need all the backup you can get."

The Road Rovers piled into the Sky Rover, and even though Exile was currently the leader, Abby was in the pilot’s seat when the others got to the jet. "I’ve already set the course," she told them. As soon as all seatbelts were buckled she lifted off. "Watch out, Parvo," she snarled. "This time it’s personal!"

"Remind me never to get on her bad side," Exile whispered to Shag. "I am in no hurry to visit the veteran."

Meanwhile at her home in London, Colleen was taking a nap when a light fell upon her from nowhere. Colleen, you are needed, said the Master’s voice, although only Colleen could hear it.

Colleen put her paws over her ears. Had the Master forgotten that she was on break?

Colleen, you must hurry. The Rovers are in grave danger.

She scoffed. Even after three days, her jealousy had not ebbed in the least. They’re probably doing better without me, she thought. With a fighter like Abby, I’d just get in the way.

Colleen, said the Master urgently, you must come. Hunter has been captured.

Colleen sat bolt upright. WHAT?!

The canine quartet followed the coordinates to a small island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. They saw Parvo’s plane surrounded by an army of cano-mutants in a large clearing and decided to land on the other side of the island. "Okay, here is plan," said Exile. "We try to capture from behind. First we free Hunter, Blitz, and Felicia. Then Hunter gets Felicia to safety as fast as possible while we hold off the cano-mutants. Once we regroup, we run."

Abby shook her head. "No way. I’m not leaving until I’ve made General Parvo pay for this."

Muzzle snarled his agreement, but Exile shook his head. "You talk like the weird boy. There are too many of them. This is no time for revenge. We can get rid of Parvo later. Right now all that matters is getting Hunter and Blitz back and getting Felicia to safety."

Abby nodded. "All right."

The group landed and set off through the undergrowth, but just as they came within sight of the clearing half a dozen cano-mutants ambushed them, capturing Exile, Shag, and Muzzle. "Abby, help!" Exile shouted.

Abby looked at them with a cruel smile. "Why would I want to do that?" she asked.

Exile struggled against the cano-mutants’ grip. "We are trying to save your owner!"

Abby laughed, cold and cruel as a blizzard. "You’ll know everything soon enough," she promised. Shag whimpered. "And stop acting like a baby, mop-boy!" she snapped. She led the cano-mutants into the clearing. "Here they are, General Parvo," she announced.

"Excellent work, Abby. You’ve done your job well."

Hunter and Blitz were wrapped in chains, hanging by their feet from a tree. Seeing the others captured, Hunter tried to grin. "Well, guess we can start the party now, everybody’s here."

"Go chase a tennis ball," spat Abby as Shag and Exile were chained and hung up next to Hunter and Blitz. Since Muzzle always wore a straightjacket and was strapped to a hand truck anyway, there was no need to chain him up, but they did.

"And now," said Abby, turning to General Parvo, "I have upheld my end of the bargain and brought you the Road Rovers. You will now uphold your end and allow me to eliminate them personally."

General Parvo nodded. "Gladly. Proceed."

"But Abby," protested Exile, "We were trying to save your master."

"I am her master," said General Parvo. "Felicia works for me, and so does Abby."

"Uh, can someone explain what is going on-ski?" asked Exile.

"That’s true," Hunter agreed. "Villains are always supposed to go on a gloating spree about their master plan before they wipe out the good guys."

"Oh, very well," grumbled General Parvo. "Several months ago, I decided it was pointless to go on trying to stop you Road Rovers by mere force. Even the loyalty of my cano-mutant soldiers couldn’t defeat you as a te…" Parvo trailed off, suddenly overcome by hacking and coughing spasms. "Lozenge!" he cried between gasps for breath.

Firing a small red cough drop out of a pistol-like device and into her boss’s mouth, Groomer took over. "We couldn’t stop you as a team, so we decided to break up the act. We realized that the transdogmafier increased a dog’s ordinary abilities to superhuman and supercanine levels…"

Parvo, having regained his composure, raised a hand to stop the Groomer. Clearing his throat, he resumed speaking. "So we developed a machine which could mentally enhance an ordinary dog to the point where, with a little help from your transdogmafier, it would possess psychic powers. And, as a little extra insurance, we programmed these canines with what you might call an attack dog mindset – total and absolute animosity toward everyone except us and those we might choose." He grinned, closing his fist so tight his whole arm shook.