Author's Note: I'm in a very happy mood, and I don't have any homework right now, so I decided that I would post this now. Have fun with it!

“It’s Friday, boys, and आप know what that means.”

Kowalski took out his clipboard as I rolled my eyes. “Recon,” we both said.

“Can we have snow cones later?” asked Private.

Rico nodded vigorously in agreement. Skipper smiled. “I don’t see why not. As long as everything goes as plan.”

I fist pumped the air. We all went topside as Skipper gave us our roles. “Rico, Kowalski, आप have the zoo. Nathan, Private, you’re in the park. I’m checking downtown.”

We saluted him and slid to our positions. “Let’s start from the far end and make our way towards the zoo,” I suggested.

Private nodded. “Sounds good.”

Private and I have been paired together a lot, and I had taken the role of leadership between us. Private offered no argument and was fine having me in charge. I inclined my head. “Want to take point?”

He spun toward me, eyes wide. “Really?”

I grinned. “Why not?”

Jumping with joy, the boy took point. We journeyed on in silence; Private was taking his job very seriously. When we were about halfway to the zoo, Private stopped. “What is it?” I whispered.

He held up a flipper. “Badgers,” he whispered in fear.

Yellow eyes came to view, and I shuddered. “We can take them,” I कहा confidently.

Placing a flipper on Private, I was shocked द्वारा how cold he was. “Private? Are आप all right?”

“Badgers,” he कहा once more.

I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, I know.”

He turned to me. “You can’t trust them.”

Before I could ask him what he meant, a बिज्जू, बेजर climbed out of the shadows. “Hello, penguins.”

“I wish I could say the same,” I replied evenly.

Private was फ्रोज़न in fear. I briefly wondered what horrible experience he had with badgers before realizing that now was not the time to ask. The बिज्जू, बेजर chuckled. “We have आप surrounded.”

On cue, badgers appeared on all sides, cutting off any exit we might have used. “What do आप want?” I hissed.

“Only the boy.”

I shielded Private from him. “Over my dead body.”

Hurriedly, I slipped our walkie-talkie into Private’s flipper. “Keep this safe, and when I give आप the signal, call for backup.” I whispered.

He nodded. The बिज्जू, बेजर chuckled and went on. “It would be a minor obstacle, but I shall grant आप your wish.”

I met his eyes. “You don’t know what’s coming to you.”

“Kill him.”

Badgers startled approaching us. “Now, Private!” I yelled.

As I did a हटाइए called the ‘Flaming Tornado,’ I heard Private call. “We’re near Fred’s,” he yelled. “Requiring immediate backup! Roger that?”

“We’re coming, Private!” I heard Skipper say. “Just hang on!”

I punched a बिज्जू, बेजर in the face. “Go, Private! Climb up a tree!”

Another बिज्जू, बेजर went down. “Hurry!”

“What about you?” he yelled.

“I’ll be fine!” I ducked a पंच and heard the satisfying crunch of the hit colliding with the बिज्जू, बेजर behind me. Standing upright again, I chided the badger. “Didn’t your mother teach आप not to fight?”

Grinning, I chopped his neck, sending him out cold. “Isn’t that Skipper’s move?”

I turned back to see Private on a tree. It must have taken a lot of courage for him to say that. “It may be,” I replied.

I spun around and felt that satisfying feeling as my foot collided with my target. “Stay there, Private!”

I laughed a crazy laugh that would put Rico to shame. “Bring it on, badgers,” I teased.

बिज्जू, बेजर after बिज्जू, बेजर went down. I had never felt so alive in a long time. The last time I had felt this way was when Billy was killed. The only difference was that while rage filled me before, प्यार fueled me today.

Never would another पेंगुइन die under my watch, I had vowed. Today, I was going to prove it. After a while, every बिज्जू, बेजर was either knocked out या running; या so I thought. “Run home, runt!” I called after the last बिज्जू, बेजर had fled.

Grinning, I glanced back at Private, only to find that the leader of the badgers had him cornered. Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico showed up. “Just point to the target, and we’ll take care of it,” कहा Skipper, getting ready to pounce.

Ignoring him, I ran towards Private.

Ha! Cliffhanger! Stay tuned!