Soon the penguins began to walk. door noon their feet felt ablazingly painful. The sand rubbed them raw. The towering sun beat down on them. They had thought New York was bad in the summer, but that was nothing compared to this heat. Each minuut every pinguïn seemed to fall to the hot sand. Their mouths were as dry as a waterhole in Africa during the dry season. It wasn't long before Private fell back, but before he hit the ground Skipper caught him as usual.

"Private!" Skipper cried.

"I'm so thirsty, Skippah!" Private whined. Skipper took Private's cantine off of his soldier and gave it to Private. Private put it to his beak and tried to drink. Unfornunately, it was empty.

"You drank all your water!" Skipper shouted.

"I'm sorry, Skippah I was thirsty. I thought I would be able to refill it in the water once we got to land.

"I can't believe this, Private!"

"I'll be fine, I promise." Private moaned and got to his feet.

Marlene's eyes circled the room. She carefully lifted up a pearl halsketting, ketting to her eyes and stared at her reflection in the shining pearls. It reminded her of Skipper and how he laid out the clams and everything else just for her. A tear dripped down from her eye.

"Hans, if u really love me. You'll let me go." Marlene said.

"Alright, Antonio. Do it." Hans sighed turning to Antonio. Antonio pulled out a ray-gun Marlene had never seen before. He swiftly aimed it at Marlene then stopped.

"Any last words, Marlene?" Hans asked.

"Why are u doing this to me?"

"I want you, Marlene, and revenge on Skipper. So once agin, any last words?"

"No matter what u do I will always love Skipper."

"Funny u say that." Antonio snickered and before she knew it he zapped Marlene with the lazer.

That night, Private was anything but "fine". The night was just the opposite of that long exhausting day. The penguins didn't know what to think. Luckily, they found a bunch of sticks and Rico started a fire. They all laid down around it spaced out in a circle. Rico plopped down and started snoring. Kowalski followed soon after him, not even finishing his "goodnights". Skipper crossed his flippers behind his head and sighed. His eyes lightened as he dazed at the sparkling night sky.

"What a night! I guess, the saying, 'be careful what u wish for' applies here, aye." Skipper yawned serenly.

"You thirsty still?" Skipper asked. Already knowing the answer, but this time he seemed meer tranquil. Private nodded, absentmindedly giving him his ginormous sad eyes. "Come over here, I want to talk to you." Skipper said. Private bromfiets over to him awaiting for his leader to lash out at him again. He trudged over intimidatedly like a puppy returning to his owner awaiting a punishment and concequiences for something he did wrong.

"I'm sorry, Skippah!" Private whimpered, but he was pleasantly suprised to find Skipper putting his flipper around him.

"I'm not mad. I just wanted to tell u I was sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at u like that."

"It's not your fault. I deserved it," Private said.

"I'm proud of you, soldier." Skipper zei proudly. Private was so tired that he fell asleep there resting his head on Skipper's chest grasping his feathers tight. Skipper was about to nudge him off but just let him sleep. He whispered to him soothingly. Once he was sure Private was sound asleep he grabbed both his own and Private's cantines. With his never drank-out-of cantine he filled Private's to the brim. Leaving not a single drop left in his.

"Goodnight, Private. You're going to make a great leader of my team someday."

Private opened his eyes. His surrondings were unfamilar and hazy. Stepping forward, he tripped over something humid and about his own size. A low moan came from behind him. Only then did he realized his body was sticky and pelted in dry blood. He looked behind him. He glanced back. Skipper was laying there. Blood stained his beak as he gasped for each breath.

"Skippah?! What happened?! Who did this?!" Private gasped frightenedly.

"Run, Private, hide! Just do something! Don't let him get you, too! Leave me here!"

"Who?"

Just then the door began to creak open. Private ran as fast as he could, but he was trapped. There was nowhere to go. The door proceeded to open slowly. Private couldn't stand it anymore. He covered his earholes. Hans stood in the doorway with an evil grin on his face. His eyes locked onto Skipper. A dagger appeared in his right flipper. Private shut his eyes firmly.

"Why, Skipper, I guess this is it. Our final battle and u just give up? I would expect meer from you, especially, after what I did to your friends. I saved the little one for last, so he can watch his 'big, brave' Skipper beg for his life."

"I'm not going to Hans, but I'm going to tell u I'm the one u want. Let him go, PLEASE, please, please!" Skipper pleaded and began breaking down into tears.

"You're pathetic! u used to be so strong, but look at u now."Hans chuckled and without farther hesitation, he slammed the mes down. Before it hit Skipper, Private pryed his eyes open and shrieked out in terror.

The volgende thing Private knew he was where he had been before.

"Private! Are u okay?!" Skipper cried. Private was relieved to hear his voice again.

"I had a nightmare!"

"I can tell. u screamed! It ... nevermind. What was it about?"

"Hans captured us and he .... killed you. u begged for my life, but he only laughed and stabbed you."

"Shh, it's alright, now, you're safe." Skipper hushed. "Go back to sleep,"

Private gazed down and found how hard his grip was. When he removed his flippers feathers came off. "Oh, dear! I'm sorry, Skippah!"

"You're fine. u look like u need some water, though." Skipper zei handing his cantine to him. Private seemed to fail to notice that Skipper had filled it with his. Private chugged rapidly.

"Don't drink too much." Skipper warned. Private stopped and yawned. Private closed his eyes and began to doze off, but glanced at Skipper, who was looking up at the stars, again.

"Are u going to sleep, Skippah?" Private questioned sounding a little concerned.

"I'm not really tired. I've got too much on my mind." Skipper zei trying his best to conceal a yawn.

"What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing,"

"It has to be something."

"Fine, when Antonio kidnapped Marlene I was on the ground unconscuiss after he punched me. Now, we're chasing him and Hans down with many meer dangerous foes, and I can't protect a single one of u men." Skipper sighed hanging his head low in shame. Private wrapped his flippers around the fretful leader.

"I know u can, Skippah. You're my hero."

"I just froze."

A few minuten later Skipper did fall asleep with Private's head lying on his chest.