Ding dong. Creek. Carl pulled open the door. "Good afternoon, my name is Russell and I am a wilderness explorer in..." "Russell," Carl looked down at the boy standing on the porch of his new home. "I know who you are; you don't need to recite your little wilderness speech every time you arrive at my door." "I just want to make sure you remember me. You know..." Russell lowered his voice, cupping his mouth on one side with his hand. "Since you're old." "Don't worry Russell, I could never forget you." Carl spoke lowly to himself, "Especially since you practically live here now." Russell walked under Carl's arm; helping himself to a chair in the living room. Carl sat down in the neighboring chair. "I miss Kevin," Russell said letting out a large sigh. Carl looked up at Ellie's adventure scrapbook collecting dust on top of the fireplace. His mind flooded with memories of him and Russell protecting Kevin. "MR. FREDRICKSON? IS YOUR HEARING AID ON?" Russell was only inches away from Carl's ear. "AHHH." "Just checking. Sometimes you shut it off when I talk." "Hey Russell, how would you like to earn a badge that no one else in your wilderness kiddie club thing can earn?" "You mean like the Ellie badge?" Russell looked down at his sash; glowing. "Yes, like the Ellie badge." "OKAY. When do we start? Where are we going? What is the badge? Where will I put it? What is the..." Carl turned down his hearing aid and lifted himself out of the patterned chair. "I have a few calls to make first."

Later that day, Russell returned to Mr. Fredrickson's porch. "My mom said it was okay. She said you can keep me as long as you want." Russell welcomed himself in. "I'm sure she did," Carl chuckled. "Ready to hear what our next adventure is?" Russell dropped his bags on the floor. "What is it? What is it?" He asked jumping up and down with excitement. "Well..." Dug ran into the house. "I brought you this squirrel because I love you." He plopped it down on the carpet. "Dug!" Russell ran to him. "Where have you been?" "Master sent me on an important mission. I could not come back until I dug up every flower in the Robinsons' garden. Master says their flowers are evil." Carl chuckled. "Mr. Fredrickson and I are going on an adventure. Want to come?" "Dug isn't going anywhere until he takes care of this squirrel." Carl pointed to the immobile rodent on his living room floor. "Yes Master." Dug scooped up the squirrel and walked out the back door. "Listen Russell, I think that maybe this time Dug should stay here." "Why?" Asked the young adventurer. "Well, because he is...Dug." "Yes Master?" Dug's tail wagged as he sat in the doorway. "Nothing Dug." "We are we going Master?" Asked the dog anxiously. "Back to Paradise Falls to retrieve Kevin and her babies. We are going to bring them back here and open a sanctuary for endangered birds." "KEVIN!" Dug and Russell yelled in unison."WOW! No one in my class would have a badge like that!" "We need to pack a few things first." Carl pulled the scrapbook off of the fireplace and placed it in an empty box. Russell packed three boxes of Twinkies, two containers of Oreos, and four tubs of ice cream. "This should last me the week." Dug packed a tennis ball he stole from Carl's walker. "Make sure to pack more batteries for Dug's collar Mr. Fredrickson," Russell reminded him. Carl giggled to himself as he left the batteries in the kitchen draw. Knock. Knock. Knock. "Carl Fredrickson, we know you're in there!" "It's the Robinsons; time to go!" Carl grabbed his box and headed for the back door. "They must have come to thank me for killing their evil flowers. I am a good boy," Dug said proudly. "Come on you two." Carl climbed up the ladder leading to the blimp's entrance. "Adventure is out there!"