Ricolance

by Transformersfan123

Private had noticed it the day after he woke up from the screwed-up brain transfer. Rico was talking clearly. But it wasn't English. Private understood him easily, but the Kowalski and Skipper? They only understood some words. As the days went by, Private slowly realized that the grunts and noises that Rico always made were actually a language!

Here's an old story I've been working on for a while. It's finally done. It's a oneshot.

---

Private had noticed it the day after he woke up from the screwed-up brain transfer. Rico was talking clearly. But it wasn't English. Private understood him easily, but the Kowalski and Skipper? They only understood some words. As the days went by, Private slowly realized that the grunts and noises that Rico always made were actually a language. A very guttural language, but a language nonetheless. Private kept his findings to himself until he was sent out on a recon mission out in the park with Rico.

Private took a deep breath. "Rico?"

"Yeah?"

"What language is that you speak?"

Rico froze then spun to look at him. "Wha—?"

"Those grunts and stuff that you make. I can understand them. It's a language."

Rico's face softened and he sat up on the branch that they were on. "It's Antarctican."

"Antarctican?"

"Yeah. I'm from there."

"You are?!" Private was astounded. "You mean you're not a zoo penguin like the rest of us?"

"Nope. Hatched and raised in Antarctica."

"Can you tell me about it?"

Rico sat up and looked around. "Well, I guess we've gathered enough information for now. What do you want to know?"

"Is your name really Rico?"

"Ricolance. My full name is Ricolance."

"Ricolance…interesting. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Three younger brothers and two younger sisters. I'm the eldest. My father wishes I wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I have daddy issues, just like Skipper and Kowalski. You're lucky you never knew your father."

"Do…do you know what happened to my father?"

Rico looked at the younger penguin. Skipper and Kowalski had agreed to keep what happened to Private's parents classified. Rico, unable to speak very much English thanks to his damaged vocal cords, hadn't really cared. Now he could explain. But should he?

"Do you really want to know what happened to your parents, Private?"

"Yes."

"You mustn't tell Skipper or Kowalski that I told you this."

Private nodded eagerly. "Okay."

"Don't look so eager."

"Why not?"

"They're dead."

Shocked silence. Private then began to cry, his sobs rising in intensity until he was practically wailing. Rico held him close, stroking his back. When Private calmed down, Rico began the tale.

"Manfredi and Johnson were with us back then. You and your parents were a new addition to the zoo. You were just a hatchling, barely out of your egg. You would walk around, cooing at everyone and hugging everything that you touched. One night Skipper, Kowalski, and I were blindfolded and hogtied. We heard a huge scuffle, then you screamed. Then…nothing.

"Well, we broke out after a short time—the material was strong and the knots were professional—and when we got up to the habitat…" Rico trailed off and looked at Private sadly. "Your parents were there and it was a bloodbath. Skipper and Kowalski were trying desperately to figure out how they were killed. They had these holes in them like a frag grenade with massive fragments had exploded on them, but I knew what had killed them. I had seen those wounds before."

Private swallowed hard. Rico had paused, waiting for him to ask. He knew he didn't have to, but…he had to know.

"Go on."

"They were beak wounds. Somebody had fought them wild style and killed them. You, Manfredi, and Johnson were gone. Kowalski trailed you to one of Blowhole's lairs and we were taken out again." Rico paused again. "Manfredi and Johnson didn't like me very much. They weren't with Kowalski and Skipper out on the Antarctic plains when I found them. They always preferred our superior officers to me."

Private looked confused. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're about to find out what really happened to Manfredi and Johnson. I alone know. Skipper and Kowalski were taken to a holding cell for Blowhole to do with what he wanted. I was held in a different cell, two levels down. My entire inventory had been removed. I was empty. Then they came in. And they did things to me. Things I won't tell you about."

"Is that why you're so violent?"

"I've always been violent. It's a part of why my father hates me so much. But…yes, I grew more psychotic in that torture chamber. One thing I will tell you is that they repeatedly cut my scar open, making it deeper. It was agonizing."

"How could Blowhole do that to you?"

"It wasn't Blowhole. It was Manfredi and Johnson."

Private froze. "What?"

"Yep. It was Manfredi and Johnson. They tortured me. And they told me that they'd been working for Blowhole for a year. It was horrifying. Then, when my mind was really slipping…you came in. You played in my blood, laughing about it until you saw it was coming from my wounds. You crawled up on the table and sat on my chest, touching my reopened scar. Your innocence saved me, Private. I managed to get free and set you down as I put my inventory back. You laughed as I swallowed the bigger items then handed me something else."

"What?"

Rico smiled and coughed up a strange metal device. "I didn't know what it was for at the time, but I swallowed it anyway to keep you happy."

"Do you know what it is now?" Private asked, his face rather blank.

"Nope. I just know that Blowhole needs it for a big device he was planning on using. He said that this little piece was irreplaceable." Rico paused. "Private, are you alright?"

"What happened next? You got even with them, right? For killing my parents."

Rico flinched at the intensity in the shorter penguin's gaze. "No. I broke Skipper and Kowalski out and got you to safety."

"So, the two penguins responsible for my parents' deaths are…"

"Still roaming free doing Blowhole's work. We haven't seen them since. Skipper and Kowalski still have hope that they're alive, so they joke about them."

Private shivered. "I played in your blood?"

"Yes, Private. You did."

"I…I think that's enough information for now Rico," Private said in a hoarse whisper.

Rico nodded and picked up the binoculars again.

Private woke up that night screaming. And the next night. And the next night. And no matter how much Skipper and Kowalski stroked his back and asked him to recount what he saw, he just stayed mute through his tears, staring at Rico. The seventh night he woke up, he didn't scream. He tapped on Rico's head until he woke then led him out into the habitat, closing the hatch behind them.

"Private?" Rico asked tiredly.

"You said I played in your blood."

"Yes. So?"

"I bathed in it! It was still warm and…and I smeared it all over myself. I tasted it, Rico!"

"I'm sorry. So you're memories are coming back?"

"I saw the fight. I saw Manfredi and Johnson kill them. I thought they were playing. But Mother didn't get up when I called for her. I screamed and then Johnson picked me up and that's all I remember."

Rico nodded. "Why aren't you telling Skipper and Kowalski?"

"I don't want them to worry."

"I see. And I won't?"

"Not as much."

"True. What are you going to do?"

Private's eyes gleamed viciously in the moonlight, the violent expression making Rico grin.

"I'm going to kill them, Rico. Somehow, in some way, I will kill them."

"What if I said I was going to stop you? Skipper would want me to."

Private grabbed Rico's flipper. "You're going to help me. You're going to teach me how to fight wild."

"My question still stands."

"Because I'll make sure they suffer first for what they did to you."

Rico grinned. "Deal. First lesson. You use your beak and feet to fight. No flipper to flipper combat."

"Got it."

"Now, let's go to bed. I'm exhausted."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rico pressed close to Private in the containment unit. He would have escaped already, but Private was still unconscious. They'd both been taken from the habitat. Kowalski and Skipper had been gone on a secret mission. Rico looked at the tag on his ankle. It looked like the tag that that scientist had put on them when he was monitoring them last winter. So they were going to be tracked.

The weather got steadily colder and the air smelled salty. After hours more, he fell asleep. He woke up to the sensation of movement. Private was pressed close, but that wasn't where the movement came from. It came from outside the box they were in. There was a crack and Rico was nearly blinded by whiteness.

"Here you are, little penguins," a human said, dumping them out into the snow. "Home at last. Let's see if our little test works."

"Antarctica," Rico said as he and Private stood; Private was still shaky and dull. "Home for me, yes, but not for you."

"What?" Private asked dumbly, rubbing his bottom.

The humans were leaving. Rico tried to drag Private along to catch the boat, but…it didn't work. Private landed face first in the snow. So they were going to be stuck here. Rico shivered.

"We have to get to shelter while you recover," he said, picking up the smaller penguin and carrying him to an ice cave.

They stayed there for three days. On the night of the third day, Private's stomach was making painful sounding noises. Rico had run out of fish two days earlier. He had to go fishing. He slipped out, hurrying to the water. He dove in and gathered enough fish for a week, slipping by the leopard seals with practiced ease; he didn't feel like racing them today. He arrived back to find Private awake. He had drawn a fish in a pile of snow to let the younger know where he was.

"Fish?" Private asked, looking much sharper and more aware than he had been for days.

Rico heaved up a small pile and he and Private dove in, eating happily. They ate their fill then Rico stored the rest. Private stared at him for a minute.

"How do you not digest those?"

"What?"

"The fish you store. You digest the ones you eat, but you don't digest the ones you save for later. How does that work?"

"I'm not sure. It's just something that happens."

Private nodded then sat there looking around their cave. He wasn't really cold, but he wasn't warm like he was in New York this time of year. He sighed.

"What now?"

Rico smiled. "Well, we can't go to the penguins. Father won't be happy to see me. We could go to the wolves. I just hope Apanka is the chief at this point. His father never really liked me too much, but would suffer me for his son."

"We're out in the wild. Don't wolves eat penguins?" Private asked, his voice trembling.

"I'm in good with the chief's son…or the chief, whichever it is at this point."

"Well…if you're sure."

"I am."

"Then let's go."

They slid out of the cave and Rico looked around to get his bearings then pointed south. They began to slide. When they grew tired, they curled up beneath a ledge of ice. Rico awoke to Private's squeak of fear. He sat up and saw wolves. He wasn't afraid.

"I wish to speak to Apanka."

"Why would a penguin want to go to our leader?" one of the greyer wolves asked.

"Ah, so the stupid mutt is the chief now."

"You dare?!" they all shouted.

"I dare," Rico said boldly. Private grabbed onto his flipper.

"Rico! That's offensive!"

"Re…lax…Private," Rico laughed.

"You will come with us, insolent bird!" one pure white wolf snapped.

"Yes, yes!" the darker one growled. "And do not try anything, or else you will make a nice meal for us!"

The two penguins waddled along, guided by the darker wolf. They arrived at the wolf camp and were left with two guards. Rico casually looked around, but Private was pressed against him, shaking nervously.

"'Lax, Private," Rico said easily. "We be fine."

"Who dares say such things about me?!" Apanka shouted, racing up and snapping his teeth in Rico's face.

"Aw, the pup is trying to be a sire!" Rico said with a grin.

Apanka paused and backed up two steps. He tilted his head, sitting down and studying Rico. He reached a paw out and turned Rico's head to the right. He saw the scar and laughed. He laughed so hard he let out a howl, rearing up and nearly falling backwards.

"Ricolance!" he gasped, prancing around him. "Oh, Ricolance! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"It is good to see you again, pale one!" Rico said as he walked up to the happy wolf. The penguin nuzzled him, a quick movement of back and forth face rubbing against the fur of the wolf's face.

"So…we're not going to die?" Private asked.

Apanka jolted and stared at Private. "What strange tongue is that?"

"It is called English. I know how to understand it, but speaking it is difficult because of my injury."

"Ah. Can he understand us?"

Private concentrated really hard. "I…can. It's hard to…t-talk? like this."

"Ah. You are rather good for not being a native of this land," Apanka said, smiling. He let out another howl and was suddenly surrounded by wolves. "These penguins are friends!" he called. "If any of you try to harm either of them, you shall have to deal with Ricolance! Then me! Understand?"

There was a chorus of barks, and the wolves bowed to him. Apanka then took Rico and Private into his personal cave. A female wolf was in there with three pups. Rico snickered.

"So you finally settled down."

Apanka looked embarrassed, but he smiled warmly. "Yes. This is my mate, Silina. And my pups Uncon, Trenlo, and my precious little girl, Rilana."

"Aw! They're cute!" Private exclaimed. "Can I pet them?"

"I no do, Private. We penguins. They bite penguins," Rico said in English.

To prove his point, Rico ran a flipper down Trenlo and the wolf snapped at him. Trenlo expected Rico to run, as penguins were supposed to, but Rico bit his nose, causing him to yelp.

"Father, the penguin bit me!" Trenlo growled. "You brought us fighting food!"

"They are not food, my son," Apanka laughed. "They are friends."

"So we cannot eat the one who bites…Can we eat the fat one?"

"I'm not fat!" Private groused.

"Cute," Rico said, nudging him.

"No. He is Ricolance's friend. What is his name?"

"Private."

Private jolted. He hadn't pronounced it right. He had said "Priv-a-tay". That didn't make sense.

"Rico, that's not how you pronounce my name."

"In my language, it is. Okay?"

"I guess," Private said with a shrug. "It just sounds funny."

Rico laughed and nuzzled Private. The pups were still looking at them hungrily so Rico hacked up three fish, one for each of the pups. They stared open mouthed at the gift the looked up at their father for permission.

"Go ahead. Eat," Apanka said with a nod.

They tore into the meat violently, snapping bone and scale. They looked very content when it was done.

"I think I like the penguins," Rilana said with a nod.

"So which is the oldest? Trenlo?" Rico asked, studying the white wolves.

"Nay, Rilana is. She came howling into the world first. I think she bit her brothers to get out first," Apanka laughed.

"Out of where?" Private asked.

Rico turned. "You lucky you no say in my tongue. You too old. Not right you no know 'bout mating and birth. Me explain later when we alone. We no stay in chief's cave. He give us other cave."

Soon they were in that other cave and Rico carefully explained to Private what Skipper and Kowalski had decided not to teach him. Private was very curious, if not a little disgusted at first, and asked many questions. Once the topic was thoroughly discussed, they ate a small meal.

"Rico how do you get fish here. I mean, at the zoo they just give us fish."

Rico snickered. "I'll teach you how to fish. But we have to go into calm waters first. You're not ready to race the leopard seals."

"L-l-leopard seals?!" Private gasped. He paused. "Race?"

"Here, it is a life and death struggle to get food. Wolves eat penguins, who are excellent fighters. Penguins eat fish, who live in leopard seal infested waters. We penguins can beat wolves in groups of three or so. But we can't beat leopard seals. They eat wolves that get too close, too. They are the top of the food chain in this land."

"That doesn't explain why you said 'race' Rico."

"Since they are the top of the food chain, it is considered brave to get fish from their waters. We race them to and fro. If they catch you, you're dead, or scarred if you're lucky. If you get away with the fish, you get a full belly and honor among penguins. It is a tradition that keeps only the strongest males around in the penguin world. And some females are brave enough to try it, too. Most of them actually survive. They think their moves through more than males."

"Oh. That seems stupidly dangerous."

"No more dangerous than facing Blowhole. I told you what he was capable of."

"Yeah…I guess." Private looked toward the entrance of their little cave, which was around a slight bend. "Mind if I practice Antarctican in front of you so I don't say the wrong thing in front of the wolves?"

"Feel free. You apparently know the whole language, but knowing and speaking are two different things."

Private nodded and his face screwed up. "I…feel?"

"Put more grr in the last syllable. That's not the right word."

"Agree?" Private tried again.

"Correct. You must keep in mind that our language is guttural, a lot of grunts and growls in our words. Use the back of your throat and your nasal cavities to pronounce the words."

Private practiced speaking for the rest of the day, and their conversations were halting because of it. But the young penguin felt a sense of accomplishment when he fell asleep that night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Private was sore. Very sore. The wolves laughed as he was taken down yet again. Apanka had said it was an honor to learn how to fight from Rico, but Private hadn't been this sore since he'd begun his training with Skipper and Kowalski all those years ago.

"Again," Rico said, taking up the traditional fighting stance.

"Rico, please, if you hit me anymore—" Private started.

"Two mo'," Rico said in English. "Jus' two mo', Private. Then we stop fo' t'day."

Private nodded resolutely. "Fine," he said then switched languages as he settled into the stance. "Come at me!"

Rico gave a wild call and lunged. Private dove around him and slid over, trying to get out from in front of the psychotic penguin. Several lunges later, Private spun and went for Rico's throat. He was swiftly pinned and jabbed lightly with Rico's beak. They set up and did it again. This time, Rico accidentally broke skin, and it was pretty deep. Apanka happily bound him up.

"You do well in penguin fighting, young one," he said with a smile.

"Many thanks, great chief," Private replied; over the past couple months, his Antarctican speak had greatly improved.

Private was rewarded with a big fish, which he happily ate.

"You do good," Rico said with a nod. "Ver' good."

"Thanks Rico," Private said with a smile. "I really appreciate you teaching me this. I can't wait until I meet Manfredi and Johnson again. They'll regret the day they teamed up with Blowhole."

Rico smiled insanely at the raw feeling in Private's voice. "You hit fo' me?"

"Of course. I promised you, didn't I?"

Rico nodded. "Thank 'ou, Private,"

Private nodded. "I'll get them Rico. Don't worry about it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Private's flippers were working hard as he outraced the huge creature behind him. He dipped lower and got a fish, and he knew it was the last one he could eat. He tricked the creature and headed back toward the hole in the ice. Lungs nearly bursting with the need for air, he came up and gasped as he belly slid away from the hole. The leopard seal followed him onto the ice, but couldn't reach him and slid back into the water. Rico gave a victorious screech and embraced Private as Apanka howled.

"Very good, Private!" Apanka crowed. "You are now a full-fledged penguin!"

"Many thanks to Ricolance, who taught me well!" Private said, nuzzling Rico in an appropriate way to Antarctican penguin culture.

"Full belly?" Rico asked.

"I'll burst if I eat another bite," Private laughed.

There was a growl from the wolves and Private turned to see a group of penguins. They were starting at Rico. They approached slowly and stopped a short way away.

"Ricolance?" one of them asked.

"Go away!" Rico spat.

"Ricolance! How are you alive?"

Rico growled and grabbed Private, pulling him behind the wolves.

"Ricolance!"

"Go away, Penlon," Rico spat.

"Who's Penlon?" Private asked softly.

"Second born brother," Rico said distastefully. "Him second in charge now, 'stead a me."

"Come Ricolance. Father will wish to speak to you."

"No! Go away!"

"Is that all you can say, Ricolance?" a female voice said in amusement.

"Yolana?" Rico asked, pushing past the wolves. "What are you doing in a scouting party?"

Yolana laughed as she came forward. "I beat out all the males until your father realized I was serious. So how are you alive?"

"I lived in human society in a place called a zoo. It has many other types of animals from all over the world. My commanding officers lived there with me. We got sent here for some kind of experiment. See the thing on my ankle?"

She wasn't fearful as she approached the wolves, who let her because of the friendliness in Rico's tone.

"Does it hurt?"

"No. The humans are very against hurting animals. We animals have no such qualms, though Skipper likes us to not hurt them because they take care of us."

"Bah, you make it sound like you're helpless!" Penlon growled.

"I'm not helpless. You are," Rico taunted with a smirk.

Penlon shrieked in anger and lunged. For the first time, Private saw a real penguin fight. They danced around each other. Rico got in three good hits before his brother conceded and backed off, glaring at him.

"I still hate you."

"That's not very nice," Private argued.

They jolted and Yolana looked him over. "Is this the Private that the strangers talk of? And you are the one they call Rico?"

Rico paused and Private stepped forward. "Skipper and Kowalski?"

"That is what they call themselves. We have quite a bit of trouble communicating with them, especially the one called Skipper."

"We know them!" Private said excitedly. "Rico, we must go see them."

"Young one," Apanka murmured solemnly, nudging him with his nose. "That would mean you go to penguin kind. They are unforgiving towards Ricolance. He does not fit in with them."

"Oh…Okay."

Rico cringed as Penlon and the other males stared at him.

"We shall go, Private. We shall go to see them, but then we bring them back to the wolves."

"You shall not!" Penlon barked.

"You do not command me! I am the eldest, Penlon!" Rico snarled.

"Father will take care of you. Now, come along, troubled one. And bring the fat one."

"I am not fat!" Private yowled in English then pouted.

Rico smiled at Apanka and promised they'd be back, tugging Private along. Yolana fell into step beside him. "Your father will not be happy to see you. There was practically a celebration when you didn't come back."

"Why does he hate you so much?" Private asked.

"I am the rebellious, disobedient child."

"Doesn't he love you?"

"He does not have the capacity to love me or any of his children. The only one he ever loved was my mother, and after Sisa was hatched, she died."

"That's terrible," Private said.

"We do not speak of Mother, Ricolance," Penlon growled, turning around.

"I can speak of whoever I want. I could speak of that penguin you were caught cleaning with before I left. Tell me, have you mated yet?"

Penlon screamed and dove for Rico's neck. Rico danced out of the way and added another beak wound to his back. The younger brother skittered backwards.

"I hate you!" Penlon spat then turned and bellyslid back home.

"Him hate, Private!" Rico laughed, nudging the younger penguin as they followed suit.

"From what you say, it's not that shocking," Private replied. "But you never told me his name."

"I don't care about names. Names here mean things. Penlon means 'great warrior.' He's not so great if you ask me. I can beat him easily."

Private hummed. "What does your name mean?"

"It means—"

"Private! Rico!" a commanding voice boomed.

"Skipper!" Private crowed, bellysliding over to his leader.

Rico yowled in delight and grabbed Kowalski in a huge hug, spinning him around. "'Walski!"

"Rico!" Kowalski gasped. "We weren't sure if they brought you here, too."

"Of course they did!" Private said excitedly. "They left us near the western caves. We've been living with Apanka and the wolves. Rico's taught me how to fight wild style! And he's taught me how to fish and race the leopard seals!"

"Race the…what are you talking about Private?" Skipper asked.

"Let me through."

"Close!" Rico ordered.

Private leaped over to him. "Rico?"

"Father not good. Be ready fight, but stay 'laxed."

Private nodded, but Kowalski shook his head. "Ionlien is a good penguin."

"Wait…" Skipper said holding up his flipper. "Did you just say 'father' Rico?"

"Hail, eldest born," Ionlien said with a curt gesture.

"Hail," Rico intoned blankly.

"You give me no proper title."

"I do not think you deserve a proper title."

Ionlien growled. "You still lack any form of obedience."

"No, he doesn't!" Skipper said, stepping forward; Private had been translating. "He is the most obedient soldier I have."

Private translated again. Ionlien laughed. "He follows instead of leading. No surprise."

"There's nothing wrong with following," Private growled. "He is more honorable than you, at least."

Ionlien looked surprised. "Poisoning the minds of the young, eh?"

"I like this particular brand of poisoning," Private retorted.

The chief frowned. "You are too bold for one who has not raced the leopard seals."

"He has raced the leopard seals, Chief," Yolana said with a bow. "He just beat them. A grand display in one so young."

"Females should be seen and not heard."

Yolana bristled and said something that Private refused to translate, not only because it was one of the foulest words he'd ever heard and he knew Skipper would flip his lid, but also because he was laughing too hard to breathe, let alone speak. Rico laughed, too.

"My thoughts exactly!"

"Private! What did she say?"

"Oh…nothing, Skipper," Private said evasively.

"I am guessing a particularly foul curse word," Kowalski said analytically.

"Not in front of the Private!" Skipper barked.

Yolana looked at them, a little confused. "What are they going on about?"

"Skipper doesn't like cursing," Rico snickered.

"Enough!" Ionlien growled. "Now, Ricolance, you are to—"

"I won't listen to anything you say. You are not in charge of me!"

"I am your father!"

"Go roast in the flames!"

Ionlien yowled and lunged at him. They danced around each other, looking for a weak spot. Skipper moved forward to stop the fight, but Private held out a flipper.

"This has to happen, Skipper," the young penguin whispered softly.

"But Ionlien—" Skipper started.

"He is a terrible penguin. He rules with an iron flipper and abuses females and children because they aren't strong enough to defend themselves. Rico needs to fight him, and he needs to fight him alone. We can't help."

"The hell we can't!"

"Rules of the wild," Private said solemnly.

There was a screech and they turned their attention back to the fight. Rico and his father had each landed a good blow, and blood was staining the snow. They studied each other, watching carefully.

"You were always a pathetic fighter," Ionlien taunted.

"And you are not a good ruler," Rico replied with a growl.

"We can't help?" Kowalski asked desperately.

"Only if somebody helps the chief," Private replied.

Just then, Penlon lunged forward to hit his brother, but Private met him in the air, piercing skin and muscle.

"Cheat!" Private howled, throwing the older penguin away from him.

It was pure chaos for several minutes before things settled into tension. Rico glared hotly at his father. "We're leaving!"

"Come on, Skipper. Follow us," Private growled.

They turned their backs on them and slid away. They got halfway to the wolves then stopped for a moment. Private licked his beak and tasted blood, so he began to clean himself with the snow. Rico was bleeding from several wounds.

"Apanka will heal him," the youngest member of their team said shortly when Kowalski sidled over to the violent male.

"Who is Apanka?" Skipper asked.

"The wolf chief," Private answered.

"Wolf?" Kowalski asked tersely.

Private explained in more detail about where they'd been staying while Rico brooded. Skipper watched his soldier worriedly.

"You okay?" he finally asked.

"Father an ass," Rico replied gruffly, eyes staring out over the barren whiteness of the Antarctic plains.

"Ionlien?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know you were the son of the chief."

Rico shrugged. "Him wish I no be born. Why brag on it?"

"But you're a prince!" Kowalski exclaimed.

"Skipper son of general. It no matter what am. I no want to be prince, anyway. Come. We go to wolves now. Rest then go home. Me miss missions and no having to fish."

With that, he slid off toward the wolves, Private following without question. Skipper and Kowalski glanced at each other worriedly. Their youngest team member had hit Penlon with great force, had hurt him badly. What had Rico been teaching him in that harsh, unforgiving world that he grew up in? They weren't sure they wanted to find out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The truth was too horrible for them to process at first, even though Manfredi had brazenly announced it. When Private faced the two penguins with no fear, fighting them wild style, his superiors had watched numbly. To see their precious boy with such hatred on his face…

The killing blows were swift once they were taken down, first Manfredi then Johnson. Private stood there, glaring at the bodies once they were gone. Rico slid over.

"You hit fo' me?"

"Yeah. I hit 'em for both of us," Private whispered, tears in his eyes. "I want to go home now."

They caught a boat, sitting in the cargo hold. Skipper and Kowalski were still trying to take in the fact that Manfredi and Johnson had betrayed them. Private sat a little way away from them, his eyes focused on nothing. Rico hesitated then went to nuzzle him.

"It okay, Private. It okay. They gone now."

"Chin up, soldier," Skipper said, finally registering what had happened. "You fought good."

"Thanks, Skipper," Private said, focusing on his commanding officer. "I'm sorry I said those things."

Kowalski sighed. "Rico told you about your parents?"

"Yeah. He did."

"I thought it was an inside job, but Skipper didn't want to hear it."

"I didn't want to believe that they went bad," Skipper admitted. "They were with me for years. But they never were content. I should have listened."

"They hurt Rico after they killed my parents."

"Yeah. I remember him bleeding," Kowalski replied.

"You okay, Private?" Skipper asked.

"I will be."

"Well, we should be home soon. We won't be going on any missions for a while. But I think you need to talk."

Private nodded and leaned against his leader, closing his eyes. He was so tired, physically and emotionally. The revenge hadn't been as satisfying as he thought. He definitely wanted to talk, just not now. The young penguin took a deep breath as Rico nuzzled him again.

"Just rest, Private. We'll be here when you wake up."

"I love you guys."

Skipper and Kowalski shifted in discomfort, but Rico smiled.

"We love you, too, Private."

With that reassurance, Private drifted to sleep, dreaming of blood. But he knew they would be there when he woke up. They always were. And that helped more than the revenge ever would.