ONE
(?'s POV)
There I was, in the trees of my favorite park in New Jersey. I leapt from tree to tree with such grace and swiftness that I could feel the wind rushing past my face. I barely touched the rough bark of the tall oaks. It would even be peaceful had there not been Animal Control officers in hot pursuit.
Yes, I was a fugitive from the law - or at least the humans thought so. I did nothing wrong, but I did make the mistake that my kind was welcome in the states…apparently not. And although I wasn't exactly what humans would call a pest, my species was still extremely rare in these parts and most other parts of the planet. I would not allow myself to be captured. Who knows what the humans would do to me if they found the source of my unnatural energy?
The Animal Control officers were closing in on me. Adrenaline surged through my veins. I forced myself to move faster, which was almost physically impossible. A bang echoed through the night. Something sharp pierced my backside. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. The forest swirled in a mass of colors, transforming into an optical illusion. The humans' shouting approached rapidly. A metallic pattern fell around me: a cage. No! This couldn't be! I was physically and mentally superior - how did they catch me?
With that thought lingering about and my incapability of any movement whatsoever, I involuntarily fell into a deep slumber.
(Skipper's POV)
I was in a large cave. It must have been 100 degrees F inside. Lava surrounded me. A dark shape lurked in the distance. The thing had two very big yellow eyes. I didn't know what it was - perhaps a reptile. Its vertical pupils focused on me. It examined me as if deciding what to do next. It opened its mouth slowly. The last thing I saw was an enormous set of jagged white teeth.
I woke up with a start. I had been having that nightmare for a week, but I didn't know what it meant. Hmm.
Above me, I heard my soldier Kowalski's soft snoring. I was about to jump down when I remembered how high off the ground I was. Below me were the resting young Private and Rico. I lowered myself onto the concrete foundation without making a sound. Then I made my way outside.
It was mildly dark when I reached topside, so I assumed it was about 'o five hundred hours. The first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon, some blocked out by the numerous skyscrapers. Pink and orange streaked across the sky. The sight pleased me.
"What are you doing up so early, Skipper?" My heart lurched slightly in response to this unexpected interruption.
"I might ask you the same question, Private," I replied to the voice without turning around. Private has a higher pitched voice and a British accent - or English, whatever you want to call it - so singling out his voice is no problem.
He waddled up to my left side and explained, "I heard you open the security hatch. Is there something wrong?"
Panicked, I said something really smart like, "Uhhhh…" No one else could know about my dreams. That would just start trouble. All I could do was keep it hidden until I could figure something out.
"Why did you come out here anyway?"
"Why do you ask so many questions?" I whined playfully to divert the topic. This obviously was one of my better days; otherwise I wouldn't be so mellow. Or maybe I was tired from the lack of sleep - no, it couldn't be. Sleep deprivation, as I once discovered the hard way because of a certain trio of lemurs, caused me to grow crabby and paranoid. More than usual, I mean.
Private just gave a shaky laugh and hugged himself. I figured he was cold, so I asked him. Again, I was amazed at how congenial I was acting that morning. I had a feeling it would change soon.
"Yes, sir," he answered.
"Come here, then," I urged. Private leaned against me and I put my wing across his shoulders. Isn't it strange how a penguin can be cold at fifty-seven degrees Fahrenheit? I guess it doesn't matter. We haven't been in the cold south in a long, long time.
(?'s POV)
I woke up in a dark place. For a second, I thought I was dead. But then I felt the wooden oak walls around me and I knew I was alive. And I also knew I was in a very bad situation. I was in a wooden crate, being shipped somewhere in a truck. Don't ask me how I knew, because the source of my information is strictly off limits at this time.
I never could have guessed that the humans would be able to catch me. I thought that they would tire out and eventually give up, putting off the difficult task of hunting me down for the next day. Thirty times's a charm, I suppose.
The scent of river water wafted into the crate: the Hudson River. The odor of the toxins in the river was so strong that there was no denying it. I have highly developed senses, so no surprise there. The humans were taking me to New York. I would have expected them to dump me at any random Jersey zoo or at a science facility in Japan. What did New York have to offer?
My way out, I thought to myself with a smile, even though I was in quite a bit of pain. My plan was working.
(Skipper's POV)
I do enjoy sunrise. Beautiful mornings are one of the joys in my life. Who doesn't love the daily birth of the star that gives life to our planet? The sky turns into a canvas of vibrant colors. It's like seeing an extremely messed up rainbow, but better. Had I said that to anyone in person, they would probably try and lock me up forever. Everyone thinks I'm a cold-hearted beast, and they better believe it. I do have a small soft spot, though. It's rarely seen, but it's there. I just don't want anyone to see it.
Private gave me a nudge and beckoned towards the hatch. It was time to wake the rest of the team. This was one of my day's highlights.
In the lair, I took the megaphone and put it near Kowalski's face. I turned it on and screamed, "UP AND AT 'EM, KOWALSKI!" He woke up with a cry of surprise and hit his head on the cement above. Kowalski rubbed the spot that hurt and yawned. I was satisfied and set the megaphone down while he gave me a glare of discontent.
I climbed to Rico's bunk. He doesn't wake easily, so I smacked him. "Wha?" he grumbled as he woke. That's when I lost my balance and slipped. I grabbed Rico's flipper, and we both fell to the floor. A moment later I heard three different sounds: a bang, Kowalski's yelp and Rico's grunt. I turned around and saw what had happened. Kowalski had fallen off the top bunk and landed on Rico. They were wrestling.
"You boys are a bunch of lollipops," I scolded. They sat there and smiled in embarrassment.
We went through the motions that day. Nothing special happened. It was when the zoo closed that things heated up.
The bell rang and the humans left. The smile and wave routine could be put to rest for now. It was time to relax. I scoped the area and noticed that Alice the whacky zookeeper was headed straight for us with a...crate...in her hands. I guessed relaxing would have to wait.
"I reckon there's an animal in there," Kowalski informed us. Thank you, Captain Obvious. That crate was shaking violently. What could cause it other than an extremely aggressive or dangerous animal?
"Ack! Get in there, you stupid animal!" Alice yelled as she threw the crate down into our exhibit. "Okay, I better get the vet." With that, she ran off. How unusual. She was usually deadly afraid of savage animals. I was surprised that she wasn't wearing any protection and was in such a rush to find the doctor. Could it be that the invader wasn't dangerous at all? Even injured?
"Kowalski, what do you think is in there?" Private asked. Kowalski waddled over to the crate and examined it. He swiped the semi-light wood with his flipper and did a taste test. Then he took a gander at the location code.
"Skipper, this oak crate has been shipped from northern New Jersey in a large truck. Whatever is inside is breathing heavily, perhaps due to severe injury," he reported.
"Interesting…" I replied. How odd, was more like it. Who would possibly bunk with us? Immediately I thought of my puffin enemy, Hans. My blood ran cold. He must have returned for another revenge.
Suddenly, the crate started to shake again.
"Ahh!" Private yelped and jumped behind me.
"Rico, prepare a New York welcome," I barked, the puffin's face still in my mind.