First of all, I just want to say thank you to all the reviewers who make my day. :D

Private clambered down the ladder after Kowalski when the others left. He dropped down and took in the new HQ. Of course, it looked exactly the same, but everything was bigger. Big enough for humans. Private picked up and examined his newly enlarged pillow before asking the question that had been bugging him.

"K'walski, why don't we just live here permanently if you can easily enlarge it?" he asked.

Kowalski looked back at the boy. "Hm? Oh. Well, I considered that in the beginning, but I have several good reasons not to. First of all, each enlargement zap uses a large amount of Megothium 239, which I have very little of at the moment. Second, it would look very suspicious if we hung around the habitat all day. Also, it would be extremely hard to get in and out of the HQ with so many bystanders around."

Private yawned. "I see. Well, I suppose I'll be taking a nap now." He squeezed his pillow sleepily.

"Alright. I'll be in my lab if you need me, Private," Kowalski told him. The scientist gently closed the metal door to his lab behind him.

Private stretched and crawled into his bunk. He shifted several times in the concrete bed. It seemed so hard now that he was a human. However, he was already extremely tired… He let his heavy eyelids close and snuggled up with his Lunacorn. Of all the things that had changed, his Lunacorn had stayed the same, seeing as it was already the correct size. It comforted him, the way that there was still something familiar here when everything was changing so quickly.

Private soon fell asleep to the sounds of the zoo overhead and the small explosions coming from Kowalski's lab.

X X X

Skipper and Rico waited in what had to be the snow cone stand's longest line ever. Skipper impatiently looked to see how far the line stretched in front of them and gave out a small huff of disapproval.

"Of all days…" he muttered.

Rico took out a stick of dynamite from behind his back with a grin and motioned towards the others.

"Negative, Rico," said Skipper, although he almost wanted to.

Rico sighed and put the weapon away.

Neither of them knew that the people in front of them hadn't always been people… they were lobsters.

X X X

Kowalski quietly opened the door of his lab and peeked outside. Private was already curled up into a tired ball. Skipper and Rico hadn't come back yet, and all was quiet. The scientist ducked back into his lab and made a note in case one of his teammates noticed he was missing. Since none of them could read, he drew a picture of him going and getting a test tube full of extra Megothium 239. While he was writing it, he glanced around for the humanizing ray. Nah, I probably just misplaced it. I'll find it later… He then exited the lab and stuck the note on his bunk so the others could see it.

Before leaving, the scientist took a last look at his sleeping comrade. Private was curled into a tight ball and clutched his Lunacorn and pillow. It was as if he was trying to block out all of the bad things in the world and keep all of the soft and warm things. Kowalski sighed and moved a stray lock of blond hair away from Private's face. If only he could stay this young and innocent forever…

He moved away and climbed up the ladder to get some Megothium. He set off at a run and hoped he wasn't too late to catch the next train to Brooklyn.

X X X

Private looked towards the figure to his left.

"Would you like some more tea, Princess Self-Respectra?"

The Lunacorn nodded.

"That would be sublime. Two sugar cubes, please."

The boy willingly obliged and handed her the elegant pink teacup.

"How about you, Prince-" Private stopped, listening.

There was a sound coming from above. Farther above than the soft pink clouds overhead that made the ceiling of his dream. An almost grating sound, like metal against concrete…

"What's wrong, Private?" asked a worried Lunacorn.

Private shushed her and listened. No, the sound wasn't coming from his dream. He quickly awakened himself without opening his eyes. Being a lucid dreamer came in handy sometimes.

With trained ears, he heard someone climbing down the ladder and obviously trying not to be heard. There was a soft click as the person's shoe touched the floor of the HQ. A million thoughts flashed through his mind. Was it Skipper and Rico, back from the park? Or was it Kowalski? Maybe he had taken a walk and now was trying not to wake him.

No. Their footsteps were those of a stranger's. But who would know how to get inside? Private tensed up, ready to strike. He cracked open an eye slightly enough so the person wouldn't notice but big enough for him to see through.

Who was this man? He had never seen him before, though his back was turned. Rather tall, classy, with graying blonde hair, but something seemed familiar… Private relaxed as the man turned towards him so he appeared to be asleep. There was a strange smile on the stranger's face. But as he turned even more…

Private couldn't help it when he bristled. The man's other eye… it was mechanical! Blowhole? But how did he…The boy forced himself to relax again and he closed his eyes as Blowhole walked towards him.

"Well, what do we have here?" Private knew that silky voice anywhere.

"A little pen-gu-in that's not a pen-gu-in anymore…" The boy found it hard not to flinch when the man stroked the side of his face.

"Oh! And what's this?" Blowhole pulled the Lunacorn out of the seemingly sleeping boy's grasp. "Aren't you a little old to be playing with such silly toys?"

That did it.

Private lunged at Blowhole, knocking the startled man over. The Lunacorn landed with a thud and slid several feet away. The two struggled against each other and rolled around on the concrete floor before Private pinned his enemy down, grimacing.

"How did you get in here and why are you human?" he growled.

The boy was vexed by Blowhole's carefree smile.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

With one motion, the used-to-be-dolphin doubled up and kicked Private square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. He then jumped up and cornered him near the wall.

"K'walski!" Private called out in vain.

"Your silly little pen-gu-in friend isn't here anymore. No one will save you," said Blowhole, motioning toward the note on the scientist's bunk. "Now, you can come the easy way or the hard way." He reached out his hand for the boy, but Private lunged out and bit down hard.

Blowhole screamed in pain as he shook off his attacker. The boy spat out the blood from his hand onto the floor. The man surprised Private with a demented smile and then let out a crazed laugh that frightened the boy out of his wits.

"Naughty, naughty," he shook his bloodied hand. There was a disturbingly off look in his blue-gray eyes.

"You… you've gone mad!" stammered Private.

"Well, spending a few years as Flippy is enough to drive anyone mad." Blowhole got closer to the boy's face with each word he said until they were almost nose to nose.

"It's time for revenge," he hissed.

Blowhole swiftly chopped down on Private's shoulder and the boy saw the world go black.