Private's POV

It was as modest as modest gets. A tarp stretched across the room and acted as a ceiling. Straight ahead, not very far from where we were standing, there was a couch in front of a TV. Off to the left was a table with four chairs and off to the right was a fridge. The floor and the walls were made of concrete, which I was used to because of my time at HQ. It was a nice little home.

"It's not much, but it beats living in the street. Make yourself at home." Desmin said.

"How did you make it?" I asked curiously.

"Well, the city used to use this place to store some of their generators, but they decided that it wasn't a good spot because of how far away it is from everything. They never come by here any more, but the generators still run and give power. I managed to channel that power to this spot and this spot only. Now the place was lit up and functioning. Then it was just a matter of me decorating and filling space."

"But, you've been doing okay?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. I've done great. There's a seafood restaurant not far from here, which has become my food supply. Like I said, I have power, and have all the entertainment I'll ever need." He said, motioning to the TV with a grin.

Without warning, my stomach started rumbling.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me! I have that fish we talked about before in the fridge." He said.

He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a box of fish that looked identical to the one that bated me earlier.

"This one isn't going to trap me in a net, right?" I joked.

"If you're lucky." He said jokingly.

I followed him over to the table and we each took a seat.

He handed me a piece of fish and took one for himself as well.

"Now, I think this is a good time for me to explain everything." Said Desmin.

Skipper's POV

The other two had followed me topside and were waiting for me to give orders.

"Okay boys, this is what we're going to do. Rico, you search the entire zoo. For all we know he could still be here. Kowalski, you search the park. I'll go out into the city."

"But sir, that could be dangerous!" Said Kowalski.

"It's my fault he's gone in first place. I don't really have a choice. I'm not coming back until I find him. If all goes well, I'll see you sometime in the near future. If not, then it's been a pleasure serving as your leader." I said.

They both saluted me and then left to go cover their respective locations. Rico started going over to Marlene's habitat to start looking, and Kowalski followed me to the entrance of the zoo.

"Be careful Skipper." Said Kowalski.

"Don't worry about me."

He started wandering into the park while I turned to face the busy streets of New York. It's been almost a full day since Private left and he could be all the way across the state at this point.

I let out a sigh and looked down at the ground. This is all my fault. I drove him away.

Why is this bothering me so much? I feel that if I can't find him, I won't have anything left to live for. I feel happy when I'm around him. Like I know everything is going to be okay. A warm feeling started forming inside me. Maybe I..Maybe I'm in... love with him. NO not maybe, I AM in love with him!

A warm smile spread across my beak. I looked back up and glared at the city in front of me.

"I'll find you," I thought out loud. "I'll find you if it's the last thing I do."

Private's POV

I stared into his eyes and readied myself to listen to whatever he had to say.

"My life is pretty complicated." Desmin started. "My parents died when I was two and I've been all by myself since then. No family. No friends. Just me against the world. I grew up under my tutelage, hoping I knew right from wrong."

He paused for a minute, looking down at the ground.

"One day, when I was about ten years old, I was mugged. The guy took all the food that I had on me and left me with only a few pieces of fabric and some metal scraps. I told myself that this wouldn't be the only time that this would happen. So that's when I started fighting. I trained myself for hours upon hours a day. In only a small amount of time, I got stronger. Faster. Smarter. I figured I would test these new found abilities out."

I looked straight into his eyes and wondered how that little kid became the go-with-the-flow kind of guy he is now.

"I was about thirteen at this point. I kept on walking until I found some else being assaulted (keep in mind that these are indeed penguins). I ran over to the guy and ripped him off of the poor kid. And then I just kept on punching. Blow, after blow, after blow. Soon the guy was lying on the ground unconscious. He had a stack of food in his jacket, so I took it off and handed it to the kid."

Flashback begins

"This is yours now." Said Desmin.

"You saved me." The boy told him.

"Don't worry about it."

"You're a hero." The boy said.

Flashback Ends

"The kid left, but the words kept hanging over me. Hero. That was when I realized that my job is to help others in need, not just myself. I fashioned the name Desmin and started my journey. I set the trap up outside to keep unwanted visiting to a minimum. Years later, I guess I'm still playing the hero."

I looked at him, shocked. What a history!

"The end." Desmin said smirking.

It was a long time before any of us spoke.

"Oh, one other thing. I made something that you might find interesting. Check this out."

He handed me a folded up piece of paper. I unfolded it and was impressed by what I saw. He drew a map of the state of New York. There were marks that symbolized where he had gone and where he still had to go. He also marked areas where there were larger amounts of crimes.

"This is amazing!" I told him.

"I had to have some means of knowing where everything is, and when you've traveled for as long as I have, you manage to pick up a few things."

I noticed that it was getting dark outside. I had eaten my fish while he was talking, and I was about ready for bed.

"Where can I sleep?" I asked him.

"If you don't mind sharing the couch with me, that's pretty much it."

"That's fine." I said.

I brought my blanket over to the couch and got myself comfortable. Desmin did the same on the opposite side. Soon, I heard him fall asleep.

This was my first full day away from HQ and I think it went fairly well. I found a place to stay, I've made a new friend who pretty much knows his way around the whole state, and I have food.

I drifted off to sleep, and for the first time in a few days, with a smile on my beak.

Kowalski's POV

It was night-time when I finally finished covering the park. I had no luck, so I started heading back to HQ. I hope the other two had some luck. When I finally made it there, I opened the hatch and climbed down. Rico was in the corner with his doll, wearing a sad expression on his face.

"Didn't find him?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"You?" He asked.

"Negative. It's all up to Skipper now."

We looked at each other for a while, each pondering the same question: What now?

"We should probably go to bed now Rico. If we're lucky, Skipper will be back in the morning with Private."

He nodded and walked over to his bunk. I did the same.

I climbed in and pulled up the covers. In a little while, I could hear Rico snoring.

You have to find him Skipper. You have to...

I closed my eyes and in a little while was sound asleep.

And that's a chapter! This one was a little longer just because I had a lot of things to tell. This chapter was all about setting things up. Next chapter will be more about taking action. I hope you enjoyed!