Ah yes, a new chapter, I hope ya'll enjoy it :D I have Blouper to thank here, she made this ten times better than it was before, cause she's amazing like that :D Knockknocktimerico for being the definition of awesome, Littlebirdy05 for putting up with me and writing a fantasticmondal story, Kvzpenguin for reviewing on so many of my chapters, Spottedpaw13 for adding me to her fave lists and being super cool :)

Desolation

Kowalski rushes to reach Marlene. All he had to do was get to the hunter, knock him out with a swift hit to the neck, and he would be able to free Marlene and the eagle. He rushes through the undergrowth, slipping a few times thanks to the blood that was emitting from his chest. He barely notices.

The hunter had the advantage of being able to step over the tall weeds and brushwood, but Kowalski had the advantage of surprise. He gets closer to the human, crouching down out of instinct. He didn't need to look over the plants to know where he was, Marlene's growls gave away their location easily. He gets closer, just a few more feet…

The hunter stops. In one quick move he drops the net that held Marlene and the eagle prisoners, drops the egg into his pocket, takes his rifle from his shoulder, and aims at the exact spot where Kowalski stood.

Kowalski freezes in place, not daring to breathe. His heart beat so rapidly it was as if it wanted to run away from the spot, not caring if Kowalski went with it or not.

The hunter keeps his hand on the rifle and steps closer, eye locked on the source of noise he had heard. It was surprisingly quiet, not one bird sang, not one squirrel moved, even Marlene had stopped her growling. Kowalski feels sharp shivers travel down his spine. There was nowhere to go.

He lies down on the ground, trying to make himself as small as possible. Closing his eyes, he waits for the hunter to either pass him by unnoticed, or shoot him on the spot.

He feels the cold front of the rifle poke his side. He doesn't move, doesn't breathe, pretends to be dead.

"Of all the-"

The hunter bends down beside him in amusement.

"So it is a penguin," He laughs, "and I thought I'd seen everything." Kowalski feels a stab of pain as the hunter prods the cut on his chest with a stick. He clamps his beak down to keep from doing something stupid. It wouldn't do to get up and start screaming right now.

He feels himself being lifted up and upon opening his eyes slightly, he can see that the human had slung him over his shoulder, and had resumed walking, the net at his side. Marlene twists her body so that she can look up at him. She still seemed wild, but there actually seemed to be some concern in her eyes when she looked at him. He opens one eye and gives her a small wave. She smiles and resumes trying to pulverize the net.

Kowalski considers his situation. He was being carried on a hunter's back like a string of dead fish. Marlene was stuck inside the net and even if he did manage to get her out she was not in control of anything she did and didn't see reason. No one knew where they were, Skipper was probably back from his trip by now, having most likely gotten to the Base and word that there was in fact, no tournament. He'd be very mad, that was for sure, not to mention that he was probably on his way to the Hoboken Zoo to pick up Marlene. And, of course, Marlene was not there, she was here with him, most likely about to have their skins ripped from their bodies.

So what were his options?

Well, he was very close to the hunter's neck. A swift hit should suffice. Then there would be the whole "taking care of Marlene", as if there wasn't enough trouble. But the hunter still had the egg in his pocket, if he fell there was the chance that it would get crushed. Perhaps he should just wait until they got to their destination…wherever that was.

With nothing else in mind, Kowalski lets his body go limp and pretends to be dead, feeling that it would be a good disguise for now.

"Home sweet home!" Calls the hunter as he opens the door. It was a small cabin, visibly used only occasionally with barely the most essential furniture, and three rooms; a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small bedroom.

It wouldn't be something to brag about, except that either on the walls or on the furniture, there was a vivid sign of the hunter's true passion. A small mat made up of different types of fur lay on the floor; the chair was made of a soft, black material. On the walls heads of various animals seemed to look around with fake eyes.

Kowalski stares in horror.

Marlene stops growling. He looks down at her, surprised to see her in her normal state, her face no longer twisted with wild ferocity. Instead, Marlene had a bewildered and frightened face as she looked around. He catches her eye and motions for her to stay still. She nods quietly.

It appeared that as long as she was inside someplace she would be normal. Kowalski makes a mental note to further study this phenomenon…if he made it out alive.

The hunter places Marlene and the eagle on a table carelessly, knowing that if they tried to escape he could always shoot them; he was going to anyway.

Kowalski he throws on the sink. Sticking to the façade, Kowalski hold back a cry from the pain that goes through him as the cold steel makes contact with the cut on his chest.

"Now don't worry little fella," smiles the hunter as he turns on the faucet and places him beneath the running water, "I'm just gonna scrub you up, get the red off yer feathers, and then most likely mount you in a special place above my chimney." He rubs his fingers hard against Kowalski's feathers, the water turning a liquid red.

"Not every time I catch me a penguin, no sir, I always told me self 'Tom, you gotta catch somethin' good today, catch somethin' exciting.' And here you show up outta nowhere. Yes sir, this is my lucky day it is." Tom puts Kowalski down, to his immense relief; the human wasn't too gentle on his all ready painful slash, and it wasn't easy pretending to be dead when you feel like you're being cut open.

"You ain't got long now." Notes Tom, "I'll just wait out." He goes to his bedroom, leaving Kowalski beneath the open faucet. He takes the opportunity to crawl out of the sink, his cut leaving a bright trail. He looks around and grabs a dishtowel, pressing it against the wound. It would have to do.

Kowalski ties it around him, grinding his beak when it catches some cut skin. As Skipper said "The wound is your enemy; pain, weakness, and blood, you gotta fight every one of its tricks."

He looks for Marlene. She was talking soothingly to the eagle, who seemed to not be paying attention to her at all. She sees him coming towards her and shuffles the net around so she can stand facing him.

"We found Mother Eagle." She says with failed optimism. She looks down at the red towel he had tied across his chest. Stretching her paw out through the net, she presses one finger tentatively on it, frowning when she sees her fur turn scarlet.

"How did you do this?" Her eyes look at him with worry, completely clueless of the events that had taken place. Kowalski shakes his head.

"Unimportant. Right now we need to find the egg, and get out of here." He goes to the opposite side of the table, where a knife was lying. Walking back (he would have preferred to toboggan, but he couldn't at the moment) he begins to cut at pieces of the net, being careful to not let the knife near Marlene or the eagle. Once he had managed to free them, Marlene steps out and looks around.

"All right, so what now?" She asks.

"Oh no."

"Wha-"

Kowalski grabs her arm and pulls her along with him as he runs. They jump off the table clumsily, Marlene from not noticing what was coming and Kowalski from the sharp pain he felt as he landed. She feels him grip her arm tightly while he held his breath. She bends down beside him, but he merely puts his flipper to his beak and points to the side. Turning, she notices Tom the hunter walking past, she couldn't tell what he was doing, the table was in the way, but she knew it was not good to have him so close.

Searching quickly, she pulls Kowalski up and leads him beneath a nearby counter. They crouch down and wait for Tom to leave the room.

Suddenly Marlene remembers.

"Kowalski!" She gasps "We forgot-"

Kowalski covers her mouth with his flipper, and nods solemnly. Her eyes widen in panic. She pushes his flipper aside.

"What do we do?" she whispers. Kowalski stands up; she notices how carefully he moved, and the way his flippers were curled into fists.

"Stay here." He mutters. He waits for Tom to walk by before jumping out into the kitchen, climbing up the table fairly quickly considering his state. Marlene keeps watch on Tom, who was busy talking to a stuffed elk head.

"Thought yourself so mighty. Ha! I remember you, rubbing your antlers against that tree, getting it sharp enough to cut through me. Well, it didn't work. No sir, I was quicker than ya. So how do you feel now, eh!" Tom listens to the silent reply the elk gives him, smirking arrogantly at it.

"I thought so," he laughs, "and you!" he turns to another dead animal, "you were no better…"

Marlene looks back at Kowalski, figuring that she had time while Tom finished his conversation. She couldn't see what was going on, so she runs out of her hiding place and begins climbing the chair, from there jumping several times before finally reaching the edge of the table.

She struggles to get up, suddenly feeling a warm flipper on her arm. Kowalski helps her up.

She wants to point out his too-tight grip and the way he placed his flipper over his chest as if to try to keep it together, but he waves aside her worried comment, replacing it with one of his own.

"She won't move."

Mother eagle sat on the table, breathing slowly, eyes closed, feathers ruffled and askew. Marlene goes to her and shakes her gently.

"Ummm, Mrs. Eagle? It's me Marlene. We-Kowalski and I- want you to come with us. You have to…" Mother eagle looks at her with dull eyes, not bothering to move or give any incentive that she was awake other then blinking. Marlene tugs on her wing, but she's too big for her.

"Come on!" she pleads, "won't you do it for your chick?" she asks. Mother eagle lifts her head up slowly, confusion in her eyes. Marlene rushes to take advantage of her reaction.

"Yeah, your egg! Kowalski has it; you just have to help us get out of here."

Mother eagle stares at her, her eyes skeptical, yet a sudden spark was dancing in her eyes as if she didn't want to believe, but was having trouble not doing so. Marlene nods her head eagerly.

"I'm not lying, Kowalski, you tell her." She pulls Kowalski over carefully, feeling that he might be better at persuading than her. Kowalski takes a second to clear his throat and nods.

"Marlene speaks the truth. Although, I don't have the egg. But I know where it is." He rushes to say, "It is currently lodged in the hunter's pocket, but I believe that if we work together we will be able to retrieve it…if you'll be willing to help us." He finishes. Marlene and Kowalski stand side by side, waiting for her response.

Mother eagle sits still. She looks down, not meeting their gaze. She looked so much different. How could it be possible, in so little time, how changed she was? She was thinner, it was visible through her feathers, there was still dirt and brown smudges on them from her past struggle, not to mention the places where her feathers were missing, showing red, irritated skin beneath. What had happened to the majestic bird from only a few days ago?

Marlene feels her eyes begin to water. With Kowalski hurt, and Mother eagle so messed up would they make it? At least she wasn't hurt, she could help. Except…a sudden ache makes her look down. Her arm had a cut on the side. It had stopped bleeding and the blood had dried; yet now it was throbbing, and she began to feel the burning pain.

A sudden surge of wind makes her look up. Mother eagle was standing before them. Marlene feels her breath leave her. It was as if she was watching an instant transformation. Standing at her full height, Mother Eagle was once more impressive. Her size and posture gave the picture of confidence, and hope.

Kowalski laughs.

"I don't have my clipboard, but I think we can get out of here if we-"

As Kowalski speaks, time seems to slow.

Marlene looks at Kowalski, whose face was filled with fear. She follows his gaze and realizes why he had stopped talking. A few paces away stood Tom, his rifle in his hands, one eye closed, the other one looking directly at Mother Eagle.

A sharp click sounds in the silence.

Kowalski shoves Mother Eagle aside, the table exploding where she had been standing. Marlene is thrown backwards by the impact. She lands on her back, still on the table, but very close to the edge. She looks up, bewildered. She tries to look for Kowalski, her heart beating loudly, but something was blocking her vision. She blinks rapidly and suddenly things come into focus. Two endless tunnels came into focus. Marlene stares into the dark depths of Tom's rifle.

The hunter aims his gun at Marlene, smiling smugly.

"Gotcha."

Kowalski feels a searing pain travel through his body. Mother Eagle stood beside him, waiting for him to stand up.

He presses his flipper against his chest, feeling something warm soak through the dishtowel. He didn't need to look to know what it was. But there were more important matters at hand. He holds his breath and stands up, nodding his head resolutely at Mother Eagle. She bobs her head in agreement, and, through their unspoken accord she rises to the air and grabs on to his shoulders with enough grip to take him into the air with her.

The room's perspective changes as Mother Eagle carries Kowalski through the air. He sees Tom standing by the table, poised to shoot his rifle, Marlene's eyes wide and frightened.

He looks up at Mother Eagle and nods. Mother Eagle spreads her wings out to their full extent and dives down. Kowalski stretches his flippers out, reaching as far as he can.

Marlene closes her eyes, closing her paws into fists.

Please let Kowalski make it.

Tom smiles and pulls the trigger.

The loud bang shakes Marlene down to her bones and rings in her ears.

Then she feels herself flying.

The breeze blows gently, yet she was surrounded by warmth. She could smell the sea, leaves, salt, and plastic. No, it wasn't plastic; it was more like different chemicals. That couldn't be right. She opens her eyes.

She wished she hadn't.

The room spun by, different stuffed animals whirled by, staring back blankly. Something was holding her. Or someone. Marlene stares in surprise at Kowalski, who stared back with concern.

"Are you all right?" he asks. She nods silently. She was all right. Better then all right. She laughs.

"We're going to make it!"

Then she notices Tom making his way towards them.

"I ain't missed once." He yells angrily. Marlene turns her head to look at him. He was getting closer, and Mother Eagle was slowing down, she wasn't used to carrying so much weight. Marlene's breath speeds up. Tom shuffles around, trying to get a good aim at them.

"To heck with it." He mutters. Re-angling his arms, Tom holds the rifle like a baseball bat and swings. Mother Eagle sees it coming and rises higher into the air. Marlene desperately holds on tighter to Kowalski, who winces in pain. She gasps and lets go, horrified at what she had done. And she falls.

Kowalski struggles to reach her. Once more, too late.

Marlene falls, getting closer and closer to the ground. But something stops her. Tom's rifle makes contact, hitting Marlene on the side and throwing her against the wall. She hears Kowalski yell her name, and then, everything gets quiet. Everything goes black.

I'm very indecisive at the moment, I mean, a tragic love story would hit the charts, but lots of you would probably be pi...err...angry, if I killed Marlene (or Kowalski ;) Let that be a warning of what's coming) so...It'll all come down to the last chapter, I won't tell you which XD