FATHER'S LOVE

CHAPTER 10 : The End of the Lore

"COME ON! What are we waiting for?" Private yelled.

And then they heard a gunshot.

Kowalski kicked open the ventilation hole, and they immediately jumped down.

Private aimed his MP5 as soon as he reached the ground, and the first thing he saw was Blowhole lie on the floor beside a broken monitor. His robotic eye was broken as well, bleeding his face. Private shot him twice on each of his flippers, making sure that he wouldn't crawl to his segway and get away. Private slid to the dolphin. He was still breathing.

"Why don't you kill me?" Blowhole whispered.

"Because… I can't. But I promise you that the rest of your life will be sorrowful, after what you've done to my family!" said Private and he punched Blowhole's face. The sea-mammal fainted.

"PRIVATE!"

Private turned around. Kowalski and Rico were kneeling beside their leader's body, both with pale faces. The young soldier could see that Skipper's body was covered with blood, and blood also sprayed around the floor. Eerie filled Private's body and he quickly slid towards them. 'No… Skippa… He isn't…'

"We're… too late…" Kowalski said in despair. Rico, looked unlike himself now, staring his leader with an expression that Private never saw before.

"What do you mean?" Private asked weakly. He put his flipper on Skipper's chest. No sign of heart beating. "No… This is impossible! NO!"

Private pumped his dad's chest with his flippers, while tears started to run down from his eyes. "Kowalski, Rico, help me! We still can save him! Come on!"

Kowalski put his flipper on Private's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Private… I've tried my best, but…" his words sounded trembled.

"No, we still can save him, I know it!" Private sobbed. He stared at Skipper's face. Blood was everywhere, and there was no warm breath he felt whenever he's this close to his leader – to his father.

But there was still a smile. The warm smile that Private always saw when he accomplished a mission, or when he was talking to his family. Smile of pride and happiness.

"Dad, I'm sorry…"

Suddenly they heard footsteps coming.

"Rico, block their entrance!" Kowalski commanded.

Rico slid to the main door and blocked it with tables and computers and everything he could choke.

"We have to move out now, Private," said Kowalski.

"What about my grandpa?" Private asked, still sobbing.

"I believe that he will understand. We'll go back here later for his… body…" answered Kowalski. "Let's go, Rico,"

Rico set some dynamites on the ceiling and blew it up. He coughed a ladder and some C4 with a remote control. He set the bombs around the room before followed Kowalski and Private who brought Skipper's body up the ladder.

They reached the surface when the door broke open, and Rico punched the remote. The room below them exploded.

"We need back-up," said Kowalski. Rico choked a hand-phone and gave it to Kowalski. Private still stared Skipper's face who lie on the ground.

"Overlord, this is ex-Lieutenant Kowalski. Red alert here, I repeat, red alert here. We need reinforcement…"

"You've done your mission very well, Captain,"

Skipper opened his eyes. He was there, his old house in Antarctica, lying on his old bed. In front of him, there stood two penguins – his older brother and his father.

"So… I'm dead already?" Skipper asked to them.

"Sort of," Brian shrugged. "You can go back to my grandson if you want to,"

Skipper smiled. "Well, would you two tell me what happened there?"

"You did it. Blowhole has been captured by the army now, badly injured, thanks to Private who didn't kill him," said Jack. He continued as Skipper stared him questioningly. "He doesn't have to die, Skipper, or at least, we shouldn't be the one who kill him. We should not dirty our flippers with his blood. If we do so, we aren't too different with him,"

Skipper nodded. "I understand,"

"I'm really proud of you all," said Brian. "Jack, Skipper, and Private. You all make me proud. I'm so lucky to have you all,"

Skipper smiled. "Thanks, Dad. But you don't know that we even more proud than you, to have a father like you. A grandfather like you. Am I right, Jack?"

Jack smiled. "Affirmative,"

"Well, the time has come," said Brian. "You need to choose now, Skipper. Do you want to go back there?"

Skipper stayed silent for a while. "Honestly, I'm so tired…"

"You know that you're very welcomed here, boy," said Jack.

"But I can't leave Private yet. Not this way,"

"Nah, that's what I want to hear!" Jack replied and hugged his brother. "My son still needs you on his side. So does Kowalski and Rico,"

Brian hugged him too. "Never give up, huh? That's my son,"

Skipper hugged them back. "What about you, Dad?"

"I'm too old. I think I'll just rest peacefully here,"

Skipper nodded. "I understand,"

"Now, just go sleep, Captain, you need to recover a little to go back,"

Skipper followed his father's command and lie back to his bed. "I will never forget you two. And also Manfredi and Johnson,"

Midnight. Kowalski and Rico were already on their bunks, sleeping. Probably because they're very tired after that mission. They just arrived at Central Park Zoo a couple hours ago. But Private knew that none of them could sleep well, knowing that one of their bunks would be empty.

Private was tired as well. Kowalski had told him to take some rest, but he refused and stayed beside Brian's and Skipper's bodies which was placed on Kowalski's table. He wasn't sleepy. He still wanted to see his father figure and his grandpa, before they got their last tribute and then buried, tomorrow. None of the zoo inhabitant knew about Skipper's death yet. They intended to tell the others by the next morning, because they didn't want to bother those people's sleep.

Private thought about the past events. From when Skipper told him about his parents, that they were his uncles, how Skipper took the position to be his father, their trainings… And then Brian came, the fight between the son and his father… Private smiled bitterly. Tears began to fill his eyes again. He wished he could go back to those times.

"…Don't cry, soldier. You know I hate to see that,"

Private looked up. Skipper's eyes were opened, staring him with a smile.

"Ski – Skipper… You – you st – still alive?" Private stuttered, half in horror and half in disbelief. "I'm dreaming am I?"

"You must be surprised to see a zombie," said Skipper, half jokingly. He tried to get up but immediately yelled and went back lying. "Looks like my wounds haven't healed yet… Ugh,"

"Is this real?" Private asked with widen eyes.

"Of course, young Private," said Skipper, smiled warmly. "Come on, give me a hug,"

"But how can it be?" Private said in disbelief and hugged Skipper. The Captain chuckled. "It's a long story, my boy,"

"We hear you yelling, Private, what's – " Kowalski and Rico stood on the door with beaks opened. "…I'm dreaming, am I?"

"SKIPPER!" Rico grunted and ran to his leader, hugged him as well. Kowalski quickly followed. Skipper laughed.

"Monster truck, boys, monster truck…" said Skipper. "You think I will leave you all that easy?"

THE END

A/N : Sorry for the loooooong time I took to update. Anyway, well, I hope you like the story. Please tell me what you think about this story, seriously, I beg you!

I guess this story is my last story here. So I'd love to read your reviews! Goodbye and see you later! :D

ah, yeah, maybe you'd like to read Skipper Quatermain's stories, he's my friend and he's new here. But his stories are wonderful, at least for me. :D