And so, the brothers attend this mixer at the London Zoo. The party is rather hopping compared to what they expected from the zoo animals. Animals from all around had gathered for one reason - to get wild. Skipper and his brother were no exception. After their encounter with those Chinstrap Sisters, Sam was a lot more reluctant than his brother. However, Skipper was just so eager, Sam couldn't just cut their debauchery short. It seems Skipper was growing up and craved all that the world had in store for him. He wasn't quite as disenchanted and cynical as Sam yet. Being the older of the two, Sam didn't want to take any of the adventure away from Skipper.

"Wow, wow, wow," Skipper scans the crowd. Rather than searching for possible threats, like he would have back home, there is only one thing he's looking for. "So many lovely ladies here tonight."

"Just keep your wits about you, kid. Last time you went head over heels, you almost lost all our cash." Sam reminds his brother.

"Aw, c'mon, Sam. Live a little." Skipper sighs and makes his way to the tiki bar. Upon getting there, he finds two fruity concoctions with little umbrellas sticking out of the tops.

As Skipper hands him a beverage, Sam shrugs. "I guess, you're right. That is why we came out here in the first place, huh?"

"Exactly!" Skipper punches his brother's shoulder playfully. Skipper doesn't quite know his own strength as Sam fumbles with the drink in his flipper. He nearly drops it.

Before Sam can fully recover from the surprise, Skipper's fleeting attention has already shifted. "Target acquired." He says, moving his head in the direction of two female peacocks.

Sam acquiesces and accompanies Skipper in wooing the peacocks who look as though they could practically be twins. For an amateur, Skipper turns out to be quite the charmer and quick on his feet. He introduces Sam as his older brother and quickly goes to ask the peacocks about themselves. It almost seems easy for Skipper, at least it appears that way to Sam. Turns out Skipper could be quite the player. The two peacocks seem to laugh at all his jokes. However, he can't help but notice the prolonged gazes that both of the peacocks give him. Since he really has no intentions of forming any lasting relationship with either of them, he feels unsettled and looks away. He looks at the crowd.

Suddenly Sam stops cold.

From across the way, their eyes meet. She is a petite and round penguin with bright, blue eyes. They shine against the dark feathers on her head. Unlike Skipper or Sam, she appears to be an Adelie penguin. By the way she waddles through the crowd so gracefully, it almost looks as though she is floating. Sam can't seem to draw his attention away from her. Suddenly, he finds no interest in whatever is happening around him. It's as if the air has been stolen from his lungs.

"Who is that?" Sam says to himself, in practically a whisper.

Skipper doesn't notice. He is still talking to the two peacocks they were wooing together. "But, anyway, like I was saying…." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sam walking off. "– hey, where are you going?"

"Excuse me." Sam bows out of the conversation. He just has to meet this girl. Something is drawing him to her, like the earth's gravitational pull. Even if he tried to avoid her, whatever it was would surely keep nagging him. However, he really has no plan for what he'll do when he gets there.

When Sam finally reaches her, he stumbles over his own two feet. Instead of his proportionally sized, webbed feet, in that moment, they feel as haphazard as if he were wearing clown shoes. And at the very worst moment for him to trip and fall, he does so right in front of her. Rather than approaching her in a suave and gentlemanly manner, he trips right in her path.

Luckily, he catches himself with one flipper on the tiki bar. It feels like all eyes are on him, as he feels sickeningly warm with mortification. Just then, he hears a voice beside him.

"Oh dear! Are you all right?" She squeaks, with her airy, soft British voice.

Sam looks up to find just the girl he had been admiring, looking down at him with pity in her eyes. He was blowing this and making an utter fool of himself in the process. It seems like the longer he stays propped up against the bar, the more embarrassing this will get.

"Oh me?" Sam chuckles, as if he hadn't been the only one to take a tumble. "Nah, I'm just, uh… just clumsy is all. Leave it to me to trip over my own feet." He laughs.

She simply giggles, covering her beak. Who was this clumsy stranger? He certainly wasn't from the zoo. But there was just something about him, whether it be his awkwardness or humor, that made him all the more charming. She just had to find out more about him.

When she removed her flipper from her beak, Sam was able to get a full picture of her. She was like nothing he had ever seen before. Before, from across the crowd he thought she was beautiful, but being this up close he could see that she was absolutely stunning. While his eyes were green, hers were bright and blue, like the sky on a late spring afternoon. She had a glowing smile to match, that was wide yet subtle. There was certainly an air about her that took his breath away.

"Uh, I uh…" Sam is simply mesmerized by her. "I just wanted to say. You have the most beautiful eyes."

They seemingly glow at the compliment. If penguins could blush, she would. Instead, she puts her flippers together in front of her modestly. "Thank you," she giggles slightly. In her frazzled state, she didn't know what to say in response to his kind words.

Back at the other tiki bar, Skipper is scoffing at his brother's clumsiness. Now, Sam won't seem to get a chance with either one of the peacocks or this random girl. He rolls his eyes, never pegging Sam to be the idealistic and sappy type.

"So, looks like he left. But I don't see why the three of us can't all -" Skipper tries to smoothly re-enter the conversation with the peacocks. When he looks back, they are already gathering their things.

"Yeah, actually, we were just leaving." One of the peacocks smiles with a look that is insincere and awkward.

Skipper looks back at Sam and growls under his breath.

That's when an ocelot stalks up to him. By the time he turns his head, she is leaning on the bar, inches from him. She smirks, as she eyes him up and down. "And how is such a scrumptious little thing like you all by your lonesome?" She speaks with a thick accent.

Skipper shivers but in a way that isn't quite bad.

"Well, I'd be happy to change that." Skipper smirks back at the larger feline.

She places a paw on his flipper. Her claws bristle his feathers. "My pleasure."

"Well, hello kitty." Skipper winks.

Back at the opposite end of the party, Sam is still entranced by this new penguin. "Oh, um… where are my manners?" Sam stammers. "My name's Sam by the way." What should he do now? A bow? A handshake? Instead, he panics and tries to suavely prop his flipper up on the tiki bar. He leans into it, feigning a confident posture. It had worked before.

However, the sudden shaking of the bar knocks a decorative coconut loose from above. It comes crashing down on Sam's head.

"Ouch," he rubs his head, instantly dropping the cool act.

As hard as she tries, she can't resist her laughter. She covers her beak once more. It doesn't take Sam long to hear her enjoyment out of his little faux paus. But instead of being embarrassed, he finds himself swept up in her laughter and finds himself chuckling along with her. The moment was magical.

"I take it you're not from around here, Sam." She smiles, breaking off the laughter.

"Oh, uh," Sam begins to panic internally. Had he said something wrong? "No, I'm actually from Antarctica. Me and that knucklehead back… - nevermind" Sam laughs and looks for his brother. However, he's no longer standing there.

"I thought your voice sounded a bit different." She smiles warmly. It was true, they did speak with very different accents. "Besides, the only penguins around here are my brother, my mum, and me."

"Oh, must get awful boring." Sam sympathizes. He can't imagine being trapped in a zoo with the same penguins for such a long time.

"Not really, at least, I don't mind it. I spend most of my time taking care of my mum, while my brother travels for… his doily collection. Besides, I have plenty of time for my own hobbies. You know, walking around the park, entertaining the humans." She responds. Oops, had she overshared? She has a habit of doing that herself. Perhaps, he wasn't the only awkward one here.

"Doily collecting, huh?" Sam thinks to himself. "What an incredibly British hobby."

She laughs. If only he knew what her brother was really up to. But she can't go around giving out her family's secrets. However, she had to be extra careful when speaking with this stranger in particular. He had a way about him that made her nervous but in an exciting way. If she wasn't careful, she could end up giving out the key to their habitat. Oh, how open and trusting she could be. Sometimes of the wrong people.

"So what about you?" She collects herself. "Do you have anyone traveling with you? I mean, you've come such a long way."

"Yeah, actually. My little brother should be around here somewhere." Sam goes back to briefly scanning the crowd. A bit of fear arises in him when he can't find Skipper. Hopefully, the kid hadn't gotten into any trouble.

"That's sweet. Are you two close?" She muses. Her heart is racing and her head is spinning. He's looking after his brother, too? There was really something about him that made her heart flutter.

"Yeah, actually," Sam's attention is immediately drawn back to her. Skipper is fine. He's more than capable of taking care of himself for a few minutes, right? "I practically raised him. I've been looking after him since he was a chick."

"Aww," she sighs. "So, you two are just traveling around the world, then? Is London your first stop?"

"Actually, it's our third… or fourth. Maybe fifth." Sam has to think on this one. They had already seen so much and gotten into so much mischief. "Either way, we wanted to get off of the tundra, you know, go out and see the world."

"Oh," she smiles, but something within her really hopes this is Sam's favorite spot. And for what reason, she does not quite know. "Would you care to see the town?"

"Really?" Sam perks up. Was she asking him out on a date? Nah, it couldn't be. But maybe… how could someone like her be at all interested in him? He had to play it cool. So, he stifles his thoughts and stows down his emotions. "I'd like that."

"Sam, how ya doin', buddy?" With that, Skipper slides in, completely interrupting the moment. He wraps his flipper around Sam and drags him down to his level.

Sam narrows his eyes to give Skipper a very pointed look.

The female penguin laughs. "This must be your brother, I take it?"

"Yes," Sam grumbles, looking at Skipper. Skipper doesn't seem to get what is happening. Either that, or he wants to pull Sam away. He's never seen his brother look at another penguin like he had this one.

And for that matter, why is Sam glaring at him like that?

Sam returns to his manners, when he looks back up at her. "This is Skipper."

"Very nice to meet you, Skippah." She smiles warmly. Skipper likes the way her accent sounds when she says his name.

"Charmed," he takes his flipper in his and does a little bow. Anything to return the civility. This British zoo seemed like high society, and he wanted to blend in.

Sam is fuming, while she laughs. She doesn't think much of Skipper's hijinks.

"Skipper," Sam clears his throat. "This is um…" That's when it hits him, like a ten pound salmon to the gut. He never even asked what her name was. He freezes.

"Eleanor," she looks at Sam when she says this.

"Eleanor," Sam nods, keeping eye contact. He smiles, as if he has discovered a rare diamond.

"Would tomorrow night be a good time for our stroll?" She reminds him of the plans they were making. Surely, she didn't want those to be forgotten.

"Oh well, Sam and I have already - " Skipper tries to chime in, but Sam nudges him out of the way before he can finish his thought.

"Sounds delightful," Sam's eyes have not left Eleanor. Eleanor. That name would run through his mind all night and day, until their next meeting.

Sam begins to leave, nearly dragging his kid brother behind him. It's only a matter of time before he does something else. He loves his brother but man, could the kid be pesky sometimes.

"Sam," Eleanor calls for him, and he immediately turns. "What did you say your last name was, again?"

Last name? Uh… did he even have one of those? Back in Antarctica families didn't really stick together for that long to come up with a family name. But he had to think of something. If he wanted to keep her attention and even start to be worthy of her, he had to think of something. They came from two different worlds - this was one he had never even considered for himself, not until now.

"Fishy, Sam Fishy." He comes up with the first thing he can think of.

Skipper tilts his head in confusion. That isn't Sam's last name. He didn't even have one. Neither of them did. And what was it to her? Sheesh, this dame was awfully nosey.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Fishy," Eleanor waves. As soon as she says it aloud, she's pretty sure he made it up on the spot. But it doesn't matter, her head is still in the clouds. Despite her flightless nature, she feels as though she is flying with angels.

"Sounds like you had a good night." Skipper lifts his faux eyebrows at Sam.

"You know, I actually did." Sam sighs. In just a few minutes, life showed him that it was still full of surprises. And not just surprises but wonders too.

As the two waddle off, Sam remembers that he had somewhat ditched Skipper. For a second, he weighs the morality of his actions. Sure, he had left Skipper alone but maybe that was the best thing for him. It was a lesson, even if unintentional, Skipper learned to hold his own in such a setting even if it was for a few minutes. Skipper was growing up. Plus, that meant that he was able to meet Eleanor. After that night, his life would never be the same and something inside of him knew it.

"So, anything go anywhere with those peacocks?" Sam chuckles.

Skipper scoffs. "No," No thanks to Sam. "But I did have quite the run-in with a flirtatious ocelot" Skipper reports smoothly.

"An ocelot," It's Sam's turn to raise his brow. Ocelots are rather carnivorous. It's better he didn't know what Skipper was up to. He partially jokes with Skipper, elbowing him in the stomach. "I'm surprised she didn't eat you alive."

"Oh, she did." Skipper laughs cheekily. This earns him a slap to the back of the head from Sam.

As it turned out, London did end up being their longest stop. Whenever Skipper brought up the idea of moving on, Sam would always come up with an excuse. First it was his and Eleanor's walk around the city, then it was their dinner date together and the excuses to see her just kept coming. That also meant less time for Sam to spend with Skipper. Growing up, Skipper had been so used to it being just the two of them. Now that Eleanor had entered Sam's life and so drastically, Skipper didn't know what to think. Was Sam starting to replace him? And what, for some girl he just met? But he was his brother, he had known him for most of his life. Soon enough, seeds of resentment began to sprout within the younger penguin.

However, Skipper wasn't the only one to take notice of this change. While Sam and Eleanor's relationship had flourished, Sam was realizing that he and Skipper's dynamic was growing more and more distant. Admittedly, he felt quite guilty about this. But Eleanor had come to mean the world to him, and he shouldn't feel bad about taking care of his own needs right? Although he had spent the better half of his life, thus far, focusing on his young brother's growth, Sam was beginning to see a change in himself as well. Perhaps, this was a step in his own journey to adulthood. In the same vein, he couldn't just leave Skipper behind though. He had to address the issue directly with Skipper, but had to think of some way to do it that wouldn't scare him off.

One day in particular, Sam asked Skipper to grab lunch with him and overlook the water like they used to do. This subtle reminder of home, their shared past might soften the blow he was about to deliver. The nostalgia might even be persuasive to help Skipper see things his way.

A few minutes into their lunch. Sam begins reminiscing with Skipper, talking about all those times they spent fending off skuas and petrels together, fishing, and even the memories they had just made in their international travels.

"Yep, that's us! Sam and Skipper – the dynamic duo! Closer than tartar and sauce. Fish and chips." Skipper slaps a flipper on his brother's back.

"I think you're just hungry." Sam chuckles, trying to dilute his own guilt.

"Maybe so, but I've never been this hungry. Hungry for adventure – that is." Skipper leaps to his feet. "Sam, these are the best days of our lives here. Partying all night, fighting whoever we please, exploring limitlessly. Brother, we are completely free to go wherever we please. And it's just the two of us. You and me against the world." He confidently places flippers on his hips.

Turns out, Skipper came into this lunch with his own motivations as well. He wanted to remind Sam of how much fun they've had together and how many more adventures still await them. They have the whole world at their flipper-tips, and they were the unstoppable duo. Sam just needed to be reminded of this.

"About that… Skipper, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Sam stands up, placing a flipper on Skipper's shoulder now.

Sensing the shift in Sam's affect, Skipper tries to boost the mood back up. "What is it? Want to go someplace else? Hey, I chose London. By all means, you take the lead on this one. " He is chomping at the bit to get Sam's mind straight. Getting him away from that temptress will be a good thing for him.

"No, it's Eleanor." Sam's tone remains the same.

"What? That girl from the party? Pfft, she's a dime a dozen. They've got at least several of her in every country." Skipper scoffs, as if he hasn't noticed Sam's absence and distraction caused by this girl.

"No, not like her," Sam smiles, all dreamily, then sternly corrects Skipper. "and her name is Eleanor."

"Okay… I see you've fallen for her soft, British voice." Skipper raises his flippers, pretending to understand. That certainly doesn't mean he's going to back off. "Don't worry. We'll get you back out there tonight, and you'll forget all about uh… what's-her-name. We'll get you feeling back to normal in no time." He winks and places his flipper around him again.

Sam slips under Skipper's flipper. The kid isn't getting it or he's purposely circumventing the point. Either way, it's making this conversation that much harder for Sam.

"No, Skipper. I want to be with her." Sam finally says outright. There is no way Skipper can misunderstand him now.

"Be with her?" Skipper asks, he doesn't even want to think about Sam wanting a, ugh, …. relationship. "That's really none of my business."

"No, Skipper. Like settle down…" He sighs, "start a family."

Skipper can't believe what he's hearing. "You're kidding, right?" When he doesn't get a response from Sam, he delves deeper into his denial. "Yeah, this is your way of getting back at me for forgetting um… Helen's name."

"It's Eleanor, Skipper!" Sam is growing tired of this charade. What might be the most grating part is Skipper's complete disregard for Eleanor. He knows how much she means to him.

Skipper recoils a bit. He didn't expect Sam to respond so harshly.

Sam sighs and regains his patience. He didn't mean to scare Skipper with his outburst. In fact, the possibility of doing so fills him with shame. "Since I've met Eleanor, things have been so much different… It's hard for me to explain."

"What are you saying?" Skipper fights back tears. Was this Eleanor really about to come between them? This journey was about them - their brotherhood.

Sam shrugs, he's currently in limbo between the dearness that thoughts of Eleanor bring him and the guilt he feels for doing this to Skipper. "She just, she makes me so happy, Skipper."

This isn't making sense to Skipper. Wasn't Sam happy before? Why did he need Eleanor to make him happy? "Our adventures - they don't make you happy?"

"No, Skipper, of course they do." He reassures him. In this moment, he is reminded just how young Skipper is. Skipper hasn't experienced anything like what Sam is experiencing now. He really has to thoroughly explain this to him. "But this makes me happy in a different way… I think I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Skipper gasps, as his insecurities take hold of him. "So, you're abandoning me?" His words reflect betrayal but beneath that is fear.

"What? No, I -" Sam steps back. Skipper's staring up at him, with tears in his eyes, accusing him of abandoning him. Like his father? No, he's been there for Skipper since he was a hatchling. How can he even suggest that he's abandoning him? He doesn't know whether to be deeply slighted or heartbroken. How can Skipper even think that?

"You did this on purpose!" Skipper accuses even further. How can Sam ditch him for some girl? Just like that? He barely knows her! It isn't fair.

"What?" Sam gasps, this is getting worse and worse.

"What? Was I bothering you? Do you not want me around anymore?" Skipper gets angrier, as he fights back his tears. This is just like when his dad left him. He's not good enough for anyone to stay. Even after everything he and Sam had been through, he still wasn't good enough. Why wasn't he ever good enough?

Sam has had enough and goes on the defensive. It's one thing for Skipper to be hurt or insecure. It's another for him to accuse him of all of these things.

Sam scoffs. "You're paranoid. You know, I like my life how it is. I wouldn't trade it for anything, unless it was for something important." He points to himself.

"Like what? Some big pair of pretty blue eyes and an accent?" Skipper throws out his flippers to the side.

"What do you want me to do? This is my life too, Skipper! I can't sacrifice my own happiness and future just to keep you from being alone." What did he want from him? To just ignore his feelings. That wasn't fair to him. He never meant to fall for Eleanor, but he can't bring himself to leave her. Skipper's not the only one impacted by this.

"Of course, you can!"

"What?" Sam is appalled that Skipper would even ask that of him.

"C'mon, Sam, you remember the penguin credo, huh? It was going to be you and me against the world, looking out for each other. That's how we survive. I make sacrifices for that and you make sacrifices, but in the end - "

"Skipper, when have you ever done anything for someone besides yourself?" Sam's words are plain, blunt, and harsh.

Skipper takes a step back; he is speechless. Maybe he's right. When has he actually done anything for someone else?

"Look, I'm sorry." Sam sighs, seeing he had cut his brother too deep. The words just slipped out, but he didn't mean them. "That wasn't fair of me to say."

Skipper tries his last-ditch effort, practically begging Sam. "You don't want to do this, Sam. It's not you. You'll be tied down to domestic life. And what if she wants kids? You'll be taking care of some brat you never wanted!"

"Hey!" Sam finds himself defensive of a chick he hasn't even had yet. How dare Skipper insinuate that about his future child… if he ended up having children.

"What about all that stuff that you said? When you said you wouldn't leave me? Was that all just a lie, until you found something better? Is that all this was?" Skipper grabs onto Sam's flipper with both of his. He feels like a chick again, begging someone, anyone to stay.

"I'm not leaving you, Skipper. I wouldn't do that. Don't you know me better than that?" Sam is insulted. He sighs, taking a step back before saying anything else he regrets. "Look, I talked about this with Eleanor."

Skipper scoffs and rolls his eyes, letting go of Sam. Of course. Eleanor, this. Eleanor, that. She's all he thinks about anymore.

"Eleanor agreed that you can come and live with us for a while."

"Oh yay," Skipper says sarcastically. And what? Live day in and day out, having to deal with their nauseating romance. Where was the adventure in that? Sam had promised him an adventure. Now, all that was ending. What was he supposed to do? Sit around and settle for a life in a zoo?

"If you're not willing to do that, then you're going to have to learn how to make it on your own." Sam looks away. Skipper can't keep living as the abandoned chick he once was. That wouldn't get him anywhere. He's a young adult at this point, after all. Sam clears his throat, still angry after all that has been said.

"And it's about time." Sam straightens up. He has to be firm with Skipper. Perhaps, that was something he should have done more.

Skipper gasps.

"But I followed you everywhere. I did everything you asked me to and more. What did I do wrong?" Skipper's voice shakes, as the tears get more and more difficult to fend off. He doesn't understand it! He just wishes someone could tell him what he's doing wrong.

"This isn't because you've done anything wrong, Skipper." Sam shakes his head. It tore him apart to see his younger brother like this.

Sam continues. "I just have this obligation now. You'll understand someday. We'd be very happy if you came to live with us, Skipper." He places a flipper on Skipper's shoulder. He really, really hopes Skipper accepts the invitation, at least for a little while.

But instead, Skipper lashes out further. He backs away, as if he has been wounded. "Never! And I'll never turn my back on a friend for a dame." He hisses.

"Fine." Sam clears his throat, fighting back tears of his own. Trying to maintain a neutral, calm tone, he extends his flipper. "That's your decision."

Rather than shake the flipper of the penguin who is betraying him, Skipper turns away. At least when his father left him, they had barely spent any time together. But this was a whole other level of despair and anger. Skipper had known Sam his entire life. It had just been the two of them. Now he'd rather go live with a stranger for some domestic life?

Sam sighs. Perhaps it's a good thing Skipper is looking in the opposite direction. He chokes back more tears. However, he maintains his steady tone. "I really hope you change your mind, Skipper. The door's always open, if you do."

"Yeah sure." Skipper remarks sarcastically; he folds his flippers across his chest.

There's nothing left for Sam to say. What can he say? Nothing it seems will change Skipper's mind. He's set in his ways and inflexible to change. But he is still young after all. Maybe it was selfish for him to do this, but no… Skipper was old enough to look out for himself. If that was his choice, so be it. He couldn't force him to stay and it wouldn't be right for him to do so even if he could. This was Skipper's way of forming his own path and making his own mistakes. He had to let Skipper grow, even if that meant growing apart. They would reunite one day. Sam was determined to do so. But for now, it was time to leave.

Once Skipper hears Sam's footsteps grow distant, the rage inside of him overflows. It's pumped by boiling fear, shame, and anguish. Spilling over, it comes flooding out of him, as he turns with tears in his eyes and his flippers balled up.

"Fine! Leave! Just like everyone else…" He cries out. Stomping his foot like a child, he watches Sam disappear from view, before he falls to the ground and cries.

Months come to pass and their lives are going in two very different directions. The late November air is chilly and bristles Skipper's feathers. He is still alone and cold. What was there to do other than indulge in the night life of the city? Whatever city he found himself in. He isn't even quite sure anymore.

One thing for sure is he is sitting in an alleyway. The local strays had converted some old, thrown out boxes and crates into a makeshift bar. He sits half-slumped over. A five o'clock shadow adorns his chin. It's clear he's a few drinks in, as he grabs the can in front of him. He crumples it up and tosses it over his shoulder. THUNK! A distant cat yowls in response.

It seems he has forgotten that he, at one point, engaged the annoying patron sitting next to him in conversation. Truth be told, he hadn't been listening for the past several minutes. Yet the accent stranger was pouring his heart out to him, non-stop.

"So, it turns out now I am all alone!" The stranger weeps into his wings.

"Ha." Skipper laughs humorlessly. "Join the club."

"Really?" The bird perks up.

"Yeah, I've got nothing left to lose." Skipper shrugs, stumbling over his words. "Lost my best friend in the entire world just the other day – my only friend."

"You know, I might know just the thing for guys like us." The stranger continues.

"And what's that?" Skipper had heard it all. What would be the one thing that could turn his life around? To make others want to stay? Huh?

That's when a mission file lands on the bar in front him. Skipper is startled by the suddenness of the object and blinks. Unfamiliar with it, he has no clue what this stranger is getting at.

"Some sort of folder?" Skipper questions, rather unimpressed.

"It's a mission file. You see, I'm actually a secret agent. I work for an undercover unit of animals that specializes in protecting the world's most prized treasures."

"Wait, you're a secret agent?" This gets Skipper's attention. Of all the places and times for an opportunity like this to land in his lap…

"Yes, and we're always looking for new recruits!"

Skipper picks up the file, hiding his excitement behind a veil of skepticism. Here he was down and out, and now it seems like fate had given him another chance. A chance to prove his worth. After all, he had nothing left to lose.

"All right, I'm in." Skipper nods, handing the file back to his now excited acquaintance.

"Excellent!" The stranger cheers. "I am sure we will be the bestest of pals!"

"Great," Skipper rolls his eyes. Yeah right, he had heard that one before. Surely, he wasn't going to let anyone get close to him any time soon. "And what did you say your name was again?"

"Agent Hans. Hans the Puffin," Hans extends his wing, and Skipper shakes it. It was a deal.

[To Be Continued]