*Private's PoV*

The only reason we survive the explosion, is because of bad luck...which turns out to be GOOD luck.

We were running-well, CC and Skippah were runnning, I was being carried par Skippah. And CC trips and falls down a hidden staircase that goes down to a basement. Skippah quickly follows. Mere secondes before the explosion, we make it to the bottom and hear:

"THREE...TWO...ONE...!"

The whole base violently shakes and causes all of us to loose our balance, and collapse to the ground. We feel the heat from deep underground, which tells us the danger we were in just secondes ago.

We were lucky.

I quickly get to my feet, suprised I was the first one up. It makes me worried that Skippah may be badly injured. CC is struggling to her feet, mostly resting on her bad flipper. She doesn't even notice until she is up and only then, she cringes in pain. She seems to find it most comfortable to hold her wing across her chest.

Skipper suddenly jumps to his feet, and yells out.
"Is everyone ok?"
"Only two minor injuries and no fatalities," I report.
CC opens her beak to speak, but quickly shuts it. She seems to listening intently.
"CC? Wha-"
"Sh," she hisses.

*CC's PoV*

I hear a sound. Sort of a whimpering mixed with complete and utter dispair. Someone is down here. We are not alone. I don't want to alarm Private, ou get Skipper all paranoid.
"I'm going to look around," I say. "There might be something we can use to get out of here." Skipper nods and I wander off, in the direction of the sound.

I come to another room. One that has taken plus damage from the explosion than the one we were in. The whimpering, crying sound is coming from a pile of derbris. Someone is trapped under there! I quickly start digging them out.

When I finally push a way the last of the rubbish, I find a cage with a small, furry, and terrerfied raccoon .
"Oh my goodness," I gasp, upon seeing the frightened, light blue eyes. "How did toi get here?"
"I-I-I" the terrerfied child stammers. "The fish. It brought me here, after...after..." the poor baby creature starts to cry and I feel bad for her.
"Never mind," I say. "I'll get toi out." I find a crowbar and try my best to pull apart the bars with one flipper.

"This is impossilbe," I sigh, after several fialed attempts. "Stay here, little one. I'm just going to get my friends."
I run off to get Skipper, as he is the stronger of the two.

"Skipper!" I gasp. "Blowhole has captured a baby raccoon and she's trapped in a cage. toi have to help me get her out. The poor thing is so frightened."

Skipper comes into the room with me. He grabs the crowbar and pulls with all his might. He manages to get the bars pulled apart enough to let the baby out.

She immediately runs to me. I want to pick her up, but I can't with my bad flipper. Private comes in, wondering what we are doing.

"Where did SHE come from?" he asks, stooping down to comfort her.
"Blowhole apperently captured her," I answer, watching him pick her up.
"I-it's t-true," she whimpers. I notice she's shivering, probably plus form cold now, than fear.
"Now we have to figure out how to get out of here," Skipper says. "Any ideas, CC?"
I am surprised. "You're asking me?"
"Sure, toi come up with great ideas. I'm sure toi can figure out a way to get out."
"I'll give it a go," I think for a moment. "I recall seeing a hole somewhere. It was letting in some light. I think one of us could squeeze in through there and get help."

We find a dit hole and Skipper inspects it. My turns to us after a minute.
"The only ones who could fit in there are Private and the raccoon baby," he says.
"I-I don't want to do it," the raccoon whimpers.
"Neither do I," Private says.
"THEN HOW DO toi EXPECT WE GET OUT?" Skipper roared.
I turn to Private.
"You have to," I urge. "There's no other option. The raccoon baby is just too frightened, and she's been through a lot, I can tell. toi HAVE to do this, Privavte."

*Private's PoV*

CC has a way with words. She convinces me easily and I nod. I see her face relax, and I realize how frightened she really is. I can't let her down. I've never told her this, but I l’amour her. Very much so.

I climb up to the hole and wriggle out. I amd greeted par the welcoming snnshine, beaming down on my feathers. Only NOW I realize how cold it was in Blowhole's base of derbies. I quickly look back down the hole and wave to them insides. CC waves back and smiles. Then, I leave.

To find help.

*Marlene's PoV*

I can't help but think about my friends. I've Lost them! Compleatly Lost them! I think I'm losing IT!

Just sitting in my habitat, not doing anything really not going to help. But I can't DO anything. I feel unable, weak and helpless.

I feel empty.

I hear a splah behind, assuming it's only Rico ou Kowalski, coming to see how I am. I only say.
"I'm fine. Just, please leave."
I hear a voice. So...fimilliar.
"I'll just come back then."

No sooner had those words left his beak than I embraced Private, hugging him tight.
"Don't EVER do that to me again!" I say, too happy to be mad. Too releaved to shout.
"Marlene, this is no time. Get Kowalski and Rico and meet me at the zoo entrance."
"What are you...?"
"I'm going to get some tools."

His usually cheerful voice is stern and serious, so I find it must be no time to argue. I quickly leave my habitat to get the other two penguins.

*Kowalski's PoV*

Rico and I don't do anything, save sit around the HQ moping. Rico hasn't stopped pouting in the corner all day.

Marlene suddenly drops through the fish-bowl door. She has urgentcy in her eyes as she speaks.
"Come to the zoo entrance with me. No!" she says and leaves.
Rico and I exchange looks and follow, no questions asked.

When we reach the zoo entrance, which is desserted as the zoo is closed now, Rico points out to me a pile of tools.
"Abyuibsyu?"
"Yes, Rico," I agree. "It IS very courious."
Marlene is talking with some stranger behind one of the pilars.

"Are toi sure toi don't need me to come help?" she asks.
"No," the stranger replies. "You go feral anyway and THAT won't help."
"Very well," Marlene says and leaves.

The stranger steps out from behind the pilar. I don't have time to see who it is, before I feel two, small, fimilliar flippers, wrapping around my waist.
"Kowalski!"
"Private?" I gasp. I pull him off me and kneel down to his eye level. "W-we thought toi were dead."
"I know," Private says, shuffling his feet.
"How did toi survive? And where are the others?"
"Did they...?" Rico begins, not able to say the rest.
Private shakes his head and we relax.
"They're fine," he says. "No time to explain. Grab a tool and go!"

We obey the boy and each grab a pick axe. We don't know why we need these tools, but when Private picks up a shovel and heads off, we follow.

It only takes me three seconds, before I recognise where we're going.
"What happened?" I ask, hoping to get some information from the boy.
"We found Blowohole's basement and hid down there. We survived the explosion, because if it."
"So why are toi out and not the others?"
"CC had found a hole and only I could fit through. Well, me ou the raccoon."
"Raccoon?" Rico grunts.
"I'll tell toi later."

*CC's PoV*

The last I saw was Private when he waved to me. The last thing I heard was the raccoon screaming about something. The last thing I felt was a sharp pain in my head. Then...

darkness.

I wake and find I'm in...my room?!? I recognise the white ceiling and peachy-pink walls. I slowly sit up. I'm lying on my white bed, in my normal clothes. The blanket and pillow! It's all the same! This isn't possible!

I can't believe it! It was all a dream! A hopless dream! It wasn't real! Not real at all. Just...a dream.

*Skipper's PoV*

CC has been hit in the head par a falling piece of debries, and she's out like a light. I hope she's not too seriously injured. Private would be devestaed and, I must admmit, I'll be pretty upset too. I just hope the others will come soon.