W. S. Gilbert

As a boy, Murdock lost his father when the latter won a boxing match he was supposed to throw, and was murdered soon after. Now, after failing to rescue the kidnapped boy, a severely injured Murdock is found in a dumpster by nurse Claire Temple. Nelson meanwhile attempts to comfort Page following her recent traumatic experiences. Temple takes Murdock to her apartment, tends to his wounds, and removes his mask, discovering his blindness. He refuses to reveal his name, but does reveal his heightened senses when they alert him to a Russian who is searching the apartment building, giving Temple time to hide Murdock and convince the man that she knows nothing. Murdock realizes that the man didn't believe her, and overpowers him, taking him to the roof. Murdock and Temple torture him into revealing the boy's location, before Murdock pushes him off the roof and into the same dumpster. He barely survives. Murdock enters the building where they are keeping the boy, defeats the guards, and rescues him.

The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his 21st year, is released from his apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates. He meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, and the two young people fall instantly in love. Frederic finds out, however, that he was born on February 29, and so, technically, he only has a birthday each leap year. His apprenticeship indentures state that he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday, and so he must serve for another 63 years. Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully.