Chapter 5: Never Bettercopyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLcvczm6xK
“Sir?” Private looks at Skipper as he waddles behind him. “Why are we going to Tennessee? Is Kowalski needing to borrow one of the top-secret thingies from a military base there again?”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSwE466pSm
“What?” Skipper glances weirdly over his shoulder at him and shakes his head. “No, Manfredi hid something there and we are going to go retrieve and analyze it.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9v2BEFIUTR
“Oh.” The private nods.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqCTVPsiV0
Skipper nods and grabs a few things and tosses them to Rico. “Kowalski, ready the hologram. I doubt we’re going to be back anytime soon.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PTzuYGAny
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡXx309IFRDz
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkZmdUbGd6
“All things considering what?” He asks.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgWAPrzw2W
Kowalski pats him on the head. “We’ll explain when you’re older. You’re much too young to hear about that mission besides that it happened.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Zu80DRFvv
“What mission?”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡfePeB39MKm
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrCP2sgBZi
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3i2ciG4Yc
Skipper gives him an unamused look and then looks away for a moment and clears his throat. “I can’t help that certain parts of the mission were worth reliving…”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdrpr2tAOd
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGEzvG2Mi1
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q5mSiEzmD
“What?” Private asks.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWQcmhePS2
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PJHpfos1G
Skipper rolls his eyes. “Are you guys going to continue gossiping like a bunch of capricious nancy cats or can we move on?” He snorts.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6wzspR7Ye
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKbBWxSbnL
“We’ll take the subway to the airport and then stow ourselves on a nonstop to Tennessee. Once there we will reassess our travel possibilities.” He says. “Now, move out.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡepBY70dvtf
The four penguins slide off to the metro where they slide down the escalator rails down to the bottom. For a moment they hide themselves behind potted plants until a lady in a long dress walks by. Skipper motions and all four slide under her dress. He keeps his flippers over Private’s young, curious eyes as he has Kowalski keep watch on their position in comparison to the metro. They are in luck that their long-dressed compadre just happens to be boarding the metro that they need on. The four then roll under the seats and lay there on their bellies among the discarded bubble gum and feet of the crowded metro car.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXmIwO7oW6
While they sit there, Skipper contemplates the file. He thinks back on the mission itself, the traumatizing thrills, the heartbreaking romance, the fighting...He frowns. The fighting, there shouldn’t have ever been any fighting. He had set the rules and the only one above his rules would have been himself.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHRPjNmcZK
Skipper shakes his head as his thoughts drift from the Guatemala mission to what Marlene would say to him being above his own rules. No matter how hard he shook his head, she continued her tirade. He should have followed his own rules. He should have set a better example. She wasn't worth what she nearly led them to. She was trouble beginning to end. He shakes his head harder.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdaybhzpM2
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYZ1HwQPVN
“Never better.” He says and stops shaking his head. ‘Yes, I get it, Marlene, drop it already!’ He thinks irritatedly. ‘If you weren’t dead, if you had left the bunnies to us, maybe I’d listen. But I don’t listen to figments of my imagination. Been there, done that.’ He mentally scoffs.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyvNnOAK0A
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXNEwZW6pJ
“Right then. Men, roll out.” He orders and the four roll themselves out of the subway car. “Kowalski, Rico, scout out a map so we can figure out where we are.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95I97pFXeA
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb9gYx4zi5
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9M3XrzXoGm
Skipper tenses up and glances at the young private. “Too much to explain, Private...But in all unclassified simplicity, there was a mission. The five of us became sidetracked. There was a brawl that no one won. Then we came to our senses and came home, leaving the mission incomplete.” He looks off into the distance. “It was a dark time for teamwork.” He sighs.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PsPYzfDxu
“Incomplete?”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiFoyDVDcd
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡIl0MjslgQ1
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXR5NPF2sc
Skipper glances over at him tiredly and pats him on the head. “We’ll see, young Private. That will depend on many things….Many classified things.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHub63P1H1
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpngbGIxXz
The skipper looks at him with a small, amused smile. “Ah, young sweet, naive Private, if we all had this demanding curiosity of yours, we'd be dead.” He shakes his head with a chuckle. “Some things are better that you just never know, Private.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBxqGkgmnJ
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUq36w6VyN
Skipper just chuckles a little to himself and watches as Kowalski and Rico side back to them. He had to admit, he had missed this. The thrill, the focus, the teamwork. Just the four of them, like it had been before Marlene...But still it just didn't feel the same, more bittersweet.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOdk5p1NXZ
“Sir, we should be able to slide to the plane without issue.” Kowalski says, taking out his clipboard and showing him the brochure map he has borrowed.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxAUYhfeDD
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcxofEUlzt
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xinRnMTbJ
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡTygtteKIso
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqATOPxJb7
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡclEvIwSuq4
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”copyright protection80ＰＥＮＡＮＡejCvM6KxOc
