Chapter 5: Never Better8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1YIWhUdMZ 維尼
“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?”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt3czZibCH 維尼
“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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGKsLHK4kM 維尼
“Oh.” The private nods.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdgbuLVruo 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡsC7yUVISxP 維尼
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6K4kYWNpu 維尼
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEQu6mJ1Q0 維尼
“All things considering what?” He asks.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQMPHn4PjL 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IiodG3C28 維尼
“What mission?”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOAyEyu1eM 維尼
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu911zDJOe 維尼
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUpZpJ6hgw 維尼
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…”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNz1xqLGsr 維尼
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. 8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdCQVi4C2V 維尼
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡyen2J3rhaJ 維尼
“What?” Private asks.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQGKvaBpDh 維尼
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9lUchEwn7 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRJ0PJia41 維尼
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6R3XQc5ZP 維尼
“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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡziaJwLs0OO 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvpHXxmGCd 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡXe4FSYL5Sq 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFbG7v9lGg 維尼
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRU1e0xJy1 維尼
“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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqc0GCykvn 維尼
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡha6ePP5dmU 維尼
“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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqvqzJgzW8 維尼
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz7XjRfeGi 維尼
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9WyzFh0Dk 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡruwdSjIois 維尼
“Incomplete?”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TTeGnV7OZ 維尼
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNz71hXKRz 維尼
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbUC1AZJ7G 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9S8CsZvst 維尼
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡERkdQFCHV3 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcpyEmT5yk 維尼
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUBnmUpzV3 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxW12CX1Bg 維尼
“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.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXM9gryJ7x 維尼
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTOqgiBSPm 維尼
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” 8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡznGWd2OkjJ 維尼
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyGDO9sNqo 維尼
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLX1BcyDUN 維尼
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8CvEzU5lh 維尼
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”8964 copyright protection480ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CkldhPKmy 維尼
