Chapter 5: Never Bettercopyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GiXRywEop
“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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO71DFPEQF
“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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mxgh9UM6E
“Oh.” The private nods.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08kj5cRBQg
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03585JNUnE
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrr7IJgCvm
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwvBPANHcE
“All things considering what?” He asks.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdI2lNL9H9
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhAfojZFVu
“What mission?”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2c1xOQ8Cxl
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvyZyUNk4v
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSM48bn7Qj
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTwDqluzX2
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfxse5m1pq
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTjjXsvlzl
“What?” Private asks.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcfbQFwkeu
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8JUBXZYZp
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwiIQgalCK
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhXWsNCZ8Q
“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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuZdpBboza
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYH7HxoSS0
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAhAwKn8Kv
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡZd0YqpACO9
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC8uKQ18IU
“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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lurV1bj9W
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡO89P7AeHc3
“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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZGZuqQwzy
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIUVaPWm85
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXesMm213f
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VfLVJbLfL
“Incomplete?”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGudCE3y0c
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiaTKWfNYj
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33ejO930Vj
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfZfsBUwaU
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOcTHXQXLO
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOSu7GEaHz
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡttOtJh5DOf
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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx4KqMIgJt
“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 protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZiXuqE8Bm
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4PxyyPDbD
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJbXuCJcSt
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYsYWWoB5Z
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO4MlDkagw
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡOafZ8KBSWu
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”copyright protection60ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDtOBpKZ0Q
