Chapter 5: Never Bettercopyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIfQmElhaQ
“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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp7Pn1091h
“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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHjqR0D0Qi
“Oh.” The private nods.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡAj0P9muvEE
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq4tfrugBv
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5dQv4Q85H
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡqG1qwbN0Gs
“All things considering what?” He asks.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2SJv8a0oM
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVRJLmNCvT
“What mission?”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWAlm6wa6d
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLfvuLDFM2
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡriXj1JFPmb
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG7i2upzFv
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhg2NLOqqA
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSSqbTaRIw
“What?” Private asks.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rdaKgE9Pj
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡECBVEoHtP7
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iZVJbOT2x
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5YDfITURJ
“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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwlPs0e9t3
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwmgs5rgZu
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpzM2OuWIm
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWS0Mk10tu
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4K1q1twtJv
“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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxVwkYlOU4
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡaz13ANnBNR
“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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RC7iDAO6k
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3SfAceW18
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bI2fiPDUD
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0v67OKICQ
“Incomplete?”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XUUdv7rr8
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsjivzBkcv
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGvuNDixlV
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡonSii5Opwf
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6IRpdq0yD
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwk118EjF0
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4n7nGcb6J
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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDQ9vfmWfU
“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 protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLrUMs2rMI
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0MP89vklB
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MfVVLbhIr
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡchcEcZ6eqT
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRTIH2Scmd
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr04mVPxdx
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”copyright protection144ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpPb31aafB
