Chapter 5: Never Bettercopyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡUI4Ag5HQmW
“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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9zJ9IksZ0
“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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡWc8e8F1ARK
“Oh.” The private nods.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWcgrGOo0l
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡluScVK6PIY
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYZZdGakWD
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AntI59JYu
“All things considering what?” He asks.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32wzTjLTFw
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUaFSqXnoI
“What mission?”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5A4gDNj1c
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39464O9xkc
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7itRAmOXDi
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhixPoDhnV
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIYQwprzAf
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡftZx3c75Y0
“What?” Private asks.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPcteox8Vh
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeULfJ9830
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOHtYxKk3Z
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2y54PxQFHs
“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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zLHuvWB0e
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7lJEW2FDv
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60w6NiKwbL
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsCrXDALCQ
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡStgMLqFzCC
“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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBv7KaoZ33
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPDaRr0MJg
“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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjUntPrfXe
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRbNf08P4y
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsiZ4PFBcI
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYR8cl0CKW
“Incomplete?”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIrXAo672V
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmDnyESVEm
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4t7uthfEaL
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfYvA3UEvS
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg78lLD5nV
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMYiuViS1V
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hTwClHe1v
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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLt5IyK7f0
“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 protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz4wLLDaHF
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡEm8CNjHQPt
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Pmg3DkcJ2
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWh2eljl53
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTQXfhnHOo
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOPO1LFcLf
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”copyright protection294ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQvCdJf6hS
