Chapter 5: Never Bettercopyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6c33gnY4FU
“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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzpG0Yafop
“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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjJgtO9WzY
“Oh.” The private nods.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFboJrMHvr
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡC511M10Wgp
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAI4RcT09s
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡZu8aTSCFz8
“All things considering what?” He asks.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bd7d09eWq
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡDi0mmSygSH
“What mission?”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRcS25KFLk
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRv1ZJ18XX
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBfAXCswTk
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDcrvfwfUh
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH95J8PKhM
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQoYqmBTSu
“What?” Private asks.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡd78qyDG5TA
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsiwy1FnMW
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡauNytdU46N
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkUHLtkryd
“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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VGlrfn6C9
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MEQl74gba
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LvYshrNIZ
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LUH7mXutz
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxminHprXB
“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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1m7ZOprC7
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDTll0Iivb
“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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8Jer6VQyT
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡraUOiUDHlf
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMSJ8eJQwe
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2onLCOSxFq
“Incomplete?”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7AmVShyAD
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡOppH8yVSor
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rPucsj40Y
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡvr55N1Y4Ay
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoY766F1Z4
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6vjBILUNL
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡTicZo01m5B
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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN0TV60B8Z
“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 protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡFB5bUHUGCI
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡrv1EvpFwMK
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hy8AteA4m
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKYGWTnQzZ
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1vzF0ZkwL
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EsDM371Dc
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”copyright protection137ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeWmUSgiJP
