Chapter 5: Never Bettercopyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mi3SQdm9B
“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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAFm0D7ASZ
“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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡVH0l4skXqx
“Oh.” The private nods.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrUiuM8H9i
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnTYJTCQuv
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpcQLgj5eK
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡCebwwGjFot
“All things considering what?” He asks.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIQRHzKkpe
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgE17piquw
“What mission?”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7LmEh3YXr
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVahNRRxbg
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0xq2EPk4k
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfrCC6UF4S
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wNiNA9E8l
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUmsko7aJb
“What?” Private asks.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡuArVd328J7
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RDO9rpi6x
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2sZvNoCX7
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrIfnWjp42
“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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4TaT3BilI
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZKiZg5oS2
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGueWRafhf
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOkbYdeAwA
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡimA3FzjLXc
“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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtTiIP9S4q
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mesydFMOc
“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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7yXadwuZu
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNYA5Gqezu
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHRU9p7PcW
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z3AwdO3IN
“Incomplete?”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqAw0FdqUM
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAtNuCcCsp
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡytZB4wPSzy
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8YgFYVSpQ
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡElq88ULkxd
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5HJHLfwDP
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jX3zC2vvr
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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaMLiUG3fd
“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 protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZiYI0KXwo
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBHKFhnHMS
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡ872VTlQzp5
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG56FN6pLD
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxfvhUMEBy
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKGAGAWwal
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”copyright protection218ＰＥＮＡＮＡCX1H3Hua6g
