Chapter 5: Never Better8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWq2s7xx8k 維尼
“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?”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡZawy5J4yAZ 維尼
“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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbwR4mNWfP 維尼
“Oh.” The private nods.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡITXmQyoCtS 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81Iie3fqzh 維尼
“But we are only retrieving the thing, aren’t we?” Private asks.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWWRBXUmyn 維尼
“There is no telling what we’ll do after that, all things considering…” Kowalski says and clears his throat.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡid1kKVvmm6 維尼
“All things considering what?” He asks.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡScjiuCgbM2 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MCVgsBAtz 維尼
“What mission?”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡMywREAqTWx 維尼
“Guatemala…” Skipper sighs. “And we all would have loved to have forgotten that mission.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPDoGJQMWE 維尼
“Except a certain Skipper who started re-reading the file.” Kowalski mutters under his breath to Private.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Sg6SIO5Ej 維尼
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…”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh5OEkbWEp 維尼
Rico mutters something unintelligible to Kowalski and then snickers. 8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1iN8hs6WH 維尼
Kowalski struggles to restrain himself and nods. “Quite possibly, Rico, quite possibly.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxLIRjmK23 維尼
“What?” Private asks.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyejf49CgU 維尼
“N-nothing, Private.” The scientist giggles.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBMtmllN8l 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZv4IW8Njk 維尼
Kowalski and Rico nod, but still stifle giggles.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRu0aZamGX 維尼
“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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzbLkooByq 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPIwdKxhbz 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFusf2JIDp 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL9WWXKcRV 維尼
“Skipper?” Kowalski looks at him softly. “Are you okay?”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51KQjq8YYN 維尼
“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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfNqHM6byW 維尼
“Skipper, it’s our stop.” His lieutenant interrupts.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfszN7WZyz 維尼
“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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡgukIkUFTyr 維尼
“Aye aye, Skipper.” Kowalski nods and he and Rico separate, leaving Skipper and Private standing behind a trashcan.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF1JfkO2QB 維尼
Private looks at Skipper thoughtfully. “What happened in Guatemala, Skipper?”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡipEK3Qiako 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQcGG3y4C0 維尼
“Incomplete?”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6u8pFwfK8 維尼
“Yes, but it was better leaving it unfinished than the team breaking apart and going our separate ways.” He nods with a frown.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFLYTsuM53 維尼
“Are we going to finish it now?” He asks with a smile.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxMcV59Mge 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzFc2OZ3Ia 維尼
“Oh…” He looks at Skipper again. “If we do try to complete it, do I get to know what happened then?”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡOggNUrTmdd 維尼
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.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFUrpKhmJ7 維尼
“Fiddlesticks.” Private murmurs and crosses his flippers, disappointed.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuLzaeNyGm 維尼
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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06CitryAXA 維尼
“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.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡntQ3vuDMY5 維尼
“Great.” Skipper nods. “We’ll hide out in the cargo hold.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlLgfNiMdj 維尼
“But what about the pets aboard, sir?” 8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡbltyHHziTb 維尼
Skipper looks at Private. “You're the one always going on about friendship and diplomacy, you figure them out once we’re aboard.”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01jIG8jJhp 維尼
Private swallows nervously and Kowalski pats his shoulder. “Plus they’ll be in cages anyway, no worries.” He whispers.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40mLNToSmF 維尼
“Oh...Right.” He smiles a little relieved.8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwRk5OX2tv 維尼
Skipper has already started sliding and stops to see his team not following. “Come on you lollygaggers! Planes run on schedules!”8964 copyright protection359ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7zfULYe0X 維尼
