Firstly I would like to thank catty-cat-cat and her amazing stories (Central Park Dormitory and Vampire Knights) that inspired me to write this.
Disclaimer: I do not own Penguins of Madagascar. So without further ado - Enjoy! :D
Prologue:
The mission was simple, get in, grab the data chip, get out. So where did it all go wrong? Crouched behind a toppled desk was a group of four men dressed in black, the only differences between them was their height, build, the styles of their black hair and the shade of their blue eyes.
"Kowalski! Tell me you have a plan!" Skipper yelled as he threw the gun away annoyed that it was out of ammo.
"Working on it Skipper." The tallest -Kowalski- replied, silently tapping the pencil in his hand against his chin in thought. They could hear their enemies approaching quickly.
A bullet narrowly missed Skipper's head, "Kowalski!" he snapped glaring at the analyst. There was a grunt from the right making the pair turn to see their scarred member holding his hand in front of them a small fire burning in his palm.
"Rico are you mad! You know we're not allowed to directly expose our powers to humans!" Kowalski whispered harshly.
"Maybe we don't have to." A young British accented voice spoke from the left where the smallest and youngest member sat hiding behind the table. Rico began nodding and pointing rapidly towards him in approval.
"What are you talking about Private?" Skipper asked raising an eyebrow.
"I could create a distraction allowing us enough time to grab the chip and escape." Private smiled at them. Skipper turned to Kowalski silently asking for his opinion on the matter.
"It might just work." Kowalski concluded after some thought, "But we'll have to act fast before Private tires himself out." everyone nodded.
"Alright Private do your thing." Skipper ordered with a nod, Private smiled and saluted before closing his eyes in concentration.
"Over there!" Someone yelled, the sound of approaching footsteps stopped which was quickly replaced by the roar of gun fire. "Don't let them get away!" The same person yelled as the footsteps sounded again only this time they got fainter as they began chasing Private's illusion.
Skipper got up first scanning the area for any guards before he smiled upon seeing none. "Alright move out." He ordered leaping over the table, Kowalski was quick to follow as Rico picked up Private.
The four quickly arrived at the main computer where Kowalski began searching for their objective as Skipper tapped his foot impatiently, his eyes also scanning the machine though he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for as there was no picture of the data chip in the mission brief.
"Skippah!" Private's whine made the leader tense as he turned to look at the youngest member.
"What is it Private?" Skipper asked moving away from the computer to where the youngest stood near Rico.
"Kowalski's down." There was a scoff from the analyst, "And I'm dead." Private continued. Skipper looked ready to protest when Private continued, "Head wound. Instant kill." he spoke having anticipated Skipper's reaction, though Kowalski was still glaring. Private winced making Skipper and Rico flinch in turn despite knowing that he wasn't in pain, instead they worried about what it was that Private was seeing involving their duplicates. "Kowalski's dead." This time there was a humourless laugh from the scientist.
"Found it!" Kowalski cheered as he pulled the chip free of a docking station. Their victory was cut short as a gun shot echoed throughout the room Private's pained gasp following it. His eyes blinked open revealing bright pale blue eyes glowing so bright his eyes wouldn't be visible from a distance. Everyone quickly sprung into action hiding behind the first object they found.
"Kowalski options!" Skipper called as he looked to see the scientist hiding behind a sofa. Kowalski didn't reply instead his paled as his eyes widened before he lunged himself towards Rico, the larger man lying on the floor bleeding, the coffee table he was hiding behind now sporting several holes. He pressed his hands to a large wound willing for his friend's blood to slow.
"Skippah!" Private cried as he saw the guards take aim at him, he could tell by their shaking hands that his glowing eyes were unnerving them. His eyes could also watched as the illusion of Rico was killed by a wound to the heart while Skipper fell injured to the ground.
Like their duplicates they were surrounded with guards aiming their guns at them silently daring for one of them to move. Through a series of gestures they were ordered to stand during which Kowalski helped Rico as they gathered in the centre of the surrounding enemies. Skipper glanced at his team, Rico was unconscious and only standing because Kowalski was supporting him, Private swayed on his feet a sign that he had reached his limit with the spell.
Elsewhere the illusions flickered while Private struggled to remain conscious, he had never performed this spell for so long and it was taking its toll. The crackling buzz of the radio caught their attention, the news of the look-alikes made Skipper nervous especially when it was confirmed that they were decoys. It was then that Private's legs gave out as he fell unconscious with Skipper barely catching him before he hit the floor. The radio buzzed again this time announcing the man's surprise as the decoys vanished.
Kowalski mentally slapped himself as he watched water more move unnaturally across the floor, he would complain to Skipper on his stealth later, for now he watched as it touched each guards feet. He groaned having noticed that Skipper had forgotten to join the water to something electrical…again.
"Well." Skipper whispered harshly as he glared at the guards. Kowalski sighed, if they got into trouble for this he was so going to use the 'only following Skipper and his orders' card.
Kowalski's hands began glowing blue his mind mentally complaining about how he was compromising them while he argued back that it was Skipper's orders. The guards however stumbled back as electricity began to spark from his hands. Once the energy connected with the water the results were instant, though Kowalski only stopped once over half the guards were rendered unconscious by the shock. The ones that weren't however stumbled back to their feet aiming the weapons once more.
"Kowalski get us out of here!" Skipper ordered as he formed a temporary barrier with the water. Kowalski nodded the glow on his hands changing from blue to purple as a mist began to surround them, it was only when the spell began taking effect did Skipper drop the barrier. Seconds after they were gone, with only a large puddle and several unconscious guards as evidence that they were even there.
The team reappeared in their home where Kowalski dropped to the floor from exhaustion and the fact that he was holding up someone heavier than himself added physical weight to the tired scientist.
"Great job Kowalski." Skipper smiled down at the scientist from where he stood. After placing Private on a sofa he then placed Rico on the other before claiming the chair for himself. "Something wrong?" Skipper asked having noticed that Kowalski had yet to more from the floor. Now that the leader was paying attention he cloud see that Kowalski was thinking and also that blood was dripping onto the laminate flooring. Skipper quickly moved to the kitchen and grabbed the first aid kit when he came back he saw Kowalski standing next to Rico and hand placed on the weapon experts chest.
"Help me get him to the lab." Kowalski spoke as he moved to let Skipper pick up Rico, the leader handing Kowalski the first aid kit before he did so.
It didn't take long for Kowalski to treat Rico's wounds most of which had healed though the larger ones took longer and had to be treated. When the weapon's expert entered the living room he found Kowalski and Skipper arguing and Private curled up tightly on the sofa watching them.
Rico let out a sigh as he sat next to Private the younger smiling brightly at him before it faded back into a frown as he looked back at the pair fighting. So far he had learned that their mission was a failure, not something he enjoyed hearing, and apparently they were blaming each other for it. Skipper blamed Kowalski because he dropped the chip and Kowalski blamed Skipper for lowering the barrier so soon, as before the spell could take affect his hand was shot which was the reason it was currently bandaged now.
The sound of buzzing interrupted the argument as it gradually became louder, when it stopped the T.V turned on; onscreen was Special Agent Buck Rockgut. His black flattop haircut contrasting greatly to his bushy blonde eyebrows, his eyes were an unusual red, the kind most often compared to vampires, like all P.E.N.G.U.I.N agents he wore white and black. "Suck in those guts you dandy dumplings! Officer on deck!" Buck yelled as the P.E.N.G.U. jumped into line. "Three days ago at 0400 hours you were given a mission brief. I can now divulge that the agency organised it as a test." The P.E.N.G.U.I.N gasped, "The bad news is: you failed!" they gasped again this time with a look of horror on their faces. "In light of this. The agency is sending you all back to basics!"
"What!" The P.E.N.G.U.I.N exclaimed in unison, each prayed that this was a joke yet the expressionless look on Rockgut's face said otherwise.
"A list detailing everything will be faxed to you shortly. You'll be expected at the academy at 0700 tomorrow." And with that the screen went off leaving the P.E.N.G.U.I.N in a horrible silence.