The sun was so warm on his black and white feathers. Even in the dark shade of the tree he was laying against, Kowalski felt the afternoon sun beating down on him. He allowed himself to do something he hasn't done in ages- relax. His body became heated, not horribly heated or else he wouldn't be outside, and took in a deep breath. The air was blissful, Kowalski could barely smell the scent that humidity always came with.
The bark of the tree was rough on his back. Sap that broke through the crakes of the wood stuck to his feathers, and he could feel it. It was so nice to feel something. His left flipper stroked the barrel of the penguin-sized-handgun he was holding. The medal was ecstatic when he touched it, and yet still cold despite the heat. He carefully placed his flipper into the spot where a human hand would be placed perfectly. Irony is so cruel...
The back of his eyes burned. It wasn't fair. His mind was so clouded, he couldn't actually process what he was thinking. Only the same sentence over and over. In a large red, vibrant sign in his mind. This is not fair. He was good at something. His intelligence could not be compared. His brain skills were used and manipulated by the team, he knew that, and he adored it. Everyone appreciated him because of it. They wanted him to be around them. It was that Francis guy, he decided. He just had to be one of those smart villains, not a villain who was extremely strong that could show Rico up with his strength. No, he had to look like the fool.
Kowalski noticed that his silence had been interrupted. He turned his head slightly to the left, to see his leader. His body reacted immediately. His left flipper rubbed and scratched his eyes, erasing the tears he knew was streaming down his feathers. Despite himself, he sniffed twice. Way to make it obvious that you were crying.
It took him to minutes to pathetically pull himself together. Kowalski turned back to Skipper. Pure blue eyes meeting sapphire.
Another moment of silence. Oh, he asked me a question. "what was-" He stopped when he heard how pitiful his voice sounded. He cleared his voice and tried again. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
The leader's eyes never ceased to stare at the other bird harshly. Kowalski winced on the inside. One moment. That's all he needed to get... whatever he was going to do. He just needed one moment to figure everything out. Why did Skipper have to interrupt?
A sigh escaped the older bird's mouth. Although, he didn't look sad, or disappointed, or any raw emotion for that matter. "Just wanted to say that we're heading out early tomorrow. You can do what you want today, but we're going tomorrow." Without another word or expression, Skipper pivoted on his heels, and took a step, beginning to walk away.
A lump formed in Kowalski's throat. He felt so frustrated. What was that supposed to mean? 'You can do what you want today, but we're going tomorrow'. What was he implying? And another thing, Skipper could see how distraught he was, why was he doing nothing? Not giving any attempt to give him any sort of comfort. If it was Private who saw him, he would getting fussed over like he was a four year who had just skinned his knee. If Rico was here, he would blushing and smiling awkwardly while his friend tried to make him laugh. But it wasn't them that were there, it was his leader. Who offered no comfort.
"Why did you do it?"
Kowalski surprises himself with his own voice. What was he even asking? Was that a question that he has always subconsciously wanted to ask his leader? He spun to observe Skipper's counteraction.
Whatever Kowalski secretly wanted Skipper to reply, he didn't get it. Skipper simply swerved his body around and answered, "What do you mean?"
The taller penguin gave out a small, sadistic chuckle. I don't know what I mean. "When I first joined you, I did ask around first. Everyone said that 'Skipper was a guy who would do anything for his team. He's the one bird that you can trust your life with'. Everybody said the exact. Same. Thing."
"I will do everything for my team."
Kowalski stomped his foot. As if he was trying to physically release his frustration. "What about Manfredi and Johnson? As I remember, you didn't do much to help, or better yet, save them. Hypocrite."
Skipper glared at his lieutenant. "Do not talk to your commanding officer that way." His words were slow, and forceful. The leader was trying to make a point, but he doubted Kowalski would care at the moment.
"Just answer my question!" Kowalski stood up to yell at the other penguin. His voice shook, along with his body. He leaned again against the tree. The bird sized hand-gun stayed in his flipper, not caring where the thing was aiming.
"Well, technically, Manfredi and Johnson wasn't on the team at the time that... the thing happened. If I was going to save anyone in the situation we were in, I was going to save my actual teammates."
"They were your teammates! They were with you for years! Johnson went with you to Mexico! Manfredi helped you in Denmark! Are you trying to tell me that as soon as we're not on your team you're going to forget everything we've done together and let me perish?!"
Kowalski was in hysterics. He was hiccuping in between his words. His body shook ferociously as he strutted to leader, letting his anger boil inside him.
The taller wasn't going to wait for the other's response. "Yeah, you are a wonderful leader, aren't you. Want to know what I think Skipper? I think underneath the gold statue that you make yourself out to be, you're actually just a small bronze trophy. You tell yourself that you will do anything for your team, but in reality you won't. You, Skipper, are a soldier in a commander's costume. You didn't save Manfredi and Johnson, because you didn't want to. You didn't defend me against blowhole because you didn't care. You didn't do anything for Rico when his face was ripped open because you didn't need to. You say you'll do anything for your team, but if that's the case then your team is Private."
Kowalski was now inches in front of Skipper, not caring that his spit was spatting on the other bird's face. "Like, be just a little honest, will you? The only thing you care about is that little penguin who has you wrapped around his flipper. And he so knows it, by the way. But other than Private, all you care about is yourself. Skipper, you're selfish, a hypocrite, and rude. Geez, I sort of understand why blowhole hates you. I'm considered your 'friend' and I'm not that fond of you. I think you should just discharge me, release from the all wonderful reign of Skipper the great!"
Kowalski shamelessly let his body shake. What even drove him to such an outburst? It was something that he would never do before. Did blowhole really get this far under is skin?
Skipper's brow rose. "Is that all?"
Kowalski took a deep breath. Maybe the pighead just had to let everything he said sink in. Maybe that's why he wasn't gtting the reaction he wanted. "Yes. That's all." He was now surprisingly calm.
"Ok. Now what did you mean when you asked why did I do it?"
The taller grinned. The sort of grin that you do when you don't want to grin or smile. He looked down at the ground, not needing to stare into the harsh sapphire eyes in front of him. He had dropped the small hand-gun during his enraged rant, a factor that made him feel uncomfortably unsafe.
"Why did you let blowhole ridicule me?"
"Oh, that's what this was really about. Well, honestly, I didn't think that it would get to you so much. I mean, sit down with me," Kowalski reluctantly sat down with him. "You are very hard to read. The only way to tell if you're mad is if you're staring at the ground with your eyes narrowed. You didn't do that when blowhole was making fun of you, so I just thought that you were thinking 'yeah whatever dolphin'. If I knew it had gotten to you so much, you'd be damn sure that I wouldn't have done something."
Kowalski stared at the grass. It was an alright answer. However, it was also the answer that seemed to play the 'if' game. If I knew you were upset. If you had said something. If this happened. Or if that happened.
"But," Kowalski started, "if it was Private he was making fun of, you wouldn't of waited to see if he was angry or hurt."
"Stop comparing yourself." Skipper snapped. "Making me look like the bad guy. Let me tell you, if it was Rico blowhole was hurting, you would be acting like Rico to get revenge. It's just the way things would go."
An awkward silence followed as the two let the statement sink in. Kowalski knew it was true, and Sipper as well. It was part of the taboo subjects that was usually unsaid. The protective instincts the both shared finally laid out in front of each other. What could be possibly said after?
"Do you like me, Skipper?"
"You're my lieutenant."
"That's not an answer. I mean, do you like me the same way that you like Private or that I like Rico?" He took a deep breath before asking the big question he had been pondering. "Are we friends? Not just teammates, but friends. I feel like our team is a little separated. There's Skipper and Private and then there's Kowalski and Rico. Private and Rico are not really friends, and neither are we. Sure, we are all teammates, but are we all- why are you laughing?"
Skipper was trying to cover his beak with his flipper. It was obvious that he was failing at letting his giggles escape him. "Pfft. Sorry. Sorry. It's just that, well of course we're friends! Like, really, we are good friends Kowalski, maybe the best friend spot is someone else for both of us, but that doesn't mean we aren't friends!"
The leader took several 'in and out breaths' to control himself. "You, me, Private, and Rico. We are all so close. I like to think of ourselves as the famous four. Like the four horsemen. Or the four ninja turtles. Or even those four teenagers that eat chill fries all the time." He gave Kowalski a meaningful look. "Do you kind of understand what I'm saying?"
Kowalski smiled. His blue eyes met sapphires. He noted that the look in their eyes now were much different than when the conversation first started.
"Yes, I do."
"Good. So, you are my 'friend'. Are you fond of Skipper the great?"
An: That was an awful way to end xD
So, Kowalski and Skipper have always interested me. Kowalski has always shown to be closer to Rico, and the same with Skipper and Private. We've seen that Private and Rico interact alright with each other, but the relationship between Kowalski and Skipper has always been established with friendly teasing, or sometimes by the two being harsh to another, with the exception of big blue marble episode. Did anyone else noticed that the two have been treated each other differently each season? I have personally thought that it was because of off screen conversations. So, here's a conversation I think may have happened.