In case you decided not to read the description, I'll repeat it here! This is a one-shot from Skipper's point-of-view. Inspired by the song Just the Girl by The Click Five. This is not a songfic, but it's an awesome song anyways. If you don't know it, you should look it up. It's great.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Penguins of Madagascar, The Click Five, or Just the Girl. If I did, I'd be writing scripts and songs, not fanfictions. ;) Enjoy!
Another day, another training session. I was pacing back and forth in front of my men. We were on top of the island, and I was currently rambling on about the importance of focus, all the while quickly composing our plans for today (Oh, the irony, I know).
"...And without focus, you never would have expected this!" I emphasized the last word by stopping short in front of them and getting them all across the face in one long, satisfying slap. Don't you just love that sound? Ignorance and obedience. A nice, fresh team to be taught. Only problem? They should have learned by now. Still, it gave me more to lead. More time with my comrades. I say I don't care about what they do. And truly, I don't. But it doesn't mean I don't care about them.
I smiled. "You see? I bet you boys weren't focused. If you had been, you could've ducked that slap. Now-" Before I could get another word in, Marlene showed up.
"'Sup, guys?" she asked, jumping over the fence and landing on the concrete as gracefully as a penguin. Of course, I missed her landing for the most part, as an instinct/paranoia combo kicked in. Immediately, I spun around and very nearly took her head off, my fist stopping mid-punch, less than an inch from her face.
She had her head slightly back as if to dodge the hit. "Well I was going to ask what you were doing, but it appears you were busy planning my demise," she said with a chuckle.
"Very funny, Marlene," I said, backing down. "But we're actually going over a lesson on focus." I turned to my team. "And had these dunderheads been focusing at all, they would have attacked you, too."
"Boy, do I feel the love," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. That attitude of hers...
"We're sorry, Skipper," Private piped up. "And to you, too, Marlene. How are you?"
"Thanks Private. I'm doing okay. Just got ambushed by a psychotic penguin, though," she joked with snark in her voice as she shot me a look, raised eyebrow, lopsided smile, and all. "What's up with you guys?" she asked. Private opened his mouth to answer, but Kowalski just had to add in his two cents.
"Well, as penguins do not actually harness the capability to fly, none of us are actually 'up', though you could say that since I am the most gifted height-wise, that I'm the one considered the most 'up' out of all of us, not to mention, if you turn your head approximately 87.6 degrees upwards, you will see..."
"Rico," I said monotonously as Kowalski began to ramble about the different kinds of clouds in the sky. Rico, who was already standing next to him, slapped Kowalski in the back of his head on my command. He stopped talking. "That's two slaps in under two minutes, Kowalski. Wanna shoot for three?" He rapidly shook his head and then stood attentively, flippers at his sides. "Good choice," I praised.
Marlene scoffed. "Why do you guys take that?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Private asked, cocking his head to the side. Good question. What did she mean? I eyed her suspiciously as she gave her response.
"I mean all the grief and disrespect you get from Skipper. You guys are better than that!"
Oh. No. She. Didn't.
The three of them quickly exchanged what looked almost like guilty glances, but with my currently flaming temper, I stepped in before a single thought could even enter their minds.
"What in FanFiction's forums are you talking about?!" I snapped. I didn't mean to, and almost immediately regretted yelling at Marlene, but my fury got the best of me and I continued. "I don't give them any grief! And they can handle anything I say to them! Right boys? Can't you handle whatever I throw?"
They shifted uncomfortably and started to back up slowly. Kowalski, in a failed attempt at whispering, told Private, "Do not look him in the eyes, and don't respond. It's a trick question." This, of course, only fueled my anger more. I looked back to Marlene in frustration.
"I am a better leader than you could ever dream of, Missy." As I spoke, I jabbed my flipper at her chest for emphasis. She was not amused.
"Really?!" she yelled. Pretty intensely, too. "Then how come your 'boys'," she said in a mocking tone, "aren't standing up for you? If you're such a great leader, let's find out. Guys?"
Marlene and I both turned to the team angrily, paws/flippers on our own hips, respectively. Kowalski, Rico, and Private's eyes grew wide. I think they were in shock. I could've sworn I heard Private whisper, "It's like there's two of him."
"That's what I thought," Marlene said smugly in response to their silence. "You see, Skipper? You know, it's not that hard. You've just got to be nicer. I could teach you some things, if you'd like." She smiled. I scoffed.
"Yeah right. Like I need help with anything from a girl." I was fired up. It just slipped out. And we all knew what was coming next. Rico's favorite word- the kaboom. Marlene had been set off.
I'm not entirely sure what she said. Her yelling turned into a full-blown rant, and she insulted me so fast, so many times, that I couldn't do anything but just stand there staring at her. I think the guys were doing the same, but I was way too distracted to care. It was mesmerizing. Marlene only responded this way to female inferiority comments and mammal inferiority comments, but I'd never seen her this blown up. It was definitely enough to make you cringe. I finally tuned back in when she reached the end of her speech.
"You are impossible, Skipper! Sometimes you're just so ignorant! You're such a jerk!" she fumed as she jumped out of the habitat and stormed back home.
None of us moved. We were all shocked. I'd never seen her like that. I knew she could be obnoxious sometimes, but that was just...woah. I watched her stomp all the way across the walkway and into her habitat. She furiously splashed in and out of her pool, and then stormed into her cave. I could feel my men's eyes on me from behind. My men, who'd probably just lost any and all respect they'd ever had for me. I awkwardly cleared my throat and turned to face them, yet again. Only this time, it was in shame.
"We'll, uh, resume training later. I'm thinking we're at a good stopping point right now." The shame filled my voice with every word, though I tried my best to cover it up.
Private opened his beak to speak again, but Kowalski stuck a flipper in front of him and looked at him as if to say, "Don't bother". They walked single file into the HQ, leaving me alone on the outside. The fishbowl closed. I sighed.
Why did Marlene have to be so difficult? There's some sort of strength in her personality. It gives her the power to stand up to me. Most people don't have that. It drives me crazy. The way she can argue with me...and she gets better at it every day. Well, clearly. She's gotten me to some point I've never been before. Some point where I don't even have an answer for anything she says. She's learned how to win, and it's just so infuriating! Still, I know that eventually, she'll always forgive me for whatever I've said, and then I get the chance to see that happy sparkle in her eye again. That's what makes my day. Marlene doesn't realize the power she has. It's too much. She can control me. Make me or break me. She's my power. She can do too much. And she's too smart. She'll eventually figure it out.
I can't stand her. Sometimes, I just hate her.
I guess that's why I fell in love with her.
Well? Read? Review? PM?
I look forward to comments, and thank you for spending precious time reading my story! If you get around to it, look up Just the Girl by The Click Five. It's so good!
Laters! ;)