Since I write for two fandoms and I love angst fics, this idea was born. I started this three days ago and just finished this. Hope I played well with the emotions and made this one-shot full of angst :D
*Avengers references The lines from the Avengers movie are pretty easy to understand.
*No pairings, clean language, thus the K+ rating.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned below, just non-profitable writing. Avengers are owned by Marvel, they're just mentioned a few times here.
11.21 pm, Friday, May 4 2012, Penguins' HQ, Central Park Zoo, Manhattan
It was a silent night. No activity around the zoo except in the penguin HQ. Everyone else was asleep.
Have I mentioned its movie night? This time it wasn't horror. Kowalski had adjusted the transmissions and the frequency and all other boring details of their TV so that the penguins could watch the Avengers movie without making an appearance in the theatre. He also had all the words filtered just for young Private.
All of them were excited as the trailer had been killer. But more importantly, they wanted to see how a bunch of costumed freaks acted when they had to save the world.
Currently they were at the scene where the Avengers were arguing with one another.
"Big man in a suit of armour. Take that away what are you?" They heard Captain America ask.
"Oh dear, I can't see that turning out well." Private remarked.
"Obviously," Rico muttered. They all were leaning toward the TV screen so closely that they could fall into it any moment now.
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."
"You've got to love that guy!" Skipper smirked at Tony Stark's line.
"I thought Captain America was your favourite?" Kowalski frowned.
"He has better pick-up lines. And he's got style." Skipper said dreamily, probably thinking of the flying suit.
"O-kay." Kowalski dropped the subject unsurely.
"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
Skipper spit out his coffee. "What? Wasn't Tony Stark the guy who made suicidal moves to save others? Ugh, humans are so oblivious."
"Actually my calculations say that's because the glowing sceptre in their midst is making everyone snappy."
"I think I would just cut the wire."
"What does that mean?" Private questioned. The others shrugged.
"You know, I really don't like where this is going." Skipper told them, hiding his panic.
"Why not?"
"It sounds awfully familiar." Skipper said, his face starting to show more fear.
"Skipper, are you...alright?" Kowalski asked his leader in concern. Everyone turned to them. Skipper gave a sharp nod and shrugged his worry off.
"Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
"A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"
"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds."
That was it, Skipper snapped. He bolted out of the HQ through the fishbowl hatch. The other three penguins stared at him shocked. "Skipper!" Private called out.
"Do you think I should go after them?"
"No I think should give him some time out before I approach him."
Private sat sullen. "We've never seen him like that."
"He'll be alright Private." Kowalski comforted.
"Ey, u shud go see 'kipper now." Rico prompted.
"Alright alright, I'm going."
Kowalski saw Skipper sitting at the edge, gazing at the stars.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shown you my weakness." Skipper whispered without looking at his second-in-command. Kowalski sat down near him.
"Everyone has weakness, we don't think any lowly of you just because of that." He said. "What happened in there?"
"It is-its just nothing... just a trigger that's all." Skipper stumbled with his words and stood up to go back to the HQ.
"Just a trigger? Skipper, you can't just act like nothing happened. You had a flashback by watching a movie."
Skipper spun around and pointed his flipper at him. "You told me you won't think of me any differently. SO let's just forget ALL this happened and never EVER talk about it again."
"We're always here for you you know."
"That's an order soldier." He demanded and ushered him inside. Skipper jumped in after a few seconds.
"Talk to us Skipper."
Kowalski almost missed Skipper's mumbled, "I know, Kowalski, I know."
After Kowalski and Skipper went in and took their places, Private and Rico resumed watching the movie without saying a word as Skipper was obviously troubled.
At the end of the movie after the scene where all the Avengers parted ways and separated, Kowalski shouted.
"Yeah, baby! I knew it! They would never stay at Stark Tower! I told you they would be disbanded!" He declared and did a victory dance.
"Still, that's not the end of the Avengers. They're having a sequel."
"A sequel?" Private squealed. Rico and he cheered.
"I just hope that never happens to anyone..." Skipper mumbled, looking at his feet leaning against their wall.
"Skipper?" The other three looked at their leader more worried again.
He sat there frozen.
"Skipper!" Private shook him.
"Oh what huh oh sorry." Skipper stared back at him.
"It reminds too much of the days I..."
The other three penguins sat around their leader.
"What is it Skipper?"
"The day I chose this team."
Private looked at Kowalski who panicked and became speechless.
"Sir?"
"I was told to disband this group just like Nick Fury was told by the council."
"What?!" Rico shouted.
"Disband, Rico. Trash my plans. Tear this team apart. Happened when both you and Private were recruited."
"I...was not wanted?" Private asked timidly.
"The fault wasn't with you, was me."
"You?" Kowalski asked shocked for hearing this the first time.
"They knew I wasn't capable of leading the team."
"What? Tha terrible!" Rico shouted.
"But you've not done anything wrong!" Private argued.
"I led my former team into a suicide mission. They were gone after that."
"It wasn't your fault that happened to Manfredi and Johnson!" Kowalski protested shaking Skipper vigorously. "How many times must I tell you that!" Kowalski yelled.
"IT WAS!" Skipper yelled and Kowalski jumped back.
Skipper realised what he just did and immediately pressed his flippers to his head. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have yelled..." He said shaking his head.
"Why? Why didn't they want this team?" Private thought aloud while Rico was trying to comfort him. Both were devastated at their superiors' reactions.
"Do you not understand?"
"What?"
"I led my two soldiers to their deaths, following that I only did solo missions. I was given a second chance, and what did I do? I blew it up by becoming Denmark's public enemy 1! I was forced to be placed into various teams, none suited me so I was removed from each team."
The three penguins looked at each other scared of what he was going to say next.
"I was relieved of duty and I started training with Kowalski in the academy."
Kowalski gave him a nod to indicate that he can continue. 'Relieved? Our Skipper? Relieved of duty? Captain Skipper...relieved. of. duty. No more missions. Relieved of duty.' Private kept repeating as his brain couldn't register that fact. He was too shocked.
"I needed one more member to form a team and that was the time news about Rico spread. When I heard what they were going to do to Rico I wanted to spare his life. Rico himself didn't know of his plight. I was confident that he would be well-behaved under my command."
Rico was getting furious, but Skipper was making sure he'd calm down. Private looked like a brick wall hit him. Kowalski looked stunned too. Rico sat down and waited for him to continue, but not keeping his crowbar away.
"I pleaded with them, day and night for a whole week."
"Why? Wha do you hav in ee 'kipper? Why di u do this?" Rico asked. (What do you have in it Skipper?! Why did you do this?)
"I've got to gain almost nothing. You however, earned your life back."
"Wha were day gonna do to me?" (What were they going to do to Rico?)
Skipper sighed. "Since you did not stop on your destructive spree-" Rico smiled sheepishly, "and their 'therapy' didn't work, they were going to lock you up and torture you or get rid of him permanently. You know what I mean?" He asked them with no kind of expression.
Skipper looked creepy when he talked about dangerous things with an expressionless face.
You could hear Private's distinct gulp. He was that terrified.
"So did they allow you to make a team?"
"No."
"Wait what, they didn't allow you sir?" Kowalski asked.
"No they didn't." Skipper declared.
"Then how did you make a team?"
"I made a deal and they finally gave in."
"I'll take the punishment if I can't control Rico or something happens to the team or Private."
"What punishment?"
"Step down from Captain." He told them plainly.
"What?! Are you insane?"
"I took the chance, look how our team turned out to be." He assured them.
"So...that means one wrong move and you're fired?" Private clarified.
"Afraid so young Private."
"You could have told us Skipper! Were you going to wait for the day to come when we fail you and you lose your position to tell us all this?" Kowalski almost yelled at him angrily.
"It was worth it. The risk was worth saving Rico's life."
"No its not." Rico interrupted.
"Rico?" The leader asked calmly. Rico looked tense. That meant he was going to lose control over himself. Rico had tantrums now and then because of his psychotic condition. They had to keep away from him in case he starts attacking them.
"Leave!" He demanded. Skipper, Kowalski and Private waddled away from him and the two went out the hatch. Skipper was standing at the bottom of the ladder, aware that Rico had felt uncomfortable just because of what he confessed.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Rico yelled as he hacked up a flame thrower. Skipper's flippers shot up in a surrendering motion.
Skipper watched carefully frozen to the spot for a few seconds as he saw Rico drop to the floor limply and let his guard down.
"Rico?" Skipper called out, filled with concern for his troubled teammate. He inched closer with his flippers still up as he saw the larger penguin curl upon himself and start crying. The commanding officer went to sit down beside him and and put a flipper around the shaking body.
Rico always curled up like a baby when he freaked out or felt threatened. Skipper watched him as he hacked up the speak'n'spell thing. He started pressing keys on it, refusing to talk.
"Was it worth it Skipper? Risking your leadership for my life?"
Skipper was taken aback at this question. "Yes, it was Rico. It still is."
"No, it is not Skipper, you're badly mistaken." Skipper was confused and worried as Rico continued to type.
"I'm a ticking time bomb, waiting to blow up anytime."
"No you're not, you've proven that you HAVE control."
"Did I, Skipper? You've seen how much damage I've done to my people in Antarctica. You've heard of many other incidents too. I'm a psychotic penguin Skipper. Psychotic, insane, you've seen agents who lost their sanity back at base before, haven't you not?"
Skipper's heart ached as he saw his friend and his brother in arms pour out his feelings so directly. I should have seen this coming. He feels like he doesn't belong here doesn't he.
"You know how much damage I've done. You know how much I've failed in the past. Why did you bother to save me? You should have left me to my fate. Who knows when I can blow up and really lose control? You've seen how lost I was when I was in Julien's company and you saw me rampage through the city in Roger's being."
"You didn't cause all of those! It was an overlook of facts and I let you stray away during those times! I had a part in it. You couldn't help it could you?"
"I could!" Rico typed, still not speaking.
"Stop blaming yourself, Rico! Ever since I took you in with Kowalski, you became my duty, my responsibility. You become a new addition to our family. I accepted you as our own little gang. I was determined to help you overcome your obstacle and help you become more controlled over yourself. You've never EVER disobeyed my orders, doesn't that count, Rico? See, now you're much better and you can still participate in combat, your favourite activity. If I left you there, could you have met this family of misfits? Could you?" Skipper told him.
"You would have been the same with or without me." Rico sighed as he typed.
"No, we wouldn't." Skipper said with a determined expression on his face to get his point across, "You balance the team, Rico. You are the weapons expert. You handle weapons the best. Even without your weapons, you hold a special place in our team, Rico." Skipper looked at him. "Without you we'll be out of our weapons expert. There'll be an irreplaceable gap in our team."
Rico calmed down, not having any other things to say. Skipper looked over him concerned for his well-being.
"Rico are you okay soldier-oomph" Skipper gasped as Rico pulled him into an embrace and cried. Skipper accepted it and gently patted his back.
Rico let go after a while and muttered an apology sheepishly for his emotional meltdown.
"Its okay soldier, everyone needs someone to confide in sometime."
Sometimes all you need is to pour out all of your feelings and have a friendly hug.
"Have I told you how much I need you too and how much I look up to you like you're my father?" Rico smiled. Skipper looked surprised but then smiled back.
How was this? Both Skipper and Rico centric! Nice or not? Angsty enough? You decide ;)
Hope you enjoyed this!
+Edit: Some grammar mistakes fixed