It began with a note. One tiny piece of paper. And yet, within its message it held more emotion for some than others would ever know.
It was 1200 hours, and the penguins were on recon.
"Kowalski, status report."
"Everything seems to be alright." Skipper nodded.
"All animals present?" Kowalski looked down at his clipboard.
"I think ... no. Marlene wasn't there, we haven't seen her, and the lemurs were not causing trouble. Couldn't find them either, sir." Skipper's eyes widened.
"Mar- Smoked Salmon, we gotta check this out." He slid quickly over to the otter habitat.
When he got there, he wasn't all that surprised to not see his otter friend. What worried him was that everything was trashed. The blanket was thrown over the other side of the cave, all of her belongings were on the floor, some broken. Private picked up something off the floor.
"Umm, Skippah, you may want to see this." He held up the sheet of paper in front of him. Skipper snatched it off of him, then slid off to the monkey habitat.
"Whe' you goin'?" Rico summed up everyone's thoughts. The other penguins slid off, somewhat confused, after their leader.
"Phil, Mason, could you read this?" Fear was etched into every part of the penguin leader's face. Phil grabbed the note and began to gesture. Mason translated.
"It says, 'Hello, silly penguins, I'm guessing it's noon as you read this. So unobservant. I have you're little girlfriend, Skipper, and you're so-called "king". If you want them back, Skipper, meet me on the pier in fifteen minutes. I'll be expecting you. Don't bring the others.' He signed it 'Dr. Blowhole'." The penguins eyes squinted a little, except Skipper, who looked worried.
"Blowhole, that villainous scum." Kowalski looked to his leader.
"I suppose you'll be wanting options, Skipper." Skipper looked a little downcast, but still strong.
"That won't be necessary, boys. I'm meeting Blowhole down at the pier. Stand ready, just in case it's a fight he wants. Let's go."
Meanwhile, down at the pier, two cages stood next to each other. Inside one was a group of mammals, dancing away despite their situation, and annoying their captor very much. Not to mention their inmate. In the other cage, a young female was grabbing on to the bars of her cage, yelling insults to her captor and trying to slap the leader of the other group. Standing over them was a large, fish like animal, one robotic eye covering a scar, and skin that was surprisingly smooth to touch.
"No, Blowhole, you'll never get away with it. The penguins are coming, I know it." Blowhole laughed.
"Don't you mean just mean Skipper?" Marlene looked shocked for a second, then stared at Blowhole like he had no idea what he was talking about.
"And why would I mean that?" He laughed again.
"So you don't think that your boyfriend would come alone to try and save you?" Julian listened to that one, then started chuckling himself.
"No, I think you have it all wrong, silly dolphiny guy. The otter is mad with love for the royal me." Marlene glared at the lemur, and would've spoken if she hadn't seen a flat-headed penguin walking down the pier.
"Alright then, Blowhole. What need I do for you to release the otter." Blowhole looked like he was thinking for a moment, then opened the door to the otter's cage.
"Oh, penGUin, I'll just let you go in and get her yourself." Skipper, just glad to see her again, slid in, not thinking.
"Marl-"
CLUNK!
"And now we're both stuck."
"That is ok, bossy penguin. I will entertain you with my amazing booty-shaking."
"NOOOOOOO!"
Meanwhile, back at the base of the pier, the other penguins were waiting with the car.
"Where's Skippah?"
"Probably negotiating with Blowhole." Private gave Kowalski a look.
"K'walski, you INTRODUCED him to negotiation. And he doesn't like it. You know that. Something's wrong." Kowalski thought for a moment, then continued.
"Well, there is one thing we can always count on. Skipper can look after himself." The others nodded.
"Uh huh."
Back down the other end of the pier, Skipper was crouched in the corner of the cage. Marlene was still insulting her captor. In the next cage, Julian was singing.
"Everybody get up and jump and the beat go thump, thump, thump! Yeah! This is how we do it now with a thump, thump, thu-"
"BE QUIET RINGTAIL! I CAN'T THINK!"
"Can you feel the funk when I dedicate my trunk to the, Everybody get up and jump
and the beat go thump, thump, thump!"
"ARGH!" Marlene turned around and gave Skipper a sympathetic smile, which he returned with a rather long-suffering one.
"It's no use, Marlene. The boys aren't coming. I told them to wait for me." Turning around, she walked towards the penguin commander.
"Really, Skipper? So you're gonna let it get you down? Why not fight? Why not get out?" Skipper looked at the mammal like she was crazy.
"Give it five minutes, ten minutes max. We'll be done for, or if not both of us, me. I'll fight to get you away." She smiled at him, rolling her eyes.
"Well, then, thank-you. I'm glad you'd fight for me. But all may not be lost. Not yet." She pulled something out of her fur, then fiddled with it before checking Blowhole wasn't looking and walking towards the lock.
"What are yo-"
"SHHH! You don't want him catching us, do you?" Skipper watched as Marlene quickly picked the lock, but didn't open the door. Just in time, too. Blowhole turned around.
"Still not out, penGUin? I always thought you were better than that. Or are you nothing without your team?" Marlene glared at the dolphin, who conveniently decided this was a good time to go into his ship. She waited for Skipper to fire back some witty comeback. It didn't come. She opened the door.
"Skipper. Come on, we can get out." No reply, or movement. "Skipper?" She turned to see Skipper silently sobbing into his flippers.
"Is everything alright?" He swiped at his tears, just in case Marlene hadn't seen them, then sighed. He felt arms around him.
"It's ok. We can get out. Come on." He took in a shaky breath.
"What if he's right. I'm nothing without my team. Too many mistakes have been made." He paused. "The last one ended with me forgetting everything, everyone, and ending up stranded on some island." He pulled out of Marlene's embrace.
"But Skipper, what about everything you've done right? Consider it. You saved me from the badgers. You looked out for me when we thought my habitat was haunted. You're amazing, and don't let that fish tell you otherwise. I love you." She covered her mouth with her hands, realising her mistake. He took a minute to understand.
"Smoked Salmon, you do?" Marlene saw no point in lying now, and nodded. Skipper grabbed her hand.
"Then let's get going! What are we waiting for?" He began to slide off, dragging Marlene behind him.
"Hey, what about the royal me? The others are optional." This earned a noise of disapproval from both Mort and Maurice. And an eye roll from Skipper.
"Fine. Marlene, quickly." She went and started picking the lock.
"Almost got it, nearly, there." The lock clicked and the door swung open. "Hurry, hurry!" She grabbed Julien's paw, then Skipper's flipper, trusted they had Mort and Maurice, and ran.
"Well, what have we here? You managed to get out, Skipper." Everyone turned to the evil dolphin. The lemurs fled the scene.
"No, not the kingly me!"
However, due to Skipper's sudden stop, Marlene tripped.
"MARLENE!" Skipper ran to her, shielding her from Dr Blowhole with his body. "Get up, run, run. Go. I'll distract Blowhole." She got up, then waited.
"I can't leave you here. Let me help."
"No Marlene, I can't have you getting hurt. I love you too much. Go to the base of the pier and get my men." She looked behind at him, sadly, then ran back inland.
"Be careful, Skipper."
"Well, penGUin." Skipper stood there in a fighting stance.
"What do you want, Blowhole?" Blowhole laughed, a cruel, menacing laugh.
"To see the end of you. Did you say your final goodbyes to your girlfriend?" Skipper growled, a sound one would normally only hear from Rico.
"Ha ha, very funny."
"I almost wish Kowalski was here. He'd love seeing the lovely little gadget that'll finish you. It's an ultra-sonic evilness blaster. It turns anything I zap evil. With the press of this button, you're mine forever."
"Oh, you're getting it, Blowhole. Just give me a second." Blowhole stopped in surprise. Behind Skipper, the other penguins and Marlene stood glaring at the evil dolphin.
"Ok, who let Marlene in?"
"She just came. We couldn't stop her." Skipper paused for a moment.
"And now we're ready."
Then they attacked. Marlene flew through the air, landing on Blowhole's face, and then proceeded to scratch him up with her claws. Kowalski and Private started with the ninja fights, kicking and punching. Rico went around the back, and a bomb exploded, something which could only be his ship.
"Marlene, stand down. Blowhole, take this." He pressed the red button on the dolphin's Segway.
"MIND JACKER!"
"No, no!" Dr Blowhole tried desperately to push it back into the scooter. Then he got blasted.
Both Skipper and Marlene were in the otter habitat.
"So, you really love me?" Skipper was really regretting saying that now.
"Umm, that's classified?" Marlene grinned.
"Yeah, well, I heard you say it. I think I also said I love you. Just come here and kiss me." Skipper looked thoughtful for a minute, then began to lean in.
They kissed for a little bit then pulled apart.
"I'm glad I saved you." Marlene looked at him.
"No, Skipper. I saved you. If it weren't for me, you'd still be inside that cage with a bruised ego."
"No, I saved you."
"No, I saved you."
"Ho boy."