"I'll return and destroy you penguins!" Dr. Blowhole exclaimed.
Skipper groaned in frustration. He knew Blowhole would be back, but at least the team would be ready.
"Skipper, look at this," Private called to his leader. A mound of clothes was lying on the ground. Kowalski's new invention lay beside the clothes, completely intact for once. The pile of clothing stirred. Skipper raised a flipper to indicate pause, then careful approach. Tarence, under the clothes, was just coming to. There was an incredible pain coursing though his head. Vision was opaque, and Tarence teetered side to side, unable to sit up normally. The pain in his head surged, and Tarence let out an angry yelp. Rico readied a bomb. Kowalski edged closer. Private followed suit. Rico lit two more bombs.
"Ow, that's smarts!" Whoever was under the clothes, Kowalski was sure it wasn't hostile. But there was a familiar tone to that voice, but who? Private edged a bit closer to Kowalski, and leaned over.
"Are those the clothes of that boy visiting the zoo?" Private asked. Kowalski gasped, finally fitting the puzzle together. Of course, he thought, This is the boy! Kowalski grinned slightly.
Private glanced at his left. He stared at a violet liquid not far from Kowalski's DNA invention. He nudged Kowalski with his flipper. "What is that?" Private whispered quizzically. Kowalski looked over and gasped. It was the trigger for his DNA Blitz Changer, or at least the waste product.
Rico lit five more bombs and, big surprise, started juggling them. Skipper was still paying attention to Kowalski and Private's advance towards the unknown "Creature in the Laundry."
"IT WORKED!" Kowalski exclaimed, though still in a whisper. He and Private turned to the task at had. "Now, only one way to confirm it." Kowalski nodded to Private. "Here I go!"
Any shreds of doubt that any of the penguins had were shed as Tarence's jacket was lifted. A penguin with a height between Rico's and Skipper's, a pained and dazed expression, and a flipper to his head faced Kowalski. As Tarence gradually recovered, he began to see avian shapes forming. He held his head, and winced. Kowalski yelled, "YES!" Tarence yelped in pain as a spark came out of his head.
Private jolted back, startled.
"Ouch!" Tarence rubbed his head. He began to rub his eyes. Finished, he looked around. A penguin that seemed familiar to Tarence stood beside him, and an adorable, stouter penguin next to him. Tarence frowned in confusion. He glanced beyond the closer penguins. Tarence could make out a leader-like penguin, and next to him was a smoldering, smiling heap of feathers. Wait a second, Tarence thought. He lifted his arm, which was now a flipper. He felt his face. His nose and upper jaw fused to form the upper beak, and his lower jaw was the rest of his new beak. Now starting to panic, he looked down; he had webbed feet and stumpy legs. He felt his face again. There was no mistaking it now: Tarence was now a penguin! "Whoa! Unreal!" Tarence exclaimed. He unsteadily attempted to stand up. This was met with a warm, hearty face-plant. "AAAUUGGGH!"
Tarence wailed and writhed in agony. His body was still sore from the transformation. Fighting back tears, Tarence sat up again. "Are you alright," Kowalski asked, concerned.
Tarence frowned. "I guess so, though I had a rough day..." Tarence admitted dryly.
Private became curious. " Where are you from?"
"I have no family or friends, or people who really care. I was at the orphanage, though the lady there is a jerk. And I was 15 years old before this," Tarence explained, looking himself over again. Hunger pangs gripped his stomach. Tarence's head drooped. Skipper and Rico waddled over. Private had a gleam in his eye. Skipper and Kowalski nodded, and Rico stared fish-eyed into space.
"I guess we could take you in," Private piped up.
"Really? Are you sure?" Tarence was a bit startled.
"Indeed," Kowalski added, "But I would need to run a few tests..." Tarence grinned sheepishly.
"So, what's your name, soldier?" Skipper asked. At the same time, Kowalski asked, "What might your name be?"
"Tarence," Tarence answered.
Tarence attempted to stand again. He then face-planted again. This was repeated two whole times. "This is embarrassing..." Tarence frowned.
Skipper tapped his beak. "Hmm... Rico, stretcher!" Skipper ordered. Rico coughed up a miniature stretcher. Tarence stared, dumbfounded.
"You will get used to that," Skipper assured. Tarence was carried by the others on the stretcher due to his temporary inability to stand or walk. They moved across Manhattan, keeping hidden. But, strangely enough, Every corner, block, and alleyway was deserted. There was awkward silence for about three miles.
"This is weird," Tarence pointed out, looking around him at the empty streets. The zoo was in sight, but something was up. The entire group gasped.