"So we meet again, little peng-u-in," Blowhole sneered with sarcastic surprise.
"Quite obviously, Blowhole," Skipper retorted, awaiting the trap Blowhole had concealed impeccably.
Blowhole chuckled. "Quite the smart-aleck you've become since we last met, Skipper. I have to say, it has begun to pay off." Blowhole ended the sentence with a devious throaty laugh.
"Humph," was Skipper's only reply. Just then, what he had expected to trap him like a carrot, had fallen onto the cement ground with a slam, imprisoning him within its bars. Skipper knew it was futile to attempt escape. He stood there silently and glared at Blowhole with deep hatred.
"Oh, yes, it seems that I had neglected to inform you that this cage you so effortlessly got into is made up entirely of pure titanium alloy, note its extreme durability." Skipper remained silently hating, his hatred only increasing more and more by the second. Finally mustering up a reply to his gloating, he stated," Well, Blowhole, I resent to say this but, you have really outdone yourself this time." He just then eyed the remote control held in Blowhole's flipper. He had a wonderful idea.
"Why, thank you," Blowhole said, impressed at his own genius, "It's not every day I get to use this, if you know what I mean," Blowhole bragged as he stroked the steel cage. "Oh sure, sure, I completely understand," Skipper consoled absently. "I also understand that you have been fooled by a penguin the size of your brain!"
"What?!" Blowhole exclaimed with actual shock.
Then Skipper lunged forward through the bars, barely squeezing through, and swiped the remote out of Blowhole's grasp as he landed. Blowhole spun around briskly with his scooter and sped towards him. He then demanded, "Give me back that remote! " Skipper dashed away as fast as he could to the other trap that the remote controlled. He was almost at the point of collapsing when he had finally arrived to where the trap was hidden. Skipper waved the remote, teasing Blowhole.
"I will get that remote, if it's the last thing I do!" Blowhole yelled. Just a little more, Skipper thought. Abruptly, Blowhole had stopped somehow exactly where the trap was dangling right above. Perfecto.
"Skipper, this is your last chance to hand it over without your life being on the line," Blowhole threatened. "Let me have that remote!" This was too easy. Skipper held out the other flipper and let it hover right above the button. Blowhole was getting nervous.
"Now, now, Skipper, like I said, just give it to me and I'll…" Blowhole tapped his flippers together, searching for an incentive. But it was too late for that.
"Oh, I'll give it to ya alright!" Skipper exclaimed with upcoming victory, and pushed the button.
"No!!" Blowhole yelled with recognized defeat. Again, too late. Beep! The trap was released from the rope and fell quickly onto the evil doctor below it. Bang! Blowhole grasped the bars and cried in agony and defeat. "How could a little peng-u-in trap me so effortlessly?"
"Because, Blowhole, to survive, you do not only need intelligence, but you need cleverness, quick wits, and the survival of the fittest to stay alive in this dog-eat-dog world. But I have to say, your little moment of unintelligence has really paid off. For me, anyway." Skipper closed the sentence with a hearty laugh. In sudden recognition of his words repeated by Skipper, Blowhole began to weep all the more than a few seconds before. Skipper then turned, purposely dropped the keys to the cage just right out of Blowhole's reach. Skipper strutted away and whistled nonchalantly as he waddled on to the exit.
Over his joyous whistling he could almost barely hear Blowhole still crying like a baby who needs their diaper changed. He ceased his whistling and then, before he exited the lair, he bellowed, "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought an entire film crew to get our little playtime on footage. So now the whole world can see how much you epically and utterly failed! Well, I gotta run! Places to go, people to see. Farewell, loser! Ha hah ha!" Skipper closed the door behind him. But just before that, the lair got deadly silent, and filled again with roars of moaning and tears and Blowhole hollering his vengeance for the third time. Skipper smiled with pride. Blowhole would not be out of that cage for a long time. But if he somehow, some way, manages to escape from his own trap, Skipper and the crew will be there to make certain that that escape will be his last.
On the way home on the convenient subway back to the zoo, Skipper began to think about the boys, them being unaware of his disappearance and worrying about his being alive or not. Skipper longed for the train to be faster, that way he could dash back to the hideout and surprise them, and be happy and relieved among them. And then he could tell his story. The one where he had amazingly escaped capture and trapped the evil Dr. Blowhole.
Little did he know that Blowhole was already nearing freedom from his cage.