□Chapter One■
Skipper paced in the H.Q, gripping his usual mug of fish coffee with one flipper, bloodshot eyes strangely alert. He hadn't slept in days- not since the team's most recent encounter with Dr. Blowhole. Skipper had taken recon from the zoo bell tower every night, refusing to close his eyes for more than a few seconds. He ignored his team when they told him to get some rest, constantly waiting for his treacherous foe to appear.
Kowalski glanced up from his latest invention to look at Skipper. He and the rest of the team were really beginning to worry about Skipper's lack of sleep, and his increasing paranoia. Just the day before, their leader had accused Doris the dolphin of being one of Dr. Blowhole's spies, merely because of her species. Kowalski, Rico and Private quickly disagreed with the commando penguin and brought him back to his senses.
Suddenly, the fish bowl entrance slid open. A figure quickly slid down the ladder into the H.Q, landing lightly.
Skipper immediately tossed his mug aside, rushed at the figure, and pinned her to the wall. It was Marlene. Her brown eyes were wide with fear. "What the-" She gasped.
"Skipper!" Kowalski exclaimed. "It's only Marlene!"
Skipper blinked, and after a long hesitation, released her. "Marlene, you can't just barge in on us like that!" The penguin said, anger lingering in his tone.
"Like you're the one to talk," Marlene retorted, referring to the many times Skipper and his team had barged in on her.
"It's our job." Skipper replied firmly, his bloodshot eyes drooping slightly. He glanced at the clock. "Boys, I'm going to take recon."
"Okay, Skippah." Private murmured. Kowalski and Rico just nodded as their fearless leader climbed up the ladder and disappeared.
Once Skipper was gone, Marlene turned to Kowalski. "What's his deal?" She asked, concern lingering in her voice. She was used to Skipper leaping into his fighting stance, or just yelling at her for barging in, but he had never leapt on her like that.
Kowalski looked up from the invention he was working on and pulled out his clipboard and a pencil. "In the past 12 days, Skipper has only slept for .5 hours, thus making his paranoia increase by about 79.2 percent," He said, showing Marlene a diagram he had drawn on the clipboard, "although he has great focus, lack of sleep is really starting to get to Skipper… which would explain why he attacked you."
Marlene placed her paws on her hips. "And why is he all of a sudden deciding he doesn't want to sleep?" She asked.
"Because of our last encounter with Dr. Blowhole!" Private chirped, popping up next to Kowalski.
Kowalski slapped him. "Private! That information is classified!"
"Sorry, K'walski." Private muttered, gingerly placing a flipper where Kowalski had slapped him on the face.
"Dr. Blowhole…?" Marlene inquired.
Kowalski sighed, and shot a glare at Private. "Dr. Blowhole is our- or, mainly Skipper's- greatest and most dangerous foe."
"Wait… you guys have an arch nemesis?" Marlene exclaimed, eyes widening.
"Yes." Kowalski replied. "Ever since our last encounter with him-"
"Which was when, exactly?" Marlene interrupted.
Kowalski sighed, although he admired Marlene's inquisitiveness. "Can I please finish? I was getting to that."
"Sorry."
"Right. As I was saying," Kowalski continued, "ever since our last encounter with Blowhole two weeks ago, Skipper's been… on edge. He's constantly taking recon, organizing perimeter checks, and searching for possible spies."
Marlene nodded slowly, listening closely to Kowalski's every word.
He continued, "This is the worst state I've ever seen him in. Not that I can blame him; Blowhole's plan was very close to succeeding."
Before Marlene could ask what exactly the plan was, the fish bowl entrance quickly opened, and Skipper slid down the ladder, muttering to himself.
"Everything alright, Skippah?" Private asked.
Skipper interrupted Private mid-sentence. "Look… look alive, men! We're going… going to practice… our rou… routine…" Skipper murmured, his words becoming slurred and muffled, making the commando penguin hard to understand.
"Skipper…?" Kowalski began.
"W… well? What are you men wait… waiting for…? Skipper's eyelids shut slowly, and he slid on to the floor, shoulders slumping, body going limp.
"Skipper!" Marlene exclaimed, rushing over to the commando penguin.
Kowalski quickly scribbled a note down on his clipboard. "Yep, just as I predicted."
"What?" Marlene asked, propping Skipper up against the wall. Skipper moaned quietly, but his eyelids didn't open.
Kowalski slid on his belly over to Marlene and the unconscious Skipper. "His lack of sleep finally took over him, causing him to black out."
"Will he be okay?" Marlene asked, unable to hide the worry in her tone.
Kowalski looked at Marlene, catching the worry in her voice. It was obvious to him how Marlene felt about Skipper, even though she did her best to hide it. Kowalski had to admit, he did like Marlene. She was intelligent, kind and a quick-thinker, and her feelings and actions towards Skipper would often make him feel a twinge of jealousy.
"Kowalski?" Marlene asked.
Kowalski snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh. He'll be fine- in fact, some rest will probably serve him well. Rico?"
Rico turned to the intellectual penguin.
Kowalski motioned to their unconscious leader with one flipper. Rico nodded, quickly understanding. He dragged Skipper over to his bunk, and then returned to polishing and taking note of his weapons.
Kowalski turned back to his invention after a nod of thanks to Rico.
Marlene shot a worried glance at Skipper once more before following Kowalski. "What exactly are you working on?" She asked, curious.
Kowalski smiled inwardly at Marlene's interest in his invention. "A Sleeping Dart Gun," He replied.
Marlene raised an eyebrow. "To use on Skipper, right?" She guessed.
"Precisely," Kowalski replied, admiring the otter's intelligence, and filled a large dart with a suspicious blue-green liquid, "this serum is designed to make the target sleep for about two hours without feeling any pain. Sadly," The intellectual penguin continued as he loaded the small gun, "I have no use for it now. Not at the moment, at least. Rico!"
Rico looked up from shining his beloved chainsaw, and Kowalski tossed the weapons-expert the dart gun. "Will you hold on to that for me?"
"Yup yup." Rico replied, swallowing the gun.
Marlene shivered. It still freaked her out how Rico swallowed and coughed up weapons.
"Whatever you do, do not use it unless I tell you." Kowalski said firmly.
"Yup yup." Rico replied again with his crooked grin.
Marlene turned back to look at Skipper, who was still out cold.
Kowalski spun around to face Marlene. "Maybe you should head home," The intellectual penguin suggested. "We should probably leave Skipper in peace for a while." There was a slight edge to Kowalski's voice, hinting that he didn't want to argue with her about it.
"Oh… right. See you guys later," Marlene murmured, and turned towards the ladder. She climbed up and disappeared through the fish bowl entrance.
Kowalski sighed. He wondered if Skipper felt the same way about Marlene that he did. He shook his head to himself. Even if their leader did have feelings for Marlene, he would never show it or express his true feelings- at least, not purposely. The commando penguin would never let anyone or anything get in the way of their strict missions and orders, especially not love. This slightly reassured Kowalski, and he glanced at the clock. "Private, Rico. We should probably turn in."
Private dragged his gaze away from the TV screen with a sigh, and Rico swallowed an unlit bomb he had been polishing. The two penguins waddled over to their bunks, Kowalski following quietly so he didn't disturb Skipper.
Marlene entered her small cave and stretched. She didn't know what to make of Kowalski's explanation for Skipper's increased paranoia and exhaustion. She didn't think that Kowalski, out of the entire group of penguins, would lie, but the story he told her seemed very unlikely. An evil dolphin?
Marlene shrugged to herself, and walked towards her bed with a yawn.
Two dark, silent figures hid in the shadows of Marlene's cave. Waiting. One whispered something to the other, so quietly that Marlene couldn't hear. The figure nodded, and both leaped out of the shadows towards the otter.
Marlene heard something and turned.
Not fast enough.
Before she could yell for help, she was tied up with thick ropes and gagged. The two shadowy figures smiled triumphantly, and carried her into the night.