Description: Kowalski accidentally turns himself into a lemur while trying to give himself regenerative powers. Now he has to stay with the lemurs, and Julien is showing a growing interest in him.

Rating: T for now, might be bumped up to an M.

Author's note: Hello, I know I'm working on Our Little Secret right now, but I got inspired to write this story. It's Kowalski x Julien. You can blame Tsu for getting me to like this pairing. The science in this is half real/half me throwing together stuff I found on Wikipedia. Happy reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Nick and Dreamworks do.

Kowalski had been locked up in his lab for a week now, only coming out for the occasional meal and daily routines like entertaining the zoo guests and doing training. No one knew if he got any sleep in there or if he had been up for the whole week straight. Private and Rico were worried about him and even Skipper had started to get concerned that the strategist was overdoing it.

"It's not right for a penguin to stay locked up in a room for that long. Just what is he up to anyway?" Skipper studied that door closely as if it would answer him. He took a sip of his coffee and went to sit down and the table. "Enough with this secrecy. As soon as he walks out of his lab he's getting the third degree. We don't want a repeat of what happened last month."

"They were good snow cones though..." replied Private.

"I love a snow cone apocalypse as much as the next guy but the clean up took forever." Just then the door to the lab slowly pushed open. Kowalski stepped out wearing goggles and carrying his clipboard. Skipper was sure Kowalski was only wearing the goggles to cover up his bloodshot eyes from them.

"Good morning everyone."

"Good morning K'walski. Would you like some breakfast?" Private asked as he motioned toward Rico who was making them sardine pancakes.

"Why yes, I am rather famished." He took a seat and started writing notes down on his clipboard. The other three looked at him. Skipper had had enough.

"Kowalski, stop with the science for one second! And take those goggles off soldier." Kowalski glanced up from his notes, and then went straight back to them.

"I'm afraid I can't Skipper. I'm close to a breakthrough and every second counts."

"That wasn't an option." Skipper took the clipboard from Kowalski.

"Hey!"

"Look at yourself man, you're a mess! Everyone of us has a weakness. Rico is bomb crazy, Private can't have too many sweets, and you're addicted to science. If I let you all overindulged, where would the team be?"

"Um, you forgot your raging paranoia Skippah."

"Private!"

"Sorry, I ment it in the nicest way." Private tried his best to look sincere.

"I am not addicted to science, I just have an overactive enthusiasm to question and experiment on several factors of existence."

"Ahuh, and how much sleep did you get last night?"

"I got sufficient rest, now if you'll excuse me I have work to get back too." Kowalski got up and dramatically traveled the distance to his lab before slamming the door. Skipper stood and waited for him to come back out.

"3, 2, 1." Sure enough, Kowalski stuck his head back out.

"Uh, I'm going to need my clipboard back," he said sheepishly.

"Rico." Skipper tossed it to Rico who swallowed it. Kowalski frowned and stepped back into the room.

"Okay fine! I have been spending too much time in the lab! But it will be worth it." He finally takes off his goggles revealing that his eyes are indeed bloodshot. "I'm working on a regenerative genetic modifier." All three of them stare back at him.

"Ah what?" asked Private.

"How to explain this... do you know what stem cells are?"

"Nope," came Rico's reply.

"Not a clue," said Skipper.

"There was something on the telly about it. It sounded really controversial."

"That's human stem cell research. It's controversial because they use embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are basically cells that can become any other type of cell. This can be very useful if someone has some damaged cells. The stem cells would take the place of the damaged cells. So I got to thinking how we could use this to our advantage. Imagine if we got injured, and started healing right away? Cuts, bruises, burns, and yes even scars could be healed instantly."

"Outstanding, we could cut our recovery time in half!"

"Not just that Skipper, we would be nearly indestructible. Why stop at simple injuries when we could lose limbs and simply re-grow them? The possibilities are infinite!"

"Not to be a bit of a black cloud, but isn't it a bit unethical using human stem cells."

"Well of course I'm not using human stem cells Private. In fact, I'm not using stem cells at all."

"But you said-"

"I was inspired by stem cells. That inspiration led me to lizards."

"Lizards? What do they have to do with this?" Skipper eyed Kowalski as if doubting his sanity.

"Lizards have the ability to detached their tail and then re-grow it, so I began analyzing lizard DNA in hopes to isolate the gene that allows them to do that and transplant it into penguin DNA. I have successfully isolated the gene and am in the process of combining it with the host's DNA. Once I figure out how to safely combine the two DNA samples, I will create a drinkable solution containing enhanced RNA that will restructure the host's DNA."

"No wonder you've been busy. But we won't end up looking like lizard penguins, will we?" The thought of being part lizard didn't sit well with Skipper. Even if they got regenerative powers out it.

"I can assure you it won't. Only one gene is being taken from the lizard, and the solution will only alter certain parts of your DNA, so as not to turn us all into the same penguin."

"That's good to hear. How soon can you have it ready?"

"Well, I can finish with the device that's splicing the DNA by the end of the morning, if Rico gives me back my notes." Kowalski shot a bored glance at Rico.

"Rico, give him back his notes." Rico hacked them back up and Kowalski was once again back in his lab. The three sat back down to breakfast, but Private was staring to the door looking quite worried.

"Skipper, was it a good idea to encourage him to keep working? His lack of sleep is going to make him mess something up big time."

"Nonsense Private, what could possibly go wrong?"

"If Kowalski's involved, something big no doubt."

"Private!"

Around 12:30 Kowalski once again emerged from his lab, this time with a huge smile on his face. Private was watching television and Rico and Skipper were looking over battle plans.

"I have finished the DNA Splicer and right now it's analyzing each deoxyribonucleic acid bond using artificial ribonucleic acids that contains the segments of the regenerative gene. It will transcribe the gene into a new chromosome that will replace the old one and then the splicer will test each strand for survivability and will continue to repeat the process until one is found. The one that is successful will be made into a solution to convert the drinker's DNA to the new DNA."

"How long will that take?" Skipper asked as he started putting away his plans. Kowalski took out his abacus and started doing the math.

"Well considering it took 10 years for the humans to map out their own genetic structure and the complex nature of splicing genes from vastly different species into a stable exon, I'd say about a day."

"Excellent. I say we go out for snow cones to celebrate."

"Yay, snow cones!" Skipper smiled as he saw how excited Private was. They left HQ and proceeded to the park. Soon after, an unwanted visitor stopped by.

"Hello silly penguins!" Silence. "Um, hello? Is there being anyone there?" More silence. King Julien walked down from the entrance behind Private's first prize and looked around. The place was empty. "How rude. I am having a need for them and they are not here." A few moments passed by. "And now I am talking to myself." Just as he was about to head back out, he heard a noise. It was coming from behind the door.

"Aha! So there you guys are being! Stop hiding and come help-" He opened the door only to find the room beyond it empty too. "-Me." The source of the noise stood in the center of the room. It was an odd contraption, made up of several human things connected together. A blender filled with a strange green goo, a toy computer, a scanner, several wires and tubes, and numerous other small gadgets. Julien walked over to it for a closer look. On the scanner was a single white feather. Julien reached down and picked it up, bringing it to his nose.

"It smells like the brainy one." An alarm suddenly started sounding from the machine. "What did I do? Look, look, I'm putting it back! Just stop with the noise making!" He hastily set the feather back down. The machine went silent soon after before continuing with its normal noises. "Those penguins make the weirdest things." He left the room and shut the door behind him. Everything looked as it had before, with the exception of a now moved white feather on the scanner.

Along with a single strand of white lemur fur under it.

When they had come back from eating snow cones, Skipper had made Kowalski get some rest. Since the DNA Splicer was still busy at work, it hadn't found the right combination yet. There was little point for Kowalski to stay up just to stare at it. They promised to wake him up if it finished early. Once in bed Kowalski easily fell asleep from the fatigue of staying up for the whole week. The rest of the day passed by quickly and pretty soon it was bedtime. Kowalski was still asleep and showed no signs of waking up.

"Look at him, he really wore himself out for this one." Skipper got into his bunk and stared up at the ceiling. "Once he gets an idea in his head he just has to see it through."

"Obsessed." Skipper smiled. Rico always had a way to describe everything perfectly in one word. Letting out a yawn, Skipper closed his eyes.

"Good night boys."

A loud pinging noise woke them all up the next morning. Kowalski was the first to awaken from its sound.

"Eureka!" BAM! Kowalski hit his head on the ceiling of his bunk. "OW!"

"You okay up there Kowalski?" came Skipper's worried voice.

"I'm fine, or at least I will be once I check up on my solution!" He jumped down and raced to his lab. There in the blender was the finished product from a week's worth of labor. Pouring the solution into a vile, he did one final test. He took out a Petri dish with a cell on it and poured a drop of the solution onto it. Using a microscope he observed what happened next. The solution started to replicate the cell.

"Success!" A now very happy Kowalski ran back outside his lab to tell the others. "I've done it! With this solution, we'll be nearly indestructible!"

"Congratulations K'walski, but who's going to test it?" Private had a point. Kowalski hadn't really thought who would test it out first. No matter, Kowalski would be happy to be first.

"I'll test it myself. I am a genius after all." He downed the whole vial in one gulp. It had a bitter yet surprisingly tangy taste. "Hm, I wasn't expecting a tangy flavor."

"So you can regenerate now?"

"Not yet Skipper. We have to wait 5 minutes for the solution to travel from my stomach into my blood stream."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just inject yourself with it then?" asked Private. Kowalski gave him a look.

"It would, but I'm not taking another needle to the butt when I can just wait 5 minutes. I'm sure everyone else would agree with me."

"Completely."

"Yep."

So they waited for 5 minutes before Kowalski continued.

"Now that sufficient time has passed, it's time for the ultimate test. Rico, a machete if you please." Rico regurgitated one up and handed it to Kowalski. "I'm going to chop off my own flipper and watch it grow back."

"Woah, woah, woah! Start off with something smaller man! Like a paper cut." Kowalski reluctantly put down the machete and tried Skipper's suggestion. Grabbing a piece of paper he cut his flipper. A small drop of blood leaked out before the scratch started healing itself.

"See Skipper, it works. Now for-" Kowalski didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before an unbearable pain rocked his body. He dropped to the ground shouting in agony as every part of his being burned and ached.

"Kowalski!"

He could hear voices, but he couldn't tell which voice belonged to whom or even what they were saying. He heard his name called a couple times, and he could make out some faces, but the pain blurred everything else. Am I going to die? He wondered. Everything was getting dark, and the pain was getting worse. He could tell he was breathing hard and sweating profusely.

"..walski..."

The voices were getting faint now. Even the pain was starting to numb. So tired. Closing his eyes, he gave into the darkness.

The first thing he noticed was how sore his body was. He felt like he had run 500k, done 100 marathons, and had swam across the Atlantic Ocean twice. Things were quiet. He couldn't hear any of the normal daily routines. The breakfast being made. No morning drills. The TV was off. Something was wrong.

What happened? I was doing something important... Kowalski tried opening his eyes but found it hard to do. Think Kowalski... what were you doing?

"How's he doing?" The voice caught Kowalski's attention. It was Skipper's voice, and it sounded worried. Really worried.

"He's still changing, but he still hasn't woken up."

Changing? What does Private mean by that? I haven't been messing with transfiguration-

"Ugh." Kowalski's groan got the attention of the two penguins. Kowalski was starting to remember what happened. The regenerative genetic modifier. Something must have gone wrong and now he had become some freak of nature.

"Kowalski, can you hear me? Try lifting your arm." My arm? Penguins don't have arms... He still tried doing it anyway. He felt something on his right side move a bit.

"Okay, that's still good. No need to rush things." The door to the hatch was opened. Rico came down with something in hand. "Private, swap out the wet cloth." So that's why I can't open my eyes. When he felt the cloth lifted from his eyes, he opened them up.

"Skippah, his eyes are open!" All three penguins rushed to his side.

"Quick man, how many fingers am I holding up."

"Uh, none. We don't have fingers." All three looked to the side after he made that comment. Kowalski was assured something was wrong now. His voice was a bit off. Not the way it sounded but the way he said it. Is something wrong with my beak?

"What happened?" Kowalski tried getting up but his body was still not completely cooperating. He managed to get into a sitting position.

"Well, you gave us a bit of a scare yesterday when you-"

"Yesterday? I was out for a day?!"

"Calm down Kowalski, you've been through a lot. No need to get your fea...fu...feathers ruffled up."

"What aren't you guys telling me?" Kowalski look at them expecting an answer. None of them seemed willing to tell him what he wanted to know. His nose started to itch and he absentmindedly reached up to scratch it. He stopped cold when he saw a paw reach up instead of a flipper. For the first time since waking up, he took a good look at himself. He had expected extra appendages or having turned green, but nothing prepared him for this. Fur covered his body and he spotted a long bushy tail.

"Skipper, hand me a mirror." The tone in which he said it was calm and serene, but it still sounded like the calm before the storm.

"I don't think that's a good idea Kowalski."

"GIVE ME A DAMN MIRROR!" All three backed away from him.

"OK! Just promise you won't freak out! Rico, give him a mirror." Rico barfed up a hand mirror and gave it to Kowalski. With trembling hands, he brought it to his face. Staring back at him was the reflection of a lemur. Kowalski's subsequent scream would be heard for two and a half blocks.

Poor Kowalski, having to undergo a species change just for a fan paring. Let me know if you want to keep this a T rating or bump it to an M. I can always just post the mature parts on my Furaffinity account.

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