Hello, world! :) We're halfway through October already so, to get everyone in the Halloween mood, here's a special Halloween-themed Penguins of Madagascar story for your reading enjoyment! :D This is my first holiday-themed story ever, so your feedback is much appreciated! Okay, let's get started!

It was shortly after the zoo's closing time, and it was already dark. The penguins were in their headquarters, preparing for a trip. That's because it was Halloween, and this year, Skipper and his team were going to a haunted house. Private wasn't very excited about the idea.

"Skippah, why are we going to a haunted house this year instead of trick-or-treating?"

"I figured we'd change it up a little, Private. Besides, this could be a good training exercise."

"Yeah, and I can investigate the mystery that is the paranormal!" Kowalski added, holding a bunch of equipment. Skipper turned to face him and placed his flippers on his hips.

"Kowalski, we're packing light for this trip. No gadgets allowed." The lieutenant frowned.

"Oh, come on! At least let me take one thing." Skipper rolled his eyes.

"Fine. One thing and that's it, comprende?" Kowalski smiled and went over to the table to decide which gadget to take. Private was still unsure about the whole thing.

"So, is this haunted house really. . . haunted?" He asked, tapping the tips of his flippers together nervously.

"Oh, yeah." Skipper frowned at how scared Private was acting. "You know, Private, I'm also doing this for you. You have to toughen up a little; you can't be scared of everything."

"I am not scared of everything!" Private replied defensively, puffing his chest out slightly. Skipper cocked an eyebrow.

"What about the badger incident?"

"Well, that was-"

"And the time Rico accidentally put that targeting system in the car?"

"Okay, that-"

"Not to mention the time I broke my flipper."

"Alright!" Private threw his flippers in the air, defeated. "I could probably use some more practice on not being scared."

"That's more like it!" Skipper slapped him on the back and turned to the others. "Alright, men. Are we all set?" Rico nodded.

"Uh-huh!" He mumbled eagerly. Kowalski, on the other hand, was still fussing over which device to take.

"Should I go with this one or that one?" He muttered to himself, looking back and forth at the objects on the table.

"Kowalski?" Skipper asked, staring at him.

"Or maybe I should take this other one. . ."

"Kowalski." Skipper tried again, louder this time.

"Then again, that one might be more useful. . ."

"KOWALSKI!" The lieutenant jumped and turned around. "Hurry up and pick something! We're all ready to go!" Kowalski looked hastily through his inventions and picked one at random.

"Okay, I picked one out."

"Good, now let's go." Rico swung open the fish plaque which led to their secret tunnels and started toward the garage. Skipper, Kowalski, and Private followed. They climbed into their car and Rico began the drive to the haunted house.

It was a cloudy night in New York City. A storm was brewing, as it was windy and the air felt cool and damp. They drove in silence, which made Private feel uneasy. He tried to think of something to add a little bit of atmosphere to the ride.

"Hey Skippah, could we listen to the radio or something? It's awfully quiet."

"Sure, I don't see why not. Rico, radio." The mohawked penguin regurgitated a small one. It flew into the air and Skipper caught it. He turned it on and adjusted the dial until he found a station. The radio announcer started talking.

"News flash! An armored car robbery has just occurred. Three men have escaped on foot and are believed to be hiding somewhere in one of the outer boroughs. They are heavily armed. If you know their whereabouts, please contact your local police." Skipper turned the radio off.

"Well, so much for the atmosphere bit." He muttered. Private was even more scared now.

"Do you think there's a chance that those guys are hiding in the house we're going to?" He questioned. Kowalski, who was sitting next to him in the back seat, shook his head.

"Impossible, Private. The haunted house we're going to is out in the middle of nowhere, with only a forest surrounding it. They wouldn't hide there at all." The lieutenant stopped as his own words sunk in. "Um, Skipper? Do you think that-"

"Kowalski, I'm sure they're not going to be hiding there. You and Private are just getting all worked up because it's Halloween, that's all."

A few minutes later, the penguins arrived at the haunted house. Actually, it was a more of a mansion than a house - it was huge. Like all places deemed with such a title, it was worn down, with dusty old windows and chipped paint. The penguins parked their car behind a thicket of barren shrubs and got out. On cue, a streak of lightning flashed across the darkened sky above the mansion. Private quivered.

"It certainly looks haunted."

"Well, what else would you expect from a place with the word 'haunted' in the name?" Skipper said. "Alright, let's head inside." The four penguins waddled over to the door. Rico jumped up, turned the doorknob, and dropped back down. The door slowly opened, creaking from the lack of use over the years. They went inside.

They were now standing in the entryway. Ahead of them was a flight of stairs and a hallway next to it. To their right, they could see what looked to be a living room. Everything was covered in spider webs and dust. They took a few steps forward. Suddenly, there was another creak as the door shut itself behind them. The penguins turned around and looked at it.

"What caused that to happen?" Private inquired.

"I presume the door's weight caused it to close itself," Kowalski replied. "Either that or paranormal activity, although I can't be sure since I don't have all my equipment with me."

"Oh, well." Skipper shrugged. "Come on, let's look around." They started to explore.

In another part of the mansion, a well-dressed man was sitting in a large room with a few pieces of furniture wrapped in plastic. A second man, wearing a slightly rumpled suit and appearing to have a lack of intelligence, entered the room and approached him.

"Hey, Lefty, I heard the door creak. I think someone's come in. Do you want me to find them and bump them off?" He asked, pulling a gun from his jacket pocket. Lefty raised his hand.

"No, Red, I think that's a job for Angel." He got up and the two of them walked over to the corner of the room where a third man was sitting, his back turned to them. The man was busy chopping into a block of wood with a machete.

"Angel. . ." Lefty said. The man stopped whittling and turned to face him. Unlike the others, he was grotesque, with a tall, gangly figure and a hunchback.

"Hmm?" He grunted. He was unable to speak.

"There are strangers in the house." Angel stared down at his machete and back at Lefty.

"Uh?" He asked, gesturing to it. Lefty nodded. The hunchback got up and hobbled out of the room. The others watched him leave. Lefty tapped Red's shoulder.

"Angel will take care of them; he'll do a nice, quiet job." Red nervously reached for his own throat at the thought of it.

Well, that's not good. :( What will happen next? Will our favorite penguins survive? :O As for references, Skipper's examples of Private being afraid were from the episodes "Badger Pride", "Driven to the Brink", and "I Was a Penguin Zombie" (in that order). :)