"Why Marlene," said Femme Fatale coolly. "You look like if you're seeing a ghost."
This is not happening! Marlene struggled to get her arm free, shaking uncontrollably and tugging her arm. She was frantic; she hardly had any thoughts in her mind at all! Femme Fatale smiled evilly before she finally released her. Marlene fell backwards, knocking the lamp to one side as well. She looked up at her with dilated eyes.
"You're not real!" screamed Marlene fearfully.
"Why not?" asked Fey. "I'm standing before you, aren't I? And I believe I've gotten a good hold on you for a minute there."
Marlene crawled back, very much terrified of this dangerous penguin. She was practically a bird of prey after all that she's put Marlene through! Fey smiled and approached her slowly. Marlene's brows furrowed and with all her courage she tried to look strong.
"Stay back!" she growled. "I'm warning you!"
Fey kept walking over to her unresponsive. Marlene was all hers; there was no doubt about it.
WHAM!
Fey received a blow across her beak, but before another blow was struck she hopped back. Marlene was relieved to see Skipper standing between her and Fey.
"Skipper!" Marlene exclaimed.
Skipper didn't reply except springing forward to land another hit on Fey. But she was quick at dodging his attacks as she weaved side to side. Skipper growled, agitated he wasn't landing a hit. He thrust another fist and missed as Fey ducked and she sucker punched him in his abdominal area. As he lurched forward in brutal pain, she struck another punch across his beak and another, finally knocking to the side. He thumped to the ground and groaned.
"Well, well," said Fey as she looked down at him. "You've certainly lost your touch since my last visit."
Suddenly Fey was surprised to see Marlene charge at her as well! Marlene flew at her, but Fey was ready to take her down. She threw a fist toward, but Marlene quickly dodged it. Fey's eyes widened, impressed by Marlene's quick reaction. And she was very much shocked that Marlene landed a sucker punch of her own across Fey's face! Marlene didn't stop there; she threw two more punches across her face, and finally landed a kick into her abdominal area. Fey flew backwards against the wall and stood there holding her stomach, groaning in pain and pierced her threatening glare at her foe.
Marlene's shoulders heaved as she panted for breath. Fey examined Marlene's determined look in her eyes and even her fighting pose. Her fists were in the air and her legs were distanced properly like a real fighter.
"Heh, not bad Marlene," Fey snickered.
Marlene drew a deep breath and straightened herself a little; she wanted to show Fey she meant business.
"Cut the sap!" snarled Marlene. "I won't let you get into my head like last time ever again!"
Fey raised a brow, "Feisty… I like that."
She straightened herself up and smirked, trying to put on her trademark charms. Just as she was, Skipper was beginning to regain his strength and was pulling himself up as well. Fey noticed him for a moment but she kept her focus right on the strong Marlene.
"That's why I need you to believe me when I say that I come in peace," Fey said with a slight bow.
"Please!" retorted Marlene. "I don't buy any of it!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Fey shook her head in disapproval and straightened herself. "Have you truly forgotten me? Don't you think that if I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have woken you up and just get it done with by now?"
Marlene's eyes widened and confusion overcame her. After remembering everything in the past with that wretched villainess… she was right! She looked at Skipper and he looked back with the same cautious and questionable look.
"Okay," Marlene turned back to Fey. "Then what do you want?"
Fey lowered her brows, still keeping her smile. "As uncharacteristically undignified as it may sound, I actually need your help."
"Huh?" gasped Marlene and Skipper together.
"You need my help?" asked Skipper.
Fey chuckled, "Well as resourceful as you may be, I was actually referring to Marlene. I need her help."
"What?" asked Skipper surprised.
"Me?" asked Marlene raising a brow again.
Fey nodded her head, "I sincerely do."
"Rico! Don't do it!" panicked Kowalski.
"You can't be serious, Rico!" pleaded Private.
Rico chuckled maniacally with his crazy eyes. He was dead serious about it.
"Rico, you don't know what kind of power you're dealing with here!" exclaimed Kowalski. "Just please don't do it, man!"
"Rico!" cried Private, begging. "Please!"
Rico laughed evilly, complete with a lightning bolt flashing behind him. He would do it. He totally would. And he didn't care if his friends would get hurt- that's exactly what he wanted…
POW! Rico slammed his little soldier figure down on the game board. The figure had landed on a "Random Events" space, which meant that this was the part of the game where any random challenge could happen and ruin everyone's chances of winning the game. Not a very good space if you were so close to winning the game.
"Rico!" yelped Kowalski. "How could you?"
"Now we won't be able to finish this game!" moaned Private as he rolled his eyes.
Rico cackled as he nodded his head furiously. He was always the mischievous one and he knew it. To spend the rest of their free evening waiting for Skipper to come back, the team decided to play a little board game on the table in the middle of their HQ. They liked the soldier figurines and the objective to get to the goal first. There wasn't anything good on T.V. to watch anyway.
Kowalski drew a "Random Events" card from the side of the game board and gulped. He was sure a whacky trap lay ahead.
He read aloud, "You will expect an old foe from your dark past if you move ahead three spaces, but you can prevent this tragic encounter if you move back five spaces."
"That doesn't sound safe," replied Private. "I say we move back five spaces, better safe than sorry after all."
"Pfft, please Private," argued Kowalski. "This card sounds completely vague. Exactly how will an 'old foe' affect our chances of winning? I say we move ahead the three spaces, I'm almost to the goal."
"Uh huh, uh huh" agreed Rico.
"But the card's giving us a warning," pointed out Private.
"Private, think. Exactly where on the game board does it say an 'old foe' space, hm? It's just a trick question to see if you're smart enough to take the chance to speed ahead or dumb enough to believe it and lose the game to false paranoia."
"W-well…since you put it that way… but-"
"Trust me Private," Kowalski picked up his figure. "I know what I'm doing."
One, two, three. Kowalski moved his figure up the three spaces.
"Hello boys," echoed a cooing voice.
Suddenly all three penguins felt an accelerated change in their pulse. They recognized that voice- and they weren't too happy about it.
Suddenly entering from the hatch, practically hopping inside stood the familiar and beautiful figure of an old foe from their dark past.
"Guess who?" said Fey with a playful wink.
Immediately Rico upchucked a giant bazooka, already aiming at the pretty intruder. Fey's playful eyes suddenly shrank; very much shocked that Rico was even capable of swallowing something so big and lethal!
"Wait! Hold your fire!" Skipper stepped in.
"Wha-?" shrieked Rico and pulled the trigger.
"NO!" all the voices in the room screamed.
