Kowalski lifted the fish bowl quietly and slowly as he spotted a large crate before him. It looked fairly large, but what was inside that thing?
"There," smiled Alice as she hovered over the box. "Don't be shy, you're just so adorable, you'll fit right in, little fella." She lifted the entrance open to allow what was inside out into the open. "You'll come out of there eventually, such a sweetheart."
Alice finally leaves and Kowalski pokes his head back inside as he climbed back down the hatch.
"See anything, Kowalski?" asked Private timidly.
"It's a rather large crate," he replied. "But I still can't decide what could be inside."
"Fish and chips, why wasn't this is in my morning briefing?" scolded Skipper. Kowalski looked through the papers again, "Apparently this was shipped last minute, under urgent transfer."
"That's funny, I didn't know they could do that," wondered Private.
Rico shook his head in agreement.
"Look, let's just step outside and just say hi," suggested Marlene. "What could be the harm to just be nice to whoever's up there?"
"Have you learned anything, Marlene?" scolded Skipper. "Remember that good-for-nothing walrus that stayed in your habitat? And don't forget the fact that when she left, so did Kowalski's invention. We can't take any more chances; we can't afford to let any more confidential information to leak out."
"C'mon, Skipper, for once can't you just try to look at the good side of people? Yes, I'll admit, Rhonda was gross, but this is a different story. What are the chances that Rhonda or a look-alike would show up in your habitat?"
"She may have a point, Skipper," shrugged Kowalski. "The chances that we face the same danger are highly unlikely."
"Yeah, Skipper, why not give our new neighbor a chance?" Private added happily. "We might even gain a new recruit!"
Rico nodded his head furiously in approval with a smile, "Uh-huh, uh-huh!"
Skipper looked at his teammates and Marlene. He rolled his eyes with annoyance.
"Okay, fine. We'll give our guest a shot," Skipper groaned. "However, if I catch even the slightest whiff that something's fishy, he's outta here."
"Who said I was a he?" said a voice out of nowhere.
The party was greatly startled and looked up towards the entrance. The next thing they knew, a swift figure dashed down the ladder. They were greatly surprised with this entry! Suddenly the figure began to giggle sweetly as the team's eyes widened. What stood before them was a slick-looking female penguin. She looked rather fit in penguin terms, and as she raised herself from her knee, revealed lavish purple eyes as her long lashes fluttered. She had black feathers that curled upward along her head as if in a short-hair style. She wasn't too short in height, nor was she too tall. She posed with her right flipper on her waist and let her left flipper hang there as she titled slightly to her left. And somehow the open latch with the sun directly over it had somehow created a sort of spotlight right over her, revealing her shiny, glossy feathers. Kowalski, Rico, and Private gulped. She smiled sweetly and placed a flipper on her neat, bright beak.
"Sorry, didn't mean to bother you boys," she shrugged slightly. "But I couldn't help but notice this entrance here and I happened to eavesdrop in your conversation."
Rico began to twitch and his tongue hung out on the side of his beak, Kowalski suddenly became stiff and began to sweat, and Private began to get weak in the knees (literally) and smiled timidly.
"So… no welcome?" she asked.
"Of course!" exclaimed Kowalski suddenly. "Of course we do. Uh…" He could barely spit out the words he had and started to chuckle nervously. He coughed trying to regain his composure. "I-I'm, I'm… uh, I-"
Suddenly Marlene stepped in, "Hi I'm Marlene, and well, welcome to the zoo!"
She smiled brightly and extended her paws towards her flipper for a handshake. The penguin smiled sweetly and shook her flipper in Marlene's paws.
"Why that's so sweet of you, Marlene," she smiled. "That's funny. I didn't think they'd let an otter in a penguin habitat."
"Oh, no, I come here often for visits. We're pretty close friends. Aren't we guys?"
There was barely a reply as the boys continued blushing and smiling timidly. Rico's tongue still hung loose as his eyes drooped. Marlene's eyes rolled in annoyance.
"Do they always act that way?" asked the female penguin.
"No this is very unusual. But then again, these are some very unusual penguins to hang around with."
"So, uh, do you have names?"
They still couldn't reply, except Rico, however he just gave a sort of bark as his tongue began to drool.
"Ugh, you guys are being so rude," scolded Marlene. "Well the tall guy's Kowalski, the shorter one's Private, that's Rico and that guy over there-"
"Please, Marlene," stepped in Skipper out of nowhere. "I think you've covered the welcome just fine. Unlike my men, I don't need anyone to do my introductions for me, that'd be rude. I'm the head of the HQ here, Skipper."
He extended a flipper for hers and lowered his beak towards her as if he was to kiss it. Marlene raised a brow, but luckily Skipper didn't do anything to embarrass himself.
"Charmed," replied sweetly the female penguin. "You certainly do appear to be very confident in stature." Marlene blinked at this and folded her arms.
"So what may give you the pleasure for us to call you by, my femme fatale?" asked Skipper with drooped eyelids.
Is Skipper flirting? Wondered Marlene in disgust. With her? What happened to that cautious paranoia he's always nagging about?
"Well that's just it," replied the female penguin with a flick of her flipper. "My friends called me: Femme Fatale! But then they'd call me Fey for short."
"The pleasure's all ours to meet you Fey," nodded Skipper.
"So!" cut in Marlene between Fey and Skipper. "What brings you here to the Central Park Zoo?"
"The aquarium from my original zoo had sprung a massive leak and felt it was safer if I came here."
"Uh huh, yeah," nodded Marlene. "So what was that loud bang you made up there on your way here? That sounds like a heavy load? Did you bring along baggage?"
"Oh no!" laughed Fey and shrugged. "The keepers probably wanted to make sure I came safely. The crate is designed with thick walls out of maple wood."
"That's a lot of precautions," thought Marlene.
Fey simply shrugged with a smile, "Perhaps they wanted to make sure their precious star would be safe. I was a star back in my zoo."
"That would explain the extra precautions," barked Kowalski out of nowhere.
"And you do look great from the performance I'm sure you could do!" piped Private timidly.
"Pretty!" coughed Rico with his tongue still hanging from his drool-stained beak.
Fey turned back at them and winked, practically making the love struck trio melt.
"That's kinda weird. What could possibly happen to you?" asked Marlene with curiosity.
"Enough with the questions, Marlene!" exclaimed Skipper as he pushed Marlene aside to meet Fey. "I'm sure you've had a long way. Please make yourself at home."
"Psst," Marlene whispered from behind. "I thought you said you couldn't recruit anymore members in here."
"Of course we can't," smiled Skipper. "I'm sure this is only a temporary visit 'til your leak problem's fixed, am I right Fey?"
"Obviously a detective," smiled Fey.
"I'm certain we can find room for her, Skipper," smiled Kowalski, secretly pulling out a measuring tape behind her measuring her height.
"We can make a guest bunk, Skipper!" Private exclaimed.
Rico nodded his head furiously with his drool flying everywhere.
"At ease, men," Skipper raised his flipper. "It's obvious the zoo wanted to make sure she was well under guard. This is another mission we can handle. Fey needs a special team of well-trained bodyguards to make sure no one harms her 'til her return back to her aquarium. We take our missions with pride and we always accomplish them with flying colors. So let's make sure she gets a good New York welcome and that she stays quite comfortable."
"You certainly do know how to make a gal feel secure," Fey complimented. "I'm very grateful to be here."
The team members gathered around and began giggling timidly as Fey rested on her signature pose once more. Marlene stood there amazed. It seemed unlike Skipper to give a welcome speech to hardly anyone! She could barely step in without being scolded of her "intrusion!" Calm down, thought Marlene to herself. This is just Skipper's stupid paranoia getting to you. Besides this is only temporary and she seems nice. I think we can get along just fine. After all, there's always a good side in everyone.