Oh my gosh....thank you guys SO much for the reviews!!! They are all muchly appreciated!!! You guys rock! Please continue to tell me how I'm doing. =)
(P.S. I'm sorry this took so long, I just got back from camp a few days ago and yesterday I tried out for American Idol and failed of course...but it was still fun, and I made it on camera! XD)
"Shhh!" Skipper used a flipper to hold her mouth shut.
"Hey! Lfpt mfe gfo!" Rita glared up at him. Her voice was muffled due to his flipper. She contemplated biting him, but decided against it, remembering how it felt to collide with the pavement.
"Just what do you think your doing in my domain, bird? Haven't you had enough beatings?" Out from the shadows appeared a giant sewer rat. Rita's eyes widened. She had never seen such big muscles on a rodent before, nor did she ever think she'd see one the size of this.
"Although, I kind of like the little pet you've brought."
"Pet?! Listen up bu--"
Skipper once more clamped a flipper over her mouth.
"Don't listen to her, we were just leaving."
"Or were you?" The massive rodent took a few steps forward. He grabbed onto Rita's tail.
She let out a yelp, wriggled her mouth out of Skipper's grip, and sunk her teeth deep into the rats paw.
The rat released her tail at once and leaped back, startled at the sudden act of courage from such a tiny creature. Rita had quit the bravery to back-up her feisty personality, Skipper now knew... Maybe too much for her own good.
"That'll teach you to keep your paws to yourself, rodent." She spat out, sending him daggers with her eyes, mentally wishing that somehow they would turn into lasers and cut him into pieces.
"Why you little pipsqueak, you better start thinking of some pretty good last words lemur, because I'm going to make you eat'em!"
He seethed, breathing heavily in anger.
"I'd like to see you try, mousy. Bring it on, Mr. Hulk!" She mocked, sticking her tongue out at him and making a face.
"Rita, can I ask you something?" Skipper asked as he began nervously backing up with her still in his flippers.
"Shoot."
"Do you have some sort of a death wish, or something?"
She chuckled a little. A smile of mischief overtook her expression.
"What's the fun in life, without the danger? Besides, I'm not afraid of him."
"Oh, your not afraid? Well, that's about to change pipsqueak... Real fast." The rat growled the last word. He came towards them, balling his paws into angry fists.
"Well your no coward kid, I'll give you that. However, stupidity is another matter entirely." Skipper said, backing up even farther. She only smirked in response. He finally felt his back collide with the wall, and for the first time in a long time, he truly felt afraid, and he hated himself for it. Skipper was supposed to be the strong one... Heck, this was the kind of thing he was trained for! He was the one who was supposed to be fearless, Not Rita. Not some young lemur kid he had just met not even hours ago.
He turned abruptly and dropped her on the ground.
"Hey! That hurt, bozo." She sent him a death glare, rubbed her back in an attempt to ease the pain.
"Just lay low, keep your mouth shut, and stay here. Got it, lemur?" Skipper's voice left no room for argument.
Surprising him, this time Rita did not attempt an escape. She simply sat there. The angered annoyance she held in her eyes had vanished, in it's place left only the same mysterious curiosity they usually held.
She cocked her head in surprise when she seen him step in front of her, and take a fighting stance.
"So let me get this straight.... You... Are going to take on that thing....?"
"Hey! What did I say about talking?" He glanced behind, signaling for her to zip it.
The sewer rat breathed a deep chuckle.
"You really think you have a chance, bird?"
"I have better than that, Kingy." He moved quickly, leaped on his head, taking the giant by surprise.
The fight had a nasty beginning when the sewer rat threw Skipper against the brick wall, hard.
Rita watched this, and rolled her eyes.
"And he says I'm the one with a death wish." She muttered to no one in particular.
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Julien lie, smacked face-first, into the concrete wall of the Penguin's HQ. Private had actually began to wonder if they had just received a new wall decoration. Ever so cautiously, he made his way out from behind the couch. The young penguin glanced around, shuddering at the damage the two had done in such a short amount of time.
The television lie on it's side, the screen shattered into tiny pieces. Various items of all kind were strewn out on the floor as if a tornado had just come through their home, destroying anything in it's path.
He finally caught site of Marlene, who was only a few feet away from Julien. She was breathing heavily as if she'd just run a marathon, with a baseball bat clutched firmly in her paws. Pure anger burned within her eyes as she glared down at Julien, even as he slid to the ground much like a carpet would had it been thrown against the wall.
"Marlene! Wha.... What have you done?!" Private exclaimed, running over to her. He flinched when he saw Julien was now lying on the floor, motionless.
Maurice, who was sitting on a tall pile of random junk, let out a loud cheer.
"Yes! I told you she would win, Mort! I just knew it! That'll be 5 leachy nuts please."
The smaller lemur sitting beside him let out a sad sigh.
"Awww.... Poor King Julian." His ears drooped more in sadness than defeat.
"I-Is he.... D-Dead...?" Private stuttered, covering his eyes.
"Dead.....? Who is this dead person you are slspeaking....of?" Julien asked, his voice slurred as the world spun around him. His eyes fell on Marlene, then down to the bat she was still holding. He suddenly remembered what all had taken place and why he was lying on the floor with a most terrible headache, and shot up with a scream.
"Please.... Not to be hitting me with the wooden stick thingy no more!"
"Oh, I'll do more than that.." Marlene took a step forward, and would have taken another swing at him, if Private did not rush in front of her.
"Stop! Now that's enough, you guys... Look what you've done? You've almost killed each other." He took Marlene's paw in his flipper where a small cut slowly oozed a slight amount of crimson.
"I'm fine, Private." She said, ignoring the pain. Her eyes focused past the short penguin, and glared at Julien.
"Heeheehee.... Do not think you are getting off oh so easily Marlene... Now I am knowing your secret." The tall lemur stood up, wobbled a little, flashing her a crooked smile.
Marlene resisted the urge to attack him only for the sake of Private. She did not want to cause the young penguin anymore trauma then he had already suffered. Instead, she settled on rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, sure Julien. My 'secret' yeah...whatever."
"Ha ha! I knew it! See? Would you just look at how smart I am?"
Right at that moment Mina and the other two penguins came bursting through the tall metal door. It slammed into Mort and Maurice, who were sitting right behind it, making perfect smashing targets.
Mina scanned the area. Perhaps she had purposely ignored the fact that there were two lemur pancakes behind the door, or maybe she didn't realize, either way Private noticed she left the door alone. Mina saw the mess that was made while she and the other's were away, before her eyes finally landed on Julien and Marlene.
"What are you two still doing here?!" She yelled. Her furious voice boomed throughout the area.
Private jumped behind Marlene, cowering in fear, terrified she would blame this on him and he would receive some sort of punishment, while Julien let out a startled screech and leaped back.
Marlene however, simply placed her paws on her hips and turned towards Mina.
"What....Have you intruding savages done to this place?!" She demanded, angrily marching up to the three.
"Hey... I... Wha.. He started it!" Marlene frantically pointed to Julien. She finally took the time to look around the room and notice how many things they had broken or knocked off in their fight, and nervously gulped.
"Me?! How daring of you?! Do not be forgetting, I am King of things and do not make such messes! Therefore you my crushy otter foe, are to blame for the messiness." Julien crossed his arms in a childish manner, and turned away.
"Quiet! Both of you! Now, out, out, OUT! We have classified business to discuss." Mina screamed, gesturing towards the open door.
"Wait a second..." Marlene suddenly looked around and noticed something.
"Where's...Skipper? Didn't you guys go out to find him, or something?" She asked, purposely walking past Mina, up to Kowalski and Rico, who she noticed bore worried, unsure expressions. It was odd, to say the least, seeing them like that. Marlene had seen the two worried before, but not like this... Something was not right.
"We... looked down the pot hole leading to the sewer and...well..." Kowalski never finished. Rico broke into hysterical tears, and Marlene let out the gasp she was holding.
"Wh-What do you mean?" She took few steps back, letting her mind wander to terrible places at the thought of what they could possibly be trying to say. Was Skipper....? No... She refused to believe it was true. Not him.. He was too strong. He wasn't gone.
If possible, Mina's anger grew and she marched up to Kowalski. He opened his beak to speak, but never got the chance as she slapped him across the face.
"Kowalski! How dare you! That is completely confidential information, and not for the outside ear to hear." She barked. Kowalski hung his head in shame and remorse.
That made Marlene mad.
"Hey! Skipper's not just a Skipper you know, He's also my friend, and I think I deserve to know what happened to him!" She almost yelled. Marlene breathed heavily, sick and tired of always being treated as an outsider.
"That is because the otter is....in loooove!" Julien jumped in, almost singing the last part.
Marlene shot him such a look that if looks alone possessed the ability to murder, Julien would have been long gone.
Mina swung her head back and let out a laugh. It was the first laugh any of them had ever heard erupt from her beak, and everyone had to admit, it was not a pleasant one. In fact, it only made Marlene long to punch her in the face. She balled her paws into fists and growled under her breath.
"I know what this is about.... Clever, I must admit... But not clever enough. Boys, escort the little otter spy and her undercover, disgusting little accomplice off the premises." Mina demanded, turning towards Kowalski and Rico.
Private let out a slight whimper from behind Marlene, upset that she, a newcomer to the zoo at that, would accuse his friends of such felony.
Julien's mouth dropped down to the floor.
"Oh no you did not... I am the most devilishly handsome lemur King you will ever meet, and I, your King, forbid of you to be throwing me out of here!" He shouted, absolutely appalled at the way she spoke to him. Julien crossed his arms and turned away.
Rico and Kowalski were shocked. Their gaze fell to the floor. Neither one of the two wanted to be the one to carry out Mina's harsh orders to escort their friend out of their home, a place she was normally welcomed at. Nevertheless, they knew they must fulfill their full duty as recruits.
"Woah, woah! Wait just a second here... First of all I am not a spy! Second of all, he--" She pointed to Julian. "Is not my assistant! More like my enemy at the moment."
Mina merely stuck her beak up in the air, and gave a sneer.
"Likely story, you and the nutty squirrel are in this together. You may have fooled Skipper, but the same sneaky trick will not fool the trained eye."
Mina let out a frustrated growl.
"I am not a-- Oh forget it! I'm outta here."She said coldly, storming past Rico and Kowalski, and out of the open door. Before long, she disappeared into the darkness. Private put a flipper up to stop her, but thought better of it when Mina sent him a look.
"If I wanna find Skipper, I'll find him myself." Marlene whispered bitterly, before she walked out.
Back at the HQ, Private stared after her sadly, tears threatening to well in his eyes.
"M-Mina... Forgive me for saying so but... That didn't seem very nice." He stuttered in his British accent.
"From now on you all will refer to me as General Mina. And nice won't make the army, kid. You're saying we should be kind.... to a spy? Is that right, cadet?" She walked up to him, staring down with a skeptical expression playing over her face.
The others, even King Julien, eagerly looked to Private to see his reply.
"Sorry... General Mina. In all due respect, Marlene isn't a spy... She's our friend, and she only wanted to know what happened to Skipper. We're all worried about him...." He looked as if he would burst into tears any moment, though he did a good enough job at keeping himself together, for now. He wanted to know Skipper was safe.
"Private, let me tell you something... You can't trust anyone in war.. You don't make friends in the service." She told him with the same strict tone she always used, before turning to the others. She failed to noticed the single tear that escaped his eye, one he had hidden well.
"Now, concerning the rescue mission...."
"Eh.... Excuse me?" Julien spoke up, raising a paw was his way of asking permission to speak.
Mina whipped around to face him.
"Out!" She screamed.
"I was just going to ask...."
"I said OUT!"
"But..."
"GET OUT!"
"But I need to use the little lemur's resty room!"
Mina looked at him in disbelief and scoffed.
"One thing that is absolutely not allowed, and I heed warning, is never to allow enemy spies accomplish to use the Penguin HQ's restrooms!"
"But I really do have to go!"
"Me too!" Mort had appeared from behind the door with a dizzy Maurice.
"NO!" Mina yelled, breathing heavily.
"Well then where am I to go?" Julien looked around, puzzled.
"Not here!" She pushed him and the other's out the door.
"Please....?" Julian looked at her with huge puppy dog eyes, hoping his plan would work.
"And you really think I'd fall for that?"
"Eh....yes!" He looked hopeful.
"Wrong." Her expression fell blank, and she slammed the door in his face.
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"Is that all you got, bird? Your even more Pathetic than I thought." The King of sewer rats walked towards Rita with a huge grin on his face, his huge body towered above her, much like a huge cat would stock it's prey.
The lemur instantly leaped up from where she was sitting. This time her legs wobbled a little, but it wasn't long before she found her balance, and pressed herself against the wall. Rita inwardly let out a breath of relief, glad she had only had the wind knocked out of her, and did not receive any serious injuries from her fall into the sewer.
"So much for your 'great hero' huh, little lemur?"
"If you think I really need a hero to protect me, hot stuff, your sadly mistaken." She growled out, her tone became deadly serious.
He leaned his head back and let out a sinister laugh, catching Skipper in mid air when he attempted an attack from behind. Rita could have sworn she seen pure cruelty in the rat's cloudy green eyes.
"Those are strong words, for such a wimpy little creature." He walked closer to her, tightening his grip around the struggling penguin's neck, cutting off Skipper's air supply.
"Don't come any closer, or I promise you will regret it." She narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Oh, and what's a tiny little thing like you gonna do, huh? Cutify me to death with those big blue eyes of yours?"
"No. Just this." She flipped into the air, landing on his head. When he reached up to grab her with his free paw, she dodged the attack, jumped onto his shoulder.
"What's the matter, mousy? Having trouble?" He tried to grab her once again, and missed when she leaped onto one of the many metal pipes surrounding the sewer.
The rat growled in frustration, releasing Skipper to grab a hold of the pipe Rita had used her feet to cling to.
The penguin fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. He could already feel himself begin to grow faint. The world spun around him.
"When I'm through with you, your going to wish you would have never been born!" The rat yelled. Clutching the pipe in his muscular paws, he pulled hard. Rita only smirked. He must have been as dumb as she thought he was, because he failed to realize the consequences of his actions.
The pipe finally gave way to the sudden pressure, and burst, the main water flow collided with the rat, sending him shooting into the river of sewer water that flowed throughout the area.
Rita jumped down from the pipe, and landed next to Skipper, who was still trying to catch his breath.
"This isn't over pipsqueak..." The rat sent her a glare that would have frightened even the bravest of mammals as he passed, the flowing water current too much for him to fight.
She shuddered slightly, but was not one to bite her tongue.
"Bring it on." She bit back, flashing him a slight grin that told him she was not afraid, though if one were to have looked closely, they would have noticed that her eyes said differently.
"Look alive, lemur!" Skipper yelled. He leaped up at the last moment, grabbed her by the middle, and tumbled out of the way just seconds before the loose pipe fell to the ground. It was only a matter of moments before water began spewing into the river, and causing it to overflow onto the concrete sides, closing in on the two fast.
Skipper readied himself to dive into the water, but Rita looked hesitant.
He gave her a funny look.
"What's the matter? Not afraid to battle a giant mutated sewer rat 20 times your size, but yet you're scared of a little dirty water?"
She sent him a death glare, and took a few steps back.
"I almost drowned when I was little, for your information. I don't like water." She said reluctantly. Her careful eyes fell on the green water, which was moving in fast.
"Well it looks like that's about to change, sister. Just don't forget to hold your breath."
Her eyes widened to saucers.
"Oh no... No... I'm not stepping another foot near that water." She refused, taking a few more steps back until she hit the wall. She glanced wearily at the incoming current and desperately wished the Teleporter existed. Apart of her mind knew there was no escaping this, though another part was trying it's hardest to convince her otherwise.
"Look, I'm not usually one to look at the glass half empty but uh.... It looks like we don't have much of a choice." He clasped his flipper firmly around her arm.
"What are you doing?"
He saw the utter terror in her eyes. Fear etched in her voice even as she uttered the words, despite her constant attempts to hide it.
"Hold onto my flipper, and you'll be fine."