Authors Note: I really want to get this story going already! How's it anyway? Sound like a good start off for a story?

~Natty


Habits Die.

~PoM~

"Do you think this'll be the last we'll see of Officer X then, Skippah?" Private asked.

"He'll be back, Private. They always come back." Skipper said calmly.

"I don't see how that's a good thing. Might I be missing something?"

"It's not, it never is and you're not missing anything. I guess I'm just used to my enemies coming back and having at me and whatnot." The leader shrugged.

Private frowned. "Is this about what's been happening all week then? Oh Skippah, it's not your fault. There were just too many of them at once, you couldn't possibly get every one of them. We could nevah blame you for that."

"I'm in agreement, Skipper." Kowalski said. "The odds of you accomplishing it in the first place were near impossible."

"'urt 'kipper." Rico added in.

Skipper sighed at the memory of the event they were referring to. He didn't think he'd ever be able to live it down. "Look we've all had a tough week, so why don't you boys head down for some R&R and I'll be down in a bit, 'kay?"

The three subordinate penguins looked unconvinced, mostly because they'd been a bit on the cautious side about leaving him alone ever since then. Four days ago, that common Sunday wasn't so common for the four commandos.

The leader was able to convince them anyway that he'd be fine. "I'm just going to wrap things up here topside, reassure everyone that things are alright and ease the zoo's panic. We wouldn't want another outbreak of Jungle Law on our flippers, would we? I'll be fine and Marlene's here to assist just in case of anything, maybe a random space squid attack. I know she has my back and I hers. We'll be fine. All goes well and I'll be down in ten."

"Alright," Private shrugged. "If you're sure you'll be alright."

Kowalski opened the fishbowl hatch. "We'll be down in the HQ right next to the hatch and at the ready in case of anything, Skipper."

Skipper nodded and watched the bowl be slid shut after their departure down the ladder. As soon as they were gone he let out a weary sigh of dismay. "Those poor frightened hatch-lings. What would they ever do without me?"

"What was all that about?" Marlene asked as soon as the other three penguins were gone.

"Classified." was the answer she received from the boss penguin. Skipper then added because he'd grown a soft spot for her, "And it was nothing."

"Yeah okay, but I don't really think that was nothing. That looked a lot like something! Why are they so against leaving you alone for a couple of minutes? I mean I know they're pretty much sitting ducks without you around but this is kind of pathetic, something you kind of wouldn't expect from, you know, you guys." The otter shrugged, unaware how much that statement actually struck the penguin until he responded with what was almost a dark glare.

"Hang on here, do we look like ducks to you? I know we're all in the same kind of species chain with the beaks and the feathers and webbed feet and all but there is a distinction! And I REFUSE to be accused of being related to a platypus! I'm a penguin for Colonel Sanders' gravy! Not some half thought out mistake cooked up by mama nature! We're all birds, yeah sure, but a platypus, Marlene? You're calling me a mammal here! Something I'm gladly not!"

"What? No, I wasn't calling you guys' actual ducks…Okay maybe I was calling you guys actual ducks, but not…actually! I just meant that when you're not here to lead them or do whatever you do for them, they get just a little bit…" Marlene trailed off, trying to find a way to say it without causing the paranoid commando to flip out but then she realized that was near impossible, this being Skipper she was talking to here. So she just shrugged. "Helpless?"

"My team is NOT helpless! We are an elite force of highly trained-"

"They cry." Marlene interrupted. "You know, a lot. Then they wait for you to show up. It's kind of happened more than once, way more than once. Maybe twice or three times, or four…" the otter saw the penguin's outraged look. She quickly added in. "But there's nothing wrong with that! I think it's sweet! Cute and cuddly and along the lines of what you throw at the crowd every day."

"That's just a cover! We are in no way cute and defenseless! Why wasn't I told this sooner?" Skipper demanded.

"Maybe because when you get back they're just too happy to remember. I think it's great how much care you guys give to each other."

"Caring isn't going to protect them or this whole zoo! Action, brute force, and not being a bunch of posh nancy-cats will! I don't care how many times I say it, it just doesn't take! I would've thought what happened four days ago Sunday made that clear to them!"

"Sunday?" Marlene questioned. "What happened then?"

"I'm not authorized nor at liberty to discuss it. Come back in a few weeks after the mission files have cleared. I already know they will be!" Skipper grumbled. "Those pencil pushing desk monkeys wouldn't know 'need to know' if it jumped out and ambushed him while his back was turned!" The leader looked side to side just be sure the incident wouldn't repeat itself. Somehow it had made him even more paranoid than he already was, and he couldn't believe that was possible.

The otter's eyes widened. "Woah, someone attacked you? Wait yeah! I think I remember Sunday! You ran out of the zoo…" Marlene recalled.

.

.

*faded flashback form*

"And…ha…and so de buffalo says…! Dats not my mama! Dats Marlene's FACE! Hahaha, yes!" King Julien XIII laughed at his own joke, grinning for an applause from his audience, in the direction of the tiki bar.

Maurice clapped slowly with boredom and yawned, checking the watch on his wrist that was never there in any of the other episodes.

Mort however laughed hysterically and pointed at Marlene. "Ah ha! It's funny cuz it's your faace!"

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Right, very funny, but why am I here?"

"Silly otter!" King Julien said. "Your name is beginning with de letter M! It is monkey madness make de funnies Monday! Which also has de M stuff!"

The otter raised a brow. "Okay, sure, I guess… but there's just one, tiny problem with all of that…"

King Julien frowned. "And dat is?"

"Today's…I don't know…SUNDAY!?" Marlene shouted, waving around her arms.

"Ohhhh!" Julien smacked his forehead with his hand as a wake-up call. "No wonder my jokes are being a little bit off today…"

"A little?" Marlene exclaimed. "All you're doing is making fun of us and laughing about it!"

"Yes, and dat part is fine. De reason de jokes aren't good is because I should have de S stuff instead of de M stuff. You know, like de Shelly oster-rich and de Savio snake guy, and de Skipper. I should be making fun of de bossy penguin's stupid face, and not de stupid otter Marlene's stupid face." The lemur king reasoned to himself.

Marlene groaned in annoyance; face palming before she noticed a flash of black and white. Her mood lit up instantly. She was saved at last! If she could just get Skipper to help her get away from these lemurs! "Skipper! Could you help me out here? …Skipper?"

Julien noticed the penguin running past his habitat as well, happy that his Super-Silly-Snickering -make the funnies-Sunday-day could go on as planned. Having one S thing was better than having no S things. "There you are bossy penguin! Come on down to de laughing hut so dat I may laugh at your insecurities! Eh…hey! Where is he going?" The lemur frowned as the leader penguin ran right past the habitat without taking any notice of them.

Maurice shrugged at the odd behavior from the penguin and although the penguins were already very odd to begin with, this was odder, even for them. "Maybe he has an appointment somewhere."

"Ah ha!" Mort laughed and pointed at the out of sight flattop penguin. "Its funny cuz he's late!"

Marlene blinked. "Well that was oddly strange."

King Julien frowned and crossed his furry arms. "Dis is great! NOW how am I going to laugh at de faults of my adoring public?"

.

.

In present time, Marlene went on. "...and the guys were right behind you yelling. Kowalski shouting about percentages, Private about how he didn't like something, and Rico was just screaming so loud that something was going to hurt you! They were all so freaked out! And you were surprisingly calm, but I guess that isn't so surprising…"

.

.

*faded flashback form*

Just then, the three lesser penguins ran by, huffing and puffing to catch up to their sprinting leader.

"Skippah wait! You can't!" Private shouted after his leader as they all ran.

Kowalski ran in front of the private holding his abacus as he jogged. "88.8% chance…!" The analyst huffed. "…It's a trap! …Stop! …Skipper!"

"'urt 'kipper!" Rico yelled as a warning.

The three penguins ran on after their commander long out of the zoo. The mammals were only left to stare on at the odd scene.

Maurice whistled. "Those penguins, man. What can I say?" The aye-aye commented and drank his smoothie down.

"Ah ha! It's funny cuz-" Mort started again but frowned. "I don't know why it's funny."

King Julien smiled. "But it still is! Haha!"

"Yeah, it's really not!" Marlene frowned.

.

.

.

Back to real time, Marlene nodded. "Yeah, so I remember Sunday! But someone attacked you? What's that all about?"

Skipper sighed and looked down in shame. "It's a long story…" The leader looked up when his flipper was grabbed by a gentle paw.

"I have time." Marlene smiled. "I always have time for you guys."

Skipper returned the smile. "And that's all we ever need."