Part 4
"Uhhhhhh!" I moaned, rubbing my sore head. "Anybody know where we are?"
"I think we're trapped in a cage Skipper." Kowalski analyzed.
"What?!" I asked. I stood up and waddled over to my friends. "How can you be sure?" He looked at the metal bars in front of us; I looked too.
"Well judging by the metal bars surrounding us, and we can't escape…"
"We're trapped like rats!" Private shouted, looking freighted.
"Calm down Private." I told my comrade. "We can get out of here."
"But how Skipper?"
"Easy, we just…" I kicked the bars with my foot. Suddenly, I felt great pain. I picked up my hurt foot, and jumped in that spot.
"OWWW!" I cried. I put my foot back down. "Geez, maybe getting out will be harder then I thought." Suddenly we heard a voce.
"Is someone there?" It wanted to know. We all backed up in the cage, fearing it was the kidnapper who snatched us. "Hello, who is it?" The creature came closer. We feared even more. It came into the light to reveal itself. We were then releaved, it was the groundhog!
"Can I help you?" It asked.
"You're that groundhog who is supposed to be at the groundhog ceremony and tell us if winter has ended or not, correct?" Kowalski asked. The groundhog nodded.
"Correct." He replied "Indeed I am"
"Then what are you doing here for?" Private wanted to know. The groundhog sighed and looked out of the cage. We looked out too.
"I was captured." He told us. "I was on my way to the ceremony when I was snatched up. I was then locked up in this cage, and I have been here ever since." Private gasped.
"That's awful! Who would've done this?"
"An evil, insane crazed dolphin."
"An evil, insane crazed dolphin you say?" The groundhog nodded.
"By his lobster henchmen." Suddenly, I realized something. "Oh my gosh!" I cried out. "Crazed dolphin?! I know who kidnapped us!" I narrowed my eyes. "My arch nemesis, Dr…" Suddenly we all heard a crazed dolphin laugh. We turned around and saw him. He rode to us on his flying platform.
"Blowhole!" I finished, looking serious. "Get us out Blowhole! Can't you see we got to do stuff?"
"Yeah!" Private added. "Can't you see you're making people unhappy by capturing the groundhog? Don't you know what today is?" Blowhole cackled to himself.
"Of course I know what today is!" He answered. "It's not no good of a holiday, Groundhog's Day."
"You're making thousands of people unhappy you know." He laughed sincerely again.
"I know, isn't it great? Those backstabbing humans get to now witness what I went though years back!" Private looked confused.
"What you mean?"
"Well, years ago when I was at the zoo when I was younger…"
"I sense a back-story coming on." Kowalski told us.
"You bet Kawolske!" Kowalski looked mad.
"It's pronounced Kowalski!" He said. My nemesis didn't look amuse.
"Whatever, anyways, long ago when I was a young dolphin at the zoo; I was admired and adored by fans everywhere. I would perform tricks with them while mostly the mothers, would take great snapshots of me with their cameras. I was happy to see them, and they loved seeing me. Until that fateful day came, February 2nd."
"On that day no one came to see me and it made me sad. I wondered why, and when I looked on the dolphin screen in my show pool, you know what I saw?"
"Thousands of New Yorkers gathered around the groundhog?" Private guessed.
"Bingo! Well first I saw a commercial for fudgsicles, but then I saw them! I couldn't believe it, that furry little beast stole my spotlight! I figured it was no big deal, they'll see me tomorrow. However, the following year on the same day, it happened again! The year after that the same, and the year after that! I couldn't take it anymore, I had to get my revenge on the little show stealer."
"But it's only once a year." Private informed him. "You can handle that can't you? Think of all the children's faces when they see the groundhog, they love seeing him!" Blowhole pounded the table with his fin.
"When they should love seeing me!" He snapped. Private hid behind us. "I wanted to be seen everyday! Not see my audience see that stupid furry no good groundhog! So that's why I kidnapped him, to see all the New Yorkers feel what I felt years ago." He did his shill, insane, evil laugh.
"Clever plan." I told him. "However there's one major flaw in your planning." He stopped laughing and hovered over to me.
"There is?" He wanted to know. "Tell me!"
"Alright Blowhole. Suit yourself." I turned to Rico. "Rico, you know what to do!"
"Uh- huh!" Rico nodded. He regurgitated a bomb that was about to explode. "Ka-boom, ka-boom!"
"Stand back." I told everyone. "This could get messy." Rico threw the bomb with all his might outside near Blowhole. We all stood back, and covered our heads for the upcoming explosion.
"Ah shrimp!" Blowhole cursed. The bomb made a huge explosion, setting us free. We were all covered in ashes, and so was Dr. Blowhole. We all waddled out of there.
"See ya Blowhole!" I waved him goodbye.
"So long!" Private said to him. Rico just stuck out his tongue then waddled after us.
"Curses!" He mumbled. "Foiled Again!" He turned to us. "Mark my words penguins, I will have my revenge. Victory will be mine!" He laughed insanely until he coughed because of the black smoke.
"Well boys," I told my companions. "Another mission successfully completed!" We all high flipped each other. The groundhog approached us.
"I must thank you guys for rescuing me." He said. "This day would have been ruined if you guys haven't shown up with your bravery. You are simply remarkable flightless birds."
"Don't mention it." I told him. "We're always happy to help, anytime and anywhere." He looked at the sun behind the trees.
"Well I better go!" He exclaimed. "Got to go before the sun completely sets, then I won't see anything." He turned to leave. "Bye, and thanks again." We all waved at his dissent.
"Bye!" Private called. "I hope you don't see your shadow!" He then turned to me. "Well Skipper, we made billions of New Yorkers proud."
"Yeah." I agreed with him. "We made billions of people proud, which in return, makes me proud."
Back at the habitat we invited almost the whole zoo, to watch the groundhog ceremony with us on our TV.
"Well, well ladies and gentlemen." The TV reporter said on scene. There was a bunch of New Yorkers at the site, all waiting for the groundhog. "And kids of all ages. It's that time of year again, Groundhogs Day! Remember, if the groundhog sees his shadow six more weeks of winter, and if he does see his shadow, Spring is on its way!" More cheers on the screen. The reporter turned to the mount.
"Okay," He said. "Let's see our fate!" The groundhog poked his head out, walked outside, and saw…his shadow! We all cheered.
"Spring is on the way folks, Spring is on its way!"
"Spring is on its way Skipper." Private told me. "Are you happy?" I smiled at him.
"Yes I am Private!" I told him. "Yes I am!" I looked at the setting sun outside.
Spring was on its way, we rescued the groundhog and made billions of people happy, but most importantly, another mission has been solved! It was a good day after all.
