Split

Chapter 7: Chaos

"King Juli-" Kowalski's flipper shot over Maurice's mouth, silencing him before he could be heard.

Maurice cringed as he watched their friends take hits and, eventually, become trapped by Dr. Blowhole's invention. "We have to do something," he hissed quietly.

"I know," Kowalski responded, eyes fixed on the scene below. Everyone was okay, but he could see the blood on Rico... it scared him more than he cared to admit. "But we have to wait for an opening..."

"Will they be expecting you?" Maurice asked, furrowing his brows with worry. Down below he could see Julien flailing about as much as his restraints would allow. He was apparently very upset that his crown had fallen off.

"Yes, probably... They'll be ready for me..." Kowalski said, sighing. A thought clicked in his head and he turned his gaze to Maurice, smiling slowly.

Maurice wasn't sure he liked that look.


"Skipper, I hope you have a plan," Marlene hissed lowly.

"I'm working on it," Skipper responded. To tell the truth, he didn't have any idea what to do, at least not yet. However, he wasn't about to give up.

"Well Pengu-ins and company," Blowhole said, studying the group with a little smirk crossing his face. "Would you like to hear my plan?"

"I would," Hans grumbled, earning an exasperated look.

"Uh... sure?" Private said, kicking his feet a little. The magnet held him up a little, and he was a little too short to reach the ground, as was Mort.

"Wait," Julien spoke up, wriggling a little bit. "First can I be having a ring with, y'know, a little cushioning? Maybe some velvet, or cashmere?"

"No." Blowhole pressed a button on his segway. There was a pause as everyone waited for something to happen. Furrowing his brows in annoyance, the dolphin pressed it again. Nothing.

"What is wrong?" Hans demanded. "What about the plan?"

"I'm working on it," Blowhole snapped back at him. "Hold on, I have to check the wiring." He drove his segway to the wall where a large silver box was. He popped it open and- "Gah!" He fell back, hitting the ground while his segway rolled away a couple of feet.

Kowalski straightened himself, flippers raised for a fight. His head pounded still, but right now it didn't matter. He smiled as he heard the others cry out his name, clearly glad to see him. Even Skipper, who had ordered him to stay. Blowhole wriggled in an attempt to get up, but with no luck. Hans growled, dashing toward the tallest penguin to attack.

Kowalski ducked under his wing and moved to the side, avoiding each attack thrown at him. However, he didn't strike back, all concentration going into not getting hit and fighting off the horrible headache threatening to overwhelm him.

"You will never beat like this, Kowalski," Hans pointed out. "I am a better fighter."

"I don't have to beat you," Kowalski answered.

Behind Hans, Maurice was now at the silver box Kowalski had jumped out of. He was pulling away and tearing at every wire he could. The machinery in the lair was going crazy, flickering here and there and moving and dying.

"No!" Blowhole, with the help of the lobsters, managed to get on his segway again.

Maurice pulled a thick wire and suddenly the rings that held the others into place released. Skipper immediately jumped away, pointing a flipper in the direction of their opponents. "Rico, Marlene, Private, you handle the lobsters! Lemurs, keep Blowhole away from his controls. Simians, help Maurice, pull every wire you can. Tear this place apart!"

Everyone obeyed without question... except for Rico. He rushed toward Hans, tackling the Puffin to the ground with a heavy snarl. Kowalski jumped in surprise, eyes going wide.

"Rico!" Skipper snapped, but he knew it was no use. His gaze flickered toward Kowalski almost accusingly before he instead switched roles with Rico, going after the lobsters.

Kowalski shook his head - regretting it moments later - and forced himself to focus. He jumped at Hans as well to help Rico. They were both injured, but they had a strength in numbers and... well... it helped that Rico held more than a little grudge against Hans, now more than ever. There were sparks all around, caused by the arrangement of wires, but hardly anyone noticed them. They were caught up in the fight.

Hans threw Rico off of him, swiping his legs at Kowalski as the intellectual moved in for an attack. He tripped him, sending him to the ground, but just as he shot forward to strike again, he was grabbed around the neck and dragged to the ground. Rico climbed on top of him, throwing every ounce of strength he had left into pounding the puffin senseless. Hans raised his wings in an attempt to block him, but it was no use. Blocking the psycho's attacks was like trying to stop a flash flood with a bucket.

"Rico!" Kowalski pulled the shorter penguin off of Hans, flippers moving to his shoulders and forcing him to look at him. Rico panted heavily, and Kowalski was unsure if it was because of anger or because of rapidly weakening body. He still looked angry, murder in his eyes. "It's done, he's not getting up again for a while. C'mon, we have to help the others."

It took Rico a moment, but he snapped out of it. The weapons expert nodded quickly. Rico turned to help Private, Skipper, and Marlene in dealing with the lobsters. Kowalski peered around. Julien and Mort were pretty much jumping all over Blowhole, earning sounds that sounded suspiciously like screams of frustration. Maurice and the chimps were pulling everything apart, but he knew that wouldn't do it. Kowalski darted toward Blowhole, who had fallen off his segway again, hopping over him to climb up on the vehicle. He peered down at the buttons.

Blowhole had pressed the green button for his 'plan'. He was going over what the other possibilities might be when he spotted a purple button with a mushroom cloud on it... well, if that wasn't obvious he didn't know what was. He silently thanked Blowhole for being so simple-minded.

"Skipper! We have to get out of here!" Kowalski yelled, pressing the button.

"SELF DESTRUCT IN THREE MINUTES."