It was around noon, while Marlene looked out of the raft and rested against it. Even though it was obvious they were moving at a high speed, to Marlene it looked as if they were just sailing by on a cruise tour. Marlene stood at the far end of the raft opposite of the whole gang on the other side and watched the clouds rolling overhead and the sun up high. It was a calm day, cold and salty, but still nice. Marlene looked into the water and watched her shivering reflection from the disturbing waves the raft was making. Marlene sighed, feeling bored and anxious at the same time, thinking so many questions at the moment. Could it be true that Skipper had easily brushed everything away? So quickly and so easily? But more importantly, just what was Fey up to? That bird… is there a connection between the albatross and Fey? Those eyes… Fey… the eyes that glowed so beautifully that night… Skipper… the team… the mission… the eyes… the fight… Fey and Skipper… Dr. Blowhole… the secret headquarters… the eyes…
"Marlene?"
Marlene raised her head and turned to find Fey waddling towards her and joining her.
"May I talk with you?" asked Fey politely.
Marlene shrugged, "About what?"
"Well, what else? The mission of course."
"Oh, yeah that."
"I've already explained it to the penguins last night on the ship before our little departure, but I feel terrible that they got to know the plans first before you…"
"Well it's too late to change that now right?"
Fey nodded, "Afraid so."
"So what is the plan?"
"Well first after we hit shore, we might have to cross a desert."
"There are deserts in Antarctica? As in hot sand and cactuses?"
"Cacti, darling," Fey corrected her. "And it doesn't have to have such things to be called a desert. It's a very dry and very cold place to be. Hardly anything passes by there. But it's the only way to get to the north side of Blowhole's HQ, which is hidden in a huge mountain, nicknamed Emperor Peak by the locals."
"Locals?"
"Before the summit, there is a whole community of creatures living there, if I recall."
"Really? Like what?"
"It's been a long while since I've been there I'm afraid. I simply can't remember."
"So how do you know Blowhole's there?"
"Because that's where his latest project is located in. He's bound to be there. I had encountered him the last time in another base somewhere in the Atlantic before he…" Marlene watched Fey's flippers curl into tight fists on the raft's ledge. "…dismissed me."
Marlene could feel her blood turn hot and her throat tighten. The dark side of Fey was somewhere in there, lurking… waiting for the right time to strike. Or maybe it's already shown itself?
Fey looked Marlene and smiled politely. But Marlene still couldn't feel the pleasantness from it.
"What were you thinking about before I came here?" Fey asked.
Marlene blinked before she immediately replied, "The mission. Just wondering how exactly we were going to get in."
"Oh of course, from the north side of Emperor Peak is a hidden escape tunnel we could use to sneak in. Blowhole won't suspect it, since he assumes the spot is completely hidden and undetectable from enemies whatsoever. Well, he never counted on me to know about it."
"So, I'm assuming absolutely no one was supposed to know about it?" asked Marlene.
"Very good," Fey nodded. "It's one of several other escape routes that only he himself should know. Until I came and discovered it."
Marlene nodded. "So that should be easy, but then from there what?"
"I'll lead the way to the satellite dish that would doom us all and simply disable it before we're even spotted."
"Hm… sounds simple enough," smirked Marlene.
"Of course it does, I haven't mentioned the hidden traps and obstacles we'll actually have to go through."
"Which are?"
"Many things that you should be very afraid of... if you're not prepared for it."
Suddenly Marlene saw the cheeriness from Fey's look disappear. Marlene couldn't help but sense an eerie feeling.
"Well, like what?" Marlene shrugged. "Are we talking about hidden lasers, trap doors, what?"
"Let's just say that whoever wears black and white with flippers and webbed feet aren't cut out for this task… which is where I need you."
"What do you mean?"
Fey growled, "Marlene I'm about to tell you something I didn't mention to the others."
Marlene braced herself foe the worst, just what was Fey getting worked up for? Is there something that even she fears? What did she mean by those words?
"Marlene," Fey looked out to the ocean and sighed. "The hidden lasers and spiked walls won't be a problem for me. But if we do become detected, then as a penguin, I'd be in big doo doo."
"Is there something that blowhole has in mind that can take out a penguin specifically?"
Fey darted her eyes back at her suddenly, "My, you catch on quick." Fey then turned her whole body toward her. "Marlene, believe me when I say I won't stand a chance against this weapon he would unleash. That's why I needed you. You can slip by it much more easily than I could." Then Fey paused and suddenly she looked sorrowful. "That's why I didn't want to bring the others along… they could get seriously hurt… really."
Marlene blinked but shook her head, "Fey, you make seem as if all penguins could easily get killed from this. You're forgetting this is the Central Park zoo penguins that are on this mission. They're not like any other penguin out there." Fey seemed indifferent, she just stayed quiet and kept listening. "And I can wholeheartedly believe that there's nothing, not even some super penguin-killing machine that can stop these penguins from scoring another mission accomplished."
Suddenly the raft started quivering more than usual. Fey and Marlene looked at their feet, surprised by the sudden motion. Suddenly the two females realized a cloud of icy fog surrounding them. They had so engaged in the conversation that they didn't even notice it at all.
"What was that?" Marlene asked Fey.
Suddenly she could hear Kowalski's voice, "Skipper, I'm afraid we're not the only ones out here!"
"I need to find out what it is, stat!" Skipper replied. "Rico, Private, be sure to keep a look out. Kowalski, stay in your position on the engine. And the girls?"
"We're over here," Marlene called as she and Fey rushed towards the rest of the team.
"Alright, everyone just stay in the center of the raft as possible. We don't want anyone falling out if we don't know what it is that's out there."
Marlene raised a brow, "You're expecting us girls to just sit back and watch?"
"No," Skipper replied. "I'm asking you stay in the center and hang on tight."
"Gee, isn't that a difference?"
"Not now, Marlene."
Suddenly the raft shook again and everyone began to feel uneasy. Even Rico and Private began to nudge closer towards the center. Kowalski kept his flipper on the handle that steered the motor, but even he began to feel shaky.
"Skipper," Private moaned. "I think I know what it might be."
"Same here, Private," Skipper replied in a lox tone. "It has to be it… there's no other explanation."
"Uh, huh," Rico gurgled nervously.
"What is it?" Marlene asked.
"It's…" began Private.
"Those Danes finally caught up to us," Skipper finished sinisterly.
"I highly doubt that, Skipper," Kowalski corrected him.
"Oh."
"THERE!" squawked Rico.
Suddenly through the white, icy fog, a large dark figure rushed towards them. Then suddenly everyone recognized what it was:
A dorsal fin.
WHAM!
The raft shifted to one side and everyone else as well! Everyone grabbed on tight onto the raft; thankfully no one had fallen out. Suddenly water shot out from the water and sprayed into the air in a mist. It was very much clear what it was to everyone.
"ORCA!" screamed Kowalski in a high pitched cry.
Suddenly the orca shot itself up into the air and revealed its entire underbelly. It towered before them and everyone caught their breaths in their throats.
"Kowalski!" barked Skipper. "Step on it!"
Obediently, Kowalski turned the motor to high gear and suddenly everyone clung on to the raft to keep from flying off at practically turbo speed! Just a moment later, the orca threw its body against the water which caused a massive splash. The raft shifted left to right but Kowalski did his best to the raft afloat and running. Private looked back and his eyes widened when he spotted the dorsal fin charging towards them!
"Skipper!" cried Private.
"Kowalski, lose that whale!" Skipper ordered.
"I'm doing my best, Skipper!" he replied.
"Rico," Skipper turned to him and Rico raised his head in response. "It's knock knock time."
Rico nodded his head and quickly regurgitated a grenade and pulled the pin. He tossed it toward the dorsal but the whale exhaled water out of its blowhole and returned the grenade back! Everyone gasped at the irony!
"Take cover!" cried Skipper.
Kowalski turned the raft to the left to dodge the grenade from hitting them.
POOSH!
From the flying water, the dorsal reappeared and continued to charge towards them.
"No dice!" muttered Skipper. Suddenly the dorsal disappeared once more. "Keep a sharp eye, boys. This is for all the money."
BOOM!
Suddenly the orca had shoved right from under raft! Water flew everywhere as everyone screamed for their lives while they were suddenly being shot into the air! The orca let out a cry as it showed its awesome force as it crashed back into the water. But suddenly its large tailfin shoved against the back of the raft, launching the raft forward. Everyone screamed, hanging on for dear life!
KERPLONG!
The raft crashed against the water, and suddenly all was quiet again. Skipper raised his head from the bottom of the raft and looked around. The motor on the raft was gone and so was the whale. Skipper darted his head everywhere and suddenly squinted his eyes. Apparently he knew better than to relax.
"It's not over," Skipper said to himself. "I can feel it…"
CHOMP!
The next thing he knew, the raft flew off- literally! Like a balloon out of control, the raft buzzed across the air, getting softer and lumpy. Screams could be heard as everyone clung on like heck!
CRASH! SPLASH! BOOM!
Skipper slowly opened his eyes and tried to regain vision from the blurriness. He groaned as his entire body became sore. Slowly he lifted himself up and sat on his knees. That was some ride. Suddenly he realized he was on hard ice. He looked around and was relieved to see his team with him. He rubbed his head as he tried to remember what happened last. Suddenly he felt a sting on his forehead.
"That's right," Skipper spoke to himself. "We were ambushed."
He got up on his feet, stumbling a bit before he kicked Kowalski's back a bit as he lay on the ground face down beside him.
"Get up, men," Skipper told them. "This is no time for sack time."
Slowly Private, Rico, and Kowalski got up.
"Where are we?" moaned Private.
"Antarctica?" croaked Rico.
"Negative," Kowalski shook his head as he got up. "We've managed to barely escape the savage beast by taking shelter on this floating ice."
"Right," Skipper nodded. "The raft was destroyed and we all fell into the water."
"Is everyone alright?" a sudden voice called from the other side of the ice.
"Fey?" replied Private as she appeared before them. "Where's Marlene?"
"I was hoping I'd find her with you guys," she replied as she waddled over to them. "Some luck huh? Who'd ever thought this ice would float by here in the nick of time?"
"Where's Marlene?" Private turned to the others who shook their heads.
"I uh oh," shrugged Rico.
"I don't recall anything happening to Marlene," Kowalski rubbed his head unsurely.
Skipper darted his head everywhere, but all he saw was icy fog and dark blue ocean. There was no whale, but now there was no Marlene. Already everyone feared for the worst. Skipper slid on his belly up the small hill on the ice and scanned around. Nothing, she just simply disappeared.
"Where could she have gone?" Private asked. "Marlene!"
"Marlene!" called Kowalski.
Rico only managed to yell stuff that didn't exactly sound like "Marlene," but he was certainly calling for her.
Fey reached Skipper up the hill and approached him from behind. She already put on a sympathetic look and wanted to comfort Skipper in what may be a difficult time for him. She would understand him, Marlene was his dear friend.
"Skipper?" she spoke softly as her face softened. "You okay?"
"Not now, Fey," Skipper raised his flipper without turning his head towards her. "I don't think anyone wants to hear another sappy story about a soldier moping for a lost teammate and a girl trying to heal the so-called pain and suddenly moves in for a romance." Fey raised her brows in surprise. "There's no time to fool around, Femme Fatale."
Fey's face shrunk to a slightly bitter look. This guy sure knew how to suck the fun out of this mission. Skipper turned to his team.
"Okay, we're now launching Operation: Otter Rescue. I wanna make sure we find her in one piece. And if she's not, we see to it that the criminal responsible pays for it."
"Right!" the others nodded.
"Just uh…" began Private. "How do we begin?"
"I'm not even sure if we're still en route to Antarctica anymore," Kowalski added uneasily.
"Don't gimme that," Skipper barked. "We've never lost any members before and we certainly won't start now. I need options on how we'll execute this mission."
The group just sat there for a while, all wondering the same questions: where's Marlene? And more importantly, is she okay?
