Chapter ten, Baby! READ ON!

How It All Began

Chapter 10: The Run Back Home

The penguins followed the young pup to an opening in the vent. When Skipper opened it, they jumped through it and landed in an empty room (yes… really empty now).

"Sea Ville doesn't have many secret exits… But I know one. We'll have to swim through it." Amy informed.

"S…s…swim?!" Hans exclaimed.

Amy glanced at Hans, confused. "You… are a penguin, right?"

Hans shook his head. "I am… a Puffin."

"Flying bird. But unfortunately, Hans here can't fly and we never got a chance to teach him how to swim." Johnson said.

Hans smiled shyly.

Suddenly, Manfredi gasped when he heard noises outside the door.

"Hurry!" Amy said, slapping her tail on the wall. A hole opened right beside her with water pouring out of it.

Hans gave Skipper a worried glance as water soaked his feathers. Skipper grabbed Hans and swam through the hole. Manfredi followed, but Johnson whimpered in pain. "Ouch! The saltwater! It stings! It stings so bad!" He cried, holding his wounds with his flippers.

"Hurry up!" We don't have much time!" Amy told him.

"I… I can't! Go on without me!" Johnson insisted.

Amy let out a low growl and grabbed Johnson gently in her mouth. She ignored the painful cries of the penguin and slapped her tail on the wall, making the water drain and the hole close slowly. Amy quickly swam through the hole just a second before it closed.

When they resurfaced, Skipper gasped.

"What have you done to him?!" Skipper shrieked at the sight of Johnson's limp body in the young leopard seal. Amy spat him out and Skipper caught him.

"Bleck! I didn't do anything! He was alright when I grabbed him. He didn't want to leave 'cause his wounds hurt so bad." Amy reassured.

"Let's just settle this in the sub." Manfredi said, swimming toward the ports.

When they got to the sub, Skipper tried to push the water out of his feathered friend. He stopped when he heard him coughing.

"*cough* *cough* Urgh… Wh… what happened?" Johnson asked.

"They're accusing me of hurting you!" Amy shouted.

"But you didn't." Johnson said, weakly. "Well, not… exactly. My wounds just stung when you grabbed me with you teeth but… you did that gently…" Johnson explained, glancing at Skipper.

"Well, the important thing right now is that you're okay and we can sent that monster back home." Skipper said, glaring at Amy.

Amy frowned and sadly laid her head on the floor to rest.

"Don't worry Amy. I'm sure Skipper will get over his paranoia over you." Manfredi comforted.

Amy sighed and turned her head away from him and closed her eyes to rest.

Amy opened her eyes to find herself outside, in the ice and snow. She lifted her head and saw the penguins looking down on a small ice hole.

Manfredi noticed her and said, "Oh! Amy's awake, guys!"

"How did I get here?" Amy asked.

"I'm sorry that is classified information, Amy." Johnson replied, jumping out of the ice hole with a lot of fishes in his flippers.

Amy rolled his eyes. "Right. Uh… Where are we? And don't you dare tell me that it's classified information."

"Edge of da leopard seal territories. Vhe were waiting for yah to get up." Hans told her.

"Oh." Amy mumbled. "So.. this is goodbye?"

"Nah. It's more of a Good Riddance to me…" Skipper growled, crossing his flippers. "We're even now, predator. You go home to your little mammal friends, while we will go back to HQ."

Amy frowned and dragged herself slowly away.

"Skipper, she's all alone. She might get lost. Let's take her back to HQ and tell Buck to bring her home." Manfredi suggested.

Skipper rolled his eyes, and watched the sad pup sulk away.

"URGH! FINE… Let's get this over with." Skipper grunted.

"Thank you, Oh, Thank you, Skipper!" Amy said, hugging Skipper again.

"Really? Geez! AGAIN with the hugging?" Skipper complained.

"Sorry, ehehe. I'm a… uh… hugging type." Amy said.

Skipper grunted and slid away from leopard seal territories.

All of them followed him.

When they got to the entrance, it was strangely quiet. Amy looked around cautiously. Suddenly, something kicked her flat on her belly. She felt ropes being thrown on top of her and around her snout. She also felt a penguins foot on her head.

"Boys! You're back. And you brought a spy." The penguin said.

Johnson rolled his eyes. "Daaad!" he said, loosening the ropes on Amy's snout.

"Johnson!" the penguin exclaimed, jumping off the seal to hug Johnson.

"What happened to you? Why are you all… like… that?" he asked, examining his wounds.

"Um… er… Mister Jackson, we'll explain it all to you, but… please let Amy go." Manfredi said.

Jackson rolled his eyes and signaled to some hiding penguins to let go of her. Jackson glared at the leopard seal while Amy growled and stayed behind Skipper. (She's smaller than Hunter… a bit smaller)

"What happened?" Jackson said, in a more serious voice. "If it's got something to do with that seal, I…"

"Dad, We'd like to speak to you in private." Johnson said, glancing at the other agents, who nodded and left them alone.

Skipper told Jackson everything that had happened from when they snuck out to when they returned and Jackson seemed to understand.

"Boys, your mothers are worried about you. Ever since they heard about your disappearance…" he trailed off.

"But vhe are here now, right?" Hans said.

Jackson nodded. "Now let's tell your mothers you're all right."

Amy whimpered at the thought of more accusations of being a spy. Manfredi noticed her and patted her back. "Hey. It's all right." He whispered.

Soon, they got to the training room. Silvia and Angelica were there, talking to each other. Buck was there too.

As soon as the penguins stepped in the room, Silvia and Angelica gasped in delight before hugging their sons.

"Oh I missed you, Cody!" Silvia said.

"MOoom!" Skipper complained.

"What happened to you?" Angelica asked Johnson.

"Long story. Dad knows it all." Johnson explained.

"Well, whatever happened to you, we must let Doc have a look at you." Angelica told him.

"Speaking of Doc, she helped Eloise today. The egg is with her in the medical room. You cupcakes wanna check it out?" Buck asked them.

"Sure! Oh, and Buck? Can you do me a favor?" Skipper said.

"What is it?" Buck cocked his brow.

Skipper turned his head toward the door. Buck followed his gaze and saw a medium-sized leopard seal waiting there shyly.

Buck's eyes widened. "Who's that?"

"Her name's Amy. She helped us escape and we need you to bring her home." Johnson said.

Amy nodded.

Silvia and Angelica noticed Buck staring at the door and turned their heads toward the door. They gasped when they saw the leopard seal.

"Don't worry." Johnson announced. "It's just a pup."

Silvia sighed in relief. "Oh… What's your name, little one?" she asked.

"A.. Amy…" Amy replied, stepping out of the shadows.

"Well, Amy. Why don't you come with us to visit Eloise and James? Such a lucky couple…" Silvia commented.

"J… James?" Amy asked.

"James Brown. Best agent ever. Well… next to Nigel Buckingham…" Angelica informed. "Well, what are we waiting for? An invitation? Let's go!" Buck said, sliding out the door.

Soon, they arrived at the hall full of medical rooms. Doc didn't seem to bothered when she saw Amy because she knew that if Buck was okay with it, she was okay with it.

"James! Eloise! You have visitors!" Doc announced, opening the door wider.

Curious Amy pushed her way through the crowding penguins. When she got inside, she found herself face-to-face with a muscular penguin with his flippers up defensively, glaring at her with brown eyes.

"Hold your ground, James. She's safe." Buck said from behind Amy.

James put his flippers down, gave Amy a calm nod, and rushed to the bed behind him.

"Eloise! How's everything?" Silvia asked the penguin on the bed.

"Good. The egg's fine, and so am I." She replied, stroking the egg beside her.

Manfredi eyed James curiously. Eloise must have noticed this because she chuckled and said, "This is James Brown. He may look fierce with all his battle scars, but he can be sweet and thoughtful at times. He's a great agent, you know."

James puffed out his chest with pride.

Skipper rolled his eyes. I'll be a great agent like him one day… Maybe even better! He thought. He turned his attention to the small-ish egg on the bed. "What're you gonna name the little cadet?"

"Well, since Doc said it's a male, we're naming him Benjamin… Ben for short. Right, James?" Eloise replied, glancing at James, who nodded.

"Does he ever speak?" Johnson asked curiously.

"There are rare occasions where he does… He prefers to speak when needed to…"

"Where's Nigel?" Hans asked.

"He wanted to visit Polly… My other sister… He won't be back for… long…"

Buck cleared his throat and got everyone's attention. "Well, uh… Congratulations, love birds! We have a busy schedule and that egg's not gonna crack itself, you know…" Buck said, leading the group out the door. "G'bye!" he added, shutting the door.

"Buck! What was that for?" Angelica asked.

"Well, these cupcakes need to catch up on training… But Johnson will be excused for today."

"What? Why?" Skipper said.

"I'm going to check on him… check for any infections in his wounds." Doc replied, gently nudging Johnson closer to her. "That's why he's excused."

"I'm bringing Amy home right now. Plus, it's team-building week." Buck said, glancing at Skipper, who's eyes lit up at the sound of the occasion.

"Woohoo! Alright, men (minus Johnson), to the training area! Hoo-ah!" Skipper shouted, sliding toward the training area.

Both Hans and Manfredi slumped. "It is dat time of da year…" Hans said, slowly following his leader.

Johnson chuckled. He was glad he was mission out of Team-building week day 1.

That night…

Manfredi plopped himself on his bunk. "Ugh! That was tiring!"

"Not really." Johnson said, relaxing on his bunk.

"Says the penguin who didn't do anything!" Manfredi complained.

Johnson laughed. "Yeah… Hey… Where's Hans?"

"He collapsed on the floor." Manfredi said, pointing at the unconscious puffin on the floor.

"You know, I kinda miss my old bed… But it's nice that the SMPF gave us our team room." Johnson told them.

"Evenin' team!" Skipper said, barging in the room.

He picked up the puffin on the floor and threw him on his bunk. "Better rest up! Busy schedule tomorrow!" Skipper reminded them, jumping onto the top bunk.

Manfredi groaned before dozing off to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Hooray! NO CLIFFHANGER! I don't know if you are happy, but I am happy…

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