CHAPTER 13
CRASH AND BURN
A heartbeat of silence.
And then the world around them went down in turmoil and darkness and screams.
Animals ran in every direction, yelling, crying, bumping into each other and calling for help. Everyone scrambled towards the zoo exit, pushing and shoving and overrunning each other as everyone tried to reach the golden doors fastest.
"Don't rush, don't rush!" someone called.
"Please stay calm, everyone," Savio's voice echoed somewhere off in the dark, "There's no need to panic! It's just a small technical fault which will be repaired as soon as possible."
Before anyone could trip over him, Maurice blindly reached into the blackness for the paws of his king. Julien repelled him only for a moment until he realized that these were his paws and not Clemson's. Maurice dragged him away, away, in just any direction the red lemur wouldn't follow them.
He feared that despite the darkness Clemson was going to shoot.
He feared that despite the darkness he was going to hit them.
But there was no sound but the screams around them.
Maurice pushed forward, his left paw holding Julien's, the other one jostling away anyone too close to them, hardly able to shoulder his way through the large amount of animals congregating around them. He kept pushing a way for himself and Julien through the crowd, not really aware of where they were actually going until he felt a flipper tight on his shoulder.
"This way. Move!"
Skipper's voice sounded calm, cool, and fearless, unconcerned and oblivious to all the noise.
He belly-slid ahead and the lemurs followed him as fast as they could. They swiftly, lithely moved across the dark place.
All of a sudden a panicking elephant lady came running through the crowd at the top of her speed, easily knocking over the two lemurs along with a dozen of other guests in her way. Before he could rationalize what was going on, Maurice felt a push from behind and in an instant he was lying on the ground, face pressed into the dirt. He used all his strength in an attempt to stand up again but the crowd didn't notice or care to help him with his struggle. Instead they proceeded to trample on his helpless body to save themselves. He felt panic begin to pulse through him.
"Get up, soldier!"
Skipper's hasty command pierced through his terror. While the penguin leader endeavored to keep their surroundings clear, Maurice cursed and hastily picked himself up again but immediately noticed that Julien wouldn't do so. He was clearly too injured and fatigued to get back on his feet. Reaching down, Maurice placed one arm behind his knees and the other around his back, gently lifting the king into his arms.
"Hurry, you two," Skipper said in an urgent but not impolite tone.
Somewhere near the golden gates Savio and Rhonda hurried to install some auxiliary lighting which provided at least a minimum of brightness on the main visitor path. Skipper, however, led the lemurs away and into an unlit back lane so they were able to lose the crowd which now clustered on the main path.
They ended up in front of one of the snow white walls. In one smooth motion Skipper climbed upon its gold-coated top. He impatiently waved at the lemurs to follow him.
"Hurry up! They mustn't see us, especially not Savio!"
Maurice looked down on his king, relieved to see his eyes open and looking back at him.
"It's okay," Julien murmured, shakily getting back on his own feet, "I can do this."
Julien tried to climb atop the wall as lithely and quickly as he would've done if he was well. But he wasn't; his first attempt to get up ended with him back on the ground, gasping for breath, barely able to get up again.
There was no time for this.
Without asking for his permission, Maurice lifted Julien on his back again and started climbing the wall, carrying his king. He pulled himself and Julien up with all his strength but the wall was at least nine feet high. Exhaustion burned inside every bone of his body and threatened to rip the last breath from his lungs.
"Come on, lemurs, come on…!"
The penguin leader reached down a flipper for them. Maurice grabbed for it with the last of his strength and Skipper pulled them up.
He balanced on the top of the wall for a moment before leaping off the other side in a somersault, rolled over as he landed and then immediately jumped back to his webbed feet.
Maurice ground his teeth on facing the height; he silently prayed to the Sky Spirits for a smooth landing and then hopped after him.
The heavy impact yanked him down; his legs crumpled under Julien's additional weight, and then he fell – luckily in a way Julien wouldn't get hurt.
"Get on your feet," Skipper ordered, not leaving Maurice more than a second to catch his breath. They sprinted out into the street. Skipper was beside him, every movement cool and controlled. Having him around was reassuring. And the Hoboken Zoo was behind them.
Could it be they'd actually made it –?
Then, all of a sudden, the penguin leader noticed a familiar sound that was beginning to be heard in close vicinity – the engine noise of Vroom-Vroom.
But Rico is –.
"You won't get away that easily," a voice called to them.
Headlights stabbed the dark and hit their faces, making them look even paler than they already were. A motor whined into motion: Vroom-Vroom came moving towards them from one of the parking lots. Behind a bright wash of white light they recognized the slender silhouette of a lemur.
Maurice and Julien leapt behind Skipper's back, waves of fear assailing them.
"You mad fool!"
Skipper clenched his flippers tightly together when he recognized Clemson behind the wheel. He must have seen through their plan to escape in the meantime, then stolen their car and just waited for them to arrive so he could stop them now.
And there they were, after all, face to face with the enemy.
"Listen up, mad lemur, I might not be king of any zoo but if there's one thing I cannot stand, it's a bully," the leader growled at him, "If one animal makes it his business to infringe on the freedom of others, I make it my business to take that punk down!"
"Bring it on then, Skipper," Clemson challenged, rubbing his paws together, "Or, should I call you Mr. Douglas? – Oh, I'd never thought revenge can taste so sweet!"
"What are you talking about revenge?!" Skipper scolded, "If there's anyone who deserves to take revenge here, it's Ringtail!"
"Is that so? Think again!" The red lemur clenched his paws into fists. "Everything I did to him was what I did to receive compensation for you sending me off to Hoboken the first time I'd come to your zoo. If you hadn't forced me to come here, I would've never been locked away by Ms. Alberta for so long in this dark place, starving and with no daylight for months…"
His voice trailed off a little at this thought, and for a very short moment something flickered in his eyes, as if his own memories were scaring him but he just managed to catch himself. "But after all, I'm almost grateful things turned out like this," he continued, "In my lonely misery I had time to study and understand how the ones we'd been replaced by were working. It sure was a long and tedious time of studying which I continued after you'd chased me away from your zoo the second time. But eventually, as soon as I'd fully figured out how to control them, it offered me the chance for revenge I've always wished for! You've already had the chance to behold my creation… well, re-mastered second version of android doubles, to be honest."
"Ha, I bet without Kowalski's help these things would still be nothing but piles of loose screws!" Skipper huffed, "I knew this was the only reason why you suddenly were all into his nerdy stuff when you came to visit us that one time."
With a triumphant grin Clemson mimicked his own cool, smart self he had faked at their previous meeting. "Egad, old chap. Please express my heartfelt thanks to our highly esteemed colleague. It is very fortunate to me that he possessed the ability to improve my invention with the utmost of functionality."
He laughed at Skipper's angry face.
"You wouldn't have guessed that about me back then, would you."
The leader rolled his eyes. He had to admit that this wasn't the self-absorbed but totally inexperienced lemur he'd seen last, who was all empty talk and almost no action. He had indeed learned to do much more than wave a crowbar around, talk his evil plans out loudly to himself, and boast with an ever so maniacal laughter which actually sounded nothing but bizarre and revealed complete insecurity.
"Well, I have to say you definitely learned one or two things since I saw you last. But it seems that in return you've unfortunately lost your mind. I mean, if you ever had one."
Clemson completely ignored this remark; his eyes were brimming with pride.
"These androids are the perfect creation; I can't thank Ms. Alberta enough for them. Reviving her army was the best thing I've ever done. They're a miracle. They made so many good things happen for me, all for me! Now I can finally say what I've always wanted, do what I never could… I can remove anyone in my way. They're my greatest invention. They're bringing me what I've always craved for… power beyond my wildest dreams. Hoboken is only the beginning. Soon I'll be king not only of this zoo but of many others as well… Animals in the whole world will bow to me!"
He raised his paws up high, his eyes glistening with delusion of his own grandeur.
"I've really outdone myself this time! It was amazing. It was fantastic. It was me. Ha, ha, ha! – Yikes! Where did that laughter come from?"
He flinched at the sound of his own voice and then looked around himself, startled.
"It's your own, you nutcase," Skipper snarled, "And about your androids: while you're busy praising yourself here, one of my men, my demolition expert, is about to finish your 'perfect creation' right off."
Clemson clutched the steering wheel, gritting his teeth. "It's them who are going to finish him off," he growled, "And even if they don't, I will – as soon I'm done with you here!"
With these words he floored the gas pedal.
The penguin car dashed towards them with squealing tires.
"Move!"
Skipper rushed upon the two lemurs and pulled them out of danger so hard all three of them stumbled and fell. In the time they needed to get back on their feet Clemson turned the car around and tried anew to run them over. They escaped again. And again.
A few more times, barely.
After all, they ended up with one of the zoo walls in their backs.
Maurice and Julien ducked behind Skipper's back, carefully peeking over his shoulder at their adversary. With his flippers reached out to shelter them, the leading penguin stood facing the headlights of the car without a spark of fear in his features.
Clemson's maniacal laughter echoed through the night and sent shivers down Julien's spine as the red lemur cast one final look upon him.
"What a waste, my lovely Lemur Lord," he snickered, "You were so damn beautiful. Too bad you're so spoiled."
Julien turned away with a whimper.
"How dare you speak to him like that," Maurice shouted back at the red lemur, "How dare you treat him like you did! He's your king! And you treat him like some pleasure slave!"
Clemson just shrugged. "Suits him well."
"Crazy lemur, do you actually have the slightest idea of what you've done?" Skipper added, trying to stall for time in order to cover up their disadvantage, "You're completely ruining his life!"
"Well, I don't give a damn. I just make sure I get what I want: to become king at last."
"So these 'royal meetings' – calling this into existence was a part of your plan, too?"
"No, that was Savio's idea. Actually he only wanted to see if anyone in the zoos around is richer than him. – But I used it to my advantage," the red lemur chuckled, "What else could've been a better opportunity to lure the loveliest of all lemurs into a place like this?"
"But why on earth did you have to drag Julien into all that?!" Maurice yelled at him, "Why couldn't you just go ahead and act out your paranoid fantasies with your biomechanical buddies without bothering him?!"
Silence ensued.
Clemson flashed a broad grin at them.
"For the pure fun of it," he said, shrugging again.
Then he threw his head back and burst out laughing. "Oh, lovely vengeance! – Of course I would've marched into your zoo some time anyways. But I just wanted to see how long I could get sweet, sweet Julien to believe I wouldn't if he sacrificed himself…"
His laughter spread through the dark, strangely high and clear, while his opponents stood smitten with dismay about such cold-bloodedness. Julien had covered his face with his tail. He was weeping softly, silently to himself.
"You'll pay for this!" Maurice looked ready to jump on the pink hood, pull Clemson out of the car and give him the worst beating he'd ever had but Skipper held him back.
Clemson watched this with amusement.
"Uh-uh, you better don't try this, Maurice," he teased, "You're never going to win."
The engine burst into life as the pink car rushed towards them again. The smell of burned rubber filled the street.
"Evasive!" Skipper yelled.
They ran straight along the wall and then split up and fled in three different directions.
Clemson turned the car after Julien first.
The lemur king tried to get away but after three giant leaps his legs faltered him. He stumbled and fell, ending up right in Clemson's way.
"No," Maurice yelled, "No!"
Skipper didn't hesitate to risk everything.
He crossed Clemson's way belly-sliding and, in passing, pulled up a manhole cover from the lane. His plan worked out: as the red lemur drove over it, Vroom-Vroom's right front wheel hit the hole and bounced out. He heard Clemson cry out in fright as the car began veering. In the blink of an eye, it drifted to the right – missing Julien only by inches.
Maurice would've sobbed with relief if he hadn't been forced to numb all emotion and concentrate on surviving. He hurried to get Julien off the road.
Clemson, unfortunately, had quickly regained control and the brave maneuver left the penguin leader now exposed to a new attack: Skipper gave a loud cry as he was hit by Vroom-Vroom's fender. The impact pulled him off his feet and tossed him against the zoo wall. His head and shoulders collided; bolts of pain shot down his back.
"Skipper!"
Maurice was ready to rush to his side and pick him up, too, but the penguin leader braced himself and shook his head, signaling him not to care about him but to run for his own shelter instead.
"Take cover! Move, move, move!"
They could run but not hide.
They may be able to dodge him for some time but in the end Clemson would always be faster. As long as they were stuck on the road, they were bound to their doom.
They bolted out of his way, running and belly-sliding blindly into the darkness, Maurice disastrously slowed down as he carried Julien all the way, with the devil hot on their heels – and finally, after a relentless pursuit, ended up cornered between two of the white walls meeting in a square angle and a truck parked closely to them. They were caught in a dead end, nothing but a short lane between them and Clemson.
"Time to meet your maker," the red lemur announced with a smug grin, "Now I'll crush you!"
Skipper hastily looked up – he could have well leapt up there on his own but definitely not helped the two lemurs up in time. So he stayed back down and stepped in front of them again in a protective gesture. He wasn't scared, not even now.
He barely ever was.
Even though he would now be the one who was hit first, for some reason he undeniably seemed to be the last one to go under. He stood straight and strong, leaving no doubt that in this fight he'd come out on top, although the situation seemed precisely the opposite.
"So this is how it ends –!" Maurice and Julien held on to each other closing their eyes.
"It's not." Skipper blinked as the pair of headlights stabbed him in the face, his blinded eyes trying to focus on what was going on behind the car –.
"Don't you lose hope just yet!"
– To focus on the familiar figure which had just moved up from the underground out of the manhole he'd opened before –.
The car sped towards him, Clemson's eyes beaming at the prospect of his imminent success.
And then Vroom-Vroom suddenly careened completely out of control.
Something at the car's underbody blew up with a loud bang. Clemson screamed as the car began to fishtail. It almost spun around, uncontrollably swinging into the lane to the left, then like a ping-pong ball back to the right again, back and forth, several times over as if trapped on a sheet of ice. Clemson's paws were tightly gripped on the steering wheel and he didn't let go as he kept crazily looping from left to right, helplessly trying to regain control but nothing seemed to work.
Smitten with amazement, Skipper watched how only a few feet away from him the car veered sharply and then, at full speed, crashed right into the wall. Vroom-Vroom smashed on its right side and started to roll frantically on the road. Many bits and pieces flew off its bodywork and into the air as it overturned.
Then, after having landed on the roof, it finally came to rest.
Out of nowhere a lit stick of dynamite flew through the air and right through the cracked the rear window into the car, delivering its driver the final blow.
The spectacular result was a huge explosion, followed by a crazy, blood-curdling laughter. Huge and terrifying, clenched flippers raised up high, the silhouette of a penguin emerged from the smoking debris –.
"Well done, Rico." Smiling, Skipper stepped towards the one who had saved their butts for the second time today. "Guess that's it for this case."
Rico nodded, the bloodthirsty expression in his eyes immediately softening and turning into a happy smile when Skipper patted his Mohawk.
To the rogue penguin there was nothing special about beating Clemson like this.
He just loved his car.
And disliked anyone who hot-wired it and tried to carry out delirious plans with it.
The two brothers turned to look at the enemy. Clemson lay injured in the wreckage of the crashed car, bruised and battered by metal shards, his tangerine fur tangled and sooty and stained with blood and oil. He barely moved. His eyes opened to slits and flickered anxiously upon Skipper as the penguin bowed over him to feel his pulse. Every trace of pride and excessive self-confidence was gone; nothing but deep fear was left in his features.
Rico put his bazooka right between the red lemur's eyes and looked at his leader.
"Fire?"
Skipper hesitated. Then he shook his head no.
He bowed over Clemson again as if to feel his pulse once more.
"Listen up, dirty mammal, you can thank me for letting you live this time," he whispered into the red lemur's ear, his tone very dark and his eyes fierce, "But you bet I'll kill you outright, if you dare lay your dirty paws on one of my friends ever again. My soldier here has plenty of dynamite left, and if I ever catch you even thinking about doing such a thing again, he'll blow every single bone in your body into a million pieces, this I swear you!"
- Barely conscious, Clemson confirmed his capitulation by giving a soft sound racked with pain.
"Fine." Skipper got up and turned away.
"Let's move out of this miserable place."