Dark Days

Chapter 21

In the last chapter, Jet Pack Guy was confronted by Rico. They argued until Rico finally waddled off, wondering if this was the real Jet Pack Guy. At the Dance Club, they found Cadence who was fine. Rico suggested she stayed with his friend and colleague, Snow. She agreed and they took her to his igloo. Later that night, things didn't go as planned. Snow had fallen asleep and awoke to a loud noise. He completely forgot about Cadence and went outside to see what it was. When it finally dawned on him, it was far too late and Cadence was already gone.

"I came up here and she was gone – just gone!" Snow said to Rico.

PSA Squad No. 1 had finally arrived on the scene as well as some other officials.

Rico searched the room high and low as the others waited downstairs searching as well. Rico was frustrated. The one he trusted most was now also in the line of fire.

"What did you hear?" Rico asked.

"I heard something that sounded like a tree snapping." Snow said as Rico eagerly paced the room, opening drawers and closets as he went.

Rico stopped at looked at Snow. "This had to be this new 'EPF', and if it was Frost, he left a clue," Rico said, angrily.

"What?" Snow asked. "Where? It happened so fast that it he coul–"

"You'd be surprised." Rico said, angered. "He can do it in a flash…" he grabbed a drawer and ripped it open. His eyes lit up when he saw blood in it.

Snow caught his expression. "What is it?"

"I've got good news and bad news," Rico said. "The good news is that I found the clue," he gulped. "Get Icetail up here."

"What's the bad news?"

"It's easier to see than explain," Rico said. "Get her up here. NOW."

"No, no, this isn't." Icetail was upset, mad, and confused.

"It has to be," Rico said. "How else would he have made it like that?"

Rico had found blood in the drawer. It wasn't ordinary, however. The blood made a snowflake shape, which Frost had on his newly introduced suit. Rico had assumed it was Cadence's. Icetail, being her sister, did not want to believe it.

"You're suggesting he did something evil to her and put her blood in the drawer?" Icetail asked, shocked.

"It is something he'd do!" Rico said. He was trying to remain calm and reassure her but he wasn't helping as he was just proving his point and not hers.

"He's getting way too personal," Icetail said, getting angry.

"He's doing what he can to get us to surrender!" Rico was also angry.

"I know," Icetail said. "When I get a hold of him, he'll be gone in an instant!"

"We're all going to take a whack at him for all I fishing care," Rico said, angry (did I mention he's angry?).

They both headed back downstairs with Icetail shaking her head in anger and shock.

"Alright, squad, here's the deal," Rico said. "Cadence is gone. We're going to find her. But until then, we need to focus on what's important – stopping this 'EPF'."

"And Cadence isn't important?" asked Icetail.

"She's just as important," Emrys stated. "Look at us! There are several of us! So many of us! We can do more than one thing at a time!"

"And look at them!" stated Pizza Chef. "They've got goons that can carry more ground in a minute than a snail tied to a rocket!"

"You've got a point," replied Alexia. "We're going to need more penguins,"

"More penguins? Where are we going to get more penguins?" asked Agent M. "The EPF and the PSA are both offline and aren't accepting any agents, and shockily in the island's time of need!"

"We don't need trained agents," Rico said. "We need penguins. Going in to the EPF, I told myself I'd never underestimate the power of any penguin. We've all got talents,"

"Indeed we do," Bellykid said. "But some can't do what others can."

"Sure some of us are strong," Rico said. "And sure some of us aren't…" he paused. "I.E. me," he mumbled under his breath. "But we've all got something that distinguishes us from others. And that's why we're all here!"

Suddenly, a call came in through Jay's radio.

"ALERT. THE ISLAND LEGISLATIVE BUILDING IS UNDER ATTACK. THIS ISN'T A DRILL. ALL AGENTS ON ALERT – GET DOWN THERE NOW!"

"The Island Legislative Building?" asked Jamoy. "Isn't that where they –"

Rico tuned her and the others out as he was already starting to fear what was going on there. Not only would there be goons with guns and all that – but there would be the Killer. The fact that the Killer would be there was indeed dangerous itself. But what he was doing, which Rico was fearing (he already knew), was even more dangerous.

"EVERYONE DOWN THERE. NOW." Rico shouted as he headed for the door.

"What?" asked Icetail. "That quick?"

"All of you! Now!" Rico shouted again as he turned back. "There isn't much time left!"

They all stood outside of the Island Legislative Building, which was actually an igloo. It was where all of the island's laws where made and when instances happened where the mayor died, they chose the new mayor.

"When are we going in?" asked Dalekcaan.

Rico drew his gun as the others did the same. "All of you – remain silent,"

"I guess we're goin' in now?" asked Liana.

"I'll take that as a yes," Lake Blue said.

They slowly approached the door with Rico in front. If there was one to die first, it'd be him.

"When we get in there, I want you to see what is going on. If there are any goons, kill them. If there are any main enemies, kill them. Don't kill the innocent penguins," Rico said. They nodded and he turned back to the doors. He kicked open the door where he found goons were everywhere.

Goons were hopping around, jumping about, and shooting things at random. Members of the Island Legislative group were being practically tortured.

"WHERE IS HE?" yelled Rico as goons came towards him.

The squad spread about, kicking goons and everything. They were able to take down 95% of the ones they encountered.

Rico was shooting some and killing them when he spotted it. He saw it out of the corner of his eye. He could see that upstairs, Frost was in a room up there. Rico kicked a goon and started running.

"SOME OF YOU FOLLOW ME. OTHERS STAY BACK. NOW!" he yelled as he headed for the stairs.

Emrys, Bellykid, Lake Blue, and Icetail followed Rico. They raced up three flights of stairs, trying to fight off goons as they went.

They finally reached the top of the stairs. They watched Frost slam the door shut to the room he was in.

"HURRY!" Rico shouted. They ran for the door and tried to open it.
It wouldn't budge. Clearly it was locked.

Rico tried to kick it open. Whoever made these doors thought well enough to glue them shut.

"It won't budge," Rico said.

"There's gotta be another way in!" Bellykid said as the chandelier fell off the ceiling and crashed downstairs.

Rico looked up and saw an air duct.

"Up there," he shouted. "Right there," he pointed.

They all looked up and saw it.

"You're gonna climb in there?!" asked Icetail.

"If there's any of us to do it," Rico said. "It's me!" he was referring to the fact that he was the skinniest penguin in the universe.

Icetail grabbed Rico and he got on her shoulders. He looked at the air duct.

"Y'need a wrench?" asked Lake Blue.

"No, the bolts are loose." He said, shocked by this. He ripped off the cover and went in. It was wider than it looked and definitely could've fit another penguin in here. But he was the one for the job, apparently.

He climbed through and kept going. The others eagerly awaited his return.

After some time, the other agents downstairs came upstairs and met the others.

"What's going on?" asked Jay.

"Frost is in the next room!" Lake Blue said. "Rico is up in the air ducts trying to get in to there,"

"I'm goin' in there," Icetail said, impatient. She climbed onto Bellykid's shoulders.

"We're all going in," Candence said. "It's the only thing possible. He can't possibly defend just himself. Who knows who else is in there?"

They all climbed into there, with Dalekcaan and Emrys being the last to go in (by using a ladder).

Inside, they followed the duct to find their way into the room. Unfortunately, they all ended up falling thirty feet onto the snow – outside.

"What?" asked Jamoy, rubbing her head.

"Rico!" shouted Candence, seeing Rico.

"The air duct doesn't go farther than this," Rico said, extremely angry. He got up and pounded the sides of the igloo in anger. "He removed the bolts before we got there. He intended it to be that way. He purposely wanted me to go that way. He knew I'd try. I can't believe I fell for it!"

"That's not gonna help!" shouted Henry.

"Henry – you're the expert! How do we get in there?!" Pizza Chef shouted.

"There's no time left," Rico admitted. "We're done."

"What are you talking about?" asked Icetail.

Rico pointed to the TV on the front of the igloo were the Killer was on-screen, making an announcement – one that was about to change Club Penguin forever.