The kitchen was chilly but that did a job waking the boys up more and slowly bringing Kowalski back to his waking senses. His mind had been well and truly cleared and now he sat munching on some sashimi Blowhole had laid out for them. The shakes in Kowalski's flippers subsided and he slowly began to feel more tired as time went on.

The clock struck midnight, not that it made a sound as Kowalski glanced over to it every now and again. But now his mind was cleared he could talk to Blowhole like the penguin he was and not an infant.

"Did Red One tell you? I didn't see you after that."

Blowhole looked down and clasped his cup of tea tightly. He hadn't wanted to think about that anymore. But he had several constant reminders, that being his darkening skin, his horns and his blackened eye.

Blowhole nodded before he said anything more.

"Yes, he told me. I nearly lost it. I felt something change inside me at that moment. I wanted nothing more than to kill him. To grab him with my teeth and tear him apart limb from limb... that's why I didn't. I can't become the monster he says I am."

Kowalski looked up with wide eyes.

"So, what happened to him? To you?"

Blowhole shrugged.

"I told him to get lost, but in a much more vulgar way. As for me, I went down to the lowest level of the lair. I have an indoor pool there."

Kowalski nodded.

"Did Doris manage to cheer you up?"

Blowhole smiled. It was a warm smile as he looked down into his cup.

"She always does."

Kowalski nodded again, feeling a slight pang of awkwardness in the silence. He couldn't put his flipper directly on why he felt awkward. Perhaps it was because Doris was Blowhole's sister. It was always supposed to be awkward talking to your girlfriend's brother about her, given how drastically different their relationships are to her.

There was nothing else Kowalski really wanted to say. They were both vulnerable and tired, a little down in the dumps with problems hanging over their heads. Perhaps some gossip would cheer the pair up?

"So... what happened with Jay?" Kowalski asked cautiously.

Upon hearing the name, Blowhole scowled and squeezed his eye closed before sighing and relaxing again.

"She told you about that?"

"I overheard you both talking. She mentioned someone named Jay. Who is Jay?"

Blowhole let go of his cup and leaned back in his chair. Behaviour he exhibited when he was already done with the conversation before it had a chance to really begin.

"Just another guy she couldn't commit to."

"And how were you involved? She compared that situation to us. Is that why she's so mad at both of us?"

Blowhole nodded.

"She acts like it was me who actively chased him down and stole him away from her. But in reality he was begging me for sustenance that Doris couldn't provide."

Kowalski cocked a brow. The way Blowhole spoke sounded like he should have known what happened and that perhaps it was something Doris should have told him before.

"So... what happened?"

"He cheated on her with me."

Kowalski paused and an awkward silence consumed the both of them. Doris definitely hadn't mentioned this before and now Kowalski could see why. He couldn't imagine how hurt she must have been to discover her brother betraying her with her own boyfriend.

"...Out of everything you could have said, that is the last thing I expected to hear."

"Villains don't have private love lives, huh?" Blowhole said with a smirk.

But when he received nothing more than a blank stare back from Kowalski he lowered his head in a more remorseful manner.

"In my defence, I was under the impression they were over. And anyway, it wasn't even that enjoyable."

Kowalski still didn't know what he should have done or said in that moment.

"I didn't know... She never told me about that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Kowalski."

Wasn't that a statement and a half? Kowalski nodded and set a thoughtful gaze across Blowhole.

"Well, can I know more about you?" He asked.

"Depends on what you want to know," Blowhole said sitting up and picking up his cup once again.

"Small things first. What's your favourite colour?"

"Mint green."

"Most embarrassing memory?"

Blowhole was suddenly taken aback. That had escalated quickly. He chuckled and looked to the ceiling as he dug into his memories.

"That's going a little deep," he chuckled. "Alright, uhh... I have a nick in my tongue. When I was young, barely a calf, I thought I could take down this tasty looking octopus. I was wrong, very wrong. It bit a chunk of my tongue off trying to get me to let it go. Couldn't hunt my own food for weeks after that cause it hurt too bad. And it's safe to say Doris found it amusing."

Kowalski laughed to the dolphin's misfortune.

"Not as smart as you like to think you are?"

"Hey, I was a kid."

There was another moment of blissfully ignorant laughter before Kowalski looked over Blowhole again. He hadn't made an effort to avoid looking at Blowhole's changing body, but his eyes couldn't help wandering over Blowhole's head, between his horns and his black eye. Blowhole could see Kowalski's eyes jerking around and frowned upon realising what he was staring at.

"What are you going to do when all of this is over?" Kowalski suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?"

"When this virus nightmare is over."

"You mean if," Blowhole said without thinking.

But Kowalski kept staring expectantly.

"I'd rather not think about it right now. Things will be just as bad after as they are now," Blowhole complained.

"How so?"

"Look at me. I'm not a dolphin anymore. I won't be able to leave the lair or swim in the ocean for fear of some human catching sight of me. They'll hunt me down. It'll be worse than SeaVille. And I can't take over the world. Not looking like this."

"We can reverse the changes."

Blowhole grit his teeth and shook his head. He would do anything to be able to go back in time and smack himself around the head and tell himself not to be so stupid.

"We can probably get my skin to change colour again but I can't un-grow horns. What if I start growing more limbs?" He exclaimed.

"I'll find a way," Kowalski said, as calm as ever as he looked into Blowhole's eye.

But Blowhole was already angered. Already back at loathing himself.

"Why would you want to? Why not just let me perish? You owe me nothing."

"I owe Doris. I promised her and I promised you. As the good guy, I never take back my word."

"And as the bad guy, Skipper will have you dragged 1,000 miles away from me when this is over. We will engage in senseless battle at my next scheme to rid the world from the humans."

"It doesn't have to be that way," Kowalski said standing up.

"Why doesn't it?" Blowhole said leaning down.

"You can make a change. Instead of using this hatred to fuel your red blinded revenges, use it to better yourself. Better the world. Think of those hundreds of dolphins stuck in captivity just as you were. How helpless and mistreated they are."

"Kowalski, you're just adding wood to the fire." Blowhole balled his flippers into fists.

"Listen. Instead of attacking the humans, free the dolphins. Become their hero and not the human's villain."

Blowhole was stunned silent. There was a sharp pain of lingering shame in the back of head. That had been one of his plans before, to free the cetaceans of SeaVille and dismantle the business. But he was too selfish to go through with it. The only important person was himself, but things got lonely by himself.

"Oh, Kowalski," he sighed. "I've royally messed everything in my life up."

Kowalski gave a tender smile and waddled closer to Blowhole, putting his flippers over Blowhole's tightly closed fist.

"And we will fix it. Alright?"

"Alright."