October 17th 2017

07:00 hours (7:00 A.M Eastern Standard Time)

Central Park Zoo

(Skipper's POV)

We stood in the receiving warehouse of the zoo in front of a newly arrived crate.

"It seems we have another new arrival," Kowalski said.

"Give me good news and bad news Kowalski!" I said.

"The good News is…it's not another transfer from Hoboken…"

"Good we don't need any more of those," I said.

"Not all the animals in Hoboken are bad," Private said.

"Clemson," I said.

"Okay he was evil…" Private said.

"Hans!" I said.

"Yeah…I'll give you that one," Private said.

"Savio!"

"Okay he was bad…"

"Barry!"

"But we changed him for the better!" Private said.

"Rhonda!"

"Okay she's evil…"

"Lulu! Okay that's an exception," I said, "everyone but Lulu is evil at Hoboken!"

"Now the bad news!" I said, "where is this crate from? Denmark? The Chinstrap sisters? Rockgut? Blowhole?"

"Worst," Kowalski said, "Madagascar…"

"Seriously?" I said, "what are we looking at? Snake? Fossa? Crocodile? Kangaroo rat?"

Kowalski pulled out a tape measure and measured the crate, "Um based on the crate dimensions it can't possible be a crocodile," Kowalski replied.

"Like that narrows it down!" I shouted.

"It also not long enough to be a snake crate," Kowalski said, "So either Fossa or a lemur."

"Rico! Let's crack this case open!" I shouted.

Rico hacked up a crowbar and opened the crate we looked inside and gasped, "Not another one!" I shouted.

Suddenly we heard footprints outside of the warehouse, "Scatter! Hide!" I shouted.

We all quickly hid ourselves as the door open. Head Zookeeper Alice and Zookeeper Maurice entered with Dr. Deranged.

"Okay," Deranged said, "Let's get our new arrival into the lemur habitat."

"She finally arrived," Alice said, "the female crowned lemur we're been waiting for."

Alice than noticed the open crate "who left this open…the people here are idiots."

Alice grabbed a nailgun and resealed the crate and loaded it onto a cart "okay," Alice said, "time to get you in your new home."

"We're in observation mode now," I said.

We silently followed Alice as she made her way to the lemur habitat. We sneak back into our habitat just as Alice reached it.

"Smile and wave boys," I said as we smiled and waved.

Alice passed us and made the "I'm watching you" gesture with her hands.

I Involuntarily shudder as the enigma wrapped in a mystery and dunked in nasty sauce went past. I pulled out my binoculars and trained them on the lemur habitat as Alice gently places the crate on the ground. Julien, Maurice and Mort rushed from the top of the bridge. The zoo had just expanded the lemur habitat and the S.S Act III now sits in a shallow body of water next to a fake beach and a forest of potted palm-trees and a fake Baobab tree. The plastic volcano was now larger and more realistic looking complete with "lava" and pyrotechnics that go off every two hours. It's all part of Commissioners Vesuvius's "habitat improvement" plan. Julien, Maurice, and Mort were still by the crate as we arrived.

"Well?" I said, "are you going to welcome your new subject or not?"

"Oh hello Silly Penguins," Julien said, "we were just going to open it now."

"What if you don't like this lemur?" Private asked.

"Oh come on?" Julien said, "it not like there going to transfer in a lemur as bad as Clemson…"

"He was evil!" Mort shouted.

"Plus everyone loves me!" Julien said, "especially if their straight from Madagascar…I wonder if it's someone I know…Willie? Horst? Ted and Dorothy? Pancho? Rob McTodd…oh shipping himself to a zoo…that is so Rob! "

"Can we just crack this crate open already please?" Maurice said.

"Fine whatever!" Julien shouted.

"It better not be Todd," Mort muttered.

Rico provided Maurice with a crowbar, "Um…thank you," Maurice said as he struggled to open the crate.

"How well did they secure this thing?" Maurice said.

Rico and Kowalski joined in to help Maurice but the side wouldn't bulge.

"Come on!" I shouted, "Put your backs into it!"

"I'll open it King Julien!" Mort shouted as he ran face first into the box.

"I'm Okay!" Mort said as he passed out.

"Come on this is no way to welcome a citizen of Madagascar," Julien said, "Get him or her out of there already!"

"I'm trying!" Maurice said, "but the humans sealed this box up tight! I thought opening crates was the zookeeper's job!"

Suddenly there was a loud boom followed by a loud "hiyahhhh!" as the lemur inside kicked her way out.

"King Julien we have a very serious security situation!" she shouted.

"C-c-clover!?" Julien said.

"That's how you greet me after all this time?" she said, "C-c-clover!?"

"Oh hi Clover!" Mort said.

"Oh yeah! It's nice to see you again Clover," Julien said, "How's my B-dubs sage?"

"B-dubs…" Kowalski said.

"Body Double…" Maurice said, "Don't ask…just don't."

"I'm not here to catch up," Clover said, "we have more important issues to deal with."

"Oh right," Julien said, "the very serious security situation…which is what exactly."

"It your evil nemesis Karl!" Maurice, Julien, and Mort gasped in shock.

"Wait…you have a nemesis?" Kowalski asked.

"The King has had many enemies over the years," she replied, "Karl, Magic Steve, his uncle, my sister crimson, Koto…"

"Magic Steve?" Julien said, "Don't you mean soy sauce?"

Clover stared at Julien like the idiot he was, "Okay fine he's name is not soy-sauce it's MAGIC Steve." I don't even want to know.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" I shouted, "what the heck is going on here? Who is she!"

"Clover," She replied, "Special Ops Specialist, Commander (retired), former royal advisor, former royal bodyguard, and Queen of The Mountain Lemur Kingdom."

"A military lemur…and Special Ops Specialist…and commander?" I said, "I'm impressed."

"And you are?" Clover said.

"I'm Skipper," I replied, "leader of an elite unit know simply as…Team Penguin."

"There's my trusted second in command and tactical expert," I said.

"Lieutenant Kowalski at your service Ma'am," Kowalski replied.

"Here is a man of few words and our weapons expert quartermaster Rico!"

"Yup!" Rico replied.

"Lance Corporal Private reporting for duty," Private replied.

"And he's our secret weapon and the most valued and meaningful member of this team…in addition to our secretary/mascot," Kowalski said

"We are currently on the mission of protecting this zoo and everyone in it…including Julien," I said.

"Now down to business," Clover said, "King Julien authorization to destroy Karl?"

"But he retired to Florida with that creepy cockroach," Julien said.

"I'm afraid that crafty Fanaloka finally got his airship up and running," Clover replied.

"Airship!?" I shouted.

"But how," Julien asked, "that place was a wreak!"

"Before I got myself captured by humans and shipped here," Clover said, "I saw some dolphin directing lobsters who were working on the airship…"

"Dolphin? And Lobsters! That could only mean one thing…" I said, "Blowhole!"

"Blowhole!? He will pay for…wait…who's Blowhole?"

"My Arch Nemesis Dr. Francis Blowhole," I said, "He wants to take revenge on the humans…and revenge on us for…foiling his revenges. He always has the ultimate goal of ruling land and sea. But don't worry we always be there to stop him."

"Come on skipper a dolphin can't be Blowhole just because he has lobsters," Kowalski said.

I turned to Clover, "was he on a scooter?"

"Yes," Clover replied.

"Did he have a scar and a bionic eye?"

"Yes"

"Did he refer to one of the lobsters as Red One?"

"Yes"

"I rest my case," I said.

"Oh…" Kowalski said.

"But why would Blowjoe work with Karl," Julien said.

"To destroy us all!" Kowalski said, "Lemurs and Penguins alike."

"Oooh…the ultimate villain teamup," Clover said, "I've been waiting for this moment my entire life!"

"What are we doing standing around then," I said, "Kowalski Options."

"Secure Julien in the Hanger," Kowalski replied.

"Move out!" I said, "let's prepare a warm New York Welcome for this Karl."

Rico laughed like a maniac. Clover looked at Rico with concern.

"He's always like that," Private said, "It's normal…or at least Rico normal."

"Don't worry Clover," I said, "He's our world class psychopath."

"That is not reassuring at all," Clover said.

"We keep him in check," Kowalski said.

Rico hacked up a stick of dynamite and said, "Ka-boom?"

"Maybe," I said, "we'll see how this plays out."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Maurice said as the seven of us headed for the lemur habitat.

(end of chapter one)