Disclaimer: Penguins of Madagascar and all related characters are the property of Nickelodeon and DreamWorks productions. This story id written for the purpose of creativity and having fun. No money is being made from it's creation or posting.

Paternity Pursuit

Chapter 3

By

Wildgoose

(The scene opens two nights later, the animals have become increasingly restless ever since the change in the overnight staff. Joey the kangaroo is presenting the most obvious example of this by shouting his protests at the zookeeper every time he brings food and is sometimes even is so bold as to charge the gate as the zookeeper retreats behind it just to make himself clear. The chimps are the least obvious of all the animals as they simply fling poop which is normally what they do anyway, ….although once in a while when the new zookeeper is turned around after leaving their food, Phil will flip him off multiple times in multiple sign languages. (use your imagination.)

Zookeeper: (On the phone with Alice.) I don't know what it is, …but the animals are getting pretty antsy, ….and the kangaroo is getting downright hostile. (pause as he listens to Alice on the other end.) An animal can miss somebody that much? Okay, if you say so. (Hangs up the phone.) Kill them with kindness, …yea right. That's if they don't kill me first. (Shakes his head in disgust as he heads out of the office to continue with his duties.)

(The scene snaps to the other end of the zoo inside the chimp habitat)

Mason: I tell you old bean, I just don't know how much more poo we can fling at this fellow. He simply doesn't seem to get the message. Unfortunately we may just have to tough this thing out until our regular zookeeper gets back.

Phil: (sign) What if he doesn't come back?

Mason: Bite your tongue with such talk, I'm sure it would take more than just a conk on the old noggin to make him leave us.

Phil: (sign) He was hurt pretty bad, …what if he's dead?

Mason: Then Phil old chum, …we're just going to have to kill those lemur's for starting that blasted fire in the first place. We all know they snuck into the wrong building trying to find popcorn, that idiot Julian probably broke something flammable trying to find it. (defecates in his hand and flings it as hard as he can toward the lemur habitat.) Blasted lemurs, if not for you I'd still have extra banana rations. And blast it all, I want to be able to take a walk once in a while.

Phil: (sign) I hate to say it but what we need to do is find the penguins, they'd have handled this by now.

Mason: Don't let them hear you say that old chum, …they think they're the best at everything as it is. (Phil nods in agreement.)

(Snap over to Doris the Dolphin's aquarium exhibit. She is seen plashing the nearby surveillance camera from time to time giving it a good soaking to express her discontent.)

Doris: (Using her beak to fling some of her food toward the camera) What is this dollar store fish bait? A starving crab wouldn't touch this stuff. I want FISH, …real fish, the kind that swims in the ocean, the kind that was once alive. NOT this processed crap that just looks like a fish. Explain it to me over here, ..how much money could the zoo possibly save by doing this to me? ( Grumbles) Where are those penguins when you actually need them? (grumbles some more) I miss my Kowalski. (submerges and swims to the other side of the tank.)

(The scene cuts to New York's JFK airport. Behind the scenes of the airport baggage handlers, and all manner of airport employees are hard at work making sure everything stays together and stays on time to the best of their ability The scene moves in towards the machinery right behind the baggage terminal, conveyors are taking bags and packages in all different directions to get them to their destinations. Move in closer toward a conveyor that is being used to unload baggage from an aircraft and bring it into the terminal, suddenly four penguins and an otter are seen moving about between the bags toward a baggage handler who is checking the tags on the baggage as it passes by to make sure that everything is going where it needs to go. Without warning he is hit at the base of the neck by a flipper rendering him unconscious on the floor.)

Skipper: (as the remainder of the group jumps off of the conveyor.) Good work Private, he should be out for a while at least. Kowalski update, where do we go from here?

Kowalski: We need to find a computer server access junction and tap into the control tower's main computer to find an aircraft that is preparing to depart to where we need to go.

Skipper: Sounds like a plan, …what direction?

Kowalski: (pulls out a map of the airport and begins to determine their current position.) I believe we are on the south end of the airport terminals, behind gate twenty three. The Tower should be at the east end of the complex overlooking the runways.

Private: With any luck Skipper we could be on our way within a few hours.

Skipper: Excellent, …then our next order of business should be…. (he is interrupted by Marlene sniffing the air deeply.)

Marlene: Food.

Skipper: We're all hungry, Marlene. We'll unpack our food stores once we're wheels up, until then…

Marlene: No, …I smell food. The humans must have a food court nearby, …and I'm hungry. (scowls at Skipper.)

Skipper: Marlene, this is hardly the time to…

Marlene: (quickly approaches Skipper and grabs his chest feathers as she had once before proceeding to extract them one by one.) Allow me to rephrase that Skipper, …WE'RE hungry. (Points to her belly) I need to eat something so they can eat something soon or penguin could end up on the menu. (She stops pulling and grabs a large tuft of chest feathers with both paws and clenches them for the purpose of causing pain.) Understand?

Skipper: (grimaces in pain) I got it, …don't mess with the moody pregnant lady. (pause) You can let go now, Marlene. (Marlene let's go and as she had before uses her paws to tidy Skipper's feathers up. Skipper shakes his head and sighs.) No wonder things take so long when women are involved. Alright people, …I guess it's chow time. Private, dispense our fish stores to the moody pregnant lady while the rest of us retrieve additional sustenance.

Private: Will do, Skipper.

Skipper: (everyone hears Marlene's stomach growl.) And Private, …don't let her eat YOU by mistake. (Private gulps as he turns to look at Marlene who just smirks at him.)

Private: Skipper, wait! (Skipper turns around to face him)

Skipper: What?

Private: Cravings, …pregnant women usually have cravings for something their body is lacking. Maybe there's something specific that she wants or needs.

Skipper: (annoyed) Private?

Marlene: (amused/ semi turned on tone of voice) Private? (Private glances back and forth awkwardly at everybody who are now staring at him with a variety of looks.) I never realized you cared.

Private: (defensively) I saw it on the Discovery Health channel.

Marlene: Now that I think of it Private, you're right.

Skipper: (Points a flipper directly at Marlene) Look, we don't have time to go chasing after an entire menu just because you're pregnant. We didn't cause that headache, some jack off human knocked you up with another otter and then you came crying to us. You're tummy is going to end up endangering this whole operation not to mention just having you along is slowing us down so I'm so sorry that I'm not sensitive to your every need. (turns back and begins to waddle away with the others. ) Let's go find something to eat boys. ( As they disappear from view, Marlene's lips begins to quiver and a few tears begin to roll across the fur on her cheek as she tries to fight them back. A moment later she plops down on her rear end, pulls her tail around and tucks it under her chin and then begins to cry.)

Private: I'm so sorry, Marlene. That was all my fault, I never should have brought it up.

Marlene: (wipes away a few tears.) It's not you, Private. Skipper's right, ….and I'm so frustrated I don't know what to do.

Private: He'll calm down, and I'm willing to bet he'll at least attempt an apology, you'll see. (looks thoughtful) It's strange though.

Marlene: What is?

Private: Skipper, …for a moment I actually thought he was jealous.

Marlene: (looks confused) I think you've lost me, …where was there jealousy in what he said?

Private: I'm not sure, ..it was nothing specific. There was just something between the lines, ..you could hear it. I got the impression that what he was really angry about was that you're having pups from another otter. I know it's weird but, ….that's just what I got from it.

Marlene: Private, …you've got to be the most sensitive male I've ever met. But what you said doesn't even make sense.

Private: (shrugs) That's just what I feel, …that's all. (waddles over to where Rico left the food stores and starts to open a can.)

Marlene: (Mumbles to herself.) Why would Skipper care if my pups are from another otter, …with otters that's just the way it works. (turns to Private) Thanks for looking out for me, private. (He just waves as he fiddles around with the cans trying to get them open.) A penguin jealous that an otter is pregnant from another otter. (smiles and laughs a little, a moment later her smile fades as she continues trying to put two and two together by looking at the matter from another angle.) Skipper, …..jealous that Marlene is pregnant,….. from another PERSON. (Her dumbfounded expression converts to a sly smile after several moments.) Private, …has anyone ever called you a genius?

Private: No, why?

Marlene: Oh, nothing. (continues to smile)

(The scene cuts to the penguins who are currently belly sliding their way through a ventilation duct that they had worked their way into so that they could move about without detection. They come to a halt at a vent grate that is directly behind a chair within a closed sushi shop that is located somewhere within the airport food court.)

Kowalski: This one is closed but we should be able to find plenty of food in their refrigerator.

Skipper: It's perfect, the fewer humans around the better. Rico, see if you can get this grate open.

Rico: (nods and then grunts) Fish! (He regurgitates a a handheld blowtorch and uses it to burn through the screws holding the vent shut. (with a light clang the vent falls open onto the floor.)

Skipper: Excellent, now what about the refrigerator? (Kowalski regurgitates a crowbar and uses it to pry open the fridge. Inside is a penguins paradise of raw fish.)

Rico: (grunts) FISH!

Kowalski: Eureka, We've hit the mother load.

Skipper: Good work boys, now grab what you can and lets get this chow back before Marlene strikes again. (Everybody stops to look at Skipper.) What? I'm running out of chest feathers and I'm afraid of what she'll start pulling off next. (Rico snickers and as he does so Skipper rolls his eyes and sighs heavily.) Fine, …let's get this stuff back before she really does eat Private. Does that work better for you?

Kowalski: I have to admit Skipper, that does sound more like you. (Pokes Skipper in the chest.) Admit it, you care don't you.

Skipper: Watch it, Kowalski. That's starting to sound like insubordination. And Ok, I care a little. I'm having a small guilt trip about what I said to Marlene.

Rico: (grunts) Huh..?

Skipper: You don't need to hear this Rico, …shut down all brain functions for five minutes so you're mush gag reflex isn't affected. (Rico nods, zones out for a few seconds and then melts to the floor.)

Kowalski: (Stares at Rico for a moment) He's GOT to show me how he does that sometime. (Gets a cold stare from Skipper) Oh yea, sorry. Look, for the record the whole group knows you care about Marlene. I'm at least seventy six percent sure that's why nobody said anything when you snapped back there. But on the other hand, …what you said was pretty hurtful.

Skipper: Alright man, options.

Kowalski: It's simple really, apologize to the otter. Of coarse if you really want to go the distance you could always do that thing with the oysters that she was babbling about a while back when Phil came looking for romantic advice.

Skipper: Sweet mother Macarthur, I feel guilty about something I said, …I'm not in love with her.

Kowalski: Nobody suggested you were, ..I was trying to think of a really nice way for you to make your apology.

Skipper: ( as Rico begins to recover he gets up onto his feet.) Duly noted… ( Abruptly ends his train of thought and turns to Rico) Perfect timing, let's go catch up with the others. (belly slides down the vent shaft in the direction of Private and Marlene. After exchanging glances Rico and Kowalski shrug at each other and belly slide after him with the food in hand.)

(Cut to a few hours later in the control tower which is buzzing with activity. Towards the back of the room a piece of the drop ceiling above everyone's heads lifts an inch and slides to one side. A moment later Kowalski begins to descend from above the ceiling suspended in the air by string looped about his chest and hips to keep him horizontal. The other penguins maneuver him into position just behind the head of one of the controllers where he begins to gather data about the airports outgoing flights. To an amazing coincidence everybody in the tower is so busy with what they're doing that nobody notices an Antarctic waterfowl spying on them. While Kowalski is gathering information the woman he is suspended behind begins to use her hands to reposition her hair as some of it occasionally works it's way in front of her face. Occasionally some of it wafts Kowalski in the beak to the point where he begins to act as though a sneeze could occur at any moment.)

Skipper: He's going to sneeze, pull him up before he blows our cover. Hurry men, hurry. (Kowalski holds his flipper to his beak trying to stave off the sneeze while he ascends back up through the drop ceiling. Once the ceiling piece is back in place Kowalski let's fly right in Marlene's face.)

Marlene: Eeeewww, come on. Was that even necessary? (wipes her face with her paws)

Kowalski: Sorry Marlene, …it couldn't be helped. (Marlene continues to express her disgust as Skipper inquires about the intel gained.)

Skipper: So where do we stand, Kowalski?

Kowalski: (looks down at the floor.) About ten feet above the flight controllers give or take. (Skipper stares at him.) Oh right, ..well it looks like there is a helicopter scheduled to leave within the hour who's flight plan will take us right over the Philadelphia zoo while on it's way to Wilmington Delaware.

Private: Aren't helicopters usually a bit cramped for space, where will we hide during the flight. How will we land if the helicopter isn't going where we need to go?

Kowalski: This chopper is a corporate model with retractable landing gear. We can hold up in the wheel well, and then after the bay doors close we'll be fully enclosed and protected from the elements for the duration of our flight. Once we're over our target I'll hot wire the doors to open.

Private: But how will we land?

Skipper: That's where the parachutes we designed come into play. We're about to become an airborne unit.

Marlene: Wait, ….we're going to jump out of a helicopter? While it's flying, …way up in the air, that's your plan?

Kowalski: At an altitude of two thousand feet it'll be a textbook air drop. At the scheduled time of departure and taking into account time of travel we should be able to drop into the Philadelphia zoo under the cover of darkness. (Turns to Rico) You did remember to bring our night vision goggles, right? (Rico nods)

Skipper: Excellent, nobody will see us coming.

Marlene: Skipper listen, …there's just this one tiny little hiccup with this plan.

Kowalski: Hiccup? I doubt it, this plan was perfectly designed, what could possibly be wrong with it?

Marlene: I'm afraid of heights, …seriously.

Skipper: Not to worry, Marlene. We'll blindfold you before you leave the chopper. (Rico regurgitates a blindfold and puts it on himself as a demonstration to Marlene.)

Marlene: Um no, …that would actually make it even more scary since I'll know that I'm falling AND can't see the ground coming up at me.

Skipper: We'll just have to figure things out on the way then. (looks over at Kowalski and points.) Kowalski, report?

Kowalski: It's almost time, Skipper. Wheels up in twenty eight minutes.

Skipper: Let's go people, ..move out. (The penguins and Marlene make their way back to the ventilation shaft and then high tail it over to an air intake vent that leads out onto the tarmac. From there they hitch a ride on a baggage truck that eventually takes them past their destination where they somersault off and land on their feet near the helicopter while it's being fueled. Marlene's departure from the baggage truck left her tumbling across the tarmac prompting Private to retrieve her and bring her back to the group. Skipper looks about to make sure the coast is clear, the only person nearby is the fuel truck driver who is leaning up against the truck smoking a cigarette while it pumps fuel to the helicopter. Skipper shakes his head in disgust and then with flipper gestures prompts the others to climb up into the wheel well of the aircraft.) "Angels and ministers of grace, defend us." (Hamlet act 1 scene four.)

Marlene: What was that?

Private: (points over to the truck driver.) Skipper's saying that assuming the driver doesn't blow us all up then this should be a kick butt ride. (Marlene whimpers as she watches the driver take another drag of his cigarette.)

Chapter four coming soon.

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