First of all, I want to thank Monsy 38 for truly out-doing herself - not only being a great beta, but also for putting me on her POM Author Tribute. You are really the best, girl. Thank you.

Also - not that she'll ever see this - but I think it's time I thanked my drama teacher, Mrs. B (we call her Bay because she's also the Spanish teacher - gotta love the small town high school) for introducing me to the wonderful world of Shakespeare. Ser o no ser, es la pregunta! (Hopefully "to be or not to be, that is the question" - I'm only in Spanish I)

On with the story!

"So, this guy's been stalking Marlene?" Rodney questioned while inspecting the shiny knife he held as it glistened in the moonlight.

He and Ian were hiding behind separate trash cans, communicating with walkie-talkies Skipper had lent them. Ian had instructed Rodney that, as soon as he saw Kowalski, he was to reach out and stab him.

"Oh yes." Ian said through the talkie. "He simply won't leave her alone. Won't she consider you a hero once he's out of her life for good?"

"Yeah!" Rodney said, encouraged. He didn't really want to do this, but, hey, apparently Kowalski was an obsessive stalker and Marlene, that beautiful, defenseless damsel, was getting quite terrified.

Little did Rodney know that Ian had a knife hidden away himself, in case Rodney didn't do the job right. He was really having Rodney do it in case someone saw.

They heard a splash from behind. Ian looked out a small mirror he'd brought. It was definitely Kowalski, coming out of the dolphin habitat with a contented smile on his face. Apparently he and Doris had made up.

"Get ready!" he hissed into the walkie-talkie.

Rodney, as Kowalski waddled closer, thought to himself, I have no great devotion to the deed, yet he has given me satisfying reasons.

"Forth, my sword! He dies." (1) He said, thrusting the knife out.

But, fortunately, he had timed said thrust much too early, and Kowalski saw the blade. He yelped and back-flipped out of the way.

He looked up at Rodney, yelling, "What in Aristotle's name made you do that?!"

Rodney could only weakly laugh and fumble out, "Uh… yeah… mosquito!" he said. "Die, you stupid insect, DIE!" he continued, waving the knife around.

Ian face-palmed his forehead. It was true, then - you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!

He ran forward, raising his own knife. However, he failed to take into account the simple fact that penguins can't run, and stumbled on his own foot. Instead of being plunged into the scientist's heart, the blade slipped out of Ian's fingers and ran straight though Kowalski's short leg, with the tip of the blade poking out of the front of his thigh.

Kowalski collapsed, screaming in pain.

…

A bit earlier…

"It's nice to see you back on your feet, your majesty." Maurice said, relived his king was finally back.

"Yes, I was thinking I would never get out of that place!" Julien agreed dramatically.

Julien had just returned from the hospital a few hours prior. Mort was even more ecstatic than usual - he'd gone almost four days without even being able to attempt to hug the feet! He'd already gotten kicked off Julien's ankles nine times in the last two hours.

Suddenly, a piercing, heart-wrenching scream filled the air. Julien clapped his hands over his ears. Mort and Maurice jumped about a foot into the air in surprise.

"What was that freakish sound?!" Julien asked.

"It sounded like someone got hurt - maybe we should go check it out." Maurice said.

"Yes!" Julien shouted bravely. "It is my kingly duty to protect all my insignificant subjects! We go!"

Julien, Maurice, and Mort all ran out the habitat.

They got to the 'scene of the crime' about five minutes later. Kowalski was hunched over, trying to stop the blood flow, eyes tearing up in pain. Rodney was shocked into a stand-still, unable to do anything but stare. He didn't even feel it when Ian snuck up behind him and switched the clean blade in his flipper with the knife covered in Kowalski's blood when Ian had heard footsteps.

Julien, Maurice, and poor Mort all gasped simultaneously.

"Kowalski!" Maurice cried, running up to help him. "What happened?!"

"I don't know, I was just standing here after Rodney just about killed me, and all of the sudden, my leg just… spontaneously combusted or something!" Kowalski gasped out. Even under his feathers, you could see him turning whiter by the second as blood poured out his stumpy leg.

Julien glanced at Mort. The poor little guy had a horrified expression on his face. In an incredibly rare moment of pity, Julien covered Mort's eyes with his hand. Mort whimpered and buried his face in Julien's ankle. Julien, still himself, shook him off but kept his eyes covered.

"Rodney!" a shocked voice said. They all turned to look at who it was - Ian.

"Whaa?" Rodney said, still not able to move.

"How could you?" Ian said with a scolding tone. "What did poor Kowalski ever do to you?"

"Rodney?" Kowalski said. Even in this state, he was able to reason. "No, he couldn't have done it, I was looking right at him-"

"The knife!" Ian said, pointing accusingly.

Rodney glanced down. The bloody knife gleamed in the moonlight like a beacon, saying "Look at me! I did it!"

Rodney gasped and threw the knife from him

"But - but - but -" he stammered.

Ian turned to Kowalski with a pitied look. "You should consider yourself lucky. All the others were killed, not simply wounded like you."

"This has happened before?" Kowalski and Rodney said at once.

"Oh, yes." He put his arm around Rodney as if in comfort and confinement all at once. "Poor fellow goes into these rages and throws the first thing he touches at someone. Saddest part is, Rodney never remembers any of these rages and thinks he hasn't done anything wrong - or so he says."

"BUT I DIDN'T DO -"

"You see?" Ian said, subtly holding Rodney's beak closed with his other flipper.

Yet another piercing scream filled the zoo. This one was much more muffled, barely heard except in the silence of night, and the voice was female. It came from the direction of the otter habitat.

"Marlene!" Kowalski gasped. With help from Maurice and Mort, he stood up and limped to Marlene's home, with Julien right on their tails, unknowing of whatever was happening there.

Rodney turned to Ian, furious. "What was that all about?! I didn't even do anything, you were the one that stabbed him! I saw you!"

Ian paid little attention. He slowly bent down and picked up the bloodied knife. Rodney knew too much. Kowalski was definitely smart enough to figure out that he had been stabbed from behind and not by Rodney. Besides… once he and Amelia were able to escape, there'd be scarce enough food with the two of them…

"- and not only that, YOU told me it was a GOOD thing if he died-"

Ian swung the knife upward, slashing Rodney's throat. Blood spurted like a fountain. Taking a few steps backward, Ian dodged the splatter and then quietly watched Rodney fall. His blood and Kowalski's intermingled down into the sewer.

"This is the night that makes me or fordoes me." (2)The murderer whispered. He ran after the others, still holding that awful knife.

(1) Act V, Scene I, line 8

(2) Act V, Scene I, line 132

R.I.P. Rodney de Luca. (Sob) :(

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