The Central Park Zoo

The New Tower of The Sacred Flame

5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard time

(Skipper's POV)

"Kowalski status report," I said. "The tower grounds are heavily guarded!" "attack options," I said. "Shen might destroy his own tower if we attack," Kowalski said. "The tower that he just built?" I said, "I don't think so." "one nevers knews with villains like him," Kowalski said. "We be destroyed as soon as we reach the gates," Classified said.

"Unless we destroy the gates first," I said, "Right rico!" Rico hacked up his rocket launcher. "Wait wouldn't launching that send all the guards are way?" "Not if we time it right marlene," I said, "Rico we may need that four barrel one." "A four barrel rocket launcher?" Marlene said. "trust me it much safer in our hands….then Blowhole's." "Wait blowhole had a four barrel rocket launcher?" "Until we stole it," Kowalski replied. Rico hacked up the four barrel rocket launcher while handing me the normal rocket launcher. Rico gave Kowalski his spare rocket launcher while he readied the four barrel rocket launcher.

We walked up to the door, "Knock, knock!" I said. "Who's there," the gruff voice of a gorilla said. "rude interrupting explosions!" "Rude interrupting explosi…" KA-BOOOOOM! The doors exploded inwards taking out most of the gorrila's and wolves inside. The shockwave carried far beyond the courtyard knocking down guards and knocking archers off the building. Two lookout towers collapsed while lookouts on the other tower were knocked off this posts. We entered the courtyard and found that the two cannons Shen had set up were reduced to twisted metal. Kitka had managed to get into the air and claw a nearby wolf's eyes out. "Ah my eyes!" the wolf shouted. The doors to the tower itself were knocked opened, "What is going on here!" Boss wolf shouted. Boss wolf's one good eye widened in shock when he saw the massive hole where the outer gates once stood. Corporal and Classified had their weapons trained on the wolf. Short fuse's personal hover tank moved into position.

Rico had his four barrel rocket launcher aimed at his face. Kowalski and I had our rocket launcher aimed at him as well. Boss wolf's mouth dropped open and he let his hammer fall to the ground. Private had commandeered a handcannon from one of the downed wolves. Marlene, Doris, and Eva had stolen crossbows. Roger and mooncat just tried to look intimidating. "What the heck is that," boss wolf said staring at the four barrel rocket launcher. "your death," I said, "unless you do one thing for us." "What's that," boss wolf said. "Take us to your leader."

Boss wolf entered with us behind him. The wolves inside the tower instantly closed in to attack us until they saw our weapons. Boss wolf looked at his fellow wolves with fear in his eye, "what to know what those things do…look outside." I looked at the wolf, "did you think Shen saw that," I said. "probably," he replied. We then walked up the seemly endless flights of stairs! "Lord Shen," Boss wolf said. "What is it now?" Shen said pointing his lance in his face. "The penguins wanted to see you," Boss wolf said. "And you let them in here!" Shen said. "Look outside," boss wolf said. "I don't see what the flew of my dominion has to do with…" Shen shut up as soon as he saw the state of the courtyard. "And that is way I can't have anything nice!"

"Give up now Shen," I said. We all cocked our weapons to get our point across. "Why do I need to fear your weapons," Shen said holding a rope, "WHEN I CAN DO THIS!" A cannon exploded knocking Classified, Eva, and Corporal out of the tower. Rico fired his four barrel rocket launcher in response destroying the cannon. Shen looked in shock at the twisted metal remains of his cannon. "You got to be kidding me," Shen said. Roger now had a long sword while Mooncat had a crossbow of his own. Kitka let out a falcon cry and flew straight at Shen's eyes. Shen javelin threw his lance impaling kitka to the ceiling. "Kitka!" I shouted. "too late Skipper she can't hear you she's dead!" Shen replied in a mocking tone.

"Now while is that lumbering oaf Kai," Shen said, "Oh well I can take all of you!" "Your outnumbered sucker," Short fuse said. "Why can't you admit we have you beat?" Marlene said. "Surrender," I shouted. "Never!" Shen replied. "Stop being a stubborn bird and surrender," Doris said. "I have a flaming rocket with your name on it," Kowalski said, "well don't you quit while you still alive!" "Ka-blamo!" Rico said flipper on the trigger. "You four barrel monstrousty doesn't scare me," Shen replied before glaring into short fuse soul, "I'm afraid the only suckers around here…ARE YOU!" The wolves attack us hard from behind us and our allies didn't stand a chance. As we struggled to hold off the wolves Doris and Eva both fell! "Doris!" Kowalski said dumping the rocket launcher for his plasma blaster, "I will avenge you! You will pay for destroy my aquatic goddess!" "Whoa calm down!" a wolf said before Kowalski blasted his eye out. "No!" he said, "I don't want to be a one eyed wolf!" Boss wolf glared at him, "what wrong with only having one eye?" he asked, "would you prefer to have no eyes!" "No!" the wolf said. "Too bad," boss wolf said as he ripped the wolf's other eye out. "Ahhh!" the wolf shouted as he fell down the stairs cluthing his head. Boss wolf was now watching with sasfication as we struggled to hold off his fellow wolves.

Shen unveiled another cannon and turned to the now torch baring wolf. "Fire the cannon!" Shen shouted, "And what does fools out of my tower!" "But sir we could hit our own!" "Then they made a noble sacrifice," Shen said, "Now lit it!" "No," Boss wolf said blowing out the torch and walking away, "throw another blade at me….I don't care anymore." Shen used his lance to knock boss wolf into roger causing him to impale his blade into the wall. Shen lit the fuse and the cannon fired blasted us out of the tower. Shen looked out the smoulder hole in his tower and looked at a distinct impact crater in the Zoo itself. Shen looked at his remaining wolves and gorillas, "Do not let our fellow soldiers sacrifice be in vain go down their and finish them off!"

"but sir," a gorilla said, "there is no way they can survive that!" "then way don't you go out their and check!" Shen said glaring into the gorilla's soul. "Yes sir!" the gorilla said. "Kill any and all survivors you find!" Shen shouted. The gorillas and the wolves left. Shen turned to a wolf dressed like a waiter. "What can I get for you Shen?" the wolf asked. Shen turned to the wolf with no eyes and boss wolf, "Kill them and serve them their livers." "Yes sir," he said. "Also tell the chef to kill you and serve me your heart roasted on a spit." Um…" "Go down their and give the chef my order!" Shen said, "or I can kill you slowly up here!" The waiter wolf grabbed the other two wolf and dragged them down the stairs. Shen turned to the two remaining gorillas. "Write a memo," Shen said, "any wolf or gorilla that disobeys me will be sent down to the kitchen to be prepared by my personal chef!" "But sir…" the gorilla said. "And tell Mr. Ping that if he doesn't fulfil those orders…I just might order roasted duck!" The gorillas left to deliver the message. Shen glared back at the crater… "Penguins if you have survived that you will wish you had died in the first place," Shen said

Meanwhile in the impact crater, Private, Kowalski, Rico, and I were the last one's standing. "A moment of silence to honor our fallen!" I said staring at the pile of ash that was once our friends and allies. "Skipper we have wolves and gorillas incoming!" Kowalski said. "ETA!" I shouted. "Right Now!" A gorilla said. "Oh come on now!" Kowalski shouted. The gorilla cracked his knuckles, "Any last words?" he said as the wolves chuckled evilly. "I got one," Kowalski said, "Tell Lord Shen that we are going to stop him!" Kowalski pulled out the spacetime teleport. "Where are you going with that?" the gorilla said. "The one place you will never find us!" Kowalski shouted as he pushed the button. "No!" The gorilla shouted he faded to white. The last thing we saw before white overtook everything was gorillas and wolves covering their eyes and archers launching their arrows. The battleground disappeared and we found ourselves in the middle of a burning valley of peace. "Opps…" Kowalski said, "not as far back as I wanted."

To be continued in…

Wrath of the peacock: The Demise of Lord Shen