13 – The Penguin is mightier than…
Enjoy!
His flipper reached the button and he swallowed hard, ˝You're almost done, just apply the necessary force,˝ the voice in the headphones said. But Skipper just smirked, ˝Psyched!˝ he said to himself, he threw away the headset and jumped to the door, across from the one he came through.
He pulled it back and wasn't surprised to find it unlocked. He jumped onto his belly and slid down the new hall, as fast as he could, his ear-slits perked for any trace of sound. And so he stopped, detecting something, which he assumed, were footsteps. Whoever he was, he wasn't moving very fast, and he was somewhere in the corridor ahead.
The captain engaged in pursuit, he knew he was moving faster, than his target, because the sound was getting louder. In his path, he spotted a lead pipe on the ground, and he snatched, to use as a weapon. Skipper spotted someone in the distance, a dark figure, struggling with the pace he was currently moving with.
The captain's eyes narrowed and he propelled himself with one of his feet to increase his speed. He hit the figure from behind, swiping his feet, making it fall back on its back, it groaned once on the floor. Skipper stopped and got up, he turned around, with the pipe firmly in his flippers, ready to attack.
He made a few steps closer to it, and now saw, that he was wearing a cloak of some sort, probably to conceal his identity, ˝Who are you? Show yourself!˝ he demanded. The figure pulled back its hood, revealing a familiar penguin face. Skipper gasped, but he didn't drop the pipe, ˝N-Nigel, you're the sicko behind all this?˝
˝No, or at least not anymore,˝ he replied, getting up, ˝it was a partnership, but now he's taken over completely,˝ the gray feathered penguin was nervous for some reason.
˝A partnership, with who?˝
˝This whole place was designed for you Skipper, you were getting soft, we needed to see if you had the guts to still do the job if necessary.˝
˝Who's we?˝
˝We don't have time for this, knowing that information won't get you out any faster.˝
˝You know, just saying the guy's name would've been a shorter answer.˝
˝Sorry Skipper,˝ his eyes suddenly went blank, and Skipper saw the color red, pour down the revealed part of Nigel's white belly. He collapsed and upon hitting the ground, his head rolled away from its body, startling the captain at first.
He approached the body and fully removed the cloak, revealing a device on the older penguin's back. He had no idea what it was supposed to do, but the other thing he noticed, was a tape-recorder taped to it. He tore it off and rewound the cassette, which was already inside. He put it against his ear-slit and pressed the play button.
˝*Static*… Hello Nigel. I want to play a game. You have been a great ally in our little series of challenges, but by playing, you have proven, that you are no better than the animals we judge. The wire around your neck is connected to the device on your back. Once it is activated it will be pulled back, not stopping until it retracts completely. I think you can imagine what that will accomplish. To free yourself, you must only follow my rules. Also, pulling on the wire will activate it immediately. Good luck!˝
Skipper clenched his beak, killing his own partner in crime, that's just evil. He was just about to continue, when he thought of something, he located Nigel's head a waddled over to it. He looked at both ear-slits and found what he was looking for. Another ear-piece, he let his anger get to him before, but communication was vital here. He wiped the earwax off on the gray feathers of the bodiless head and inserted into his own hearing organ.
Since the entire place was under surveillance, it didn't take long for someone to begin talking on the other side, ˝Tsk, tsk, you know, I would've let Nigel live if he hadn't blabbed out everything.˝
˝BLAB! He didn't tell me anything.˝
˝Really? Oh darn it, then I just killed my best employee sniff, sniff.˝
˝I think you should've actually sniffed instead of just saying it.˝
˝And I think you don't understand sarcasm. And what the hell was that pathetic display in the recording room? Do you really like the guy so much, that you let him live?˝
Skipper clenched his beak, his blood began boiling, ˝No, I figured I could catch you. And now I'm gonna make you pay for making me spare Ringtail,˝ he snarled.
˝I see, you're fused with a boiling head, a raging fury! Remember that quote?˝
Skipper scratched his bottom beak and began waddling down the corridor, ˝I think Hans said that while we fought back in the HQ.˝
˝Exactly, now you'll see how boiling his head really is.˝
Skipper arrived at another door, so far, this place had had one strange room after another; a pool, a recording studio, a cooler, storage room, there was no telling what was behind this one. He pushed against it and entered. He immediately spotted the lit stage, in the middle of the floor, and in the center of it, restrained in a pillory, was the puffin.
˝I don't think I need to tell you what he did wrong in his life, but you shouldn't let revenge be your fuel. Let justice do it instead.˝
The penguin didn't listen, he was in a trance, he walked straight up to the seabird. Hans, being awake, heard him approaching and raised his head. The pillory was chained to the floor, so he couldn't wander far from the spot he was in. ˝Ah Skipper my old fre- *slap*˝
He was cut off when he received a slap with the penguin's backflipper. Blood rushed to the sore spot. He looked back into the captain's eyes; now THAT was a raging fury. Skipper administered two more punches and finished with a knee (Yeah, still doubt he actually has one, but let's say he does) to his beak. Hans was thrown back on his back and the penguin watched him while panting. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but it did feel good.
Slowly calming down, he noticed, that his ear-piece had been talking to him this entire time, ˝Skipper! Skipper! Stop it already!˝
˝Yeah, yeah, I'm calm. What is it?˝
˝Don't disobey orders boy, I've got a speech for this one… well actually it's more like some instructions. *Clears throat* Now, you two always face off with fish, so please, if you will, take your weapon.˝
Skipper looked around and spotted a cooling box, he waddled to it and opened it. His beak watered at the sight of the Indo-Pacific sailfish inside. He slowly grabbed it by the tail, and took it out. He observed its beauty, ˝And don't worry, the puffin isn't unarmed, I glued a sardine to one of his flippers.˝
The penguin smirked and started back towards the seabird. Hans had, in the meantime, gotten up and saw Skipper approaching again. He wanted to start another conversation, but seeing the billfish in his flippers, made him back up in fear.
Skipper continued with a steady pace, ˝This is for Denmark Hans,˝ he hurled the sailfish at the puffin and struck him right in the middle of the chest. The bill went straight through him and he collapsed immediately.
I didn't want to kill Julien, because he was the only one on my original list that kinda stood out. Also, a sailfish is basically a swordfish, but with an awesome mohawk back fin. Review!