"My employer is getting impatient." Barry stated arrogantly.
"As I understood it, you didn't want this to point back to you," Skipper answered sarcastically, "If you want me to just walk up and shoot 'er…"
"Just make it a bit quicker," Barry rolled his eyes, "and also…"
"Come on, boys," Skipper snapped, "if we're going to keep to schedule, we should probably stop wasting time here." The team left the corner of the lobby in which the conversation had been held and started towards the large doors at the other end of the room, "I swear Rico, if that man makes one more arrogant remark," Skipper muttered angrily, "I don't care if he's necessary for the mission he will end up dead in a…"
"Tony?!" A familiar voice called from across the room. Skipper turned around, only to be confronted by those warm brown eyes that he hadn't been able to force from his mind since they met.
"Marlene!?" Skipper exclaimed looking like a deer caught in headlights. Private tactfully stepped out of earshot, motioning for the others to do the same.
"Why so surprised?" Marlene asked. There was that smile again, "I can kind of find my way around myself, you know. Well, somewhat. Anyway, I was thinking of applying as a secretary here. There's some interesting charity work being done, even if I'm not naive enough to know it's only for a tax break..."
"Marlene," Skipper's expression turned serious, "Trust me, this isn't the sort of place you want to get mixed up in."
"Why?" Marlene asked, the smile turning to a confused frown.
"I…" Skipper looked around to see Barry giving him a strange glance, "Just trust me on this, you'll find out once you've lived here a little longer."
"So what do you do here," Marlene asked, sceptically, "If it's such a bad place to be?"
"I don't think you really want to know that either." Skipper replied, "I need to get going, and…"
"Alright," Marlene looked down at her feet uncomfortably.
"Um, one minute Miss Adler," Kowalski interrupted before Skipper could make too much of a fool of himself. Kowalski shot him a 'back off' glance and Skipper complied. Skipper was glad to get away; he knew it was only a matter of time until he did something stupid like asking her out. He didn't feel any competition; Skipper could tell Marlene wasn't Kowalski's type. Anyway, Kowalski wouldn't dare try and start a relationship in the middle of a mission, especially after the reprimand he'd been given after Lara? Darla? Dora?
"Let's go. Kowalski will catch up."
Skipper examined the equipment, issued by Rico, all laid out in piles for each individual.
"Kowalski?" Skipper looked at the three piles, "Private's only got a cold, he can still go with us."
"Will," Skipper looked up to see the scientist standing several feet back, his hands clenching and fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket nervously, "I'm talking to you as your strategy advisor, and as your friend. I think you should sit this one out."
Immediately Skipper closed the gap between the two, glaring at his lieutenant, "Is that insubordination…?"
"No," The scientist's eyes darted over the equipment; he couldn't look his leader in the eye and say this, "Jones gave me special authorisation to override the chain of command in this case. He thinks that due to the special circumstances of this mission…"
"I'm incompetent?" Skipper was deadly calm, instead of the rage Kowalski had predicted. Somehow he found that more unnerving.
"No, it's just this particular…" Skipper silenced him with a look. The captain's fist clenched.
"If you are going to try and stop me…"
"I've arranged with Marlene for you to take her to that film," Kowalski stated firmly, finally making eye contact with Skipper, "You wouldn't stand her up, would you?" Skipper made a move for the phone.
"She's probably left by now. You won't be able to reach her."
Skipper glared at Kowalski, making the scientist look like he wanted to turn invisible. Still, he stood his ground. Finally, Skipper sighed. Kowalski had him cornered, "Alright, what are we seeing? Don't you dare tell me you got tickets for…?" Kowalski's automatic wince answered the question for Skipper, "I will be having serious words with Jones."
Kowalski knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" a man wearing a black suit with a bright red tie opened the door a crack. Recognising the caller he immediately slammed the door shut.
"How very rude," Kowalski muttered, but then what else could he expect from a lobster?
Suddenly the door opened again, and the same lobster reappeared carrying a small pistol.
"Come with me." he ordered, leading Kowalski down a corridor and into a large, darkened room. A door on the other side of the room slid opened with a soft whirr, and a silhouette of the lanky form of Dr Blowhole appeared like something from a movie.
"You know, I'd made all these elaborate plans for what I thought was every possible way you could break in here," Blowhole spoke, a displeased note to his voice as he switched on the rows of florescent lights, "But none for the scenario in which you just walk up and knock. Who does that?! And now, due to the stupidity of who ever came up with your attack plan, I was forced to use such a crude way to trap you."
"Well, sometimes the tried and true methods work best." Kowalski replied.
"No, you don't get it," the villain's hands flew up in a dramatic gesture of exasperation, "I have a reputation to uphold, I can't just bring you in here at gun point. Anyway, the place is a mess. You should have called first."
"I did try," Kowalski answered without the smallest hint of sarcasm, "but you don't exactly publicise your number."
"No, seriously…"
"I really did. The gun was completely unnecessary, I would have been happy to walk in."
"Wait, you wanted to get caught?! What kind of a tactic is that?" Blowhole sized up the scientist before him cautiously before continuing sceptically: "You want something, don't you?"
"I want you to kill one of your agents, specifically Rhonda."
"You want me to what?!" Blowhole exclaimed.
"I don't care how you do it, as long as it can be blamed on Skipper," Kowalski elaborated, "I'm not allowed to do it myself due to the current rules of engagement, but they never said I couldn't ask you to do it," Blowhole's expression didn't bode well for cooperation, "Why? Have I targeted too valuable a resource? You're supposed to be the guy with a million replacements for everything."
"No, no, no, I'm fine with the first part, but not the second," Blowhole raised a hand, silencing the other's attempt to continue, "not going to happen. I do not commit crimes and let other people take credit."
"Fine, just kick up a big fuss about her being killed, and keep her out of sight for a few months, we'll even pay for it."
"Nope. Anyway," Blowhole's expression changed, the conversation over, and he returned to the usual script with a victorious smile, "now that I have you, you and your team will finally pay for the death of my sister." Kowalski didn't reply, "You're supposed to deny the accusation, then I try to kill you, and then hopefully this time you won't escape. That's just how it works."
"I'm changing the rules. Tell me, while you were so busy arguing, do you think it possible for the rest of my team to bypass your defences and set up a two strategic positions, say, like those two?" Blowhole looked up at the points near the top of the room Kowalski had gestured to, to see Rico waving at him cheekily, and Private finally allowing himself to sneeze.
"You hinted at the fact that you could only use lethal force in self-defence," Blowhole countered, slightly disappointed that his attempt to salvage the usual pattern had failed.
"And you just threatened to kill me."
"Hm, I see your point," the self-proclaimed doctor answered thoughtfully, "Somebody get me Rhonda," there was a short wait, then a lobster ran up carrying a small microphone probably connected to some kind of communication system, "Rhonda, the Penguins are sending you on an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere you want, and it's apparently not a trap."
"Rhonda is asking if you've left the thought warping machine on again," a lobster shouted, much to Blowholes embarrassment at the fact that his poorly designed system had no way to hear what the other person was saying. Kowalski smirked.
"No, I blew that up last week. Anyway, hurry up and pack," Blowhole cast a grudging glance at his opponents, "I just want to get this over with so I can start planning ways to get certain smirks off faces who shall remain nameless."