Even Otter Things Have Happened

Plot Summary: Takes place after 'Otter Things have Happened'. Julien tries to make up with Marlene, but she doesn't want to. He enlists the help of the penguins to create a love potion for him, but things don't turn out quite right….

Disclaimer: The Penguins of Madagascar is the property of Dreamworks Animation Studios in association with Nickelodeon. I do not claim ownership of The Penguins of Madagascar.

Rated Teen (T) for Mild/Fantasy Violence, and Minor Suggestive Themes

Here's the next chapter, sorry the previous one was so short (writer's block and all ). BIG BIG BIG THANKS to Kowalski4Evah! and her story 'Uprising' for overcoming my writer's block, her plot gave me great ideas for this chapter and the next. Thanks to reviewers Storylover Alpha 01 (Hopefully, this chapter will answer some questions, but the conundrum probably won't be solved until the next), xxAznPenguin, Poette O'Deal (so sweet of you!) and to noname. I'll try to update soon if homework or the dreaded writer's block doesn't get in the way. To quote Panacea447, peace out 'yo!

~Triksterr206, Junior Member, DrunkenTavern

Chapter VII: Desperate Measures

Skipper leaned his head against his suitcase, watching the clouds above the Zoovenir shop roll by the setting sun. He normally would have had Rico use a grappling gun, but he had to get used to not having him and his gut around whenever it suited him. He placed his flippers behind his head and enjoyed the few minutes he had left in the zoo. In but a few moments, he would leave it all behind. Although he was sad he had to leave his love, he couldn't willingly deprive her of her happiness, no matter what source it came from. All was peaceful and calm - or it would've been if something heavy had not landed on Skipper's belly and winded him, leaving him wheezing in pain.

Skipper turned to see what had landed on him as his eyes began to water in pain. He saw it was a brick, from a loose wall or from an enclosure or pen. 'Who in the name of Amelia Earhart would be throwing bricks up a roof?' he thought to himself as he waddled over to it. Upon further inspection, he noticed there was a piece of paper hastily fastened to it. Suspicious paranoia and paranoid suspicion perking up, he made to investigate, still rubbing his painful belly, but paused when he saw a piece of paper hastily wrapped around it. Unraveling it, he saw it was a note, in a neat script despite the ragged state of the paper it was written on. Reading it, his eyes widened in alarm as he scanned every word:

'Hello Skipper.

Long has it been since we've last seen each other, but know that in that time, none of my hatred and anger and wrath has diminished, not for one second. And now my time for revenge is at hand. I have abducted your girl, Skipper, and she is in my grasp, all bound and gagged. Oh how I relish the chance to face you once again in battle, but alas I have some other revenges to carry out. Pity, pity, pity. It is indeed quite heartbreaking that I couldn't get to witness my newest creation torture and kill her, but of course, duty calls. If you want to save her, and I know you will, seek her out inside the Reptile House. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity for my creation to kill two birds with one stone; but to be more accurate, two pests with one missile. How I wish you could hear my laughter fill your ears as your insignificant life is extinguished once and for all!

With spite and vengefulness, Doctor Blowhole, PhD'

Skipper stared at the letter incredulously, not wanting to believe any part of it. Marlene? Captured by Blowhole? There was no way that could have happened, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Closing his eyes as shock quickly turned into fury. He crumpled up the note in his flippers and tossed it away, allowing the breeze to take it to whatever trash bin it came from. His beak curved into a snarl, and his flippers clenched and unclenched in anger. When he opened his eyes, there were no traces of law and decency, only a manic glint that spoke of his desire to find Blowhole and pound him flat for what he had done. All thoughts of the crate of wolves from Hoboken and plans to leave the zoo completely vanished from his mind, there was no way he'd just stand around and leave Marlene in his archnemesis' clutches. For all of the mad dolphin's schemes, this particular one crossed the line, and a scream that echoed across the zoo burst forth from his maw,

"CURSE YOU BLOWHOOOOOOOOOOLE!"

Panting more in rage than a need for breath, he jumped towards a nearby lamppost and slid his way down to the ground. Landing none too gently, he slid on his belly over to the reptile house nearby. Blowhole always had the tendency to blab out his plans, and that worked to Skipper's advantage. Finally reaching the door, he pushed against it, only to find it was locked from the inside. Skipper growled in impatience, searching for another way in. A few moments later, he caught sight of an auxiliary ventilation duct. He tried to tug it open, but it was fastened with a quartet of bolts, one on each corner, and he came to no avail. Desperate, he pulled it with as much force as he could muster; not wanting to let Blowhole succeed with his plan, but it had the same result as before. He had failed; he had failed Marlene, and therefore himself; imagining Marlene screaming in pain, the thought of which propelled him into frenzy. He would not allow it happen, not while he still breathes. Screaming with renewed fury, he grabbed the edges and finally wrenched the vent aside. Not even bothering to waste a precious second pondering his newfound strength, he stepped inside and moved as if the gods themselves were on his tail.

He reached a junction where the vent turned upwards, and began climb the vent as a surge of adrenaline was released into his system. Despite all the ferocity he felt, he still managed to clear his head long enough to estimate himself to be halfway to another exit shaft he had mapped out earlier, which was directly above the main entrance of the Reptile House. Reaching the end of his ascent, he slid on his belly towards a junction, and then took the left that led to the exit shaft. All his thoughts were focused on whether Marlene was still alive, and what sort of creation Blowhole spoke of. If Marlene died at the hands of that monstrosity, he would smash it to pieces, and then hunt Blowhole down, even if it took him the rest of his life, and to the ends of the earth. If Marlene was still alive, then, maybe he would finally have the courage to tell her what he truly felt for her, at least she would know before he left the zoo.

'Please, please, please don't let me be too late. I need to save her!'

Skipper egged himself on upon seeing beams of light illuminating the darkness above the exit shaft. With renewed hope, he repeated the belly slide and shot himself like a bullet towards the light. However, it wasn't going to be that simple. The beams of light were distorted by an odd circular motion, almost like…

'Drat! Looks like Alice installed a new fan.'

Reaching it, he looked down to size up the fan, which turned out to be another problem. Each of the rotating blades looked about a foot long, and were spinning so rapidly they could slice him in half if he tried. Skipper was angry and desperate, yes, but he was no fool to even attempt such a fatal maneuver. The light emanating from beneath it broke as a blade cut its path, splintering the radiance into an almost dazzling display. Skipper looked beneath the fan and the metallic grille beyond it, trying to find Marlene, and any signs of life she was still alive. After a few seconds of searching, he found her. Tied up in chains that were suspended from a pipe in the fire alarm system, she hung limp a few feet above the ground. Still, there was no sign of the creation Blowhole spoke of. Did he send his ninja-lobsters in? Or did he send the finally perfected Chrome Claw?

"MARLENE!" he shouted, unaware Marlene could not hear him.

Skipper eyed his surroundings, searching for anything he could use to jam the fan. Seeing nothing in the dark ventilation shaft, although he wouldn't expect anybody to put anything in a ventilation shaft, he spluttered in desperation. Any moment now, that dreaded invention of Blowhole would rip her to shreds, and he would be up here watching, unable to do anything to save her. No, he wouldn't allow that to happen, there was no place for doubt or panic in his mind, only quick and decisive action. But there was nothing inside this ventilation shaft. 'Wait, inside…' Skipper opened his beak and gasped and spluttered in effort. He remembered eating only so long ago, wanting one last meal before he departed.

'Curse you Rico! How is this so easy for you?' he muttered beneath his breath.

He repeated the action, straining both himself and his body for one last hope to save Marlene. He felt his belly stir, clearly in discomfort. He had never actually done it before, but he had a clear idea what he were supposed to do. He gagged again, droplets of saliva escaping his wide beak and splattering all over the shaft. He heard Marlene's distorted moan as it passed through the fan. 'No…' Refusing to give up, Skipper strained with all the will power he possessed; hoping, just hoping that…

With a final grunt, his particularly large lunch found its way out his mouth. No longer in the military, he surrendered to one shot at whimsy before he left the zoo, and swallowed whole the largest fish he pilfered from the zoos storage before they cut it up. Holding it carefully in his raised flippers, he narrowed his vision, and focused. His heart thumped rapidly in knowing full well he only had one shot at this, he cleared his thoughts, and steadied his aim. Finding that small gap where a blade's edge and the metal casing almost met, he threw it with expert aim, and propelled himself into a Leap of Faith, pushing with all his might against the thin metal grille as he fell. The blades jammed, Skipper went through, the fish snapped, and the blades resumed their deadly dance. Amidst a shower of partly-digested fish, Skipper landed on the floor, head bowed, and prepared to meet his fate…

*Somewhere else…*

King Julien pushed the window aside and made his way inside the Zoo Administration office. Alice was nowhere to be seen, and he took advantage of it. His eyes falling on the carefully placed roses inside a glass vase on the countertop, the lemur smiled and raised himself above the window. Jumping to the counter, he turned his crowned head and eyed the flowers. Picking up the bunch and arranging them to his liking; Julien smiled to himself and thought about how Marlene would react to him holding a pretty bunch of flowers. He took a step forward without looking, and slipped on the droplets of water from the stolen roses, skidding on the finely polished wooden desk and slamming into the vase. He cried in surprise, as he fell, the vase smashing on the tiled floor with distinct noise. His fur now soaking wet, King Julien picked himself up and glanced at the flowers. Finding the flowers unruffled, Julien exited the way he had come, jumping down the window to be bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun.

"Oh, Marlene my Queen, how will you be saying no to me, your magnificent and one and da only King? Hey, be waiting a minute. Hmm, 'Marlene my Queen'? That's rhyme-y. I could be writing a poem for her, then she won't be turning me down! Okey, what is rhyme-y wid 'otter'?

Seeing a patch of flowers Alice had planted just outside the office, Julien looked to the bunch in his hand. Deciding it wasn't enough for his soon-to-be-queen; he strode over and picked up some of the flowers. He turned his head and saw a wooden sign next to it. It had an illustration of a hand touching the flowers and a circle with a diagonal line running down its surface.

"Ah, even the wooden billboard is aware of my affection for Marlene. It's even telling me to get more flowers for her. Hey, be waiting a minute."

He scoffed and started poking the sign.

"No one is to be telling da King wat to do. Only da King tells da peoples wat dey are supposedly to be doing! But I tink you are right, I need more of da pretty flowers. Yes, maybe a white one."

Upon seeing more patches of flowers around the zoo, Julien strode from patch to patch, adding flowers to the already massive bunch in his hands, whispering beneath his breath,

"Oh Marlene, will you be my queen?

You are lovelier than an angel,

The most beautiful I have seen,

With perfect eyes, of perfect hazel."