Disclaimer: Penguins of Madagascar and all related characters are the property of Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and any or all related affiliates. Characters of my own creation are my property and may not be used by others without express permission. This fiction was created for the purpose of having fun and being creative, no money is being made in any way from its creation and posting.
Hell Hath No Fury
Chapter 14
By
Wildgoose
(It is dimly lit inside of the ventilation ducts as three otters and a squirrel make their way slowly along attempting to find the way to the bunkers exit. The only real light comes through the occasional vent grate. Conversation occurs between them occasionally at the volume of a low whisper so as not to reveal themselves to anyone who might be looking for them.)
Yoshi: Does anyone know how long we've been in these ducts? It feels like an eternity.
Hannibal: Long enough to know that we haven't been caught yet and that Hans or Red or whomever has stopped trying to blow things up.
Loki: What if they've been beaten by dad and he's looking for us. How is he going to find us if we're in here?
Hannibal: Trust me, if we see dad then I'll be more than happy to duck on out of here. However until we actually see him or any of the others then we have to play it safe and stay in here. (Pause) Speaking of which, does anybody know where the heck we are?
Sarah: We haven't come upon an incline in a while so I think we might be near ground level.
Yoshi: Great, so where's the exit?
Sarah: We still have to make our way to the entrance, and I have no idea how far away we are in relation.
Yoshi: (Groans) What I wouldn't give for a GPS right now. (Pause) Let me know when we pass a gas station so we can hop out and ask directions. If I don't then the guys never will.
Sarah: (Confused) What…?
Yoshi: Nothing, just spouting nonsense. (They begin to pass over the next grate when a pair of sentry's sent by Red approaches and happens to take position under them. Sarah makes a stop and be quiet gesture and then points downward towards the guards. Eyes are rolled by everyone else as they do their best to remain motionless and quiet. Several moments later a brief reverberating sound passes lightly through the vent shaft prompting everyone behind Sarah to cover their faces with paws.)
Loki: (very hushed) You've got to be kidding me, ….I thought girls didn't do that?
Yoshi: (very hushed) Don't be stupid, we're just very discrete about it.
Loki: (Very hushed) In my face was very discrete?
Sarah: (Very hushed) Your face was to me. Look, pardon my anatomy alright!
Hannibal: (Very hushed) Everybody shut up, it's a miracle those guys below us haven't heard us already. (Yoshi and Loki begin making fan gestures with their paws in effort to shoo the smell away)
(Cut to the bunker control center, Red is busy talking to Dr. Blowhole via web chat. In the background are a number of squirrels performing various tasks and there is now a much greater presence of Blowhole's lobsters in the room.)
Red: Things are going quite well here, Dr. The penguins and puffins have been confined to a recessed storage room although the search for the children still continues. Despite that I see no reason for you to have sent lobster reinforcements.
Blowhole: (annoyed) I TOLD you to eliminate them. What's the problem?
Red: No problem at all Dr., I simply wish their deaths to be as slow as possible. When this bunker begins to flood water will pour under the door and down the stairs filling the storage room like a fish tank. (Laughs evilly) They'll all drown one by one while fighting to survive. (Sighs) I only wish I had a video camera in there so I could watch.
Blowhole: Um, …right. (Pause) You DO realize that when they meet their end so will you? Eventually mammals like me will be the only ones left to inherit the earth. (Laughs evilly)
Red: Don't worry, Dr. My end will be nothing short of a party, I'm going out with a bang.
Blowhole: (Groans) You'd do that to YOURSELF? (Shakes his head) You have far greater issues than I'd ever thought, Red. (A booming voice is heard in the background)
Voice: "Rings of fire at full output."
Blowhole: (Looks behind him as a lobster skits across a now sopping wet carpet.) However it looks like they'll be short lived, I'll check in with you in an hour. Blowhole out! (The screen goes dark)
Red: (Smirks) Yes Dr. I would, but there's more. You're coming with me! (Looks at a nearby squirrel) Do we have an exact position fix based on the Dr.'s transmission? (The squirrel looks at Red and nods) Excellent, relay those coordinates to the truck crew and tell them to move into position. (Snap to an old ill-maintained barn less than a quarter mile away. The barnyard is quiet devoid of the sounds of the chickens or geese that once occupied the yard when suddenly a diesel engine is heard as it starts up and revs a few times. Moments later a cold war era erector launcher vehicle carrying an ss-18 rolls out of the barn with a team of squirrels driving it. They plow through several fences until they stop on firmer ground and begin to deploy stabilizer feet around the trailer. Snap back to Red in the control room) (Sighs) It's amazing what you can find these days if you know who to talk to. (Pause as he turns to the other squirrels in the room) Let me know when the "package" is ready, I'll be in my quarters for a little while. I'd like to listen to my music collection while I still have the opportunity and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is calling to me. (Red turns and heads out of the room)
(Cut to the penguins as they continue to try to come up with an escape plan.)
Skipper: I just can't believe this, …how many operations have we conducted over the years Kowalski?
Kowalski: Um, I smashed my abacus back during the fight so I can't give an exact figure but I think I can easily guess more than a thousand.
Skipper: There, you see? More than a thousand missions and never before have we encountered a situation where you were completely without some kind of ordinance stuffed down that gullet, Rico. Now what gives? Cough up man, you have to have SOMETHING!
Rico: (grunts) Nuh-uh, (tries to hack something up just to demonstrate.) See..?
Skipper: But, I don't understand Rico. You've been able to store anything short of an atom bomb in the past, how could you run out now?
Rico: (grunts in frustration) She was a challenge, okay?
Kowalski: (Confused) So in all of your raw psychotic mayhem induced rage you were forced to resort to throwing even the kitchen sink at her?
Rico: (Grunts) Hey, she's talented!
Skipper: (concerned) Rico, your tone of voice suggests that you may have actually been having FUN fighting this puffin. (Heidi looks over at Rico with an amused expression) Say it ain't so, Rico.
Rico: (Blushes slightly) (Grunts) Oh well, I wouldn't call it… (Recovers) What, NO! (Pause) I like the way she fights (Pause) I mean, …she fights well! (Long aggravated pause) She threw a Siamese fish at me, what was I supposed to do?
Private: Apparently you felt you were supposed to throw the kitchen sink at her.
Rico: (Grumbles) Thanks Private…. (The others mumble to themselves and waddle off to different parts of the room in disgust. After the others are far enough away Heidi waddles over while supporting her side with her wing.)
Heidi: (Nudges Rico's ribs causing him to cringe in pain) It explains a few things at least.
Rico: (Grunts) What are you talking about?
Heidi: There were at least four different instances where you could have finished me but you passed them up and kept fighting. I thought at the time that you had just made stupid mistakes, …but NOW.
Rico: (Grunts) Look, it wasn't like that. (Pause in thought) Okay, …I was having fun I'll admit it. You remind me of an old girlfriend.
Heidi: (Looks away and scoffs) Do you pick up many girls with that line?
Rico: (Rolls his eyes and grunts) I wasn't trying, just being honest. We used to fight all the time, ..she was REALLY good.
Heidi: (Sighs) Okay, I'll bite. What happened?
Rico: (Grunts) Eh, …she had a massive temper and a history of killing her dates.
Heidi: (Eyes wide for a moment) I can see why you broke up… (Pause) …And yet you missed the fighting?
Rico: (Smirks)(Grunts) It was always fun, and when she was done fighting she always had this mysterious side to her. (Pause) Eventually things soured between us and well… (Shrugs)
Heidi: (Dry) Right. (Pause) Well, I can assure you that I am not your ex-girlfriend.
Rico: (Grunts) (Pretends to wipe his brow) That's a relief. (Looks down at a can of sardines in his flipper that he'd found on the shelves earlier and after a moment he opens it and gestures to Heidi.) Hungry…?
Heidi: Don't you think we have better things to do right now like trying to get out of here before we all die?
Rico: (grunts) Hey, we're healing here. That takes energy and energy comes from food. Come on, I thought you were a doctor. You should know this stuff.
Heidi: (Bemused) Has our truce been modified without my knowing to the point where we offer each other more than immediate medical attention?
Rico: (rolls his eyes)(Grunts) Eh truce, schmuce, it looks like we're on the same side now what with blowhole in the picture.
Heidi: (Smirks) The enemy of my enemy is my friend?
Rico: (Grunts) That works too.
Heidi: (Accepts the tin of fish) You can owe me the movie later when my brother has managed to pull himself together. (Looks over at Hans who is sitting by himself staring at a wall.) His reaction should be nothing short of memorable. (Chuckles and then clutches her side in pain.)
Rico: (Grunts) So what's YOUR story? (Heidi looks at him for a long moment and then the scene fades out)
(Cut to Ming who has resumed her meditation after yet another break and after observing the others through her father's eyes again has taken interest in Rico.)
Ming: Mr. Rico is talking to a GIRL? (Smirks) It's about time he stopped pining for Mrs. Kitsune. (The speak and spell is heard in the background as Kitsune inquires about what she meant.) Nothing! Geez, I really need to work on that talking while in trance thing. (The speak and spell is heard again) …And that confirms it. (Ming's curiosity begins to peak as Skipper's attention again turns back to Rico and Heidi for just an instant. A moment later Ming connects with Rico and the images she sees are through his eyes now. Rico's internal monologue can be heard as well.) Oh that's just weird, …I'd always thought that there was just something wrong with his voice like Ms. Kitsune. It turns out that he thinks like that too. (Ming dismisses what she's hearing and takes a moment to absorb what she is feeling from Rico. She takes in the scent of the sardines that Heidi is now eating.) Mmm, …that smells like sardines. (Places her paws against the barrier in effort to get a better look) You definitely smell like sardines! (Snap to Rico)
Rico: (looks insulted and sniffs himself) (Grunts) Hey come on, I'm sure I could use a bath but I'm not THAT bad.
Heidi: (Confused) What…?
Rico: (Grunts) You said I smell like sardines!
Heidi: (Confused) Rico, …I haven't said a word. I've been eating. (Shows him the half empty tin) See?
Rico: (Scratches his head)(Grunts) My mind must have been wandering, …I know I heard it.
Heidi: (Pats Rico on the head) Try not to let your mind wander too much, Rico. It might not come back.
Rico: (Grunts) Yea, yea… (Snap to Ming who pulls her paws off of the barrier and looks them over.)
Ming: He, …he heard me? (Sits down and continues to look her paws over) (Whimpers) People are going to know, …what do I do…? (The scene fades out as Ming brings herself out of meditation to consult Kitsune.)
(Cut to a short time later as Ming sits on the floor in front of the couch where Kitsune sits)
Ming: (Flustered) I think I like being different less and less as time goes by, Mrs. Kitsune. The more we do this the more things keep happening to me, I don't know what to do with myself.
Kitsune: (Writes) Calm down, …now tell me what has changed.
Ming: That, …thing! Whatever the images in my mind are being displayed on, when I put my paws on it the person I was connected with could hear me.
Kitsune: (Writes) You mean hear you talk? (Pause) Are you sure?
Ming: (nods) I'm pretty sure. (Anxious pause) Mrs. Kitsune, what am I going to do? People are going to find out that I'm weird.
Kitsune: (Writes) You are NOT weird, stop thinking that! (Long pause as Kitsune thinks) I think your secret will be safe as long as you don't do anything really overt to give yourself away.
Ming: How do you mean?
Kitsune: (writes) Whomever heard you, ..did they know it was you?
Ming: (thinks for a moment) Uh, …no not really. Rico seemed to think it was said by the person next to him.
Kitsune: (Writes) Then ignorance shall serve as your shield. If people don't believe that what you're doing is possible then they will find something else to blame it on. Try not to do it again just to be safe but if you must then keep it very simple. (Shakes her head) You continue to amaze me, Ming. I can't tell if your abilities are evolving or if they've always been there and recent events are allowing you to explore them.
Ming: I'd rather not dwell on it. To be honest I'm hoping that they'll just go away when all of this is done. I don't want to be special anymore.
Kitsune: (Writes) I wish I could accommodate you somehow. Don't worry though, when the others are safe at home I will no longer ask you to use them.
Ming: I'm not sure if that's comforting, …I'll still know I have them and that bothers me as it is. (Sighs) Why do my talents have to be THIS? Why couldn't they be something cool and less invasive like laser beams from my eyes or that lightning from my butt thing the zookeeper mentioned?
Kitsune: (Hoarse laugh then writes) So you want to be Thor now? I didn't even take you to see that movie.
Ming: Who?
Kitsune: (Writes) In human mythology, Thor was Loki's counterpart. The zookeeper named your brother after a mythological figure known for mischief.
Ming: (Slightly confused) Uh, …no. I just meant that it might have been better if I had a talent like that as opposed to being able to invade people's heads.
Kitsune: (Writes) I think you're putting too much emphasis on all of this. You're able to see through the eyes of others, not…
Ming: I can feel what they feel. (Kitsune nods in concession) I can project my voice to them as we've recently discovered.
Kitsune: (Sighs and then writes) Forgive me, …I was not trying to downplay your…
Ming: I mean, …I'm a freak! Tell me I'm wrong.
Kitsune: (Shakes her head and then writes) There's not a thing in this world that would ever make me believe that you're any kind of freak.
Ming: (vey unsure) I can, …well I, …(Scratches her head debating whether to reveal information) If a person falls unconscious and I'm connected to that person. I can, … assume control of them. I don't know why or how it works. (Kitsune stares at her speechless) I did it to Loki and used him to talk to that squirrel that's been helping him. (Kitsune continues to stare prompting Ming to become nervous.) It was an accident, …I wasn't even sure what had happened at first.
Kitsune: (Writes) How is it you never told me of this?
Ming: Because if that doesn't make me look like a freak then I don't know what does. Doesn't knowing I can do that make you afraid of me?
Kitsune: (Pauses for a moment and then writes) No, because I know you and I trust you.
Ming: (slightly relieved) Really…? (Kitsune nods)
Kitsune: (Writes) You are a good person, Ming. I think your mother would be proud to see the person you're becoming.
Ming: (looks away uncertain) Maybe, …but for now the only thing I'd want her to know is what she already does and keep it at that. The less complicated the better and so forth.
Kitsune: (Nods and writes) As promised…
(Cut to the blues helicopter as they sit in a secluded field a number of kilometers from Hans's bunker. The blues are all sitting in the aft section while waiting to hear from the NY crew.)
Babs: This bloody bites, what are we supposed to do with ourselves? The plan was to offer air support to the operation, not to have communications cut off and wind up sitting in a field hoping that we hear from them.
Digger: The operation must have gone wrong or we would have heard from them.
Mel: Well the fact that they shot at us during our approach strongly suggests that they were prepared for us. Hans's position could well have been more fortified than Skipper expected.
Don: Meaning that they're either captured or worse.
Babs: (Turns away) I don't want to hear that they're dead.
Digger: You may not want to but it's a possibility that has to be considered. (Pause) They could be dead, the kids could be dead, and the whole operation could be F.U.B.A.R.
Toby: Let's put the rose colored glasses on for a moment and assume that they're not. What can we do about the situation?
Nigel: We're not warriors, we're search and rescue. The only reason this old girl has a mouth full of teeth is because Kowalski pimped it out for us.
Toby: Don and I could insert into the complex via the door we made but if we ran into resistance which is more than likely, we wouldn't be qualified to defend ourselves and wind up men down.
Mel: We could start blasting the bunker and hope that we can see them through one of the new holes we make.
Digger: More than likely we'd just end up hurting our own people.
Mel: We also might be able to pick up a radio signal through one of those holes. Maybe it's just a question of interference that's got us cut off from our people.
Digger: You're suggesting that concrete would create radio interference?
Mel: Sure, why not? It's like walking into a building while on a cell phone. You're bars drop to nill and you get cut off. If we blast a few holes we might be able to get a signal through.
Digger: There's still risk to…
Toby: Under the circumstances risk is the name of the game, Digger. Taking a chance beats twiddling our flippers.
Nigel: Are you prepared to chance that they won't have another missile to send up at us when we make our approach? …Because I don't know if I can handle dodging another one of those without soiling my seat.
Toby: If they already have Skipper then they might not be expecting us to make another approach.
Digger: (scratches the underside of his beak in thought) Maybe, but we'll play it safe. If there's anything on the roof of that bunker that isn't a penguin or an otter then we waste it. (Looks at Babs and Nigel) Is that understood? (Nigel and Babs nod) The moment we get a signal from Skipper's crew then we vector them for extraction. Once we're heavy the NY crew and the otters then we level that place once and for all.
Don: So we're warriors after all, huh?
Digger: More like air cavalry. (Sighs) If anybody has objections then now is the time, the same thing goes for the bathroom. I don't want to hear about "I've got to go" once we get underway. (A light snicker is heard as Digger looks about for objections.) Alright then, …lets go get some! (The blues climb into their seats and strap in. Nigel looks over at Babs from the co-pilots seat.)
Nigel: Don't sweat it, your boyfriend is still alive.
Babs: (Doesn't turn to look) I don't have a boyfriend, I'm too into my job for that sort of thing.
Nigel: So what was that mush I saw earlier?
Babs: That wasn't mush, Private said something stupid and it was my turn to slap him.
Nigel: I meant the mush that happened after that.
Babs: I have no idea what you're talking about.
Nigel: (Looks back at his work) Okay,… whatever.
Babs: (Doesn't turn to look) Thanks for the pep talk though.
Nigel: (Smirks) Anytime. (The helicopter powers up and moments later it lifts off ascending out of the clearing and accelerating towards the bunker. Minutes after getting into the air digger begins to hover over Mel's station.)
Digger: How is the radar looking? Any threats?
Mel: So far the sensors are quiet. (Pause as he turns to look at Digger) You can sit down now, looking over my shoulder isn't going to help anything at all.
Digger: (sits back down) Sorry, …just looking to avoid problems. (Snap to the front of the craft as Babs and Nigel notice their gauges fluctuating a little. Nigel gives them a tap just in case it's a glitch. Coincidentally as he does this a high pitched metallic whine is heard that rapidly decreases in volume, coinciding with this are a number of flashing lights and an alarm on the instrument panels prompting Babs and Nigel to begin running checks. At hearing the noise Digger comes forward.) What was that?
Babs: Engine two flamed out! We're trying to get it back.
Digger: Can you keep us in the air?
Nigel: We're working on it mate, nobody here is itching to crash I promise you. (Babs alters course to increase distance from the target.)
Digger: Any ideas on what's causing the problem?
Nigel; We've got plenty of petrol and the last time we ran checks everything was in top shape. This shouldn't be happening.
Babs: Stupid foreign airport probably had water in the gas, …when we're done here I suggest we head back there and bomb THAT guy.
Digger: At this altitude that shouldn't be presenting a problem. And if that IS it then why is it suddenly affecting us now instead of when we first fueled?
Nigel: We still had gas of our own to mix with so it probably took time to get into the engines. (Mel comes over the com)
Mel: Hey guys give me eyes out, I'm tracking something large on the ground not far from the bunker. Radar has it labeled as a threat. (Moments later) Well, do you see anything?
Babs: We see something! (To Digger) What the crap is THAT!
Digger: (Watching as they pass over the erector/launch vehicle) I think somebody didn't get the memo saying the cold war was over. (A variety of engine noises are heard)
Babs: Well we can't do anything about it now. We've got our own problems!
Digger: If that's what I think it is then we can take pictures. (On the com) Mel, use the FLIR to take snapshots! (Pause) Babs, give me a report.
Babs: I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that we've got engine two back.
Digger: Dare I ask about the bad?
Babs: The bad news is that engine one flamed out.
Digger: (Smacks the airframe) Come on girl, make a decision already, which is it going to be?
Nigel: Don't tick the old girl off or she may decide on both just to spite you. (Grumbles) This isn't water, this is just bad fuel in general. (Pause) I think I'm starting to like Babs's idea.
Digger: We can't keep this up, we have to find fresh fuel. (On the com) Mel, we need fuel. What can you do for me?
Mel: (on the com) The only airport close by was the one we stopped at before.
Digger: That's no good, they've made Babs's hit list. Give me something else, ANYTHING else. What about the coast guard cutter?
Mel: (On the com) Stand by. (A moment of silence as he begins to work his computers) Negative, satellite feed shows the cutter continued to its destination. It's on its way back to rendezvous with us but it's still too far away. Stand by. (Long silent pause) Sir, there's a US carrier group beginning a southward turn down the coast about four hundred kilometers out from the shoreline. I don't know why they would be here instead of a hotspot somewhere but if we can get a hold of them they might be willing to send out a tanker. (Without instruction Babs has already altered course and is heading for the coast while nursing the one good engine. Nigel is in the meantime still working on getting the other engine back.)
Digger: You know you could at least wait for me to give an order, Babs.
Babs: So give an order already. (Digger grumbles)
Digger: Mel, try to raise the Yanks on the guard frequency. If you do, give them our security codes for authentication and express our situation. (Pause) Everybody else keep your flippers crossed. (As Mel gets on the radio the next ten minutes are spent by the flight crew alternating engines as they come to life and then flame out again later.)
(Cut to the CIC of the USS. Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN 69. Amidst all of the other operations going on in the high tech but dimly lit room a communications officer calls over his superior to report an unusual incoming priority message. The superior is handed a printed transcript of the message and after a moment asks if this is some sort of prank.)
Communications officer: No sir, the identification code has been authenticated as US spec ops but I've never seen the second set of codes before.
C/O: (Looks at the codes on the page) This is just too weird, why would we have special forces in Denmark? (A series of beeps are heard as a second message comes in)
Message: MH-53 aircraft, urgent we refuel to complete mission. (The C/O studies the next message and the scene snaps to the blues)
Mel: The Yanks haven't responded yet sir.
Digger: (looks out a window at the Atlantic ocean beneath them.) Well, if they won't help then at least we're all good swimmers. (Long pause) Mel, send them the FLIR shots of that truck we saw. Maybe that will light a flame under them.
Mel: We're not going to tell them what we're really up to?
Digger: It would take too long to explain and they're a lot more likely to believe this over our real mission. (Mel nods and sends the info with a short message)
(Snap back to the CIC as the pictures are received. The accompanying message reads "Possible rogue weapon located" urgent we refuel!)
C/O: (After looking the material over) Get command on the line and get these codes verified and request instructions.
Chapter 15 coming soon.
CIC- combat information center
FLIR- Forward looking infrared radar
C/O- commanding officer
SS-18 – cold war era soviet intercontinental ballistic missile armed with 1 megaton nuclear warhead.
Comments and suggestions are always welcome.