Ch.15: The Loss of A Heart
"Huh, Julian!" gasped Private " is..is he?"
"Alive" said Bite " for now. We found him near the border of the zoo walls. The wounds tell the tale of who was responsible for his almost death,"
"Let me guess" said Skipper " me right?"
"Who else?" said Michael " after all you have done it before,"
"But you got it all wrong" said Private " Skipper didn't do that, Majack did. His ghost came alive and brought two of our friends here. Marlene will be trouble if we don't rescue her soon,"
"Foolish penguin" said Bite " ghosts do not exsist. Nor did they ever,"
"Please Cheif " said Zar stepping up " you must listen to them. I've seen Majack,"
"Where?" asked Cheif Growl.
"The vampire bat exhibit" said Zar " the otter is trapped inside. If we don't rescue her before nightfall you know what those bats will do,"
"I do" said Cheif Growl " but that doesn't make your story valid. We have nothing to hold againist Skipper's team or you Zar, but the traitor must stay with us. He can't be trusted, ever again. Michael, Bite, escort the rest to the zoo gates. I'd like to speak to the traitor alone,"
The gates of the cell were unlatched allowing Zar and the three lone penguins to step out, while they slammed closed againist Skipper. Zar looked back at his old friend with concern showing in his eyes, but also a hidden promise.
"Don't worry Skipper" thought Zar " I'll save her,"
As soon as he and the penguins were out of the prison block, Zar jumped Michael and Bite, clawing at them with his razor-sharp nails. The two hounds cried in pain and turned into each other, knocking the other down. For a moment the penguins stood stunned as Zar leaped off, sastified with his work.
"Come on!" yelled Zar running off " we have to save Marlene!"
Without point of argue the trio of penguins chased after the fleet-footed serval, the twilight hour fading. There wasn't much time to spare.
"So easy huh?" thought Majack, ghosting down to the two unconious mutts " I'd say its time for a new role,"
With that said, the evil wolverine split his spirit into two, possesing both Michael and Bite. The two dogs woke up with flaming red eyes and their teeth bared. Claws out and ready for attack, the two Danes dashed towards the Vampire Bat exhibit, where a meal waited to greet their maws.
Skipper was getting uneasy inside the cell, especailly with Chief Growl passing back and forth like an enraged cat. King Julien's body had suddenly sprung back to life after the others had left, and he was demanding the royal treatment he deserved. Finally Cheif Growl had had enough with the lemur king's lectures.
"Enough!" growled Cheif Growl, shoving Julien againist the wall with his claw " Speak! Why are you doing at my zoo?"
"Choking for life," wheezed Julien.
"Now!" demanded Cheif Growl.
"Okay, okay" said Julien terrified " a creature from the sky attacks me right, so I give this, and little of that...,"
Cheif Growl pressed harder with his paw.
"And...I woke up here," said Julein, falling to the ground as the paw was released.
"What'd he look like?" asked Skipper.
"Some scary wolf-vine thing" said Julien " that is all I know!"
"Wolverine" said Cheif Growl, looking at Skipper " then you were right, and I was wrong, for all these years,"
"Always a first" said Skipper " now open these bars and let me out of here, I have a team to save,"
Meanwhile inside of the Vampire Bat exhibit, Marlene was just waking up from her daze.
"Huh? Uh? Where am I?" wondered Marlene.
A sudden shifting noise from the branches above caused her to look upwards. At first she saw nothing unusual, just what looked like pine cones hanging from the limbs, until one of those cones decided to move and stretch its wings.
Beady yellow eyes and razor-white fangs stood gleering at Marlene, lust burning through their souls. The lust for blood. Her blood that is!
"Screeech!" yelled the bats flying at Marlene.
"Help!" screamed the otter.
The doors to the habitat suddenly bust down.
"Don't worry Marlene" yelled Private " we're going to save you!"
"Try and you'll be mincemeat!" growled a deep voice behind the team.
Zar and the others turned around, horrified to see Michael and Bite snapping behind them.
"It's lunch time Bite" growled Michael " Hoohahahaha!"
And with that said the two Danes charged.
"You guys take care of them, I'll get Marlene!" said Zar.
While Kolwaski, Rico, and Private went to take care of the two vicious dogs Zar jumped into the bat exhibit where the frightening, blood-sucking hoard was gaining on Marlene.
Letting out fercious roar, Zar clawed at the bats left and right until he reached the wounded otter's side. Some of the bats had been lucky to get close and struck slicing blows to both their sides, craving the red liquid that poured out.
"Hop on my back!" yelled Zar, to which the otter gladly obiliged.
With one mighty thrust of his legs, Zar jumped out of the exhibit, and closed the hatch allowing no bat to escape.
On the ground, the three penguins were having a tough time standing up between Michael and Bite, it seemed almost if their own moves had become super-powered by some unknown entity. Rico's stomach contents could stall them, but they could not stop them.
"Hang on boys!" came a welcome voice, as Skipper rode in on Chief Growl with King Julien beside him.
One graceful leap and Skipper was on Bite's body, while King Julien hopped on Michael's.
"Yeehaw!" yelled Julien " Canine Rodeo!"
Bucking and brawling like two wild stallions, Michael and Bite fought againist their riders. Majack's spirit growing more annoyed when they couldn't throw the two simple pests off.
"Stone Dash!" yelled Skipper to Cheif Growl, to which the german sheperd gladly obiligied.
Charging both of his officers with his world famous tackle, Cheif Growl pushed the two Great Danes right into the glass of another exhibit, knocking them both out cold. Both Julien and Skipper barely jumped off in time.
"It's over," said Skipper.
"Not yet!" growled a demonic voice, and the ghostly form of Majack appeared again " you didn't think I would let it end so soon,"
"It's over Majack you failed," said Zar.
"Maybe" said Majack " but I'll still have my prize,"
With that said Majack's demonic body glowed a fiery red and soared down towards Marlene.
"Nooo!" yelled Skipper.
"Aaah!" screamed Marlene.
Blood splattered through the air, as Majack let out an evil laugh of truimph and vanished into the fog. Skipper could hardly manage to open his eyes, in fear of the gruesome sight.
Once his eyes finally did open and he heard the others gasps, Skipper knew somehow that Marlene was alright. But someone else had got hit. And that someone's body rest bleeding lifeless on the floor, his body barely clinging to the last breaths of life.
That someone was Zar.