I'm soooo sorry for the long wait. It was a hard month for me… but it's getting better and I'll try to write more often. Sorry again. :)

Chapter 8

Some Unknown Information

Skipper stood face to face with him… Officer X. He was smiling evilly ready for attack. Even though he had his sunglasses, Skipper knew that he had flames in his eyes. Flames of a sweet, sweet revenge and only one thought in his mind: Get this penguin. Skipper didn't have time for fight but he couldn't stand Officer X's annoying smile. Something was telling him to leave but every muscle of his body was telling him to stay and fight.

Skipper had only two choices and only one of them was good. But it depended on him which one will be the good one. The moment they were standing and looking at each other with hate seemed to be infinite. One of them had to move.

Officer X took his weapons knowing that finally it was the day of his revenge. The day he was waiting for a long time. Skipper looked up to find something which could give him more time. There was a rope, it could be useful. On the one end of the rope there was a box hanging over Skipper and the second end of the rope was tied to a hook which was in the ground. It all was within his grasp.

"You can't escape penguin, nobody can help you. It's the day of my revenge, the beautiful day…"

"You're talking too much, you know" Skipper said and cut the rope by his flipper.

"Don't let him escape!" X yelled to Cecil and Brick. It was too late, Skipper already got on the roof and the box shattered on the ground. Something which looked like meat fell out of the box. It was worrying but there was no time to check it.

Katherine woke up. She was chained to a chair and around it was dark. She had a high fever but she didn't care. The main thing was to have a plan. It wasn't going to be easy to make one. Without any doubt, she was in a torture room; tools and scary instruments were hanging on the wall. Suddenly someone switched on a big lamp and Katherine could see the room more clearly. It was a dungeon with a skeleton in a corner.

"Ugh. You probably won't help me" she said and turned her head away from the skeleton.

"Katherine, nice to see you, again" a puffin emerged from a shadow.

"Not mutually. Well, long time no see. How are you, Joe?" Katherine said.

"I'm the one who asks questions. I'm fine by the way" He said and looked at some papers in his flippers "And stop calling me Joe, I'm Jordan!"

"As you wish, Joe"

"You better not annoy me. Anyway, I have some documents here... about you and your last visits. Let's see, your achievements: blowing up a lab, blowing up an airport, blowing up a train station, and um, freezing a café with snow cones... seriously?"

"Yeah..."

"intrusion to puffins court... um, throwing toilet paper on puffins' base...?"

"Oh I remember that night clearly..." Katherine said and smiled as she recalled the memory "We were sent on a mission on Halloween, why shouldn't we have some fun?"

"Anyway, in summary, you visited Denmark's court for many, many times and you got out alive for every time... You won't have that luck this time" Jordan said and put down the documents.

"You think so?" Katherine said with a crafty smile.

"Just look around. Nice place, isn't it? I think this is an answer for your question"

Katherine looked around. It was truth; there was no way to escape from the dungeon, except for the heavy metal door which was probably guarded by some puffins. Moreover, the dungeons were very long and it seemed to be a maze. She would never get out of there without a guide or GPS.

"Fine, let's settle this as friends, okay?" She said.

"As you wish. Here's the deal; you tell me everything what I want to know and they will perhaps free you" Jordan said.

"Let me leave Denmark?'

"Of course no. I meant free you from this chair"

"Oh okay, but, you know, my version sounded better"

"The life isn't perfect, is it?"

"It's the first time when I agree with you" Katherine replied ironically.

"Anyway, I bet you know why you're here-"

"Um, I actually do not know" She interrupted.

"Oh come on, why is everything always left for me?!"

"I guess it was a rhetorical question" Katherine was still teasing.

"Ah, stop making me angry, Katerina! You know it won't have a good end for yo-"

"Okay, got it. Now stop making me bored, I thought I was here for the reason. By the way, you have some problems with emotions" She gave Jordan a mischievous smile. He ignored her.

"Puffins know that you, Americans, have something with this weather thing. We don't know what you're planning but I bet you do" Jordan asked.

"Huh? We don't know anything about this shadow thing. Why do you think so?"

"Because the well known Officer X knows something about it. We think that you all are planning something against Denmark. The shadow came here from America"

"And the shadow came to America from west- wait, did you say Officer X?!"

"Yes I did"

"Why is Officer X involved it this thing?"

"Haven't you heard about your American Beast?

"A beast? What did I miss? Um, for how long was I unconscious?" she got nervous. Jordan sighed and whispered;

"The beast that was seen near New York. From the classified source we know that Officer X is going to caught it. But, since it wasn't seen in any other location, it's obvious that it's one of Americans experiments"

"No, I'm sure it's not. But, if that beast is dangerous... it can attack Central Park Zoo..." She said. 'I hope it isn't one of Kowalski's experiments..' she thought.

"Let's continue, Officer X has weapons, baits and even assistants to hunt for the beast. But the beast cannot be killed before we don't know from where it came and what it is. So, we wanted to hunt for X but you, Americans, don't let us hunt for humans"

"Look, I don't think he would ever be able to catch a penguins, so how would he manage to catch a beast?"

"Nevermind. So you don't know anything about it?"

"No. But even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. Now, free me from here, I need to warn my friends"

"No, you're not going anywhere"

"Give me one reason why not?"

"Because if someone from the MAPB (A/N; Main American Penguins Base) see you..."

"What?"

"Nevermind" Jordan replied. Katherine used a moment of his inattention and broke the chains which she had found quite loose a few minutes before. She jumped onto her feet and attacked Jordan. He was surprised by it so he couldn't make a dodge before she threw him against the stone wall. She took a knife which was hanging on the wall and walked towards him.

"Now, tell me everything what you know" she said with the assertive tone.

"Okay, take it easy" Jordan stood up and started walking slowly around the room opposite Katherine "I think it won't change anything if I tell you and I won't surprise you. Denmark base sent a letter to you and Skipper that you know. We knew that you wouldn't let Skipper go. We used a situation that you haven't heard any news while you were lost on that island for 2 years..."

"I wasn't lost on an island but go on..."

"So many things happened in that time. The main thing is that the real General G is dead. He was very old, I had thought that you would have figured it out"

"H-he's dead? N-no..." Katherine felt week at her knees and had to sit on the ground "But he was the one who has been learning me in Xin-Jin's military... a-and took me on my first military mission" she said shocked.

"Someone had to tell you that" Jordan said with a feigned compassion.

"Who was General G in the plane then?"

"Oh, that was our good actor, just like the rest of the team"

"They are alive? It all was just a lie?"

"Of course"

"Why?"

"Because we needed you to bring us some information. But it appears that you're useless. Don't worry, I think that Skipper is already with our next team"

"I don't believe you" Katherine said and stood up.

"Because you don't want to accept the truth. You're weak, Katherina"

"Why we? Why did Denmark Base chose me and Skipper?"

"That's simple. We already sent a letter to MAPB that you're dead because you appeared in Denmark though you were banished. We only need Skipper and the war with America will come soon" He smiled.

"What do you mean? Is Denmark stupid enough to start the war? The dark times are coming and none of us is involved in this. We should withhold the conflicts and keep together"

"The conflicts were and will always be between Danish puffins and American penguins"

"And because of your conflict you haven't thought that Blowhole may be the one who brought the shadow"

"Dr. Blowhole has a special diplomatic immunity. He can be in Denmark as long as he doesn't bother us. It's obvious that it's not his fault" Jordan replied. Katherine nervously stepped back "But I think you know something" he said but she didn't replied "Okay, enough for today, sooner or later you will tell the truth... or Skipper does"

"You will never broke me or him"

"We'll see"

As he said that, a few puffins entered the room and led Katherine out. She didn't fight; she knew it would be aimless. Her thoughts were now around the beast thing. She was worrying about her friends. If they weren't warned soon, they would be the beast's victims. The next thing is Skipper. How could they believe in that faked letter. She had no clue what to do. The only one who could help her was Hans, what wasn't very reassuring.

Third thing is Officer X. Of course she and the penguins hated him, but he still was just a silly human. She didn't want him to be killed by a monster which is lurking on New York streets. Who could be his helper? Everyone thinks he's insane, so nobody would believe him. There were too many unanswered questions... She had to concentrate on a plan to escape.

But another thought came to her mind. What information did they want to know? Well, she bet that she was going to find out soon. At the moment she had to find a way how to warn others and get out. Suddenly, a light went on in her head; American Penguins' Embassy! That was the only thing which could help her. They would be able to contact MAPB and free her. But there's one problem – how on the earth would she contact America's Embassy from this dammed prison?...

Skipper were jumping from the roof to roof, trying to get to MAPB as soon as he could. It wasn't very easy though. He didn't want to get to the ground since he could meet other obstacle. But, of course, an obstacle met him on the edge of the next roof. The buildings ended and there was a big city park. Skipper jumped down and faceflippered. Why had he chosen this way?

It wasn't an ordinary park; It was a maze-thing park. Tourists liked it and getting lost inside they took as a play. Silly humans. What's so funny in a stupid maze like this? He didn't have time to turn back, so he slipped ahead through the maze. It was going to take even longer then he had thought.

He stopped as he heard a noise. Wait, not a noise. It was a roar. The roar was heard from the west side of a maze, so Skipper slipped towards it. He slowly looked out from behind the edge of wall. Nothing. He jumped as he heard the same roar just from behind him. He turned prepared for everything and he saw a weird-shaped shadow...

"What the..."

Dun dun dun. I hope you liked the chapter ^^. Btw, since the atmosphere here was getting too gloomy I tried to make the dialogue between Katherine and Jordan a little funny.

Anyway, don't forget to leave a review, please!