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"They're… gone!?" Elli repeated.
Roz sighed. "Well, they weren't at the lemurs' habitat, my habitat, and…" she looked around for a second, only seeing an H.Q. filled with only teens and not adults, "they're not here either."
Reactions varied from screaming, (mainly from Elli, who eventually fainted), panicking, hugging, crying, and one animal did something that no one expected. Marshal was chuckling and shaking his head as if everyone was whining over something stupid. He looked up and stopped when everyone was glaring daggers at him.
"What? Oh, come on, don't you know my dad? This is probably some training thing for us. If anything, they're in some hotel down the street. No worries." Marshal leaned down and woke Elli up. "El, my sweet, wake up."
Once Elli was awake, she looked around in a panicky manner.
"Marshal, we have to find them!" She exclaimed.
Athena took out a clipboard as Marshal explained his theory to his girlfriend. "Marshal, I don't like the looks of this…"
"What are you saying, Athena?" Prince J.J. yanked the clipboard from Athena's flippers and faced the others with a large smile. "No parents! So, what are we going to do? Party of course!" he took Roz's paw and twirled her around the H.Q., making her dizzy.
Roz let her eyes adjust back to their normal state to glare at the prince. "J.J., don't do that. When I'm panicky and trying to think, I don't need to get all dizzy!" Suddenly, her heart sank. She knew J.J. didn't mean anything by it, but the dizziness made the otter girl's thoughts run back to the times Skipper would spin her around. She always got dizzy. "Let's just… Uh…" she looked over at the others and saw they were all staring at her.
"We're going to go after them, right? And even if this is a test, we'd pass! We can't just party like its 1999 if our parents our gone. Uncle Skipper would want us to do something!" Athena said.
Roz tapped her chin to consider this. If this was a test, she was going to get pretty mad at Skipper. She nearly cried when she thought that her mom and the other adults were gone. And that wasn't something she wanted everyone to see. The girl smirked as an idea came to her mind and put an arm over her best friend's shoulder.
"Athena, Athena, we are going to do the right thing." She assured. "Skipper makes this is a big test, true?"
"It's a possibility." Athena said.
"Then we must search for evidence first like in most cases."
Athena looked at her. "What are you getting at, Roz?"
"Well, we search for evidence. But can't we have fun doing it? Besides, we have time to have a little fun and goof off!"
Prince J.J. sighed dreamily. "I love her." He whispered to a few of the animals next to him. "So… is dis a party?"
"But… but… but!" Athena stammered. She looked over to Buttons, but no help from him. He was already hacking up a few tools for the fun. Wasn't he supportive? "Ugh! Guys, this isn't right! We should make a carefully planned—"
"PARTY!" the lemur prince said.
Athena growled.
"No! We need to make a plan!" She said, smacking the crown off his head.
Roz, who was smacking a volley ball between her small paws, smiled at her. "Athena, has anyone ever told you to turn your brain off? You'd think less."
"I don't think that's physically possible." Athena said.
"Ah, ah, ah," Roz waved a finger at her. "Just relax, have fun, maybe spend some time with Buttons."
Athena blushed, in both embarrassment and a little in anger. No one was even listening to her! What if they were in danger? She remembered hearing a few noises with her dad last night. Skipper wouldn't plan that, would he? Then again, what if he did? Then Athena would be… wrong. The teenage penguin shivered at the thought of the word.
"Well… we'll go with it for now, but we're still gonna search for evidence, right?"
Roz laughed and whacked the ball over to Peanut. "We will. Let's just have some fun first, 'kay?"
Athena moped, but eventually found herself playing along. But in the back of her mind, she could still sense something was wrong. She got pretty paranoid like her Uncle Skipper did.
Speaking of Skipper, he was struggling against the ropes that he was trapped in.
"I… am… going… to get… out of this!" He grumbled as his little body squirmed between the ropes like a worm.
"Silly penguin, dat is horrible dancing." King Julien said. He stood up and brushed himself off. "You're supposed to do it like dis!" He twirled around and did a few dance moves much to Skipper's dismay. But it only got worse when the lemur king smiled at Marlene and started dancing with her.
"Ringtail, would you cut it out!?" Skipper glared.
Marlene shoved herself away from King Julien and walked over to Skipper. "Skipper, what do we do? You're all tied up, and now we have to rely on the lemurs more." She shivered and shook her head. They still had her, right? She got an idea. "Maybe I can sneak out and press that button." The otter looked over at the lobsters. They were all sleeping.
"It's too dangerous, Marlene. You're just not cut out for this kinda stuff." Skipper said.
Marlene rolled her eyes. "I can do it, Skipper! They're just lobsters." She snorted and laughed. "What? Does he have some, like, giant lobster monster that gobbles up otters with a side of candy yams?"
Skipper gasped. "You know about the candy yam eating lobster?!"
"She knows too much!" Kowalski yelled.
Marlene glared and shushed them. "My bad for making a silly remark," she said in a whisper. "And keep it down. You don't wanna wake up the lobsters, do you?"
Skipper looked around and sighed. "Okay, fine, but all we want you to do is press the button that releases us to get you guys out of here, nothing more, do you understand?" He ordered as the otter walked off. Her back was facing him, so he didn't see her rolling her eyes. Marlene wasn't just some weakling. She could do this, right?
Once Marlene was out of the cage, she snuck past the lobsters quietly. Her paws pressing against the cool ground of the lair seemed to make her feet numb. A lobster shuffled around in his sleep, making a cold sweat blast on the otter's body. She stood still for a second and watched the red crustaceans for a few moments.
"What is she waiting for?" Skipper whispered in a stressed tone.
Once the lobsters became still, Marlene started sneaking past them. She was close now. So close, that she could hear their breathing. It sounded as if they were whispering their breaths into her ears since her senses were set to a very alert mode. She turned away from the animals and her eyes lit up when she saw the button that would release Skipper… and the other penguins.
Marlene darted her eyes about the room quickly before slowly reaching out and placing her paw on the button. It felt really warm. Then again, her hands were very sweaty and clammy. She closed her eyes and took in a breath before gently pressing the button. She heard the cuffs that held the penguins open behind her along with the sound of their feet hitting the floor. Her short walk, though it felt like years, was a success.
Skipper smiled. "Excellence, Marlene." He praised silently. He faced his men with a serious look on his face. "Okay, men, we gotta get out of this place. You wake up the royal pain and his… pillows." He stared at King Julien, who was gently snoozing on top of Maurice and Mort. Skipper shook his head and faced Marlene. "Marlene, I'll—MARLENE!"
The penguins gasped at the sight of a lobster holding a claw over Marlene's mouth. Marlene glared daggers at the lobster, but all of her words, which were probably as fiery as her glare, were muffled by the lobster's claw. The lobster faced the almost escapees with a smile.
"Why do that when we'll help?" The lobster asked.
Private smiled. "You're helping us?" He tapped his flippers in an excited manner. Finally, a nice evil minion! Skipper always said it was impossible, but here it was right in front of him!
Skipper was suspicious though. This could still be a trap. "Why would you help us? You're evil!"
A few lobster crawled next to the lobster that held Marlene.
"We're tired of Blowhole choosing favorites. Once he's got your kids at his side, he's gonna get rid of us like fish that's too old!"
"Although, in Sweden, a main course known as a Surstromming is a Herring that has been sitting in a barrel for a year in a barrel, gutted on a plate, served with potatoes and bread, and has a tainted odor to it." Kowalski said. "So… maybe if Dr. Blowhole is Swedish, he wouldn't… throw… you out… like fish." He smiled nervously at Skipper, who was glaring at him. "Hehe, sorry," he then slapped himself before letting Skipper have a chance.
Skipper shook his head and sighed as he waddled over to the lobster and eyed him. "Since you're not squealing on us like a baby pigs to Blowhole and the Red Squirrel, I'm starting to believe you. But I'd let go of Marlene. It just doesn't look like you're helping us when you're suffocating one of us with your claws. Who knows where it's been."
"Well… I used it not too long ago to wash the bathrooms and—"
Before the lobster could finish whatever other chores he did with that claw of his, Marlene started struggling against his grim and muffling out words like, "Gross, yuck, and nasty."
The lobster ginned and released her.
Marlene wiped her paw over her mouth and glared at the lobster. "Grr…" she clenched her fists and shook her arms angrily, but Skipper put his flippers on her shoulder and held her back before she could do any damage. She wiped her tongue. "Oh, can't you warn an otter before you put your nasty claws over her mouth!?" She asked.
"Sorry, otter, but it looked like you were about to cry out to your boyfriend over here." The lobster said, pointing over at Skipper.
Skipper and Marlene both felt their faces heat up. "We're not together!" They shouted at the same time.
"Like I'd want to be with Marlene," Skipper said without thinking. "She's so… naïve and not my type."
Marlene glared at Skipper. "Oh, my bad for not being a bobble head doll, Skipper." She said harshly, making Rico snicker behind her.
Skipper glared at the girl. "I told you, I only married her because I had nearly blown her head off, not to mention she was all over me!" At this, Rico didn't bother to hold in a hoot of laughter, but stopped when his leader glared at him. "And bobble head dolls aren't all I go after! There was a falcon, too!"
"Ah. But you didn't marry her, did you? Maybe because you looked at a bobble head doll?" the otter grinned as Skipper seemed to sizzle like a steamed vegetable in front of her.
Private decided to be the peace maker before Blowhole or the Red Squirrel could hear them. He stepped between the two and placed his flippers in front of the two before they got even more in each other's faces.
"Skippah, Marlene, let's get out of here, alright? I miss my little girl." He said calmly.
Skipper didn't take his glare off of Marlene. "Marshal's probably taking good care of her, Private."
Private felt his face grow pale. "Well, that didn't help me at all!" He exclaimed.
Kowalski sighed. "Don't worry, Private. I'm sure that the kids are focused on find us and not just throwing some big…"
Meanwhile. . .
"Party, party, party!" the lemur prince sang, forming a conga line with Maurisa, mainly because he ordered her to, Roz, Marshal, and Elli, and Peanut. "Dis is de best day ever! No adults here to be all bossy and making more of de rules." He cheered over the festive music that blasted from the speakers.
Maurisa chuckled and rolled her yellow eyes. "What are you complaining about? King Julien's rules are to party! Not the other way around." She said, facing him.
"Well… den Marshal's dad comes over here and gets all screamy like an old person with kids in de yard!" Prince J.J. said, turning the music over to a new station. "I say we have a dance off!"
Elli smiled. "Ooh! Where's Buttons? He's whicked brilliant at dancing!" She looked around for the mini Rico, but he was with Athena at the H.Q., then again, since Buttons was considered the best dancer next to King Julien, that's probably why Prince J.J. wanted to have the dance off in the first place.
Buttons nuzzled Athena's next. Athena didn't look happy, and he didn't know why. Marshal said this was all some training thing. "You okay?" He mumbled out to her.
Athena sighed and crossed her flippers over her chest. "I miss my dad, Buttons. I miss everyone! And I wish people would listen to me. What if they're hurt? Or…" she closed her eyes and felt Buttons wrap his flippers around her to comfort her. She smiled. Buttons was always there for her. She smiled and kissed him.
Buttons smiled. "Don't think that."
"It's just weird, and… I think I might've been able to stop it." She looked over at her boyfriend, who was tilting his head in a questioning manner, so she continued. "Well, I was playing around with some chemicals after my dad and I heard some noises. It knocked me out before I could do anything."
Buttons smiled. "Auwabauawababwaba," he grunted.
"Well… yes, my dad wanted me to stay behind in case it was dangerous, but—"Buttons silenced her with a kiss. She smiled at him. "Don't worry so much?"
Buttons nodded and stood up. "I hear music." He said with his raspy voice. He pulled Athena next to him and waddled toward the penguins' fish bowl exit. "Wanna dance?"
Athena giggled and nodded. Maybe she should ease up a little. I mean, this was just a test. …Right? She shook her head a little doubtfully before leaving.
Once they reached the lemur habitat, the minis were already in the middle of their dance off. Marshal dancing with Peanut in a goofy manner. Roz was laughing at them, but they were all having fun in a teasing and fun loving manner. That's what mattered. It seemed as if such a fun time shouldn't end. There was laughing, food made by Peanut, which was something to really appreciate, and music! What wasn't there to like?
Roz leaned against the bar of the lemur habitat. Maurisa handed her a colorful cup with a loopy straw sticking out of it. "Isn't this great, 'Risa?" She asked, using her nickname. "We can have some fun, hangout, play around, and just have fun like most teenagers do!"
Maurisa laughed.
"Since when are we normal teenagers?" the lemur asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well… think about last week when Kowalski cloned himself. That was weird." Maurisa tried to hold in a laugh. "And he kept on saying how good looking it was."
Roz laughed. "And don't forget the time Buttons and Rico had their father and son bonding time. Explosions everywhere." She remembered how they blew up at least five trees and one of the hot dog carts. That would've been more okay with her if the buns hadn't soared over to her home. Marlene was complaining about ants for at least a week.
Maurisa sighed. "So… our life is weird, and it's not us?"
Roz grinned. "Well… some of us are more… weird." She pointed over at Marshal when she said this.
"So true," Maurisa nodded.
Roz sighed and got up. "Well… see yah."
"Where are you going?"
"Well, to look for evidence, duh."
"And here I thought you just wanted to goof off like a goober."
Roz chuckled. "I wanna have fun, Maurisa. But Skipper's gonna want us to look for something if this is just a drill. And when I find it, and not Marshal, I can't wait for the aftermath of that. …Though I hate math."
"You're evil, you know that?" Maurisa sighed. "Okay. I guess if I were you, I'd start at the H.Q."
Roz nodded. "You wanna come with?"
Maurisa gave Roz a look and then pointed over to a crazy dancing Prince J.J. "Are you nuts!? I'd be leaving J.J. alone on a dance off with Buttons. He's either bound to throw a temper tantrum or eat some sugar to boost his points at any moment. Roz," she put a paw on her shoulder, "I may be the single thread that keeps this zoo from going insane. This could end up like that story where King Julien ran the zoo for a day."
Roz nodded. "This is true." She shrugged and walked off to the H.Q.
Once she entered the H.Q., it felt so… alone. She kinda wished Maurisa had gone with her. It was as if the penguins not being there made it seem so bare and empty. The teenage otter ran her hand over the table of Kowalski's laboratory. Nothing was there that related to the kidnapping. So then she checked the T.V., and watching a few channels was important to! You know, to make sure it worked. Nothing was there, or on T.V. for that matter, so she continued her search, but ended up with nothing again.
"Okay. This is getting me nowhere. Skipper would leave something!" She said to herself. "If this was a test he would've." She let her thoughts fly back to when she and Skipper first met in what seemed to be forever ago. She giggled remembering how she knocked him down. He always said she had beginners luck, but she didn't see it that way. She wished she had a camera to video tape that moment sometimes… wait! A camera! She could use that for evidence, right?
She ran over to a building where the video footage that the cameras captured during the day would be sent to. All she needed to do was view the tapes. After she arrived there, she sat herself on top of one of the wheeled chairs. The scratchy fabric was a bit uncomfortable at first, but she got used to it in time to watch a few of the videos. She got bored just watching human walk along and awing at the animals like usual, but she sat up when the videos came to night time. She knew this was around the time the others had to be taken. At first, all she saw was the red moon shining into the camera, but she saw a few figures. One had a little bump on his head. No. That wasn't a bump, was it?
Roz scurried her paws across the desk before finding the mouse and zooming in on the image a little to get a better look like her brother, Cube, had taught her how to do. Once she got it there, it was a little blurry, but she could see the brown fur… the tail… and the… no. No. That couldn't be that! She gasped when she found out it was a crown. Prince J.J.!? No way! He wouldn't, or most likely couldn't, hurt a fly! Then more images came up on the screen. Her eyes widened. There was Maurisa, Marshal, Elli, Athena, Buttons, and even Peanut. These were her friends. She crossed her arms bitterly before marching over to the lemur habitat.
She had a few words to say to her friends/kidnappers.