After lunch, Carl pulled his sister away from the group.
"Kelsa," he said. "I'm never gonna get a shot at strategist with Skipper favoring Kowalski. Can't you do something to make him mad at Kowalski?"
Kelsa wrinkled her brow. "I can't do that!" she said. "I don't want to make him not like me."
Carl sighed. "Let me know when you want to. I think it's sad you'd rather help your crush the your brother."
"He's not my crush!" Kelsa gave Carl a light kick.
Her brother shot her a glare and went over. "I'm 87.9 percent angered with you." He looked over his shoulder. "Did you hear that, Kowalski?"
"I'M FIFTY SIX POINT-"
"I'M TWO BILLION-"
"Training time!" Skipper called, and the seven penguins raced over to him.
"Today we'll be splitting up. We'll have two teams, A and B. Let's see… Team A, me, Private, Millie and Jane. Team B, Rico, Carl, Kelsa, Kowalski and Zeek."
"What are we doing, Skippah?" asked Private.
"Capture the flag, of course! Winning team gets first pick of the fish tomorrow." Skipper belly slid away, his team in tow.
"Okay, men." Skipper whispered once they were on the other side of the habitat. "We'll need to be quiet. The opponent has more soldiers, which may be a disadvantage. First order-"
"Or we could just go and get the flag." suggested Millie.
"Yeah, or we could-"
"Let me handle this." Millie pushed Skipper to the side.
Meanwhile…
"I suggest that 81.7 percent-" Kowalski started.
Carl interrupted. "Actually, that's 58.9 percent."
"You didn't even hear what I was going to-"
"46.2 percent!" Carl exclaimed.
Kelsa pushed Carl to the side. "I say we take the shortest possible route."
Rico nodded vigorously, obviously agreeing.
Kowalski shot Carl a glare before nodded.
Zeek tugged on Kowalski's flipper. "Skis," he said. "I wanna flag! Make them give it back!"
Kowalski looked where the small penguin was pointing.
"We won!" yelled Millie.
"Huh?" Rico said.
"First pick of fish!" Jane jumped up happily.
"But how could we lose?" Kowalski said, grabbing his notepad. "I was sure-"
"Your calculations were obviously wrong." Carl said. "Mine are always right."
"Mine are always right!" yelled Kowalski. "I'm the OPTIONS guy!"
"He hasn't asked for options today." Carl nodded towards Skipper. "I'm going to be strategist."
"Skipper! I thought I was strategist."
"You are, Kowalski. I'm giving Carl a chance. Carl, options!"
"What?" Kowalski said. "I'm options department."
"I didn't say I was relieving you of duty." Skipper said.
Kowalski growled and stormed back into the HQ.
"He'll be back." Skipper assured Private, whose eyes had begun to water.
Kelsa was waiting for Kowalski.
She held his flipper. "Hey, Kowalski." She smiled and batted her eyelashes. "You are cute, do you know that?"
"Kelsa, I can't have… a relationship with you."
"Why?" Kelsa's head snapped up.
"Uh…" Kowalski scratched the back of his head. "Skipper forbids love."
"Skipper doesn't have to know." Kelsa drew the tall penguin into an embrace.
"Kelsa, please st-"
"Kowalski?" It was Skipper's voice.
Kowalski pushed Kelsa away. "Oh, hi Skipper. I was just t-talking to Kelsa here."
Skipper wasn't fooled. "What did I tell you about love?" he demanded.
"It muddles your mind?"
"What else?" Skipper put his flippers on his hips.
"Uh… love is for pansies, not for soldiers?"
"I would have expected better of you, 'Walksi. And of all penguins, I would have thought you would have the sense…"
Kelsa turned away. She felt bad that Kowalski was getting lambasted because of her, but when she thought of it, Carl's plan had come true. He had wanted her to get Skipper mad and Kowalski, and here she was, fulfilling it.
Fate is funny that way.
***
"Options, Carl." Skipper asked his new strategist as Kowalski glared furiously.
"Think of it as a vacation from strategy." the lead penguin had explained. "I'm giving you a break. Rico or Private would be happy."
But Kowalski wasn't happy. In fact, he wanting revenge.
Meanwhile…
Rico was following Jane around. She was beginning to get creeped out by the tough penguin. He vomited up Snickers bar for her. The worst part? It wasn't in a wrapper.
"Uh… no thank you." Jane dropped the candy bar. Rico looked sulky.
***
Millie was a fighting machine. With flippers packed with force and a brain full of strategic reactions to any attack possible, she was every ninja's worst nightmare. She had wicked reaction time and could catch a speeding bullet with her eyes closed. She seemed perfect for the team. If only she was willing to listen to orders. Her haughty personality matched her cold frown of concentration on her face.
It was night, and Millie was on recon. Her ears were alert for any movement. Her mind was buzzing with constant alerts from everything- the temperature of the wind, the pain in her left flipper (an accident with Rico earlier) and the sound of Marlene sleeping somewhere in the zoo.
Her amber eyes scanned the land beneath her, searching for any movement. Dark shadows flitted about, cast by her ever-moving flippers against her flashlight. A light breeze blew her Mohawk away from her face. She smiled deviously as she saw movement in down below. She backflipped down and cartwheeled ever so closer… and then…
With a growl, Millie leaped, pinning down her opponent. She shone her flashlight on the intruder.
"It is only me," the grey lemur said. "Your king, which is me. And get off me, silly penguin! I am royalty!"
"Huh?" Millie let the lemur up. He straightened his crown and blew some dirt off his slender fingertips. "Who are you?"
"I am King Julian."
"I'm Millicent." Millie stuck out her flipper, secretly keeping her hand on the knife tucked safely in her knapsack.
Julian didn't shake. "I have come to borrow some of your delicious penguin juice."
"Not on my watch." Millie drew her knife and chased the lemur back to his habitat. He scurried up to the top of his throne.
"You crazy penguins just got crazy!" he said.
"My work is done." Millie backflipped back to her post.
***
Chapter Two is done. Fine out what happens in Chapter Three. Will Carl remain strategist forever? Will Rico win over Jane? Will Kowalski and Kelsa ever be together? Will Millie and Skipper get along? Will Zeek ever learn Kowalski's name?
Some of these questions and more will be will revealed in the next installement, so keeping checking back!
~Lukos
