Father's Love
Chapter 6: Reunion
Skipper punched the wall. He shouted in rage and punched again, making his right flipper bleed.
"I swear I'm gonna kill you, cursed father!" he yelled, and then he quickly took his equipments.
He slided outside in no time and sneaked to a bus. He went off at the airport and searched for the quickest fly to Equador. And then he wait there, hid in a toilet.
"If they hurt my team even just a little, I'll kill them all!" he said to himself. "Damn, how could I believe him? I'm so stupid!"
A drop of tears fell from his eyes, and then he hit his head to the wall. "Dad, why are you doing this to me?" he whispered.
For a long time, he sit silently, thinking about his team's condition. His dad. And who will he face at Equador.
Suddenly he heard a notice saying that the next fly to Equador was ready.
"That's my sign," he said.
The clock tower showed 2200 hours, but Skipper hadn't come. Marlene started to worry.
"What's happening with Skipper?" thought her. She yawned. "I guess it's okay to go sleep now. Perhaps he will come tomorrow to explain this..."
Skipper stood in front of the emergency door of the plane with his equipment bag and parachute.
"If my gut is right - and it is always right - I'm already above the Amazon River," he said.
He jumped to open the door. And then, as the door opened, he quickly threw away. He couldn't see any river under him.
"Hover dam, this is why do I sometimes need my Lieutenant!" he yelled and opened the parachute on his back. Then he saw a moonlight reflection not too far in front of him. It was a wide river.
"Well, my gut never fail too far." he said with a smile, while controlling the parachute to fly there. "I hope the plane doesn't lose pressure too much, however they only need to close the door,"
He landed near the river and released his parachute. He yawned. 'I can't see the direction in the night. Maybe I need to rest till the sunrise...'
Skipper leaned to a tree near him with his flipper holding a Dessert Eagle, and he quickly fell asleep. He didn't know that someone was watching him.
Marlene woke up with a headache. She walked out and swam awhile, hoping it would heal the dizzy. But it gave no effect. The clock thower showed 600 hours, but there was no sign of Skipper, neither the other penguins.
"I gotta check them." said her. She headed to the penguins habitat and tried to open the fishbowl. Locked.
"This is very unusual... What is wrong with them?" asked her to herself.
Blood was everywhere. Covering almost all of the ground. Private lie with stabs on his back, his face was showing disappointment. Kowalski was next to him, with fresh scars all over his body. And Rico lie near them, bullets made their holes on his chest.
And Skipper still leaned to the tree. Unable to move. He wanted to get to his team, but he couldn't break the invisible tie. So he only could watch their death bodies, making his chest burn in anger, sadness and despair.
And then Brian showed up in front of him, bringing a knife.
"Dad..." said Skipper. "Why? Why did you kill them? WHY DID YOU KILL YOUR OWN GRANDSON?"
"Don't worry, my son," Brian answered. "Soon enough, you'll see the reason."
Then, Brian stabbed the knife to Skipper's chest.
"NOOO!"
Skipper opened his eyes. He was breathing quickly. Sweat fell down from his face. While the sun just rised up at the East.
"Huh." he muttered. "What an awesome dream."
He got up and put down his gun and bag. And then he jumped to the river, just to wash up his face. He climbed back to the edge, and took his equipment.
"Hold on, boys. I'll be there in no time." he said and slided to the West. "At least the dream was right: I'll know his reason soon enough."
A dolphin with a robotic eye sit on his vehicle, facing the window at his room. And then the door knocked by someone.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened. An old penguin with flat head and scar on his left eye waddled in.
"So, where's he?" asked the dolphin.
"He's on his way, Blowhole." answered the penguin.
"Good. And how about his comrades?"
"I've put them in the prison. But General Thorn wants to do some experiment on them."
"Tell him to do it later. We must get ready to welcome our Captain first."
After hours waddling and sliding, Skipper found a familiar place and two familiar things - two graves of his old partners, Manfredie and Johnson. Grass had grown and covered them. All memories of his soldiers came back to his mind, making him knelt beside the graves.
"Freddie... Johnson... I'm so sorry, I disappointed you all..." said him.
Wind blew slowly to his face. He took a deep breath, refreshing his body a little. "Maybe you won't believe this, but General Brian is with Blowhole now. Yeah, my cursed father. He captured our friends, and your little brother," he continued. "But today I swear I'll save them. I'll kill Blowhole once and for all, even I won't hesitate to kill Brian if needed."
Skipper stood up, when the wind blew harder. A piece of leave flew away. He watched it in silent as the leave flew into a big shack not far from him, above the place where Blowhole's base once located.
"Thanks," he said. "Now, good bye, my friends."
Skipper held his Desert Eagle in his right flipper and slided to the shack. He carefully opened the door and waddled in. It was dark, there was no light or window, nor rooms and prisons as he thought before. The shack was wide, almost the same wide as a soccer field, and completely empty. But his gut said that he was in danger.
"I'm not so stupid, Blowhole." said Skipper.
He took a coin from his equipment bag and threw it to the middle of the room. But nothing happened.
"It looks like you can learn, Blowhole," he whispered and waddled slowly forward.
Suddenly, the door closed by itself and a lamp turned on.
"Come on. This trick doesn't so surprising. Just come out." Skipper mocked.
"Well, I'm sure that you'll be surprised after you see my face, again."
Someone in the shadow waddled to him, while the lamp became brighter. Showing an old familiar penguin with Kowalski - his head bleed and unable to move - in his flippers.
"Thorn," said Skipper in venom.
"I'm sorry... Sir..." Kowalski whispered.
Someone walked closer from Skipper's left. Chrome Claw, with Rico locked in his claw. Blood dripped from the side of his beak. And finally, at Skipper's right side, Private showed up in Brian's flippers.
"Brian, you damned father!" Skipper yelled. "If you dare to hurt Private... I will kill you with my own flippers,"
Brian grinned and twisted Private's flipper until the youngest penguin shouted in pain.
"DAMN YOU!" Skipper yelled and aimed his pistol to his dad's head.
"You can't do it, Skipper. You want to kill your own father?" Thorn mocked.
Brian chuckled. "I can't believe this. A legendary Captain which is the only penguin who ever survive in attacking Blowhole can be easily fooled."
"What do you mean?" Skipper asked.
Brian laughed loudly this time. "Skipper, my son... I am NOT your father,"
"We only need some information about your past - yes, I have unlimited source of information - and make some dramatic lies to bring you here," said Thorn.
"Yeah. The story about your father tried to stop Thorn, that's all a lie. Your father never tried to fight Thorn. In fact, he really betrayed the army and joined the rebels," said Brian. "Poor you."
Thorn grinned. "Yes. You're a son of a terrorist, Skipper. Ironically, you become a counter-terrorist. This is your punishment after you destroyed my plan,"
Skipper remained in silent, still aiming his fake-father's head. How could this happen? It's impossible - his dad would never betray the army... And, this Brian guy... Who is he actually?
"Now, Skipper..." said Thorn. "You have five seconds to put down your gun on the floor... Or you'll see your friends death."
Thorn twisted Kowalski's flippers even harder, making him groaned painfully. Chrome Claw twisted Rico's head.
"Five..."
"Four..."
"Three..."
"Two..."
Skipper stared Brian coldly. Brian didn't make any expression, just like he was no one for him.
TO BE CONTINUED
a/n: sorry for the long update! I hope you liked it! Please, review! Thanks! ^^