Skipper wasn't too happy with the idea of telling Ramona, Allie, and Barry about the team. Rico and Kowalski shared this partial doubt, but didn't openly express it. Skipper almost refused to listen until he caught sight of Private's puppy face.
Something struck him deep in his heart. He groaned loudly and looked to Kowalski and Rico for help, but they both shrugged.
Finally, the leader was defeated. He said that Private could tell the rest of PARK B as long as all four of them were completely one hundred percent trustworthy.
…
It took a lot of persuading on Kowalski's part to get his swim coach to let him off for a week. She told him that as long as he was able to get them at least one win, he could skip a week.
Needless to say, DeRege was furious. He complained loudly about unfair treatment. He was only stopped when Harper Waller told him to shut up and used his first name. He turned red and tried to poke fun of Rico, but Rico shrugged it off. The other teammates were indifferent as long as Kowalski was still going to show up to the competition.
…
The Penguins met their escort a little bit out of town. Rocky had driven them without much questioning, just telling them to return safely. The boys promised.
The day was relatively warm and they had packed for summer weather. The only issue they had prior to leaving was the required vaccinations. Kowalski, Rico, and Private had been given shots and were cleared within ten minutes.
It took two hours to convince Skipper to even sit in the chair, another hour to chase him down once he saw the needle, and about three hours to drag him back and wrestle him into a chair that he had to be strapped down to, and less than five minutes to actually give him the shots. At the end of this, many people had bruises where Skipper had kicked and whacked at them.
Now that they were vaccinated, they were able to move on to their mission.
They boarded a private plane that would take them to Africa. The pilot had wild hair and a very bright smile.
"Hello, campers!" He said. "I'm here to take you to Africa!"
"Hi." Skipper said warily. He had been paranoid ever since getting his vaccinations.
"My name's Byron! So, my job's to bring you to Africa, but not straight to the village. If I brought you there, people might be spying on us. Also, I have another mission after the drop off. It'll take a day to get there and a day to get back, that leaves you with four days to help the village in any way you can. We need their support and also to make sure they're still protected."
"Alright." Kowalski said. "I'm Kowalski."
"Are you the leader?" Byron asked.
"No, I'm the leader." Skipper said. "Are you qualified to fly the plane?"
"What makes you ask that?"
"You don't look old enough."
"You never know what people can do." Byron said. "Look around, I bet you'll be surprised."
"How old are you?" Private asked.
"Fourteen."
The Penguins let their jaws drop.
"But…you're younger than the three of us!" Kowalski said, indicating the older teens. "How can you be a pilot?"
"Technically, I'm in training. This is my teacher." He pointed to the copilot. She gave a small smile.
"Wait, we're being driven by a kid in training?!" Skipper yelped. "I'd rather not do that when we're hundreds of feet in the air!"
"Are you suggesting I do not know how to teach my students?" The copilot said, raising a brow.
"No, ma'am."
"It isn't his first time flying and I have full faith in him." She said.
"Don't worry; I know what these buttons and knobs do." Byron said. "You'll arrive safely with no problems at all."
"Byron, what have I said?" The copilot said.
"Not to overestimate."
"That doesn't make me feel better." Private said.
"If it makes you feel better, I shall be the one picking you up." The woman said.
The boys exchanged looks. Byron laughed as he started the plane.
The boys relaxed slightly as Byron flew the plane. Skipper still didn't know how he felt about having someone that young flying them across the Atlantic.
Byron, Rico, and Private got along well as the former started telling stories about how he was trapped in boats, secret lairs, and a whale's stomach at one point. He admitted to making up the last one, but it was still pretty cool. Once Private had mentioned Uncle Nigel, Byron started going on about how he heard so much about the British agent. He heard that at one point, Nigel's brother joined him on an epic mission to defuse a bomb at a conference with all the world leaders present.
Kowalski had engaged conversation with the copilot who was very knowledgeable about planes. She said that she could get Kowalski some lessons if he wanted some and began setting appointments to meet with some agents in the air section. Kowalski tried to make a joke about not being downwind, but the copilot didn't seem amused.
Skipper tuned them all out. He was trying to listen to the noise of the plane, making sure it didn't sound odd. He also thought about his family and then at one point go to thinking about what Kowalski might be planning. He watched his teammate having a conversation with the copilot.
Why did Kowalski seem so normal talking about technology? If you asked him about anything educational, scientific, or technological, he'd be able to talk about it pretty freely. But if you started delving into his personal life, he got awkward. The only question he'd be able to answer not awkwardly was that he had a brother. Anything else about his parents, where he lived or anything else turned him away and caused him to become unresponsive.
Skipper sighed internally and switched his gaze to Rico. Rico seemed to be doing alright. He was hiding sadness, but he seemed a lot happier now that he didn't have a crazy lady harping on him all the time. Would Rico be able to afford coming back next year? Rikki mentioned that money was tight and they might not be able to spend more holidays, other than Christmas and summer, at home. Rico didn't talk about things like that though. He was the kind of guy who seemed to go with the flow, but became determined if motivated properly. He also became dangerous when angry and agitated. Not to say he'll forget who his friends are, but he'll fight for what's right.
The leader looked at the youngest of the team. Private seemed so innocent. He looked up to Skipper, not knowing a dark secret of the leader's past. What if he knew? Skipper wondered if Private would be upset or scared. Loads of people had become scared after the Denmark incident. Private could be one of them. He could become one of those who wanted nothing more than to be rid of Skipper forever. Seeing the smile on the youngest one's face as he chatted with Byron brought a small smile to Skipper's face. Skipper wanted Private to keep being sweet and innocent. He wanted Rico to be part of the team, to have friends. He wanted Kowalski to be safe and know where he belongs. Could that last forever though?
Could any of this last forever?
Skipper became so absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn't realized that several hours had passed and his team was asleep.
Byron had switched places with his teacher as he got sleep. Rico curled up in his chair and Private had fallen asleep sideways with his head lolling off the edge of the chair and his feet on top of Rico's tilted head.
Kowalski was sitting straight up, looking as if he could spring awake at any moment. Skipper wondered if he really could.
…
The plane touched down on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert. Byron said that their destination was in a remote part of the desert. He gave them a map and wished them luck. If they needed anything, they were to call via communicator watches.
The boys saluted as the plane took off.
They spent the time talking about school and what they planned on doing this summer as they walked further into the desert. It was very hot, but that didn't deter them at all. They rationed their food and took breaks every so often.
Rico and Rikki planned on going to Disney World with their friend, Alan. Apparently, Alan had won a free trip to the theme park. He was allowed to bring three extra guests and decided on Rico, Rikki, and another friend named Susan. His parents were going along too and the Blue siblings almost declined the offer for Alan's parents to pay for dining.
Skipper, Kowalski, and Private made sure Rikki and Rico changed their minds, saying that it was a once in a lifetime experience. Even their dad had been encouraging. Finally, the siblings broke and allowed Alan's parents to spoil them. This trip was happening later in the summer. Skipper's father said that if there was any problem with transportation or if Rico was stuck in New York, he'd pay for both siblings. Needless to say, the Blue siblings were quite shocked and couldn't even stammer out protests.
Private planned on visiting New York again to hang out with Allie, Ramona, and Barry some more. He also hoped that Ginger and Daniel would be able to visit as well. His mother was relieved that he was safe and resolved to stop being so protective if he were to be safer. He told her that the reason he was staying an extra week was because he wanted to see Kowalski in competition.
Technically, that was the truth. He really did want to see Kowalski compete and possibly help his team advance. He wondered, though, what if something were to happen? He was supposed to have another competition right before school started. He tried to put that out of his mind for now.
Skipper planned on hanging out with his family. He also wanted to make sure the city was as safe as it could be. He said he was going to try to make it out to Rico's house to visit or possibly Marlene's house. She had told him he wouldn't be able to handle California weather. He promptly disagreed and told her he could handle anything.
Of course, this had been disproved by the fact that Skipper freaked out over needles. After asking Rocky about this, she confirmed that he had Trypanophobia, the fear of injections. Skipper started remembering past incidents and cringed at the thought of being poked again with needles. He'd been told that he had this phobia since he was two and only two people knew why. Skipper knew, but he had been threatened never to tell anyone why by the only other person who could possibly explain.
All three of them planned on waiting for Kowalski and Kenny's responses. They resolved to get the mystery out before summer's end.
Kowalski was the only one who didn't say what he was doing this summer. He didn't tell them, but he wasn't even sure about anything. He did say he wanted to find out who his mother was. He skillfully avoided core subjects. It made the others wonder if he'd grown up avoiding answers and what exactly happened to cause that. They worried about Kenny as well. Though, they knew he was safe at the apartments with Barry and Ramona, they dreaded whatever Kowalski wasn't telling them.
They pressed on for the day, taking breaks when they could. Their water supply was running low fast because it was so dry and hot out.
…
"Kowalski, where are we?" Skipper asked.
"I don't know, all I see is desert." Kowalski answered. "The map says the village should be close by."
"You said that ten miles ago."
"I'm sorry."
"Private!" Rico yelled.
The other two turned to see the youngest laying in the dirt with his eyes shut.
"Are you alright?" Skipper said once he'd gotten to the boy.
Private didn't answer. His skin was pale and he was extremely sweaty.
"Kowalski, analysis."
Kowalski felt Private's forehead and took out a notebook. "He's weak and dehydrated, sweating profusely and earlier he complained of a headache and dizziness and now he's lost consciousness. He has heat exhaustion."
"Is that bad?"
"Not as bad as heat stroke, but we need to get him to a cooler place and fast."
Skipper bit his lip. "Great, if only we knew where to go."
"I don't get it, the map should be right- what are you doing?" Kowalski said, seeing Skipper take off Private's shirt.
"He can't breathe; he needs to have breathing room." Skipper said, removing the shoes and socks as well. "Rico, do you have shorts?"
Rico nodded.
"We should all change into comfortable clothing."
The three of them changed and stuffed the clothes inside Rico's backpack.
Private groaned and twitched. "Water…" he said hoarsely
He saw the blurry outline of Rico giving him a bottle of water.
"We're also running out of supplies." Kowalski said.
"Then we need to move faster." Skipper said.
The boys helped Private change into shorts and Skipper took one of the boy's arms and put it around his shoulder.
"He might faint again." Kowalski warned.
"I know, lead the way."
"Water…water…" Private whimpered.
"I know, but we need to save it." Skipper said.
…
Private fainted four times in the next half hour and the boys wondered if they were ever going to get there.
"Are those mountains?" Skipper said, squinting into the distance.
"No, they're houses. We've reached the hidden village!"
"Great…"
Kowalski turned around to see Skipper sway on the spot and then vomit.
Rico caught Private and Kowalski held Skipper steady.
"Skipper, you've had heat exhaustion this whole time as well." Kowalski said. "And if I'm not mistaken, Rico could have a mild case."
He looked at Rico who blinked several times before lifting Private onto his back. Rico looked at Kowalski as if to say 'forget about my dizziness and focus on them'.
"Scientific…whatever…what…wha…wa…water…" The leader shook his head.
"We'll get you water." Kowalski said. He pulled Skipper along with him until they reached the edge of the village and the leader had lost consciousness.
Rico was able to put Private down once they had found a tiny bit of shade against the wall surrounding the village.
"How do we get in?" Kowalski asked.
Rico shook his head and slid down to the ground.
Kowalski put a hand to Rico's head. "You have slight fever, sunburn and are sweating." He felt Skipper and Private's heads. "Whoa!" He gasped. "Private has a high fever, he's burning up."
Rico looked blearily at Kowalski.
"Please stay awake for a few more minutes."
Rico smiled. He had taken his shirt off and put it on his head.
"I'll be right back."
Kowalski ran along the edge of the wall, glancing back at his team every so often. He saw a hole small enough to slide in and he signaled for Rico.
Rico put his shirt back on and pulled Skipper up. Kowalski went to fetch Private.
Skipper was barely conscious when Kowalski got there. He hadn't said a word, but Kowalski could hear him breathing.
Rico had managed to help Skipper through the space and helped Kowalski get Private in. The village was beautiful, but as hot as the outside.
They thought they saw people because the curtains moved and shuffling was heard.
A child had briefly appeared at the doorway before disappearing into one of the houses.
Rico started coughing and nearly dropped Skipper.
Kowalski had to put Private down on the ground because he was getting heavy.
"Oh dear." A woman's voice said.
They saw the child again, hiding behind the woman.
"Please help us…" Kowalski said weakly.
"Of course." She said. She ran into the house for a moment and came out with a girl who was hardly older than Rico.
The woman helped Kowalski and Private inside while the girl helped Rico and Skipper.
Skipper and Private were put on beds in the nearest room and Rico collapsed on a chair in the living room.
The woman had given Skipper and Private some water and told the boy to alert her if they woke up.
The girl gave Rico and Kowalski some water and gestured for Kowalski to sit as well.
"Thanks." Kowalski said.
The girl stared at them.
"Uh…" Kowalski felt a little nervous. "My name's Kowalski, what's yours?"
She didn't respond.
The woman came in with some food on a wooden tray. "I'm sorry; she does not speak much English. Her name is Chetana and she is from India. My name is Nalini, but you may call me Nali." She said, giving Rico a cold towel. "My son is watching your friends, his name is Austin. I took them both in a few years ago. Austin was frightened because he thought you were going to take him away."
"Away?" Kowalski asked.
"Yes, unfortunately he saw his parents being taken away at a young age and he ran away. He never told me exactly what happened, but both of them were threatened…all of us in this village are threatened by this man with a strange name."
"Blowhole?"
Chetana gasped and started speaking very fast. Nali held up her hand for silence and turned to Kowalski.
"He's our enemy." Kowalski said. "The four of us were supposed to help this village, but I guess we needed help instead."
Nali was about to respond when Austin peeked into the room. He was small for a seven year old, skinny and pale. He reminded Kowalski of himself except this boy had bright red hair and blue-green eyes.
"Nali…" He said in a voice hardly more than a whisper.
"The boys are awake?"
Austin nodded.
"Where am I?" Skipper asked as soon as Kowalski and Nali walked in.
"In the hidden village." Kowalski answered. "We made it, but you, Private, and Rico are overheated. Rico nearly fainted from dehydration and hunger. You two must be hungry as well."
"How did you stay strong?" Skipper asked, taking a cracker offered to him.
"I don't know." Kowalski answered. He looked away from Skipper.
"Kowalski, is something wrong?"
"No." Kowalski said blankly.
"How is Private?" Skipper asked.
"He is recovering." Nali said. "He just needs more rest and he'll be fine."
Kowalski took out his watch. "Agent Simms, this is Agent Taro. We made it to the village."
Austin looked curiously at the device.
"Well done, agent Taro. How are the other three?" Simms asked.
"Well, Sorenson and Davis have heat exhaustion. They're both alright now, but they were overheated and disoriented. Agent Blue is a bit better than them, just a little dizzy and hot."
Simms chuckled a little. "You think Agent Blue is hot?"
Kowalski turned pink. "That's not what I meant!" He said. He shot Skipper a look. The leader had been wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Relax, Taro, I was joking. How are you?"
"Fine. The village seems well protected and everything seems calm."
"Good, just make sure everyone's safe. Let us know if anything is out of the ordinary."
"Will do."
Kowalski ended communication just as Private was waking up. He was briefed on what happened after he fainted and told that he should relax for a while longer.
Rico decided to join Austin in a game of soccer. A few other kids shyly looked around until they decided that the newcomers weren't bad. They joined Austin and Rico in a game. Some of the kids chatted to Rico, wondering if he got the scar in battle. They found Rico to be very cool and the teen decided that he would hang out with the kids to make sure they were happy.
Chetana followed Kowalski and Skipper as they scoped the village. Everyone's reports came back positive, they were doing well and were getting used to the heat now. Chetana was trying to teach Kowalski and Skipper a few words in Hindi. She knew a little bit of English, but mostly spoke her native language.
They reached the other end of the village and saw an old looking house.
"Does anyone live there?" Kowalski asked.
Chetana nodded. "Old man." She said.
"Just an old man?"
She nodded again.
"Sounds easy." Skipper said.
Chetana grabbed his arm and shook her head.
"Nahī" She said.
"Is there something wrong with him?"
"Vaha bahuta matalaba hai." She said, shaking her head.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Kowalski said.
Chetana made an angry face.
"He's mean?" Skipper asked.
She nodded.
"We'll take our chances." Skipper said.
Chetana shrugged.
"Wish us luck!" Kowalski said.
She smiled. "Saubhāgya!" She called after their retreating backs.
…
Skipper knocked on the door.
"Maybe we should have brought the others." Kowalski said.
Skipper was about to respond when the door was thrown open. A harsh looking man stood there with a nasty expression on his face.
"I don't want your stupid charity." He growled.
"We're not a charity." Skipper said. "We're here to check on all the residents of this village and your house was the last-"
"You kids can't do anything."
"We're not kids." Kowalski said. "You don't know any of what we've been through."
"Yeah right, what? You got a low grade on a test?" The man laughed mockingly.
"Yeah, I wish that was the worst thing that's happened to me." Kowalski muttered.
"Our job is to make sure you and every resident is safe and happy as possible. So, just tell us you're alright and we'll be on our way." Skipper said, trying to ignore the implications of his teammate's comment.
"Happy? You think we're happy?!" The man roared. "We've been torn from our homes, you idiotic child! None of these people are happy, only the kids and I CAN'T STAND THEM! They're too ignorant like you! Leave me alone." He slammed the door.
Skipper growled and raised his fist to pound the door, but Kowalski stopped him.
"We'll try again tomorrow." The taller boy said.
Skipper huffed and stormed away.
Chetana gave Kowalski a look as if to say 'I told you so'. Kowalski shrugged. They went back to check on Private.
"Don't listen to that man." Nali said after hearing the story. "He's just bitter over something that happened years ago."
…
By the morning, Private seemed almost one hundred percent better. He was healthy enough to walk to the end of the village. The four boys headed towards the house. Kowalski told the team that he noticed it was set a little farther from the other houses. He and Skipper warned the other two that the man might not be so happy to see them.
Again, they knocked on the door.
The man opened the door and growled when he saw the four of them.
"So you brought friends…" He groaned. "I told you, get out of my face."
"But we just wanted to talk." Private said.
The man glared at him. "Who are you?"
"Agent Davis, sir." The youngest said.
"You know some guy named Nigel?"
"Uh, well, I have an uncle named Nigel. I don't see wh-"
BAM!
"He slammed the door." Kowalski said.
"Yeah, I caught that." Skipper said angrily. He pounded the door. "HEY! We're not done talking!"
"Nigel shouldn't be your problem!" Kowalski yelled. "Doesn't everyone have an issue with Blowhole?"
The door was flung open. The man had a wild and angry look.
"Some people have issues with others. Nigel got me fired." He growled.
"Wait, did you go to Russia with him?" Private asked.
"Whatever you've been told is a lie, kid. Nigel went crazy and left while we were sleeping." He looked at all of them. "I bet I can tell all the lies you've been told."
"But-"
"How can we take your word?" Skipper asked, cutting across Private.
"You don't have to because I really don't care." The man said. "I was banished to this village because they thought I was too stupid for any more missions. Nigel made sure I never worked again."
"That's not true." Private said.
"We're not here to talk about Nigel; we're here to ask you why you're so bitter." Skipper said. "Why do you feel the need to make everyone around you feel miserable? Everyone in the village warned us about you."
"You came to heckle me." The man snorted. "Leave the talking to the professionals. You're just a bunch of kids way in over their head. As I said yesterday, you don't know how harsh the real world can be."
"WHAT?!" Rico shouted. "Hey! Not. True."
"He knows what it's like to be shunned." Private said.
"I know that an entire country can ban you for fighting." Skipper said.
"And you?" The man sneered at Kowalski.
Kowalski stared emotionlessly at him. "I know how to survive."
"HAHAHA! Yeah right! Go back to your mommies and let the adults handle everything." The man said. "Children aren't good for anything."
"Not children!" Rico protested.
"We can do anything we set our minds to." Private said.
The man laughed harshly again. "That sounds like a child's answer! Everything's all rainbows and unicorns to you, eh? Do everyone a favor and grow up."
"Why don't you?" Skipper snapped. "We're just trying to help and you're not giving us a chance."
"Get used to it." The man said, slamming the door again.
Skipper and Rico wanted to pound the door down, but Private and Kowalski held them back. The former two sighed and followed the others to a set of benches near a dirt field. A group of children were running around, playing.
"Now what?" Private asked.
"We keep helping out the village." Kowalski said. "We do everything we can to gather the information needed and then we leave."
"And we shouldn't go back there." Skipper said.
"Why?" Rico demanded. He glared at the leader.
"I know you want to go back, but that would be counterproductive." Kowalski said. "He can think whatever he wants. It's obvious we're not going to get him to see any other way."
"What if he's telling the truth about Nigel?" Private asked.
"If we relied on 'what ifs' all the time, we may not be able to move on in life." Skipper said. "I think you should trust your dad and your uncle."
"But am I being told the whole story?" Private sighed. "If I'm being lied to by my own family, how am I to be sure that no one else will lie to me?"
"You can't." Kowalski said. "There's either those you can trust or those you can't. Sometimes you fall and you have to catch yourself before you break. Once you break, there's no going back."
"That's a bit of a one sided argument." Skipper said. "I'd say there's a sort of gray area. Not everything's good and bad, period. There are some things you just have to figure out on your own, but know that there's someone there to catch you if you fall. You don't have to be alone."
Skipper seemed to be directing the conversation towards Kowalski. The taller boy caught that and tensed.
"Goal!" Rico shouted, causing several of the kids to giggle. One of the kids had got the soccer ball past the goalie. Private laughed along with them.
Skipper hadn't been paying attention; he was staring intently at Kowalski. Kowalski was lost in thought, but behind his defensive walls. This gave him a troubled look. He was having a harder time concealing his worried emotions. Skipper could almost feel the anxiety radiating off of his teammate.
"Will you be first?"
Skipper blinked, not expecting Kowalski to speak.
"Will you be the first to hear my story?" Kowalski asked hoarsely. "There are some things that Kenny doesn't know or remember…but I want…you guys…"
"We'll be there." Skipper said. "Just keep us up to date."
"Thank you."
…
The rest of the mission went by well. The newer residents were becoming accustomed to the village and the older ones were doing well. They tried to go back to the man's house before they left, but he wouldn't answer.
They gave up after five minutes and began planning to leave. Nali gave them frozen water bottles, saying that it would melt soon so they should be careful. They also wore lighter clothing.
Their pilot was not Byron this time, but his teacher. She nodded when she saw the four boys and asked why they were varying shades of red.
"Well, apparently I think Rico's hot." Kowalski said.
Rico, Private, and Skipper burst out laughing and were unable to really explain to the pilot why this was so funny.
A/N: I know I've diverted attention away from the main four, but I'm slowly pulling it back to them. I know where I want to go with this story and It'll continue as long as real life will allow me.(I've probably said that five times already…sheesh!) Perhaps this story could be 100 or more chapters, here's to hoping it goes well!
Feel free to ask questions if you're confused. I get confused too, so don't worry. This story might slow down a little so I can catch up with the other stories I'm writing.
Also, if there's anything I write that causes discomfort or that you think should be altered or omitted, please let me know, in nice words, because I don't want to offend anyone. I don't think anything in this chapter could cause personal offense, but let me know if you have a problem with it, in a kind way.
Thank you for bearing with me and not attacking me with bears, I-
Julien: BORING! Where are the parts with me in it?
Skipper: Well, you're briefly mentioned in the next chapter.
Private: Haha, brief…
Kowalski: Can we not do next chapter, please? How about we end it here?
Rico: NO!
Skipper: I'll buy you pizza during the break.
Private: Ahem! Fourth wall!
Reader 1: Oh, that was broken long ago
Reader 2: Has this author lost all sanity?
TK: Can't lose what you never had!
Skipper: Ending author's note before it becomes longer than the chapter.
