Back in the bustling city of Beijing, the penguins were ready to go crazy with their seemingly endless amount of cash they now had. With their concoctive disguise of the King Of Versailles on, they had stumbled upon a glitzy casino, hoping to turn their luck around and win even more cash.
The casino's neon lights and the deafening sounds of slot machines and roulette wheels spun in a cacophony of chaos that was music to their ears. They had never seen so much potential money in one place before and they were eager to be a part of it. The King Of Versailles strutted through the place with style, many gamblers eyes swaying away from their addiction temporarily to watch the allusive disguise in awe.
The penguins looked around, their beady eyes gleaming with greed as they spotted the various games of chance that surrounded them. They made their way over to the nearest craps table, their disguise holding up very well under the pressure of the glitzy environment. It was there that they spotted her, a figure they had hoped never to cross paths with again, but fate had a cruel sense of humour.
"Oh god," Skipper muttered as the other penguins simultaneously realised too. "It's her."
"The crazy lady..." Skipper whispered, fear in his eyes at the shocking surprise.
Chantel DuBois, the infamous villainess from their adventure through Europe, was dressed to the nines in a stunning gown that shimmered like the scales of a thousand fish. She was surrounded by a group of admirers, her sharp, hawk-like gaze assessing the room with a cold precision that made even the bravest gamblers quiver. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the King Of Versailles, and she excused herself from her entourage with a flick of her wrist, her high heels clicking menacingly against the marble floor as she approached them.
"Well, well, well," she purred, her French accent thick with amusement. "If it isn't my favourite circus owner, the King Of Versailles." Her smile was as sharp as her cunning wit, and the penguins felt a cold shiver run down their spines.
"What do we do, Skipper?" Kowalski asked, worry on his eyes.
"Don't worry, comrades," he reassured his team. "Phil! Shake your head. We don't own a circus anymore..."
"No?" Chantel asked the nodding king, her bottom lip drooping in disappointment at the news. "But they were sooo good?"
"Shrug, Phil," Skipper commanded assertively and promptly, the monkey doing so with accordance.
"You don't know?" she asked playfully. "I wanted to be an investor, oh well..."
Skipper gave a raised eyebrow to Kowalski, getting a mirrored reaction from him. It was a mix of disgust and extreme confusion.
"Is she... flirting with us, Skipper?" the slightly traumatised penguin asked him.
"Uh, do we really want to find out?" Skipper asked his team, squinting his eyes at the thought. They all looked at him and slowly began nodding, settling it. "Let's find out, I guess... Phil, touch her shoulder... gently, please."
The monkey, looking as nervous as a squirrel on a tightrope, reached out and gently put his hand on Chantel's shoulder. She look at the king's eyes so intently, they narrowed before a slow smile spread across her face. "I see you've finally caught on," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I've always admired royal men."
The penguins exchanged a look of utter disbelief from inside the disguise. This was not the reaction they had anticipated from the crazed hunter they had encountered before.
"Listen, Chantel," Skipper began as he talked to himself with a grin, trying to keep his cool, "We're just here to have a little fun. No... shenanigans."
"What the hell is this?" Kowalski bellowed with a laugh, the rest of them joining. They could not comprehend the ridiculous situation they were in.
Outside the disguise, DuBois was giving the king the eyes. Her arm now on the king's shoulder too, a physical undertone growing between the insane animal catcher and disguised monkey concoction. The penguins continued laughing at the whole charade, Phil growing slightly to into what was going on.
"I've got a room upstairs..." she began telling the king with an alluring French accent, "Would you like to... come up there with me?"
"Phil," Skipper said, barely able to stop his laughter amongst the others. "Nod, yes. Let's see this thing through!
The monkey nodded, a little too enthusiastically, his eyes wide with pure excitement. Chantel's smile grew wider, mistaking his ordered nod from a penguin for genuine interest from real human being. "Perfect," she purred, leading the way through the crowded casino floor, her hips swaying seductively as she held the monkey's hairy hand.
"Best look away for the next part, Mort," Skipper joked, the laughter returning even louder as Mort looked confused at the whole event. "And you, Private."
"Um, Skipper, are we really doing this?" Mason asked hesitantly, the bottom half of the disguise. "It just concerns me because, if we do, I'll be the one getting all the action, you know?"
"Relax, monkey," Skipper chuckled. "It's all for the sake of the... mission. Keep your feathers on."
The disguised group and DuBois had made their way up to her private hotel room which was only some floors above the casino. The crazy woman opened the door to her room, too excited about what was happening as the king hesitantly followed her in.
"Would you like a drink, King?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with what could not be mistaken for attraction. Raw bodily attraction.
"It's up to you, Phil," Skipper told the top half of the disguise, who was already nodding at the question.
"It's interesting how our paths have met once again," Chantel began pouring the king a glass of a fine wine very delicately, picking it up and handing it seductively to him. "You see, I'm here trying to find a rare species... the South China tiger. Forget the lion, this is the real deal!" she passionately explained, trying to smell his scent, but her nose had never fully recovered from being crushed between two elephants, to the penguins' fortune. "I'm here pretending I'm going to buy an already stuffed one but no... They say they're not to be hunted anymore, ha... who's going to know?"
"What the hell is she rambling on about? Phil just nod..." Skipper told the monkey, losing interest in her plotting, before a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Wasn't that tiger we did the deal with one of those-"
"What's the plan here, Skipper?" Mason interrupted him with fear in his voice, he really was not sure about doing anything physical with a human, especially this crazed lunatic of a woman. "Seriously? What the hell has this night turned into?"
"Ugh, you're seriously not down to do this?" Skipper asked the monkey with frustration. "You don't want any crazy lady action, monkey man, seriously?"
"No!" he urged promptly. "Oh god... Quickly, let me swap with Phil!"
"Fine... Phil, let's have a moment in the old washroom, shall we?" Skipper reluctantly told the eager monkey, who was excited to hear the news. The disguise put his hands out to DuBois, signalling it just wanted a quick trip to the bathroom.
"Go ahead," she said, a ravenous look growing upon her face. "Be quick..."
The king rushed into the bathroom, suddenly dismantling into two monkeys, four penguins and a Mort. They fumbled with the disguise, trying to swap places as quickly as they could without breaking anything. Mort quickly jumped onto Mason's face and applied a white makeup over it, finishing off with lipstick to finalise the disguise's reshuffling.
"All in order, Skipper," Kowalski told Skipper as the disguise came together once again. The penguins and Mort all hopped into the torso and became hidden once again.
"I do hope she isn't a kisser," Mason joked nervously, the thought making him cringe. "Are we sure this is... right? Are we all just going to watch as Phil gets it on with a... person?"
"It's a laugh!" Skipper sighed at him from inside. "We're finally free, this is only the beginning of this crazy era of our lives."
"Well, yes," the monkey admitted, slightly unsure if this was really what crazy meant to Skipper. "Let's maybe try something else in the future?"
"Very well," Skipper agreed, a large grin upon his beak. "Right, Phil, the legs now, let's get back in there!"
The king entered the room with a confidence in his step, yet a worried look upon his face. They turned the corner and, to the group's mixed reaction, found DuBois had tied herself to the bed, wearing only underwear and bra.
"Oh, King!" she cooed with a smile that was less than comforting. "Are you ready?"
Phil nodded eagerly, yet Mason's legs refused to get closer to her.
"I said, 'Best look away for the next part', Mort," Skipper whispered with a snicker. Mort groaned, he had already closed his eyes shut as soon as he saw the horrific sight.
DuBois' seductive smile grew wider as she took in the "King's" nod. "Good," she purred, her eyes glinting with excitement as the disguise hopped onto the bed next to her. "Now, let's make this a night to remember, shall we?"
"Now, boys!" Skipper announced suddenly as Phil was just about to get freaky with the crazy woman. To Mason's relief, the penguins had a plan all along.
The four popped out of the king's torso to DuBois's horror, all landing on the bed beside her. She looked down at them with shock as Rico coughed up an old dart gun of hers' they had kept from the previous time they had met.
"What!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and annoyance. "Penguins and... monkeys?" She felt sick at herself, a total fool. So sick, in fact, she passed out at the sight of the animals and her sheer stupidity.
The penguins all looked at each other, totally bewildered and yet understanding her embarrassment.
"Well lads, let's take anything of value she has and let's ditch the maniac!" Skipper promptly announced, the others following suite, taking any jewellery they found that she had thrown on the floor in her moment of anticipation.
"So, Skipper, you were only joking all along?" Mason asked him with trepidation.
"Fortunately enough for you, my friend," Skipper replied with a wink. "Not so much for your other monkey friend."
"Oh, he will be fine..." Mason reassured the penguin, a look of disappointment across the Phil's face. "I'm sure a few bananas and cocktails will sort him out."
The penguins searched the room with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, pocketing any valuable trinkets they could find. Chantel's unconscious form was tied up with the same enthusiasm she had shown earlier. Her jewellery, a collection of gleaming baubles that she had flaunted so proudly, now sparkled in the hands of the small, but clever, penguin gang.
"I found these trackers, Skipper. Why would she have these?" Kowalski wondered, holding a circular metallic object with a red centre in his flipper. "She didn't use these before, did she?"
"Oh, maybe she did. Perhaps that whole sniffing the scent act we saw her do in the Alps was all an elaborate ruse, who knows?" Skipper answered him, pondering the possibilities tactically, swiftly giving up within seconds. "Let's take them as well, they could come in handy."
"Well, that seems to be all of it," Kowalski said, analysing the room one last time as he threw some of the trackers inside the disguise's torso carelessly. "Shall we get back out onto the casino floor now, Skipper?"
"Hold your flippers," Skipper whispered, his eyes fixed on a glint of metal under the bed. "Looks like our dear Chantel had some more... toys."
The penguins, monkeys and Mort crowded around the bed, watching as Skipper pulled out a large metallic object.
"Um, that looks rather... phallic, Skipper," Mason told him, holding back a laugh.
"It's not for that, you pervert," Skipper said with a smirk, turning the object over in his flippers. It was a fancy laser cutter, the kind that could slice through bars like butter. "This could come in handy."
"Where did she get this?" Kowalski muttered in awe, shocked by the sight of such a crazy invention.
"Probably from her trip to Madagascar," Skipper quipped, flipping the switch and watching the red beam of light slice through the air. "It's ours now, we can have some fun with it later."
"Very well," Kowalski admitted, the crew reconstructing back into the human disguise. "But can I have permission to get a detailed report from Eva about all this? The laser gun and Chantel DuBois?"
"If it makes you feel better," Skipper told him, shooting the dart gun into DuBois' neck, giving them enough time to fully exploit the casino. "That should do the trick."
The penguins, with their newfound treasure, strutted back into the casino floor, the monkeys in the king's outfit taking point. They had to be careful not to be recognized as they had just tied up a VIP and stolen her laser gun.
"What is a casino?" Mort questioned Private quietly.
"Shush, Mort!" Skipper hissed at the scared mouse lemur, hearing his whispered curiosity. "It's where we're going to multiply our fortune!"
The king walked across the casino floor, a roulette table coming into their periscope sight. The penguins exchanged glances, a silent agreement passing between them. They had been to enough casinos now to know that roulette was where the big money was made. With their newfound confidence and their trusty laser cutter hidden under the king's robe, they approached the table with a swagger that was unmistakably out of place. The croupier, a sleek, well-dressed Chinese man, eyed the disguise suspiciously but said nothing.
"Rico and Private, take charge. You two always have a mysterious luck me and Kowalski never have," Skipper told them, taking a step back from the periscope goggles. He silently put his flipper on Kowalski and ushered him over to the back of the torso room, the others rushing over in excitement to start their betting spree.
"What is it, Skipper?" Kowalski asked him as he watched over at the others, confused by the penguin's sudden momentary disinterest in the casino.
"Well, there's a couple things," he began, using a quiet tone not to notify the others of his concern. "To start with, we forgot about Maurice..."
"Oh, well, I thought that was part of the plan?" Kowalski questioned, but there was no doubt in Skipper's leadership. He scoffed at the thought of Maurice, how piteous he was, there was no wonder he forgot about him. Skipper shook his head in embarrassment, yet a small grin growing on his face. "He wont a problem though, you'd think?" Kowalski hinted.
"He's with the others, so perhaps. It depends..." Skipper told him with a nod. "I had just hoped we would have left without a trace, he's probably told them all by now. Am I really feeling guilty about this?"
"Skipper, you're never guilty," Kowalski assured him, giving him a pat on the back. "Not in any sense of the word. It's part of our charm. You just need time to adjust to all this again."
Skipper saw value in his words, nodding along in agreement with his fellow penguin's comforting advice. "You're right! The circus life has gotten me all soft..."
"And?" Kowalski asked him as Skipper daydreamed into the floor of the torso room. "Was there anything else?"
"Oh, yes," he answered, breaking out of his reverie. "We need as much information as we can on our old friend DuBois... What is she really doing here? Should we be mindful of her? Ha... And maybe try to get some more intel on our tiger business partner, see what his deal is... Just to, uh, make sure he's safe from the animal killer, right?"
"Good call. This laser gun she had is no joke. To my knowledge, it is beyond military-grade," Kowalski nodded, scribbling incomprehensible notes onto a tiny pad. "We'll need to keep our wits sharp for now, that's for sure. I don't think she'll be falling for us again." They both laughed, the weird image of her tied upon the hotel bed still fresh in their minds.
"And the tiger?" Skipper repeated, his head peering at his pad assuring Kowalski made note of his demand.
"And... the tiger. Yes." Kowalski said as he wrote down the assignment, his brow slightly raised at the task. To him, it seemed a little out of character for Skipper to be so weary of the Laohu's safety. He just put it down to widening possible future business ventures, he was the species DuBois was after, ultimately. "Okay! I'll be right on it! If that's all?"
"It's all for now," Skipper nodded, watching as the monkeys and the rest of the penguins placed their bets. "Well, I'm gonna get back to enjoying my night! I'd say I've earnt it! Don't work to hard, comrade."
Kowalski rolled his eyes, "I'll be fine," he assured his friend, already tapping away at the tiny computer hidden within the king.
The busy penguin began his research by trying to voice chat his beloved snowy owl, Eva, who he had been in a very successful long-distance relationship over many months now. Almost instantly, to his anticipation, she answered it.
"Eva, darling," Kowalski began to speak with a smile, his flippers typing away at the tiny keyboard in uninterrupted labour. "How are you doing up there in the tundra?"
"Great, Kowalski. It's so lovely to hear your voice..." her sweet tone echoed through the his miniature headset. "How was the circus sale? Did everything go smoothly?"
"It went swimmingly!" Kowalski began, looking over at the rash gambling occurring before leaning closer to the tiny computer. "Though I don't think the profits from it will last us to tomorrow."
"Well, obviously not if you're not giving your input..." she replied with pride in his high intelligence that so equally matched hers.
"That would be unfair on the casino..." he quipped, they both laughed in a sort of posh manner.
"So, I'm guessing you're not calling me to make light chat... what's going on?" she asked him seriously with a prompt change of tone.
"We've encountered an old friend," Kowalski told her, watching as the roulette wheel spun with excitement from the Skipper's bets. "Chantel DuBois, remember I told you about her before?"
"Ah, the charming woman with the penchant for lion hunting," Eva's voice was filled with sarcasm. "What a delightful surprise."
"She's in Beijing with us in the very same casino, and she seems to be up to no good. Not right now though, she is currently tranquilised and tied to a bed," Kowalski continued with a smug smile, his eyes glued to the computer screen. "We need intel on her current operations if possible," he asked with charm.
"Okay, I'll look on the database. She should be on here if she has had anything to do with animals before," her words assured him through his headset. "Just a moment..."
The penguins watched the roulette wheel spin, the ball bouncing and clicking as it came to a rest on the number 23, the number they had bet on. The croupier looked up at the King, surprised by his luck. "Qítā?" he asked politely in Chinese. The penguins nodded eagerly from inside, their excitement barely contained. A nod from the hyper disguise made it clear to the croupier that another bet was to be made, his forehead beginning to sweat as he noticed the large stack of tokens the King had gathered through undoubted fortune.
The ball spun once more, a blur of red and black. The room was a symphony of clinking chips and murmurs, numerous bystanders watching on at the gambling spree. The wheel came to a stop, and the croupier's jaw dropped. It was twenty three, the magic digit they had bet on once again.
"Yes!" The gambling animals shouted in unison, their cheers muffled by the heavy velvet of the king's outfit. The monkeys took the applause with grace, collecting all the chips with desperation and greed.
"Well boys, another?" Skipper asked them all, his mind made up already.
"Skipper, maybe we should take a break," Kowalski suggested, his eyes still glued to the computer screen as he waited for Eva's intel.
"Nonsense, Kowalski! The night is young, and our fortune is growing," Skipper retorted. The croupier's eyes darted between the King's nodding head and the ever-growing pile of chips, his smile a forced grin. He span the wheel once again, frustrated at the luck of such an addicted gambler.
"I have what you need," Eva's voice suddenly crackled through the headset at Kowalski. "It appears DuBois had been anonymously funded by some sort of underground animal fighting ring here in China to gather participants for them. It looks like she took the offer initially, but officially they have parted ways since. It seems she might have gone rogue..."
"Rogue?" Kowalski repeated, his heart racing momentarily at the thought of the last encounter with her in Central Park Zoo. He looked over and to his surprise, and Skipper's sheer luck, the penguins had won another spin of the roulette. He scoffed at the stupidity of it all. "She had a laser gun too, may I add. We have it now though, fortunately," he added, the slight anxiety approaching once again.
"Yes, most likely something used to break into the cages of animals. It could also be used as a sufficient weapon, yes," confirmed Eva. "As far as I can see, she's alone and has been for a while. Her whole crew died on Madagascar, their cause of deaths uncertain. Though autopsy says most likely... cannibalism."
Kowalski shivered at the thought. "Well, that's... disturbing." He forced a quiet laugh to try to settle himself from the news, his eyes simultaneously widening at the boldness of Skipper ordering another spin of the roulette. "Anyway... I have another thing for you to look up, just one more thing."
"Of course, darling," Eva said, her voice still filled with a hint of sarcasm. She longed to see him in person again, both their lives so busy and far apart. "What's else?"
"Laohu," Kowalski whispered, watching as the roulette wheel spun once more. "The tiger we sold the circus to."
"Him, really? He's one of Classified's close friends, he will come to the base and they'll chat for a while, sometimes he invites him to his circus. I've never been but Classified says it is great and could always do with more performers. It's why I organised the meet with you guys, it seemed perfect." Eva's voice was professional once again, hoping Kowalski would appreciate her effort.
"Oh, that's reassuring, I guess," Kowalski said, watching the roulette come to a slow stop, right onto the colour Skipper had chosen. "But... I think Skipper might be feeling guilty about the betrayal of the circus animals, so it would be best to get all the details to make him feel sure about it all, if that's okay?"
"Of course," Eva's voice was calm and understanding. "I'll pull up everything we have on Laohu."
The penguins watched the roulette wheel as the ball landed on black, the crowd around them collectively sighing in amazement. The croupier's eyes narrowed as he pushed a several stacks of chips toward the disguise, the pile they had formed becoming a massive solid block.
"Remarkable," Kowalski muttered to himself, feeling a twinge of anxiety. "Maybe we've pushed our luck too far, surely Skipper sees that..."
"That's something..." Eva's voice appeared in Kowalski ears as he nodded at the stupidity of Skipper's dumb luck.
"What's something?" Kowalski asked with intrigue, his eyes still on the spinning roulette. The possibilities of them guessing right this many times seemed ludicrous to him.
"I can't find anything on Laohu. Anything interesting, anyway..." she said with a hint of concern. "It's like he doesn't exist outside of the his circus life."
"Oh well..." Kowalski murmured, tired of the conversation as he watched Skipper win his final roulette of the night. "It must be right, though... right?"
"Most likely," Eva's replied . "He's certainly lived a strange life if these records hold true. I'll fax them soon, gotta go."
"Okay, thank you. Well, I'll see you soon too, I hope?" Kowalski hinted to her.
"You bet," she said, a small giggle audible from his headset.
"Bye," they both said simultaneously, ending the call.
The penguins inside the king's costume were too busy celebrating to notice Kowalski's quiet conversation had ended. They had just won almost every chip there was to win, and the casino was in an uproar. The croupier, unable to believe his eyes, slammed his hand down on the table with defeat. The penguins cheered, tossing their flippers into the air inside the disguise.
"I think that's our cue out of here, boys!" Skipper announced, laughing with ecstasy. Looking outside the periscope, many people had their eyes on their almost infinite stash of chips they now owned. "Let's cash these babies in!"
The king made their way to the cashier, a mix of exhilaration and fear of being caught. The cashier's eyes grew wide at the sight of the human-sized stack of chips being pushed towards him in the hand of the disguise.
"This guy better be good at counting," Skipper said as they handed the chips over, the cashier placing them all in a machine which counted for him. He shook his head at the lazy yet genius invention. "Nice..."
The machine was almost finished counting their never-ending collection of chips when a loud, shrill voice pierced through the casino's buzz, the whole floor going silent. "You thieving animals!"
They all spun around to see Chantel DuBois, her face redder than the roulette wheel, stomping towards them wearily, her eyes ablaze with fury. She still had the tranquiliser dart pierced into her neck, only wearing her bedroom outfit with an untied gown around her. "You think you can just come in here, rob me, and leave with everything?" she bellowed, a mix of entertained grins and shocked faces amongst the casino dwellers as she struggled to walk straight.
"This thing better be quick at counting..." Skipper quipped, seeing DuBois suddenly fall over into drunken man on a slot machine, a slight scuffle occurring between the two. A small beep promptly buzzed, signalling the counting to have stopped. "Whatever number that is, it's a lot," he said to the penguins, unable to see the digit on the machine thought the periscope. "Let's get our hard earnt winnings and go!"
The cashier looked up at them nervously, his hands shaking as he placed the money into a bag and handed it over. The penguins took the bag eagerly, the weight of their fortune feeling heavier than ever. They turned around to see DuBois had regained her footing and was now charging towards them, the tranquilizer's effect wearing off and her rage burning brighter.
"You're not getting away with this!" she roared, her voice echoing through the casino as she lunged at the disguise, only her hand grazing the arm of Phil partially as the rest of her missed miserably and slid across the marble floor into the cashier desk. The crowd scattered, creating a clear path for the penguins as security guards rushed in from all directions, alerted by the commotion. The penguins inside the costume exchanged intrigued looks, not breaking a sweat even though they had underestimated her determination.
"We have to get out of here, now!" Kowalski whispered urgently, his eyes darting around the room for an escape route. The cashier, his eyes wide with terror, handed over the rest of the money and ducked behind his counter as king pulled out the laser gun from his torso. "That works!"
"Mason, twelve o'clock. Run!" Skipper urged the bottom half of the disguise, the legs kicking into motion at the prominent command, smoothly running by any stray bystander or incompetent security guard. "Let's hope the golf kart hasn't been towed away..." he joked with relief as they made it outside the casino, seeing DuBois apprehended by several guards in the distance. "Hopefully she gets put in an insane asylum."
"We were lucky, Skipper," Kowalski admitted to him as the running disguise made it to the golf kart parked in a dark alley near from the casino. "Without the effects of the tranquiliser on her, it would've been a bloodbath! She would've been bathing in it, not us."
"Ugh, I don't need that image in my head... again. Thanks, Kowalski," he replied with disgust at the thought as the King of Versailles suddenly deconstructed into a bunch of animals again. "So... is this part of your research? Is she really a considerable threat to us?"
"I'm afraid so," Kowalski admitted, Mort turning the engine of the kart on. "It's best we get out of Beijing for now, it's not worth the risk."
"Well..." he muttered, taking a moment to think. Everyone looked at Skipper, the kart's engine rumbling as he took in Kowalski's words. They never thought he would surrender, especially to a delirious woman with an peculiar obsession for ugly royal men. "This city is boring already, anyways. Let's run riot elsewhere!" he shouted, motioning Private to hit the gas as everyone cheered with excitement. "Get that map, point anywhere on it, and let's go there..."
"Very well, Skipper," Kowalski replied with a flipper over his eyes, his other flipper hitting a random point on a map Mason was holding up. "Shanzhou?" he told him, his eyes meeting the word as his flipper left his eyesight.
"Sounds better than this place, that's for sure," Skipper said, directing the kart around the streets of Beijing erratically. "We will be there in no time..."