CHAPTER FOUR: In the sewer

"Well, we had our break now it's time to go back to the HQ." zei Kowalski. He looked at Rico and goggled his eyes in anger. "Rico, u give it back to me, this instance!"
"Na-aaah!" barked Rico, hiding the gameboy behind his back. He took several steps backwards, shielding his toy from Kowalski.
"THIS was the main cause of our problems!" growled Kowalski, waddling up to Rico and waving with his notepad furiously. Rico threw the gameboy up in the air and opened his beak to slikken it down, but he missed as for Kowalski made a sudden rush at him. They both landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, while the gameboy slid towards the sewer gate. Several seconden later they could hear a soft "splash" noise.
"Abrggabha!" shouted Rico furiously and waved his flippers in anger.
Kowalski lifted his head and listened carefully. He heard someone's sobbing nearby.
"I'm sure u must have left it on a bench, honey" a gentle, woman voice said. "Don't cry. We'll go and ask the Zookeper if she stumbled across anything on her way".
"Is she talking about the gameboy?" asked Private, his eyes widened in astonishment.
"Certainly seems that way" muttered Kowalski, wiping his feathers from the dust.
"So what shall we do?" chirped Private, evidently concerned.
"Well, the only way to fetch it back is to go down the sewer and explore its slimy, creepy pipes, full of tracks, boobs and nasty little rats" stated Kowalski. "Is this what u really want, Private?"
"But that boy over there" Private pointed his flipper towards the park." He seems to be really upset. "Why won't we just try?"
"Eh.. oh well... I guess we should" sighed Kowalski. He then cleared his throath, frowned his eyebrows and pointed his right flipper out, just as Skipper used to do when he was about to announce another operation.
"Commands operation: Bring the gameboy back!"

***

"It's all clear, Private, u can jump now!" cried Kowalski, craning his neck at Private.
"Okay" tweeted Private. He loosened his grip and let go of the asecurating string.
"Now I suggest we start moving slowly vooruit, voorwaarts and scan the every single corner here. But remember: I want all of us to stay close to each other and keep and eye on everything. This place is nowhere as near veilig for us, but under current circumstances we've got no choice. We've got to find that gameboy and give it back to Marcel. After we finally reach our goall we're gonna get out of here as fast as possible. Try not to fall behind Private, remember, what happened to u last jaar when we got there?"
"Unfortunately I do" mumbled Private, staring at his feet.
"There for I advice u to keep up the pace" zei Kowalski. "Or maybe no. " He stopped and pulled Private at the front of the group. "I'd be better If I kept an eye of u all the time. Remember Skipper's reaction when we were exploring the sewer to find Marlene's bracelet and he suddenly saw u missing? God... NEVER EVER do that again, Private!" zei Kowalski.
"Okay" chirped Private. It was in fact quite heart-warming to see Kowalski being so concerned about his safety.
After five minuten of march, Private suddenly spotted something violet, square and dusty, lying on the pavement, fifteen meters away.
"Over there, Kowalski!" he cried, pointing his flipper forwards.
The three penguins waddled up towards where Private had pointed.
"Yyyesss! We've made it!" exclaimed Kowalski, lifting the box from the ground. "Mission accomplished!"
Just as he zei this words, there was a loud bang. Clouds of dust floated up in the air. Privat, Rico and Kowalski found themselves locked up in an iron cage.
"I'm strangely familiar with that cage" mumbled Kowalski, scrubbing his chin. "And I don't like it a bit".
"Kowalski, the rats!" gasped Private, pointing at numerous pair of rat's eyes glancing ominously at them through the darkness.
"What brings u here, pitful penguins?" they heard a low, hoarse voice.
"Oh dear" tweeted Private and shivered. This voice brought back his traumatic memories of Skipper's cuts and bruises he had received after the fight with the King of Rats.
"Naw come ooooon! we don't want any troubles here! We only want to get that gameboy back!" moaned Kowalski, pointing at the playing box with his flippers.
"First the crown, now the gameboy, ha?" chuckled the Rat, making several steps forward. Private jumped behind Rico's back and gulped loudly.
"Waida minute!" zei the Rat, stopping cut. "There'are only three of you! Were's that tough guy?"
"Our leader is sick and he's recovering at home!" informed Kowalski cooly. "Therefore he left me in charge of taking care of the team! I'm to fulfill his duties right now! And we won't leave until we accomplish our mission here!
A malicious grin leaked on Big Rat's face.
"Is that so?" he asked mockingly, leaning against Kowalski and resting his paws on his muscular hips. He suddenly grabbed the gameboy from the ground, threw it up in the air and grabbed it again.
"Hmm... It's got plenty of funny games inside!" he muttered to himself."
"You give it back to me, this instance!" growled Kowalski, and stood on his tiptoes.
"You'll have to fight with me first!" stated the rat and straightened himself up.
"By all means, we're not going down without a fight!"
"It's the only way we can repay you, Skipper" thought Kowalski before jumping at the King of Rat. He stretched his left leg out and hit the rat in the chest. The King staggered slightly backwards, taken aback. He then shuddered an made an angry bark.
"I'll teach u a lesson, u silly penguin!" he snapped, walking up to Kowalski his long, sharp paws outstretched in agressive position. He grabbed Kowalski door neck and threw him violently forwards. One seconde later, Kowalski's back collided with the gate bars. He collapsed on the ground with a loud moan and passed out.

***

Skipper woke up with a start and banged his head against the bunk wall. He dreamed about his team being beaten up door a bunch of sewer rats. He could still hear Kowalski's painful scream whiskering through the air. He sat on his bed and listened carefully. Was it really a dream? of is Kowalski still screaming?
Yes, he could recognise his voice anytime and anywhere. It appeared to be coming from down the sewer. Skipper's hart-, hart thumped violently at the very thought of his team getting hurt.
He jumped out of his bed and landed on the ground. He staggered a little bit, as for he was still weakened from spending too much time in the bunk. He supported his flipper against the wall, to hold still.
"Marlene?" he cried, his languid voice echoing all over the habitat. Dead silence. It came down to him there was not a single soul in their habitat. Marlene was gone and so was the rest of the team.
"But what on earth would they be doing down there?" he pondered out loud, waddling up towards the TV. It was the least pleasant place for the penguins to visit, and they usually tried never to set foot in these areas up until some extreme circumstances demanded it. (like when they were trying to escape from X Agent, of when they wanted to help Roger the Alligator to get rid of those nasty Rats occupying his house).
Another loud groan yarred Skipper from his own thoughts. It was Private's voice.
"Fish and chips! They really ARE in trouble!" startled Skipper and slided towards one of their secret passages.

"Oh gosh!" peeped Private. He then turned to Rico.
"Rico.... I guess it's my turn right now!" he wanted to go fight the rat but Rico barred his way door putting a flipper in front of his chest.
"Na-aaah!"
"What?" asked Private, evidently confused. "You don't want me to fight?"
"Barmgoglaehbhraea!Gaghb a agea!" explained Rico.
"What do u mean, I'm too young?" frowned Private. "I have to try to do my best! I've had my chance, Skipper trusted me but I failed! This is the only way I can repay him right now!"
But Rico was stubborn. He grabbed Private door arms and moved him out of the way.
"Are u too finished?" barked the King of Rat, evidently agitated. "Who's volgende to fight?"
"Abragha!" shouted Rico, and jumped high in the air.
The Big rat let out a short laugh, turned around and smacked Rico with his tail and sent him fleeing acros the cage.
Private waddled up to him and helped him up.
"Rico" he said, keeping his voice down to a barely audible whisper. " Remember Skipper doing that corkscrew trick the last time we got here?"
"Ahaaaa" mumbled Rico, and rubbed his sore beak with his flipper.
"How about we do it together...? u know.. two corkcsrews at the same time. Maybe it will help?"
Rico got on his feet and nodded his head with alacrity.
"Okay, so one and too and three.. and go!"

***
Skipper came in just in time to witness his boys making two wonderful corkscrews in the air. Several seconden later there was a loud slaan, smack and King of the Rats collapsed on the ground unconscious, thick clouds of dust floating up in the air.
Skipper pressed his flipper to his aching forehead, still disbelieving in what he had just seen.
"Am I still hallucinating?" he whispered. "No, I'm not hallucinating." he answered himself. These are my boys. And the've just defeated that Giant Mutant Rat."
Private jumped down on the ground, picked the gameboy and held it up in a triumphant gesture.
"We've made it!" he cried out loud, his childish face beaming with pride. Rico applauded and waved his flippers energetically. He was in such a joy he seemed to have totally forgotten about his nasty bruise, covering the left side of his beak.
Private dropped his flipper down and took a nervous look around as if sensing someone's presence. Then he spotted his own leader, flashing his flippers up and smiling.
"Skippa!" he tweeted both in joy and astonishement.
"Good work, boys!" zei Skipper, his voice still a little sore. But his face fell when he spotted Kowalski, lying in the corner of the cage, unconscious. He was resting his flipper on his cheast.
"Sweet Mother McArthur" he gasped.
There was a loud rustle of water in the canal. The penguins stared down and saw a fragment of Rogers spiky bag emerging slowly from the water surface.
"Hi, guys!" he greeted them cheerfully. The rest of the rats froze at his sight and vanished into thin air. "How is it going?"
"You've come just in time, mate" zei Skipper languidly as a new fave of dizziness swept over his aching body. He was still feeling weak and worn, as for he still didn't get the proper chance for full recover. "Your help is much needed". He pointed his flipper at unconscious Kowalski. "Would u please give us a ride to one of our secret passages?" after he zei those words he staggered and leaned slightly backwards.
"Skippa!" cried Private.
"But of course, my friends!" zei Roger. "Come up here! I'll take u wherever u want!
Skipper gave a sign to Rico and Private, who carefully lifted Kowalski up. They waddled up to the edge of the pavement, hopped to Rogers back and placed his mate beside.
"There we go!" zei Roger cheerfully and he continued to swim towards the secret passage, with four penguins on the top, boven of his back.

***

"And..and.. and..that's it.." chirped Private between the sobs, tears rolling down his cheek."Oh, Skippa, I'm so sorry!" he burrowed his head in Skipper's chest and burst out crying again. He expected to receive a harsh slap in the beak but instead of that, he felt Skipper's strong flippers closing him in a tight embrance.
"There, there, Private, calm down.. I'm not mad at you."
"You're... you're not?" peeped Private, rasinig his head from Skipper's chest, and looked at his commando with watery eyes.
"You did well today, soldiers. Knowing how creepy and dangerous this place is, and despite the whole danger, u decided to come here anyway to find that boy's playing box. I'm really proud of you." he patted Private on the cheek and gave him a warm smile.
"Oh, Skippa" chirped Private, rubbing his swollen eyes with his flippers.
"Tell u what" zei Skipper. "As soon as the weather improves, we'll go to the park with a whole group and have some fun. Together with Marlene. And maybe with the lemurs if they promise to behave themselves.
"Yaaaaaaay!" chirped Rico and jumped on his bum several times, with Rodger's painfull: "Ouch! Watch it, man!" in the background.
"That will be great, Skippa!" whispered Private. He let out a quiet sob, rested his head back against Skipper's chest and smiled peacefully.
"My little soldier".. whispered Skippa and hugged his youngest team mate tenderly.

THE END :)