Penguins of Madagascar: Moving Situations

Chapter Fifteen

Kowalski
A month has passed since the first time Gale used me as a punch bag and it turned out my worry of it happening again was entirely correct. These days I am almost constantly covered in bruises and hiding it is becoming a daily a chore and one I don't find particularly easy given I live with secret ages whose job it is to observe what others may not. It is lucky I am pretty apt at hiding things when necessary but it also creates a strange pang as well that they haven't noticed. Why I am disappointed when it is what I want, I don't know. Human nature as a whole is pretty strange so I put it off to that. Or it could just be that I am an idiot. Or both. I sigh slightly, putting an icepack on my wrist from where there was a sharp pain from Gale slamming it against the desk earlier. I wince slightly, knowing I can only keep the ice on it until the others get back from shopping otherwise they'll notice the injury.

I'd better get on with the vacuuming actually. It is technically Gale's chore but he told me to do it 'or else' and I dread to think of what that could entail given being a punch bag is already bad enough as it is. Knowing I had better get on with it I put the icepack away and get the vacuum out, the loud noise not helping with my headache in the slightest. Skipper asked Gale to do some paperwork last week which was due today. Gale told me last night at 11pm to do it with the same way of convincing me as this. 'Or else' is too concerning. Finishing it off I decide to use the time alone to actually work on an invention. I make sure to lock the door so Gale can't just walk in like he often does. That also means that Skipper and the others can't either but that can't be helped right now. I carry on working on the hover boards which are slow process given I need something that will keep them working for a long time and have a long enough low energy warning. We don't want them suddenly running out of energy midair which would result in someone possibly dying or at least getting severely hurt. That would be bad. Obviously. Any idiot could tell that.

I keep at it, working on the small internal parts which are the trickiest part. One mistake and the entire thing can quite literally blow up in one's face. I work on the wiring, loosing myself in it and ignoring the time glad to be doing the thing I love the most. It is certainly a while though because I am making progress and it is at a long part of the proceedings. A ding gets my attention and I glance at my phone, seeing I have a text from Skipper saying we have a mission. Right. Soundproof lab so I wouldn't hear him knock: that probably contributes to why Gale uses my lab in particular to beat me up. I sigh, putting down my toolkit, and exit the lab.
"Hey, why was the door locked?" Skipper asks as I head into the living room. I just shrug for an answer. "Well glad you got my text. Gale, you and I are going on a mission." A mission with Gale? Great...
"What's the mission?" I ask, hoping it isn't something that will take weeks because that would give plenty of opportunities to get hurt by him.
"Hans got spotted," Skipper replies, a sharp note of disdain in his voice. "After what happened last time going alone probably isn't a great plan."
"What happened last time?" Gale asks.
"Oh got my memory wiped in an ambush," Skipper replies, nonchalantly.

Yeah how he is so nonchalant about that I don't know. It was an incredibly stressful time plus also really weird.

We head off and I drive given it is my turn. Skipper calls dibs on the front passenger seat.
"So why did we take this car? It is much slower and rentals are pricy," Skipper asks.
"Well given what happened on your last mission everyone who works for Blowhole probably knows which car is ours which would immediately give our location away," I point out matter of factly. "Plus this car blends in more than your flashy one."
"Okay fair point," Skipper replies, ruefully. I smile slightly, pulling into a twenty-four hour car park so the car isn't obviously out of place. "Let's go then."

We are in an abandoned area, boarded up buildings everywhere and the entire place straight out of a horror show.
"Well this isn't eerie at all," Gale comments, sarcastically. I may have grown to hate him but he definitely has a point.
"Well Hans is a bad guy and this is a very bad guy aesthetic," Skipper points out, making me smile slightly. He has a point; this is the cliché bad guy location.

There is the sound of footsteps and sticking to the shadows we follow the sound, eventually spotting Hans.
"Gale you're with me. Kowalski, you're the fastest so go around and intersect him from the front," Skipper instructs. I nod and take off as fast as I can, taking advantage of the side streets to hopefully catch up as fast as I can.

Skipper
We keep gaining on Hans but he is fast so catching up isn't going to happen unless Kowalski manages to intersect him. Now I don't doubt Kowalski's skills at all but Hans can be pretty tricky. Then again Kowalski is our resident genius so he could easily out manoeuvre or outsmart Hans. Right on mental cue Kowalski turns the corner at the front of the street, blocking him from escaping. Hans falls to a stop, frowning slightly.
"Oh," he comments, frowning slightly. "What are you two doing here?" His eyes fall on Gale and he frowns. "Okay, three of you."
"Making sure you actually go to jail this time," I retort, raising my fists. "There's three of us and one of you!"
"Yeah but one of you can't fight, Skippah," he retorts, making me scowl. No one takes digs at my lieutenant!

His gaze goes back to Gale.
"I think you should reconsider having him in the group," he says, being serious for once which makes me pause. "He-" The sudden punch from Gale, making Hans fly backwards into a wall unconscious.
"What did you do that for, he was about to tell us something!" I exclaim, crossing my arms.
"He's a bad guy, Skipper," he points out. "Whatever he was saying was probably a distraction so he would have time to find an escape."
"Fair point..." I say. "It was weird he didn't just start fighting me though; that is what he normally does."
"Maybe he has learned from his past mistakes?" Gale guesses which makes sense really. Even bad guys like Hans can occasionally use their brains. And at least a mission didn't go pear shaped this time.

We call the police and watch as the still unconscious Hans is arrested.
"Well that was easy," I comment. "Shall we get pizza on the way back?" Gale nods eagerly but I notice Kowalski's less than enthusiastic expression. "We'll go somewhere that has pasta as well." I chuckle as he perks up slightly. Kind of like a meerkat and just as cu- Oh I give up. Why do I subconsciously keep calling him cute?! At least I haven't said it aloud, at least yet.

We get to the restaurant and I call dibs on the comfy seats rather than the regular ones with Kowalski.
"Yes! There's pepperoni!" I say, grinning. "Well that is me sorted. Gale? Kowalski? What about you two?"
"The same probably," Gale replies. A person of taste.
"I'll probably have the penne arrabiata," he replies. Should have guessed that really. He always tends to go for something without much in it but with a tad spice.

We make our order and Gale is on his phone whilst Kowalski and I make light conversation about the mission. When the food arrives the television in the corner starts playing the news. I almost choke on a piece of pepperoni when the news shows that a police car was intersected and an incredibly dangerous criminal was saved by someone who has not yet been named.
"Blowhole..." I seethe. I slam my fist down on the table, making Kowalski jump and several other customers look our direction. "So this whole thing was a waste of time!"
"No it wasn't," Kowalski tries to gently intersect but I am far too pissed off to really listen. "I mean there is a slim chance that it isn't him but it probably is..." How is this helping? "At least he'll have to lay low for a while so he won't cause any issues."
"Stop being right," I grumble. "I am trying to be in a bad mood." But as usual Kowalski's gentle approach starts making me smile at least a little.