Emma looked around her in confusion. She was in a dark narrow corridor, surrounded bởi doors. A cold, unfriendly atmosphere was hanging in the air, as Emma crept cautiously through the corridor, her eyes on the foreboding doors. She squinted and cocked her head to the side as a small glimmer of light appeared at the end of the corridor. The tall chim cánh cụt tiptoed over and peaked around the door that was surrounding it. Her jaw dropped and she felt her feet moving through the door, as if they were being pulled.
"What on earth....?" She whispered to herself. A massive lake of lava sat in the middle of what looked like a vast hall, and created an eerie trái cam, màu da cam glow, which coated the walls, and floor. Emma took another uncertain step in and everything plunged into darkness. She heard a strange laugh, a female one, somewhere in front of her, and a nasty chill ran down her spine. She had a bad feeling about this...
"Welcome penguin." A sinister, deep female voice said. Emma jumped and got into her fighting stance. A bit of logic entered her brain, and she realised that a few phút ago, she was drifting off to sleep.
Ugh, great, a nightmare, this is never a good sign. She groaned, rolling her eyes. Feeling less afraid, she stepped phía trước, chuyển tiếp and went towards where the voice was. She felt something grab at her feet, and soon realised she couldn't move. Suddenly the lights flickered back on and Emma's tim, trái tim skipped a beat, when she saw a tall, màu hồng, hồng creature right in front of her.
"Now, I have all of your Những người bạn strapped up to that rock above the lava." The màu hồng, hồng creature told her wickedly. "You can only save one. Choose." She instructed.
"Bite me." Emma snapped. "This is just a dream." She added, smiling smugly. The creature rolled her eyes, and sighed impatiently.
"Well if you're going to be like that..." The creature pressed a button, and all of the penguins and equas fell into the lava, shrieking at the tops of their voices. She then pressed another button, and a sharp pain filled Emma's feet, causing her to fall over in surprise. The pain began to intensify, and Emma bit the inside of her gum, to stop herself from yelping.
"I'm guessing something similar to this is going to happen in real life?" Emma asked, staring up at the creature bravely.
"Possibly, since for some reason your unconscious brain seems to know when something bad is going to happen, but remember, your last nightmare wasn't spot on, which I'm guessing is because bạn don't have those powers of yours anymore, so this might not be very accurate. But bạn will still have nightmares when something bad is going to happen in real life." The creature replied casually. Emma couldn't help but feel surprised. For some reason, in her dreams, the villains told her important info she didn't know about herself. She guessed it was really her brain telling her these things. Emma flinched at the sounds of her Những người bạn crying and screaming as they were getting burned. The creature stood over her, and took a dao, con dao out from behind her, and stabbed Emma in the chest with it. Emma felt numb, and her vision blurred, as her head hit the floor.
Emma woke with a start and glanced around her. It was mid morning in the HQ, and everyone was still sleeping soundly in their beds. Emma hopped out of hers, and looked up at the other penguins. Kowalski was sleeping on his back, snoring very slightly. Emma stroked his cheek lightly. He began to smile, and Emma smiled back warmly. She stood there for a few phút before heading back to her own bunk. She climbed in and closed her eyes, falling asleep instantly.
In a secluded part of Central Park.
A colossal silver spaceship landed in the park, and suddenly disappeared. Tiatra strolled out, closely followed bởi Carter
"Good, at least the cloaking devices work." She remarked, staring back at the empty space, where the invisible ship was hiding. "Now I need to get in the zoo, but I can't draw attention to myself." She thought aloud. Her eyes fell on a small cat climbing a cây to her left. She smiled and a series of strange gargles echoed through the air. Carter stared down at his queen, who was now about a third of his height, and was standing on all fours, straightening out her fur.
"Urm, your highness, I don't think that any of those creatures are pink." Carter piped up
"And what makes bạn say that?" Tiatra asked sharply.
"I.. I did some research on this planet, and those động vật are called cats, and none of them a.. are pink." Carter stuttered, looking frightened. Tiatra made a frustrated sound and changed to an average light brown colour, with blueish green eyes.
"You wait at the ship, and I'll tell bạn when I need you." Tiatra told him. "I'll communicate with bạn using this." She added, handing him a small headset. "Wear it at all times."
"Yes your highness." Carter squeaked, taking the headset and putting it on, Tiatra put hers on and ran a few tests before ordering Carter back to the ship, and setting off across Central Park. She sniffed the air and caught the scent of freshly baking pretzels and hot dogs. She ran as fast as possible and eventually came to the zoo. The villainous alien crept into Alice's office and climbed up to the computer.
"Ok, so I need to create a backstory for myself." She muttered. She turned the computer on and clicked on a file about transfers.
Add new transfer... She read, clicking on it and typing at lightening speed. About 10 phút later she finished and scampered to the storage shed.
"I need to look like a penguin.." She realised, closing her eyes and concentrating. The familiar gargling sounds filled the air, and Tiatra walked over to a piece of broken glass and peered into it. "Perfect!" She declared, smiling evilly and looking out towards the chim cánh cụt habitat. "Here I come my foes.."
Emma's woke up slowly, thinking about her nightmare last night. She looked around the HQ, her mind in the clouds.
I know they're never are, but I wish my nightmares were wrong sometimes, it's a right pain knowing something bad is coming. She thought, feeling exasperated. She sighed irritably and hopped out of her bunk. Ashley was already up, along with Skipper and Rico. Emma couldn't help but smile. This was probably the least crowded the HQ would be for weeks, and so she had to enjoy it while it lasted.
"Morning sis." Skipper greeted, sipping his trademark cá coffee.
"Morning Skips." Emma replied cheerfully. She smiled at the others and made herself some breakfast.
I really should tell them about my nightmare. Emma thought, her mind wandering. She sat down at the cinder-block table, and was about to open her mouth when she heard a massive thud from above.
"Chopped onions!" Skipper exclaimed, earning a confused look from Ashley. "What was that?"
"No idea." Emma replied, staring towards the fishbowl curiously.
"Well lets go and investigate." Skipper ordered. The equas opened the door from the lab, and popped their heads around curiously.
"What's going on?" Sky asked, as the other penguins began to wake up.
"We heard a loud bang from up above, we're going to check it out." Skipper explained.
"Can we come too?" Ava asked eagerly. Skipper looked towards Emma and Rico for advice, and they nodded in unison .
"Ok then." Skipper agreed, as he beckoned to the wakening penguins, and climbed the ladder. He popped his head out, and saw a large thùng in the center of the habitat. He hopped out, and motioned for the others to follow him. They all climbed out uncertainly, their cautious eye focused on the crate. A glimmer of excitement flashed through Ashley's eyes, and he took a step phía trước, chuyển tiếp carefully. To his right, Skipper stepped phía trước, chuyển tiếp and knocked on the thùng softly. He then stood back, remembering how Emma sent Rico flying when she first arrived and was in the crate. The thùng opened slowly, and Skipper had to stop his jaw from dropping when he saw the figure inside. There was a pretty female penguin, about Rico's height, with sleek, glossy black and white feathers coating her body. She had a small patch of hair which fell to the side of her face. She had dark blue eyes, and a màu hồng, hồng bow on her head. The chim cánh cụt stared around shyly at the động vật and edged her way out of the crate.
"Hi, I'm guessing you're new here?" Ashley asked cheerfully.
"Urm yes, I just got transferred from an aquarium in Colorado." The chim cánh cụt replied nervously. Emma perked up, and a growing suspicion rose inside her.
That voice sounds awfully familiar... She thought, hiding her suspicion with a bright smile.
"Well welcome to the Central Park Zoo." Skipper greeted, snapping out of his gaze. "I'm Skipper, and these are Rico, Private, Emma, Kowalski, Tom, and Ashley. He began, nodding towards the other penguins. "And these are our guests, Ava, Maya, Sky, Michael and Dustin." He explained, his stomach feeling strangely giddy.
"It's nice to meet bạn all, my name is Tia." The chim cánh cụt replied politely, smiling warmly at the animals.
"It's really nice to have another girl chim cánh cụt here." Emma told her cheerfully.
"Why thank you." Tia replied, smiling at Emma. "Wow there's certainly a lot of us." She remarked.
"Oh, we won't be here for long, we're only staying for a month." Dustin chimed in. Ava felt a little disappointed at this, and her eyes fell on Ashley, who was looking rather downcast himself. He caught Ava's eye and smiled. She smiled back shyly, and looked back towards the new arrival.
"So, would bạn like a tour of the zoo Tia?" Skipper asked, sounding a little shy, making Emma stare at him in surprise.
"Ooh yes please, that sounds like fun." Tia agreed eagerly. Skipper smiled at her, and ordered for the others to stay and get their breakfast. He then walked off with the new penguin. Emma stared after her suspiciously, and her eyes widened when she realised where the voice was from.
It's..... it's the màu hồng, hồng creature....But she looks nothing like her........... She thought worriedly. Well some aliens might have some special powers........ Emma speculated. Kowalski caught her thoughtful gaze, and took a step closer to her.
"You ok Em?" He asked curiously, squeezing her flipper gently.
"Yeah, I.." She trailed off, lowering her voice. "I had a nightmare last night." She told him worriedly. Kowalski's eyes widened and he gazed down at the shorter penguin.
"What was it about?" He asked, looking a little worried himself. Emma glanced around, and hopped into the fishbowl, followed bởi the others. She sat down on her bunk, and Kowalski sat tiếp theo to her.
"Ok, so that màu hồng, hồng alien that's enemies with the equas was in it." She began quietly. Kowalski nodded, and scooted closer to Emma, wrapping his flipper around her waist as he did so. Emma blushed and looked up at him.
"Go on." Kowalski encouraged.
"Well I first started off in a corridor, then I found a big room, with a lava lake in." Emma continued. "You guys were strapped to a slab of rock just above it, and then everything went dark. The creature appeared in front of me, and she wanted me to choose one of bạn to be saved, and the others would die." She explained, feeling tears forming at the back of her eyes. "I didn't chose any of bạn because I knew it was a dream, but she then sent a shooting pain through my foot, and sent all bạn guys in the lava. Then she stabbed me." Emma finished, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Kowalski wiped the tear away, and gazed directly into Emma's eyes.
"Don't worry Em, we will not let that happen." He told her gently, stroking her face.
"But pretty much anything that happens in my nightmare happens in real life." Emma managed.
"Well I'm going to do everything possible, to make sure it doesn't happen, I am not letting that happen to you." He told her firmly. "Did anything else happen?"
"No but, the creatures voice sounded exactly like the new penguin's." Emma whispered, her eyes on the fishbowl. Kowalski's jaw dropped and his eyes filled with concern and shock.
"Are bạn sure?" He asked.
"Yes." Emma replied firmly.
"What should we do?" Kowalski wondered.
"I don't know, we have to wait until we can prove it, we can't just make wild accusations." Emma answered sadly. "I don't think we should tell anyone else, because the equas might panic, and I get the feeling Skipper won't believe us." She remarked.
"Why wouldn't he?" Kowalski asked.
"Did bạn see the way he was looking at Tia? He was diễn xuất all shy, and everything." Emma pointed out. Kowalski sighed, realising this was right.
"So we watch and wait, until she lets something slip, hoặc we catch her doing something, then we could use one of our inventions to contain her." Kowalski suggested.
"Good plan." Emma agreed. "Operation: Tia Trouble is a go!" She giggled quietly.
Skipper strolled through the zoo with Tia slowly, taking in all of the sights and introducing her to some of the animals.
"It really is wonderful here." Tia sighed, watching a con bướm, bướm flutter above their heads. As they passed the con rái cá, rái cá habitat, Marlene was busy having a morning swim. She looked up, and was taken bởi surprise when she saw the new chim cánh cụt with Skipper. She popped her head over the wall, and watched them curiously. Skipper caught her, and went over to her, a small smile on his face.
"Good morning Marlene." He greeted cheerfully. Marlene felt a little taken aback at Skipper's sunny attitude.
"Urm, morning Skipper." She replied, her eyes falling on the new penguin. "Who's this?" She asked.
"Marlene, this is Tia, a new transfer from Colorado." Skipper explained.
"It's nice to meet you." Tia đã đưa ý kiến brightly.
"It's nice to meet bạn too." Marlene replied, a strange feeling inside her. She looked back towards Skipper, and saw the dreamy look on his face, as he talked to Tia. A ball of jealousy grew inside the otter's stomach, and she began to feel upset. "Well I must dash, I've gotta clean my habitat." Marlene told the penguins before swiftly darting back into her habitat. She sat down on her bed, and sighed unhappily, staring at the floor.
Meanwhile, in the HQ, the penguins and equas were sitting around the cinder-block table, which was twice as crowded as usual. Ashley was telling some of his best jokes to Ava, and she could only manage hysterical giggles in response. Emma couldn't help but smile at the two of them. She noticed Dustin staring at Maya every time she looked away, and Emma pointed it out silently to Kowalski, who grinned in response.
"I used to do that." He admitted quietly, blushing a little.
"Really?" Emma asked blushing too. Kowalski nodded shyly and Emma smiled warmly at him, and hugged him. "I used to aswell." She whispered. He smiled and they pulled away. A while later Skipper and Tia hopped back in and Skipper gave her a tour of the HQ. (Except for the sub levels)
"Wow, it's all so big!" Tia exclaimed looking around in awe.
"Well there is even thêm on the sub levels but that's classified to members of the team." Skipper explained with a smile. Rico, Private and Tom exchanged surprised looks. Skipper had never openly told someone, that's only been here for about half an hour, about the sub levels.
"Team?" Tia asked curiously.
"Yes, me and the other penguins are an elite commando squad, and I'm the leader." He replied, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Really? C.. could I join?" Tia asked shyly.
"Well bạn can certainly train with us, as a new cadet and then after a while you'll be considered a fully fledged member of the team." Skipper answered. Tia looked pleased and she beamed at Skipper.
"That reminds me, Skipper, when does training start today?" Ashley asked curiously, turning away from Ava for the first time this morning. Skipper turned to the clock and looked thoughtful.
"In a few minutes." He replied.
"Hey can we tham gia bạn today?" Michael asked.
"Urm, if bạn want." Skipper said, hoping that Alice wouldn't come along at any point. The penguins and equas hopped up the ladder and stared expectantly at Skipper.
"So what are we gonna be doing?" Sky asked eagerly, looking down at her spear.
"Urm, should I leave Jimmy in the HQ?" Ava asked. Skipper looked at her in confusion.
"Her bug friend." Maya explained. Skipper nodded and Ava hopped back in, and came back a few giây later.
"Ok, so since half of bạn have never been in one of my sessions, I think it's best if we just learn some basic moves first." Skipper decided.
"Aww..." Rico moaned, re-swallowing the dynamite he had just regurgitated. Skipper started them off with some simple punches and kicks.
"Am I doing it right?" Dustin asked, nearly kicking Tom in the face bởi accident.
"Mostly, just make sure bạn don't hit Tom." Skipper advised, seeing his little brother's angry face. Ava was having trouble with one of the punches and Ashley went a little closer to her.
"You alright lass?" He asked shyly.
"Urm, yes, but I'm not sure if I'm doing this right." She replied. She punched out into the air, and looked at Ashley questioningly.
"You've just gotta make your flipper a little straighter in that position." Ashley advised. Ava tried to straighten her flipper, but didn't have much luck. She looked to Ashley for help, who took her flipper gently, and straightened it into the right position, blushing as he did so.
"Thanks." Ava said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She caught his eye and smiled shyly. He smiled back, and they continued with training. Emma and Kowalski were mucking about a bit, and Skipper had to tell them off. Emma made a funny face at her brother when he wasn't looking, earning a few giggles from the others.
"Hey have bạn seen how Skipper's diễn xuất with the new girl?" Tom whispered to Private.
"Yup, the last time he acted like this, it was because of a chim ưng called Kitka." Private replied, looking at his leader and smiling. "This new girl seems really nice though." He remarked. Tom nodded in response. As they finished with training, they all headed back down the fishbowl, whilst Skipper praised them for their hard work, then casting a dark glance at Emma and Kowalski who just grinned in response. Emma's eyes fell on Tia, and they widened in surprise.
I.. I'm sure her eyes just flashed màu hồng, hồng for a second..... She thought suspiciously.
Emma watched the new transfer out of the corner of her eye, as she tried not to frown in suspicion. She was becoming even thêm sure that this was the villainous tyrant in disguise. She looked up at Kowalski who, judging bởi his expression, was thinking exactly the same thing.
"So what do bạn do for fun around here?" Tia asked brightly.
"Well we all have our own hobbies, but we do other things like watch Tv, get snacks, train, and even have movie marathons." Skipper explained with a smile.
"That sounds like fun!" Tia exclaimed, her eyes glistening a bit. Skipper nodded in response, daring to look Tia in her dark blue eyes. She blushed a little, and looked back at the leader.
"Well me and Emma are going to begin making an invention." Kowalski announced hastily, heading towards the lab. Emma followed him, and smiled at the others before shutting the door. Tia cocked her head to the side, and stared at the door.
"Are they a couple?" Tia asked curiously. Tom and Private nodded, their eyes also on the door.
"So what should we all do?" Ashley asked everyone, his voice cheery and bright.
"Watch a film?" Ava suggested. "I was too caught up in Sudoku's yesterday." She giggled, her silver eyes looking up at Ashley shyly. Ashley felt his face redden, and he barely managed a small nod in response.
"That sounds like a good idea." Tom agreed, trying not to grin, as he looked at Ashley. The others nodded and Rico hacked up a Dvd. Tia gave him a shocked look, and Private quickly explained Rico's ability. Dustin looked at the Dvd curiously, and took it from Rico. He waddled over to the Tv, and a wave of confusion swept over him. Maya sighed and smiled a little at her friend's bewildered look. She walked up to the Tv, and took the Dvd from Dustin, and put it into the Tv. She couldn't help but grin a little at his confusion, admittedly, she even found it kinda sweet.
"Oh, urm thanks Maya." He đã đưa ý kiến gratefully. She just smiled and patted him on the shoulder as she walked past him. Dustin blushed and sat down on the floor, and stared up at the Tv expectantly. The động vật sat down, and Skipper's eyes widened.
"Rico what movie did bạn put on?!" He shrieked.
"Prnomalativy." (Paranormal activity) He replied simply.
"You know that this will scared Private, Ashley and Tom!" Skipper pointed out angrily. Rico just shrugged and got a bag of bắp rang bơ, bỏng ngô out. Skipper rolled his eyes, and looked towards the younger penguins. "Are bạn ok with this?" He asked.
"I'll just go and hang out with the Chameleons for a bit." Tom shrugged, heading towards the fishbowl.
"I'll be ok Skippah." Private đã đưa ý kiến rather uncertainly.
"Me too, horror films don't scare me anymore, I've been through worse horror myself anyway." Ashley replied, smiling at the leader. Ava turned around at this, and gazed at Ashley with concern and curiousity. The film began, and Ava scooted closer to Ashley. All of the animals, including Rico jumped at points, and Ava started to shake a little. "Are bạn ok lass?" Ashley asked in a worried whisper.
"Yes, this phim chiếu rạp a little scary though." She answered. Something jumped out and Ava screamed, hugging Ashley in fright. Ashley went bright red, and slowly returned the hug, stroking the young equa's back comfortingly. A little shiver ran down Ava's back, and she felt herself smile. She came a little closer, pretending to be frightened, and Ashley blushed even harder. He looked up, and tried to focus on the film again, but his mind had fogged up, and his thinking became slow. He smiled a little, and hugged Ava a little tighter. They both became calm and the scariness of the film melted away.
Meanwhile, Private noticed that Dustin was thêm focused on something to his left than the film itself. He went over to Dustin curiously, and followed his gaze. It lead to Maya, who was mesmerised bởi the film.
"Have bạn got a crush on her?" Private asked quietly.
"Oh, no.... I.. just....." Dustin trailed off, his eyes looking at the floor. He sighed irritably, annoyed with his terrible lying skills. He nodded and looked back towards the Equa leader. "You won't tell anyone will you?" He asked.
"Not a single person." Private promised, his face solemn.
In the lab, Emma and Kowalski had made little progress on the Hover Chair. Emma was too busy blurting out what she had just seen.
"Do bạn think she meant to do it, hoặc was it an accident?" Kowalski asked, squeezing Emma's flippers gently.
"I think it was on purpose." Emma replied. "In my dream, she had a massive lair, a vast lava lake and amazing technology."
"And?" Kowalski asked, a little confused.
"She's all about style, and her ego. She's the Queen of a whole planet, she has power, she knows it, she wants everyone else to know it." Emma continued. She received a blank stare from Kowalski, and let out a small sigh. "She flashed her eyes because she knew that no one could prove it happened, and that Skipper would defend her, she doesn't care if we know who she really is, all that matters is that Skipper doesn't know, because he's the boss, and her way into this unit." She explained. Kowalski's eyes widened, and he kissed Emma, taking her bởi surprise. He pulled away, and looked directly at her.
"You're an absolute genius." He told her, stroking her face. She blushed and a smile creeped onto her face.
"You're smarter than me." Emma said, the smile growing.
"Nope." Kowalski replied.
"Well we're equal at least?" Emma asked, Kowalski looked thoughtful and nodded in agreement.
"I think we have to tell Skipper." Kowalski thought out loud.
"I'll tell him tomorrow, before she wakes up, I think she'll stay with him for the rest of today." Emma decided. Kowalski nodded, and he turned towards the pile of scrap metal in the corner of the room.
"So shall we start this Hover Chair?" He asked, grinning a the shorter penguin.
"Yupperdoodle." Emma answered cheerfully, taking Kowalski's flipper and waddling over to the heap of metal. Kowalski blushed, and held on tighter.
"I hope Skipper listens to you." Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến hopefully.
"Me too Kowalski, me too."
In the HQ they had decided to watch a few thêm of the horror films and the last one, had just finished and Skipper turned the Tv off. Private and Ava were shaking, and Dustin and Ashley looked frightened. Skipper cast a stern look at Rico who was unaffected bởi the whole thing.
"Wow, that was awesome!" Sky marvelled, a big grin on her face.
"It was pretty good wasn't it?" Maya agreed.
"Speak for yourself." Dustin replied, glancing around the room worriedly. Maya just grinned and shook her head, turning towards Michael, who also had a bag of popcorn.
"So did bạn like it Tia?" Skipper asked, his blue eyes fixed on the new penguin.
"It was a bit scary but I liked it." She answered, a small smile on her face. Skipper smiled warmly at her and looked up at the time.
"Sweet mother MacArthur, is is really 11pm?" He asked, his eyes wide with bewilderment.
"Apparently so." Kowalski answered, poking his head out of the lab. Emma poked her head out too, and smiled at the animals.
"So what have bạn guys been watching?" She asked brightly.
"Paranormal activity." Skipper answered, looking at Rico darkly.
"Ugh, I'm glad I wasn't around." Emma remarked. She hated horror films, she had only seen two before, and that was because she had to.
"So should we get Tom back?" Private asked. Skipper nodded and told Rico to go with Private. Rico grumbled then reluctantly followed the young chim cánh cụt out.
"Hmm, do bạn think we should go bed?" Michael asked, yawning a little. Maya, Sky and Dustin nodded in agreement.
"Urm, where do I sleep?" Tia asked curiously, staring at the bunks. Skipper pressed a button beside the beds, and a new one opened making Tia jump in surprise.
"In this bunk, there is a blanket and a pillow, if bạn want anything else, just tell me and I'll go to the sub levels." Skipper told her kindly. Tia blushed and smiled, before climbing into the bunk.
"It's really comfy." She remarked, snuggling down on the pillow. Skipper smiled at her and hopped into his own bunk. Rico and Private came back in with Tom, who didn't look very pleased.
"Why didn't bạn say bạn were going to watch all of them, bạn left me there for hours!" He complained irritably. Rico just rolled his eyes.
"Bed." Rico told him. Tom always got cranky around late nighttime. Tom just muttered under his breath, and skulked into his bunk, before falling asleep instantly. The others started to hop into their beds, and Emma hugged Kowalski tightly.
"Goodnight." She whispered, nuzzling his neck with her beak. He blushed and stroked her hair.
"Goodnight Em." He replied, smiling down at the smaller penguin. Emma smiled back, and gave him a little Kiss before hopping into her bunk. Ava đã đưa ý kiến goodnight to Ashley, then followed the other equa's into the spare room, a little reluctantly.
I wish I could sleep in one of those bunks. She thought wistfully, climbing into her sleeping bag and staring at the ceiling. The lights went off around the HQ, and everywhere fell silent. Ava looked over at her bug friend Jimmy, who was sleeping soundly on a tiny pillow. She patted his head, and closed her eyes. But for some reason, she couldn't get sleep. She tossed and turned, but nothing was working. A few things at the back of her mind were bugging her, and she had a strange feeling she knew what they were. And it was all to do with a certain, green eyed penguin. She thought about the horror film, and when she got to hug him. His feathers were very soft, and warm, which gave her bướm in her stomach just thinking about it. I think I've got a crush on him. She realised, blushing a little. Her mind rested a little knowing this, but something else was bothering her. She thought back to something Ashley đã đưa ý kiến to Skipper right before they put the film on. What did he mean by, 'I've been through worse horror myself anyway'..? She wondered, looking towards the door with concern. She sneaked out of the spare room, and poked her head out of the lab door. Only a small slither of light was cast around the dark HQ, coming from the round portholes. Ava tiptoed in, being careful not to trip over the discarded bags of popcorn, Rico and Michael left out. She made her way over to Ashley's bunk and began to smile. He was sleeping on his side facing her, a calm smile on his face, as his chest rise and fell softly. Ava resisted the urge to stroke his feathers, and tapped him on the shoulder. Ashley's eyes opened slowly, and he blushed slightly, when he saw Ava.
"Hey lass, what's going on?" He asked sleepily. Ava felt herself blush even more. She absolutely loved his accent, it was so unique compared to the other's accents.
"Urm.." Ava began shyly. Ashley sat up in his bunk, and looked at the young equa curiously. "I was wondering if we could talk?" She managed slowly. "In private." She added, her eyes falling the other bunks. Ashley felt a little confused but he nodded in agreement. He climbed the ladder to the fishbowl, and beckoned for Ava to follow him. He opened the fishbowl, and sat on the small island in the chim cánh cụt habitat, as Ava followed him.
"So what is it?" He asked, his eyes on the sliver eyed equa.
"Urm.. well...I heard bạn say something to Skipper today, and for some reason I can't get it out of my head." Ava began, her cheeks reddening. "You đã đưa ý kiến something about going through worse horror than what was on the film." Ava explained. "Sorry if it's rude for asking, but what was that about?" She asked. Ashley sighed a little, and his eyes fell to the floor for a một giây before looking back up at Ava.
"When I first arrived here, everything was fine for a few days." He began. "Then at night, this psycho tôm, tôm hùm took me from my bed, and to an abandoned factory, where his cá heo master was. This cá heo is the team's enemy." He explained.
"What's his name?" Ava asked, looking worried.
"Dr Blowhole." Ashley answered. "So he strapped me to a table, and tried to get me to tell him all of the team's secrets but I wouldn't." He continued, a hint of fear, and sadness in his eyes. "He then started to torture me, trying to get me to spill but I wouldn't."
"Oh my goodness!" Ava exclaimed covering her beak with her flippers in shock. "How... how long did he do that for?" She stammered.
"A few weeks." Ashley replied simply. "I tried to escape once, and nearly made it but he caught me." He added sadly. "Anyway, he then wiped my memory, and turned me into a horribly beastly looking thing, that I don't even want to begin to describe. The other penguins eventually found me, and Blowhole ordered me to to kill them, starting with Emma and Kowalski. I badly injured Skipper when all this was happening, and I just cornered Emma and Kowalski when my memories came back." Ashley explained, as Ava's face turned to from shocked to horrified. "Then I defeated Blowhole and we went home, I was covered in scars, which will unfortunately never go away." He finished, holding back the few tears that were stinging his eyes.
"I'm so sorry bạn had to go through that Ash, it sounds mortifying." Ava said, feeling a bit bad, for making Ashley have to remember this. Ashley flashed a sad smile in response. "Wait, bạn đã đưa ý kiến bạn had scars but I don't see any." Ava realised, feeling a little confused. Ashley brushed a few of the feathers on his flipper apart, to reveal a few nasty scars dotted over his skin. Ava winced and gazed at the chim cánh cụt sympathetically.
"It's like that all over my body." He told her sadly, his eyes on the floor again. Ava felt so bad for him, that she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her flippers around him and giving him a long comforting hug. Ashley's eye widened in surprise, but he soon returned the hug. His tim, trái tim started beating faster in his chest, and a little shiver went down his spine, as he started feeling warm, an toàn, két an toàn and content. He smiled and pulled Ava a little closer, making her blush even more. A moment hoặc two later they pulled away, and Ava looked at Ashley shyly.
"Urm, should we go back bed?" She asked, barely daring to look him in the eyes. Ashley nodded and they climbed back down, whispered a goodnight to eachother then went back to their beds. They both blushed madly, as they settled down on their pillows and fell asleep.
A few hours later...
Tia creeped out of her bed, and sneaked up the fishbowl. She took out her headset, and put it over her earholes.
"Carter, are bạn there?" She whispered into it. She heard a surprised noise, and the sound of things falling over, and she rolled her eyes.
"Yes your highness." Carter replied.
"One of these idiot creatures is actually falling for me, so it will be the perfect opportunity to catch them off guard, and capture them all." She told him deviously. "And they have a variety of sub levels, no doubt loaded with weapons we can use." She added evilly.
"So how long are bạn staying there?" Carter asked.
"As long as it takes for me to earn their trust, but the equas are going back in a tháng so sometime before then." Tia replied. "I want bạn to prepare the lava lake and all the weapons we have." She ordered. "Tiatra out." She said, as she turned the headset off, and sneaked back into the HQ. She sat in her bunk, and a horrible smile crossed her face.
"What on earth....?" She whispered to herself. A massive lake of lava sat in the middle of what looked like a vast hall, and created an eerie trái cam, màu da cam glow, which coated the walls, and floor. Emma took another uncertain step in and everything plunged into darkness. She heard a strange laugh, a female one, somewhere in front of her, and a nasty chill ran down her spine. She had a bad feeling about this...
"Welcome penguin." A sinister, deep female voice said. Emma jumped and got into her fighting stance. A bit of logic entered her brain, and she realised that a few phút ago, she was drifting off to sleep.
Ugh, great, a nightmare, this is never a good sign. She groaned, rolling her eyes. Feeling less afraid, she stepped phía trước, chuyển tiếp and went towards where the voice was. She felt something grab at her feet, and soon realised she couldn't move. Suddenly the lights flickered back on and Emma's tim, trái tim skipped a beat, when she saw a tall, màu hồng, hồng creature right in front of her.
"Now, I have all of your Những người bạn strapped up to that rock above the lava." The màu hồng, hồng creature told her wickedly. "You can only save one. Choose." She instructed.
"Bite me." Emma snapped. "This is just a dream." She added, smiling smugly. The creature rolled her eyes, and sighed impatiently.
"Well if you're going to be like that..." The creature pressed a button, and all of the penguins and equas fell into the lava, shrieking at the tops of their voices. She then pressed another button, and a sharp pain filled Emma's feet, causing her to fall over in surprise. The pain began to intensify, and Emma bit the inside of her gum, to stop herself from yelping.
"I'm guessing something similar to this is going to happen in real life?" Emma asked, staring up at the creature bravely.
"Possibly, since for some reason your unconscious brain seems to know when something bad is going to happen, but remember, your last nightmare wasn't spot on, which I'm guessing is because bạn don't have those powers of yours anymore, so this might not be very accurate. But bạn will still have nightmares when something bad is going to happen in real life." The creature replied casually. Emma couldn't help but feel surprised. For some reason, in her dreams, the villains told her important info she didn't know about herself. She guessed it was really her brain telling her these things. Emma flinched at the sounds of her Những người bạn crying and screaming as they were getting burned. The creature stood over her, and took a dao, con dao out from behind her, and stabbed Emma in the chest with it. Emma felt numb, and her vision blurred, as her head hit the floor.
Emma woke with a start and glanced around her. It was mid morning in the HQ, and everyone was still sleeping soundly in their beds. Emma hopped out of hers, and looked up at the other penguins. Kowalski was sleeping on his back, snoring very slightly. Emma stroked his cheek lightly. He began to smile, and Emma smiled back warmly. She stood there for a few phút before heading back to her own bunk. She climbed in and closed her eyes, falling asleep instantly.
In a secluded part of Central Park.
A colossal silver spaceship landed in the park, and suddenly disappeared. Tiatra strolled out, closely followed bởi Carter
"Good, at least the cloaking devices work." She remarked, staring back at the empty space, where the invisible ship was hiding. "Now I need to get in the zoo, but I can't draw attention to myself." She thought aloud. Her eyes fell on a small cat climbing a cây to her left. She smiled and a series of strange gargles echoed through the air. Carter stared down at his queen, who was now about a third of his height, and was standing on all fours, straightening out her fur.
"Urm, your highness, I don't think that any of those creatures are pink." Carter piped up
"And what makes bạn say that?" Tiatra asked sharply.
"I.. I did some research on this planet, and those động vật are called cats, and none of them a.. are pink." Carter stuttered, looking frightened. Tiatra made a frustrated sound and changed to an average light brown colour, with blueish green eyes.
"You wait at the ship, and I'll tell bạn when I need you." Tiatra told him. "I'll communicate with bạn using this." She added, handing him a small headset. "Wear it at all times."
"Yes your highness." Carter squeaked, taking the headset and putting it on, Tiatra put hers on and ran a few tests before ordering Carter back to the ship, and setting off across Central Park. She sniffed the air and caught the scent of freshly baking pretzels and hot dogs. She ran as fast as possible and eventually came to the zoo. The villainous alien crept into Alice's office and climbed up to the computer.
"Ok, so I need to create a backstory for myself." She muttered. She turned the computer on and clicked on a file about transfers.
Add new transfer... She read, clicking on it and typing at lightening speed. About 10 phút later she finished and scampered to the storage shed.
"I need to look like a penguin.." She realised, closing her eyes and concentrating. The familiar gargling sounds filled the air, and Tiatra walked over to a piece of broken glass and peered into it. "Perfect!" She declared, smiling evilly and looking out towards the chim cánh cụt habitat. "Here I come my foes.."
Emma's woke up slowly, thinking about her nightmare last night. She looked around the HQ, her mind in the clouds.
I know they're never are, but I wish my nightmares were wrong sometimes, it's a right pain knowing something bad is coming. She thought, feeling exasperated. She sighed irritably and hopped out of her bunk. Ashley was already up, along with Skipper and Rico. Emma couldn't help but smile. This was probably the least crowded the HQ would be for weeks, and so she had to enjoy it while it lasted.
"Morning sis." Skipper greeted, sipping his trademark cá coffee.
"Morning Skips." Emma replied cheerfully. She smiled at the others and made herself some breakfast.
I really should tell them about my nightmare. Emma thought, her mind wandering. She sat down at the cinder-block table, and was about to open her mouth when she heard a massive thud from above.
"Chopped onions!" Skipper exclaimed, earning a confused look from Ashley. "What was that?"
"No idea." Emma replied, staring towards the fishbowl curiously.
"Well lets go and investigate." Skipper ordered. The equas opened the door from the lab, and popped their heads around curiously.
"What's going on?" Sky asked, as the other penguins began to wake up.
"We heard a loud bang from up above, we're going to check it out." Skipper explained.
"Can we come too?" Ava asked eagerly. Skipper looked towards Emma and Rico for advice, and they nodded in unison .
"Ok then." Skipper agreed, as he beckoned to the wakening penguins, and climbed the ladder. He popped his head out, and saw a large thùng in the center of the habitat. He hopped out, and motioned for the others to follow him. They all climbed out uncertainly, their cautious eye focused on the crate. A glimmer of excitement flashed through Ashley's eyes, and he took a step phía trước, chuyển tiếp carefully. To his right, Skipper stepped phía trước, chuyển tiếp and knocked on the thùng softly. He then stood back, remembering how Emma sent Rico flying when she first arrived and was in the crate. The thùng opened slowly, and Skipper had to stop his jaw from dropping when he saw the figure inside. There was a pretty female penguin, about Rico's height, with sleek, glossy black and white feathers coating her body. She had a small patch of hair which fell to the side of her face. She had dark blue eyes, and a màu hồng, hồng bow on her head. The chim cánh cụt stared around shyly at the động vật and edged her way out of the crate.
"Hi, I'm guessing you're new here?" Ashley asked cheerfully.
"Urm yes, I just got transferred from an aquarium in Colorado." The chim cánh cụt replied nervously. Emma perked up, and a growing suspicion rose inside her.
That voice sounds awfully familiar... She thought, hiding her suspicion with a bright smile.
"Well welcome to the Central Park Zoo." Skipper greeted, snapping out of his gaze. "I'm Skipper, and these are Rico, Private, Emma, Kowalski, Tom, and Ashley. He began, nodding towards the other penguins. "And these are our guests, Ava, Maya, Sky, Michael and Dustin." He explained, his stomach feeling strangely giddy.
"It's nice to meet bạn all, my name is Tia." The chim cánh cụt replied politely, smiling warmly at the animals.
"It's really nice to have another girl chim cánh cụt here." Emma told her cheerfully.
"Why thank you." Tia replied, smiling at Emma. "Wow there's certainly a lot of us." She remarked.
"Oh, we won't be here for long, we're only staying for a month." Dustin chimed in. Ava felt a little disappointed at this, and her eyes fell on Ashley, who was looking rather downcast himself. He caught Ava's eye and smiled. She smiled back shyly, and looked back towards the new arrival.
"So, would bạn like a tour of the zoo Tia?" Skipper asked, sounding a little shy, making Emma stare at him in surprise.
"Ooh yes please, that sounds like fun." Tia agreed eagerly. Skipper smiled at her, and ordered for the others to stay and get their breakfast. He then walked off with the new penguin. Emma stared after her suspiciously, and her eyes widened when she realised where the voice was from.
It's..... it's the màu hồng, hồng creature....But she looks nothing like her........... She thought worriedly. Well some aliens might have some special powers........ Emma speculated. Kowalski caught her thoughtful gaze, and took a step closer to her.
"You ok Em?" He asked curiously, squeezing her flipper gently.
"Yeah, I.." She trailed off, lowering her voice. "I had a nightmare last night." She told him worriedly. Kowalski's eyes widened and he gazed down at the shorter penguin.
"What was it about?" He asked, looking a little worried himself. Emma glanced around, and hopped into the fishbowl, followed bởi the others. She sat down on her bunk, and Kowalski sat tiếp theo to her.
"Ok, so that màu hồng, hồng alien that's enemies with the equas was in it." She began quietly. Kowalski nodded, and scooted closer to Emma, wrapping his flipper around her waist as he did so. Emma blushed and looked up at him.
"Go on." Kowalski encouraged.
"Well I first started off in a corridor, then I found a big room, with a lava lake in." Emma continued. "You guys were strapped to a slab of rock just above it, and then everything went dark. The creature appeared in front of me, and she wanted me to choose one of bạn to be saved, and the others would die." She explained, feeling tears forming at the back of her eyes. "I didn't chose any of bạn because I knew it was a dream, but she then sent a shooting pain through my foot, and sent all bạn guys in the lava. Then she stabbed me." Emma finished, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Kowalski wiped the tear away, and gazed directly into Emma's eyes.
"Don't worry Em, we will not let that happen." He told her gently, stroking her face.
"But pretty much anything that happens in my nightmare happens in real life." Emma managed.
"Well I'm going to do everything possible, to make sure it doesn't happen, I am not letting that happen to you." He told her firmly. "Did anything else happen?"
"No but, the creatures voice sounded exactly like the new penguin's." Emma whispered, her eyes on the fishbowl. Kowalski's jaw dropped and his eyes filled with concern and shock.
"Are bạn sure?" He asked.
"Yes." Emma replied firmly.
"What should we do?" Kowalski wondered.
"I don't know, we have to wait until we can prove it, we can't just make wild accusations." Emma answered sadly. "I don't think we should tell anyone else, because the equas might panic, and I get the feeling Skipper won't believe us." She remarked.
"Why wouldn't he?" Kowalski asked.
"Did bạn see the way he was looking at Tia? He was diễn xuất all shy, and everything." Emma pointed out. Kowalski sighed, realising this was right.
"So we watch and wait, until she lets something slip, hoặc we catch her doing something, then we could use one of our inventions to contain her." Kowalski suggested.
"Good plan." Emma agreed. "Operation: Tia Trouble is a go!" She giggled quietly.
Skipper strolled through the zoo with Tia slowly, taking in all of the sights and introducing her to some of the animals.
"It really is wonderful here." Tia sighed, watching a con bướm, bướm flutter above their heads. As they passed the con rái cá, rái cá habitat, Marlene was busy having a morning swim. She looked up, and was taken bởi surprise when she saw the new chim cánh cụt with Skipper. She popped her head over the wall, and watched them curiously. Skipper caught her, and went over to her, a small smile on his face.
"Good morning Marlene." He greeted cheerfully. Marlene felt a little taken aback at Skipper's sunny attitude.
"Urm, morning Skipper." She replied, her eyes falling on the new penguin. "Who's this?" She asked.
"Marlene, this is Tia, a new transfer from Colorado." Skipper explained.
"It's nice to meet you." Tia đã đưa ý kiến brightly.
"It's nice to meet bạn too." Marlene replied, a strange feeling inside her. She looked back towards Skipper, and saw the dreamy look on his face, as he talked to Tia. A ball of jealousy grew inside the otter's stomach, and she began to feel upset. "Well I must dash, I've gotta clean my habitat." Marlene told the penguins before swiftly darting back into her habitat. She sat down on her bed, and sighed unhappily, staring at the floor.
Meanwhile, in the HQ, the penguins and equas were sitting around the cinder-block table, which was twice as crowded as usual. Ashley was telling some of his best jokes to Ava, and she could only manage hysterical giggles in response. Emma couldn't help but smile at the two of them. She noticed Dustin staring at Maya every time she looked away, and Emma pointed it out silently to Kowalski, who grinned in response.
"I used to do that." He admitted quietly, blushing a little.
"Really?" Emma asked blushing too. Kowalski nodded shyly and Emma smiled warmly at him, and hugged him. "I used to aswell." She whispered. He smiled and they pulled away. A while later Skipper and Tia hopped back in and Skipper gave her a tour of the HQ. (Except for the sub levels)
"Wow, it's all so big!" Tia exclaimed looking around in awe.
"Well there is even thêm on the sub levels but that's classified to members of the team." Skipper explained with a smile. Rico, Private and Tom exchanged surprised looks. Skipper had never openly told someone, that's only been here for about half an hour, about the sub levels.
"Team?" Tia asked curiously.
"Yes, me and the other penguins are an elite commando squad, and I'm the leader." He replied, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Really? C.. could I join?" Tia asked shyly.
"Well bạn can certainly train with us, as a new cadet and then after a while you'll be considered a fully fledged member of the team." Skipper answered. Tia looked pleased and she beamed at Skipper.
"That reminds me, Skipper, when does training start today?" Ashley asked curiously, turning away from Ava for the first time this morning. Skipper turned to the clock and looked thoughtful.
"In a few minutes." He replied.
"Hey can we tham gia bạn today?" Michael asked.
"Urm, if bạn want." Skipper said, hoping that Alice wouldn't come along at any point. The penguins and equas hopped up the ladder and stared expectantly at Skipper.
"So what are we gonna be doing?" Sky asked eagerly, looking down at her spear.
"Urm, should I leave Jimmy in the HQ?" Ava asked. Skipper looked at her in confusion.
"Her bug friend." Maya explained. Skipper nodded and Ava hopped back in, and came back a few giây later.
"Ok, so since half of bạn have never been in one of my sessions, I think it's best if we just learn some basic moves first." Skipper decided.
"Aww..." Rico moaned, re-swallowing the dynamite he had just regurgitated. Skipper started them off with some simple punches and kicks.
"Am I doing it right?" Dustin asked, nearly kicking Tom in the face bởi accident.
"Mostly, just make sure bạn don't hit Tom." Skipper advised, seeing his little brother's angry face. Ava was having trouble with one of the punches and Ashley went a little closer to her.
"You alright lass?" He asked shyly.
"Urm, yes, but I'm not sure if I'm doing this right." She replied. She punched out into the air, and looked at Ashley questioningly.
"You've just gotta make your flipper a little straighter in that position." Ashley advised. Ava tried to straighten her flipper, but didn't have much luck. She looked to Ashley for help, who took her flipper gently, and straightened it into the right position, blushing as he did so.
"Thanks." Ava said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She caught his eye and smiled shyly. He smiled back, and they continued with training. Emma and Kowalski were mucking about a bit, and Skipper had to tell them off. Emma made a funny face at her brother when he wasn't looking, earning a few giggles from the others.
"Hey have bạn seen how Skipper's diễn xuất with the new girl?" Tom whispered to Private.
"Yup, the last time he acted like this, it was because of a chim ưng called Kitka." Private replied, looking at his leader and smiling. "This new girl seems really nice though." He remarked. Tom nodded in response. As they finished with training, they all headed back down the fishbowl, whilst Skipper praised them for their hard work, then casting a dark glance at Emma and Kowalski who just grinned in response. Emma's eyes fell on Tia, and they widened in surprise.
I.. I'm sure her eyes just flashed màu hồng, hồng for a second..... She thought suspiciously.
Emma watched the new transfer out of the corner of her eye, as she tried not to frown in suspicion. She was becoming even thêm sure that this was the villainous tyrant in disguise. She looked up at Kowalski who, judging bởi his expression, was thinking exactly the same thing.
"So what do bạn do for fun around here?" Tia asked brightly.
"Well we all have our own hobbies, but we do other things like watch Tv, get snacks, train, and even have movie marathons." Skipper explained with a smile.
"That sounds like fun!" Tia exclaimed, her eyes glistening a bit. Skipper nodded in response, daring to look Tia in her dark blue eyes. She blushed a little, and looked back at the leader.
"Well me and Emma are going to begin making an invention." Kowalski announced hastily, heading towards the lab. Emma followed him, and smiled at the others before shutting the door. Tia cocked her head to the side, and stared at the door.
"Are they a couple?" Tia asked curiously. Tom and Private nodded, their eyes also on the door.
"So what should we all do?" Ashley asked everyone, his voice cheery and bright.
"Watch a film?" Ava suggested. "I was too caught up in Sudoku's yesterday." She giggled, her silver eyes looking up at Ashley shyly. Ashley felt his face redden, and he barely managed a small nod in response.
"That sounds like a good idea." Tom agreed, trying not to grin, as he looked at Ashley. The others nodded and Rico hacked up a Dvd. Tia gave him a shocked look, and Private quickly explained Rico's ability. Dustin looked at the Dvd curiously, and took it from Rico. He waddled over to the Tv, and a wave of confusion swept over him. Maya sighed and smiled a little at her friend's bewildered look. She walked up to the Tv, and took the Dvd from Dustin, and put it into the Tv. She couldn't help but grin a little at his confusion, admittedly, she even found it kinda sweet.
"Oh, urm thanks Maya." He đã đưa ý kiến gratefully. She just smiled and patted him on the shoulder as she walked past him. Dustin blushed and sat down on the floor, and stared up at the Tv expectantly. The động vật sat down, and Skipper's eyes widened.
"Rico what movie did bạn put on?!" He shrieked.
"Prnomalativy." (Paranormal activity) He replied simply.
"You know that this will scared Private, Ashley and Tom!" Skipper pointed out angrily. Rico just shrugged and got a bag of bắp rang bơ, bỏng ngô out. Skipper rolled his eyes, and looked towards the younger penguins. "Are bạn ok with this?" He asked.
"I'll just go and hang out with the Chameleons for a bit." Tom shrugged, heading towards the fishbowl.
"I'll be ok Skippah." Private đã đưa ý kiến rather uncertainly.
"Me too, horror films don't scare me anymore, I've been through worse horror myself anyway." Ashley replied, smiling at the leader. Ava turned around at this, and gazed at Ashley with concern and curiousity. The film began, and Ava scooted closer to Ashley. All of the animals, including Rico jumped at points, and Ava started to shake a little. "Are bạn ok lass?" Ashley asked in a worried whisper.
"Yes, this phim chiếu rạp a little scary though." She answered. Something jumped out and Ava screamed, hugging Ashley in fright. Ashley went bright red, and slowly returned the hug, stroking the young equa's back comfortingly. A little shiver ran down Ava's back, and she felt herself smile. She came a little closer, pretending to be frightened, and Ashley blushed even harder. He looked up, and tried to focus on the film again, but his mind had fogged up, and his thinking became slow. He smiled a little, and hugged Ava a little tighter. They both became calm and the scariness of the film melted away.
Meanwhile, Private noticed that Dustin was thêm focused on something to his left than the film itself. He went over to Dustin curiously, and followed his gaze. It lead to Maya, who was mesmerised bởi the film.
"Have bạn got a crush on her?" Private asked quietly.
"Oh, no.... I.. just....." Dustin trailed off, his eyes looking at the floor. He sighed irritably, annoyed with his terrible lying skills. He nodded and looked back towards the Equa leader. "You won't tell anyone will you?" He asked.
"Not a single person." Private promised, his face solemn.
In the lab, Emma and Kowalski had made little progress on the Hover Chair. Emma was too busy blurting out what she had just seen.
"Do bạn think she meant to do it, hoặc was it an accident?" Kowalski asked, squeezing Emma's flippers gently.
"I think it was on purpose." Emma replied. "In my dream, she had a massive lair, a vast lava lake and amazing technology."
"And?" Kowalski asked, a little confused.
"She's all about style, and her ego. She's the Queen of a whole planet, she has power, she knows it, she wants everyone else to know it." Emma continued. She received a blank stare from Kowalski, and let out a small sigh. "She flashed her eyes because she knew that no one could prove it happened, and that Skipper would defend her, she doesn't care if we know who she really is, all that matters is that Skipper doesn't know, because he's the boss, and her way into this unit." She explained. Kowalski's eyes widened, and he kissed Emma, taking her bởi surprise. He pulled away, and looked directly at her.
"You're an absolute genius." He told her, stroking her face. She blushed and a smile creeped onto her face.
"You're smarter than me." Emma said, the smile growing.
"Nope." Kowalski replied.
"Well we're equal at least?" Emma asked, Kowalski looked thoughtful and nodded in agreement.
"I think we have to tell Skipper." Kowalski thought out loud.
"I'll tell him tomorrow, before she wakes up, I think she'll stay with him for the rest of today." Emma decided. Kowalski nodded, and he turned towards the pile of scrap metal in the corner of the room.
"So shall we start this Hover Chair?" He asked, grinning a the shorter penguin.
"Yupperdoodle." Emma answered cheerfully, taking Kowalski's flipper and waddling over to the heap of metal. Kowalski blushed, and held on tighter.
"I hope Skipper listens to you." Kowalski đã đưa ý kiến hopefully.
"Me too Kowalski, me too."
In the HQ they had decided to watch a few thêm of the horror films and the last one, had just finished and Skipper turned the Tv off. Private and Ava were shaking, and Dustin and Ashley looked frightened. Skipper cast a stern look at Rico who was unaffected bởi the whole thing.
"Wow, that was awesome!" Sky marvelled, a big grin on her face.
"It was pretty good wasn't it?" Maya agreed.
"Speak for yourself." Dustin replied, glancing around the room worriedly. Maya just grinned and shook her head, turning towards Michael, who also had a bag of popcorn.
"So did bạn like it Tia?" Skipper asked, his blue eyes fixed on the new penguin.
"It was a bit scary but I liked it." She answered, a small smile on her face. Skipper smiled warmly at her and looked up at the time.
"Sweet mother MacArthur, is is really 11pm?" He asked, his eyes wide with bewilderment.
"Apparently so." Kowalski answered, poking his head out of the lab. Emma poked her head out too, and smiled at the animals.
"So what have bạn guys been watching?" She asked brightly.
"Paranormal activity." Skipper answered, looking at Rico darkly.
"Ugh, I'm glad I wasn't around." Emma remarked. She hated horror films, she had only seen two before, and that was because she had to.
"So should we get Tom back?" Private asked. Skipper nodded and told Rico to go with Private. Rico grumbled then reluctantly followed the young chim cánh cụt out.
"Hmm, do bạn think we should go bed?" Michael asked, yawning a little. Maya, Sky and Dustin nodded in agreement.
"Urm, where do I sleep?" Tia asked curiously, staring at the bunks. Skipper pressed a button beside the beds, and a new one opened making Tia jump in surprise.
"In this bunk, there is a blanket and a pillow, if bạn want anything else, just tell me and I'll go to the sub levels." Skipper told her kindly. Tia blushed and smiled, before climbing into the bunk.
"It's really comfy." She remarked, snuggling down on the pillow. Skipper smiled at her and hopped into his own bunk. Rico and Private came back in with Tom, who didn't look very pleased.
"Why didn't bạn say bạn were going to watch all of them, bạn left me there for hours!" He complained irritably. Rico just rolled his eyes.
"Bed." Rico told him. Tom always got cranky around late nighttime. Tom just muttered under his breath, and skulked into his bunk, before falling asleep instantly. The others started to hop into their beds, and Emma hugged Kowalski tightly.
"Goodnight." She whispered, nuzzling his neck with her beak. He blushed and stroked her hair.
"Goodnight Em." He replied, smiling down at the smaller penguin. Emma smiled back, and gave him a little Kiss before hopping into her bunk. Ava đã đưa ý kiến goodnight to Ashley, then followed the other equa's into the spare room, a little reluctantly.
I wish I could sleep in one of those bunks. She thought wistfully, climbing into her sleeping bag and staring at the ceiling. The lights went off around the HQ, and everywhere fell silent. Ava looked over at her bug friend Jimmy, who was sleeping soundly on a tiny pillow. She patted his head, and closed her eyes. But for some reason, she couldn't get sleep. She tossed and turned, but nothing was working. A few things at the back of her mind were bugging her, and she had a strange feeling she knew what they were. And it was all to do with a certain, green eyed penguin. She thought about the horror film, and when she got to hug him. His feathers were very soft, and warm, which gave her bướm in her stomach just thinking about it. I think I've got a crush on him. She realised, blushing a little. Her mind rested a little knowing this, but something else was bothering her. She thought back to something Ashley đã đưa ý kiến to Skipper right before they put the film on. What did he mean by, 'I've been through worse horror myself anyway'..? She wondered, looking towards the door with concern. She sneaked out of the spare room, and poked her head out of the lab door. Only a small slither of light was cast around the dark HQ, coming from the round portholes. Ava tiptoed in, being careful not to trip over the discarded bags of popcorn, Rico and Michael left out. She made her way over to Ashley's bunk and began to smile. He was sleeping on his side facing her, a calm smile on his face, as his chest rise and fell softly. Ava resisted the urge to stroke his feathers, and tapped him on the shoulder. Ashley's eyes opened slowly, and he blushed slightly, when he saw Ava.
"Hey lass, what's going on?" He asked sleepily. Ava felt herself blush even more. She absolutely loved his accent, it was so unique compared to the other's accents.
"Urm.." Ava began shyly. Ashley sat up in his bunk, and looked at the young equa curiously. "I was wondering if we could talk?" She managed slowly. "In private." She added, her eyes falling the other bunks. Ashley felt a little confused but he nodded in agreement. He climbed the ladder to the fishbowl, and beckoned for Ava to follow him. He opened the fishbowl, and sat on the small island in the chim cánh cụt habitat, as Ava followed him.
"So what is it?" He asked, his eyes on the sliver eyed equa.
"Urm.. well...I heard bạn say something to Skipper today, and for some reason I can't get it out of my head." Ava began, her cheeks reddening. "You đã đưa ý kiến something about going through worse horror than what was on the film." Ava explained. "Sorry if it's rude for asking, but what was that about?" She asked. Ashley sighed a little, and his eyes fell to the floor for a một giây before looking back up at Ava.
"When I first arrived here, everything was fine for a few days." He began. "Then at night, this psycho tôm, tôm hùm took me from my bed, and to an abandoned factory, where his cá heo master was. This cá heo is the team's enemy." He explained.
"What's his name?" Ava asked, looking worried.
"Dr Blowhole." Ashley answered. "So he strapped me to a table, and tried to get me to tell him all of the team's secrets but I wouldn't." He continued, a hint of fear, and sadness in his eyes. "He then started to torture me, trying to get me to spill but I wouldn't."
"Oh my goodness!" Ava exclaimed covering her beak with her flippers in shock. "How... how long did he do that for?" She stammered.
"A few weeks." Ashley replied simply. "I tried to escape once, and nearly made it but he caught me." He added sadly. "Anyway, he then wiped my memory, and turned me into a horribly beastly looking thing, that I don't even want to begin to describe. The other penguins eventually found me, and Blowhole ordered me to to kill them, starting with Emma and Kowalski. I badly injured Skipper when all this was happening, and I just cornered Emma and Kowalski when my memories came back." Ashley explained, as Ava's face turned to from shocked to horrified. "Then I defeated Blowhole and we went home, I was covered in scars, which will unfortunately never go away." He finished, holding back the few tears that were stinging his eyes.
"I'm so sorry bạn had to go through that Ash, it sounds mortifying." Ava said, feeling a bit bad, for making Ashley have to remember this. Ashley flashed a sad smile in response. "Wait, bạn đã đưa ý kiến bạn had scars but I don't see any." Ava realised, feeling a little confused. Ashley brushed a few of the feathers on his flipper apart, to reveal a few nasty scars dotted over his skin. Ava winced and gazed at the chim cánh cụt sympathetically.
"It's like that all over my body." He told her sadly, his eyes on the floor again. Ava felt so bad for him, that she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her flippers around him and giving him a long comforting hug. Ashley's eye widened in surprise, but he soon returned the hug. His tim, trái tim started beating faster in his chest, and a little shiver went down his spine, as he started feeling warm, an toàn, két an toàn and content. He smiled and pulled Ava a little closer, making her blush even more. A moment hoặc two later they pulled away, and Ava looked at Ashley shyly.
"Urm, should we go back bed?" She asked, barely daring to look him in the eyes. Ashley nodded and they climbed back down, whispered a goodnight to eachother then went back to their beds. They both blushed madly, as they settled down on their pillows and fell asleep.
A few hours later...
Tia creeped out of her bed, and sneaked up the fishbowl. She took out her headset, and put it over her earholes.
"Carter, are bạn there?" She whispered into it. She heard a surprised noise, and the sound of things falling over, and she rolled her eyes.
"Yes your highness." Carter replied.
"One of these idiot creatures is actually falling for me, so it will be the perfect opportunity to catch them off guard, and capture them all." She told him deviously. "And they have a variety of sub levels, no doubt loaded with weapons we can use." She added evilly.
"So how long are bạn staying there?" Carter asked.
"As long as it takes for me to earn their trust, but the equas are going back in a tháng so sometime before then." Tia replied. "I want bạn to prepare the lava lake and all the weapons we have." She ordered. "Tiatra out." She said, as she turned the headset off, and sneaked back into the HQ. She sat in her bunk, and a horrible smile crossed her face.