Operation Missing Kowalski

The sun rose up, and the Central Park Zoo residents slowly prepared for the day's events of field trips, tourists, and whatever mess they knew the penguins or lemurs would stir up.

"Up and adam boys!" Skipper announced.

Private and Rico jumped out of their bunks and landed on their feet in front of Skipper. However, one penguin was missing.

"Men, where's Kowalski?" Skipper asked.

The trio looked around the HQ, but the scientist was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he fell asleep in his lab again." Private suggested.

They opened the door to the lab, and found it completely Kowalski free.

"Does anyone besides me find this strange?" Private asked.

"Stranger than toast without jelly. Men, we've got a penguin missing in action, spread out and search for clues!" Skipper ordered.

They split up and scoured the lab from top to bottom, and Rico suddenly let out a grunt as he pointed at something on the floor. The other two quickly came over.

"What do you have Rico?" Skipper asked.

Rico picked up an object, and turned to show them.

"Kowalski's abacus? He never goes anywhere without it." Private remarked as they stared at the wooden frame of beads.

"I'm starting to smell foul play." Skipper remarked.

"Hello neighbors!" a voice yelled.

Julian, Maurice, and Mort dropped down from the entrance, and wandered into the lab.

"Ringtail, not now. We've got a case of missing penguin here."

Julian ignored him and wandered around. Suddenly he gagged.

"Ugh! Why are my royal nostrils filled with the stench of the fish weed?" he asked.

"Fish weed, you mean sea weed?" Skipper asked.

"Well I am da king, so I can call the smelly weed whatever I want. Ugh, it is like what those ninja shell fish tied Mort up in!"

"Ninja shell fish?" Private asked.

"I think he means those lobsters that kidnapped him when ya went off to fight that dolphin guy." Maurice stated.

"Dolphin guy? Blowhole!" Skipper exclaimed.

"Skippah, you don't think Dr. Blowhole kidnapped Kowalski do you?" Private asked.

"No, I know he did! But just to be sure, Ringtail, take another wiff and tell me what you smell."

"Aside from the horrible fishy smell, I am smelling the corndogs." Julian replied.

"Coney Island."

"Blowhole kidnapped Kowalski! What do we do Skippah?" Private exclaimed.

"Set up a rescue mission, that's what. Go get our flight supplies ready. I'm gonna stick around here for a minute."

"Why?"

"That's classified, Private, now men, move out! And lemurs, get out!"

"I'm da king, I shall be leaving whenever I am wanting! Maurice, we are leaving." Julian announced, heading for the hole.

Private and Rico left soon after, and Skipper waddled to the center of the main room.

"I know you're watching, Blowhole, and let me tell you something. When you take one of my men, you've messed with the bull. Just you wait till we get there, you're gonna need another mechanical eye when I'm through with you!" he growled, before climbing up the ladder and exiting the base.

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Indeed the mad doctor had been watching. He let out a laugh.

"Ah Skipper, always so headstrong. Little does he know he's waddling right into my trap." Blowhole stated to no one in particular.

"Hey Doc!" a voice called. A lobster scrambled over to him.

"What is it red one, can't you see I'm scheming here?"

"Sorry, boss. He's comin' to." The lobster announced.

"Good, let's go greet him, shall we?"

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Kowalski groaned a little as he sat up.

"Good Galileo, what happened last night?" he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

As he looked around, he realized he wasn't in his lab, as he'd remembered being in. The last thing he recalled was going into his lab to finish up an experiment, before something hit the back of his head and he'd blacked out.

"Skipper? Private? Rico?" he called as he stood.

He heard what sounded like a door opening and closing, followed by a laugh, an all too familiar laugh.

"Well, good morning, peng-u-in."

A spotlight came on overhead, lighting up a small area around Kowalski, but leaving the rest of the room pitch black. Blowhole came into view, along with one of his lobsters.

"Blowhole?!"

"Greetings, Kowalski. I trust you're doing well?"

"Well, aside from a throbbing headache and slight confusion as to why I'm here, perfectly fine."

"Well, don't worry, that will be cleared up soon. You see, I've been designing a new weapon that will melt the arctic and flood the world,"

"Haven't you already tried that?"

"Yes, well I'm going about it a different way! Now just let me talk! Anyway, I've got the blue prints finished, but I'm going to need someone else whose intelligence almost reaches mine to help me put it together. That's where you come in."

"You want me to help you put together a weapon that would end the world as I know it?"

"Precisely."

"Well there are two reasons why I can't. One, it would go against my vow to never help an evil mad scientist destroy the world. Two, I hate you and would never help you."

"The feeling is mutual, but I insist that you do. If you don't, well, I'm afraid you'll have to take a trip to,"

Blowhole pushed a button, and another light came on over a strange looking devise with claws, drills, and various dental tools, and a deep voice announced, "the Robot Dentist."

"Dentist?! AAAAAGH!"  Kowalski jumped into the lobster's arms.

"You know, you don't even have teeth." The lobster remarked as he dropped the penguin.

"It's a long story," Kowalski stated as he stood, "One that involves an over bite, a psychotic dentist, and drills,"

He got a faraway look in his eyes. "So…many…drills…"

He shook his head, clearing it. "Anyway, even under the threat of dentistry, I will never help you build a weapon of mass destruction."

"You never seemed to have trouble with it before. The Chronotron, your gelatin monster-"Blowhole was cut off by Kowalski.

"Jiggles isn't a monster! He's just an…unnatural creation of science."

"Right, anyway, oh, and let's not forget your invisibility ray."

"Which to this day Skipper still doesn't know it's mine!"

"Oh yes, he thinks it was my creation doesn't he? It's an interesting idea, but disintegrating is more of my thing."

"Just because I'm not a mad scientist doesn't mean I can't make dangerous weapons!"

"So prove it."

"Much as I would love to, it would still go against my oath and morals. Terrifying dentist machine or not."

"Well, we have other means. Lobsters!"

Two lobsters rushed at Kowalski from the shadows, tackling him, and snapping something around his ankle. As he sat up, he saw a blinking metal cuff around his ankle.

"Now, I suggest you do as I say, or you'll find out what that little anklet does." Blowhole stated.

"I've said it before, I'll say it again slowly so you'll understand. I'll. Never. Help. You." Kowalski said slowly, enunciating each word like he'd done with Mort before sending him to attack the hornet's nest.

Blowhole smirked, and pushed a yellow button. The anklet beeped, and released at 100 volts of electricity. Kowalski screamed for a few seconds before it stopped.

"Mama make a butter biscuit gravy gravy BONGOS!!!" he shouted as he stumbled backwards and collapsed.

"So, will you help me construct my weapon, or do I need to do a little more convincing?" Blowhole asked.

"You make a persuasive cream corn soufflé." Kowalski replied, sitting up a little before flopping back down.

Blowhole and the lobsters looked at him in confusion for a second, before glancing at each other.

"Maybe we better take it easy with the electro shock anklet, Doc, unless you want to fry his brain." One of the crustaceans stated.

"That might be wise." Blowhole agreed.

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