Mind Flex: Chapter 11

~The longest chapter I have ever written, or will ever write… EVER! Seriously this is like almost 3 chapters in one O.O Well, at least no more cliffhangers for the readers :3~

***Contains violence and gore, but then again it also contains the ending of the story so… yeah…. ***

Felix leapt at Skipper with a fierce growl.

Skipper fell backwards but when Felix was on top of him he kicked the ocelot in the stomach. "That's for endangering my men." Skipper exclaimed. He punched Felix. "And that's for tricking me!"

Felix hissed, and slashed Skipper's flipper.

"Aaugh!" Skipper exclaimed, his flipper bleeding.

"You're forgetting who has the claws Skipper" Felix smiled. He knocked Skipper to the ground. "I should just kill you quickly; it would save a lot of time."

"SKIPPA!" Private cried.

Skipper got up and dodged a slash to the neck barely.

*** Skipper took a deep inhale. "Don't worry Kowalski" He whispered just low enough so that Felix couldn't hear. "If you are able to talk to me slightly now, even if you're… influenced… we can warn Private and Rico. And I trust they will figure out what to do. We're going to make it out of this Kowalski… I promise"

…

"I should have caught what was off with Felix from the beginning… I could have fixed everything before all this happened. No matter what, else happens. I'm going to make sure at least you get out of this. All I want is for my team to be safe, and if that means… everyone except me is safe then… so be it." Skipper finished.

…

"Please, just… talk to me! Yes! I screwed up, but that doesn't mean you have to not talk to me Kowalski!" Skipper said, almost beginning to scold Kowalski.

Kowalski forced himself to look Skipper in the eyes. Kowalski's eyes were still hazed and pale. But they now had a new level of pain in them. The guilt and sadness, basically almost three times as much as Skipper was feeling.

Skipper was silent for a moment. "Kowalski…." His lieutenant had his head down, and refused to look at Skipper again.

Skipper hesitantly put a flipper on the bottom of Kowalski's beak and gently lifted up.

Kowalski winced as he had to lift his head. Which he could tell confused Skipper.

Skipper didn't remove his flipper from the bottom of Kowalski's beak, and after a moment lifted Kowalski's head so the lieutenant was looking up. His face got a look of hatred as he saw a clean slash that had been covered by feathers on Kowalski's neck. Only visible if Kowalski's head was tilted up.

"Felix … Felix did this…?" Skipper growled.

Kowalski's nodded slightly. ***

"Skipper…" Kowalski said to himself softly, "Private… Rico…" his neck felt like it was burning.

Skipper was pinned down yet again, and he knew he was losing badly.

"You know what? I'll give you a chance to give in. Give up, and I'll make sure you won't see them die" Felix smiled.

Skipper struggled under the feline's grasp. "I'll never betray my men!" The two animals tussled for a moment, and when they broke apart Skipper landed near Private and Rico, "Not again…"

Felix had landed across from him, by Kowalski. He got up, a small amount of blood trickling from his leg.

"Skippa! Stop it, your getting hurt!" Private cried. "Kowalski! Kowalski please you have to help him!"

Rico looked ready to spring but Skipper shook his head, "No Rico. You're not fighting"

Felix took a step back as Skipper lunged for him, and slashed Skipper's chest when the penguin took a breath.

Skipper groaned in pain and Felix approached him.

Kowalski shook as many memories filled his head, "Private believes I can fight this. He wants me to fight him…" Then the memories of Felix filled his head. ...

The ones which were the thoughts Felix had while Kowalski's mind was "paralyzed".

That's when the anger filled the strategist.

"You're such an idiot." Felix taunted, "Like you could ever beat me" Felix said flatly. The ocelot had a slight limp, but he had no trouble raising his paw to give a final blow.

Skipper put his head on the grass with a thud. He looked at Kowalski, and private, and Rico. "I'm… so… sorry…" He said brokenly, the slash on his chest beginning to bleed more heavily.

"No! SKIPPA!" Private wept.

Rico closed his eyes. His respect for Skipper forced him to obey the command to not help his leader, but he couldn't bear to see him die either. He waited in dreadful silence to hear the cry of agony, or, rather, waited with the sound of Private's heart-breaking crying in the background for the cry of agony.

But instead of that; He heard Felix let out a gasp of surprise, and a thud.

Rico opened his eyes, and widened them.

Felix growled in fury as felt blood drip down his cheek.

Kowalski had punched him.

"Kowalski…" Skipper said, slightly appalled but very thankful, and proud. His chest was really bleeding a lot.

Private widened his eyes as he saw Kowalski. His teammate was in a fighting pose but his head was slightly turned down, and he was visibly trembling.

Skipper sat up shakily. "Kowalski… you got him off me, and I'm thankful, but if you're in pain-"

Kowalski turned his head to Skipper, who was obviously in no condition to fight. He gently pushed Skipper back onto the ground. "You're the one who's in real pain. Mine is all in my head."

Felix got up slowly.

"Or maybe I should say. In someone else's head." Kowalski corrected himself.

Rico smiled, anticipating the worst for Felix.

Private felt torn between joy and sadness as Kowalski looked at him for a moment.

"Thank-you" Kowalski said. His voice barely had any emotion but it was enough to hear the feelings Kowalski was experiencing. "For everything, Private, and Rico… and Skipper." It was hard to sound thankful with the memories and thoughts filling Kowalski's head.

Private whimpered. At that point Kowalski's eyes were a beautiful ocean blue. That was Kowalski. The Kowalski Private had missed, had been trying to find, the one who Skipper risked his life for. Those blue eyes once again, shining with determination and strength; naturally beautiful once more were about to risk being gone for good… Right now what I should do is help Skipper… and hope Kowalski can pull through… Private went to Skipper's side and Rico followed him, his eyes glued to Kowalski and Felix.

Kowalski jumped backwards as Felix leapt at him. And quickly kicked him in the stomach as he tried to regain him balance. Kowalski focused on his anger once more. And it seemed to double in amount, and fill his mind. Can you hear me right now Felix? The feline looked up at him angrily and Kowalski punched him again, HOW THE HECK DID YOU EVEN THINK OF FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF!

Felix managed to dodge Kowalski's next blow, and pinned him down. You heard that… well why would that make you angry? I was actually caring about you for that moment.

Kowalski kicked him off. Before that. When you discovered what really happened.

Felix paused and was breathing deeply. "What are you talking about?" He breathed.

"Your powers can't make someone's mind 'die' or whatever you think is what happened. You put me in a state of mental shock. Forgetting everything helped me recover faster!" Kowalski nearly gagged and put a flipper on the slash on his neck, "uugh"

Private widened his eyes, and Skipper nearly growled. "He never felt guilty. He had deceived me again"

"I…" I never discovered that! That's not even true for all I know! Felix decided to keep the rest of this conversation in thought.

LIAR! Kowalski, leapt and pinned Felix down. You thought it; everything, and then you sat in your cave and felt sorry for yourself like you were the innocent one! Like you're the one who's hurt, and damaged… DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YOU PUT SKIPPER THROUGH? Kowalski punched Felix, WHAT YOU PUT PRIVATE, AND RICO THROUGH? Kowalski ended up punching the ground as he swung a second time as Felix slipped out of his grasp. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH? Kowalski took a deep frustrated breath.

Felix looked at Kowalski for a moment. The way his mind was speaking, he sounded so tough, but you could tell he was about to cry. Felix narrowed his eyes, "I remember what I put you through…" Felix said softly. And approached the penguin slowly.

Kowalski stayed in a defensive stance. He's not letting me read his mind… something's wrong…

Felix stopped in front of Kowalski.

Rico narrowed his eyes. "Walski…. Move away…"

Private couldn't help but want to say the same but he was shaking with fear.

"I should have put you through more. Then you would have known not to mess with me" Felix hissed, and slashed Kowalski's neck again, opening the slowly healing wound even more.

Kowalski choked, and coughed up some blood. I'm… I'm so stupid!

Skipper tried to get up but he couldn't. "Kowalski!" He cried hopelessly.

Rico growled furiously. And Skipper nodded. The penguin leapt forward.

Felix narrowed his eyes and Rico was blown back by an invisible force. "Sorry Skipper. The deal was to the death, not to the death of ME, besides, you already switched out once." Felix smiled, "And I think it will be much more of a pleasure to kill you Kowalski. Considering that I cared for you once, but I have no use for you anymore."

Kowalski collapsed on the floor. If you had cared about me. I wouldn't have needed to have a 'use'

Felix hesitated.

Kowalski took this time to position himself shakily to face him. You never cared about me, or ANYONE. All you cared about was getting revenge on the world like it was their fault. You're selfish, and nobody would ever have a use for YOU.

Felix trembled with fury, WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Felix kicked Kowalski in the stomach.

This only caused the penguin to cough up more blood, which angered Rico even more, the other penguin ran towards them again, but Felix sent him back. Rico cried out in frustration and pain as he landed on his face, and it began to bleed again.

Private trembled in fear. "What… what do I do Skippa! Everyone's getting hurt and I haven't even tried to help them… I'm too scared!"

Skipper didn't know what to say. The young penguin was seeing his close friends… his family, being hit and slashed and… hurt… "Private…"

Kowalski managed to get to his feet. A lot of his feather's were red from the blood dripping from his neck. Felix… you will never hurt anyone again…

Felix got a dark smile, and how can you assure that? I'm about to hurt you.

You'll never hurt me again. Kowalski punched the feline in the stomach, and Felix fell back.

Felix gasped for breath. That really hurt… I slashed his neck! How can he still have so much energy? Felix realized he was bleeding. How… how did he….

Kowalski didn't move as Felix looked back at him, astonished.

Rico was the first person to figure out what had happened.

When Felix had hit Rico away, some weapons had come out of his stomach, and Kowalski was holding a knife.

Felix looked at him in horror. You beat me…

Kowalski didn't respond as Felix trembled, and fell to the floor. Kowalski was losing a lot of blood as well, and as the strategist fell backwards Rico rushed over to catch him. The knife fell from Kowalski's flipper as he went unconscious.

…

Private wept. Sitting at the table in the center of the penguin HQ.

Skipper took a breath. Adjusting to sitting with the bandage wrap around his chest. "Private… what's wrong? It's over. We won"

Private looked up at him, "and I was too afraid to do anything. I made myself look so brave… trying to find out what was going on so that I could help you guys but… when it came to the actual fight… I couldn't do anything. You have trouble bleeding Rico's face is messed up and Kowalski… Kowalski might not even wake up!"

Skipper looked over to the penguin's beds where Kowalski was in the bottom bunk, Rico probably telling his doll to wish for Kowalski's health from what it looked like. "Yeah… things might be messed up for a while… with our wounds healing and Kowalski's health unknown to us… but if you hadn't done anything, then half the zoo would probably be dead, Felix would have won, but no. You were a big part in us getting through this whole situation Private."

Private looked up, "But… I didn't…"

"Maybe you didn't fight. But you WERE a big part in this Private. You have to remember that." Skipper said. He was proud of Private. He was proud of the whole team.

"Hey! Hey look!" Rico called. Skipper and Private turned, and Kowalski began to shift a bit in his bunk.

Private and Skipper rushed over.

"Kowalski?" Private asked softly.

The older penguin opened his eyes slowly. He tried to lift his head but Rico gently put his flipper on Kowalski's wrapped neck to keep him from hurting it by trying to get up.

Kowalski looked at them; he looked like he had a lot to say.

Private smiled. Kowalski wouldn't be saying anything for a while. But he had opened his eyes, HIS eyes. He was going to be fine; everything was going to be fine. Skipper was right. Things would be different for a while. But wounds will heal, and soon everything would be back to normal.

Just like everything was supposed to be.

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