Hope everyone's staying safe and healthy during this madness. Figured we could both use something to pass the time during quarantine.

Don Karnage was making a list of everything he wanted to do with his new fortune when someone knocked at his door. In a sing song voice, he answered, "If you brought me a present, come in."

"Captain," said Mad Dog, dashing into the room with Dumptruck. "The prisoners have escaped!"

"What?" Karnage dropped his pen and paper. "Didn't you lock the cell?"

"Er, yeah," Dumptruck checked his belt. "I got der key right- oh."

"Idiots!" Karnage smacked his minions' faces. "Find them!"

Meanwhile, the children were trapped between two pirates charging from both ends of the corridor. They ducked in time for the pirates to slam into each other, giving them a chance to make a break for it. They made it out of the corridor, only to find themselves in the hull, where the planes where stored…and where the pirates were cleaning the planes.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. The pirates swarmed at the kids like piranhas. For a moment, Eliza stood paralyzed. Kit grabbed her hand, leading her up a short flight of stairs. Pirates followed. Neither Kit nor Eliza had a chance to decide which direction to run. They ended up in opposite directions as pirates came between them.

"Kit!" screamed Eliza. The pirate swarm split in two. Her only option was to keep running.

"Eliza!" Kit's voice faded as the pirates closed in on them both.

Eliza pumped every ounce of energy to stay out of arm's reach of the nearest pirates. Up ahead was a vent in the wall, small enough for a child to fit through. That was all she needed to decide her next move. Ducking the pirate's grab at her hair, she yanked the grate out and dove into the vent. A hand brushed her foot just as she scrambled out of reach. She looked back only once to see the overweight pirate getting stuck in the narrow entrance.

The vent seemed to go on forever. If the Iron Vulture was the monster that swallowed her up, this was its intestine. Sweat coated her body. Her clammy hands made her slip, landing flat on her stomach. She stayed like that to catch her breath, heart racing ahead of her. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her how long it had been since breakfast.

"Just another minute," she panted. "Or an hour."

No, Kit was still out there. He knew the ship better than her, so he must have gotten away, right? Didn't matter. After all Kit risked for her, how could she just lie around? Still, what could a couple of kids do against a pirate hoard?

Before she could plan anything, she heard voices up ahead. The words were muffled, but she recognized Karnage's voice. The other…

"Kit!" She followed the voices to a grate in the vent's floor and peered through. Two bulky pirates restrained Kit while Karnage leaned on his sword like a cane.

"Let's try this one more time, my boy," said Karnage. "Where's the girl?"

"I told you, I don't know. Even if I did, I still wouldn't tell you."

Oh, Kit! Eliza clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Very noble," drawled Karnage. "To think, I had such high hopes for you, boy."

"Yeah, right," Kit scoffed.

"You showed more potential than all the hooligans in my crew. The potential to carry on my work." Karnage knelt, put an arm around the boy's shoulder as if they were old friends. "You still could. Just think big!" He swept his other arm dramatically over their heads as he said this. "Think of it as trading a princess for a king's ransom. What do you say, boy?"

"I'd say," Kit paused.

Karnage raised a brow.

Eliza held her breath.

"I'd rather jump off this ship," Kit finished.

Karnage stood, shaking his head and scowling. "Don't know what I was thinking." He shrugged. "Oh well, we only need the girl anyway."

"Hey!" Eliza yelled, startling the four occupants. "Up here, you crazy coot!"

They looked up. She caught Kit's relief and Karnage's rage before she scurried over the grate.

Karnage clenched his fists and his teeth. "When I catch that bothersome little bother, I'll- "

"Captain!" The overweight pirate, having unstuck himself from the vent, hurried into the hallway. "The girl's in the vents."

"Really?" Karnage snarled. "I didn't notice."

"But, Captain," said one of the pirates holding Kit. "We just saw her."

"Silence you imbeciles! Search the vents!"

Eliza scurried like a centipede. As long as she kept them busy, she should buy Kit more time. Maybe one of them could come up with plan. Would be easier if she wasn't under so much stress.

In her hurry, she didn't see the next grate until it collapsed beneath her. She tumbled onto king-sized bed. Feeling the soft mattress and silk comforter against her exhausted body, she was almost tempted to fall asleep right there. Footsteps woke her from her false peace. Eliza tried hiding under the bed, but it was built on a platform. She could only huddle on the opposite side of the bed.

"Boy," moaned a familiar thick accent. "The things a pirate goes through for an honest living."

Of all the places to drop in, why couldn't it have been the kitchen?

"I am getting the splitting ache in my head," Karnage sighed, belly-flopping onto the bed. Eliza bit her lip. An arm dangled over the bedside, nearly whacking her in the face. When she heard snoring, she tip-toed away from the bed, keeping her eye on the snoozing pirate. Red curtains separated the bed from the rest of the cabin. As she reach the edge of the curtain, Karnage shot up on all fours. In that instant, Eliza slipped behind the curtain, wrapping a section around herself.

"Un momento," said Karnage. "That vent wasn't open before."

Footsteps approached her hiding place. Eliza held her breath and shut her eyes. Her heart pounded in her ears. She wondered if Karnage could hear it.

"So," Karnage sneered. His voice was right next to her. "You thought you could give the greatest pirate the slippery, eh?"

He found me!

"Ah ha!"

Eliza choked on a scream. All that came out was a faint squeak.

A different squeak drowned out hers. This one like rusty hinges opening. Eliza peeked around a corner of the curtain. Karnage was across the room, digging through an open chest and throwing its contents around the room.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" He stormed into his closet, tearing out clothes, guns, and cutlasses.

Eliza allowed a soft sigh of relief. This was her chance. His ranting drowned out her sprint. If only her foot didn't catch on the curtain string, tripping her at the threshold.

Karnage sprang out of the closet. For a moment, time stood still. They were like two deer seeing the other as headlights. Then time sped up again. Like a cat and a mouse, he pounced and she scurried. All happened in a second, so he landed on the space from where she moved.

By the time she made it down the hall, Karnage's "You little runt!" was just an echo. She glanced over her shoulder to see him picking himself up to go after her. Great, her luck kept getting better and better. If only she could find…

"Kit!" He was still between two pirates who had dragged him around the curve.

"Eliza!"

One of the pirates bounded toward Eliza. Kit stuck a foot out, tripping him. The other pirate whipped out a cutlass and hovered it at Kit's throat, glaring at Eliza. "One move and he gets it."

Eliza stiffened, drawing a sharp gasp.

Kit shook his head, uttering a weak, "Run."

Run where? Eliza hung her head. It was pointless. She was like a mouse surrounded by cats. What else could she do now? Someone clicked a tongue behind her and she turned around.

Karnage wagged his finger. "You naughty, naughty girl. You cannot make the fool of me twice."

Eliza crossed her arms to hide their trembling. She clenched her teeth and scrunched her face, hoping to conceal her fear. The last thing she wanted was to give Karnage that satisfaction.

"As you can see," Karnage continued. "It takes a good head to make a good deal, and your heads are only half-pints, yes no? That said," he picked his nails with the tip of his sword. "I never actually promised Khan to deliver you in one pieces. You wouldn't like me cranky, would you?"

Kit was about to tell Karnage to leave her alone when he glimpsed Eliza's face. Her brows were crossed right down the center. The same expression from when the other boys refused to let her play pirates. Even back then, there was something familiar about that look. At the time, he couldn't place it. He swore the pirate holding him shuddered.

Karnage noticed this too, disappointed that he didn't get the begging for mercy he was used to. One could see the daggers in their eyes clashing. "You got something to say, Missy?"

"I am not amused."