~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 4
It had been a year. An entire year. Kit couldn't believe it. He had been with the pirates for one year…and hated it. He thought going with the pirates would be a good choice. He went to give him a sense of belonging. But these pirates were no family to him. He hated them. They teased him and pushed him around for being the smallest and youngest one there. He was sick of it. He wanted to leave. He didn't know how he could get out though. That was the hard part. If he could think of a plan he would be out of there in a heartbeat.
"Good morning plunderers! Today is a very big day! Today is the day we will plunder Khan's plane and take the stone that will destroy the world!"
Kit heard the familiar voice of Captain Don Karnage over the loud speaker. Kit was sick of hearing about this stone Karnage was going to steal. He was sick of everything, but didn't let Karnage see it. Karnage thought Kit was the best thing to ever come about the pirates. He was youthful and smart. He wasn't like the others at all.
Kit had a plan though. A plan to get him out of there, and to make Karnage very, very mad. He figured he could be killed on his little mission, but that thought cheered him up. He hated life and thought it would be better if his was ended. And it could happen if his plan failed…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"A-ha-ha-ha! We have done it men! We have the stone that will help of destroy the world! Then we shall reign!"
Karnage had returned from his plunder and had a small jeweled box in his possession. Kit was ready to put his plan into action. He had crawled through the ducts in the Iron Vulture and positioned himself right above where Karnage, Mad Dog, Dumptruck, and Gibber were standing. Karnage stood there gloating about his prize. Kit decided that it was time to do it. He would either succeed and be free…or fail and be tortured.
"So now all we need to do is make the gun that will destroy all!"
Karnage was still gloating and Kit jumped down from the ceiling. "For me? Aww…you shouldn't have!" Kit took off running.
Karnage was stunned for a second. "After that boy!" Karnage yelled in rage! After all he had done for that boy! And now to go back on him like this!
Kit kept running. Seeing that pirates were still coming after him he jumped into another duct. He finally made it to the beak of the Iron Vulture. He opened the hatch and waited. The pirates caught up with him. He could see the anger on Karnage's face. He started to worry. There was suppose to be a cargo plane coming past in a matter of seconds. He figured he'd be killed if it didn't come.
"So, out of ideas?" Karnage sneered at Kit.
"Nah, I have one more." Kit finally heard the engines of the plane and jumped.
"The crazy fool! He will be killed and he has my stone! After him!" Karnage shouted orders out to the pirates.
Kit grabbed on to the back of the plane with a grappling hook he grabbed earlier. The pilot looked back, but did nothing.
They seemed to be heading for an island so Kit just held on and waited. When the plane started to land he jumped off and with his airfoil he went to land on the deck. It didn't work the way he planned. He slid across the dock and right into a rundown bar called Louie's. He knocked people out of his way as he slid right into a large female bear.
"You okay kid?" The bear looked concerned and eyed the kid.
Kit jumped back and put a tough look on that didn't suit such a young face.
The pilot of the plane that Kit caught a ride on stormed in and was about to let him have it.
The large bear, which turned out to be a he, told the pilot to calm down and let the kid be.
The pilot, taken aback, thought that the kid was the bear's friend and turned and sat at the bar leaving the kid alone.
The bear checked Kit out and commented on his crash landing.
He unwrapped his skirt and took off his fruit basket revealing that he was a pilot. Kit gapped. "Are you a pilot?," Kit asked the large bear. "Yep I am! Baloo is the name." Baloo looked at the box and Kit's hand and questioned him, "what's that in your hand kid?"
Kit gave him an angry look. "It's none of your business! It's mine!"
Baloo just shrugged.
"Well, I'm on my way out Louie!" Baloo waved and walked out the door.
Karnage barged in the door right after Baloo left. Mad Dog and Dumptruck were with him.
Louie yelled at Karnage and told him to get out but he paid no attention. Kit ran for the balcony to find a place to hide his treasure. He found a place and decided to make a grand exit.
"I was just on my way out!" Kit jumped off the balcony and ran.
This startled Karnage who quickly regained his senses and yelled to go after the boy.
Kit saw a plane taxing out and ran for it. He jumped on the back and climbed for the door. When he made it he saw the pilot was the same crazy bear that was dressed as a woman. Kit didn't care. At least he was away from the pirates. He knocked hoping the pilot would hear him. He did, and rolled down the window asking Kit if he needed a ride.
Once inside he stared in awe at the plane.
"Conwing L-16?" That was the first thing out of Kit's mouth when he got it.
The pilot grinned told him the name of the plane. It was the Sea Duck.
"So what's your name kid?" The bear asked the question snapping Kit out of his amazement.
"Kit…Kit Cloudkicker."
Baloo smiled and asked him about his love of planes. Kit told him how he wanted to be a pilot and have his own plane someday.
"So your parents fancy on the idea you wanna be a pilot?"
Kit told Baloo he didn't have any parents and turned away saying no more.
Baloo felt a pang of sadness for the boy. "So you want to fly the plane? Every good pilot needs to start somewhere."
Kit sat upright and grinned. "You'd let me? Really?"
Baloo smiled and closed his eyes. He watched the kid. He seemed so happy.
Machine gun fire rained down on the plane snapping Baloo back to reality. Kit looked bewildered and let Baloo take the controls.
When Baloo said those were pirates Kit shrunk in his seat knowing they were after him. But after a few talented moves by Baloo they shook the pirates off and sailed into Cape Suzette. Kit stared in amazement as Baloo circled the city.
They landed in front of a rickety old building. The sign said Baloo's Air Service in faded letters. Baloo pronounced it home and they walked in. Kit looked around in dismay at the mess. He complained about Baloo's poor job in keeping a proper business. Baloo brushed the comments off with a simple shrug. He just went for the flying part.
"So Kit…how would you like to be my navigator?" Baloo asked the question abruptly from out of nowhere.
"Well, I-I…" Kit remembered his stone. "I can't. I need to get back to Louie's."
"No can do kid. I don't have to be back there for another few weeks."
Before Kit could answer someone knocked at the door.
A man came in explaining to Baloo that if he didn't pay his $3,000 he owed by 9:00 the next morning, his loan on the Sea Duck would be foreclosed.
Baloo stared in disbelief. "What can I do?"
"Take a job. Job equal cash. Cash equal plane." Kit replied matter-o-factly.
Baloo checked through all the job offerings and finally found one from The Cape Suzette Zoo. Delivering Gorilla Birds was not his idea of a job, but he thought of the Sea Duck and decided to take it.
Baloo told Kit if he came with him he would take him to Louie's the next day.
Kit heard about the cargo and was skeptical, but any way to get to Louie's would make him happy.
Baloo let Kit fly part of the way to New Fedora. Everything went smooth and they had the birds loaded and ready to go in no time.
The birds didn't like being locked up and instantly rebelled. Kit worked at fighting them off. Suddenly, machine gun fire rained down from above.
"Not again! What do they want with a mangy bunch of birds?!"
Kit kept trying a fight the birds off and just shrugged not wanting to tell Baloo that the pirates were after him.
Baloo swooped the plane down into the jungle below to lose the pirates. Kit feared for his life as Baloo swooped past the trees. As they came to a clearing Kit sighed in relief. A second later they were pulled into a nosedive a hit the sandbar below. When they stopped both of them got out to survey for damage. Baloo kept thinking about why the pirates were after him. Why would they want these birds? Then it came to him. They were after Kit!!
"Kit, why are these pirates after you?" The question from Baloo stunned Kit for a minute.
"It's none of your business!" Kit ran off into the jungle.
Baloo shrugged and kept surveying for damage.
Kit was mad. He didn't want anyone to know about his past with the pirates. Where was the bear getting off asking him? He angrily kept walking and came face to face with Don Karnage.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~