Writer note: A gigantic THANK YOU to Tarra for being my beta-reader for the past few chapters.
***
February 23, 1949
The day of the trial had come. Molly had dreaded it the most. It had been a week since she had unwillingly informed her family of the meetings with Karnage. Now she had to be in the same courtroom with both her family and Karnage. Even worse, she, Kit, and Baloo had to testify. Molly entered the courtroom first before the rest of the family could. She was almost to the first bench on the left side when she saw two guards leading Karnage in, shackled. His eye caught her standing there, and a wicked smirk spread across his face. He halted in front of her.
"Molly, you're here."
"I've been called to testify, so I have to be here. But I'd be here even if I didn't have to testify. How are you holding up?" she asked before Karnage could engage on her former sentence.
Karnage shrugged a shoulder. "What can I say? I deserve what I get, though I do not want it."
"You do have to pay for what you've done, but it isn't your fault you were raised the way you were. Remember that."
"I will. You make so much good sense, Molly. Thank you for understanding."
Molly nodded, and gave a small smiled. The guards pushed Karnage on seating him at a table with his lawyer, a seedy looking meerkat named Mr. Flanery.
Only a minute later, the H&H crew walked in and sat at the first bench with Molly. The gorilla bailiff stood tall at the judge's door. His deep, baritone voice boomed over the courtroom. "All rise. Court is now in session. Case number 141: Usland Republic vs. Felipe Karnage. The honorable Judge Harold J. Weiss presiding."
A fat, long-furred opossum walked into the courtroom. He sat down at his bench and put on his reading glasses. "You may be seated." Everyone sat. He straightened the papers up on his desk. "Now, then. Let's begin. Mr. Wilder, please start us off."
A sophisticated leopard stood up from his chair on the left side of the courtroom. "Thank you, Your Honor. We have all heard of the murderous pirate, Don Karnage. But, the scam he's been running for over ten years was the cutting edge of his wretchedness. He took innocent people away from their families and enslaved them on an island in the middle of the Tangelo Sea so they could make products for him to sell or trade with illegal traders and smugglers."
Molly cringed; twinges of her long hatred for Karnage and need to help him now mixing together to create a wrenching knot in the pit of her stomach.
"I would like to call my first witness, Mr. Kit Cloudkicker."
Kit walked up to the stand. The bailiff came up to him with the Holy Book. Kit placed his hand over it and his other in the air.
"State your full name."
"Krisopher Payton Cloudkicker."
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"You may be seated."
Kit sat.
"Mr. Cloudkicker. How long have you known Mr. Karnage?"
"Twelve years."
"And how did you meet?"
"I was hanging around an airfield when I met up with some of Karnage's men. At that time, I wanted for someone to teach me how to fly and I wanted a place where I could stay instead of living on the streets. I asked if I could join the air pirates, and they didn't mind. Karnage actually liked the idea of a kid pirate. Said I reminded him of himself at the time."
"How long were you with the air pirates?"
"A year."
The leopard paced around the room with his hands behind his back.
"Why did you leave the air pirates?"
"I got tired of them. Besides, they never taught me to fly as they said they would. Hey, isn't Karnage the one on trial; not me."
"No more questions, Your Honor" Mr. Wilder said, sharply turning away.
"Your witness, Mr. Flanery."
The meerkat jumped when his name was called, putting down the pencil he was playing with. He stood. "Oh, no questions, Your Honor."
"Mr. Cloudkicker, you may leave the bench."
Kit stepped down.
"Call your next witness, Mr. Wilder."
"Thank you, Your Honor. I call Mr. Baloo Beaudin to the stand."
"State your full name." Started the whole routine over again.
"Baloo Beaudin."
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"Take your seat."
Mr. Wilder strode up to the bench. "Mr. Beaudin, you have had many run-ins with air pirates being a cargo pilot, correct?"
"Yes, sir, I have for several years."
"You were one of the many unwillingly taken to his slave island in the Tangelo Sea?"
"Yeah, I was. My boss was too."
"How were you treated there?"
"They made us work a lot, but we never went hungry or harmed. We were threatened a lot when we didn't work hard enough."
"Thank you, Mr Beaudin. Your witness, Mr. Flanery."
The meerkat stood. "No questions, Your Honor."
Molly drew in a deep breath, almost a hiss. Mr. Flanery was being nothing but a bump on a log. It crossed her mind why Karnage wasn't ranting and raving at his lawyer for not defending him, but the thought faded as she made her way to the right side of the courtroom as they changed witnesses, and tapped Karnage's lawyer on the shoulder. "Mr. Flanery, I'm getting very angry that you're not defending your client."
The meerkat just smirked, and replied, "Why should I even bother? Everyone knows he's guilty."
"Well, I suggest you start defending your client or I'll make you wish you never became a lawyer" Molly hissed, mirroring her mother's sharp spat to a 'T'.
The scrawny meerkat swallowed, feeling threaten by the young bearess. As the witnesses came up and testified, it got closer to Molly's turn. She didn't know if she would be able to keep her cool.
"My next witness is Miss Molly Cunningham."
Molly stood and walked up to the stand.
"State your full name."
"Molly Elizabeth Cunningham."
"Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"You may be seated."
Mr. Wilder stepped up to Molly.
"Ms. Cunningham, under what circumstances did you and Mr. Karnage meet?"
"Uh… when I was five, he kidnapped my mother and me."
"Did you appreciate that?"
"Nooo, of course not. I didn't understand at the time why he did it. I just knew a bad man that had taken us."
"In recent years, you were in mourning for your mother and friend because Mr. Karnage pushed them off his ship?"
"Yes, sir. But it turned out my mom and friend were very much alive on his island."
"You weren't furious at him for making you think your mother was dead?"
"Yes, I was furious. I hated Karnage. But, for years I have studied many different forms of psychology and I understand him now."
"You understand him? How is that?"
"I've been counseling Karnage for over two months. I found out that he wasn't loved as a child. He didn't know anything but piracy. All he wanted was attention. That's why he acted out."
"By killing innocent people?"
"We only assume that he has actually killed people. What if he hasn't? He has a problem with control that was genetically handed down from his father who was also a pirate captain."
"Ms. Cunningham, are you a licensed psychologist?"
"No, sir."
"How old are you, Ms. Cunningham?"
"Seventeen."
"You are only a teenager. Like -you- know anything about a person's mind. You're just an ignorant child."
"Excuse me, Mr. Wilder!" Rebecca shouted, standing up. "My daughter is not an ignorant child. She is more intelligent then you will ever be."
The crowd began whispering. Kit and Baloo guffawed at her comment.
"Order! There will be order in my court!" Judge Weiss yelled, banging his gavel. The crowd ceased.
"Now, Ms. Cunningham, would you want to see Mr. Karnage put to death?"
"I may have five months ago, but not now. The change I see in him is effective. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to go to prison. He doesn't deserve to die. That's no way to treat anyone. No telling what kind of mental disorders a person put to death had and no one knew about it. That's because no one cared. I helped Karnage overcome his troubles. He's not cured and never will be, but I have seen a change in him. I can tell by analyzing the way he puts his words and his actions."
"All people like Karnage should be put to death. We have no room in this world for people who can't handle themselves" the leopard retorted. "People like you, Ms. Cunningham" he murmured to her.
"Mr. Wilder, there is no room in this court house for a comment like -that- and there is especially no room on this earth for you! You talk about Karnage being bad. Have you taken a look in the mirror? You're just as disgusting and obnoxious as Karnage was. Should you be put to death too? Because, its lowlifes like -you- that make this world corrupt!"
Mr. Wilder couldn't stand it. He was about to bust when Molly got up and stormed out the courtroom. The judge banged his gavel furiously, and then ordered a ten-minute break.
It wasn't much time before the verdict was in. All the witnesses had been questioned and the two attorneys made their final argument. It only took the jury an hour to decide. They said guilty and life in prison with no parole. The crowd cheered knowing that there will never be another attack on the city of Cape Suzette by Don Karnage again. Molly walked up to him before he could be lead away. "I can't say that I'm sorry."
"That is okay. I knew I was going to jail for life."
"I'll come visit you before they ship you off to Angola Prison, okay?"
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
* * *
That night, Molly went to visit Karnage one last time. Kit went with her. Even though she had been going there for alone for over two months, he wanted to be her protector just in case. They walked into the meeting room where Karnage was waiting.
"Hullo, Molly" he greeted. Kit appeared behind her. "I see you brought a bodyguard."
Molly sat at the table as always. "He insisted on coming."
"Just in case you do anything to hurt Molly" Kit informed, stepping forward dangerously. "I'll be right outside the door if you need me."
"I have no request for you, Cloudkeeker" Karnage remarked as Kit was leaving the room. "Molly is perfectly safe with me."
"I'd only believe that if you were dead" Kit replied.
Molly was feed up and closed the door. "So, do you have anything you want to talk about or ask me?"
"Yes. Will you be visiting me in Angola?"
"I don't think I can go there."
"It's best that you don't."
"Why?"
Karnage leaned in closer to her, covering her hand with his. "You are the one, Molly. The only one who understands me. I'm letting you go."
"Letting me go?"
"You will understand soon" Karnage replied with a strange look in his eye that prick suspicion in the back of Molly's mind. "Be happy to live your life with your perfect little family."
"I will."
He stood her up and led her to the door. "Good-bye, Molly Cunningham."
"Good-bye, Karnage."
***
February 23, 1949
The day of the trial had come. Molly had dreaded it the most. It had been a week since she had unwillingly informed her family of the meetings with Karnage. Now she had to be in the same courtroom with both her family and Karnage. Even worse, she, Kit, and Baloo had to testify. Molly entered the courtroom first before the rest of the family could. She was almost to the first bench on the left side when she saw two guards leading Karnage in, shackled. His eye caught her standing there, and a wicked smirk spread across his face. He halted in front of her.
"Molly, you're here."
"I've been called to testify, so I have to be here. But I'd be here even if I didn't have to testify. How are you holding up?" she asked before Karnage could engage on her former sentence.
Karnage shrugged a shoulder. "What can I say? I deserve what I get, though I do not want it."
"You do have to pay for what you've done, but it isn't your fault you were raised the way you were. Remember that."
"I will. You make so much good sense, Molly. Thank you for understanding."
Molly nodded, and gave a small smiled. The guards pushed Karnage on seating him at a table with his lawyer, a seedy looking meerkat named Mr. Flanery.
Only a minute later, the H&H crew walked in and sat at the first bench with Molly. The gorilla bailiff stood tall at the judge's door. His deep, baritone voice boomed over the courtroom. "All rise. Court is now in session. Case number 141: Usland Republic vs. Felipe Karnage. The honorable Judge Harold J. Weiss presiding."
A fat, long-furred opossum walked into the courtroom. He sat down at his bench and put on his reading glasses. "You may be seated." Everyone sat. He straightened the papers up on his desk. "Now, then. Let's begin. Mr. Wilder, please start us off."
A sophisticated leopard stood up from his chair on the left side of the courtroom. "Thank you, Your Honor. We have all heard of the murderous pirate, Don Karnage. But, the scam he's been running for over ten years was the cutting edge of his wretchedness. He took innocent people away from their families and enslaved them on an island in the middle of the Tangelo Sea so they could make products for him to sell or trade with illegal traders and smugglers."
Molly cringed; twinges of her long hatred for Karnage and need to help him now mixing together to create a wrenching knot in the pit of her stomach.
"I would like to call my first witness, Mr. Kit Cloudkicker."
Kit walked up to the stand. The bailiff came up to him with the Holy Book. Kit placed his hand over it and his other in the air.
"State your full name."
"Krisopher Payton Cloudkicker."
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"You may be seated."
Kit sat.
"Mr. Cloudkicker. How long have you known Mr. Karnage?"
"Twelve years."
"And how did you meet?"
"I was hanging around an airfield when I met up with some of Karnage's men. At that time, I wanted for someone to teach me how to fly and I wanted a place where I could stay instead of living on the streets. I asked if I could join the air pirates, and they didn't mind. Karnage actually liked the idea of a kid pirate. Said I reminded him of himself at the time."
"How long were you with the air pirates?"
"A year."
The leopard paced around the room with his hands behind his back.
"Why did you leave the air pirates?"
"I got tired of them. Besides, they never taught me to fly as they said they would. Hey, isn't Karnage the one on trial; not me."
"No more questions, Your Honor" Mr. Wilder said, sharply turning away.
"Your witness, Mr. Flanery."
The meerkat jumped when his name was called, putting down the pencil he was playing with. He stood. "Oh, no questions, Your Honor."
"Mr. Cloudkicker, you may leave the bench."
Kit stepped down.
"Call your next witness, Mr. Wilder."
"Thank you, Your Honor. I call Mr. Baloo Beaudin to the stand."
"State your full name." Started the whole routine over again.
"Baloo Beaudin."
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"Take your seat."
Mr. Wilder strode up to the bench. "Mr. Beaudin, you have had many run-ins with air pirates being a cargo pilot, correct?"
"Yes, sir, I have for several years."
"You were one of the many unwillingly taken to his slave island in the Tangelo Sea?"
"Yeah, I was. My boss was too."
"How were you treated there?"
"They made us work a lot, but we never went hungry or harmed. We were threatened a lot when we didn't work hard enough."
"Thank you, Mr Beaudin. Your witness, Mr. Flanery."
The meerkat stood. "No questions, Your Honor."
Molly drew in a deep breath, almost a hiss. Mr. Flanery was being nothing but a bump on a log. It crossed her mind why Karnage wasn't ranting and raving at his lawyer for not defending him, but the thought faded as she made her way to the right side of the courtroom as they changed witnesses, and tapped Karnage's lawyer on the shoulder. "Mr. Flanery, I'm getting very angry that you're not defending your client."
The meerkat just smirked, and replied, "Why should I even bother? Everyone knows he's guilty."
"Well, I suggest you start defending your client or I'll make you wish you never became a lawyer" Molly hissed, mirroring her mother's sharp spat to a 'T'.
The scrawny meerkat swallowed, feeling threaten by the young bearess. As the witnesses came up and testified, it got closer to Molly's turn. She didn't know if she would be able to keep her cool.
"My next witness is Miss Molly Cunningham."
Molly stood and walked up to the stand.
"State your full name."
"Molly Elizabeth Cunningham."
"Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"You may be seated."
Mr. Wilder stepped up to Molly.
"Ms. Cunningham, under what circumstances did you and Mr. Karnage meet?"
"Uh… when I was five, he kidnapped my mother and me."
"Did you appreciate that?"
"Nooo, of course not. I didn't understand at the time why he did it. I just knew a bad man that had taken us."
"In recent years, you were in mourning for your mother and friend because Mr. Karnage pushed them off his ship?"
"Yes, sir. But it turned out my mom and friend were very much alive on his island."
"You weren't furious at him for making you think your mother was dead?"
"Yes, I was furious. I hated Karnage. But, for years I have studied many different forms of psychology and I understand him now."
"You understand him? How is that?"
"I've been counseling Karnage for over two months. I found out that he wasn't loved as a child. He didn't know anything but piracy. All he wanted was attention. That's why he acted out."
"By killing innocent people?"
"We only assume that he has actually killed people. What if he hasn't? He has a problem with control that was genetically handed down from his father who was also a pirate captain."
"Ms. Cunningham, are you a licensed psychologist?"
"No, sir."
"How old are you, Ms. Cunningham?"
"Seventeen."
"You are only a teenager. Like -you- know anything about a person's mind. You're just an ignorant child."
"Excuse me, Mr. Wilder!" Rebecca shouted, standing up. "My daughter is not an ignorant child. She is more intelligent then you will ever be."
The crowd began whispering. Kit and Baloo guffawed at her comment.
"Order! There will be order in my court!" Judge Weiss yelled, banging his gavel. The crowd ceased.
"Now, Ms. Cunningham, would you want to see Mr. Karnage put to death?"
"I may have five months ago, but not now. The change I see in him is effective. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to go to prison. He doesn't deserve to die. That's no way to treat anyone. No telling what kind of mental disorders a person put to death had and no one knew about it. That's because no one cared. I helped Karnage overcome his troubles. He's not cured and never will be, but I have seen a change in him. I can tell by analyzing the way he puts his words and his actions."
"All people like Karnage should be put to death. We have no room in this world for people who can't handle themselves" the leopard retorted. "People like you, Ms. Cunningham" he murmured to her.
"Mr. Wilder, there is no room in this court house for a comment like -that- and there is especially no room on this earth for you! You talk about Karnage being bad. Have you taken a look in the mirror? You're just as disgusting and obnoxious as Karnage was. Should you be put to death too? Because, its lowlifes like -you- that make this world corrupt!"
Mr. Wilder couldn't stand it. He was about to bust when Molly got up and stormed out the courtroom. The judge banged his gavel furiously, and then ordered a ten-minute break.
It wasn't much time before the verdict was in. All the witnesses had been questioned and the two attorneys made their final argument. It only took the jury an hour to decide. They said guilty and life in prison with no parole. The crowd cheered knowing that there will never be another attack on the city of Cape Suzette by Don Karnage again. Molly walked up to him before he could be lead away. "I can't say that I'm sorry."
"That is okay. I knew I was going to jail for life."
"I'll come visit you before they ship you off to Angola Prison, okay?"
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
* * *
That night, Molly went to visit Karnage one last time. Kit went with her. Even though she had been going there for alone for over two months, he wanted to be her protector just in case. They walked into the meeting room where Karnage was waiting.
"Hullo, Molly" he greeted. Kit appeared behind her. "I see you brought a bodyguard."
Molly sat at the table as always. "He insisted on coming."
"Just in case you do anything to hurt Molly" Kit informed, stepping forward dangerously. "I'll be right outside the door if you need me."
"I have no request for you, Cloudkeeker" Karnage remarked as Kit was leaving the room. "Molly is perfectly safe with me."
"I'd only believe that if you were dead" Kit replied.
Molly was feed up and closed the door. "So, do you have anything you want to talk about or ask me?"
"Yes. Will you be visiting me in Angola?"
"I don't think I can go there."
"It's best that you don't."
"Why?"
Karnage leaned in closer to her, covering her hand with his. "You are the one, Molly. The only one who understands me. I'm letting you go."
"Letting me go?"
"You will understand soon" Karnage replied with a strange look in his eye that prick suspicion in the back of Molly's mind. "Be happy to live your life with your perfect little family."
"I will."
He stood her up and led her to the door. "Good-bye, Molly Cunningham."
"Good-bye, Karnage."
